Game 23: A Winning Streak! Classic Lundqvist performance makes for a Happy Thanksgiving, Fox burns Hurricanes

Posted on November 28, 2019 by Derek

Henrik Lundqvist continued his mastery over the Hurricanes by stopping 41 of 43 shots to help the Rangers win 3-2 along with budding rookie Adam Fox, who had a goal and assist on Turkey Eve. AP Photo by Jared Silber via Getty Images

Yesterday, the Rangers played their final game before Thanksgiving. They made it a happy one for all the fans who attended by holding off the Hurricanes 3-2 at MSG on Turkey Eve.

The one goal victory wouldn’t have been possible without Henrik Lundqvist. The 37-year old veteran goalie was at his best turning away 41 of 43 shots to preserve the team’s third win in a row. For the first time this season, they have a winning streak. Cue up the classic line from skipper Lou Brown expertly played by the memorable James Gammon in Major League II when he tries to fire up the Indians in the locker room. It finally applies.

It’s funny because I’ve made reference to that line a half dozen times, or so it seems. Hasan also uses it along with other classic Major League references. We do it because it’s fun and it’s the perfect sports movie to apply to our teams. Who doesn’t love comedy? You could probably use Bob Uecker’s even more comical Indians TV announcer Harry Doyle for many other times when things aren’t going well for our teams. True enough, Major League was on last night. I caught the awesome ending on Ovation.

So what does last night’s satisfying win mean for the rebuilding Rangers? For starters, they look like they’re headed in the right direction. Upping their record to 12-9-2 and above real .500 (12-11) is definitely a positive. Along with the continued development of improving young players such as Adam Fox (game-winning goal, assist) and Ryan Lindgren (assist), you have to be pleased if you’re coach David Quinn.

It was exactly the type of game you want to see this team come out on top in. The Hurricanes aren’t Montreal or Minnesota. They’re better due to their aggressive offensive system that emphasizes skating, transition and puck possession. Even though Lundqvist has their number, this isn’t the same team from a few years ago. They proved it on Wednesday by nearly rallying from a 3-0 first period deficit.

As usual, Carolina picked up the tempo in the final two periods following a poor first that put them behind by a field goal. It was all Blueshirts early on. In his first game back from the mysterious upper body injury that kept him out 13 games, Mika Zibanejad scored on the power play only 2:54 in. Fox made a great feed across for a Zibanejad one-timer that Petr Mrazek had no chance on. Artemiy Panarin helped set it up. Welcome back Mika.

More astonishing was seeing Brendan Smith perfectly one-time a good Lindgren pass for his second of the season 1:18 later for a 2-0 lead. Tony DeAngelo added an assist to raise his total to 18 points (7-11-18). He is off to a great start.

Even though they struggled defensively in the early going, Carolina did get 10 shots on Lundqvist, who was sharp like his previous start on Monday when he passed Curtis Joseph for sole possession for fifth on the all-time wins list. He is moving better and his rebound control in particular has improved.

With less than two minutes left in the period, a great passing play between Libor Hajek set up a low Panarin one-timer that an aggressive Fox tipped home past Mrazek for a 3-0 lead. Normally, you don’t expect your defensemen to be in front like Fox was. However, Brent Burns is one of the best at that. We also saw Brady Skjei score a similar goal earlier this year by tipping in a Smith shot. It was a good read by one of the NHL’s best rookies. Fox is now up to 14 points (4-10-14). Not quite Cale Makar territory, but his evolvement is noticeable.

As expected, the Canes picked it up the rest of the way. It started in a much better middle stanza that saw them outshoot the Rangers 16-9. In fact, they held a hefty 33-14 edge in shots the final two periods. That’s the kind of talent they have. In particular, super sophomore Andrei Svechnikov was everywhere. When he wasn’t firing dangerous shots on goal that Lundqvist stopped, he was playing physical by finishing checks. The 19-year old Russian has a little Ovechkin in him. A terrific skater with good size and strength, he’s an emerging star.

For a while, it looked like Carolina would be hard pressed to sneak one past Lundqvist. In his two wins this month versus them, he’s stopped 86 of 90 shots (.956 save percentage). Basically, he’s the biggest reason they won the first two games of the season series. The 41 saves he made improved his save percentage from .910 to .914. Hard to believe Lundqvist has that while still having a 3.17 GAA.

It wasn’t until some confusion at the Ranger bench helped get the Canes back in the game. Both Brendan Lemieux and another skater jumped into the ice at the same time to cause a bench minor for too many men on the ice. It was their third one over the last four games. Unacceptable. Lemieux missed some shifts before returning for the third.

With Pavel Buchnevich serving the penalty, the Hurricanes finally connected thanks to a good Ryan Dzingel wrist shot through traffic beating Lundqvist to cut the lead to 3-1 at 14:29. Dougie Hamilton and Svechnikov earned assists on Dzingel’s fifth.

Finally alive, they pressed for more and got even closer 1:31 later. On a Jaccob Slavin shot that Lundqvist thought he had underneath him, a checked Warren Foegle was able to poke in the rebound for his fourth win 4:02 left in the second. Despite some protests from Lundqvist, the goal correctly stood due to Lindgren hitting Foegle from behind to carry his momentum so he could push in the loose puck. A good ruling by refs Jon McIsaac and Garrett Rank.

Things got dicier when Ryan Strome took a hi-sticking minor when he accidentally caught the inside of Hamilton’s helmet with 1:36 remaining. However, the Carolina eighth ranked power play that had already cashed in once, failed to score. Lundqvist made a couple of strong saves and the penalty killers did a solid job to escape the period up one.

The third was mostly Hurricanes. They came like a storm literally. Following the Blueshirts killing the remaining 24 seconds of the Carolina power play, it was the guests that hounded Lundqvist’s net in search of the equalizer. He really had to be on his toes. Though perhaps his biggest save came when he somehow got the end of his goal stick on a shot that was headed in. It was a desperation move that probably saved the game.

Even though they hardly could sustain a consistent attack, the Rangers had a couple of chances to extend the lead. Filip Chytil was dangerous during his shifts and was the best Rangers forward. You can really see his confidence building. He also was solid defensively. He got some turns with Panarin and Strome, who didn’t have any luck finishing on a point blank opportunity that he fanned on with an open net. He would draw a interference minor on Hamilton with 9:31 left.

However, the Rangers were unable to capitalize on the man-advantage. They really didn’t set up much. They were outshot 17-5 in the third. A Chytil trip of Lucas Wallmark forced them to kill one more penalty late in regulation. Even though Lundqvist was under siege, he stopped the puck and got a good effort from his penalty killers.

With Mrazek on the bench for an extra attacker, it was nerve racking. But smart defensive positioning by Brett Howden forced Sebastian Aho to take a tripping minor in the offensive zone with only 36 seconds remaining. That was a big play that helped them finish the game off.

After winning a defensive draw, Mrazek again went to the bench for a fifth player. But the Canes didn’t have enough time to get a shot as the final buzzer sounded with Lundqvist fielding a soft backhand attempt as the Rangers celebrated.

It was a hard fought win against a quality opponent. They’ve now dealt the Hurricanes two of their nine losses in regulation with Lundqvist largely responsible. He improved his career record to an outstanding 32-12-1 with a 1.98 GAA and .935 save percentage.

Following being named the game’s number one star, he explained to MSG’s John Giannone that even though it was a battle, he liked how hard the team competed. They battled in front of him by sacrificing their bodies by blocking 22 shots led by Jacob Trouba’s three along with Skjei (3). In fact, 15 of the 18 Rangers skaters had a block.

That’s how team oriented they were. They may have been outshot 43-25 and out-attempted 80-50. But their commitment paid off. Thirty-seven of Carolina’s 80 attempts didn’t reach the net.

Now, they have today off and can enjoy the turkey or ham with all the trimmings. They have to be ready early tomorrow afternoon for the big Black Friday 1 PM matinee at the Bruins. Last time out, they were humiliated at home. Let’s see if they have good memories and payback the league’s top team.

Expect Lundqvist to start with him finally in a good groove. I would figure Quinn to go to Alexandar Georgiev for Saturday’s back-to-back road match against the Devils. Also a 1 PM start.

Battle Of Hudson 3 🌟

3rd 🌟 Andrei Svechnikov, Hurricanes (assist, 6 shots, 11 attempts, 3 hits in 18:20)

2nd 🌟 Adam Fox, Rangers (4th goal for game-winner plus 🍎 in 19:20, up to 4-10-14 in rookie season)

1st 🌟 Henrik Lundqvist, Rangers (41 saves including 17 of 17 in 3rd, 86 of 90 shots stopped in 2 wins vs Canes)

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Thanksgiving Break: Rangers Grades

Posted on November 27, 2019 by Derek

With Thanksgiving finally here on Thursday with all the trimmings (why do they say that), the Rangers have completed the first 23 games of an 82 game season. At just over the quarter mark, it’s time to take a look at where the NHL’s youngest roster is at this point of the ’19-20 season.

So far, it’s been a mixed bag for David Quinn in Year Two of the rebuild. Even with the great addition of electrifying Russian forward Artemiy Panarin, this was expected. It’s a relatively young roster with few true veterans. Only Henrik Lundqvist and Marc Staal are in their 30’s playing key roles as longtime Blueshirts. They’re the unquestioned team leaders along with Chris Kreider, Jesper Fast and Mika Zibanejad.

Without further due, let’s take a look at how the roster has performed. We’ll break it down by position to make it easier for readers. Here we go:

CENTERS

93 Mika Zibanejad (5-7-12 in 10 GP): Before the mysterious upper body injury sidelined him for 13 straight games, the 26-year old top center was off to a good start. His 11 points in the first nine games was highlighted by a hat trick and assist in a win at former team Ottawa. He put up eight points over the first two games. Both wins. Due to the injury, it’s too early to hand out a grade. He just returned on Turkey Eve vs Carolina and scored a power play goal in a 3-2 win. Welcome back!

Grade: Incomplete

16 Ryan Strome (6-16-22 in 23 GP): When Zibanejad went down, it was the versatile 26-year old former Islanders first round pick who stepped up. In fact, he formed good chemistry with top scorer Panarin on a unique line flanked mostly by responsible two-way forward Fast. Strome was a point-per-game in the first quarter. More than anyone could’ve expected. Quinn fully trusts him in any situation. He is making a strong case to stay.

Grade: A

72 Filip Chytil (7-2-9 in 14 GP): It was maybe a little too much to expect the 20-year old to slot in as the second center right away. Maybe he put too much pressure on himself. However, the way the talented Czech responded by performing well at Hartford and then scoring goals in his first two games was a great sign. He’s playing with poise and confidence by using his skating and shot to generate scoring chances. Things are back on track.

Grade: A

21 Brett Howden (3-4-7 in 23 GP): A young pivot with a high IQ and good skating should be able to produce at a better clip. However, the 21-year old Howden is young and only in his second year. He centers the third line and had chemistry with Kaapo Kakko, who’ll now play with Chytil. He is trusted at even strength and on the penalty kill. Not bad in the face-off dot. Currently the team’s fourth line center.

Grade: C+

38 Micheal Haley (1-0-1/40 PIM in 12 GP): The 33-year old veteran doesn’t have a major role on the roster. However, even after passing through waivers following a couple of very undisciplined games in ugly losses, the club decided to keep Haley around. Maybe they like his physical presence. He’s a good team guy as most fourth line part timers are. Not much else to say.

Grade: C-

28 Lias Andersson (0-1-1 in 17 GP): Following an impressive camp and preseason, the 2017 seventh overall pick found himself on the fourth line in purgatory. Given inconsistent minutes by Quinn, it didn’t work out well. What’s best for his development is staying in Hartford and regaining his confidence. For that reason, I can’t give a true grade.

Grade: Incomplete

15 Boo Nieves (2 PIM in 2 GP): Recalled for injured McKegg. He took a ill advised penalty and did little else. He played again on Wednesday night. Given the center depth, it looks like he’ll eventually wind up elsewhere.

Grade: Incomplete

Left Wings

10 Artemiy Panarin (12-20-32 in 23 GP): When he signed the big contract last summer that pays him an AAV of $11.6 million, there were great expectations. Like the brilliant novel by Charles Dickens, the Bread Man has been nothing short of sensational. Or basically in Russian terms, Очень хорошо! The 12-game point streak in which he couldn’t be stopped was a reminder of how good he is. A very intelligent player who opens up the ice and is unselfish. The best Rangers addition since Jagr!

Grade: A+

20 Chris Kreider (6-7-13 in 23 GP): At 28 going on 29 into unrestricted free agency next summer, it could be ending for the hard-nosed power forward, who gives an honest effort. He also has taken on a leadership role. Win or lose, he’s at his locker answering questions. This is a smart guy. It would be nice if he finished more. Never seems to be a fast starter. He’s coming on and helped turn the Montreal game around. Expect him to heat up over the winter.

Grade: C

48 Brendan Lemieux (3-6-9/52 PIM in 22 GP): Following an early benching, the second-year Blueshirt is quickly becoming one of the fan favorites as I predicted when they acquired him from Winnipeg. Due to his hard agitating style and consistent work ethic, Lemieux adds that tenacity and toughness this team needs. The two goal breakout highlighted by the shorthanded goal at the Habs in front of proud Dad Claude was something else. So too was his gutsy scrap with Tom Wilson. A old school player who’ll do anything to help the team win. The new Grate One.

Grade: B

14 Greg McKegg (1-1-2/46.9 pct on draws in 14 GP): The Keg Man is a hustler who brings energy due to an honest effort. His one goal came shorthanded. He can shift to center and take face-offs. Unsure why he didn’t play more earlier. Definitely not a bad guy to have on your fourth line.

Grade: C

21 Tim Gettinger (0-1-1 in 2 GP): A forgotten prospect who has size and decent skating ability for his age (21), he came up for Andersson and filled in on the fourth line. Gettinger even picked up his first NHL assist. What was his reward? Sent back down due to a minimal role. I wonder if we’ll see him again.

Grade: Incomplete

Right Wings

89 Pavel Buchnevich (4-14-18 in 23 GP): The 24-year old is a gifted playmaker who loves to involve his teammates. That’s why he has 14 assists and only four goals. I’d like to see him be a little more selfish in looking for his shot, which is good. Has the capability to score 25 goals if he shoots the puck. At times, he can be a little inconsistent due to not being overly physical or strong defensively. But the production is good. Let’s see where he takes it.

Grade: B-

24 Kaapo Kakko (6-4-10, -13 rating in 21 GP): Started slowly due to the adjustment period from European game to North American style. As evidenced by plus/minus, the 18-year old rookie has had some defensive struggles. However, the confidence is building for the future star who possesses great offensive instincts, good shot and effective forechecker. Very effective on power play. It should be exciting to see him play with Chytil.

Grade: C

17 Jesper Fast (2-6-8 in 22 GP): The perfect complement to any line due to his strong compete level. At 27, Fast is one of the team’s trusted two-way players at five-on-five along with the penalty kill. Didn’t rip it up with Panarin and Strome, but always was in the right spot. The question is will he be re-signed? He turns 28 on December 2.

Grade: B-

42 Brendan Smith (2-3-5 in 23 GP): A well respected vet has successfully turned himself into a converted fourth line forward who’ll draw penalties and also take a few. You cannot question the effort from the guy who doubles as a penalty killing defenseman. Funny that his production is about right. Smith deserves a lot of credit for being a great team guy. Helping Kakko too off ice.

Grade: C+

90 Vladislav Namestnikov (0 Pts in 2 GP): Hard working 27-year old Russian wasn’t long for NYC due to a numbers game. Has found a home in Ottawa where he’s 6-6-12 with three shorthanded points including a shorty. Never gonna be too productive, but could be a valuable secondary player who gets moved at the deadline. Best of luck to Vladdy.

Grade: B (due to Senators)

Defensemen

8 Jacob Trouba (3-7-10, 66 hits, 48 blocks in 23 GP): The big acquisition from Winnipeg for the same first round pick they got for Kevin Hayes involving Lemieux, has been a warrior on a young back end. Struggled with consistency following quick start in which he torched former team. However, the 26-year old is tough and has had to balance multiple partners including Hajek. His game-winner over Habs was a nice reward. Back with Skjei for now. I would like to see him hit the net more and not the corner advertisement. 😂

Grade: B-

76 Brady Skjei (3-6-9 in 22 GP): At 25, the skating has never been a problem for the American blueliner. The issue is finding consistency defensively. They invested a lot of money ($5.25 million AAV) on him by taking a risk that he’d improve. He still had to be benched a game and is up and down. Frequently caught out of position. He’s gotta make it work. If not, K’Andre Miller is knocking on the door. Offense has picked up due to skating. Much more effective when he’s aggressive. We’ll see if Skjei can make strides.

Grade: C-

77 Tony DeAngelo (7-11-18 in 23 GP): The more I watch and listen to DeAngelo, the more I like him. The 24-year old right D is blossoming into a good player who leads all Rangers defensemen in scoring. Very good at reading the play and jumping in. His overtime winner Monday night was a beauty. He is very good at assessing things too. Stood up for Strome on Twitter. He’s a great teammate. Defense is an area he wants to improve. But a keeper in my book.

Grade: A

23 Adam Fox (4-9-13 in 23 GP): Watching how cool and under control the former Harvard standout is with the puck in both ends gives me reason for optimism. The skating is smooth and his ability to make quick decisions under pressure is impressive for a first-year defenseman. The points are coming due to how good he is at jumping into the play. Had a goal and assist in the 3-2 win on Turkey Eve. Knows when to shoot and pass. Smart transition player. Best young right D this team has had since Hall of Famer Sergei Zubov. What a great addition.

Grade: A

25 Libor Hajek (0-5-4 in 23 GP): The left defenseman is a good skater who can transition the puck quickly. I’m surprised he doesn’t have a goal. It seems like he has more offensive potential. He had a interesting stint with Trouba for a while, but that’s now over. The defense is an issue like it is for most young rookies. Is a positional D who doesn’t hit. Will block shots as his 35 attest. Right now, he’s a work in progress.

Grade: C

55 Ryan Lindgren (1-5-6/+4 in 13 GP): Perhaps the most overlooked deal by Jeff Gorton was the one he made with Boston in getting Lindgren with a first round pick they turned into Miller for Rick Nash on Feb. 25, 2018. The former Bruins second round pick in 2016 is developing into a solid and steady physical defenseman who has improved his skating. Another 21-year old rookie who looks to have supplanted Staal. Good at even strength and penalty kill. Also tough.

Grade: B+

18 Marc Staal (1-1-2 in 11 GP): At 32, the well respected veteran has been through the wars for this team in better days. All the incredible sacrifice he’s made delivering hits and blocked shots have taken its toll. Due to ankle surgery to repair an infection from blocking a shot (of course), he isn’t expected to be ready until December. So, he could be a week away. However, the question is what’s his role. Outside of Hajek, there’s not another D I’d put Staal in for. It is what it is. As much as I’d like to see him retire a Ranger, he’d probably be better off elsewhere. There are teams out West who are so defensively challenged that they could use an experienced player like Staal on a third pair.

Grade: Incomplete

Goalies

30 Henrik Lundqvist (7-5-1, 3.17, .914 in 15 GP): As much as it’s hard to justify rebuilding around the prideful 37-year old franchise leader, who’s now up to fifth all-time on the wins list (456), Lundqvist deserves credit for how he’s handled the recent games. On Wednesday, he was brilliant turning back the clock for 41 saves to preserve a 3-2 win over Carolina. He’s stopped 86 of 90 shots in two wins over them. By now, he understands that it’s not going to be perfect. His play has steadied lately, which is a big key for the team. Will give up the occasional bad goal. Is he going to break down again? Not playing as frequently.

Grade: B-

40 Alexandar Georgiev (5-4-1, 3.42, .903 in 10 GP): The 23-year old is in his second year in the NHL. Like any young netminder, the Bulgarian is going to have ups and downs. Especially given the situation. His numbers aren’t that much different from Lundqvist. He deserves a ton of credit for hanging I there after some bad goals in the epic comeback from 4-0 down at Montreal. Made timely saves to get the win. It’s about finding consistency. If not, top prospect Igor Shestyorkin is a possibility.

Grade: C

Coach

David Quinn is in his second year behind the Rangers bench. With that comes more responsibility. Having Panarin definitely helps him with the lineup. Ditto for Trouba, who he’s ridden in some spots. However, he’s gaining more trust in Fox, DeAngelo and Lindgren. While there have been some questionable decisions I’ve critiqued him for, he made a smart move keeping Kakko down on the third line for more favorable match-ups. It hasn’t been perfect. It’s not going to be. He’s doing alright so far. Don’t forget no Zibanejad and the team stayed afloat. They play for him. That’s why they are 12-9-2 at Thanksgiving.

Grade: B-

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A Happy Rangers Thanksgiving! Derek recaps the big win on Periscope for a Winning Streak

Posted on November 27, 2019 by Derek

This obviously isn’t a game recap. I’m busy enjoying some classic SNL and what was a very nice 3-2 win by the Rangers over the Hurricanes. They improve to 2-0-0 over Carolina thanks in large part to the game’s number one star Henrik Lundqvist, who made 40 saves. He could’ve gotten all three 🌟!

What this is a Periscope Podcast I happily did just before. For the first time all season, the Blueshirts have won three in a row. They have a Winning Streak! Wouldn’t the classic Major League character Lou be proud?

I sure am. They did it by showing remarkable resiliency to shock the Canadiens and rally from a 4-0 deficit to win 6-5 in the House Of Horrors on Saturday. Then persevered to come back and defeat the Wild 3-2 in overtime thanks to a power play goal from Chris Kreider and Tony DeAngelo’s overtime winner on Monday.

It wasn’t easy tonight on Turkey Eve. They led 3-0 on goals from Mika Zibanejad, sniper Brendan Smith and Adam Fox. However, the Canes showed why they’re considered one of the better teams by rallying for two quick goals in succession during a better second to make MSG nervous. But a laser focused Lundqvist wouldn’t have it as he repelled shot after shot en route to his 32nd victory vs Carolina. He has stopped 85 of 89 shots in a pair of New York victories. That is the kind of brilliance needed to win.

Here is my game review below on Periscope below. Stay tuned for a Rangers Report Card at the Turkey Break and a game recap.

https://www.pscp.tv/w/cK86zTFwempNQlZhcmFPRWR8MXpxS1ZFcmprWld4QsxTcyTw4zCvVZcvHoPxrhJiIdd9kSoaLyoAZ-RjTQPz?t=1m4s

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!!!

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Zibanejad returns in Turkey Eve showdown versus tough Hurricanes

Posted on November 27, 2019 by Derek

When the bright lights switch on at the Garden ice later tonight for warmups and then the game, the Rangers will get Mika Zibanejad back. After missing 13 consecutive games with an “upper body” injury, the number one center finally makes his return to the lineup.

Having last season’s leading scorer back for a tough Carolina Hurricanes, who visit MSG for a Turkey Eve showdown, should help balance out the lineup. Coach David Quinn already revealed his plan to reunite Chris Kreider and Pavel Buchnevich with Zibanejad on the old KZB Line. A good idea since the cohesive trio had solid chemistry in ’18-19. We’ll see if they can rekindle some magic versus one of the NHL’s top defenses.

Even with a good plan to have Zibanejad center the top line while Ryan Strome and Filip Chytil anchor the second and third lines, there’s no guarantee the Rangers will be successful. However, they did go into Carolina and beat the Canes 4-2 on Nov. 7. A game in which Henrik Lundqvist continued his mastery over the Hurricanes by making 45 saves. In 44 games, he’s 31-12-1 with a 1.98 goals-against-average (GAA), a .934 save percentage and two shutouts. Fresh off a 26 save performance that moved him past Curtis Joseph into sole possession of fifth place on the all-time wins list with 455 for his career, he’ll make the start.

It’ll be interesting to see if the Blueshirts can duplicate their performance three weeks ago in Raleigh. They face a very good third place team that has a good differential due to averaging 3.42 goals-per-game to rank seventh in offense, and allows 2.83 goals a game which ranks 11th. Even though you can’t call Carolina starting goalie Petr Mrazek a legit number one guy, his team defense that’s led by high scoring rover Dougie Hamilton (10-15-25) and underrated defensive defenseman Jaccob Slavin (13 Pts, +13, 41 blocks & 19 takeaways) are very good. Brett Pesce remains overlooked and Jake Gardiner is on the third pair. Joel Edmundson has been solid.

The Canes bring a 15-8-1 record with 31 points in 24 games. They trail the first place Capitals by six points and the second place Islanders by three. They’re one up on fourth place Pittsburgh and two ahead of the Jekyll and Hyde Flyers.

With a 11-9-2 mark that’s good for 24 points and sixth in the Metro Division, the Rangers are hanging in there. While they have been predictably up and down due to having the league’s youngest lineup that features rookies Kaapo Kakko, Adam Fox, Libor Hajek and Ryan Lindgren, coach David Quinn has to be pleased with his team’s resiliency. Especially in the historic comeback from 4-0 down to stun the slumping Canadiens on Saturday night. Montreal got destroyed by the Bruins 8-1 highlighted by a David Pastrnak hat trick on Tuesday.

The point is they followed up the miraculous 6-5 win by showing mental fortitude by posting a come from behind 3-2 overtime win that Kreider tied up on the power play with 2:50 remaining, and Tony DeAngelo won 32 seconds into extras. It demonstrated that they are capable of putting together back-to-back wins. Monday’s was more conventional because they played better.

Here we are again. Can they string together three straight games and do what’s called a winning streak as we’ve seen in Major League II? We’re about to find out.

It shouldn’t be easy against a very good skating and attacking opponent in Carolina. Nobody allows fewer shots on average (28.4) than the Canes, who also are sixth best in shots for per game (33.8). Conversely, the Rangers allow 36.0 shots a night which ranks 30th out of 31 teams. Only the Blackhawks give up more (36.8) and they’ve been winning thanks to goalie tandem Robin Lehner and Corey Crawford. They cooled off the Stars by shutting them out 3-0. The Rangers average 29.7 shots per game which ranks in the bottom third.

For them to be successful, they’ll have to win their fair share of draws and not get pinned in their zone due to Carolina’s strong puck possession. They rank eighth in power play (21.9 percent) and eighth in penalty kill (84.0 percent). The Rangers would be wise to stay away from undisciplined penalties since their penalty kill is still 24th (74.1 pct). The power play is better ranking 10th overall at 20.8 percent. The key is not being deliberate or stationary. Set up more shots.

While the Blueshirts are clearly led by dynamic scorer Artemiy Panarin, whose 30 points (12-18-30) have reminded fans a little of what Jaromir Jagr did following the lockout, they only have one more player who’s over 20 points. That would be Strome, who’s been instrumental in Zibanejad’s absence by forming good cohesiveness with Panarin. Strome will enter the team’s 23rd match with six goals and 16 assists for 22 points. Following Panarin and Strome is playmaking Russian Pavel Buchnevich, who is up to 4-14-18.

The Canes have a little more balance at the top led by super sophomore Andrei Svechnikov (11-16-27), whose lacrosse style goal was the first in NHL history. He’s a elite talent. Teuvo Teravainen paces them with 19 assists. He has 26 points. Captain Sebastian Aho leads in goals with a dozen, but hasn’t scored the way he’s expected. He’s got 20 points to rank fourth on the team. Hamilton has been superb offensively with 10 goals, 15 helpers and 25 points really making a difference. He loves to shoot the puck and hit. He’s a big risk taker who keys the Canes transition.

Rookie Martin Necas is becoming a more consistent secondary threat. With 16 points (6-10-16) and better production lately, he’s a player to watch. The center is particularly effective around the net at making plays. Astonishingly, Jordan Staal is an afterthought with only 3-4-7. However, he’s a strong two-way pivot who wins face-offs and kills penalties. The veteran is certainly capable.

Ryan Dzingel has been a solid addition. He does most of his work on the forecheck around the net. Erik Haula was off to a good start with eight goals, but remains out indefinitely. Nino Niederreiter has not had much impact this year. He’s been a disappointment as has Gardiner (-14 rating). Haydn Fleury has been a decent contributor on the blueline.

Mrazek is 11-4-1 with a 2.63 GAA, .903 save percentage and two shutouts. The 27-year old Czech netminder is in his second season with Carolina. After a off ’17-18 with both Detroit and Philadelphia, he was a pleasant surprise for coach Rod Brind’Amour. In 40 games last season, he went 23-14-3 with a 2.39 GAA, .914 save percentage and four shutouts. He split time with former backup Curtis McElhinney, who now has a similar role in Tampa.

James Reimer is the new backup for the Hurricanes. He posted a 19 save shutout over the Red Wings on Sunday. The veteran is 4-4-0 with a 2.71 GAA, .910 save percentage and a shutout.

With it being the night before Thanksgiving with tomorrow off, it should be Mrazek opposing Lundqvist. This will be the 37-year old veteran’s 14th start for the Blueshirts. In 14 games, he’s 6-5-1 with a 3.26 GAA and .910 save percentage. The save percentage tells the story of how much work he normally gets. The goals-against-average summarizes how the Rangers play with a young roster. Alexandar Georgiev is no better. He’s 5-4-1 with a 3.42 GAA and .903 save percentage over 10 games (9 starts).

https://twitter.com/pickledotcom/status/1199130554005958657?s=09

Based on yesterday’s Rangers practice which Chytil sat out with Brett Howden taking his place on the third line, the expected lines at the game’s start could look like this:

Kreider-Zibanejad-Buchnevich

Panarin-Strome-Fast

Lemieux-Chytil-Kakko

Haley-Howden-Smith

I like having the gritty Lemieux with Chytil and Kakko to create havoc on the forecheck. There’s a lot of skill between Chytil and Kakko with Lemieux supplying the dirty work. I’m most looking forward to seeing what they can do.

Howden is a better fit on the checking line where maybe they won’t be limited as much by the coach. Howden has Quinn’s trust. He’s picked it up with a goal and two assists since Lias Andersson was sent down. He does win his share of face-offs.

As for the defense, it’ll be the same as Monday:

Skjei-Trouba

Hajek-DeAngelo

Lindgren-Fox

Even though it’s laid out that way, I feel like Fox and Lindgren are the second pair due to being more consistent at five-on-five. Plus Lindgren kills penalties. Fox has become a fixture on the power play. He is currently on the second unit with Trouba. DeAngelo works on the top unit due to his uncanny ability to read and react by jumping in for offense. He plays his role well. Skjei and Trouba remain sketchy defensively. They weren’t too good against Minnesota. But if it’s gonna work, you have to let them work through it.

At this point, Boo Nieves is a healthy scratch. I don’t view him as having much of a future with the big club. Maybe he’ll eventually catch on with a different organization that’ll give him a chance. It’s a numbers game.

When you look at the Rangers depth chart, they’re deep at center. Lias Andersson remains ahead because he was a first round pick two years ago (three drafts). You have to believe he’ll earn another recall and get to play some wing with Howden. There’s also center prospects Morgan Barron and Karl Henriksson. So, the Rangers future looks bright down the middle. A real positive.

There’s a lot for fans to be excited about. Chytil has seven goals since returning and is showing much better poise with the puck. Kakko shows flashes of why he went second overall behind Jack Hughes. He will continue to benefit from not facing top defensemen or match-ups due to Panarin and the return of Zibanejad. That’s actually a smart coaching move by Quinn.

Offense shouldn’t be a issue. This team has proven it can score without Zibanejad. However, they’ve had peaks and valleys on the power play without the key trigger man. They definitely missed his big righty shot from the left circle. That threat of a one-time rocket certainly should give the man-advantage a boost.

With a healthy lineup that’s more balanced, there’s a opportunity for the Rangers to put together a nice stretch. It’ll continue to depend on the consistency of the overall team performance with an emphasis on the defense and penalty kill. Plus the goaltending.

We’ll learn more about this team tonight against a quality opponent. Enjoy your Turkey Eve. Be safe and celebrate it with loved ones and friends.

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Game #22: Kreider and DeAngelo rally resilient Rangers past Wild in overtime, Lundqvist fifth all-time with 455 wins, Panarin magic on Zuccarello’s emotional return

Posted on November 26, 2019 by Derek

Henrik Lundqvist shows off the winning game puck of victory number 455 to move into fifth all-time past Curtis Joseph in a Rangers comeback 3-2 overtime win. AP Photo credit New York Rangers via Getty Images

For a while, it looked like it would be one of those disappointing losses. However, the Rangers persistence paid off. Using a Chris Kreider power play goal late in regulation along with overtime hero Tony DeAngelo’s goal at 32 seconds of three-on-three, they rallied past the Wild to win 3-2 on Hockey Fights Cancer night at an emotional Madison Square Garden.

It also marked the return of former Ranger Mats Zuccarello. Wearing his traditional number 36 in Wild colors, the popular fan favorite heard the familiar “Zuuuucccc! Zuuuuucccc!”, chants from an appreciative Garden crowd. From the moment he stepped on the ice in warmups to his first shift, he was serenaded by the knowledgeable crowd, who loved the player he was for almost nine years in New York City.

A special moment occurred when MSG paid tribute with a video on the big screen during a stoppage. While Zuccarello looked at it, his Wild teammates gave him some taps as fans gave him a long ovation. After acknowledging the crowd a few times by waving from the bench, eventually Zuccarello got up and skated out briefly to salute the crowd. It was a very special moment that brought tears to me watching at home.

After a good start by Zuccarello’s new team, who had seven of the first nine shots thanks in large part to an early power play on a foolish slashing minor to Boo Nieves, the Rangers pushed back. Eventually, they took the lead when Brady Skjei got a little pick from DeAngelo while Zuccarello didn’t have a stick. That opened up enough of a shooting lane for Skjei to fire home his third past Minnesota starting goalie Alex Stalock at 14:50. Artemiy Panarin picked up a secondary assist while DeAngelo earned the primary.

Previously, a Kreider slashing penalty in front negated a goal. The Rangers penalty kill came through. Then Skjei scored through traffic to give him a goal and two assists in the last two games. He again was teamed with Jacob Trouba. They were okay after being reunited by coach David Quinn. In particular, Skjei was more aggressive attempting shots.

Leading by one, the Blueshirts largely dominated the second period. In fact, the Wild didn’t have a shot for a long stretch. However, like most experienced opponents, they were able to hang around due to two successful kills of New York power plays. On the latter, the home team was their own worst enemy by hesitating to shoot the puck. Stalock only had to make two stops after Brendan Lemieux drew a cross-check on an exhausted Matt Dumba, who just finished a lengthy 2:57 shift due to some unreal sustained Ranger pressure.

When the first unit kept the puck almost the full two minutes but didn’t score, I knew what was next. In fact, I predicted it in a tweet as the Wild were finally coming on.

https://twitter.com/Kovy274Hart/status/1199140300817604614?s=19

On a sustained shift, Kevin Fiala finally skated into open space and made a perfect pass across for a wide open Zach Parise, who got just enough of the puck to sneak it off Henrik Lundqvist’s outstretched glove and in for his ninth at 17:11. Jared Spurgeon added a helper on a play that was predictable with a trio that included Lemieux, Pavel Buchnevich and Filip Chytil exhausted. Neither Skjei nor a gassed Chytil could check Parise, who still can score those garbage goals.

https://twitter.com/Kovy274Hart/status/1199141706651914240?s=19

Minnesota isn’t the most exciting team. They rank very low in offense and also aren’t great defensively. For that reason, they don’t take many chances. Instead, they play close to the vest under veteran coach Bruce Boudreau. If you were expecting a wide open, high scoring game like Montreal, you were sadly mistaken. It’s not in the Wild’s DNA to get into track meets. They knew they had to pack it in and slow the Rangers down. They were coming off a blown 4-2 third period lead in a 5-4 overtime loss to the Bruins.

It was the Wild who dictated the action in the third. They created some scoring chances off their defense. Lundqvist had already robbed close pal Zuccarello on one point blank opportunity. His best save came when he denied Jason Zucker on a two-on-one with a great glove save that drew the familiar, “Hen-rik! Hen-rik!”, chants from a crowd that had been silent. It was a classic save like old times.

Playing for a chance to pass omitted goalie Curtis Joseph for fifth all-time in wins, Lundqvist was at his best. Sure. He wasn’t under siege like most nights, but he made all the key stops en route to 26 altogether for career victory number 455. Joseph somehow won 454 but isn’t in the biased Hockey Hall of Fame. He never played for any great teams. Not once did he win a Stanley Cup or play for one. The closest he came was ’01-02 when Toronto lost to Carolina in the Eastern Conference Final. He finished in the top five for the Vezina five times.

It was the Wild who surged ahead at the halfway mark. A bad neutral zone turnover that wasn’t handled cleanly by Skjei or Buchnevich resulted in Ryan Donato taking a Ryan Hartman pass and ripping his second off the goalpost and in for a 2-1 lead with 10 minutes left.

At that point, it looked like it would be a disappointing loss to a beatable team. However, Minnesota was content to sit back instead of putting the game away. That’s not going to work most games unless you are coached by Barry Trotz and playing for the Islanders these days.

Eventually, the Rangers picked up the pace. Quinn altered the lines. For a while, it didn’t look like it was working. He took Panarin off the top line and moved Buchnevich up with Kreider and Ryan Strome. There were some close calls for a frustrated Buchnevich, who couldn’t believe his misfortune when a great one-timer from the slot was turned away by a acrobatic Stalock. He prevented the goal by closing his legs to push the puck wide. Buchnevich had a couple of more high quality opportunities that he couldn’t bury. He deserved better.

Ironically, it was a very bad Hartman tripping minor in the offensive zone when he foolishly took down Skjei that handed the Blueshirts the golden opportunity they needed. Adam Fox moved the puck to Panarin, whose pass seemed to be redirected by Strome on net. The puck caromed right to Kreider who scored the huge power play goal for his sixth with 2:50 left in regulation. The scoring of the play reads Kreider from Panarin and Fox. I think it’ll be changed to Kreider from Strome and Panarin.

With only 20 seconds remaining, Fox made a great move towards the Minnesota net. He looked like he was going to win it. But his backhand missed wide. The game went to overtime. It sorta reminded me of when the old Rangers needed OT to get Mike Richter 300 wins. That was pretty cool.

This time, it was Lundqvist who got to celebrate win number 455 thanks to DeAngelo, who scored at 32 seconds of extras. The play was started by Strome with Panarin working his magic by getting the puck to an open DeAngelo, who had enough room to move in and beat Stalock with a good wrist shot for his seventh to touch off a nice celebration.

It was a really nice goal scored by a good offensive defenseman, who looks like a lock for double digit goals and possibly 40 points. DeAngelo is improving and belongs on this roster moving forward. Hopefully, they extend him soon. Or bridge him. He deserves it.

As soon as the game ended and the three stars were announced with DeAngelo getting number two and Panarin first star, I was a bit surprised that Lundqvist didn’t get a star too. He did play well. The kind of game they needed from him.

What wasn’t surprising was that MSG couldn’t wait to put the graphic up for Lundqvist. I get it. It’s nice. The production team works on these things all the time. It just felt like they were overshadowing what happened. That was a good team win like Saturday.

A comeback too in front of the home fans with many fighting for cancer survivors. If only the great Stephen Curatolo was still around to see his Rangers. He was the best fan and person because he was always so positive and happy despite his battle with cancer. That win was for him and people like him, who are smiling proudly on this night from up above. I told his good sister Jennifer as such on Twitter.

https://twitter.com/Kovy274Hart/status/1199159250150408192?s=19

There are so many people who are the most courageous that fight every day. They are the true heroes. That’s what the true definition of Monday night was all about. No wonder they rooted for and loved the underdog like Zuccarello. He will always remain beloved no matter what jersey he wears.

By winning this game, they can make it dear I say three in a row against a good Carolina club that’s third in the Metro Division. That’s on Wednesday night or Turkey Eve. Something I sarcastically joked about due to the NYR offense seeming to disappear until Kreider’s goal saved them.

https://twitter.com/Kovy274Hart/status/1199149019618070529?s=19

Hey. They woke up before the bar scene. 😉 Now they’ll go for that “winning streak.”

Battle Of Hudson 3 🌟

3rd 🌟 Artemiy Panarin, Rangers (3 assists, +2 in 20:24)

2nd 🌟 Henrik Lundqvist, Rangers (26 saves including 13/14 in 2nd for career win number 455 to move past Cujo for 5th on all-time list)

1st 🌟 Tony DeAngelo, Rangers (game-winner at 32 seconds of OT for 7th goal plus 🍎, +2 in 15:50)

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The Return of Zuccarello, Zibanejad almost ready

Posted on November 25, 2019 by Derek

Tonight marks the return of Mats Zuccarello at The Garden. One of the most popular Rangers, who went from a small role under former coach John Tortorella, to a primary one under Alain Vigneault, will be the opponent later.

It’ll still be weird to see Zuccarello in another jersey wearing his familiar Number 36 for the Wild. He was instrumental in helping the ’13-14 team reach the Stanley Cup Final. Playing on a cohesive third line with Derick Brassard and Benoit Pouliot, the pint sized Norwegian brought it. It didn’t matter about his size. He had a gigantic heart and wore his emotions on his sleeves.

He wasn’t only a playmaking right wing who made teammates better. But a hard nosed warrior that could dish it out as well as take it. Zucc as he is affectionately known by MSG and just about everyone including Dallas fans who took to him last Spring, will certainly be saluted by the Rangers during what should be an emotional game. There’ll be a video tribute and the usual acknowledgement from former teammates including close friend Henrik Lundqvist, who’ll start in net. Will they have some battles in the crease?

One thing about Zuccarello. He never shied away from going to the dirty areas to score. Though he was always more of a set up man due to his high IQ and unselfish nature, he’s always carried himself so much bigger in stature than the generous 5-8 he’s listed at. Like most small players, he’s strong and tough. You have to be to make it in the NHL.

If I could use one word to describe Zucc, it would be resilient. Who could ever forget the Ryan McDonagh shot he took off the helmet versus Pittsburgh in the 2015 first round that knocked him out of the playoffs? It’s still amazing that he came back from a brain contusion and hairline fracture that almost ended his career. He had to relearn how to speak thanks to a speech therapist.

Somehow, he came back like nothing happened. In ’15-16, he paced the team in scoring with a career high 26 goals and 61 points. Having done the unthinkable, he was nominated for the Bill Masterton Trophy. He should’ve won it over ageless wonder Jaromir Jagr. But what can you do? It was a bit perplexing that Zuccarello didn’t win the award.

A heart and soul player who led the Rangers in scoring four different seasons including the memorable ’13-14 when they rallied from a 3-1 second round series deficit to beat the Penguin for the first time, he’s someone that’s easy to admire for how hard he plays the game. He became a team leader and was someone who loved being a Blueshirt. When he was finally traded last February 23, it was tough on everybody.

Even after an injury sidelined him most of the rest of the regular season, he came back and nearly led the Stars to a second round upset of eventual Cup champion St. Louis. His 11 points (4-7-11) tied him with Tyler Seguin for the team lead in the postseason.

After not re-upping with Dallas, who I still believe made a mistake, Zuccarello wound up signing with Minnesota for five years and $30 million. He went from making an average cap hit of $4.5 million as one of the better bargains to earning $6 million annually. The raise was well deserved. Even though I’m not sure how he’ll look by the end of that contract, you know he’ll give it his all.

So far, it’s been a rough go for Zucc and the Wild. They’re 9-11-3 this far in a very competitive Central Division. Even though they’ve struggled, Minnesota has played a little better recently. They enter 3-0-2 in the last five with points in five straight. Zuccarello has picked it up lately with four points (1-3-4) in his last three games. Overall, he’s played in 19 games for the Wild and is 4-7-11 with a minus-seven rating so far. Five of his 11 points have come via the power play.

Will he score on Lundqvist after having dinner with his former teammate’s family over the weekend? It wouldn’t surprise me. Zucc is that kind of player you root for and love. But he is the opponent tonight for a younger team that’s still trying to find consistency following a wild rally from a 4-0 deficit to stun Montreal 6-5 on Saturday.

For his Rangers career, Zuccarello had 113 goals with 239 assists for a total of 352 points in 509 games. He also had 215 penalty minutes due to his passion. It’s why he’s so beloved and will receive quite an ovation in half an hour. His best postseason was in the 2014 run when he had five goals and eight helpers for 13 points. That tied him with former teammate Chris Kreider for fifth that Spring.

Without Zucc, Brassard and Pouliot, there’s no comeback against the hated Pens. Ditto for Lundqvist, who was at his absolute best the last three games. Having emotional leader Martin St. Louis was truly inspiring following the tragic loss of his Mom France. It was poetic that he’d score the first goal on Mother’s Day in Game Six when MSG shook literally. I was there. Ditto for Brad Richards, who scored the series clincher in Game Seven from St. Louis. It was storybook. Even if that team ultimately didn’t win a championship due to losing to a better Kings roster that also had the benefit of some calls.

Now, it’ll be Zuccarello versus his old team at The Garden. He’ll probably shed some tears. Who will cry more? Him or Hank? Updating this post, from the great Wild reporter Sarah McLellan:

In regards to the Rangers, who enter play 10-9-2 through the quarter mark, Mika Zibanejad will miss his 13th consecutive game. However, he did practice in a white jersey and will do one more tomorrow with him expected back Wednesday on Turkey Eve. He wouldn’t give away what the mysterious upper body injury was. Though we have a pretty good idea by now. Especially given Zibanejad’s concussion history.

As expected, Boo Nieves was recalled to replace the injured Greg McKegg to center the fourth line. If he goes back down, he’ll need to clear waivers. I can’t imagine any team claiming him. Micheal Haley already cleared and stayed up with the team even playing if you can call less than three minutes of ice time that. Yikes.

David Quinn has decided to give Brady Skjei and Jacob Trouba another chance as the top pair. Even though both defensemen struggled at times on goals against the other night, he liked the way they responded. Skjei did record two assists including a important one on Brendan Lemieux’s tying shorthanded goal. Trouba got the winner off a Ryan Strome face-off win through a good Kreider screen. We’ll see how it goes.

I am not a fan of the Libor Hajek and Tony DeAngelo pair. But that’s what it is for now. Ryan Lindgren and Adam Fox have been the most consistent since being put together. They’re basically the second pair. I guess we’ll find out how long the renewed Skjei-Trouba partnership lasts.

That’s gonna do it for now. I’ll have a game review later. It should be interesting.

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Good teammate DeAngelo deserves credit for sticking up for Strome

Posted on November 25, 2019 by Derek

Tony DeAngelo went to bat for teammate Ryan Strome, who’s been a steal for the Rangers since coming over from Edmonton last year. AP Photo credit Newsday.com via Getty Images

In the sometimes exasperating world of social media, things can blow up pretty quickly. The way things are spread like wildfire isn’t right. It’s almost as if some of these people have become too cool for their own sanity. They think what they say matters.

Newsflash. It does not. They’re not the story. As much as a few bloggers believe the stuff they say is 100 percent factual, it isn’t even close. If you run a blog of any kind, it’s for opinion on something you’re passionate about. It doesn’t have to be hockey or sports either. I follow a unique blogger who has overcome Anorexia and gives her thoughts and ideas on eating healthy and staying mentally focused. Her blog is great because it’s fresh and she’s not full of it.

I believe it’s very easy for some of us to become full of ourselves. There’s a certain amount of arrogance when you have a blog that becomes popular due to a cult following. While some blogs have gone way overboard at continuing to force the same redundant opinions on people, there was one former Ranger blogger I totally respected. That would be former TheNYRBlog fan turned podcaster Kevin DeLury. He isn’t forcing his views on anyone because he’s level headed. Believe it or not, you are allowed to disagree with him.

It’s funny because for a while now, Ryan Strome has become a hot topic for Blueshirt fanatics. Everyone has an opinion on him. When GM Jeff Gorton acquired him from the Oilers in exchange for Ryan Spooner last year, nobody gave it much thought. It was a scenery change for two underperforming players in their mid 20’s. Spooner wasn’t able to duplicate what he did when he first became a Ranger and quickly fell out of favor under new coach David Quinn. Strome, who had signed a two-year deal with Edmonton, suddenly was persona non grata over in Alberta, Canada.

So, the swap made sense. Nobody could’ve predicted that Strome would show improvement as a Ranger while Spooner was so disappointing, he was sent to the Canucks before winding up overseas first in the Swiss League and now in the KHL for Minsk Dynamo. While Spooner went a combined 2-5-7 over 36 games with Edmonton and Vancouver, Strome rediscovered himself by putting up respectable numbers of 18 goals with 15 assists for 33 points and 50 penalty minutes over 63 games with the Rangers.

Thirty-three points isn’t overwhelming. But Strome did it in a secondary role under Quinn, who started to trust the former Islanders fifth overall pick in 2011. He earned power play duty and more ice time under the demanding coach, who liked what he saw.

Even the most optimistic Ranger fan couldn’t have predicted his early success in the first two months of this season. Since top pivot Mika Zibanejad went down with a mysterious “upper body” injury due to Patrice Bergeron’s reverse hit against Boston three weeks ago, it’s been the steady play of Strome that’s really been a nice boost for the team.

Ryan Strome celebrates one of two goals in a win over Buffalo with Brett Howden. AP Photo credit nydailynews.com via Getty Images

A versatile forward who can shift over to center from right wing when needed, the 26-year old veteran has done just that under Quinn while picking up the scoring slack for Zibanejad, who’s now missed 12 consecutive games. He could be finally medically cleared this week with the team having four games including tonight’s emotional home match versus the Wild in what’s former popular Blueshirt Mats Zuccarello’s return. However, with Boo Nieves getting called up for Tim Gettinger possibly due to Greg McKegg leaving the Montreal game with an injury, there’s been no change regarding Zibanejad’s status.

In the early going, Quinn had Strome work with leading scorer Artemiy Panarin. But also tried Brett Howden due to Filip Chytil waiting to be called up from Hartford. Since Chytil returned, he’s shown much more confidence by scoring seven goals and adding two assists for nine points in a dozen games.

While he’s meshed well with playmaker Pavel Buchnevich and Chris Kreider, who had one of his strongest games in Saturday’s big comeback from 4-0 down to stun Montreal 6-5, Strome has mostly been playing with Panarin, who’s been unbelievable. After having his career high 12-game point streak snapped in a ugly 4-1 loss at Ottawa, Panarin was back at it helping lead the stirring comeback with a great primary assist on Chytil’s seventh while later finishing off his team-leading 12th off a gorgeous no look Kreider feed that Strome helped set up to cut the deficit to 5-4.

Even in a game he struggled defensively by missing his assignment on Habs scorer Artturi Lehkonen’s second of the game, Strome bounced back by assisting on both Panarin and Jacob Trouba’s shocking game-winner that came directly off a big face-off win from the $3.1 million cap bargain. In 21 games, Strome is a point-per-game with his 6-15-21 ranking second in team scoring behind the Bread Man (12-15-27). Both are tied for the club lead in assists (15).

You couldn’t ask for a better start from a player that’s still young, who’ll turn restricted next summer. Like close friend and teammate Tony DeAngelo, who’s pacing all Blueshirt defensemen with 15 points (6-9-15), Strome could be looking at a nice payday next summer. So too could new Grate One Brendan Lemieux, whose signature performance on Saturday in which he recorded two goals including a huge shorthanded goal that tied the score at five in front of proud Pop Claude Lemieux.

If there is a perception that’s been pushed by the redundant bloggers who base a bit too much information on charts, it’s that there’ll be no room to keep Strome. The ridiculous part is they were pushing for Gorton to trade him before the season began. Where would this team be without his big contributions? DeAngelo chimed in in defense of his productive teammate on Twitter, which immediately blew up the way most things do in NYR Twitter.

https://twitter.com/TonyDee07/status/1198710465641304064?s=19

While it’s so easy for some of these contributors to talk up Strome’s trade value, let’s say they decide to listen. Who exactly would replace him? Before you all answer Zibanejad, we have no idea how he’ll respond once he returns. He’s injury prone. Something that’s a little concern moving forward. Last year was the first one he played in all 82 games, producing career highs across the board in goals (30), assists (44) and points (74).

Since Gorton acquired him from the Senators in exchange for the since well traveled Derick Brassard, the 26-year old Zibanejad has turned into Gorton’s best trade. He’s signed to a cap friendly average of $5.35 million through 2022. Prior to his injury, he was off to a quick start with 4-7-11 in his first nine games. A potential future team captain, there’s nothing not to like about one of the Rangers’ best players and leaders. He gets it. Hopefully, he can come back healthy. That’s why I’m happy they’re not rushing him.

Now, here’s another point regarding the Trade Strome crowd. Right now, isn’t it better to keep him since he’s been so valuable? Who exactly is going to blow up Gorton’s phone before Christmas. We’re not even at Thanksgiving yet. Some fans are so impatient. Let’s see where things stand in February next year. Scary to think it’ll be a new decade and 2020. I can still remember the cool night we met Theo Fleury and got his book signed and took this cool family photograph below at the old bookstore Borders in MSG. I sure miss those days.

Where have they gone? Back then, social media was still in its infancy stage. Facebook wasn’t as big and Twitter was almost brand new. When I first created an account on there, everyone treated each other nicely. Nobody was so judgmental as so many have become today due to intolerance that’s continuing to be spread. I’m not going to make this blog political. That’s not its purpose.

I’ve always believed in treating others the way you want to be treated. Respecting different opinions. That’s sadly no longer the case in this declining city. I know who I blame. Blame whoever you want. But some of you need to look in the mirror and see what you’ve become and what you’ve projected yourself as. It’s ugly.

Getting back to the original topic. If you have Strome going well like he has while doing whatever Quinn asks, there’s nothing wrong with having him stay with Panarin to keep that scoring balance while Chytil improves and Zibanejad works his way back. That would make the Rangers much better. They’d have three scoring lines and Howden could slide down to center the fourth line. If you want the best of both worlds in this rebuild, doesn’t that make the most sense? Let Lias Andersson continue to regain his confidence with the Wolf Pack.

Kaapo Kakko can be elevated to play with Zibanejad and either Lemieux comes with him as an effective Sean Avery deterrent, or maybe it’s Kreider, who’s always had chemistry with Zibanejad. Unless they want to try complement Jesper Fast, who fits better down in the lineup.

Here’s my reaction to Strome. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. He’s proven to be a responsible player that Quinn and the coaching staff trust to play in every situation. That includes power play where he has good patience and poise with the puck at reading the play. Ditto for him at five-on-five during a good forecheck. Strome also kills penalties. An area the team wants to improve upon. That’s more about the four personnel functioning as one unit.

I like Strome because he’s not only versatile, but also willing to mix it up. I think this team needs some of that attitude and approach. You don’t ever want to become too predictable. The quote from Ottawa defenseman Thomas Chabot was pretty damning on Friday night.

That’s the perception from opponents who have been successful against this team. It’s why you need your DeAngelo’s, Lemieux’s and Strome’s who aren’t going to put up with that nonsense. I’ll throw in team player Brendan Smith and Trouba, who’s learning about life without all the ridiculous talent he had to work with in Winnipeg. He’s pretty tough.

It’s not easy to work in three rookie defensemen the way Quinn and easy target Lindy Ruff have with the promising Adam Fox, tough Ryan Lindgren, and skilled Libor Hajek. They’re three different style defensemen who are all the same young age of 21. When things go right, does Ruff get any credit or is he to only blame for all nine losses? Come on. I’m not even suggesting he’s perfect. But the impatience is a little over the top from this rational fanbase. Stay woke.

I also appreciated this gem from Strome following Saturday’s stirring comeback that was only the fourth time in Rangers franchise history they’d completed a comeback from a 4-0 deficit:

It shows that he’s got some personality. These guys do pay attention to this stuff. They know what’s being said. If you want a more in depth take on this story and his great trip to Ottawa and Montreal which also included meeting the family of completely forgotten Rangers Hockey Hall of Famer Frank Boucher, go read Sean McCaffrey’s blog recap. It’s priceless. Just as a warning to any huge Henrik Lundqvist supporters, he doesn’t pull any punches on how the organization and MSG treats him compared to the rest of the roster.

If you’ve read some of my recent stuff, I’ve hinted at it. But it is what it is. He had a choice to leave, but opted to stay by exercising his full no movement clause. That’s his right. He sure is expensive with that $8.5 million AAV thru 2021. But those kind of contracts always age badly. Let’s not forget what the Blackhawks gave Jonathan Toews and Brent Seabrook. The difference being they won three Cups. I’m sure Henrik would trade all those wins and Vezina for one Cup. Ego aside. He loves being a New York Ranger. I know I’ll catch flak for that from some of the Lundqvist critics. But I’m fair and objective unlike a couple of other blogs that will defend Hank like they’re Joe Micheletti or Steve Valiquette.

At some point, the organization is going to face a tough decision regarding top goalie prospect Igor Shestyorkin. I prefer spelling it that way. That’s the Russian in me. Or for those who are curious. Игорь Счестяоркйн!

Right now, that’s a topic for another day. I am curious to see two things this week. How the team handles their comeback win with Zucc in town later tonight. Can they actually put together consecutive wins, or a more consistent effort than what we saw over the weekend? How will Alexandar Georgiev handle his next start coming off the worst of his season? There’s pressure. He can be sent down before a deadline. The Rangers know it.

Finally, just to reiterate the main point on this post. What a stand up teammate and great guy DeAngelo is. He didn’t have to respond to that tweet, but did because he felt obligated to defend Strome. That’s a team oriented person. Some of the overreaction to it was sadly predictable.

When Kreider called me out that one time on a honest mistake I made, he was right. I apologized. It’s interesting that he’s deleted Twitter the last couple of years. Probably the smartest decision on his part. Social media can be a huge distraction for professional athletes and even a detriment to even bigger names. That’s as far as I’ll go on the subject.

I’ll have something up later on Zuccarello.

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Beating the Wings temporarily hides turmoil

Posted on November 24, 2019 by hasan4978

After a somewhat predictable week where the Devils got housed against Boston and in Pittsburgh, followed by needing a third-period explosion to beat a spectacularly bad Detroit team, not much has changed for the better.  In fact, you could make the argument it changed for the worse long-term – and not just cause a 1-2 week puts the team even further back from any kind of playoff contention.  There isn’t going to be much in terms of game recaps here, mainly cause I had to miss watching Tuesday’s crapfest (was doing trivia out with friends at a local bar and grill), and last night I was at a Friendsgiving, while I just knew better than to watch the predictable beatdown on Friday – especially after they were fortunate to hold off a Crosby-less Pens assault last Friday at the Rock.

No, the worst thing about this week wasn’t that the siege finally got to Mackenzie Blackwood to the tune of nine goals in just under two games, after he was pretty well the only reason the team has gotten a few of the wins they have.  You couldn’t count on Blackwood to play all 82 games, and thankfully new acquisition Louis Domingue passed his first test – although playing the once-proud Wings is almost like playing Rutgers in college football.  Even other bad teams can clean up on them.  It wasn’t even the fact the team only had two goals in its first eight periods this week until finally breaking out in the third period for four against hapless Johnathan Bernier in the Wings’ net.  If anything, the Devils’ performance last night only served to throw the rest of their sorry season into stark relief…how the Devils could be neck and neck in the standings for dead last in the NHL with THIS team is even more beyond me.

If I seem a little sore over beating up on the Wings, it’s more that the timing of it was ill-served after coach John Hynes’ lineup machinations last night – where his constant scapegoating of Pavel Zacha and Jesper Bratt came to a head.  It’s as if Hynes saw we were playing the Wings, his own job was in peril after the team sleepwalked through the week and decided if I’m going down I’m going down with my guys, which meant sitting Zacha and Bratt in favor of awful John Hayden and callup Brett Seney.  I’m the first to admit Seney has done well in the AHL this year and deserved a callup, even if his initial NHL season wasn’t all that impressive last year, and while I don’t think Hayden belongs in the NHL it’s not as if anyone else has been playing all that well either.  So sure, change the lineup around but at least pick different guys to send a message to.  And I’m no fan of Mirco Mueller either so while I would rather see Matt Tennyson shot into the sun first, changing the sixth defenseman really isn’t going to make that big a difference against Detroit anyway.

It’s more that constantly scapegoating the same two younger players isn’t serving anyone well.  Let’s take Bratt first…I admit his skillset (small playmaker) is probably a bit redundant on this team, but whose fault is that?  He’s still a 21-year old player who’s proven he can play in the NHL and has a lot of talent.  He struggled early in the season, in part due to playing a lot with Nikita Gusev who was a total trainwreck early (though by all accounts he seems to be straightening out a little), got scratched for a few games then made the coach look silly by scoring two goals in his return to the lineup though unfortunately it might have been taken as proof that Bratt needs the spurs put to him.  Within two games he was back under ten minutes of icetime in Carolina, and while I wouldn’t call his four goals and seven points in eighteen games great by any stretch it’s not as if anyone else has been lighting it up either.  Only first-liners Hall, Palmieri and Hischier have more than ten points this season.

But sure, go ahead and keep scapegoating the 21-year old finesse guy while letting the 24-year old ‘grit’ forward (Miles Wood) screw up game after game, of course because he puts pucks on net from no angle to appease the advanced stats and he has the ability to play physical, he gets immunity somehow from the bald grim reaper.  Wood only had five points and a -10 in 21 games himself before yesterday.  Of course Hynes gets to play I told you so after he had an assist with a +2 last night…again, against a horrible team.  Basing anything over what happens against Detroit is like calling a team meeting before your best pitcher takes the mound against a lousy team, or saying you can win without your best player in the NBA because he takes a load managment night off against the lousy Knicks.

At least Bratt still has time, though having decreasing production isn’t going to serve him well needing a new contract after the season.  In the case of Pavel Zacha he did get a new deal in the offseason for three years at $2.25 million, but after the way the staff has treated him this season he may wish he’d signed in the KHL as was briefly rumored (by his agent).  I’m also the first to admit I’m not a huge believer in Zacha but after finishing last season with 20 points in 30 games, he was scratched the third game of this season which was ridiculous enough – especially when he got off to a strong start with 6 points in his first 9 games.  His offensive production has tailed off in November, but he still does other things to help the team win even when he’s not scoring.  I can’t say the same for coach’s pet Hayden, who had five points in 54 games as a Blackhawk last season and 0 in his first 9 as a Devil this year…but hey, he hits guys in the 8-10 minutes he plays!  So voila, after both Zacha and Bratt had a -2 in Pittsburgh where nobody played well, they get scratched in favor of Hayden, Wood and Seney – who like I said probably deserved a callup but wasn’t all that impressive last year with thirteen points and a -14 in 51 games.

If you think the coach took last night’s 5-1 win (where the team was fortunate just to get to the third period tied) as some proof of his lineup switches being a difference, you’d be right.  Just look at this video clip and all the praise of the fourth line – helped out by Devils Twitter highlighting it.

https://twitter.com/NJDevils/status/1198440718345424896

Ridiculous.  Yep, the fourth line’s combined 26 minutes of icetime and two assists were the difference in a 5-1 win against a horrible team.  I get wanting the role players to feel good but this smacks more of a passive agressive ‘hey, look at how my lineup changes worked’ than anything else.  But when the team loses it’s all the players didn’t execute the system well or there wasn’t enough compete.

I’ll give Hynes this, he picked a good time to go full troll with his lineup.  Not only cause of playing the Wings last night, but this team could actually go on a short-term run in spite of itself playing the also-struggling Wild on Tuesday, going to Montreal later in the week after they just went splat last night, then playing a matinee against a subpar Ranger team the Devils arguably had their best game against this season.  I’ve never been a big fan of rooting against the team just for draft pick position (especially in the case of sports where there’s a lottery like the NHL now) but I’d be lying if I didn’t say the thought crossed my mind that it’s more harmful long-term allowing this staff to have total immunity month after month to play favorites and revert to low-event caveman hockey that isn’t really doing much to help foster sustainable improvement.

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Game #21: Determined Rangers make history with comeback from 4-0 down to stun Canadiens at House Of Horrors

Posted on November 23, 2019 by Derek

Brendan Lemieux slaps five with goal scorer Pavel Buchnevich during a historic Rangers comeback win from 4-0 down to stun the Canadiens 6-5 in Montreal. AP Photo via Getty Images courtesy Canadian Press

There are games and then There Are Games. What transpired just a little while ago at the Bell Centre in Montreal was unthinkable. The New York Rangers found a way back from a 4-0 deficit to stun the Canadiens for an improbable and thrilling 6-5 come from behind win in regulation at the House Of Horrors.

For one night at least, the Blueshirts erased a lot of old ghosts and demons that have haunted them up north against the Canadiens. They made some history along with it by showing tremendous heart and character in a great comeback victory that still feels unbelievable.

It was only the fourth time in franchise history they rallied from 4-0 down to win a game. Wow. It sure puts things in perspective. When you think you’ve seen it all including the Habs turning the tables on the Rangers to score five straight to pull out a 6-5 win a decade ago in the Tom Renney Era, the NHL’s youngest team somehow overcomes a off night for Alexandar Georgiev along with some follies that had me and friend Jonathan shaking our heads as we watched at his place. But he felt a comeback. So, I want to give him the credit for it once Filip Chytil scored his seventh that made it 4-1.

If there is a image of a player, who epitomizes this win it’s the black and blue Brendan Lemieux. A hard-nosed gritty forward who only knows one way to play. Balls out. He didn’t back down from a scrap against Tom Wilson in a home win over Washington that already feels like a lifetime ago. Not three days earlier. He plays so hard and the right way. It was really nice to see him get rewarded tonight with two enormous goals including the first shorthanded goal of his career that got the Rangers back to even at 5-5.

The evolvement of Lemieux has been crucial to the team’s success. Yes. He will have his moments where he loses discipline and takes bad penalties. However, after coach David Quinn makes an example out of him, he will come back harder and respond like the dedicated player he is. Right now, it’s the new Grate One who’s the straw that stirs the drink for these Black and Blueshirts. Yes. It applies. They don’t win pretty. They win by grinding and working like they had to to not be embarrassed again like the previous night at Ottawa.

There is the dynamic skill of artist Artemiy Panarin, who rebounded with his 12th goal and an assist after having his 12-game point streak snapped. However, it wasn’t only Panarin that was needed for this special comeback victory against an opponent they rarely beat up north. It was Lemieux going to the hard area in front to tip in an Adam Fox shot for a huge goal that cut the deficit to 4-3 after a power play expired. On the same play, Chytil got the jersey dirty by winning a battle to dig the puck out for Jacob Trouba, who wound up with an assist on that goal. He may not have gotten a point, but without Chytil’s hard work, that goal never happens.

There was a Pavel Buchnevich goal where he took the puck hard to the net and got rewarded when his shot deflected off a shaky Carey Price, who wasn’t able to protect what seemed like an insurmountable four goal Montreal lead. It was Buchnevich’s fourth of the season, and one that opened the door for a Rangers comeback. The goal made it 4-2 less than a minute following Chytil’s beauty set up by Panarin off a good rush from the otherwise defense challenged Brady Skjei. At least he used his skating and contributed two assists. That would include a key defensive play later that led to Lemieux’s shorthanded goal.

The Rangers scored three in a row so quickly within a 3:20 span that it actually made fans believe they could pull this off. Somehow, a game the more rested Habs had in control on a pair of Max Domi goals sandwiched around an Artturi Lehkonen goal and then a Shea Weber goal that went right through Georgiev at 2:51 of the second period, became a rallying cry for a desperate team.

They rose up. Even after failing miserably on a two-man advantage for 33 seconds with a chance to draw even, the Rangers never gave up. Not even following a bad sequence from Ryan Strome, who after winning a defensive draw was unable to clear the zone and failed to pick up Lehkonen, who whistled in his second of the game on a great feed from Domi (2 goals, assist) at 5:20 for a 5-3 Habs lead.

I thought that was it. However, on the next shift, some tremendous work by the new trio of Strome, Kreider and Panarin resulted in the Bread Man cashing in his team-leading 12th to make it 5-4 just 31 seconds later. It was a splendid forecheck started by Strome, who somehow managed to get the puck to Kreider, who made a brilliant backhand saucer feed for a Panarin tip in at 5:51.

Whenever you trail a game by a lot, there are casualties. Quinn shortened his bench and got desired results. Unfortunately, Tony DeAngelo (minus-two in 10:13), Libor Hajek (minus-three in 13:01) and Kaapo Kakko (minus-three in 13:49) sat for stretches during the comeback. If the coach applied the same discipline to Skjei and other vets, that would be better. You can’t argue with the end result.

He mixed up his lines and got what he wanted. Jesper Fast was moved down to the third line with Brett Howden while Lemieux was promoted to a line with Chytil and Buchnevich. At one point, Strome and Chytil switched spots. It was hard to keep track. We were also flipping to the dreadful other Garden outfit, the Knicks. Talk about atrocious.

As tough a night as he had that made me long for Igor Shesterkin, Georgiev deserves some credit for hanging in there. He didn’t show frustration over some of the goals he allowed. Particularly, the second Domi one with a slight Trouba screen, and the brutal one to Weber unscreened. He was called upon to make key saves and did. Even if he was shaky.

The Lemieux shorthanded goal was a great play by him and Howden. After Skjei forced Montreal into a sloppy turnover, Lemieux took off with the puck and got it over to Howden, who got it back to Lemieux for a tap in at 8:40. That it came following a tacky interference minor on Panarin that had me referencing, “Montreal, Typical!”, was poetic justice. You should’ve seen Quinn’s reaction on the bench to the call.

With the game hanging in the balance, the Rangers again got caught for too many men on the ice. Another bench minor by a team that gets too many. Thankfully, they got the job done in large part to an aggressive Lemieux, who took away time and space from Brendan Gallagher in the slot to force a turnover and clear the zone. He had extra motivation with proud Dad Claude Lemieux watching with their family. It was odd to see him rooting for the Rangers.

On a Strome clean win in the offensive zone, Trouba took a long seeing eye wrist shot that banked in off a stunned Price through traffic for a 6-5 Rangers lead with 7:50 remaining in regulation. Credit Kreider for going to the net and taking Montreal defenseman Jeff Petry with him to create a perfect screen. There was no way Price picked it up until his late reaction. The puck took a favorable bounce and made it two straight games with a goal for Trouba. Both goals oddly similar. He had a goal and assist.

Following the successful kill of the bench minor which really is on the coaching staff to get fixed, it was up to Georgiev. He made a couple of important stops on tricky shots and left no rebound. As hard a night as it was for him personally, he wound up with 38 saves and the victory.

It’s one they won’t give back. One I’m sure the Canadiens cannot believe they lost. At least that’s how a die-hard Montreal fan put it.

https://twitter.com/JessHa6s/status/1198435098422599680?s=19

Well, she did dream that Domi would score the first goal of the game. He wound up with two and an apple. Go figure.

Personally, this is the best win by the Rangers in quite some time. They showed amazing resolve and persevered to get the ‘W’ in hostile territory. Winning at Montreal is as good as it gets on a Saturday night. Kudos to them for not giving up.

Battle Of Hudson 3 🌟

3rd 🌟 Jacob Trouba, Rangers (4th goal of season for game-winner plus 🍎, 4 hits, +2 in 34 shifts totaling 24:03)

2nd 🌟 Max Domi, Canadiens (2 goals plus 🍎, 4 shots, 10 attempts, +3 in 21 shifts totaling 19:35)

1st 🌟 Brendan Lemieux, Rangers (2 goals including 1st career SHG, 6 shots, 9 attempts in 25 shifts totaling 17:02)

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Class shown by Trouba towards ref Tim Peel

Posted on November 23, 2019 by Derek

During a frustrating 4-1 loss at Ottawa, an incident happened when Rangers defenseman Jacob Trouba went to clear a puck while on the penalty kill. As he went to rim it around, it accidentally caught referee Tim Peel in the helmet knocking him down to the ice during the first period.

Honestly, it looked a lot worse than it wound up being. After a few minutes down being tended to, Peel got up and was helped off the ice. Considering how shaky he looked, I was thinking worst case scenario. You have to think that whenever you see a player wobbly. This time, it was a ref.

They had to check for concussion protocol. Obviously, it looked really bad for Peel. A scary and freakish play that could’ve been far worse.

Astonishingly, as Trouba scored his goal that made it 2-1 Ottawa in the first period, Peel returned to the game. Something that caught the watchful eye of Sam Rosen. He couldn’t believe it. Maybe that’s why the goal call for Trouba was so confusing. Something he apologized for.

It was more important to see Peel back. His well being is much more crucial than a ugly loss in Game 20 of 82 for this team. When he noticed the ref back, Trouba made a classy move.

Credit to Blueshirt Banter contributor Tom Urtz for catching it as did MSG. It was a great gesture from Trouba, who put his hand around Peel and smiled. That was a happy occasion. You never wish ill will of anyone involved in sports. Especially the officials. As much as we may disagree from time to time with their work, no one can question their dedication.

Kudos to Peel for being a warrior and returning. On this night, he showed more heart than the Rangers. Not an easy thing to acknowledge. I’m glad serious injury was avoided. Great job by Trouba to apologize for what happened.

Stick taps.

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