Game 25: Special Teams and Determination keys to humiliation of the Devils

Posted on December 1, 2019 by Derek

Teammates congratulate Alexandar Georgiev on his third career shutout in a 4-0 humiliation of the Hudson Rival Devils, who heard boos in Newark. AP Photo via Getty Images courtesy Hartford Courant

Alright. Let me start off by saying this post will be a little different from the usual stuff. Being that Hasan took the Devils side of what was a unmitigated disaster for his team in a mess of a home game against the Rangers, I’m going to take a different direction on yesterday’s 4-0 humiliation against a Hudson rival that looks horrible.

Like Hasan accurately stated in his game review that included not one but two Rangers shorthanded goals in a embarrassing third period, things are looking more up for the Manhattan side of this rivalry. That simply stated, even I couldn’t believe how uncompetitive the Devils were in the final period. Here’s some proof:

The story of Saturday’s game was special teams. The Rangers were plus-three despite being shorthanded six times, which included a Chris Kreider major for boarding and a hi-sticking double minor on Libor Hajek. They scored once on the power play and twice on the penalty kill to move into first with six shorthanded goals.

I’m not going to tell you this was some masterpiece. It wasn’t. The Devils had the better of the play at five-on-five. They had six power plays. They probably should’ve been at least tied after two periods. I thought they deserved to be ahead based on how undisciplined the Rangers were. Without Jack Hughes (lower body injury), they had a better forecheck and created more scoring chances.

It didn’t matter. A perfect example were the two goalposts the Newark hosts hit. That was indicative of the kind of game it was for the team in their classic throwback Christmas ornament jerseys. I rather like those. You don’t get to see it much anymore. But it definitely brings me back to younger years in the early 90’s when Ken Daneyko and Kevin Todd (yes I went there!) rocked the green and red.

When you get as many opportunities as the Devils had, you have to take advantage. I listened to the first two periods on the radio. As fate would have it, it was a rare game for the Devils where they were on WFAN. Anytime you can catch Chico Resch doing color commentary with Matt Loughlin, it’s a good thing. Some might ask why didn’t I switch to Kenny Albert and Dave Maloney. Because I can listen to them anytime on ESPN Radio. Plus I have always had a soft spot for Chico because he did me a solid when I worked as a production assistant in ’00-01. He’s a great guy. Fun and insightful.

I thought Resch touched on a critical point after New Jersey failed to capitalize on a second straight man-advantage early in the second. He mentioned how the power play cost the Rangers on Black Friday at Boston. I think they ironically went 0-for-6. He said that could come back to bite the Devs as it did the Blueshirts. At least they got a point in that game.

Of course, Chico knew what he was talking about. He was prophetic. The Devils had better chances in the opening stanza, but gave up a power play goal to Adam Fox on a great cross ice feed from Kaapo Kakko. So, they converted their one chance in the first while the Devils were wasting opportunities. Once Ryan Strome hi-sticked Kyle Palmieri with 32 seconds to spare in the first, the Rangers kept marching to the penalty box.

Shortly following a successive kill of Strome’s minor, Artemiy Panarin tripped up Jesper Boqvist. It was another chance for the Devils to draw even and maybe swing the momentum. Instead, they hardly challenged Alexandar Georgiev, who was strong throughout in pitching his third career shutout with 33 saves. He did hold firm with some good saves down low like on Taylor Hall, who otherwise was invisible. But until the third, he hardly had to sweat despite 21 Devil shots. It was a real eye opener though because it had been a week since he started.

Here’s the other thing. The Rangers made mistakes that could’ve cost them. You had a bad giveaway by Hajek that led to a point blank Devils opportunity Georgiev stopped. Fox had a turnover in the neutral zone that almost resulted in a goal. Kyle Palmieri rang the shot off the crossbar. That’s what happens when things are going bad. You don’t get the bounces.

On a day Panarin didn’t register a point for only the fifth time in 25 games, the Blueshirts got big performances for other key players. That included Georgiev, who saved his best for the third on a two stop sequence that made one wonder how the puck didn’t go in. Miles Wood eventually put in the rebound, but the whistle had already blown rendering the play dead.

There were some brutal penalties from the Rangers, who were in action for the second consecutive day. Another bench minor handed the Devils a fourth power play with less than five minutes left in the second. It didn’t matter because they were so predictable. They never could get the shots they wanted. It was far too deliberate. Good power plays are instinctive. The puck must move quickly to set up shots. Nikita Gusev had some good attempts. But that was it. Palmieri missed a good chance wide in the slot. Hall couldn’t beat Georgiev from the right circle.

One other interesting discovery was that PK Subban was hardly used. He received 3:02 on the power play from endangered species John Hynes. That was behind defensemen Sami Vatanen (7:36), Will Butcher (5:31) and Damon Severson (4:49). If they’re not going to use him on the power play, then what’s the point? Hasan is absolutely right. It’s time for GM Ray Shero to pull the plug on his coach and staff. I’d clean house.

The astonishing aspect is the Rangers continued to take bad penalties. Hajek got his stick up to bloody Wayne Simmonds with 33 seconds left in the period. So, it was four more minutes for the penalty kill. The reason it was successful was they were active in their box by not allowing the Devils to get point blank clean looks. They got their sticks on pucks and cleared the zone to groans from the Devils side.

The Rangers penalty killers outworked and outhustled the Devils power kill play. Never was that more evident than on Zibanejad intercepting a dreadful pass in the neutral zone and working a give and go with Brendan Lemieux for a shorthanded goal at 2:35 that made it 2-0.

They weren’t done. Following a unwise play by Kreider in which he delivered a shoulder hit to a turning Matt Tennyson right into the boards, he received a questionable five minute major and game misconduct. Interestingly, they actually reviewed their call on the iPad. I felt it wasn’t malicious. At best four minutes. However, with how serious such hits are due to concussion protocol, they upheld the call. Kreider also fought Kevin Rooney, winding up with 20 penalty minutes. Where was that when I had him?

It didn’t matter that he was kicked out of the game. Instead, more Devils follies allowed this to happen.

That was way too easy. It looked like a cardinal copy of Lemieux and Zibanejad combining for a shorty 3:17 earlier. This was more off the rush started by an aggressive Jacob Trouba, who dropped for Zibanejad and went to the Devil net to create a perfect passing lane for Zibanejad to dish across for a Jesper Fast shorthanded goal on a quick one-timer past Mackenzie Blackwood short side. The same exact location as Zibanejad off Lemieux’s feed earlier.

By now, the Devils natives were restless. Boos rained down at The Prudential Center. “Fire Hynes!” chants were heard. They got what they deserved. It looked like they quit too. A ominous sign that something’s wrong. Think Knicks. Heck. The Giants have become this bad too under the clueless and passionless Pat Shurmur. I’m not gonna compare Hynes to him. At least he guided a team to the playoffs. Shurmur stinks.

Even if you love what you saw from the Rangers in that third period, it was very easy to notice a rival in chaos. With Hall reportedly being shopped by Shero, it looks like the for sale sign could come soon for the Devils. He likely won’t be back next summer. So, it makes sense. Will a valuable right defenseman like Vatanen become available? He’s the Devils best. We’ll see.

With boos raining down along with “Fire Hynes!” and “Let’s Go Rangers!” chants, you would’ve thought the apocalypse hit Newark. This kind of stuff used to happen at Madison Square Garden in the Dark Ages. I was part of some miserable games. I understand what Hasan is going through.

For some inexplicable reason only known to Hynes, he pulled Blackwood down three. That led to Brady Skjei lobbing one down the ice into an open net from 100 feet. It makes about as much sense as these early goalie pulls that Patrick Roy started. Those have to go. It’s an insult to the fans.

The game was long over. Those two shorthanded goals demonstrated how much more determined the Rangers were compared to the Devils. A huge contrast between two teams going in different directions.

There’s no need to further analyze that display. It was nice for the Rangers to come out of the holiday weekend banking three of four points on the road. Now, they get the Golden Knights at MSG on Monday. That should be a good test.

So, who does David Quinn go with? Is it back to Henrik Lundqvist, who’s played his best hockey recently. Or does he stick with Georgiev following the shutout? My guess is you’ll see one more Marc-Andre Fleury vs Henrik Lundqvist match up. Then perhaps they give Georgiev either Columbus this Thursday or Montreal on Friday. We’ll see.

This game was like taking candy from a baby. Don’t celebrate it too much. They did what they had to do despite a C effort.

Battle Of Hudson 3 🌟

3rd 🌟 Jacob Trouba, Rangers (assist on Fast shorthanded goal, very physical throughout, definitely one of his best games)

2nd 🌟 Alexandar Georgiev, Rangers (33 saves for 1st shutout of season and 3rd career)

1st 🌟 Mika Zibanejad, Rangers (shorthanded goal and primary assist in what was a dominant third by the top center)

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Devils hit rock bottom (perhaps)

Posted on November 30, 2019 by hasan4978

Normally I leave the Devil-Ranger recaps to Derek and certainly things are looking much better on the other side of the river at the moment with the Rangers above .500 and actually getting contributions from more than two or three players on their roster, but today was just so hideous (even by our putrid standards) I had to weigh in too.  Granted, hideous isn’t much different than most of the rest of this sorry season on the face of it, but today was a new low – hopefully one never to be topped although I wouldn’t put that past us.  You would think getting shut out 4-0 at home by our biggest rival with half the fans cheering for the Rangers and the other half chanting ‘Fire Hynes!’ in the third period after a carnival show power play turned the game into a rout would be IT as far as how low you could go.  Perhaps that’s the only good news from an otherwise miserable Saturday afternoon at the Rock.

How could it possibly get worse?  Other than macabre type stuff like injuries or losing by double digits, or off-ice stuff like what’s happened in Toronto and Calgary recently (granted with mostly past tense incidents but still providing an impetus for present-day change).  Today gave me an acid flashback to the end of the Lou era where the Devils got whipped on Fan Appreciation Day, used as clown props really by the Rangers who not only skated circles around us but clinched the President’s Trophy in the process, and their fans booed our players off the ice for the team’s last home game of the year.  A harsh, if not fitting end to a terrible 2014-15 season.

Here we are five years later, and how much has really changed?  We squeezed into the playoffs once with a couple of great months of stretch-run hockey, but since Tampa gave us a five-game reality check in the blink of an eye we’ve followed up one bad season with another even worse season.  Maybe it won’t be worse in terms of final record but it is in terms of what was expected of this team after all their new additions.  Today was easily the low point of the post-Lou era, once again with another home embarassment against the Rangers.  Losing 4-0 is bad enough but the comical aspect of the power play going -2 for 8 (0-8 with not one but TWO shorthanded goals allowed), while the normally above average penalty kill looked like mites on ice allowing backdoor play after backdoor play until one wound up in the back of the net for the Rangers’ first goal in the opening twenty minutes.  Bad special teams is just another example of a bad coaching staff.

And now after this season goes up in smoke we’re going to be forced into rebuild 2.0, once GM Ray Shero does what he’ll inevitably need to do and deal Taylor Hall and Sami Vatanen at the deadline.  I could see the Devils making a run to keep Vatanen on ideally a short-term deal given his injury issues with concussions but they certainly will miss him if he goes off to a contender by March.  As far as Hall, the horse seems to be out of the barn at this point.

So let the sweepstakes commence.  This team’s not getting out of the hole it’s dug for itself.  The only way they even have a chance of doing so is a swift and immediate house-cleaning of the entire coaching staff, but until Shero actually does what needs to be done with John Hynes I’ll believe it when I see it.  He shouldn’t fire Hynes because the fans demand it per se, although the fans chanting that any coach should be fired is a new experience for me.  I grew up with the famed ‘Joe must go!’ chants from New York Jet fans but for Devil fans, this is new.  Booing Pete DeBoer in intros is one thing, but usually coaches got fired before fans got restless – especially under Lou Lamoriello.  And people could make fun of Lou’s itchy trigger finger but I’m sorry, he wouldn’t have let this kind of lack of fundamentals and accountability fester.

Silly me I actually was (ahem) looking forward to this game.  Not that I neccesarily thought we were going to win – as I said the other day pretty much no outcome would have surprised me – but a Saturday afternoon against the Rangers you would figure would at least have some buzz in the building.  There were people there, but no buzz – especially early.  You could almost hear a pin drop during introductions.  As jaded as I am over the last few years, even I stood and applauded for our players.  Two things brought me back down to my normal 2019 pessimism level…one, seeing online that this was going to be a Heritage game.  Seemingly every time since the first couple of games we wore throwbacks, we’ve lost on a retro night.  Two, the aformentioned first goal of the game where the PK looked like it had never killed a penalty before allowing time and space everywhere.  Then again, how can they be expected to get good practice in going up against our powerless play which was by far the biggest culprit on the night?

It was bad enough when the Devils squandered a double minor toward the end of the second period and gave up their first shorthanded goal of the game on top of it.  When Jesper Bratt had a hideous turnover at some point during that four minute power failure the boos rained down from all sides, including me.  I thought that would be the low point for our power play hahaha…true to form the Devils somehow managed to clear a limbo bar basically sitting on the ground by immediately squandering a five-minute major in spectacular fashion.  Giving up their second shorthanded goal of the game was bad enough, doing it on a three-on-one was so inept I couldn’t help but laugh at that point.  They finally broke me to the extent that I was actually hoping the Rangers would score at that point when I saw the three-on-one develop, that was the moment where I officially had it with just about everyone and everything associated with this team.  Needless to say we squandered the rest of the five-minute major, with a Nikita Gusev penalty mercifully killing off two minutes of it.  It was about at that point the ‘Fire Hynes!’ chants started and the boos rained down even more.

They certainly weren’t coordinated throughout the whole arena (maybe having half the arena be Ranger fans had something to do with it), but they were louder and more frequent as the game dragged to its inevitable conclusion.  Yeah I participated in both and I’m not ashamed of it either.  Texting my one friend he was like, ‘whoosh I’m glad I didn’t go’.  And as annoyed as I was over sitting through that garbage, part of me actually didn’t mind getting my voice heard in that moment too.  They deserved to get booed out of the arena.  Pretty much the only thing that stopped the boos was the final stoppage of play with three minutes to go where the mass exodus of Devils fans commenced.  The only reason I wasn’t among the ones walking out was I figured I’d catch a couple of my friends on the way out of the arena since I saw they were still at their seats.  I didn’t even see the last goal while I was walking across the arena.  Who cared at that point?

Pretty much being social is the only reason to go to games anymore.  But when everyone is going to games less frequently, there’s less of an opportunity to actually be social.  At this point I’d rather be social playing trivia with my friends on Tuesdays at local bars.  If the first half of this season has seemed long it’s just going to get worse and worse unless something’s done to actually attempt to change the feeling around the team and in the arena right now.  Even if Shero is too stubborn to want to change for the fans or because the players looked like they quit in the third period (especially on that stupid four-on-four right after the second shorthanded goal where they just let the Rangers skate around with the puck all day), you can’t deny reality with blind loyalty forever.

You can’t let a poisonous atitude fester around the team for the sake of loyalty.  If it was just younger players who weren’t doing well you could maybe blame it on them not being as good as we thought they were.  Nico Hischier and Jesper Bratt’s regression is bad enough, Ty Smith not making the team was worse, but when you have a guy like P.K. Subban go pointless IN THIRTEEN STRAIGHT GAMES, that tells me something’s fundamentally broken.  Is Subban washed up – maybe – but with so many guys underachieving I’d like to see them all under a new staff before I assume ‘all’ the players are the problem here.  Even if I am starting to think of Subban like Brett Favre, another guy who I was a huge fan of before he wore my team’s uniform then became a lot less of a fan of after he put it on and dissapointed.

It’s your move Mr. Shero, you need to do what has to be done.

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Game 24: Nothing Bruin for Blueshirts, Pastrnak gives Buchnevich a lesson, Chytil stays hot in loss

Posted on November 29, 2019 by Derek

Early on, it was all smiles for Pavel Buchnevich, Filip Chytil and the Rangers. But blown chances on the power play cost them in a 3-2 overtime loss to the Bruins. AP Photo by New York Rangers via Getty Images

Sometimes, you miss games due to more important stuff happening. Like trading in my 2017 Black Honda Accord for a beautiful 2019 White Honda Accord. As you can guess, that took up the whole day. But in the end, it’s all worth it.

Even if I tracked the game and it didn’t wind up the way I hoped. You had to know that even with the Bruins playing a D game due to perhaps too much turkey and stuffing, eventually they were going to show up for the big Black Friday NBC match against the Rangers. Truth be told, I thought they had a chance due to how they’d played into Thanksgiving. Particularly not having to face Patrice Bergeron or Tuukka Rask.

It sounded like it was going to go the Rangers way for a while. One of my keys came through for the only goal in a good first period. Pavel Buchnevich scored his fifth after a power play expired. Tony DeAngelo continued his hot play by making a great pass in the slot that Buchnevich fired top shelf for an even strength goal at 14:14. Jacob Trouba added a secondary helper by setting the play up.

Following Buchnevich’s goal, the Rangers controlled much of the action. During a break with Honda, I listened to Kenny Albert on the radio say that the shots were 12-2 after the tally. This was a few minutes into the second period. They were outplaying and outshooting the Bruins by a wide margin. What followed was a nice transition in the neutral zone from Artemiy Panarin to Ryan Strome for a wrist shot that Jaro Halak leaked out to Filip Chytil for his eighth goal in his 15th game since coming up. Tomorrow will be his 100th career game in New Jersey.

With the Bruins flat and unable to force Henrik Lundqvist into many difficult stops, it looked like it was going to be a Ranger win. Finally on a winning streak, they were in good position to make it four in a row. After a fight that Charlie McAvoy started to spark his team, Brendan Smith earned the decision by doing his job.

It didn’t look like the scrap was going to wake up Boston. Instead, they took liberties with Ranger players. A Matt Grzelcyk hi-sticking minor on Mika Zibanejad gave the Rangers a power play. Less than a minute later, Boston fourth line center Sean Kuraly took an unnecessary cross-check minor on Adam Fox. That handed the Blueshirts a two-man advantage for 61 seconds.

In essence, this was the game. David Quinn knew it by using his timeout to rest his best players. What the heck for? How many times have we seen or on this special occasion, heard this team fail on a five-on-three due to being too passive and reluctant to shoot? It never fails. Instead of opening up a three goal lead against a quality opponent that they needed, the Rangers blew it completely. They let the Bruins off the hook by only getting two shots on goal while the hosts outhustled them and got big clears to get the home crowd behind them.

Sure enough, Kuraly tipped in a Jake DeBrusk point shot on a play set up from Brandon Carlo for a momentum shifting goal that cut it to 2-1 with 1:32 left in the period. That’s how it always works in these games. You get a huge opportunity to put away a very good team and don’t do it. Then pay the price.

Funny enough, I sadly predicted that David Pastrnak would tie the game in the third. But I said on a power play because Boston had none. Astonishingly, they only got one chance midway through the third with the game tied and Smith off for hooking David Krejci. It didn’t matter. The damage was already done.

I’ve followed the game for a long time. Maybe someone can explain how Pastrnak was left so wide open on a five-on-five situation as Buchnevich wasn’t even aware where the top finisher was. It amounted to an easy finish for the sniper’s league-leading 24th from Krejci and DeBrusk. That goal tied it at 4:27 of the third period. Chris Kreider was also in no man’s land on the tying marker. Brady Skjei was a bystander as DeBrusk outworked him to set up the original Krejci shot that deflected right to Pastrnak.

The astonishing aspect is the Bruins gave the Rangers another chance to get a win when Par Lindholm drew blood on a hi-sticking double minor to Smith with 7:02 left in regulation. Predictably, they again failed miserably. The power outage cost them. They finished 0-for-6.

Instead, the game went to overtime. It didn’t take long for Pastrnak to completely undress Buchnevich by going around him before making a unbelievable pass back to a wide open Krejci for the OT winner past Lundqvist at 1:40. It’s a play that will be replayed for a while.

If you’re not upset like the reactionary and unrealistic fans are, then you’ll take the positive out of this game. I think my Twitter buddy summed it up best.

While it sucks to lose to Boston again with Brad Marchand missing time due to concussion protocol during the third on a collision with a accidental Trouba elbow, the reality is that this is a young team. They’re going to make mistakes. They lost today’s game due a power failure. They didn’t register one shot on that five-on-three. Unacceptable. The six power plays had a total of only six shots. That’s cruddy. Maybe put Kaapo Kakko back on the first unit. He’s been very quiet lately.

The shots at five-on-five were 22-21 Rangers. That’s significant progress from the Garden embarrassment a month ago that we were at. Losses are never fun. It’s time for them to move on. Strome put it best afterwards.

I don’t expect Saturday’s game at the Devils to be easy. They’re the rested team following a wild win at Montreal on Thanksgiving. They already got the Rangers once. This should be an Alexandar Georgiev start after Quinn rode Lundqvist this week. We’ll see how he and the team respond.

Battle Of Hudson 3 🌟

3rd 🌟 Filip Chytil, Rangers (8th goal in 15 games, finished with 4 shots and +1 in 15:45)

2nd 🌟 David Krejci, Bruins (great pass to set up Pastrnak goal and overtime winner, 11 for 16 on draws, +2 in 19:28)

1st 🌟 David Pastrnak, Bruins (league-leading 24th goal plus unreal move and primary assist on Krejci’s OT winner, 5 shots on 10 attempts, +2 in 21:42)

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Marc Staal getting close to a return and a tough situation

Posted on November 29, 2019 by Derek

As the Rangers get set for the Bruins in a couple of hours up in Boston, defenseman Marc Staal is nearing a return from ankle surgery to repair an infection. It was sustained while blocking a shot.

Of course, the prideful 32-year old veteran played in a game after sitting out a couple despite the injury. Then, it was revealed that he had surgery. This gave a chance to Ryan Lindgren, who has since run with it by forming a solid third pair with fellow rookie Adam Fox. Given how well he’s played, it would be foolish for him to come out of the lineup.

When Staal is ready, it’s been suggested here and other spaces that he should sit out. At this critical juncture of the rebuild, the defense is starting to come together. While there are inconsistencies which you should come to expect from a top six that includes three 21-year old rookies, they have to be allowed to grow. Learning from mistakes will help their development over the long haul.

Of the six current blueliners on the roster, Libor Hajek is the weakest defensively. That’s fine. He’s young and is skilled due to strong skating. You don’t just bench him unless he has a bad game. There are peaks and valleys with young players. Especially first-year defensemen.

It’ll be interesting to see how second-year coach David Quinn goes about bringing Staal back into the lineup. Unlike other fans, who just can’t help themselves, I don’t make light of a respected player who’s given his heart and soul to the cause. Ask Henrik Lundqvist how he feels about the second most tenured Blueshirt behind him. He knows and appreciates what number 18 has been.

Staal is near the end of his Rangers career. With only a year left on his contract that pays him an AAV of $5.7 million, it’s even possible that he could get moved to a Western contender that can use a experienced defensive defenseman on a third pair. San Jose and Calgary could be potential destinations depending on what Staal’s list is. He has a partial no trade clause.

If not, there is the distinct possibility that he gets bought out next summer similarly to Black and Blueshirt Dan Girardi.

Whatever happens with Staal, don’t forget that the former ’05 first round pick has been a key part of runs in 2012, ’14 and ’15. Like Girardi, he played hurt. If they weren’t so banged around in that last run, they probably beat the Lightning and make a second consecutive Stanley Cup Final. We’ll never know how it would’ve turned out.

It’s sure to be a delegate situation for Staal, who wants to play like any veteran player. Hopefully, it’s handled well.

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Rangers get ready for Black Friday Original Six showdown versus tough Bruins on NBC

Posted on November 29, 2019 by Derek

Photo Credit South Park

It’s officially a sunny and chilly Black Friday in the city. Hopefully, things will heat up as the day after Thanksgiving moves along. If anyone is actually shopping today, good luck. Be careful. Have fun too.

As for me, I am in the market for a new car. My very cool black Honda Accord could be going back today for a different model. We’ll see. Hard to believe it’s been nearly three years that I’ve had it. By far my favorite car. Honda’s are great.

It’s a good possibility that I’ll miss the annual NBC Black Friday game this afternoon. This year’s match-up pits Original Six rivals, the Rangers and Bruins against each other at TD Garden. Game time is 1 PM. I’d imagine the great Doc Emrick will have the call. I love him. That’s due to my great experience working in the background during the ’00-01 season as a production assistant for the Devils. A gig the legendary and now retired Stan Fischler got me. It was also his connection that lead me to ESPN for over a year when hockey was much more prevalent. Stan The Man is a great person.

As far as the second meeting between New York and Boston goes, it would be nice if the Blueshirts didn’t forget what happened to them at MSG on a Sunday night a month ago on Oct. 27. The Bruins humiliated them 7-4. It wasn’t as close as the final score indicated. Their big line of Patrice Bergeron, Brad Marchand and David Pastrnak had a field day.

The remarkable trio went for a combined 13 points (5-8-13) highlighted by a Bergeron hat trick. Marchand went 2-3-5 and Pastrnak had five assists. He leads the league with 23 goals in 25 games. Five up on Connor McDavid and teammate Marchand, who’s 43 points (18-25-43) rank third in NHL scoring. Nobody has a higher plus/minus (20) than Marchand, who’s an early Hart contender.

With Bergeron out right now, Marchand and Pastrnak show no signs of slowing down. They’ve led Boston to a 17-3-5 record with a league best 39 points. The Caps also have 39, but have played one more game and have one more regulation loss (4). The Bruins are ranked number one in offense (93 GF) and number one in defense (58 GA). Their power play is first clicking at a lethal 32 percent. The penalty kill ranks 12th at 83.3 percent.

Nobody has more power play goals than Pastrnak, whose 12 could lead some teams over a season. Yikes. He has 16 power play points and five game-winners. Marchand is 3-10-13 on the power play with four game-winning goals and a 27.7 shooting percentage (18 goals on 65 shots).

Without Bergeron, who always seems to miss some time due to injuries, the overlooked David Krejci is a suitable replacement. He has 17 points in 19 games with a plus-16. Charlie Coyle, who just re-signed for an average cap hit of $5.25 million, can either center the top line or the second one featuring Jake DeBrusk and Danton Heinen. All are good secondary scorers that supply depth. They also re-signed tenacious checking wing Chris Wagner to an affordable three year deal worth $4.05 million. His 69 hits pace the B’s.

The defense is still anchored by captain Zdeno Chara, who continues to defy logic by putting up five goals and seven assists and a plus-17. Sure. He can be attacked due to the footspeed slowing down. But he plays physical and has a perfect complement in partner Charlie McAvoy. It’s surprising that he hasn’t scored a goal. But the much younger right D does everything. Torey Krug paces them in D scoring with 18 points. Twelve have come via power play assists. Brandon Carlo and Matt Grzelcyk remain underrated along with Connor Clifton.

Sean Kuraly remains one of the league’s best fourth line centers. There aren’t many weaknesses. Tuukka Rask (12 Wins, 2.10, .931, 2 SHO) remains one of the elite goalies and Jaro Halak is a steady backup.

Basically, the Rangers must play a very smart game which includes staying away from any unnecessary penalties. They will be hard pressed to match the firepower of Pastrnak and Marchand, who are two of the best players in the game. They are tough on the forecheck and have ridiculous chemistry. Even minus Bergeron, they’ll be a handful.

I have to think David Quinn will use Brady Skjei and Jacob Trouba out as much as possible. If not, get the solid rookie tandem of Ryan Lindgren and Adam Fox out and see how they do. Do not let either Libor Hajek or Tony DeAngelo anywhere near the ice against that top line. No disrespect intended. But that wouldn’t be a favorable match-up. Boston has the last change.

I’m curious to see who Quinn decides to go with head to head up front. Is it Mika Zibanejad or maybe he shifts Ryan Strome back to center a third line with Artemiy Panarin and Jesper Fast. Well, really a one line B. He could mix and match like Wednesday. Filip Chytil has good chemistry with Pavel Buchnevich, who saw time back with Zibanejad and Chris Kreider. What about Kaapo Kakko and Chytil with Brendan Lemieux? Maybe Lemieux will be used as a deterrent.

Kakko has worked best on the third line due to avoiding the toughest assignments. If it’s Strome on the right wing, that means he could play again with Brett Howden. I’m assuming Greg McKegg isn’t ready yet. Boo Nieves could suit up again on the fourth line. Don’t tell me they’re gonna dress Micheal Haley because it’s Boston.

I would be surprised if Henrik Lundqvist didn’t get the start. He’s been playing his best hockey. The 41 saves on Carolina allowed the Rangers to win 3-2. That included 17 in the third period. He also was good in Monday’s come from behind 3-2 overtime win over the Wild that moved him in front of Curtis Joseph for fifth on the all-time wins list. He has 456. Marc-Andre Fleury is chasing him on Vegas.

With the Devils tomorrow afternoon in Newark, it makes sense to ride the hot hand versus the better opponent. No disrespect meant to New Jersey, who beat the Rangers in their first meeting. But it’s more logical to have Alexandar Georgiev go in the second game of the back-to-back on Saturday. Quite a busy stretch for the team.

Let’s see if Panarin can keep it going today. He leads the team in goals (12), assists (20) and points (32). It doesn’t seem to matter who he plays with. That speaks to the high end skill and intelligence he has. I’m curious to see how key secondary scorers Pavel Buchnevich (4-14-18) and Kreider perform. They need them to be factors.

It’s been DeAngelo (7-11-18) and Fox (4-10-14) leading the way on the blueline that’s doing its part. Skjei has picked it up since being re-teamed with Trouba. Obviously, they need to be solid and avoid mistakes.

Hopefully, the Rangers will be ready to go from the start. That wasn’t an issue last time. It was afterwards when they imploded. A great team like the Bruins can make you look bad. Let’s see if they can get some redemption.

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Devils thankful for a rare win on Turkey Day

Posted on November 28, 2019 by hasan4978

Quite frankly tonight’s odd Thanksgiving game in Montreal was the first I’d really paid much attention to in the last couple weeks, though I didn’t watch as much of the latter part of the game nursing a headache and turkey hangover.  I don’t remember the last time the Devils actually played on Thanksgiving, even the NBA isn’t going up against the holiday/NFL juggernaut tonight.  Perhaps it isn’t surprising that the only NHL game was in Canada where they aren’t celebrating American Thanksgiving, but it is a rough break for the Devils players to be the only ones away from their families on the holiday.  At least make it an all-Canada matchup if you’re only putting a standalone Canadian game today.  For whatever we think and say about these guys, they do have to sacrifice a lot of family time to play this game that (normally) entertains us.

At least this trip wasn’t a waste for the Devils from a results standpoint…they won and scored six goals, which are the best things I can say about the game.  It was more pond hockey reminiscent of the early season rather than the low-event hockey the Devils have played lately, which may well be a good thing long-term.  Firewagon hockey probably isn’t doing Mackenzie Blackwood any favors though.  It was a mixed bag for the young goalie, who played well for the most part with 44 saves, though he did give up four goals including a couple of eh ones.  Until and if this team ever went on a massive run though, all you can really look at right now is individual performances, and particularly of the younger players.

Perhaps most encouraging tonight was the game by Nikita Gusev, in a game with ten goals you could argue the biggest impact was by the KHL import who didn’t have one of them…but had three assists, a couple of the highest quality, and could have easily had four or five if the finishing had been even better.  His three point night pushed his point total to a respectable 11 in 21 games, and the arrow’s pointing up after a scary beginning.  Also worthy of notice was rookie Jesper Boqvist, whose first NHL goal was marred both by the fact it was in a loss to the Wild on Tuesday and that it should have been overturned because of a hand pass seconds before the goal.  Thankfully his second goal tonight had more meaning, and overall he was more noticeable tonight with three shots on goal and two hits in just over ten minutes of icetime.  It’s time for coach John Hynes to let the kid play.  Even when Boqvist wasn’t scoring earlier in the season he wasn’t hurting the team the way some other forwards have.

As rough as I’ve been on Miles Wood this season, his play has improved in the last few games and his breakaway goal was reminiscent of the skill he showed in his breakout season two years ago.  And after being quiet for much of the season, Blake Coleman’s roared to life the last couple of weeks – culminating in a two-goal, four-point night – as the line of Coleman, Gusev and Travis Zajac had their way with the slumping Habs.  While 2017 #1 overall Nico Hischier’s still been quiet, at least he’s piling up some assists with six points in six games.  Three goals in twenty-two games isn’t good enough at this point, but I’m not one of those fans that goes woe is us, we could have had Heiskanen or Makar!  That’s the ultimate second-guess considering everyone in the hockey world only had either Nico or Nolan Patrick as possible #1 overalls that year.  If one or a few guys below that tier wind up being better, that’s just tough luck and nobody’s fault.  It would be nice if some other guys who are even bigger names than Nico got going but c’est la vie.

For once at least John Hynes played Pavel Zacha, Jesper Bratt and Boqvist in the same lineup and voila, the team looked a little more exciting – though most of that had to do with the Gusev line at least Zacha had an assist and Boqvist a goal.  With our luck we’ll probably get Bratt scratched for John Hayden again on Saturday since we gotta use that grit against the Rangers in a rivalry game!  I do want to give the coaching criticisms a break on this holiday, especially after a win…but I wasn’t amused over the charade of assistant GM Tom Fitzgerald being behind the bench ending with nothing materially changed.  As I suspected, it was a move to try to buy Hynes time when he was under the gun, nothing more.

Although I watched some of tonight’s road game, Saturday’ll be my first home game in a couple of weeks.  I could have used a freebee to go to Tuesday’s game after selling my pair but wound up playing hooky and hanging out with friends at a trivia night instead.  I was definitely better off there, even though our trivia team only did about as well as the Devils and Louis Domingue against the Wild.  At least I was spared watching that fiasco, but there’s no hiding Saturday for my one and only Devil-Ranger home game of the season, after also being forced to miss the earlier one.  Seems like the Rangers have had more sustainable improvement than we have lately but we also had our best performance of the season against them last month, so who knows how it turns out Saturday.

Literally nothing would surprise me given both our teams’ wild inconsistencies.  If we blew them out, I wouldn’t be surprised, if they blew us out I wouldn’t be surprised.  I’m probably expecting a close game with blown leads (we somehow won tonight despite three blown leads) more than either blowout scenario though.

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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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