BREAKING: Hall to Arizona for 1st, conditional pick and three prospects

Posted on December 16, 2019 by hasan4978

What seemed like an interminable wait over three days for all parties involved once Taylor Hall got pulled from the lineup before the Devils’ game in Colorado on Friday is finally now over, and the deal is done.  This afternoon, the Devils consummated a trade of their former MVP to Arizona in a blockbuster five-player and two pick deal.

https://twitter.com/NJDevils/status/1206692081059713024

Everyone knows what we gave up, at least with Hall I already said my piece on him in prior blogs – good luck in Arizona and happy trails.  It was obviously best for him and for the team to get this done before the holiday roster freeze which was looming in a couple of days.  Given Arizona’s cap situation, the Devils retained 50% of his contract in the trade.  Also going to Arizona is AHL player Blake Speers.  Believe it or not back in 2016 the small winger was somewhat highly thought of, making the Opening Night roster straight out of the OHL at 19 years old – but lasted just three forgettable games, and after being sent back to the OHL he’s toiled with no success in the AHL over the last three years, putting up just 28 points in 115 games.  So no great loss there.

We know what this season has become, and what the trade of Hall represents long-term but today’s about moving forward and what we got back.  First, the pick(s), a first-rounder was an absolute requirement IMO in a Hall trade and the Devils got that.  Most likely it’ll be a 2020 first-rounder in the 12-25 range unless Arizona collapses and wins a draft lottery, then the lotto-protected pick defers to 2021.  As I’m not a big believer in Arizona, the pick from them might wind up being a better pick than other teams such as Colorado who were also in on the Hall negotiations, but that’s nitpicking.  Also the Devils got back a conditional third-rounder, which could turn into a second-rounder if Arizona wins a playoff round (or Hall re-signs there), or even another first-rounder if both those things occur.

Now the players…anyone who thought we were going to get some team’s crown jewel for a rental player when other teams couldn’t even negotiate an extension with Hall were fooling themselves.  Arizona’s package was almost certainly the best they were going to get back though, headed by 2018 2nd-round defenseman Kevin Bahl, who’s a 19-year old with serious size (6’7, 240 pounds), plus some skating ability and he’s put up 20 points in 28 OHL games.  Bahl will be in action for team Canada during the upcoming World Junior Championships.  According to HNIC’s Elliotte Friedman on Saturday, the two teams were haggling over Bahl’s inclusion in the deal, if that’s the case guess GM Ray Shero got his way.

Merkley – a winger, was a 2015 first-rounder who has some scoring potential (in 2017-18 he put up 18 goals and 39 points in 38 AHL games) but his production’s fallen off a little the last couple years due to injuries.  Schnarr – a righty shooting center, was a 3rd round pick in 2017.  Probably organizational depth with one goal and nine points in 22 AHL games, but it is his first action there after a 102-point season in the OHL last year.  For what it’s worth, the Athletic’s Corey Pronman rated Bahl, Merkley and Schnarr the Coyotes’ 3rd, 5th and 7th best prospects over the summer although their system overall ranked just 17th among 31 teams.

Anyone expecting a sure thing back for a rental Hall was kidding themselves.  As regrettable as this day is on some level I’m just glad it’s over.  And if you’re a believer in scouting director Paul Castron, then at least allow yourself to dream about any of these kids potentially making an impact at the NHL level someday.

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Moment of the day: Nas’s first win as head coach

Posted on December 15, 2019 by hasan4978

Gotta admit, as jaded as I have been about this team and their new head coach, you don’t have a soul if you can’t smile at this clip of the players giving Alain Nasreddine the puck for his long-awaited first win.

https://twitter.com/NJDevils/status/1206083408700608514

What makes it cool is he was only looking to give the puck to Kyle Palmieri for the game-winning goal till he got surprised by the captain and an approving locker room.  From what little I’ve listened to his pressers so far, Nas seems certainly more introspective and communicates better than his former boss at least.  And give credit where credit is due, the last two games the Devils have played well in trying circumstances at Colorado and Arizona, two West contenders (ironically both among the rumored teams for Taylor Hall’s services).

Sure they still haven’t actually scored goals yet, but at least they’re playing with the passion that’s been missing for most of this season.  And while they tried to play up-tempo under John Hynes early in the season, going back to the up-tempo approach along with playing younger players more could just be what the doctor ordered.  One good result and two good games aren’t going to solve all the team’s woes, for one coach Nas still needs to solve the puzzle on what’s wrong with PK Subban and his dissapearing offense.  Perhaps playing better defensively will eventually start to get the offense going, Subban did have a +2 in the Devils’ 2-1 win last night…baby steps.

Also coach Nas (and GM Ray Shero) need to solve the puzzle of backup goalie, you can’t go on with goalies having a 4+ GAA and .850 save percentage literally giving the team no chance to win in non-Mackenzie Blackwood starts.  Even in Colorado you could see the difference as Louis Domingue’s soft goal torpedoed the team in spite of Blackwood’s solid relief work afterward with nineteen saves.  Blackwood’s somehow managed to get his save percentage near .910, an achievement considering this team’s season and his own bad start.

As the team, fans and hockey world still sits and waits on the inevitable Hall trade, the games go on and stop for nobody.  Hopefully there’ll at least be something to watch in the second half of this season, honestly this year has been even more frustrating than 2010 was although not quite as inept.  It just felt like all the hope got sucked out of the season immediately with the 0-4-2 start, and all the bad feelings about this team’s losing the past several years came to a head.  At least last night was a moment to smile at…baby steps.

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Lundqvist to blame for loss to Ducks

Posted on December 14, 2019 by Derek

AP Photo by Anaheim Ducks via Getty Images

On the fourth and final game of a Western road trip, the Rangers weren’t perfect. That much is true. Even though they jumped out to a quick two goal lead duel to the Ducks looking sleepless, they were severely outplayed in a bad second period by the Anaheim hosts.

However, a strong third period should’ve been enough to win the game in regulation. Especially with a brilliant Mika Zibanejad getting his second of the game with a sweet finish to beat John Gibson early. Instead of getting the two points and making it a very successful three of four, they watched a inconsistent Henrik Lundqvist give up a bad goal to Anaheim defenseman Hampus Lindholm with under two minutes left in regulation to force extras.

For the most part, Lundqvist was brilliant in making 39 saves including 17 of 18 in a lopsided second that saw his team get outshot 18-3. The issue is he gave up two questionable goals of the three permitted in a disappointing 4-3 shootout loss to the Ducks. He clearly could’ve had the second and third ones, which would’ve guaranteed a 3-1-0 road trip. He just didn’t make the key stops.

https://twitter.com/AnaheimDucks/status/1206005212764196869?s=19

Even if you want to blame the defense, the truth is Lundqvist isn’t the same goalie anymore. It’s a narrative MSG doesn’t share unless you listen to the radio broadcast like I did. Dave Maloney was quick to point out that Lundqvist hasn’t been on top of his game by referencing goals to noted snipers Erik Gudbranson and Lindholm. He also was all over Kaapo Kakko for refusing to shoot the puck on a wide open scoring chance in a horrible second. Kakko tried a pass across to Artemi Panarin, who fanned on the shot. Panarin continues to play unbelievable. He notched his team-leading 19th goal to give the team a 2-0 lead before four minutes had been played.

https://twitter.com/AnaheimDucks/status/1205977549756456960?s=09

The fast start happened right away. On some forecheck pressure from Pavel Buchnevich that forced a Ducks turnover, Zibanejad wound up with a breakaway and went forehand deke backhand to beat Gibson only 10 seconds into the game. It was a filthy move and finish by the number one center who’s heating up. He followed a two goal game in San Jose with another pair. On the road trip, Zibanejad had five goals. He also scored the only Ranger goal in the shootout that Lundqvist couldn’t protect.

With Anaheim shaky from the start, a defensive lapse allowed Ryan Strome enough room to retrieve a loose puck and make a great backhand pass for an open Panarin that he finished at 3:59 for a 2-0 lead. It looked like the floodgates would open. However, Gibson made some big stops when his flat team needed it.

An Adam Fox minor for hi-sticking Ryan Getzlaf swung the momentum. On the power play, the Ducks were able to convert when Jakob Silfverberg deflected home a Lindholm point shot with three seconds remaining on it to pull within a goal. Rickard Rakell helped set it up. He’s probably one of the most underrated players in hockey. But he plays for a mediocre team and doesn’t get much fanfare. Kinda like Silfverberg, who did in Lundqvist with a backhand in Round 4 of the shootout.

https://twitter.com/AnaheimDucks/status/1205969207910813696?s=09

Getzlaf gets all the attention because he’s their captain and helped lead them to their only Stanley Cup a dozen years ago. But that was a loaded championship team that featured Hall Of Fame defensemen Scott Niedermayer and Chris Pronger. Plus Hall Of Famer Teemu Selanne, former sidekick Corey Perry and the popular Jean-Sebastien Giguere. That was a great roster. It would destroy a lot of teams today.

To be fair, Getzlaf remains productive. He entered the game leading the Ducks in scoring with 25 points (10-15-25). He’s closing in on 1,000 points. For his career, he has 948 (271-677-948). From the famed ’03 NHL Draft, Getzlaf is still going strong. Only Eric Staal has more points (997). Patrice Bergeron is third with 839. It looks like all three centers will make Toronto when their careers are over.

In terms of what happened to the Rangers between the first and second periods, I don’t know. Maybe they got tired. It was the fourth game out West. But each game was spread out without any back-to-backs. So, it shouldn’t have been a problem. They just couldn’t grab back the momentum. Instead, Lundqvist never recovered to stop a Gudbranson point shot that tied it up just 1:02 into the second. Rakell (2 assists) and old Rangers killer Adam Henrique set it up. Maloney killed Lundqvist for it. And for good reason.

https://twitter.com/AnaheimDucks/status/1205971664351088640?s=19

When the other team’s Twitter feed notes that he came way out of the crease and couldn’t recover, it’s not a good thing. This is as bad as I’ve ever seen Lundqvist look on a goal against. What was he doing? NYR Twitter went into overdrive on it. I only heard it on the radio as called by Don LaGreca, who I have tremendous respect for, and further broken down by Maloney. A down the middle former captain who doesn’t make excuses like Steve Valiquette. Sorry Vally. But he’s went out of his way to defend Hank this season while suggesting Alexandar Georgiev be traded like the senile Larry Brooks, or one of the popular blogs that just isn’t seeing things the same. More fans are.

https://twitter.com/AnaheimDucks/status/1205973293141909504?s=09

Personally, I have plenty of admiration for what Lundqvist has achieved. He’s the all-time franchise leader in wins (456), games played (875), shutouts (63) and total minutes (51,248) among Blueshirt goalies. He’s got several records that’ll probably never be matched due to the notable change with more tandems now en vogue. The days of leaning on one netminder are close to extinction. Although you wouldn’t know it by the way both Montreal and Toronto operate. If you subtracted Carey Price from the Canadiens, they’d be awful. Ditto for Frederik Andersen of the Maple Leafs. To an extent, Marc-Andre Fleury of Vegas too although they’ve discovered that Malcolm Subban can play.

Do I feel that Lundqvist is defended way too much by the media and online, etc? Yes. He’s not the same guy he was in ’12, ’14 or ’15. It happens. No elite goalie can stay at the top forever. Even the legendary Martin Brodeur eventually fell apart after his great postseason at 40 at our team’s expense. The Devils haven’t recovered since due to replacement Cory Schneider having too many injuries and not enough help. He’s in the AHL struggling mightily. Sad. Taylor Hall is about to be traded.

For all the talk about Lundqvist pro or con, he’s nearing the end. Maybe he can be revitalized on expansion Seattle in 2021. By then, he’ll be 39 and unrestricted after his contract expires. That’s if Team President John Davidson doesn’t make a very hard decision. The one that some people don’t want to acknowledge. If you dare call out the goalie, the homers come out of the woodwork. They’ll blame everything else but King Henrik. I blame the organization for creating the alter ego which Brooks started for fun in the New York Post. It’s taken on a life that’s become insane. Some fans only go to see him. Not cheer the team. It’s about the logo on the front. Not the back.

While Lundqvist alternates starts with the younger and more unflappable Alexandar Georgiev, who wins more than he loses and is steadier, Igor Shesterkin is continuing to perform extremely well in the AHL with the Hartford Wolf Pack. At what point do they decide to recall the soon to be 24-year old Russian to see what they have?

These are questions that need to be asked. Especially regarding the franchise’s future. They have to also make a decision soon on college prospect Tyler Wall. Plus Olof Lindbom is in Sweden. Goalie depth isn’t an issue. You also have Adam Huska backing up Shesterkin at Hartford. Like defense, it’s a organizational strength. Ditto for center. At some point, they’re going to make some trades to maybe add more scoring help for Panarin and Zibanejad.

Plus the impending UFA of Chris Kreider likely signals the end of a good team guy that’s first in tipped goals the past few years. He’s always a good quote following tough losses like today. If he is moved at next February’s trade deadline, that’s a valuable player you don’t replace. There will also be intriguing decisions on key restricted free agents Strome, Tony DeAngelo and Brendan Lemieux. Three key players who have all been instrumental on this roster through 32 games.

Had Lundqvist been able to stop Lindholm’s shot off a rush that had a small screen for a second Anaheim power play goal with Brady Skjei in the box for tripping, the Blueshirts get the win. And Zibanejad’s second tally at 1:14 of the third would’ve stood as the game-winner. But he couldn’t quite close it up with the puck going through his arms. He only got a piece of it.

In the three-on-three freefall, Gibson robbed Zibanejad of a sure winner on what sounded like a great move. From the sounds of it on the radio, I was expecting to hear that he scored and won the game in overtime. Instead, it went to the shootout. Here was Silfverberg’s winner that followed Gibson denying Kakko in the top of the fourth:

https://twitter.com/AnaheimDucks/status/1205999366697172992?s=19

Like predecessor Ondrej Kase, who extended the skill competition with a brilliant forehand deke backhand high glove, Silfverberg was able to change the angle to notch the winner. His backhand wasn’t as high, but did the job to beat Lundqvist, who hasn’t won any of his last four starts (0-2-2). His last victory came against Carolina on Nov. 27. Ironically, his best game of the season in which he made 41 saves at MSG.

https://twitter.com/AnaheimDucks/status/1205992865014243328?s=19

For the year, Henrik Lundqvist is 7-7-3 with a 3.13 GAA and .912 save percentage. While the save percentage is fine, he’s not as consistent. Something that happens with aging goalies. Will he always be appreciated for what he’s accomplished including a Vezina when he was at his peak in ’11-12? Absolutely. I think that point has been lost. Something the well respected Kevin DeLury highlighted in a Tweet.

Kevin’s the voice of reason. He understands that things have changed. I also agree with him 💯 percent that they won’t trade Lundqvist, or as suggested in other spaces, buy him out. They’re going to let it play out. That’s $8.5 million reasons for more insanity and heated debates. I got partially into it with one fan, who was quick to point the finger at the D. It’s young and that means there’ll be moments of inexperience. At the moment, both Fox and Ryan Lindgren are struggling. Perhaps they’ve hit the rookie wall.

What has to be understood is that like it or not, the goalie is the last line of defense. Sometimes, you need them to steal games. Hank’s done it once. Georgiev in a few. He’s been the better goalie since last February. I am not going to bother citing the statistics. It can be looked up.

So, what will happen the rest of the way? Nothing. If you’re looking for controversy, it won’t happen. What needs to is Lundqvist picks it up. Otherwise, then the conversation could be completely different next Spring. I’m assuming no playoffs. They’re not ready yet. If I’m wrong, save this and don’t forget to let me hear about it. I won’t disappear 😉. Just ask my friends.

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Hall trade imminent

Posted on December 14, 2019 by hasan4978

Just three lousy months ago if you’d asked any Devils fan what mid-December would look like, nobody would have pictured that not only would Taylor Hall get traded, but that it would happen this soon.  Heck, on the eve of the season reports were coming out that Hall had authorized his agent Darren Ferris to negotiate an extension.  However, the Devils got off to an 0-4-2 start and things haven’t really improved much on-ice since then.  Even Hall himself got off to a middling start before being scratched on the verge of a trade with six goals in thirty games and a -11, though his 25 points show that he can still impact the game even when not playing particularly well.

As invitable as this moment has been for weeks with no extension and the team being further and further buried in the Atlantic basement, it’s still an empty, sobering feeling that it’s come to this.  Our only Hart trophy winner is moving on, in part because GM Ray Shero hasn’t been able to get out of the perpetual loser rebuild cycle after five years with no end in sight.  Showing Hall the team was serious about winning was an impetus for offseason moves such as trading for P.K. Subban and Nikita Gusev but neither has really worked out.  Gusev has five goals and 14 points in 28 games which is meh production from the ‘best player outside of North America’, but struggled even more away from the puck early in the season.  Still, even he’s been better than Subban who’s now at nineteen straight games without a point and counting.  Subban would have been a perfect fit on the 2000’s Rangers…big names who flopped.

Heck, our whole team did its best 2000’s Rangers impression.  Win the offseason, lose in-season.  There’s only so much you can blame on the goaltending, especially when Mackenzie Blackwood’s been the only thing working for this team the last few weeks.  Yes, fellow goalies Cory Schneider and Louis Domingue have been so bad they literally don’t give the team any chance to win.  Our only win in their combined twelve starts was Domingue’s 5-1 win against lousy Detroit, the only team in the league worse than the Devils right now.  And while John Hynes finally paid for the team’s ineptitude with his job, it’s not like things were going to materially change under mini-me Alain Nasreddine.  Predictably the effort’s ticked upward under Nasreddine, other than their total no-show in Dallas the other night – allegedly affected by the flu bug.  Just as predictably, the only change was to go back to the more up-tempo system of early in the season.  Not that it’s done anything to change results yet, as Nasreddine is still looking for his first win as Devils coach, his career record sitting at 0-4-1.

True, last night’s game at Cup hopeful Colorado went better than expected with ‘only’ a 3-1 loss with the third goal coming on an empty-netter.  Perhaps if Blackwood started the game he doesn’t give up the killer second goal which not only decided the game but injured Domingue, who either way has probably seen his last game in a Devils uniform, since he’s both been terrible and we would give up a conditional 7th rounder if Domingue played a seventh game for the Devils.  Not that it’s immediately evident who would start the next non-Blackwood game.  Cory’s numbers are even worse in the AHL than the NHL, which is a scary thought.  Maybe make a play for the Pens’ Casey DeSmith?  Shero needs to keep throwing stuff at the wall and hope something sticks, you can’t have Blackwood get worn down in a hopeless cause.

Back to Hall though, I really did want to make this post a bit more of a look back at his four-year tenure with the Devils now that it’s over.  I was going to save this post for when the trade actually went down but it could be hours or even days before Hall is traded.  Whatever we get for him is not likely to affect the 2019-20 Devils in any way, though hopefully Shero can extract a good package back from whoever trades for him.  Ultimately the first and overriding memory of Hall has to be his 2017-18 Hart season and the many electric, meaningful goals he scored and created throughout.  Whatever happens down the road, there’s something to be said for being the franchise’s only MVP, and leading the Devils to their only playoff berth in the middle of a prolonged downturn.  Many of those highlights are on the clip above.

Three that stand out and I remember without even having to look up, his game-winning goal against the Caps in January that started the Hart momentum, and his late-season heroics against the Habs and Rangers that built the momentum to a groundswell.  His shorthanded winner against the Habs just after coming out of the penalty box was one of the most memorable plays in the last decade of Devils hockey, since the 2012 playoff run which seems another lifetime ago now.  Hall’s four-point night against the Rangers – culminating with an electric penalty shot goal – was perhaps my favorite example of his brilliance that year.

Even with having a dissapointing playoff series against Tampa, Hall had one more night of brilliance with three points in the Devils’ lone win at the Rock, including the game-winning assist through traffic on Stefan Noesen’s goal.

Now that we’ve relived the good times, I have to acknowledge it certainly wasn’t all good for Hall or us here.  Hall’s MVP season was his second as a Devil…his first, after the infamous one-for-one trade with Adam Larsson that brought Hall here was a forgettable one for him and the team.  A sulking Hall had just 20 goals and 53 points in 72 games for a bad Devils team, and had to watch his former team (the Oilers) make the second round of the playoffs without him.  Shero even asked point-blank if Hall wanted to be traded that offseason.  To his credit Hall said no, and recommitted himself to his new team, breaking out with a career year as a response.

Nobody was expecting Hall to repeat his MVP season last year, but the fact his season ended after just 33 games with knee issues was a dissapointment.  He did manage 11 goals and 37 points in that time, but was clearly hampered by his injury in the weeks even before going on the shelf for good in late December, and his absence sent an already spiraling Devils season straight into the toilet.  After an offseason of will-he won’t-he drama towards his re-signing, things seemed to be going in the right direction this offseason but the early-season flameout changed things entirely for both Hall and the franchise.  I don’t even want to get into the whole fans booing the PP thing now, he’s frustrated, the team’s frustrated, we’re frustrated.  He should still get a video tribute and deserved ovation the next time he comes back to the Prudential Center (unless it’s somehow in a Rangers or Flyers jersey hah).

Yes, it wasn’t his choice to come here and it is his choice to leave (at least in part) but if we can cheer role players like Stephen Gionta coming back to the Rock, we can give Hall an ovation of thanks for giving us hope in a transcendent season that won’t be forgotten.  Especially when it doesn’t look like we’ll even get back to playing meaningful Spring games again anytime soon.  Hall may be the biggest sale but he won’t be the only one with FA’s Wayne Simmonds, Sami Vatanen and Andy Greene all deadline deal candidates, plus given how annoyed Shero was with the players in the wake of the Hynes firing I could see others getting dealt too.  Hopefully the 2020-21 Devils will look different than the 2019-20 Devils, I just don’t know if they’ll be any better.

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BREAKING: Hall held out of tonight’s game for ‘precautionary’ reasons

Posted on December 13, 2019 by hasan4978

Welp I had zero intention of either watching or paying attention to tonight’s expected housing in Colorado, with the 9-16-5 Devils playing a 20-8-3 Avs team on the road, thirteen points out of a playoff spot in mid-December.  I still don’t plan on watching, especially with human red light Louis Domingue in net for the road team, but now the night just got a bit more interesting with the news that Taylor Hall is being held out of tonight’s game.  With speculation surrounding a possible trade before the holiday freeze it’s certainly possible a deal’s imminent.

https://twitter.com/NJDevils/status/1205669044138864640

Of course watch precautionary mean the guy’s fighting the flu.  While I do think a trade is coming sooner or later (probably sooner), I’ll believe it’s happened when I see it.  Nothing’s ever done until it’s done…ask any Met fan about the infamous 2015 trade deadline for proof of that.  Constantly checking Twitter the rest of the night’s going to annoy me but just like waiting to see what we got for Christmas, you can’t do anything about it but be patient.  I’ll have a more detailed post when Hall is dealt, but it seems the moment of truth is upon us.

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Panarin records hat trick to highlight comeback win over Sharks

Posted on December 13, 2019 by Derek

Artemi Panarin dons the Broadway Hat following his first hat trick as a New York Ranger. His four points in a comeback 6-3 win over the underachieving Sharks prove that he belongs in the MVP conversation if the Rangers somehow make the playoffs. AP Photo credit New York Rangers via Getty Images

Artemi Panarin’s hat trick highlighted a Rangers 6-3 come from behind win over the Sharks at San Jose. He scored two of his three goals in a four goal third that saw the Blueshirts rally from a 3-2 deficit by getting the last four unanswered.

I’ve run out of adjectives to describe the Bread Man. He just keeps producing for a team that would be nowhere without him. If you subtracted Panarin from the offense, the Rangers would probably have at least six less wins. He makes everyone around him better by creating space and knowing where to be on the ice.

The Rangers have played 31 games. Panarin is up to 18 goals with 23 assists for 41 points. He might not be in the same category as Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl or Jack Eichel, who’s emerging as an MVP candidate with Buffalo. However, if he somehow managed to carry this team to the playoffs similar to what Taylor Hall did with the Devils, then Panarin deserves to be a Hart candidate. That’s how well he’s played. He is the straw that stirs the drink for the Broadway Blueshirts.

I didn’t watch this one because I was tired. So, I napped with the radio on. I woke up with the game tied at two in the third period. The Sharks went ahead on a rare goal from defenseman Brenden Dillon. They were playing their first game under new interim coach Bob Boughner, who relieved Pete DeBoer. The former Devils bench boss was fired along with almost everyone on Thursday due to the continued underperformance of a team expected to compete in the West. DeBoer has the dubious distinction of guiding two teams to the Stanley Cup Final, but not winning. So, he’s a lot like current Flyers coach Alain Vigneault.

Unless they get better goaltending from Martin Jones, it won’t matter who coaches. Just from the analysis of an exasperated Dave Maloney on ESPN radio alongside Kenny Albert, he couldn’t believe the goals Jones gave up to Mika Zibanejad and Panarin that put the Rangers ahead 5-3. He heavily criticized Jones’ positioning and made that exact point about San Jose, who dropped their sixth game in a row. Panarin completed his third career hat trick with an empty netter.

On a night future Hall of Fame center Joe Thornton recorded an assist in his 1,600th career NHL game, it was the resilience of the Blueshirts that ruined his big night. Despite being young, they continue to respond positively under David Quinn following losses like the miserable one they had to the Kings. They improved to 10-1 after defeats by getting big performances from Panarin (3-1-4) and Zibanejad (2 goals). The hat trick was the third of Panarin’s career. His first two came versus the Rangers at MSG. How’s that for irony.

Zibanejad came up big in the final stanza. Consecutive goals off his stick tied and put the Blueshirts ahead 4-3. He converted on a power play which Maloney thought was a break. In other words, he didn’t feel the tripping penalty on Barclay Goodrow that Chris Kreider drew was the best call. You have to take advantage when the chance presents itself.

Trailing by one, they did. Panarin and Tony DeAngelo combined to set up Zibanejad for his eighth on the power play. That tied the score with 11:11 left in the third. It was a quick response to Dillon’s tally from Brooklyn native Kevin Labanc and Thornton 4:37 earlier.

Alexandar Georgiev got the start. He was back in net following Henrik Lundqvist losing a tough decision to Jonathan Quick on Tuesday night at Staples Center. Georgiev didn’t have to do anything special like he did at Vegas or in other recent starts. He was picked up by his teammates. He allowed three goals on 18 shots. So, you can’t talk about the goaltending. I know the first San Jose goal from Tomas Hertl shorthanded was deflected off a Ranger. The other two Sharks tallies came from Logan Couture and Dillon.

Even though it sounded like they played a good first period with Maloney highlighting the puck possession and 12 shots on goal, the Rangers trailed by a goal due to Hertl victimizing the man-advantage. He was able to convert his 11th unassisted for a shorthanded goal at 9:13. It sounded sloppy on the radio.

I missed the second due to shut eye. It was played entirely at even strength without any penalties. That must’ve been good to watch. I would imagine it was fast moving because the game didn’t take that long. After Filip Chytil (2 assists) and Greg McKegg set up Jesper Fast for his second goal over three games, Ryan Strome made a good pass to an open Panarin at the side where he quickly fired his 16th past Jones short side for a 2-1 lead 2:54 later. Brady Skjei, who kept the play alive by pushing the puck down to Strome, also picked up a helper. I read quite a few complaints about Skjei defensively. That’s not going to change. He’s gonna play. You may as well deal with it.

Following a Couture snipe from Timo Meier, the game was dead even entering the third. It was San Jose who surged ahead when from listening to Maloney discuss the Dillon goal, he had all sorts of time due to Jacob Trouba giving him way too much space. He backed in and it gave Dillon enough time to fire a wide open shot from the point past Georgiev at 4:12.

But that was it for the Sharks offense. They only recorded two shots the entire period. Just mystifying. How can a team with their talent be so bad? Erik Karlsson hasn’t scored in a while to hear Maloney tell it. And the normally reliable Brent Burns was hesitant to shoot the puck when I was tuning in. He’s also got a very bad plus/minus rating (-23). I know not everyone is in love with that stat. But there’s a good reason Burns is struggling. I’ve seen him get beat plenty in the San Jose games I’ve watched either on NBCSN or NHL Network. Meier hasn’t produced like they envisioned either. Thornton doesn’t have a goal yet with only 11 apples in likely his final year. Patrick Marleau is 6-5-11 in his return.

I heard Evander Kane say he didn’t think there was enough pushback from his team last week following a loss. Interestingly enough, he took matters into his own hands following an uncalled cheap shot. Kane has arguably been their best player so far. He’s got 24 points including a team-leading 13 goals along with 75 penalty minutes. Kane is a gamer. Whatever went down in Winnipeg between him and the vacationing Dustin Byfuglien, it’s in the past now. He’s not that guy anymore. I bet Buffalo wishes they could’ve kept him.

In terms of the Sharks, they’ve always been a team I pulled for due to my friend Jen. I’ve always liked them too. It’s too bad they couldn’t win that Cup against the Penguins in 2017. That was their best shot. Probably Thornton’s final chance at it too. What a shame. I guess he’s going to wind up like Lundqvist and recently retired Roberto Luongo. Not everyone wins a Cup. Just ask Mats Sundin and the notoriously omitted Curtis Joseph.

Sometimes, you got to be lucky. I’m glad Brian Leetch has a Conn Smythe and Mike Richter along with Alex Kovalev were a big part of that Stanley Cup in ’94. Of course, it doesn’t happen without Mark Messier or some of the other former Oilers including the very popular Adam Graves. Plus Sergei Zubov, who also won with Dallas in ’99.

The point being you need breaks to win championships. And you have to cash in when it’s there. The Rangers didn’t in 2012, ’14 or ’15. Neither have the Sharks, who continue to leave diehard and loyal fans like Jen (SharxGirl) frustrated. They look like they need a different goalie. Do I hear John Davidson convincing Lundqvist that it would be best if he waived his no movement clause to go take another shot at winning a championship with San Jose or Calgary? I know it’s not gonna happen.

Truth be told, the Rangers are better off without Lundqvist now. He doesn’t win enough when Quinn goes to him and isn’t that guy you want in a rebuild. If he would just swallow his pride, he’d conclude that he doesn’t want to wind up like his Swedish buddy Sundin, who held the Maple Leafs hostage until he left and wound up with Vancouver for one final swan song.

At this point, it’s clear that the team plays harder for Georgiev, who’s got a different and more laid back personality. He is still trying to prove himself since that strong finish to last season. He’s got the better numbers and is backing it up. Even on less than stellar nights like Thursday or that wild and crazy game at Montreal, he doesn’t let a bad goal affect his demeanor. He’s very cerebral.

If and when the organization decides to recall Igor Shestyorkin and give him a look due to his continued domination for Hartford in the AHL, where’s the logic in keeping Lundqvist for another year with him on the salary cap for $8.5 million? Are they really going to give in and trade Georgiev due to catering to the all-time franchise leader in just about every category? I hope not.

I would like to see a scenario where you have Georgiev and Shestyorkin both in NYC. That way they can find out who’s the better option. Before you just anoint Shestyorkin the man, he has to prove it. If they let this happen, they’d have another win win situation like John Vanbiesbrouck and Richter. They chose Richter and let Beezer go to Florida where he carried the Panthers to the Cup Final in ’96 before being swept by the Avalanche. It worked out well for everyone.

The organization also has Tyler Wall performing extremely well in his senior year at UMass-Lowell. A forgotten sixth round pick in 2016, the 21-year old from Lexington, Ontario is 10-3-4 with a 1.72 GAA, .945 save percentage and two shutouts in 17 games this season. Aside from a tough sophomore year, Wall has been excellent in his four-year collegiate career. He should be part of the future in the Rangers organization soon.

There’s not much more to say regarding the Rangers goalie situation. It’ll be interesting to see what JD and Jeff Gorton decide. Davison knows a thing or two from experience as a player about making hard decisions that impact the future. That’s how he got his shot here after the unpopular decision by Emile “The Cat” Francis to waive Eddie Giacomin and trade away Jean Ratelle and Brad Park for Phil Esposito and Carol Vadnais. Eventually, Davidson backstopped the ’78-79 Rangers to a huge upset over the Islanders to play Montreal for the Cup. They lost in five games. Injuries derailed his career where he moved to the booth and became the best at his craft.

Things change. That’s what some fans fail to understand. If they move on from Lundqvist, they’d be doing themselves and him a favor. It’s time.

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Game #30: Kreider: “We don’t shoot enough pucks”

Posted on December 11, 2019 by Derek

AP Photo credit Los Angeles Kings via Getty Images

Tonight was a frustrating one for the Rangers. They were coming off a nice 5-0 shutout win over the Golden Knights. However, like I unfortunately predicted, they beat the harder team and lost to the team that’s not as good at Los Angeles. The end result was a sleep inducing 3-1 loss that invoked flashbacks to the exasperating 2014 Stanley Cup loss to the Kings at annoying Staples Center.

It’s not just because Jonathan Quick turned back the clock and nearly had a shutout to outplay Henrik Lundqvist. It was due to the game itself. The Rangers did a lot right for most of the first period. They had the shots, the better scoring chances and looks. But couldn’t score on Quick, who remembered that he once was a two-time Stanley Cup champion and Conn Smythe winner. He made 29 saves including a couple of great ones by robbing Kaapo Kakko with a pad stop. He was good.

Before I dive into the two goals Lundqvist gave up in his first start in eight days, I want to talk about what Chris Kreider told MSG’s John Giannone following the loss. When asked about the game, he was very pointed in his remarks.

“We don’t shoot enough pucks. Again. It’s always the same thing when we lose.”

Kreider was dead on about it. We heard Joe Micheletti go on and on about how many times this team passes up wide open shots. Particularly Kakko, who’s becoming way too predictable. Yes. He had quite a few chances to bury one tonight. To be fair, he wound up with a game high eight shots. That is a good amount. However, there were other opportunities to where he passed right into the teeth of the Kings disciplined defense, which was content to sit back in a 1-3-1 once Dustin Brown scored on Lundqvist with 10.1 seconds left in the first.

That’s how LA plays under veteran coach Todd McLellan. It’s the only way they can be successful. They’re a last place hockey club that’ll wind up in the NHL Lottery. However, they do play hard for their coach. Even as bad as they looked early on, they hung around thanks to some heroics from Quick, who always is strong down low due to his athleticism. The guy competes hard. Even if he’s not the guy he once was. Similar to Lundqvist, who gave Quick credit for having a good game. Both were good, but it once again felt like Groundhog Day starring Bill Murray. Or in this case, Lundqvist playing the Phil character who has to live through the same exact day no matter what he tries.

There weren’t many power plays in this Quickly played game. See what I did there? It was fast moving thankfully because it wasn’t a Picasso or Renoir. This made you question your fandom. Why do we stay up and do this to ourselves? It sounds like a Pythagorean Theorem. If this, then that. Or another philosophy course. I took a few of those in college and even got an A in my final one. Philosophy can certainly apply to hockey.

On a night interrupted by the Yankees going berserk literally by giving Gerrit Cole NINE YEARS (holy guacamole!) and $324 million to go help them win a 28th World Series after a decade without making one, here we were watching crappy hockey on MSG 3 due to the god awful Knickerbockers (I’m dead) and the dizzying and dismal Devils (I listened to the first two periods and Chico Resch sounded so disheartened by what he was seeing). You cannot make this stuff up. Honestly, I hope Dolan loses his mind and sells for the love of sanity. Hey. The Wilpons did with Hasan’s Mets. But their fans have to wait five more years.

Okay. Back to the game. In a real good opening period which included a power play where they had the puck for the whole damn thing, the Rangers failed to score on a sharp Quick. He was stopping everything. When he wasn’t, Mika Zibanejad was misfiring his normally accurate one-timer wide. He missed the net three times. Then even attempted a fourth shot that didn’t hit its intended target. There was a Tony DeAngelo point shot that Kreider just missed tipping in. You even had a Kakko shot from a sharp angle that Quick turned away. He was in the zone.

How much so? The point blank save on Filip Chytil on the doorstep was fantastic. It was classic Quick. This wasn’t the aging netminder that entered with an .887 save percentage. It was vintage Quick as he usually is versus Lundqvist. Maybe if David Quinn had started Alexandar Georgiev, the Rangers might’ve won. This isn’t pinning it on him completely. But it’s just that they play better for Georgiev, who’s the better goalie right now. Despite what MSG wants you to think. Not every fan is blind or naive like other blogs.

On most nights, getting 23 of 25 stops from Lundqvist would result in a win. Not at Staples Center, who again showed no class by playing the ridiculous “Nanana, Hey Goodbye!”, garbage following Adrian Kempe’s empty netter. They are the most bush league arena. I hope the Lakers choke! That fanbase doesn’t deserve anything. Let’s Go Clippers!

Alright. Enough basketball on this post. I hardly watch anymore. I basically disowned my team after 35 years. Sad. But necessary. Thankfully, Dolan stays out of the Rangers business. That allows them to rebuild this thing the right way. There will be some very interesting decisions forthcoming. That’s for a later date.

When you play as well as the team did for almost the entire first period, you better make it count. The Rangers couldn’t do it versus Quick. He stopped 14 shots altogether. They were unable to go high on him. This isn’t a big goalie. He takes risks and relies on his reflexes the same way Mike Richter did. That’s what makes Quick fun. Just like Richter, who won the team’s last Cup. It truly has lasted a lifetime. Sorry Sam Rosen.

Unfortunately, my prediction came true. The one where your team dominates but can’t score. That usually spells doom. Sure enough, it did.

It took until the final frantic minute for things to come apart. The forwards that included Brendan Lemieux, whose diving block was terrific- couldn’t clear the zone. So, Lemieux, Brett Howden and Jesper Fast got trapped in along with defensemen Marc Staal and Adam Fox by a relentless Kings forecheck. They must’ve attempted about eight shots. Lundqvist made some saves, but eventually the entire five man unit tired out. They watched the Kings pass the puck across until a dazed Lundqvist fell down and could only watch Brown finish off a great pass across the crease from Tyler Toffoli. He scored it with 10.1 seconds left in the period.

An absolute crusher. Once that happened, you knew this game was going to be tough. The Kings don’t have much skill. Ilya Kovalchuk doesn’t even play anymore. He was a healthy scratch for a 15th straight time. Cue the flashbacks to irrational NYR Twitter with these knuckleheads wanting our team to sign him. I’m not kidding. I could easily find old tweets and expose these frauds. But there’s no point. The Kings are on the hook for $6.25 million and there’s still one more year remaining on the contract. Hahahaha! The sad aspect is Kovalchuk could’ve been one of the great scorers. Instead, he chose to go home to Russia over the Devils. What a turncoat!

The Kings still have Anze Kopitar, Drew Doughty, who celebrated his birthday on Sunday like me. They have Brown, Toffoli, Quick, Jeff Carter, Trevor Lewis and Kyle Clifford. So, there are still some holdovers from that last championship. Those guys know how to win close checking games. They did it again on Tuesday.

The second was just mind numbing. The Rangers couldn’t or wouldn’t be able to match an improved Kings work ethic. I knew it was coming. There was no way they were going to play as poorly. Sure enough, they tightened up the neutral zone which made it feel like it was ’98-99 trap hockey. It was that hard on the eyes. I considered gauging them. Just kidding. I just want to make sure you’re awake. For a very long time, the Rangers remained stuck on three shots in the period. They turned over pucks and fell into the trap.

There also was some rough stuff. In the first, Chytil took a dangerous knee on knee hit from Austin Wagner. They didn’t like it. Unintentional or not, they’re lucky Chytil was okay for his next shift. He definitely was in some pain at the bench, but didn’t exit. Later, in one of the most puzzling decisions, Quinn decided to move Chytil to the wing on a mismatched line centered by Brett Howden and flanked by Lemieux. It was a total waste.

What in the heck is Quinn thinking? You have to play Chytil at center. That’s it. I didn’t care for Ryan Strome on the right side either at the start. As critical as I am of him, let Pavel Buchnevich sink or swim on a second line with Chytil and Kreider. That has to be their second line. Especially now that they seem committed to Kakko playing top line with Zibanejad and Artemi Panarin. Strome should center Lemieux and Fast. Howden is a checking center who gives good effort, but isn’t a big scorer. Let him center the fourth line with Greg McKegg and Brendan Smith.

With most of the play at exclusively five-on-five, the Kings applied more puck pressure and controlled the pace. They got more shots through on Lundqvist, who kept it at one goal for a while. However, he had a bad hiccup when he misplayed a heavy shot from defenseman Matt Roy (who?). Instead of gloving it out of harm’s way, he let the puck go off the glove and behind right to Toffoli, who outmuscled Ryan Lindgren to put in the rebound for a 2-0 lead at 13:22. That proved costly. After reviewing the Kings first goal, I gave Lundqvist a pass on it due to the pass across with the five man unit dead exhausted. This was one he had to have. It’s that simple.

You knew this wasn’t going to be a high scoring shootout. Not once LA went in front. They can’t play that way. That meant an uphill climb for the Blueshirts. It also meant clutch saves like the pad denial Quick made on Kakko. Similar to his stone job on Chytil. That’s what he can do. Neither were able to get the puck up. That summed the night up.

In a good character move and very brave at that, Brady Skjei sought retribution on Wagner by dropping the gloves for Chytil. I loved it. Sure. It was a boring wrestling match. But it showed me something. I didn’t know Skjei had that in him. As critical as I’ve been, I really admire what he did. He told Giannone that he was trying to change the momentum. Something most knowledgeable hockey fans understand. Especially when you’re down two with nothing happening. Good for Brady!

After being outshot 10-5, the Rangers knew they had to come with more in the final period. The effort was there. However, the execution wasn’t. They continued to fire pucks into Quick’s lower pads. His biggest strength. He wasn’t having it. It was going to take something special to beat him.

There was another interesting dustup when Smith was challenged by Kings enforcer Kurtis MacDermid. Upset with an otherwise clean hit on a teammate caught in an awkward spot coming out of his end, MacDermid cleanly beat Smith with two heavy rights that landed for the knockdown. It wasn’t a fair fight. Kudos to Smith for doing it. But there was nothing wrong with the hit.

I’m in agreement with Rosen on this issue. If you deliver a clean old fashioned hit, there shouldn’t be any fight. This is the ugly part of today’s game I don’t agree with. It’s wussy hockey. Good checks are part of the game. Hit back the way DeAngelo did in this game on Clifford, who acted like a punk later by getting away with an uncalled cross-check on Lemieux. Even Panarin went back at a King after a scrum. I love it. He doesn’t back down. Exactly the attitude you want from your star player.

It really looked like it would be a Turn Back The Clock Quick shutout. But just as I was about to tweet it, Panarin scored a late power play goal by converting on a rebound created by Kreider in front. Kakko took the shot and Kreider freed the loose puck up right to Panarin for his team-leading 15th with under 31 ticks left. He has points in 23 of 30 games. What a player!

At least there would be no shutout for Quick, who definitely wanted it. You could tell by his focus. I respect that. He is a potential Hall of Famer. But I don’t know if he’ll get in. He broke down due to injuries and a taxing style while his team declined. He will make the US Hockey Hall of Fame. A great honor for the kid from Milford, Connecticut. He’s 33 and has 316 victories with a career 2.39 GAA, .913 save percentage and 51 shutouts. Not bad for a guy they thought wouldn’t be as good as Jonathan Bernier. Oops.

Even though they pulled Lundqvist again, it didn’t matter. There would be no Broadway Miracle On 34th Street. Buchnevich failed to get the puck in which led to Kempe scoring into the vacated Rangers net with 15 seconds left.

That kinda game. That kinda night. They got what they deserved. Even though I liked what Quinn had to say about the Kings being “a tough matchup” due to their size and how heavy they are. A good honest assessment. Now, if only he’d play Georgiev more and stop tinkering with his lines.

Oh well. Onto the next one. That’s the Jekyll and Hyde Sharks, who cannot defend or get consistent netminding. What will happen at the Shark Tank on Thursday? If I were a betting person, take the over. You’ll see much more time and space with scoring and shots up.

Battle Of Hudson 3 🌟

3rd 🌟 Matt Roy, Kings (2 assists, +2 in 19:54)

2nd 🌟 Tyler Toffoli, Kings, (game-winner for 7th of season plus 🍎, +3 in 13:59)

1st 🌟 Jonathan Quick, Kings (29 saves including 14 for 14 in great 1st, still owns us and Lundqvist)

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Game #29: A birthday present courtesy of Georgiev, Panarin and Rangers Vegas style and smile

Posted on December 9, 2019 by Derek

AP Photo credit New York Rangers via Getty Images

Okay. So I didn’t make it a secret that it was my birthday. Believe it or not, I blew out 43 candles (not literally). I don’t know where all the time has gone. It’s astonishing what you can remember long-term as you get older. Forget about what you can’t. The special moments stand out.

I knew I wouldn’t see a second of tonight’s game in Vegas. How I wish I was since it turned into a very satisfying and gratifying Rangers 5-0 win over the Golden Knights. The first time they’ve been shutout since last February. T-Mobile Arena is a great home ice advantage for their third-year franchise. The fans are into it and they certainly put on a great show.

While other fans don’t always like how over the top it is due to the mascot, drummers, theatrics, dancers and whoever they invite to ring that cool sounding horn, I find it entertaining. They’re making it fun for everyone. I’ve heard rave reviews about Vegas. Think whatever you want.

What I’ll say is after enjoying a nice quiet Japanese birthday dinner with our family, I hungout with my brother and some friends. It was fun. We shared a few laughs watching bad football and talking pathetic Knicks basketball while wondering about the hot stove baseball winter meetings. Plus a small cupcake courtesy of our friend Jon’s future Mom of his first baby. It’s due by the end of December. Maybe it’ll even be born on Da Big Man’s birthday! My forever friend Brian. Or as we know him as Mr. Buffalo. 😀

Being that I only saw the first goal from the Christmas gift of Artemi Panarin that keeps on giving (goal and assist), that was aesthetically pleasing. Especially since fans on NYR Twitter were going Gaga over Alexandar Georgiev. In his third straight start, he was fantastic. Georgiev stopped all 17 Vegas shots in the first period on his way to his second shutout over the last four outings. He made 38 saves altogether to improve the Rangers to 9-1 following a defeat. Very impressive for a young team.

Here’s more. In a game they were outshot 38-25 and out-attempted 71-39, it didn’t matter due to Georgiev and opportunistic scoring from the boys. I only have one question. If David Quinn stuck with Georgiev after the tough 2-1 home loss against Montreal, what will he decide for Tuesday night at Staples Center against the Kings? I wouldn’t want to be a fly on Henrik Lundqvist’s wall right now. He’s not the starter at the moment. For now, that belongs to the emerging 23-year old Georgie.

I’m not going to analyze it any further. It’s a coaching decision. There are three more games out West including the Kings, Sharks and Coyotes. One more win and they earn at least a split like I thought.

As for the win, let’s just say they got the job done and leave it at that. Was it perfect? From the looks of the highlights and game sheet, no. They also lost 34 of 56 face-offs and took not one, but two delay of game minor penalties for clearing the puck over the glass. That btw was two experienced leaders in Marc Staal and Mika Zibanejad. They did contribute offensively. So, there’s that.

There’s also this. The Rangers put five pucks past Malcolm Subban, who again was in net for Marc-Andre Fleury. Condolences go out to him and his family on the passing of his Dad. He’s one of the classiest players this league still has. A future Hall of Famer like Lundqvist, who again had a close view of the action from the bench.

In the first, they got superior goaltending from a red hot Georgiev, who denied the Golden Knights on point-blank chances. He is very good down low and uses his athleticism well. He remains very calm no matter what happens. Look at the comeback in Montreal for proof. He was bad and recovered to make key stops to give his team a chance. That takes extreme focus.

While they got big early saves from the second-year netminder, the Rangers struck twice within 14 seconds to stun the Golden Knights. The first play was splendid. It was Staal taking a Tony DeAngelo feed and making a perfect pass for a cutting Panarin, who did the rest by firing home his team-leading 14th at 11:03. He’s only gone seven games without a point. There would be no repeat of Friday.

On the next shift, Ryan Strome reemerged when he received a Ryan Lindgren pass down low and set up the previously snake bit Chris Kreider for his seventh at 11:17. That had to feel good. The goal snapped a six-game goal drought. It was also his first point since scoring against Minnesota on 11/25. For the season, Kreider is 7-7-14 in 29 games. There’s still enough time for him to turn it around. He’s worked hard every game. I’m happy he got one. Especially on my birthday. I love what he brings.

Following a period they were opportunistic in due to Georgiev, they took advantage of a Ryan Reaves hi-sticking double minor. On the second part, Adam Fox passed for Strome, who did some more work by skating into space and finding Jacob Trouba for a huge power play goal that made it 3-0. Strome had cooled off recently. But it was his first two point game (two assists) since the Montreal comeback on 11/23. The puck hasn’t gone in for him over the last 11 including Sunday night, but he’s not a high volume shooter. His last goal came in Florida on 11/16. He still has tallied eight assists over that span.

The interesting thing about Strome is he’s a restricted free agent next summer. He currently makes $3.1 million. Based on how well he’s produced thus far where Strome currently has 26 points (6-20-26) in 29 contests, he’s making a strong case to stay. But at what cost? The Rangers can’t afford to overpay him. If he is willing to take between $4.5 to $5 million AAV over say three years, I say do it. But it will all depend on the next two months. It’ll be a hard decision. What will his value be before the trade deadline? Stay tuned.

The Rangers continued to make the most of their opportunities. It was 3:18 later when Trouba made a great pass to set up Jesper Fast for his fourth at 10:32 to go ahead 4-0 in the second period. Brady Skjei recorded a secondary assist. He’s quietly putting up points since being reunited with Trouba. That’s where he has to be regardless of his defensive shortcomings. Trouba is the rock solid, tough physical partner Skjei needs to play with.

A Staal delay of game minor was cancelled out by a Shea Theodore slashing minor ten seconds into a Vegas power play. That’s how you kill any hopes of a comeback. Georgiev still had to stop 15 shots in the period to give him 32 through 40 minutes.

The Golden Knights lost rookie Cody Glass to an injury during the second. Hopefully, it’s not too serious. He’s a gifted young player with a bright future. I wonder if sacrificing Nick Suzuki in the Max Pacioretty deal that included Tomas Tatar to Montreal is going to work out for Vegas. Pacioretty is putting together a good season. He’s got 10 goals and 26 points in 32 games so far. It’s working out well for the Habs. Tatar has 25 points (9-16-25) and Suzuki is 6-9-15 in his rookie year.

In the third, Brendan Lemieux obliged respected Knights middleweight William Carrier in a scrap. They each got five minute majors for fighting. However, the Rangers were stingier than the first two periods by permitting only six Vegas shots. In fact, shots were dead even at 6-6.

One of those New York shots had the fortune to go in. On their final power play, Panarin worked the puck to Kaapo Kakko, who then got it to Zibanejad down low. He tried to center it for Kreider in front. Instead, he got a lucky bounce with the puck going off a Vegas player for his seventh of the season with 4:55 remaining. Since returning from a lower body injury, Zibanejad is 3-3-6 in seven games. That includes five points (2-3-5) in the last five. He’s heating up. For the season, he remains a point-per-game with 17 in 16 games.

On a night Georgiev became the first Blueshirt since Antti Raanta to record two shutouts over four starts, it wasn’t all positive. I noticed that Filip Chytil got dropped down to the fourth line, receiving only 10:15 of ice time. Brett Howden got moved up finishing with 15:37. One area of concern is that Chytil received no power play time. Eh. I prefer he does.

Meanwhile, Pavel Buchnevich went a fifth consecutive game without a point despite getting 15:12 including 2:12 of power play time. How can he get that much ice if he had only one shot and didn’t hit the game sheet? Mystifying. Buchnevich has one point (goal) over the last eight. He must perform better.

The Buchnevich issue is going to come to a head sooner or later. I see him for what he is. That’s all I’ll say for now. A future post could be coming.

All in all, it was a good night. A fun one too. A nice birthday present to go with sashimi dinner, nice cards and a piece of cake. 🙂

Battle Of 3 🌟

3rd 🌟 Jacob Trouba, Rangers (1-1-2 including power play goal, +1 in 25:03 including 2:07 PP, 3:36 shorthanded with 3 hits, 3 blocks and 2 takeaways)

2nd 🌟 Artemi Panarin, Rangers (13th of season plus 🍎 for 14th multi-point game of season, 36 points thru 29 games, what a player!)

1st 🌟 Alexandar Georgiev, Rangers (38 saves for 2nd shutout over last 4 starts)

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The road trip begins tonight for Blueshirts

Posted on December 8, 2019 by Derek

Less than two hours from now, the Rangers will drop the puck against the Golden Knights at T-Mobile Arena in Vegas. The Knights defeated them 4-1 this past week in New York City. They took five of a possible six points by beating the Devils and losing to the Islanders in extras.

The Knights are tough. They can score goals, defend and get solid goaltending. Usually, it’s from Marc-Andre Fleury. He lost his father recently. So, it’s been Malcolm Subban doing the job for them.

I won’t be around for the first of the four game Western swing with stops at the Kings, Sharks and Coyotes. What I’ll say is that you never know what you’ll get from David Quinn’s team. It’s possible they could win tonight against the better opponent and lose to the Kings, who fire a ton of shots each game, but don’t have too much success. I think a split is realistic.

I don’t even know who’s starting in net. No updates yet. Will it be Henrik Lundqvist, who probably would love a chance to bounce back from his cruddy start in the home defeat to Vegas? Or does Quinn continue to play the hot hand in Alexandar Georgiev, who wasn’t to blame for the 2-1 hard luck loss to the Habs. The winner came from Nate Thompson with 67 seconds left on a strange play. Ryan Lindgren made a mistake with a stretch pass right into the teeth of the Montreal trap to fuel the transition.

Does Pavel Buchnevich snap out of it later, or is he just a lost cause who should be moved? What about Kaapo Kakko, who’s play has been inconsistent? He gets another chance with Mika Zibanejad and Artemi Panarin? Does that spark him?

These questions and more will get answered. It’s my birthday. So, I’ll be out having a nice Japanese dinner. I’ll recap it at some point.

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Kravtsov return to KHL a disaster

Posted on December 8, 2019 by Derek

When Vitali Kravtsov decided to leave Hartford and go home to play with Chelyabinsk Traktor of the KHL, it was hopeful that the Rangers 2018 first round pick could still develop while being in a more comfortable setting.

Instead, the 19-year old Russian the team took with the ninth pick finds himself assigned to the VHL by Traktor. That’s the minor league affiliate of the KHL.

It hasn’t gone well for Kravtsov, who got only one total shift in his last two games with Traktor. The same KHL team he excelled with last year when he produced eight goals and 13 assists totaling 21 points in 50 games. He added two assists in four playoff games.

After recording only one assist in only five games for the Wolf Pack, Kravtsov packed up and left. He also deleted all his Rangers photos on his Instagram account. Something that got a lot of attention. It definitely wasn’t mature and gave people a reason to be concerned.

They thought he was ready to come over and develop. But Kravtsov probably thought he’d be handed a spot on the big club. It didn’t happen due to a numbers crunch. Even Filip Chytil went down to Hartford following a disappointing training camp. However, he handled himself like a pro and produced to get the call back up. Having played for the Pack before during his first pro year, that experience helped.

For Kravtsov, he proved he wasn’t quite ready to play in North America. Or work. Even if I thought he showed some promise during preseason, it was only preseason. The organization had to do what they thought was right for his long-term development. They couldn’t have expected Kravtsov to get scratched and then have his ice time reduced due to not adjusting to the North American style. Or to tap out.

That’s what he did. While the Rangers drew criticism for how Kravtsov was handled, maybe it’s time to start looking at the player they drafted. He showed immaturity by deleting photos on his Instagram. He went home and probably thought it would go better. It hasn’t. He hasn’t played well. In 11 games for Traktor, he has two goals and an assist with a minus-four.

Now, Kravtsov has been sent down to play in the VHL. Something MSG analyst Steve Valiquette referred to as “playing hockey on the moon.” That’s about as critical as Valiquette will be. He should know. He spent two years playing in Russia. Yikes.

So, is it time to panic? I don’t know. Obviously, Kravtsov needs to get his bleep in gear. Right now, it’s looking like a wasted year of development. Before you criticize, look how poorly the Rangers handled Lias Andersson his first year. Now, it’s two years later and he’s been up and down with Hartford after hardly playing in the 17 games with the big club. Andersson had two goals and an assist last night in a win over Binghamton. But he also took two penalties including a bad one in the third. A friend went and reported back.

Was taking Kravtsov a mistake? That’s too early to tell. There’s still time for him to salvage the season. But the KHL ends much earlier and Traktor isn’t good. The Rangers do have the option to recall Kravtsov if they want. But that isn’t expected until the KHL season concludes.

For now, we’ll have to wait and see what happens.

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