Devils riding out dog days of winter again

Posted on February 1, 2020 by hasan4978

Another symbol of happier times gone by…Matt and the Maven is no longer a nightly segment on the Devils’ telecast but rather a short-run series of a few different segments over social media this year.  Makes sense as Stan Fischler is enjoying quasi-‘retirement’ no longer working every day at MSG but rather going back and forth between here and staying with family in Israel, while Matt Loughlin is busy with his day job doing radio for this now-sorry team.

While the Devils have been back from the All-Star break for almost a week, tonight and being at the 20th anniversary celebration of the 2000 Cup at the Rock will be the first time I’ve actually watched the team in a couple weeks.  I haven’t been able to bring myself to watch a minute of either of their two games so far.  What’s the point?  We’re nearly twenty points out of a playoff spot, in hopeless limbo waiting till the trade deadline and the draft lottery for the next significant days in this franchise’s history (and finding out what management team will be presiding over the future).  Looking at the standings recently I realized just how pitiful the Red Wings are, with a clear fifteen-point seperation between them and anyone else.  So obviously they’ll get the best lottery odds and will draft no higher than #4.  Among all the other teams though?  There’s a very real chance the Devils could finish back of everyone else in the NHL and get the second best odds, which are actually better than in the years we won lottos.

Not that I’m really going to sweat out the lottery anymore.  Especially since I’m not expecting to get lucky three straight times in a system designed to prevent the worst teams from automatically getting the top three picks.  Plus look at where the Devils are in the standings…winning two lotteries haven’t exactly been a salve for everything else that’s been wrong with this organization in the last several years.  Just like winning multiple lottos weren’t enough to get the Oilers out of their post-2006 doldrums.  Even our lotto picks themselves haven’t exactly provided much reason to be hopeful of being the centerpieces of a turnaround in the near future.

Sure, there isn’t much to complain about with Nico Hischier – he’s a two-way player, just came off an All-Star game appearance and seems like a good kid.  However, his long-term extension kicks in next year and they are going to need Nico to take another step by then toward being a player the new Devils can build around.  Twelve goals and 31 points in 45 games is just meh in his third full season considering it was basically the same level he played at as a teenage rookie, a nice complementary player but not a true building block with a solid but unspectacular 55-60 point total.  Maybe I shouldn’t complain cause winning teams need players need guys like Nico, but winning teams need difference makers first and foremost and getting a #1 overall pick is the best chance for a rebuilding (again) team like the Devils to get one.  Nico hasn’t been that yet.

While with our more recent #1 in Jack Hughes, he needs to take a couple of steps just towards being what Nico was as a rookie.  Sure, coming up in this environment where the GM and coach have been fired, and the best player was traded in December doesn’t help but most #1 picks don’t get the soft landing of being part of a winning culture.  There’s a reason you’re picking #1 generally.  Nico got lucky in a sense that he was part of a team that did make the playoffs as a rookie and got to ride shotgun with Taylor Hall during his Hart year.  Yeah I get the whole undersized thing, the first kid to come directly from the US development program to the pros yadda yadda yadda.  At some point the excuses need to end with Hughes.  6 goals, 17 points and a -13 in 42 games just isn’t good enough for a #1 overall and one that was supposed to be ‘better’ than Nico.  Being benched for long stretches against Nashville for sloppiness just can’t be tolerated whether it’s the golden boy pick or a veteran leader.

Even our other young building block in Mackenzie Blackwood hasn’t quite been the same in recent weeks with only one win in his last six starts, allowing twenty-three goals during that time as his GAA has climbed back to 3 and his save percentage creeping back down towards .900.  We don’t even have a ready-made second goalie in the system – Cory  Schneider completely bombed, Louis Domingue hasn’t been good in spite of a couple of decent games before the break, nobody else is really ready to contribute at the NHL level.  This isn’t exactly an ideal situation for a goalie but sooner or later we’ll need to find out about Blackwood in a non-dumpster fire situation, before the constant dumpster fires ruin him long-term.

In a nutshell, this is why this team is so depressing.  Not just that we’re still rebuilding eight years later from 2012 with only one quick playoff appearance to show for it, but it’s that the guys you really need to point to as beacons of hope for the future really haven’t been that during the dog days.  How many other long-term pieces are already in place?  You would hope Kyle Palmieri and Blake Coleman would be two – Palmieri is a solid 25-30 goal and 55-point player year in and year out while Coleman’s improved every year as a pro from a defensive player to a solid two-way threat and even has a chance to get 30 goals himself (he’s at 19 through 50 games played).  However, Coleman, Palmieri and Nikita Gusev (9 goals and 31 points in 47 games) are all up for extensions this offseason and can become free agents after next year.  Will any of them be able to see this franchise turn around or will they be casualties of another long-term rebuild with another GM?

Right now, the Devils and their fans are in a perennial waiting game with both an interim GM and coaching staff.  Who’s going to be the next GM?  Who’s going to be the next coach?  What happens (and when) with immediately pending FA’s like Sami Vatanen, Andy Greene and Wayne Simmonds?  A lot of uncertainty is swirling around the team, and there’s only been silence from above since the surprising though not undeserved firing of GM Ray Shero a few weeks ago.  With the trade deadline less than a month away eventually ownership and interim GM Tom Fitzgerald are going to have to start playing some of their cards.  Ownership claims they want to win and want to win soon but is it really feasible with this team?  Can any GM come in with a realistic plan to improve the scoring depth, improve the D and improve goaltending depth in the next three years all without gutting the farm system – assuming the farm system’s even good enough to put long-term stock in?  Sure, there’s still a lot of cap space available to the next GM but it doesn’t mean much if nobody’s willing to take your money to play on a loser in a limited market.

Part of the cynic in me believes that while ownership’s paid lip service to wanting to win they really would be content with playing the long game forever – they did that essentially with the Sixers before the NBA had to step in and make them try to be competitive – and that they are willing to do stuff like trade Palmieri, but would rather wait till season ticket renewals go out the middle of next week so as not to further up the cancellations.  I’m already dreading the renewal despite all but committing to another year out of general apathy (I’ve already used my buyback games for this season as credit toward next, and I have more reward points than I know what to do with, given the Devils’ limited offerings that I actually want).  Still, don’t annoy me and don’t annoy other people who are even more likely to bail with yet another substantial increase.  Especially not if you’re just going to bait and switch and put us through another long rebuild that could go nowhere in the end.

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Game #49 Zibanejad leads way to hit 200 points as a Ranger in win over Red Wings, Panarin wizardry and Shestyorkin improves to 3-1

Posted on February 1, 2020 by Derek

Pavel Buchnevich gives Igor Shestyorkin some love following his third win. AP Photo credit New York Rangers via Getty Images

Last night, I went over to friend Jon’s to watch the game. We were a little behind, but eventually caught up to see the Rangers win over the Red Wings 4-2 at the World’s Most Renovated Arena. Credit goes out to my brother Justin for that nickname. Isn’t it the damn truth?

The most important thing here is the Blueshirts got off to the right start in the second half. They beat a bad team by jumping all over them. Even though they didn’t score in a dominant first period where they created so many scoring chances against a sharp Jimmy Howard, it set the tone. For a veteran nearing the end of his career in an awful season (entered with just two wins), he made some great saves. None better than robbing Filip Chytil with his glove right on the goal line.

Eventually, all the pressure finally got the desired results in a three goal second period. Mika Zibanejad was flying all night. On a bullet pass from Chris Kreider, he blew into the Detroit zone and centered for a cutting Pavel Buchnevich, who scored his ninth while flying into the back boards. It was a beautiful play by the trio who stayed together. Buchnevich deserved it as he was very visible throughout. If he plays like that, the goals will come. He wasn’t on the perimeter and was shooting the puck more.

In a game that marked the return of promising rookie Igor Shestyorkin to the net following a successful two game stint with Hartford, he was there when he had to be. He didn’t have to stand on his head. The Red Wings aren’t good. There’s a reason they’re a lock for the worst record and hoping to win the Alexis Lafreniere Sweepstakes. Despite a good top line that features captain Dylan Larkin, Tyler Bertuzzi and for now Robby Fabbri with Anthony Mantha out, they don’t play any defense and are very thin. If Howard (35 saves matching his number that he wears for idol Mike Richter) wasn’t good early, this wouldn’t gotten out of hand.

Detroit struggled with both the Zibanejad line and Artemi Panarin line at five-on-five. There was one long shift from Panarin, Ryan Strome and Jesper Fast where the puck seemed to stick to them like a magnet. They did everything but score. This was back in the first. Jacob Trouba made a great keep too. For most of the game, he was paired with Ryan Lindgren. That would change eventually in the third.

If you go and look at the Detroit season statistics, they’re ugly. There are some real bad numbers. Especially when it comes to scoring, plus/minus and goals allowed. They’re ranked 31st in a lot of categories. It isn’t a coincidence that their 28 points over 52 games are by far the worst. It’s pretty sad when you think that this was once a franchise of excellence. Steve Yzerman is now the general manager looking to put it back on track.

The Winged Wheel aren’t the team that won four Stanley Cups in over a decade. Gone are the nostalgic days of Yzerman, Sergei Fedorov, Nick Lidstrom, Igor Larionov, Slava Kozlov, Brendan Shanahan, Vladimir Konstantinov, Mike Vernon, Chris Osgood, Dominik Hasek, Luc Robitaille, Darren McCarty, Kris Draper, Tomas Holmstrom, Pavel Datsyuk, Henrik Zetterberg, Kirk Maltby, Chris Chelios, Niklas Kronwall, Johan Franzen, Brian Rafalski, etc. Justin Abdelkader and Darren Helm are still around. Valtteri Filppula returned to likely finish his career where it began. In fact, his next game is number 1,000. That’s tonight in the rematch in Hockeytown.

Getting back to the game, the Rangers continued to control it. A Zibanejad face-off win in the offensive zone led directly to Kreider neatly deflecting in an Adam Fox point shot for his 18th at 11:56. Just your classic hardworking Kreider goal where he gets position in front and finds a way to redirect a puck past a goalie. With a goal and assist, his two points give him 21 in the last 21 since Dec. 8. Twelve of his 18 goals have come since my birthday. He’s got four in the last five games. Kreider finished January with nine points (6-3-9) in 10 games. He’s up to 34 points (18-16-34) for the season while playing in all 49 games. Not surprisingly, there were plenty of scouts in attendance yesterday.

As he continues to perform well, the price is rising. Whether it’s deciding he wants to stay in New York or as a rental, it’s going to cost a lot. It’s nice to see him playing to capability. He and Zibanejad have a special chemistry together. Kreider has credited Zibanejad for making it easier for him to play his game. A nice kudos for one of the game’s most underrated top centers. We can no longer question that anymore. Just watch Mika play the game. He is a complete player now who makes players better while logging big minutes in every key situation. He was the best player on Friday going for a goal and two helpers to give him 200 points as a Ranger. That’s 90-110-200 over 246 games. He’s up to 42 points (19-23-42) in 36 contests this season. Not bad production for his cap hit which is a bargain of $5.35 million through 2022.

In the final minute of the second, Panarin created some magic as only he can. After Tony DeAngelo got the puck out to Fast, the Wonder Bread Man took a pass from Fast and put on a series of moves before somehow scoring his team-leading 27th on an unbelievable backhand top shelf on a stunned Howard with 42 seconds remaining. It was jaw dropping. Both Jon and I couldn’t believe it. Remember. We were behind watching this on his DVR. Justin was on the phone when we saw the awesome goal. I think by that point, the game had already ended. And we were only two periods in.

The things Panarin can do with the puck are astonishing. I felt a little bad for poor Red Wings defenseman Alex Biega, who was left naked on an island. Just a simple one-on-one where the Bread Man undressed him for a highlight reel goal. His 27 are four off his career best of 31 set in his second NHL year in Chicago while playing with Patrick Kane. And some people thought he was a product of Showtime. If you watched him closely, you knew better. He proved it under John Tortorella in Columbus. Now, he’s a MVP candidate on a mediocre team that’s going to need quite a push to make any kind of run at the playoffs. They’re up to 52 points with 33 games left. Nine behind the Leafs, who leapfrogged the Hurricanes, who were 4-3 losers to Vegas.

Through two periods with his team ahead by three, Shestyorkin calmly made 15 saves. There weren’t many big ones. He made a nice challenge on an attempt in tight. There also was his cool whip glove save that looks like art. It’s a whipping motion that allows him to snatch the puck out of midair. I’ve never seen any other goalie do it before. It’s unique. I’ll credit Alyssa Harrison (Follow on Twitter) for noticing it. She has a dynamite YouTube channel you have to follow. She does cool videos and even live casts commenting to viewers on Pens games. She’s a big Crosby fan. But she’s not a homer. See some of her countdowns including Worst Divers.

In a rare game where they didn’t take a single penalty, Brendan Lemieux drew one on an agitated Abdelkader over four minutes into the third period. He went for a hit along the boards missing Abdelkader, who didn’t take kindly. He took a very undisciplined roughing minor by wrestling Lemieux down. Play continued. It was strange because for a moment, we thought the whistle would blow. Instead, play kept going and Detroit could’ve been nabbed for a second penalty. Panarin was tripped at the blueline. Instead, only Abdelkader went.

On the ensuing power play, it didn’t take long for the Rangers top unit to make Abdelkader pay. Twenty-five seconds in, Panarin passed for DeAngelo, who made a nice pass for a wide open Zibanejad. He had enough time to settle the puck before firing a laser through a Kreider screen high short side by a helpless Howard for a 4-0 lead at 5:02. I called the goal before it whizzed by Howard. Sometimes, you can tell. The puck was in and out of the net that quickly. Like watching art.

As it turned out, they needed that goal. On a night David Quinn altered his defense pairs, the brand new Brady Skjei and Adam Fox tandem struggled in the third. They got victimized for two Detroit goals. Just when we started thinking the ‘S’ word for Shestyorkin, Larkin found Fabbri wide open with no one even close. He easily finished off his 12th (11th as a Wing since coming over from Blues) to end the shutout bid at 5:59. This was embarrassing. You had both Skjei and Fox covering down low while no forward bothered to pick up Fabbri, who couldn’t had enough time for a hero sandwich before moving in and beating Shestyorkin. Filip Chytil was not where he was supposed to be. Lemieux also was in no man’s land.

Still up 4-1 as me and Jon continued to chat, neither of us felt they were in trouble. It was the Red Wings. Sure. They try hard for embattled coach Jeff Blashill, who’s somehow survived the coaching casualties. But they’re terrible. However, if you let a opponent hang around and suddenly gain confidence, strange things can occur. Just ask Montreal fans about Detroit. Their team can’t beat them.

Exactly five minutes later on a play started by a forechecking Fabbri, veteran defenseman Trevor Daley managed to put the puck right on Filppula, who like Fabbri had all day to score his fourth on Shestyorkin to suddenly make it a game. There was still 9:01 left. This play was a total breakdown. You had Fabbri beating Skjei to the net as Shestyorkin misplayed the puck. When it went into the corner, Fox decided to go help Skjei which meant you had both defensemen away from the net front. A no no. No forward took Filppula. I think it was again Chytil’s responsibility. He has to learn.

The next few minutes were a total role reversal. You had the Red Wings coning in waves searching for the third goal that thankfully never came. Shestyorkin was at his best here making a few key stops to get out of trouble. He’s very composed for a new goalie at this level. There’s a lot to like. He improved to 3-1-0 while making 23 saves. Good stuff from the Russian. Йгор йграет хорошо.

In between the second Detroit goal, Lemieux drew a second penalty on Filppula, who hooked him as the Grate One skated into the Detroit zone. The Rangers didn’t score on the man-advantage. It didn’t come back to bite them.

They eventually recovered from the doldrums that hit after the pair of Red Wing goals. Quinn reunited Fox with Lindgren once things got interesting. Skjei went back to Trouba while DeAngelo and Marc Staal stayed intact. I thought Staal and DeAngelo were the most effective D pair. They didn’t make any glaring mistakes and were sound defensively. They each were plus-two. DeAngelo picked up two helpers giving him 27 for the season. His next point will be number 40. Does it come tonight in the rematch?

Most cool was with Detroit pulling Howard for an extra attacker, Shestyorkin went for it twice. He had two good opportunities at scoring an empty net goal. The first, there was enough time. But it didn’t quite get there. On the second with only a few ticks left, he shot the puck all the way down. With the crowd anticipating a possible goal, it went just wide as the buzzer sounded. Had it gone in, we both felt it wouldn’t have counted. The clock was running out.

It was still pretty cool to see a Ranger goalie almost pull it off. We’ve seen it from other goalies like Ron Hextall, Martin Brodeur, Osgood, Jose Theodore, Evgeni Nabokov and most recently Pekka Rinne. At 24, Shestyorkin will get plenty of target practice.

A couple of quick hits and I’m done.

I felt that Kaapo Kakko looked more like the player we saw for Finland. Throughout, he was more aggressive looking for his shot. He had three good ones that Howard stopped. He was around the puck more and put himself in the right spot. He also had a physical shift where he used his size and took the body in the offensive zone. We haven’t seen much of that. A good sign for Kakko.

Greg McKegg has one really good shift where he could’ve scored twice. The first attempt came off a two-on-one rush. The second, he was all set up with an open side but missed. The Keg Man works hard. It would be nice to see him get rewarded for a change. He only has one goal. Four points total. But only minus-four which tells you about his work ethic.

Brett Howden played on the fourth line. He got 12 minutes, but just wasn’t noticeable. Maybe that was due to how we watched.

I don’t see the point in having Brendan Smith play fourth line anymore. I know he does double duty as a penalty killing D. But it’s kind of ridiculous. No disrespect meant. He definitely works hard and is a team guy. But that’s your fourth line? It’s sad that the team feels it has no viable options. Phil Di Giuseppe didn’t even dress. Steven Fogarty and Tim Gettinger barely played. Vinni Lettieri is an afterthought. Boo Nieves, who probably could play the fourth line, doesn’t even get a sniff. It’s strange.

Meanwhile, Lias Andersson (remember him) was loaned out to HV71 in Sweden by the Rangers to continue his pro career. That’s good. We’ll see how it goes. Will it change anything? Probably not. But when you are fielding an NHL roster that includes McKegg and Smith on your fourth line, you’re telling me Andersson couldn’t have done better or filled such a role? What a screwed up organization.

They can continue to toot their own horn over all the D prospects and goalies including Tyler Wall. But at some point, the forward depth needs to improve. Vitali Kravtsov (4-4-8 in 22 GP) better be part of it. He’s still figuring it out with the Wolf Pack. Hopefully, Morgan Barron if he signs after his junior year at Cornell, is part of it. So too is Lauri Pajunemi.

That will wrap it up. Sorry for the late recap and review. I was tired last night. Plus I’m visiting my Mom later for a late lunch. I’ll be back later to do something on tonight’s second game of the classic home-and-home series that wraps up at Detroit. I know Henrik Lundqvist is in for our side. But will he be opposed by adversary Howard? Or does Jonathan Bernier go? We shall see.

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Lundqvist speaks on being a Ranger, DeAngelo/Lemieux 2020, Quinn changes defense pairs, Strome a game time decision

Posted on January 31, 2020 by Derek

Better Times: Henrik Lundqvist (seen above with Carey Price) has fallen on hard times since 2017-18. In the first round series versus the Canadiens, he outplayed Price in the 2017 NHL Playoffs. It was his last series win. He had some interesting comments yesterday. AP Photo via Getty Images

A day before returning to action for the first of a traditional home-and-home series against the Red Wings, there are a few noteworthy news items coming following team practice.

The Rangers will first host Original Six rival Detroit later tonight at Madison Square Garden. Game time is 7 PM. They’ll then travel back to Detroit to again take on the Red Wings on Saturday night at the same time. Just your classic back-to-back between two old rivals. If only they were good again.

Currently, the Blueshirts find themselves 11 points behind the final wildcard in the East. It’s a logjam that has first wildcard Columbus at 62 points while the Hurricanes are ahead of the Maple Leafs by virtue of one less game played with each team having 61 points. The Panthers also have 61, but are in third place in the Atlantic Division due to two fewer games played. The Flyers have 60 while the Canadiens are up to 53 due to their 3-1 win over the disappointing Sabres, who remained at 51.

Basically, the Rangers would have to climb over all these teams to make the postseason for the first time since 2017 when Alain Vigneault coached them. It’s unrealistic. It always has been. They do have 34 games remaining. So, they can make up ground quickly if they get out of the gate fast. That means no slip ups versus the NHL’s worst team the next two nights.

Comparatively speaking the Red Wings are as bad as they’ve been in a very long time. With only 28 points in 51 games played, they’re going to lock up the worst record and be in the Alexis Lafreniere Sweepstakes. The next worst team are the Kings with 43 points after winning tonight. Then, you have the middling Devils at 44 followed by the Ducks and Senators, who each have 45. Even the defenseless Sharks are in the mix with 48 due to having no top goalie. They just lost Tomas Hertl for the remainder of the season with a torn meniscus and ACL. He partook in the All-Star Game and scored a few goals. Wow. How did it happen?

At 50 points, the Rangers could go one of two ways. Start winning more consistently and move up the standings. Or lose enough games for management to sell at the February 24 trade deadline. Thirteen games over the next 23 days will determine what the organization decides. That includes key decisions on impending unrestricted free agent forwards Chris Kreider and Jesper Fast. Everyone knows that Kreider is the top rental player available unless he negotiates a new contract with GM Jeff Gorton and Team President John Davidson.

Whatever they do, they’ll also have to figure out what is best moving forward with key restricted free agents Tony DeAngelo, Ryan Strome and Alex Georgiev. Brendan Lemieux is also a Group II this summer. In the mean time, the personable DeAngelo has had some fun on Twitter creating new T-shirts and apparel with Lemieux. They’ve teamed up with iamblueyork.com to make the DeAngelo/Lemieux 2020 shirts available.

https://twitter.com/TonyDee07/status/1222988594073219072?s=19

I like the fact they can have fun with this. After all, it’s an Election year. That’s my only commentary on it. I think it’s good to have unique character players as part of the team. It can’t always be serious every minute. That’s one of the reasons I hope both DeAngelo and Strome stay. Aside from the performance value Tony Dee is giving, he clearly gets it. He doesn’t take himself too seriously while also being a great locker room guy. Ditto for Strome, who is always a good quote during and after games. So is Kreider. You can see the dilemma they have.

Let’s switch gears and get to some Henrik Lundqvist stuff. As has been repeated over and over again until we’re blue in the faces literally, he’s getting fewer starts due to the play of Georgiev and fresh face Igor Shestyorkin. He was asked about it on Thursday by SNY reporter Jonas Schwartz and how at all it compared to what happened to recently retired New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning. Here’s his interesting answer:

https://twitter.com/Jonas_SNY/status/1223020953300541450?s=19

First off, I want to compliment Schwartz for having the guts to ask a good question. It wasn’t the same old stuff we see from most beat reporters who at times can be a little gunshy. That’s understandable.

At 37 soon to be 38, Lundqvist’s best days are behind him. It’s kind of eerie how he is basically at the same point of his career as Eli was when he decided to call it quits. The obvious difference is Manning won two Super Bowls with memorable runs that I still can’t believe. What he accomplished during those two championship seasons was incredible. That’s why it’s nonsensical when anyone questions whether he belongs in the Football Hall of Fame. I’d imagine the legendary Dan Marino would trade all his great years as a Dolphin for that one Lombardi Trophy. Phil Rivers might not make it due to not winning one.

As it relates to Lundqvist, who I thought gave a well calculated answer making sure to praise Manning and point out that he arrived a year later, it is interesting to hear him say, “I’ll always feel like a Ranger. … That will never change no matter what.”

He clearly loves it here and everything that comes with being a Ranger including the royal treatment he’s received from a top notch organization. He is a New Yorker in every sense of the word. I remember following this unknown seventh round draft pick they took in 2000 when he starred back home in Sweden for Frolunda where he won a championship. I was excited. I knew he could be the next great goalie. He turned out to be better than even thought. So did Pekka Rinne, who was also taken late by Nashville. It proves that you can find goalies later in drafts. They don’t have to be taken right away like Marc-Andre Fleury, Carey Price, Roberto Luongo or even Rick DiPietro (oops Mike Milbury).

I know he is compared a lot to Fleury due to their career win totals being similar and statistics. But Fleury has won three Stanley Cups. One as the starter and two as the backup, who delivered when he got in for Matt Murray. Ask any Pens fan about his contributions. Then he went to Vegas and achieved something nobody thought was possible. Carried the expansion Golden Knights to the Stanley Cup Final in their inaugural season. That probably puts Fleury over Lundqvist, who has a Vezina and better overall numbers for both regular season and postseason. If only he could’ve won a Cup in the Big Apple. That’s the only thing missing from his resume.

I’m not going to read too much into the quotes. Some have pondered if that measured response meant he could be having second thoughts about being a Ranger for his entire career. I’m not ready to go there. Until proven otherwise, Hank has 100 percent say on what happens. He has a full no movement clause. There’s one more year remaining on a contract that is a cap hit of $8.5 million. The chances of him leaving via trade are the same as Marc Staal.

Do I think it bothers him that he’s got a losing record of 9-10-3 with a 3.18 GAA and. 907 save percentage? Abso-freaking-lutely! He wouldn’t be human if he didn’t feel bad. This is a prideful man who hates losing. It’s been a lot more tough losses since ’18-19 than he wants. These are the numbers since ’17-18:

YEAR GP GS W L T/O GAA SV % SO

’17-18 63 61 26-26-7 2.98 .915 2

’18-19 52 52 18-23-10 3.07 .907 0

’19-20 25 23 9-10-3 3.18 .907 0

It can’t be fun for a goalie once considered one of the game’s best. What does he want to be remembered by? He’s already an all-time Ranger with plenty of franchise records. Yet the debate continues over who you’d want for one winner take all game.

I’m a Mike Richter guy. Not just for what he did in ’94. But for the unreal MVP performance in the World Cup of Hockey and his clutch goaltending in the ’97 run against Florida and especially the Devils. Even near the end, he proved he could still do it for Team USA leading then to a silver medal in ’02. He kept them in that game as long as possible until Canada put it away to win gold.

Would Lundqvist trade it all for one Cup? That includes an Olympic gold medal for Sweden in ’06. I don’t know. There’s nothing else to add.

One last point regarding Georgiev. If they don’t like what’s being offered for a young netminder they can control, the Rangers do not have to trade him. They can put it off until the off-season. This isn’t what some bloggers want you to know. The organization must do what’s best for it moving forward.

With Ryan Strome not practicing due to not feeling well, coach David Quinn indicated he still expects him to play on Friday. He’ll be a game time decision. If not, you could have Brett Howden elevated to the second line with Jesper Fast and Artemi Panarin. Yikes. Howden was penciled in on the fourth line while Lemieux worked with Filip Chytil and Kaapo Kakko. Hopefully, Strome can go.

Per beat writer Vince Mercogliano, Quinn has decided to change the defense pairs. Only one will remain intact. I was hoping to see Ryan Lindgren get a shot with Jacob Trouba. He finally will. Here’s how the projected D pairings look like:

I think anyone can conclude that Trouba and Brady Skjei have had mixed results together. While Skjei’s offensive production has increased, the defense these two have played has been up and down. And it’s not just Skjei, who is the new whipping boy. Trouba has had bad moments too. Let’s be fair.

I like the idea of trying Skjei with the smooth skating Adam Fox on the second pair. Fox has proven to be very capable at even strength and on the power play. Skjei continues to get the bulk of the minutes five-on-five and the penalty kill.

As for Lindgren, he’s a player on the rise. They clearly like the physical edge he brings. He’s the toughest defenseman this club has had since Mike Sauer. He delivers big hits and remains solid positionally. However, there was a little dip recently between him and Fox. So, Quinn is changing it up. Good.

Marc Staal and Tony DeAngelo stay together as the third pair which is what they should be. It’s better in terms of match-ups. DeAngelo remains a fixture on the power play and in transition due to his superb skill. Staal will continue to kill penalties. A strength for the veteran, who has been better than the silly statistics that Charting Hockey goes by.

Well, that’s going to do it for now. Hopefully, by the time tomorrow’s game rolls around, I feel better. It will be nice to have Rangers hockey back. Also, this is apparently confirmed:

No real surprise. I said in a previous post I’d give Shestyorkin the first game back versus Detroit. He should be the sharpest. I also guessed correctly that Lundqvist, who’s only started two of the last 11 games, would likely get the rematch on Saturday. That leaves Monday open for Georgiev, who I also believe will face the higher quality opponent in Dallas with Philly next.

We’ll see if I’m totally correct.

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Shestyorkin is back, Fun Rangers lines, Why fighting still matters

Posted on January 30, 2020 by Derek

Jaromir Jagr remains the single season franchise leader in goals and points during a memorable 2005-06 where he led the Rangers back to the playoffs. A look at some of my favorite lines. AP Photo via Getty Images

With yet another day off before they finally return for a home-and-home series against the lowly Red Wings on Friday and Saturday, the Rangers made the expected announcement that Igor Shestyorkin will return.

It’s the right move for the rookie goalie who went 2-0 in two starts with Hartford this past weekend. In the two wins against Bridgeport and Lehigh Valley, Shestyorkin allowed only three goals on 62 shots. He improved to 17-4-3 with a 1.90 GAA, .934 save percentage and three shutouts for the Wolf Pack. Even if he doesn’t make another start, he’s the top AHL rookie. That speaks to his dominance since coming over from Russia.

With the Blueshirts, the 24-year old netminder has started three games all at home and gone 2-1-0 with a 2.68 GAA and. 929 save percentage (104 saves on 112 shots). What will happen with the three goalie system that includes second-year goalie Alex Georgiev and elder statesman Henrik Lundqvist? Well, the schedule will finally pick up once Friday hits. In fact, they’ll play three games in four days including a home date on Monday versus the Stars.

With a schedule where there aren’t any long layoffs like we’ve seen in the first half, this should allow coach David Quinn to get all three goalies action. In February, there won’t be more than a day off between games until Feb. 16 vs the Bruins and at the Blackhawks on 2/19. A back-to-back at the Hurricanes and home for the Sharks on 2/21-2/22 before the Feb. 24 NHL trade deadline that Monday. Their next game will come on Tuesday the 25th at the Islanders. The final meeting between the bitter rivals a month after playing three times over nine days. NHL scheduling 101.

That’s 13 games over 23 days. What will the goalie breakdown be? I would like to see them give Shestyorkin the first game against Detroit. He has to get at least one of these next two against the league’s doormat. Even though the proverbial writing is on the wall, figure Quinn to have Lundqvist start in one of the two matches. If that’s the case, then give Georgiev the Stars on Monday. He has gotten the bulk of the tough opponents. Plus he will likely play against Toronto next Wednesday.

There’s little to no chance this crazy goalie rotation will continue after the deadline. As much as I hate to admit it, they’ll probably look to move Georgiev. That all depends on what’s being offered. I prefer to keep him. But that full no-move clause continues to haunt this team. Unless he has a change of heart and sees that possibly the Avalanche, Flames or Oilers (have you seen their goalies) could be good fits to chase an elusive Stanley Cup a la Ray Bourque, Lundqvist will stay on Broadway.

When even Steve Somers says it’s time for him to go, it is what it is. The less said about it, the better. The whole goalie situation is annoying. It will be until Feb. 24 comes and goes.

I’d prefer to focus on other important stuff regarding the Blueshirts. Like will Kaapo Kakko come back a better player? The vacation back home had to help. I’m hopeful that we’ll start to see more production from the 18-year old rookie. Of course, some negative Nancy’s are crying over how it’s gone so far. How are Jack Hughes and Kirby Dach doing?

Rather than bore you with more what if’s on what will happen in the second half, I’ll pick a fresh topic to invigorate Ranger minds. Even though there haven’t been many Art Ross or Hart winners over franchise history, they have boasted some excellent scoring lines that were fun to watch. I’m not going to go over the big ones I never saw. Those are the obvious lines that defined the rich history of the franchise.

Here are some of my personal favorites:

Graves-Messier-Kovalev

While the unique trio from the ’93-94 championship team didn’t last long due to the incompetence of Colin Campbell, few NYR lines were able to combine the power, physicality and skill of Mark Messier, Adam Graves and Alex Kovalev. When Mike Keenan put them together, they created magic including saving their best for Game Six while trailing the Devils 2-0 in the memorable elimination game at The Meadowlands. One Messier drop pass for a Kovalev rocket past Martin Brodeur late in the second period swung the momentum. The rest is history. Messier delivering on his accidental Guarantee with a natural hat trick. Graves off his then team record 52 goals scoring a big power play goal from Kovalev in Game Seven against the Canucks. Kovalev doing his best work during that run while tormenting both the Islanders and Canucks.

Graves-Messier-Gartner

Before you had Kovalev on that line, there was one of the all-time greatest finishers in ageless wonder Mike Gartner flying down the right wing to score on one of those breathtaking slap shots. He was not only lightning fast, but money on breakaways. Of course, Graves developd into one of the better finishers once he got to play with former Oilers teammate Messier. To think the compensation was Troy Mallette for what would become one of the most popular players in team history. When I think of Gartner, it still saddens me that he wasn’t part of that Stanley Cup team with Neil Smith dealing him to the Maple Leafs for Glenn Anderson. What a breathtaking finisher. A model of consistency before Jagr and Ovechkin.

Hlavac-Nedved-Dvorak

Although the Czech Posse didn’t last long, the chemistry between Petr Nedved, Jan Hlavac and Radek Dvorak was undeniable. They were all good skaters who had a unique style of knowing where each other were. For some of his shortcomings defensively, it’s pretty amazing that Nedved turned a solid two-way player like Dvorak into a 30 goalscorer. He got 31 with 36 assists and 67 points in ’00-01. All career bests he never came close to matching again during a solid two decade career. Dvorak was lethal shorthanded. As for Hlavac, he lasted two seasons with a career high 64 points (28-36-64) in ’00-01 turning into part of the Eric Lindros trade that included underrated defenseman Kim Johnsson with ’99 first round bust Pavel Brendl. Nedved lasted a bit longer his second stint on Broadway before being part of the infamous Glen Sather sell-off in ’03-04. His career should’ve been much better than the 310 goals, 407 assists and 717 points in less than 1,000 career games. He went home. Somehow, the Canucks took him second over Jagr, who went to the Pens at number five. The famed 1990 Draft that featured Owen Nolan, Nedved, Keith Primeau and Mike Ricci. Plus Brodeur.

Fleury-Lindros-York

The FLY Line had an aura about it that made you believe the team was on the way back. Just getting the chance to watch Lindros, who still had it, was great. While many were against the huge risk Sather took due to Eric’s concussion history, he was worth the price of admission. He didn’t just play one way either. He was a complete player in every sense of the word. It’s hard for the critics to remember just how dominant he was before Darius Kasparaitis caught him that first time with a clean shoulder check in a Flyers/Pens game on ABC. The way the Flyers and Bobby Clarke handled the serious nature of the head injury is what cost Lindros a longer career. Prior to having his bell rung at San Jose in late December 2001, Number 88 was the same dominant force he had been in Philadelphia. The Rangers were a first place team due to the Big E flourishing with the tough as nails Theo Fleury, who was the crazy sob that distracted opponents. Mike York was a perfect complement. A heady player who made the right plays. Of course, it didn’t last long with York swapped out for Tom Poti. A deal I hated. Then, Lindros (37-36-73 +19 138 PIM in 72 GP) got to work with Pavel Bure. Wow. If only it had lasted. Nothing ever did during the Dark Ages.

Graves-Messier-Verbeek

When Smith sacrificed a first round pick (Jean-Sebastien Giguere) to the then Whalers to rent Pat Verbeek for over a year, it was a risk worth taking. A proven goalscorer who was successful in New Jersey and Hartford, he played an agitating style that made him easy to respect. He made up for his lack of size (5-9 190) with grit, determination and physicality. That’s why he was successful eclipsing 500 goals and 1000 points with nearly 3000 penalty minutes. In New York, he got to play with Messier and Graves. The end result was 41 goals and 41 assists for 82 points in 69 games. Messier, Verbeek and Graves combined for 110 goals and 351 PIM. Had they not broken up the ’95-96 roster by trading away Ray Ferraro and future solid defenseman Mattias Norstrom to the Kings in a failed move for vets Jari Kurri, Marty McSorley and Shane Churla, it might’ve worked out better. They wound up playing the Pens in Round Two. Jagr and Mario Lemieux took them apart. That was a missed opportunity. Verbeek left for Dallas where he won a Cup.

Straka-Nylander-Jagr

When the whole ’04-05 season got cancelled, it was a blessing in disguise for the Rangers. The new salary cap era forced Slats to adjust his style. Having stolen Jagr from the Caps for Anson Carter prior to the end of ’03-04, he made a wise decision by surrounding Number 68 with European style players he was familiar with. None more so than former Pens teammate Martin Straka. Always underrated, the skilled playmaker who also was a key part of Kovalev’s success in ’00-01, lined up alongside Jagr again. Just as he had in ’98-99. The chemistry they formed with Swede pivot Michael Nylander was remarkable. Even though he skated in circles, Nylander knew where Jagr was on the ice as did Straka. The amazing aspect about Jagr is he was still so strong and dominant on the puck. It took two defenders and sometimes three to check him, opening up the ice for his linemates. He came out hot with something to prove. Following the prediction that the club would finish 30th, he guaranteed the playoffs and then did everything to get them there. Jagr set single season franchise marks in goals (54), points (123), power play goals (24), shots on goal (368). Both Nylander (23-56-79) and Straka (22-54-76) performed well. So did Czech friend Petr Prucha, who scored 30 goals as a rookie. The impact Jagr had on that team was unreal. Even though he lost out on the Art Ross and Hart to Joe Thornton, his peers voted him the Lester B. Pearson. That line would last one more year. Nylander left for the Caps while Jagr and Straka stuck around through 2008. At 47 soon turning 48, Jagr is still going strong back home in Kladno, Czech Republic.

Honorable Mentions

Hagelin-Richards-Gaborik

It’s easy to forget that Marian Gaborik scored 40 or more twice as a Blueshirt. He actually was a good signing who did well in his three plus years here. He led the ’11-12 team in scoring with 41-35-76. Prior to Brad Richards signing, the Great Gabby scored 42 goals and posted a career best 86 points in his first season on Broadway. Not many free agents come here and flourish. That’s what makes Gaborik and the mesmerizing Artemi Panarin notable exceptions. Even though he never quite put up the gaudy numbers, Richards was a good Ranger, who delivered in the clutch. Carl Hagelin was your classic overachiever due to his game breaking speed and two-way capability.

Kreider-Stepan-Callahan

When I think of the good teams that went deep in the playoffs, Derek Stepan and Chris Kreider were a big part of why. They had that same chemistry playing together for Team USA to win the gold medal at the World Junior Championship. It’s hard to believe that was 10 years ago. Stepan provided many memorable moments with none bigger than 2015 versus the Caps. Kreider came on in 2012 from Boston College and scored big goals during that run. He was there in Game Five at MSG tying the game from Stepan. While he didn’t play a lot with them, Ryan Callahan nearly hit 30 goals in ’11-12. His best year in NYC. The former captain is best remembered for the determination he played with. Of course, Marty St. Louis replaced him.

Pouliot-Brassard-Zuccarello

Of all the lines during the 2014 playoffs, it’s the cohesive third unit comprised of Derick Brassard, Benoit Pouliot and Mats Zuccarello that was the key. No comeback from 3-1 down against the Pens without that trio. They were the hardest on the puck and terrific down low while contributing huge goals. Big Game Brass became a fixture after coming over from Columbus for Gaborik. Zuccarello did everything which is why he’s beloved. When he wasn’t taking bad penalties, Pouliot was an effective player. Bigger things were in store for Brassard and Zuccarello.

Hagelin-Richards-St. Louis

It’s strange that of all the possible combos, St. Louis fit in best with Richards and Hagelin, who was a stronger postseason performer in 2014 than Rick Nash. Don’t forget his overtime winner to eliminate Pittsburgh in the first round of 2015 either. His speed caused havoc. He was a scary transition player who was dangerous shorthanded. He certainly showed up versus the Kings. Richards and St. Louis knew each other from Tampa. They didn’t create as many magic moments. But there will always be the MSL goal on Mother’s Day where the Garden shook. And St. Louis to Richards on the power play to complete the 3-1 comeback at Pittsburgh. Plus the electrifying MSL overtime winner versus Montreal which turned out to be huge.

Nash-Brassard-Miller

They didn’t always play together. The issue was Alain Vigneault not being able to solve Marty St. Louis’ scoring struggles. He wasn’t the same guy we saw in 2014. It was too bad. This along with plugging guys like Jesper Fast and JT Miller became confusing. You also had Kevin Hayes trying to fit in as a rookie. Not having Zuccarello really hurt. He could’ve at least put them over the Lightning. I’m not sure what would’ve happened against the Blackhawks due to the state of the defense.

I easily could’ve included the Panarin line with Ryan Strome and Fast. But that’s current and unlikely to be intact much longer. I can’t put Mika Zibanejad and Kreider there due to the inconsistency of Pavel Buchnevich. Imagine if they had a real top right wing. It could be ending soon for Kreider. A sobering thought. Maybe soon, we’ll finally get Mika with Kaapo.

Finally, you had a big game played last night between Calgary and Edmonton. The Battle of Alberta is one of the best rivalries the NHL has. It was the third installment between the Flames and Oilers.

In the previous meeting, a big open ice hit by Matthew Tkachuk on Zack Kassian turned into total chaos. An aggravated Kassian responded by beating up Tkachuk, who turtled to draw a penalty. Kassian also served a suspension. Typical overreaction by the league.

The cool part was Kassian was back for the Oilers on Wednesday evening against Calgary. There was a lot said by both Kassian and Tkachuk after the last game. Tkachuk loves to get under the skin of opponents. Just ask Drew Doughty. He hates him. This time, Tkachuk knew what had to happen. He decided to stand up for himself against Kassian, who dictated the terms of their scrap.

Not surprisingly, Kassian won easily by getting in a few nice left hooks in to get Tkachuk down. However, it still was the right thing to do for a polarizing player who isn’t as tough as younger brother Brady. The reaction from both was good.

Kassian gave Tkachuk credit for answering the bell. He indicated that Tkachuk wanted to do it right away. Something Tkachuk reiterated in his postgame interview following a 4-3 shootout win for Calgary.

https://twitter.com/NHLFlames/status/1222776211702607872?s=19

The takeaway is simple. If Tkachuk wants to run around hitting players, he has to be accountable. Last night, he was. That’s how respect is earned. The interesting part is Part Four of Oilers and Flames comes Saturday night at 10 EST. Too bad that’s the fourth meeting of five. Thankfully, the schedule includes a fifth and final match-up on Saturday, April 4. Might that be for the playoffs? Here’s hoping.

If you have unique rivalries such as Calgary and Edmonton or Rangers and Islanders, it would be nice if these teams faced each other at least six times. Why do they need to play the other division more than two times in the Conference? Just make it a home-and-home. If they have to have the teams from each Conference see each other, fine. But there should be more divisional games. That’s a huge selling point to loyal fans. Rivalry games matter.

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What ‘If’

Posted on January 28, 2020 by Derek

What if Theo Fleury hadn’t gone through all his struggles off the ice due to alcohol and substance abuse stemming from being sexually abused as a teenager by junior hockey coach Graham James?

Prior to leaving Calgary, the very skilled and tough Fleury was on track for the Hall Of Fame. An astonishing player due to his smallish frame and electrifying speed, talent and edge, Fleury was one of the game’s most exciting stars.

Who doesn’t remember his overtime winner against Alberta rival Edmonton in Game Six of a great series and doing an awesome sliding celebration on Oilers ice? Theo was so much fun to watch unless he was burning the team you rooted for. Even though they didn’t meet frequently due to playing in different conferences, the Rangers struggled with the Flames. Especially at The Saddledome. Fleury frequently took them apart.

The thing I admired about him was his high IQ. This wasn’t a one dimensional player. He could be trusted to kill penalties and score back breaking shorthanded goals. It’s amazing what he was able to do for being basically 5-6 and a water bug, who never backed down from anyone.

I still believe Fleury would’ve been better off staying home with Calgary. Unfortunately with unrestricted free agency coming up in the summer of ’99, they couldn’t afford him. So he was traded to Colorado in a deal that netted the Flames solid defenseman Robyn Regehr. He actually helped them reach their first Stanley Cup Final in ’04 since a younger Fleury was part of their only Stanley Cup Championship team as a rookie in ’88-89.

Fleury was a good rental for the Avalanche. However, they didn’t keep him. Maybe that should’ve been a warning sign to then Rangers GM Neil Smith. Instead, he signed the dynamic Fleury to a nice contract in hopes the talented star right wing could bring more excitement to a franchise that had seen better days.

By then, Wayne Gretzky had retired having played his final game on Broadway in a overtime loss at home to the Penguins. It was a great final swan song for number 99, who picked up one final assist. But Jaromir Jagr ended it with a highlight reel goal in overtime. I can still see him warding off defenders while ripping that laser of a wrist shot in. Gretzky took a final victory lap and the MSG crowd gave him a great send off.

If only Smith had heeded New York Post columnist Larry Brooks’ one good suggestion and acquired Fleury sooner to play with the Great One. Maybe he would’ve stuck around another year. But by retiring, it seemed fitting. Number 99 hung it up in ’99. Did he party like it’s 1999?

All this time later, it’s easier to reflect back on that wild and crazy period. While Gretzky concluded his monumental career with one final assist on a Brian Leetch goal in a 2-1 overtime loss to the Penguins on April 18, 1999, Fleury would sign with the Blueshirts that summer. The contract was for three years and $21 million guaranteed for the then 31-year old superstar right wing with a club option.

AP Photo via NY Post Getty Images

Unfortunately, the New York City nightlife was the worst thing for Fleury, who had long battled anxiety and depression due to being sexually abused by monster Graham James as a 14-year old boy. The way he coped was by drinking and doing drugs. All of it was revealed in its entirety in his 2009 book, “Playing With Fire.” A refreshing tell all that described so much in detail that it was stunning.

This was a troubled player who hung with the wrong crowd in the city that never sleeps. From drug dealers to addicts to homeless in obscure places. He did the same in his last NHL stop with Chicago. Having read the book a few times and having been lucky enough to meet Fleury at a book signing in ’09 which included a memorable chat and family photo, I have so much respect for the man. He overcame his addiction and survived nearly ending his life when he was at rock bottom.

I’m glad he lived and turned his life around. I can still recall some crazy moments from his three years as a Ranger that never made any sense. That included flipping the bird to our fans at a home game we attended. Beating up the San Jose Sharks mascot. Doing the chicken dance following a brawl with the Islanders that featured Sandy McCarthy. Even leaving the rink in Pittsburgh for the team bus following a game misconduct. Holy moly.

And yet following a disappointing first season, he was leading the NHL in scoring at one point. That included a ridiculous seven shorthanded goals to go with 74 points in 62 games before checking himself into a league mandated substance abuse program. It sure helped explain all the craziness.

In his final year on Broadway, he racked up 216 penalty minutes to rank in the top five with a list of enforcers. He was out of his mind. Somehow, Fleury managed to play in all 82 games while tallying 63 points (24-39-63) to rank second in team scoring behind Eric Lindros, whose 73 points in 72 games proved he still had it following a blockbuster trade with the Flyers. But the success of the FLY Line that also featured Mike York, faded following Lindros getting his bell rung in a season turning loss at San Jose. Another concussion for the Big E along with an injury to captain Mark Messier turned the team from challenging for first place in the old Atlantic Division to missing the postseason again. Even the addition of Pavel Bure wasn’t enough. He scored 12 goals in 12 games with 20 points while mostly teamed with Lindros.

At 34, Fleury wound up playing his final NHL season with the Blackhawks. Another struggling Original Six franchise that was too big for his off ice issues. I can remember reading him describe hanging out with some shady people at a drug den. They thought he was cool. It’s hard to fathom.

In an anticlimactic season that saw him placed on waivers due to more issues stemming from his substance abuse, he finished with 12 goals and 21 assists for 33 points with 77 penalty minutes in 54 games. After violating the league substance abuse policy, he was suspended again leading to the end of his NHL career.

A 15-year career that once included helping his hometown team win their only Cup as a rookie while becoming the franchise leader in points before Jarome Iginla surpassed him, ended abruptly. Twice, the pint sized Fleury reached the century mark in points while posting eight seasons of 30 goals or more. The first seven coming with Calgary before getting 30 with the Rangers in ’00-01. While there, he registered career point number 1,000. The club presented him with a silver stick to commemorate the honor.

Despite how it ended, he wound up over a point-per-game with 1,088 points in 1,084 NHL games. That included 455 goals with 633 assists along with 1,840 penalty minutes. He was a seven-time All-Star who won a Cup and an Olympic gold medal representing Canada including the memorable ’02 Winter Games in Salt Lake City when they broke their drought by defeating Team USA. I can still remember watching it in my old apartment in Bristol, Connecticut while working for ESPN. It was so exciting. That game also happened to be Mike Richter’s last hurrah. My favorite Rangers goalie.

After having success playing in Ireland, Fleury made one final comeback attempt in Calgary Flames training camp during ’09. He was cleared by the NHL in September. The biggest highlight came in his return in Flames jersey when he scored the shootout winner against the Islanders. Over 20 years later after winning a championship, he proved that he still had it. The overwhelming crowd reaction at The Saddledome says it all.

What a pretty move. Even though he finished with four points in four preseason games, that was finally it for Fleury. Even though he was released from his pro tryout, he was forever thankful. It allowed him to go out on his terms the right way. On Sept. 28, 2009, he retired from hockey as a Calgary Flame. The way it should’ve been. He really should’ve spent his entire career there. But the economics prevented it.

His autobiography remains a best seller. I highly recommend it to anyone who loves hockey and has gone through personal struggles. As someone who battles anxiety and depression, I really came to appreciate Fleury’s courageous story. He made a lot of mistakes, but no one knew what happened to him. I’m glad he took Graham James to court. He pleaded guilty to sexual abuse of Fleury, teammate Sheldon Kennedy and cousin Todd Holt. Somehow, the monster got a ridiculously light sentence of two years. It became five. Some justice system.

Since then, Fleury has become a motivational speaker and helped so many who struggle with mental illness. He also published another book and even became a country singer.

At 51, the underdog who the Flames took in the eighth round 166th overall in the ’87 NHL Draft, has been away from hockey for quite some time. I know the chances of him getting into the Hockey Hall of Fame are slim due to what happened off the ice. However, he was very successful on it becoming a star player who not only produced, but was tough as nails despite his small stature.

Nobody had more heart. If only we knew the gross nature of what he overcame. I know this. He would’ve been a lock for 500 and possibly 600 goals. You’re probably talking in the neighborhood of 1,300 points. He doesn’t need to be inducted to be remembered.

There are plenty of former players who remain out of the Hall of Fame. That includes Jeremy Roenick, Steve Larmer, Alex Mogilny, Doug Wilson and Curtis Joseph. Of those mentioned, I believe Mogilny will get the call real soon. I’m not sure about the rest sadly. That’s the usual politics with any Hall of Fame committee. See baseball.

I know Pavel Datsyuk will make it eventually once he retires. He’s still playing back home in Russia. He remains one of my favorite centers ever due to how complete he was. Kind of like former Red Wing teammate Sergei Fedorov. Patrice Bergeron is the embodiment of that now. The best player from the famed 2003 Draft class.

I’ll never say I enjoyed all of Fleury’s antics. However, few players played with as much passion as him. His over the top goal celebrations were the stuff of legend. Even if it probably drove Don Cherry nuts. I loved how hard he played the game. Imagine that kind of player in today’s wussified sport. It’s very different. Think Brad Marchand but more skilled and crazier. That’s how I describe Fleury.

You don’t have the rowdy games too often between rivals where all hell breaks loose. Even the recent Rangers win over the Islanders two weeks ago that featured a pair of fights and more rough stuff, seems tame by comparison. You don’t see too many line brawls anymore. However, a clean hit can now cause commotion. It’s just how it is.

Everything is magnified and over analyzed. I hate the instigator. But it’s never going away. Neither is fighting despite the whining we see from hypocritical media who once loved it. I’m not talking about staged fights. But ones that are necessary to defend the honor of fallen teammates when liberties are taken.

Imagine what would’ve happened to Gretzky or Lemieux without tough guys. Ditto for Sidney Crosby and Connor McDavid today. You still gotta protect your stars. You can’t have Tom Wilson delivering cheap shots injuring people and then not being held accountable. Even if I respect his overall game, he pushes the envelope a lot more than Marchand, who’s crapped on due to his weird behavior of the past. Eerily reminiscent of Sean Avery, who is a special kinda crazy.

The current game can still be enjoyable due to the elite skill. When they’re not calling everything, it’s better. However, the shootout has to go. Continuous three-on-three overtime until there’s a winner makes sense. Or just go back to ties. The point system that rewards loser points is so artificially induced that there needs to be an asterisk next to team statistics and goalie ones when they get credit for victories via the shootout.

They’re never going to overhaul the system. It will never become like soccer. It is exactly like the lack of leadership that’s allowed some of the game’s brightest stars like Ovechkin to skip the lame All-Star Game. So much for promoting the sport when guys will come up with any excuse to not partake. The three-on-three tournament format is an abomination. Forward thinking by commissioner Gary Bettman. The same genius who thinks participation in the Olympics is a total waste.

Oh well. This is what you get from a league where there are way too many gaps in the 82-game schedule. The Rangers don’t play until Friday. Why? Bye weeks are for losers. This isn’t the NFL.

They could easily play 82 over five months and start the playoffs sooner. That would be better than going head to head with the NBA, who wised up and moved up the start of their season.

Condolences go out to Kobe Bryant, his daughter Gianna and the other seven victims. A very sad tragedy. What’s very alarming is how awful several media outlets are. They don’t care about being right when it comes to such awful tragedies. Only about being first. It’s unprofessional and completely disrespectful. Imagine how the families feel.

Sometimes, today’s world of advanced technology and social media sucks. The worst aspect is the helicopter crash could’ve been avoided if they didn’t fly in poor conditions due to the fog. This is a case of history repeating itself. I wish such tragedies didn’t exist. Prayers go out to the victims and each family.

The eerie part is it happened after LeBron James passed Bryant for third all-time on the NBA scoring list in his hometown of Philadelphia. Last side note on Kobe. I can remember being at the ’96 NBA Draft at the old Meadowlands sitting all the way up in Continental Airlines Arena. I went with my brother and our friend. I saved the Draft poster. It’s hard to believe and will continue to be for a while.

It’s worth noting that Wayne Gretzky turned 59 on Sunday too. The game’s Great One was an afterthought due to the tragedy. It’s hard to believe he hasn’t played in 21 years. We were at his final game. Jaromir Jagr won it in overtime for the Pens by using his strength to carry a defender and beat Richter. Nothing stopped Jagr back then. Not even a bad groin that playoffs. Go ask Devils fans. His performance in Games Six and Seven were heroic.

If you’re looking for a good write-up on the 20th Anniversary of the ’99-00 Stanley Cup Champion Devils, see Hasan’s excellent piece yesterday.

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Looking back: Devils’ second Cup win twenty years ago

Posted on January 27, 2020 by hasan4978

Right now it seems hard to believe there was a time where the Devils were among the elite franchises in the NHL and a perennial championship contender.  Maybe the only reason I do believe it is because I lived through it.  In fact, it doesn’t even seem like two decades have passed since the franchise’s second Stanley Cup in June 2000.  This weekend the Devils are having a 20th anniversary reunion and celebration of that team the night they play the Dallas Stars (their 2000 Finals opponent) at the Rock.  Of course, the first indication that this is a different time is that none of those playoff games took place in the Devils’ current home building but in East Rutherford, NJ at the old Continental Airlines Arena.

It almost seems tacky to say – but in some ways the second championship was the least memorable of the three for me, though you could argue it was the most talented bunch of the three championship teams (1995, 2000, 2003).  There’s always something special about the first championship, and the 1995 playoff run was not only an underdog’s delight – with all four series being won without home-ice in any of them – but arguably kept the franchise in New Jersey hereafter given it would have been a PR nightmare for both the NHL and Devils owner John McMullen to have the league’s champion move, particularly out of McMullen’s own home state.  2003 will forever hold a special place in my heart because of the heart of that particular team, and the fact I was in attendance for many of the games in the last two rounds including the Cup clincher against the Ducks.

That said, there was a lot to celebrate and remember about the 2000 team.  Ironically pretty much the first thing I think of when it comes to the 2000 team – apart from the Cup-winning goal itself – is how the team sputtered just before the playoffs, resulting in the shocking firing of coach Robbie Ftorek with just eight games left in the regular season.  While Ftorek should be given some credit for helping transition the team from the veteran outfit that won in 1995 to a younger group led by the A-line of Patrik Elias, Petr Sykora and Jason Arnott, along with incorporating no fewer than four vital rookies during that 1999-2000 season (Scott Gomez, Brian Rafalski, John Madden and Colin White), the team’s playoff failure in 1998-99 against the #8 seed Pittsburgh Penguins in the first round coupled by a 5-10-1 stretch late in the 1999-2000 season sealed Ftorek’s fate and he was replaced by assistant Larry Robinson.  Bear in mind the team was still in first place at the time, and this firing was universally panned by the hockey media.

While my favorite Devil of that period was gritty, personable defenseman Ken Daneyko and my favorite Devil after he left was Elias for the way he carried himself on and off the ice – in many ways Robinson was my favorite person ever associated with the franchise because he was always loyal, humble and genuine, yet a proud and fierce competitor.  Larry first made an impact as an assistant on the ’93-94 and ’94-95 teams, the latter of which won the franchise’s first Cup, then he got a deserved promotion when the Kings hired him as their head coach.  After four up-and-down seasons ended in frustration and a pink slip, he came back to the Devils as an assistant under Ftorek for that ’99-00 season and turned out to be the right man at the right time for this team.

It wasn’t immediately apparent though, as the team continued to sputter around .500 in Larry’s first few weeks on the job, eventually losing the division to the Flyers by a single point.   Yet, many players on the team’s highlight video credit the team’s final regular season game against the Panthers (ironically, ending on an OT winner by Arnott) with being the impetus that spurred the team to a higher level in the postseason.  And sure enough, the Devils found another gear sweeping those same Panthers in the first round, with captain and star defenseman Scott Stevens beginning a dominant postseason by helping to shut down Rocket Richard winner Pavel Bure – and continued it through the next round, helping to contain the Leafs’ formidable Mats Sundin as the Devils beat the rival Leafs in six.  One of the few games I was able to attend as a college student that year was the Devils’ memorable Game 6 clincher against Toronto where they allowed a mere six shots in a spotless 3-0 triumph.

Now in the Eastern Conference Finals against the Flyers, it looked like a mismatch through five periods as the Devils won Game 1 in Philly just as easily as they beat the Flyers there in the 1995 Conference Finals (winning all three games in the city of Brotherly Love in a six-game triumph), and jumping out to a 3-1 lead late in the second period of Game 2 before things fell apart and the Devils would lose a momentum-changing 4-3 decision.  Shockingly, the team gave drab performances in losing both games 3 and 4 at home to fall behind 3-1.  With the season at a crisis point, it was the mild-mannered Robinson who managed to jolt the team out of its doldrums with an impassioned, out of character speech that snapped everyone to attention and made clear the opportunity they were losing out on, but one they still had a chance to make something of.

https://twitter.com/NJDevils/status/1221915787314651136

Now simaltaneously chastened and emboldened, the Devils responded by walking into the lion’s den of Philly and coming out of it with a dominant 4-1 win that put the series back up for grabs.  A tense Game 6 back in New Jersey remained scoreless late into the third period before perennial big-game player Claude Lemieux (himself getting a second chance in New Jersey after an ugly post-Cup divorce with the team) scored to break the deadlock in an eventual 2-1 win that evened the series.  Back in Philly for Game 7, it was again Stevens who struck a memorable blow – literally – by knocking Flyers franchise center Eric Lindros out of the lineup just a game after he returned from a long absence, with a then-legal shoulder to head hit.  However, it was another tight affair on the scoreboard that again wouldn’t be decided till late in the third period, this time with the young Elias assuming the mantle of Flyer-killer scoring both goals in another 2-1 decision, including the winner with just under three minutes remaining.

After beating their rival in such spectacular fashion, the Devils went into the Stanley Cup Finals flying and ran the Stars out of the Continental Arena in Game 1 with a 7-3 score which wasn’t even as close as that.  Of course, the defending champion Stars wouldn’t go down as easily thereafter and Dallas struck back with a 2-1 win in New Jersey evening the series.  However, the Devils continued their playoff reputation for being road warriors in Dallas.  After going 10-1 on the road during the ’95 run to the Cup, the Devils were on their way to fashioning a just as spectacular 10-2 road playoff record in 2000, including winning tense Games 3 and 4 in Dallas (2-1 and 3-1) to take a seemingly commanding 3-1 lead in the series – though the Devils had just seen the other end of what can happen when you’re up 3-1 in a series.

Sure enough, the two teams engaged in a memorable back-and-forth over the final two games, mostly a back-and-forth goaltending duel with Martin Brodeur and Ed Belfour alternating heart-stopping saves.  It took till the third OT of Game 5 before anyone was able to score, unfortunately for the home fans that would be the Stars’ Mike Modano, spoiling the potential home party and sending the series back to Dallas with a taut 1-0 triple OT win.  As if things couldn’t get more tense between the two teams, Game 6 started out with some bad blood after a physical opening period culminated in the Stars’ Derian Hatcher knocking Sykora out for the game.  Even for that period of time, it was a dirty hit considering Hatcher left his feet and seemingly led with his elbow.

With so much on the line, eventually the teams settled into another grinding, tense game with Scott Niedermayer of the Devils and Mike Keane of the Stars alternating goals in short order during the second period.  However, that would be it in terms of scoring through regulation and the first OT, which nearly ended when Arnott’s penalty gave the Stars a rare OT power play.  Fortunately for both Arnott and the team, the Devils’ great defense and goaltending did the job killing off the penalty and things crawled into a second OT.  Fittingly, it was the remaining 2/3 of the A-line who finally broke through with Elias finding Arnott through traffic with a no-look cross-ice backhander that had its own eyes, and the big centerman did the rest with a historic goal.

I remember staying up deep into the night for this game’s finish, I can’t remember exactly but I think it was at least 1:30 in the morning East Coast time when the game finally ended.  It was certainly worth staying up for that, as well as the postgame where coach Robinson made one more extraordinary gesture after Elias brought Sykora’s jersey onto the ice and draped it over his shoulder with the Czech winger stuck in a local hospital after being knocked out of the game.  Seeing this, the coach took Sykora’s jersey and put it on himself, creating a memorable visual.

Perhaps the most remarkable thing about the Devils’ three titles in nine seasons is that each team had different personalities (not to mention different coaches).  Both the ’95 and ’03 teams were veteran-laden though the ’95 team had more talent and was able to create more offense while the ’03 team squeezed every ounce out of having an all-world defense, goaltending and Pat Burns’ coaching.  2000 was the Devils’ youngest, most high-octane team of the three in terms of stats, yet still capable of winning gritty low-scoring games when the chips were down.

If any of the Devils’ championship teams were going to repeat it could and should have been the 2000 team.  In 2000-01 the Devils had an even more dominant regular season with 111 points and a league-leading 295 goals.  Yet the same focus and determination that symbolized the 2000 playoff run went missing in 2001.  Still, the team got back to a second straight Finals on talent despite struggling at times to beat Carolina (losing two straight after going up 3-0 in the first round) and Toronto (falling behind 3-2, then having to take two must-win games to escape the second round), before beating a spent Penguins team in the Conference Finals.  Facing a formidable Avs squad in the Finals, the Devils managed to get a 3-2 lead, one win away from going back-to-back but the inconsistencies of that playoff year finally caught up with them in the final two games and they came up short of making history.

Still, nothing can take away what that 2000 team accomplished – especially for captain Stevens who won the Conn Smythe and became one of the few modern playoff MVP’s who won the award on the strength of defense, time and again shutting down Bure, Sundin, the Flyers’ top line with John LeClair and Mark Recchi and the Stars’ HOF first line of Modano and Brett Hull.  It was certainly a showcase playoffs for #4, who was having his leadership questioned after a series of dissapointing team finishes post-1995 Cup.  Certainly team architect Lou Lamoriello deserves special mention too, not only for his gutsy decision to make a late-season coaching change, but also for a bold series of trades from bringing back Lemieux to bringing in uber-skilled Alexander Mogilny and having him play a secondary role.  2000 was also a memorable last hurrah for owner McMullen, responsible for bringing the team to New Jersey in 1982 and keeping them here thirteen years later, but eventually he would be compelled to sell the team to the YankeeNets corporation after the 2000 playoffs.

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HARD HITS: Blue Jackets prove you don’t need a high priced goalie to have success

Posted on January 25, 2020 by Derek

AP Photo credit Russell LaBounty of USA Today via Getty Images

Like most observers, I didn’t have many expectations for the Blue Jackets. They lost star forward Artemi Panarin to the Rangers. Let Sergei Bobrovsky go to his destination of Florida. They knew they would lose Matt Duchene, who chose the Predators. Even Ryan Dzingel changed teams by opting for Carolina.

What exactly did Columbus have left? Entering the season, they didn’t know about their goalie situation. Joonas Korpisalo was a backup and Latvian import Elvis Merzlikins was unproven.

The way it started, it looked like it would be a long year for veteran coach John Tortorella. They predictably weren’t scoring much either. It was a hard adjustment going from puck wizard Panarin and rental Duchene to relying on young center Pierre-Luc Dubois, defense tandem Seth Jones and Zach Werenski along with remaining finishers Cam Atkinson and Oliver Bjorkstrand.

Making matters worse, the Blue Jackets had injuries to key players. Veteran leader Brandon Dubinsky hasn’t played a game. Defenseman Ryan Murray can’t stay healthy. Josh Anderson went from a good goalscorer to a non-factor before going down. Then both Atkinson and Bjorkstrand were out for a while.

The biggest injury was one to Korpisalo, who was finally hitting his stride as the starter. It forced Tortorella to go to Merzlikins in net. Having struggled mightily to that point, there seemed to be doubt about whether the unknown they took as a 20-year old could take over and keep the suddenly resurgent team afloat.

Not only has he done that. Now, the quirky Elvis is a unique personality and crowd favorite at home games due to his fun celebrations following wins. He recently had his first three career shutouts over a four game stretch. The winning has continued with his 27 saves in a come from behind 4-3 home victory over the slumping Winnipeg Jets extending their winning streak to six at the All-Star break.

Two more goals from Bjorkstrand including another game-winner in the third period put Columbus back into the first wildcard with 62 points in 51 games. One up on the Hurricanes for the second wildcard and two up on the Flyers. They’re five clear of the underachieving Maple Leafs, whose play has dipped after such a nice turnaround under new coach Sheldon Keefe. If the season ended today, Toronto would miss the playoffs. They trail Bobrovsky’s new team the Panthers by four points for third place in their division.

Here’s an interesting fact. Prior to taking over the Columbus net as starter, Merzlikins had yet to record a win in his first 10 appearances (8 starts). He was forced into action versus Chicago on Dec. 29. The crazy overtime where Toronto messed up on the clock that resulted in a torn meniscus for an unlucky Korpisalo in a crushing shootout loss where Tortorella fumed. The clock issue cost his team an overtime win and his goalie. He predictably was fined by the clueless NHL.

Merzlikins took over as the number one goalie on New Year’s Eve. He posted 36 saves in a home win over the Panthers. Since Dec. 31, he’s 9-2-0 with a 1.65 goals-against-average (GAA) and .951 save percentage. Those numbers are remarkable for a first-year player who took over a tough situation. It’s why he should get consideration for the Calder Trophy. The leading Rookie of The Year candidate remains Colorado defenseman Cale Makar. The chief competition is coming from Vancouver defenseman Quinn Hughes and emerging Blackhawks forward Dominik Kubalik. Rangers defenseman Adam Fox is a darkhorse. Keep an eye on Capitals goalie Ilya Samsonov. He’s 15-2-1 with a 2.06 GAA and .927 save percentage plus a shutout in 19 games (16 starts).

With both Atkinson and Bjorkstrand back delivering the two primary right shots that can give a boost to the offense, things are falling into place for Columbus. They’re also getting contributions from rookie Emil Bemstrom, veteran forward Gus Nyquist, captain Nick Foligno, center Alex Wennberg, center Boone Jenner, defenseman David Savard and rookie blueliner Vladislav Gavrikov.

It’s typical of a Tortorella coached team to find key contributors that nobody would ever expect to do anything. It’s easy to forget what a job he did coaching the Rangers during ’11-12 to the East’s top seed. Even with established stars Brad Richards and Marian Gaborik, they weren’t supposed to wind up where they did. As much as Henrik Lundqvist carried them with his best season to win the Vezina, it was getting the most out of Brian Boyle and Brandon Prust that made that team so good.

Ditto for then rookie Carl Hagelin. Ryan Callahan and Brandon Dubinsky were good players along with Artem Anisimov. Derek Stepan and Chris Kreider were key parts too. But nobody figured he could turn Dan Girardi into a shutdown defenseman alongside Ryan McDonagh while discovering how valuable Anton Stralman was along with the established Marc Staal. Had Mike Sauer not had his career ended by Dion Phaneuf, maybe that team wins a Cup. Without him, they weren’t as tough. Glen Sather didn’t make any upgrades either. It cost them.

A year later after Dubinsky and Anisimov were sacrificed for Rick Nash in a blockbuster trade with Columbus ironically enough, Tortorella was out of a job due to Lundqvist’s criticism following a second round defeat to a much better Bruins roster. Funny how that works. At the time, Lundqvist was a year away from free agency. He sounded noncommittal. That was the end for Torts. He got a raw deal.

It all worked out for the Blueshirts, who hired the polar opposite of Tortorella by bringing in the much easier going and offensive minded Alain Vigneault. He went on to be very successful on Broadway guiding the ’13-14 roster that added Martin St. Louis for Callahan, to its only Stanley Cup appearance since winning in ’93-94. After falling short against the Kings, they won a President’s Trophy in ’14-15. However, it ended somberly by getting shutout at home in Game Seven by the Lightning in a bizarre Conference Final. It went downhill from there.

Tortorella made a mistake by taking the Vancouver job after they dismissed Vigneault, who had similar results. But it had run its course. Both coaches joked about replacing each other. However, it was apparent that AV fit in New York City a lot better than Torts did in Vancouver. A Chris Kreider hat trick against his former coach in a November meeting seemed to break the Canucks. The Sedins were overused by the reliant Tortorella, whose shot blocking style was a bad fit. They wore down. He had a near fight with Calgary coach Bob Hartley in a brawl that turned ugly. After missing the playoffs, he was fired along with top assistant Mike Sullivan, who went onto coach the Penguins to consecutive Cups.

Tortorella wound up in Columbus taking over for Todd Richards. Since then, they’ve made the postseason in the last three seasons. The 0-7-0 start in ’15-16 didn’t help Torts get them back to the playoffs initially. But their recent success which included the franchise winning its first playoff series by stunning the league-leading Lightning in a sweep last Spring, was a big step in the right direction.

Unfortunately, despite going all in with the Duchene addition and Dzingel along with Panarin, they were soundly defeated by the Bruins in the second round. When all three skaters departed including the Bread Man along with Bobrovsky, things looked bleak. They weren’t expected to compete for the playoffs.

Nobody told Tortorella or his team. He reminded them early in training camp that whoever made the roster was going to play. They didn’t want players who didn’t want to be there. Something GM Jarmo Kekalainen reminded them as well.

It was the right approach and attitude. You can’t feel sorry for yourself. At 27-16-8 with 62 points, they’ve earned respect. They are right there in playoff position with 31 games left. They still have good players who are becoming leaders on and off the ice.

It’ll be interesting to see what Tortorella decides once Korpisalo is ready to return. He was expected to miss four to six weeks. So, he should be nearing a return once February rolls around.

Of all the great stories, the Jackets are the best one of the first half. We’ll see if that continues following the long break.

Body Checks

In a hectic year that’s already seen seven coaches fired, we could have one more before hockey returns next week. After playing well and probably overachieving considering the state of their defense, Winnipeg has lost four in a row. The tough one goal defeat on Wednesday night at Columbus was the only game of the four they were competitive. The other three losses came by three goals or more.

In fact, they’ve dropped six of seven and enter the break with 54 points. That’s still only three out of the wildcard and four behind Dallas for third place in a competitive Central Division. The Blackhawks have caught them in points with the Wild two behind and Predators at 51 points. If they do replace Paul Maurice, the schedule won’t be no picnic. The first four are against Boston, St. Louis, Nashville and at St. Louis. Nine of the first 10 games in the second half are at home including a six-game homestand versus Ottawa, Chicago, the Rangers, Sharks, Chicago again and the Kings.

The Jets have gotten good production from top scorers Mark Schiefele, Kyle Connor, Patrik Laine, Nik Ehlers and former Ranger Neal Pionk. However, they need more out of Blake Wheeler. He hasn’t been as consistent. Fifteen goals and 43 points are respectable. But a minus-10 rating isn’t. The defense gets very thin after Josh Morrissey and Pionk. They’re relying on Luca Sbisa and Dmitry Kulikov. Tucker Poolman is in his second year and has been out with a lower body injury as has depth D Nathan Beaulieu. They have been without Bryan Little for most of the season due to a perforated eardrum and vertigo. The forward depth isn’t strong.

Despite getting mostly solid netminding from starter Connor Hellebuyck, they rank 24th in goals against and 28th in penalty killing. Even the offense hasn’t been consistent with the Jets 19th in goals for and 15th on the power play. If they don’t improve in these key areas, no playoffs in Winnipeg. In my original prediction, I had them just missing with the Coyotes beating them out. Arizona might do better than that. They’re currently tied with Edmonton, Calgary and Vegas with 57 points. One behind first place Vancouver in the crazy Pacific.

The Canucks are interesting because they weren’t expected to contend. Elias Pettersson is a star center already and Brock Boeser continues to establish himself along with captain Bo Horvat. JT Miller has made a big difference playing on that top line as the net front presence. He’s fit in much better than the Lightning, who gave him away despite a reasonable contract. Jacob Markstrom has finally become a reliable starter and is in his first All-Star Game. Quinn Hughes continues to be among the top rookies to boost a defense that includes Alex Edler and Tyler Myers. Jake Virtanen is now a solid secondary scorer and former King Tanner Pearson has been a pleasant surprise. If they can get more out of grinders Antoine Roussel and Micheal Ferland if he returns, that could give them a boost. Coach Travis Green has done a good job and could also be a Jack Adams candidate.

The Hart race is too close to call. While most observers including his peers put leading scorer Connor McDavid at the top, it’s hard to see him as the best option if the Oilers don’t make it. He’s a wunderkind that flies like a jet for highlight reel goals at lightning speed the likes we’ve never seen. If he played in the wide open era of the 80’s, McDavid would challenge for 200 points like Gretzky and Lemieux. He’s that special. Having Leon Draisaitl as a sidekick makes them fun to watch. However, it’s hard to believe they still may not have enough to make the playoffs. Zack Kassian fits in on the top line due to his size and grit. James Neal has been a good addition, but has cooled off. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins remains a overlooked two-way player who can be trusted in key situations. Secondary scoring is an issue along with goaltending. Mikko Koskinen and Mike Smith are probably one of the worst tandems in the game. The defense relies heavily on Darnell Nurse and Oscar Klefbom. They might need a trade.

If we’re being honest about MVP:

1. Nathan MacKinnon 30-42-72

2. Connor McDavid 27-49-76

3. David Pastrnak 37-33-70

4. Artemi Panarin 26-42-68

5. John Carlson 13-47-60

Alex Ovechkin seems to get better with age. Well, maybe not. But the electrifying Russian superstar finished the first half in style by scoring eight goals in three games. That included consecutive hat tricks against the Devils and in a come from behind win at the Islanders. So, he went from 26 to 34 goals that quickly to put himself right back in the Rocket Richard race. He’s tied with Auston Matthews for second, trailing Pastrnak by three. Nobody has won more Richards than the Great Eight. Even better, he passed both Mario Lemieux and tie Steve Yzerman for ninth all-time with 692 goals. Mark Messier is next with 694. By the time the season concludes, Ovechkin could pass Mike Gartner (708) for seventh all-time. At 34, he shows no signs of slowing down. Can he catch Gretzky? The Great One finished with an NHL record 894 goals. If he can stay healthy and produce at least 40 goals a season over the next five years, Ovechkin would break the record. There’s still a long way to go.

A team that’s flying under the radar in the East are the Penguins. Despite not having Sidney Crosby until a few games ago and being without top finisher Jake Guentzel, they’re up to 67 points. Only four behind the Capitals. Bryan Rust has become a legit scoring threat hitting 21 goals with 43 points while playing with Evgeni Malkin. In 37 games, Malkin quietly has 50 points (15-35-50). He really picked it up when Crosby was out. Then Sid came back and immediately put up eight points in his first four contests highlighted by a four point night in a win over Minnesota. Even now, he reminds us why he’s still considered the best player. Don’t crown McDavid yet. Crosby is better overall and is a proven winner who’s done it all.

This time, it’s the steady play of Tristan Jarry in net. He’s supplanted Matt Murray as the number one goalie for the Pens. With Murray a two-time Cup winner, they have one of the best tandems. Maybe only the Bruins featuring Tuukka Rask and Jaro Halak are better in the Conference. The Isles tandem of Semyon Varlamov and Thomas Greiss is up there too. So too will be Columbus once Korpisalo returns to team with Merzlikins. The Caps boast rookie Samsonov and veteran Braden Holtby. These teams have an edge on the Lightning who rely heavily on last year’s Vezina winner Andrei Vasilevskiy.

Speaking of the Bolts, they’re a hard team to read. They’ve recovered nicely from a bad start and rank second with 62 points in the Atlantic to trail Boston by eight. However, Nikita Kucherov hasn’t dominated like last year and Brayden Point has been inconsistent. While both Kucherov and Steven Stamkos are over a point-per-game, it’s been the contributions of Alex Killorn, Anthony Cirelli and Ondrej Palat that have made a difference. Their secondary scoring has helped Tampa become more balanced offensively. Both Tyler Johnson and Yanni Gourde have underachieved. Former Blues Cup hero Pat Maroon has been a solid addition. So has Kevin Shattenkirk even though his production has tailed off. Victor Hedman remains an elite defenseman who can do it all. Mikhail Sergachev has shown improvement in Year Three. Ryan McDonagh has focused on defense. They still have as much talent and depth as anyone. But the pressure will be squarely on Vasilevskiy to deliver.

At what point does Bobrovsky remind Florida of the goalie who won a pair of Vezinas with Columbus? If they’re gonna make the playoffs and beat out Toronto, they need the vintage Bob.

The Blues still look like the class of the NHL. Even without top sniper Vladimir Tarasenko, they’re rolling with the best record out West. David Perron is a point-per-game player to pace them in scoring with 49 points. One of five Blues with at least 40 points or more. That includes Ryan O’Reilly, Brayden Schenn, Alex Pietrangelo and Jaden Schwartz. Boasting good depth in underrated forwards Robert Thomas, Oskar Sundqvist, Ivan Barbashev and Zach Sanford, St. Louis should be tough to beat. Veteran Tyler Bozak plays a secondary role. The D remains big and tough featuring Pietrangelo, Colton Parayko, Vince Dunn, Jay Bouwmeester and Justin Faulk. Jordan Binnington has proven he isn’t a fluke. Jake Allen is a good backup. Yes. This team is capable of a repeat.

The top threats likely will come from division rivals Colorado and Dallas. The shame of it is you could have another one of those second round scenarios where the two best Western teams face off. All due to the crazy playoff format.

Of the teams bunched up in the Pacific, I like Arizona. They’re down to Adin Hill for now in net with Antti Raanta getting healthy. Once Darcy Kuemper returns, they’ll boast the best goalies. Adding Taylor Hall as a rental should help. I have them as a playoff team and believe they’ll win that division. I don’t believe Vegas has the right mix due to a weakened blueline that’s hurt Marc-Andre Fleury. I’m also not a big believer in the Flames due to the defense and goaltending. Vancouver could challenge if they are ready. Edmonton needs to make a trade.

Can the Blackhawks make it? Probably not. But Patrick Kane is again proving why he’s one of the game’s biggest stars. He recently became the fastest American born player to 1,000 career points. Jonathan Toews has rebounded from a slow start. Kubalik has put himself in the rookie convo with 21 goals. Robin Lehner has proven he isn’t a product of Barry Trotz by posting a .921 save percentage on a defensively challenged team. Corey Crawford is the backup in another tandem. They need more goals from Alex DeBrincat and Brandon Saad. Dylan Strome should be a key once he returns. Is there enough defense with an aging Duncan Keith still logging big minutes while getting some help from Erik Gustafsson and Olli Maatta? Adam Boqvist is a rookie and third overall pick Kirby Dach has run into similar issues as Jack Hughes and Kaapo Kakko.

The Rangers must make key decisions on who to keep. Is Chris Kreider a goner or is it wiser to keep him due to what he brings? It largely depends on where they are a few weeks from now and what teams are offering. Not unproven prospects or low first round picks. They need a good roster player plus more. Ryan Strome seems like a good fit playing center with Panarin. If they subtract him, then only Mika Zibanejad is left that’s dependable on face-offs. They rank near the bottom due to the inexperience of Filip Chytil and Brett Howden. Center is already weak. They might want to hold onto Strome, who has proven himself under David Quinn.

Tony DeAngelo is probably the hardest one. All that production at such a cheap price. He won’t be that this summer. Do they really think Nils Lundkvist at 20 will be NHL ready to replace DeAngelo for a much more affordable salary? They’ll lose a lot of offense if they go that route. You can’t ask for draft picks if you move him either. I’d love to see DeAngelo stay and go into next year with the him, Fox and Trouba on the right side.

There’s also the goalie quandary. What to do with Alex Georgiev with Igor Shestyorkin looking ready. That Henrik Lundqvist contract is a nightmare. At least it’s only one more year like Marc Staal, who brings more value at this point. Tyler Wall is a Hobey Baker candidate too. Goalie is the least of their issues.

You won’t find many worse fourth lines than what the Rangers have. Even Greg McKegg has only a goal and three assists despite being a solid worker. You’re telling me Lias Andersson couldn’t do that? John Davidson has been in communication with Andersson, who’s gotten the okay to play back home in Sweden. That’s positive.

Will the Sabres ever make the playoffs again? Or are they going to continue to waste emerging star Jack Eichel? They still lack a true number one goalie. Linus Ullmark hasn’t proven himself. Carter Hutton has been a bust. In many ways, Buffalo is a lot like Edmonton except Eichel isn’t McDavid because nobody is. They don’t have a Draisaitl, but Sam Reinhart is good. They definitely miss rookie Victor Olofsson. Jeff Skinner had been a colossal disappointment in the first year of a huge contract. Marcus Johansson has six goals in 42 games. Yikes. They also had to send down Casey Mittlestadt. Buffalo continues to have a logjam on D that features Rasmus Dahlin and Rasmus Ristolainen. Expect some moves soon.

So, Mat Barzal is the current NHL’s fastest skater. Yet didn’t see a shift during the third period of the Islanders 4-2 win over the Rangers. He set up two goals and is their best player. Trotz disciplined the talented third-year center. The issue is he’s coming up on Group II free agency this summer. The Isles have the advantage due to Barzal having no arbitration rights. They can either bridge him or go long-term. I think I’d prefer the latter if I’m an Isles fan with the franchise over a year away from moving into their new arena at Belmont.

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Game #48: Costly mistakes hurt Rangers in 4-2 loss to Islanders without Panarin, hit All-Star break on sour note

Posted on January 22, 2020 by Derek

You had to figure the Islanders would come with more urgency. Having dropped the first two meetings over the last week and then blowing a home game to the Caps while only getting a point in Carolina via a shootout, they needed the third match-up with the Rangers badly.

It didn’t matter that the shots wound up in favor of the Blueshirts by a wide 42-18 margin. They weren’t good enough to make it a clean sweep of the three matches over nine days. Instead, an opportunistic Islanders made the most of their chances by converting on a pair of power plays and got the bounces in a 4-2 win at Madison Square Garden.

Thomas Greiss made 40 saves and Josh Bailey had a goal and two assists as the Isles spoiled the Garden party. They also dashed any hopes of the playoffs. As I’ve echoed from the beginning, that was always unrealistic. However, had the Rangers not screwed up the end of the Columbus game along with some costly mistakes last night, they sure could’ve made it interesting.

The truth is this. Through 48 games, they’ve only had one three-game win streak. That was before Thanksgiving. There’s a reason they’re on the outside looking in with a 23-21-4 record and 50 points. As the legendary New York Giants coach Bill Parcells says, “You are what your record says you are.”

Save me the excuses on Artemi Panarin not playing for the first time all season. As valuable as he’s been, this was a winnable game. The wounds were self inflicted. The Rangers went from leading in shots 9-1 to being down by a pair rather quickly. It was depressing. After outplaying the Islanders at even strength, some undisciplined penalties proved fatal.

Ryan Strome took a needless hi-sticking minor on Brock Nelson in the offensive zone. As good as he’s been during the first half, he does have a tendency to take ill advised penalties. Sunday’s goat due to a very mistimed change that allowed Oliver Bjorkstrand to score the winner with 26.5 seconds left, Strome helplessly sat in the penalty box for a dumb infraction that killed his team’s momentum.

It was on a Jordan Eberle slashing minor a few minutes earlier that Greiss made some key saves with none bigger than getting a piece of a Pavel Buchnevich one-timer on a good set up from Chris Kreider. He got just enough to keep the puck out. Unlike the first two meetings, Isles coach Barry Trotz went to Greiss over Semyon Varlamov, who the Blueshirts had their way with. Always a Ranger killer, Greiss again did it by stopping the first 29 shots including 14 in a busy first period. He improved to 5-0-1 versus the Rangers in six starts and eight appearances.

Even though the first Ranger power play created chances without Panarin, who sat out with an upper body injury that will keep him out of the All-Star Game, they didn’t capitalize. Instead, they had some bad luck when Islander rookie defenseman Noah Dobson had his shot redirected by Bailey off Alexandar Georgiev and then take a funny hop off Ryan Lindgren before deflecting off Georgiev and in. The goal came with 6:25 remaining in the first.

Georgiev was making his third straight start against the Isles. How could you go with anyone else? The way he’d stopped the puck for his career vs them, it was easy to ride the hot hand. Trotz basically played the same game finally by going to Greiss. Even though he only made 14 saves on 18 shots, Georgiev was largely blameless. He had two goals against go off Lindgren and another came off a Brady Skjei misplay that resulted in a tap in for Brock Nelson a few minutes into the third that wound up proving vital.

Sometimes, these games are anti stats. What I mean is if you didn’t watch and just looked at the total shots which were 24 in favor of the Rangers with the beloved attempts one sided by a ridiculous 71-40 margin, none of it mattered. You can take your beloved Corsica, charts and graphs and burn them Freddy Krueger style. He would’ve laughed at these nerds. How I miss Wes Craven. What a genius. I liked Shocker too. How good was Mitch Peleggi as Horace Pinker? A very underrated flick with my bit of crazy in it.

If everything was predictable as these birds would tell their blind followers, life would be pretty boring. It sure applies in sports. I just watched the epic conclusion to a five set men’s second round Australian Open match won by a weary American Tommy Paul over Gregor Dimitrov in a super tiebreaker. He was trailing 4-5 and Dimitrov led 30-0 only two points from elimination. The gritty and younger 22-year old showed so much heart by taking the next four points and eventually the match to reach the third round for the first time in a grand slam. What a good young talent.

Gee. I wonder what the expected winning percentage was when he was looking like burnt toast two points from defeat. I don’t think Paul cared what the odds were against him. He took the match from Dimitrov, who also gave it away and pretty much tapped out in the 10 point tiebreak.

That’s the thing. Anyone would think the Rangers won easily last night. Instead, it was a game they never led in and once trailed by four before a last ditch effort that came up short. They nearly rallied due to idiocy from Scott Mayfield.

Despite having no Panarin, they didn’t play badly by any stretch. They outshot the Isles in every period. The difference was special teams and face-offs. An area statistical bloggers ignore despite it being an important stat when it comes to puck possession. So do zone starts. But you never hear anything about that. Just some stupid charts that no normal hockey fan or player gives a hoot about.

Analytics are a lie. They are everywhere including the dopey Baseball Hall of Fame. As huge a Derek Jeter fan as I am, and I’m very happy he’s going into Cooperstown, these writers are complete hypocrites. I was a fan of Larry Walker, but he was the Hall of Very Good. The same as Craig Biggio. Neither would be in if these cynics, who made money off PED users Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens, were consistent. Both belong in along with Albert Belle, Don Mattingly and Jeff Kent. That’s my baseball rant for the blog.

David Quinn went with these lines for Tuesday night without the Wonder Bread Man:

Kreider-Zibanejad-Lemieux

Fast-Strome-Buchnevich

Howden-Chytil-Kakko

Haley-McKegg-Smith

The D pairs remained what they always are. Skjei and Jacob Trouba. Marc Staal and Tony DeAngelo. Lindgren with Adam Fox. Georgiev in net with the $8.5 million 👑 backing up. Igor Shestyorkin was up in the press box. He would later be sent down to Hartford despite another blog jumping the gun. That’s the thing about blogging. At least wait and make sure to get it right. We’ve all done it. Shestyorkin is an AHL All-Star. I would love for him to get that unique experience. He deserves it. He will get more work in Hartford during the preposterous week long break. It’s ridiculous. The Rangers don’t play again until January 31 against the Red Wings.

It would be easy to point out the obvious. No Panarin. No chance. In the games he doesn’t record a point, their record is 1-9-1. In Game 48, they played without him. It wasn’t like the Isles dominated. They didn’t. However, they cashed in their chances. Two power play goals from Bailey and Ranger killer Anthony Beauvillier (9th vs NYR). An Anders Lee tally that banked in off Lindgren, who did his best Skjei impersonation. I’m surprised that didn’t merit a 🌟. Plus an easy Nelson put away from Bailey, who was the Isles’ best forward. He had three points.

Following the Bailey power play goal off Lindgren, Skjei hooked Beauvillier 3:01 after the idiotic Strome penalty. So, that gave the Long Island rivals back-to-back power plays. This time, the attacking Ranger penalty kill went for it. Having scored eight shorthanded goals this year, why not? The Islanders power play had struggled coming in. Strome tried to atone for his bad penalty by rushing up ice with Trouba. They nearly connected down low, but a sliding Greiss denied the Strome bid for Trouba.

As usually happens when you take that kind of chance, it causes an immediate transition in the opposite direction. Like a bunch of killer bees, the Isles countered quickly to create a chaotic odd man rush. Bailey fed Mat Barzal, who circled around with the Rangers penalty killers scrambling back. He made the right play by finding Beauvillier wide open in the slot. The trailer then moved in and snapped a laser past Georgiev high glove right inside the goalpost for a 2-0 Islanders lead at 16:35. A well executed play that put the Rangers in double trouble.

The second period was almost exclusively played at five-on-five. Only a very foolish boarding penalty on Isles tough guy Ross Johnston, who leveled Lindgren from behind, sent the Blueshirts to their second power play. On it, nothing of consequence happened. It was lethargic and passive. At one point, you had Mika Zibanejad with the puck in the circle with a great opportunity to shoot on Greiss. Instead, he tried a low percentage pass that was intercepted and cleared down the ice by the Isles kill. Mind numbing. What was he waiting for? Panarin to magically come out of the sky in a Superman cape.

Not long after the successful penalty kill of Johnston’s mindless action on Lindgren, who’s becoming a target due to the big open ice hits he makes, Jordan Eberle and Barzal combined to set up Lee. On the play, all five Rangers were back. This was a simple case of Lee having enough room to fire a wrist shot that deflected right off Lindgren’s shin and in for a 3-0 Isles lead at 9:52 of the second.

It looked like it was over. The Rangers hadn’t shown much in the first part of that period. However, they picked it up after falling behind by three. The whole second half was played almost all in the Islander zone. They forechecked and created good opportunities on Greiss, who stood tall. In a period his team was outshot 15-5, he stopped everything that was thrown at him. Even if the Trotz Islanders do a good job limiting the shots to the outside, they leaned on their netminder to maintain a three goal lead.

It nearly became two. Strome thought he had one with under two minutes left. On some good work down low with Fast and Buchnevich, who I felt played well, the former Islander center circled around the net and put in a rebound past Greiss upstairs. It felt like it was 3-1 and a game again. The crowd was finally awake after having nothing to get up for. Kinda like Freddy’s Nightmares.

But the MSG cameras zoomed in on Trotz discussing the play with the officials. It was obvious they were going to challenge. But it wasn’t for goaltender interference. Rather offsides. One of those challenges I hate. I knew by how quickly they challenged, they must’ve had indisputable evidence. Why risk a power play if you lose? You’re still up two likely going to the third.

Sure enough, they made a fast decision to overturn the goal due to Fast not being able to keep his skate on the ice at the blueline. It was one of those tacky rulings that had no effect on the play. But that’s what the rule is for. Fast couldn’t get his skate down due to it accidentally touching an Islander. It stunk. But that’s how the game was going. They made the correct call.

Before anyone could still get their hopes up for a third period comeback due to how mediocre the Islanders had played, a Skjei mistake early on put the disengage button on. He went for a steal to start a rush, but over skated the puck. Instead, Ryan Pulock’s pass for Bailey down low created a problem. He faked shot and then made a smooth pass for a Nelson tap in at 3:13. The overlooked Isles second line center had just enough space to get free of Strome and put in his team-leading 20th from Bailey and Pulock. He’s really earned his new contract to prove me wrong. A better bargain than Kevin Hayes.

There really wasn’t a whole lot going on during the first half of the third that told you it could get interesting. The Isles were comfortably in front by four doing what they had to do. Quinn finally mixed up his lines. Kaapo Kakko finally found himself with Zibanejad and first-time NHL All-Star Chris Kreider. He was announced as the team’s replacement for Panarin after the game. I guess they didn’t want to mess up Zibanejad’s vacation. I am happy and excited for Kreider, who continues to play well. He would record his 11th goal and 18th point over the last 19 games since Dec. 8.

I thought Kakko was much more noticeable once he was bumped up. He saw some shifts late in the second. Without Panarin, this was the game to do it. He had one strong shot that Greiss stopped and then covered the rebound before Kreider could bury it. It was a close call. Hopefully, the break will do Kakko some good. He’s going home to Finland to be with family and friends. I think that can help. Maybe the time off will allow him to come back stronger. The rest of the season is really about his progression.

It wasn’t until a stoppage with 7:21 remaining that Mayfield got goaded by Brendan Lemieux into a foolish spearing penalty. Lemieux was doing what he does best. Talking trash I’m sure. Mayfield gave him a chop and he went down like he was shot. Believe it or not, they assessed a double minor to Mayfield for a call they rarely make. Yet boarding someone from behind is only two minutes. Some league.

Even if I thought the Rangers caught a break, they still had to score on the first half of the four minute power play. Sure enough, Fox skated to the middle and took a smart wrist shot that Buchnevich was able to redirect through a Kreider screen to end Greiss’s shutout bid with 6:15 left. Zibanejad got a secondary helper on the simple play. Simple is better. They need to remember that.

Now came the second half. This is where Quinn took a big risk by pulling Georgiev for a six-on-four still trailing by three. I’m not a fan of this strategy. Too often, we see it lead to a shorthanded goal into an open net to finish off games. Patrick Roy started this dumb trend. Every coach does it. More often than not, it backfires. I would love to know the percentages.

The only reason Quinn’s risk worked was due to the Isles inability to hit an empty net. They missed it like five times. It was insane. Eventually, a Zibanejad point shot never made it to Greiss. Instead, it hit Casey Cizikas and then Kreider picked up the loose change and buried his 17th to make things interesting. Suddenly, it was 4-2 with still 4:28 left in regulation.

Even crazier, the Islanders let Kreider get a step on an outlet. He was flying down the left wing, but when he went to shoot the puck from the circle, his stick failed him. Who knows what happens if his twig didn’t break. He might’ve scored. I’ve seen him make that shot enough. We’ll never know.

With over three minutes remaining, Quinn had Georgiev on the bench for a six-on-five following an Islander icing. A funny thing happened. With the Isles in delay mode, Trotz tried to pull a fast one on the refs. You must have the same players on for the defensive face-off. They went over to the bench and checked it out. Sure enough, the Isles got nabbed for a delay of game. Matt Martin served the unnecessary penalty.

Were they trying to give the game away? It was strange. The issue the Rangers ran into on the six-on-four was they couldn’t set up quick enough for shots. The Islanders were very disciplined on that penalty kill. They wouldn’t allow any dangerous shots to get through. I felt the two-man advantage was too predictable. You’re still down two goals. Move the puck quicker and get shots through with traffic. They were too deliberate.

Once the penalty was killed, the Islanders had a few more cracks at the empty netter. Only it never came. Mayfield flat out missed from his own end while still on the penalty kill. Then, you had Tony DeAngelo playing goalie by blocking one shot on his knees and then another. It was insane. The crowd that was left over cheered the effort. Filip Chytil also made a great backcheck to prevent a goal prior.

It was honestly unbelievable that the Islanders couldn’t score on an open net. They might want to practice that. I legit laughed while watching the wacky ending at my friend Jonathan’s. We both admired the effort from our team. They never quit. That showed me something.

If you’re looking for a depressing blog or aggravation, you’re in the wrong space. I love what I saw at the end. Some hustle. If only they had played with the same urgency earlier. Not that they were bad. But weren’t good enough to win.

There were three statistics that mattered.

Islanders 4

Rangers 2

Power Play: Isles 2/2

Rangers 2/5

Face-offs:

Islanders 35

Rangers 19

That’s why they lost this game. Not due to the total shots or attempts. And definitely not the beloved Corsi and Fenwick. Until this team improves on draws, they’ll never be able to compete seriously. Only Zibanejad and Strome are reliable enough to take the bulk of the key draws.

That’s gonna do it. No highlights. No stars. They’re self explanatory. Not one Blueshirt deserves a 🌟 anyway. It’s Greiss, Bailey and Nelson. Oh. And good on Trotz for benching Barzal. If he can do that to Barzal, Quinn can to Strome. I am a fan of his, but his last two games weren’t good enough.

It’s break time. Anything I put up will not be over the top. Stay tuned.

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Hot Blueshirts Topics as they face Islanders before All-Star Break

Posted on January 21, 2020 by Derek

Without the Wonder Bread Man, the Rangers would be one of the league’s bottom feeders in the Lafreniere Sweepstakes. That’s how much value Artemi Panarin has in Year One on Broadway.

With less than a day away from some time off, the Rangers will once again do battle with their biggest rival, the Islanders later tonight at Madison Square Garden. It’ll be the third game between the teams over nine days. At least it makes up for having no meetings over the first three months.

For the Blueshirts, who lost a crusher to the sizzling Blue Jackets on Oliver Bjorkstrand’s game-winner with 26.5 seconds left in regulation Sunday night, they’ll look to bounce back. As much as that 2-1 defeat hurt, these are the kind of games they can learn from. Ditto for the hard fought 3-2 victory in their return to NYCB Live aka Nassau Coliseum last Thursday. A similar tight checking game won by Chris Kreider with 24.6 seconds remaining.

You can be negative and sound ridiculous as some of NYR Twitter was following the gut punch against Columbus, who improved to 6-1-1 versus the Rangers in the last eight. That includes a perfect 4-0-0 in the last four meetings at 33rd and 8th Avenue. I guess it doesn’t matter if they have Artemi Panarin and Sergei Bobrovsky. They’re still having success under John Tortorella.

Here’s the point. Would you prefer our team get their doors blown off in these big divisional match-ups? At this stage of the season, it’s nice to know that the Rangers are playing important games. They aren’t expected to make the playoffs. Especially with rookie Kaapo Kakko continuing to struggle. Who had both Kakko and Devils top pick Jack Hughes with less than 20 points at nearly Game 50? Exactly.

Not every hyped prospect that goes number one overall or in the top three take the league by storm like Alexander Ovechkin, Evgeni Malkin, Sidney Crosby and Connor McDavid. Some young players take more time to develop into dominant stars we are seeing with Nathan MacKinnon, Jack Eichel and David Pastrnak. Even Leon Draisaitl wasn’t what he is today right away. It’s going to take longer for both Hughes and Kakko to develop for their respective Hudson rival teams.

At 23-20-4 with 50 points in 47 games, the Rangers are about where I expected them to be. Out of playoff position, but not out of contention. I predicted them for 85 points before the season. That looks like a good prediction right now. They’re here mostly due to the elite play of Panarin.

As the evidence mounts, they have definitely benefited from the key addition of the Wonder Bread Man. Facing his former team the other day for the second time, Panarin didn’t record a point. His line with Jesper Fast and Ryan Strome, whose lousy change cost the team at least a point, were shutdown by the tenacious checking of the Blue Jackets. In the first meeting at Columbus, Panarin got the winner on Dec. 5. There’s more.

When The Bread Man doesn’t record a point, the Blueshirts are 1-9-1. The lone win came on Nov. 30 over the Devils. A game that wasn’t competitive. In losses, Panarin has 17 points (7-10-17) with a minus-11 rating. Including overtime defeats, he is a goal and three assists. In victories, he’s 18-29-47 with a plus-33 rating. So 47 of his 68 points have come in wins.

Nobody has more even strength points than the Bread Man, who paces the NHL with an incredible 52 (20-32-52). That’s why he should get MVP consideration even if the Rangers don’t qualify for the playoffs. I don’t expect him to win the Hart. That’ll probably go to one of McDavid, MacKinnon or Pastrnak. John Carlson should also get votes. He’s running away with the Norris with an astounding 60 points.

To the original point regarding Panarin. Where would they be without him? Near the bottom of the league. Maybe not quite Red Wing bad. However, they’d be right in the thick of the Lafreniere Sweepstakes. The gallows humor Blueshirt fan might ask, “Would that be so bad?”

It would and wouldn’t. Would because the team lacks enough scoring depth on the wing. Would not because it speaks to just how far away they are despite promising young talent such as Kakko, Filip Chytil, Adam Fox, Ryan Lindgren, Alexandar Georgiev and Igor Shestyorkin. They’re still waiting on Vitali Kravtsov, who’s been alright at Hartford since returning. The 2018 first round pick hasn’t proven he’s ready yet. More potential exists in the organization featuring future pros K’Andre Miller, Nils Lundkvist, Lauri Pajunemi, Morgan Barron and yet another goalie prospect in Hobey Baker candidate Tyler Wall.

From the looks of the prospect pool, the organizational strengths are defense and goaltending. Boasting the depth they have at those positions could make some current Rangers with upcoming free agency expendable. I’m not going to get into the particulars. It’s been repeated all over social media and the blogosphere, which in some cases is unrealistic. See my commentary on that issue here.

It’s interesting to note that aside from the performance of Panarin, Mika Zibanejad, Strome, Chris Kreider and Fast, it’s been the heavily critiqued defense that’s been responsible for a lot of the team’s offense. In fact, despite their youth aside from grizzled vet Marc Staal, that blueline leads the NHL in scoring with 133 points (38-95-133). That includes 37 points (12-25-37) from Tony DeAngelo, 26 (6-20-26) from Fox, 23 (7-16-23) from $8 million man Jacob Trouba and 21 (7-14-21) from Brady Skjei.

For all the constant complaints over what the defense can’t do under overly criticized assistant coach Lindy Ruff, that sure is a lot of production. Maybe the cynics are wrong. Oh. The D isn’t perfect. We’ve seen Skjei have some brutal nights and even Trouba get victimized. But who else should we have high expectations for? Staal continues to play solid physical defense yet is a frequent target among biased chart bloggers, who don’t watch each shift.

If you want to point out that the back end can use a little more size and physical edge like Lindgren provides, you’re correct. The problem is neither Lundkvist or Miller are those type of style players. Former prospect and current Avalanche defenseman Ryan Graves is. Oops.

The focus needs to be more on the lack of scoring depth to help Panarin and Zibanejad, who’s over a point-per-game with 37 in 34 games. As good as he’s been, Strome only has 12 goals despite playing mostly with Panarin. By now, he should have 20. After Kreider, whose 17 points in the last 18 games, moved him up to 16-15-31 in a contract year, it dramatically falls off.

Pavel Buchnevich has been a huge disappointment. While the 18 assists and 25 points aren’t bad, the top right wing has only seven goals in 47 games. That’s unacceptable. So are some of his defensive issues due to not always being willing to pay the price. He’s not a small guy. Mats Zuccarello played way harder despite his smaller frame. By now, Buchnevich should have figured it out. If his production doesn’t improve, look for the Rangers to listen to offers and try to free up the $3.5 million cap hit which expires after next season.

With 22 points (8-14-22) including two shorthanded goals and a plus-15 rating in 46 contests, Fast has done all David Quinn has asked for. While the well respected hardworking Swede will never be a big scorer, he’s a perfect complementary forward due to his two-way capability and high work ethic. Look for the Rangers to re-sign him. He won’t be as costly as the other key free agents.

Until he figures it out, Kakko remains a work in progress. With just seven goals and nine assists for 16 points in 43 games with a club worst minus-17, the teenager is still learning in his first NHL season. He hasn’t earned a spot in the top six. For now, he should remain with Chytil and either Brett Howden or Brendan Lemieux on the third line. While I still believe a stint with Hartford could give a confidence boost to the second overall pick, it appears Rangers brass is fearful of taking that risk due to how young Kakko is. He has Type 1 diabetes and also suffers from Celiac Disease. They probably would prefer to manage him up close without the Hartford distraction.

If you combined the totals of the NYR right wings including Brendan Smith and Micheal Haley, it’s pretty bad. Not one right wing is a consistent scoring threat. The only way for that to change is to see dramatic improvement from Kakko and Buchnevich. They definitely need better production to become a playoff team again. That also includes Kravtsov.

If they subtract key performers like Kreider or Strome, they have to replace that production. The same applies to DeAngelo if he becomes too expensive this summer. They better get a good young scoring forward back.

AP Photo credit New York Rangers via Getty Images

If they decide to trade Georgiev, who will be in net again versus the Islanders later tonight, he can’t net only a draft pick or unproven prospect. It has to be a young forward that’ll help the roster. They can’t just give away the wins leader who seems to get the bulk of the tough assignments over Henrik Lundqvist.

Speaking of Lundqvist, he will not play again barring the Islanders finally getting to Georgiev. He hasn’t played much this month. Does he really want to be in this complicated situation for one more year due to his love of the Big Apple? It’s his call. There’s nothing that can be done unless he changes his mind. Blame Sather.

At some point, you’re not going to see three goalies on the NHL roster. Expect the Rangers to designate Shestyorkin to Hartford so he can stay sharp. He was selected as an AHL All-Star. He deserves to get that cool experience with forgotten D prospect Joey Keane. He’s handled his three starts and everything else thrown his way extremely well. He seems very mature and looks to have a bright future in NYC.

In terms of this third installment on Tuesday at MSG, my family will be attending. I sure wish I was. I can’t contain my excitement. The idea of potentially beating the Islanders three times in just keep a week is crazy. This is a team that’s given us fits. Don’t believe me? Go look at Lundqvist’s record since he signed his big contract extension. Sean McCaffrey (NYCTheMic) has you covered. Maybe I’ll put something up about it later.

We’ll see if Alexandar The Great can keep it going against what should be a desperate Islanders.

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Watch “Rangers lose to Blue Jackets 2-1” on YouTube

Posted on January 20, 2020 by Derek

Rather than do a lengthy game review like usual, I actually recorded Vlog above on my YouTube channel. You can Like, Comment or even Subscribe. Though I’m not exactly a expert by any stretch at this yet. 😁

I attended Sunday night’s game against the Blue Jackets. It was an opportunity for the Rangers to register their second three-game winning streak of the season. But it wasn’t to be due to the attention to detail from a focused Jackets, who rallied from a goal back to pull out a 2-1 win over the Blueshirts at Madison Square Garden.

Oliver Bjorkstrand spoiled Igor Shestyorkin’s shutout bid by beating the Rangers rookie netminder twice top cheese in a better third period by the Blue Jackets. It marked his return to coach John Tortorella’s lineup. They recently also got back top right shot Cam Atkinson.

Brady Skjei had the lone tally for the Rangers late in a bland first period where not much happened. He took the game’s only penalty and then came out and scored on a one-timer high glove. It was a Jack in the Box goal with Skjei almost getting a breakaway, but wisely using a Jacob Trouba pass off the boards to fire a one-timer past first-time starter Matiss Kivleniks at 18:23. It was the defenseman’s seventh. He’s been picking it up offensively.

But in a tight checking game where there weren’t many pointblank chances either rookie goalie had to contend with, it favored the Blue Jackets. The shots were only 8-7 Columbus in the second. Even though they weren’t able to test the 23-year old Latvian Kivleniks as much as they would’ve preferred, the Rangers misfired on a few opportunities. Artemi Panarin and Ryan Strome were unable to connect in this one. Neither was Mika Zibanejad or Chris Kreider.

The closely fought game became a battle of the neutral zone in the third period. Of course, that went in favor of the more battle tested Jackets, who don’t forget made the second round a year ago. However, that was with Panarin, Matt Duchene, Ryan Dzingel and former two-time Vezina winner Sergei Bobrovsky. Astonishingly, they haven’t missed Bobrovsky, who’s been playing better of late while trying to get the Panthers back into the postseason.

Somehow, Tortorella has taken a team that’s still marred with injuries and key departures, by getting them to buy into the team concept. Sure enough, they’re the hottest team right now. Elvis Merzlikins recently won his fourth straight decision by recording a third career shutout in four games on Saturday night in a 5-0 win over the Devils. Joonas Korpisalo remains on the shelf.

In the third, crucial mistakes by Rangers proved costly. A Jesper Fast drop to nobody along with a miscommunication with Panarin led directly to Bjorkstrand stealing the puck and beating Shestyorkin top shelf at 6:08. The unassisted tally swung the momentum.

Even though they weren’t badly outplayed in the third with shots dead even at 14 apiece, you never got the sense the Rangers were winning this game. When I go see hockey live, I usually pick up on things. As the period wore on, the puck management through the neutral zone wasn’t as good. The disciplined Jackets started to create chances off sloppy turnovers.

In the final minute, I sensed doom. I don’t know why. But I told my Dad, Justin and our friend Tommy that I thought either the Blue Jackets would come down and score or the game would go to overtime. Not long after, they made me prophetic by taking advantage of a bad change by Strome to set up Bjorkstrand for the game-winner with 26.5 seconds left.

Pierre-Luc Dubois made a nice drop for Bjorkstrand on a three-on-two rush. I originally thought it was Zach Werenski, who had an excellent game logging over 26 minutes while teaming with partner Seth Jones to shutdown the Panarin line. Werenski was in on the play, but he didn’t pick up a point.

Basically, Trouba and Skjei were left to fend for themselves with no forward support. It created a perfect screen for Bjorkstrand to fire a rocket in the high slot past Shestyorkin top shelf. He missed almost a month, but stayed hot by getting both Columbus goals in the win. Jones added a secondary assist to help set up the winning play.

As soon as Bjorkstrand had the puck on his stick in the middle of the ice, I knew what was coming. Obviously, a crushing way to lose for the Rangers. But these are the type of games they can learn from. Ditto the more thrilling 3-2 win at Nassau Coliseum over the Islanders in Thursday where Kreider scored with 24.6 seconds left.

I quickly climbed over the railing due to being in the last row of our section. Headed downstairs with my father and walked several blocks to the car. Those stairs feel like they added several flights. Ever seen Vertigo? 😉 Jesus.

It’s always harder going downstairs when you lose. We didn’t need to see the final 26.5 seconds. No way were they tying it. Not against that team. For all the teams he’s coached, this is Tortorella’s best coaching job. If the Blue Jackets make the playoffs, he should win a third Jack Adams. Nobody will want to play them either.

I don’t have much else to add. See my commentary above which includes some Islanders insight as well as why I enjoyed the Rangers’ successful return to the old barn. There’s also a preview of Islanders vs Rangers Part 3. Plus more observarions on the Blue Jackets and the game.

I’ll have something else up later.

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