Game #17: Lightning strikes for Rangers in humiliating fashion, Chytil and Panarin bright spots along with a point on Georgiev

Posted on November 15, 2019 by Derek

Ondrej Palat celebrates his goal that made it 4-0 as the Rangers were embarrassed by the Lightning 9-3. AP Photo by Chris O’Meara via Getty Images courtesy Newsday

This one was ugly. If it were the old days in elementary school, the Rangers would get a ‘U’ for Unsatisfactory. Loose Translation: They got a lousy F in a uncompetitive mismatch that saw the Lightning do whatever they wanted in a 9-3 drubbing at Tampa.

They played without Kaapo Kakko, who had the flu. Jacob Trouba also left sometime in the second period with an “upper-body” injury. His status is uncertain for Florida.

It was embarrassing. If you thought the awful nightmare against the Bruins was bad, holy moly. It was over quick. Poor Alexandar Georgiev was hung out to dry. Prior to the game, I told Sean (@NYCTheMic) of BlueCollar Blueshirts not to take the Under. He believes Georgiev is the better goalie than Henrik Lundqvist. At this point, I’m inclined to agree.

However, I knew the Lightning would come out ready following their two game sweep of the fading Sabres. Don’t forget the 4-1 win the Blueshirts posted at home on them. A game they easily could’ve won by a lot more. I figured it would be an offensive mindset with plenty of open ice and a plethora of scoring chances. Boy, was I right.

It’s the way they lost that disappointed me. Almost as if they couldn’t be bothered to defend. I’m not going to say there was no compete from all 18 skaters. That wouldn’t be fair or accurate. Not everyone mailed it in. Structurally, they stunk. They knew it. I’m sure the blame Lindy Ruff crowd will pin it all on the unpopular assistant coach. Though I have no idea what he does to help David Quinn. So, you got me there.

Following a rare goal from known sniper Luke Schenn that Georgiev should’ve had, the first period took a turn for the worse. An undetected Alex Killorn elbow on Brendan Lemieux set the Rangers off course. What followed were some dubious calls including a Lemieux retaliation for a cross-check on Killorn along with a garbage slash on an irate Tony DeAngelo, handed a dangerous power play a full five-on-three.

It took that gnat Killorn all of five seconds to score on the first half of the man-advantage. Quinn was really upset at the bench. His mood didn’t improve much when Brady Skjei screened his own goalie to allow Nikita Kucherov to fire a bullseye off the far goalpost and in that increased the Bolts lead to 3-0 at 6:20. By then, Quinn told Lundqvist to get ready. He knew where this unmitigated disaster was headed.

Before he could even get loose, Ondrej Palat made it 4-0 only 22 seconds later. There was zero defensive coverage on this one. Adam Fox got burned by the speedy Palat. He took a Ryan McDonagh pass in the neutral zone and blew past a flatfooted Fox before blowing one by a shell shocked Georgiev to force him out of the net.

It happened that quickly. The Bolts got the first four goals within a 4:03 timespan. Only the Schenn goal was bad. The other three were a direct result of lousy penalty killing and poor defensive coverage. Joe Micheletti called them out on it after Georgiev was chased. It was hideous.

When Lundqvist relieved him, it didn’t get much better. Immediately, the Lightning went for the kill only to have the veteran make a couple of key saves. At the time, they were due to how early it still was in the game. What if the Rangers woke up and rallied?

As putrid as they were in getting outshot 16-5 including a lopsided 12-1 at one point, they did get one back courtesy of Chris Kreider on a mini break. Artemiy Panarin made the play possible by waiting patiently before finding a cutting Kreider, who was in on Andrei Vasilevskiy. He went to his signature move where he likes to deke and go backhand. However, as he made his move, Kreider lost control of the puck. Having been unlucky most of the first part of the season, he got a lucky break when it worked as a perfect decoy shot that fooled Vasilevskiy for his sixth of the season.

That made it 4-1. They did get a late power play on a actual call on Killorn for hooking with 1:20 left in the period. But like their first attempt which was too predictable, the Blueshirts didn’t get anything accomplished. Had they been able to score on it either at the conclusion of the first or start of the second, maybe it could’ve changed the complexion. Instead, they took the collar literally and figuratively.

They no showed most of an uncompetitive second period. Undisciplined penalties were the theme. Frustrated by the refs’ inconsistencies, they only hurt themselves on the scoreboard. A poor line change resulted in a bench minor. The worst penalty you can take when you’re getting your asses handed to you by a very skilled team that does a lot of damage on the power play.

It took all of 35 seconds for Victor Hedman to get the puck across to captain Steven Stamkos in his favorite spot for a one-time and a bang short side on a frozen Lundqvist. It was textbook passing by both Kucherov and Hedman for Stamkos, who’s money from that left circle like Alex Ovechkin.

All night long, there was too much space left for the talented Lightning to do what they wanted. The Rangers left way too many gaps. They may be able to score goals. But you cannot get into a track meet against Tampa. Even with Panarin still playing a good game in the blowout loss, it didn’t matter. With two assists, the Bread Man extended his point streak to a career high 10. During that hot stretch, he has four goals and 11 assists. In a awful game, Panarin somehow managed to go plus-three while setting up Kreider and one of two from Filip Chytil. That’s not an accident. It’s a credit to how hard he competes.

The Lightning continued to pour it on. They didn’t just do damage on the power play that destroyed the Rangers penalty kill by going a ridiculous 5-for-7. They also managed to get schooled at even strength on the next two Bolts goals. It was the Tampa fourth line that made it 6-1. On a Libor Hajek turnover and a blown assignment by Lias Andersson with way too much space between Skjei and Hajek, Kevin Shattenkirk got the puck over to a wide open Pat Maroon for a quick low snipe at the halfway mark.

Shattenkirk had himself a night against his former team. He wasn’t done. Less than four minutes later, Cedric Paquette and annoying pest Yanni Gourde got the puck over to him for a nice wrist shot and goal past Lundqvist for a 7-1 lead. On this one, Gourde moved around Brendan Smith and made a perfect feed for Shattenkirk’s fifth. With a goal and assist, he must feel like he went from Siberia to South Beach. Escaping New York for Tampa Bay is like going from the frigid November weather to nothing but sunny beaches and hot babes.

With frustration boiling over, Ryan Lindgren got into it with Tyler Johnson in front of Lundqvist. They went off for matching roughs. All hell broke loose when Lemieux was in tight on Vasilevskiy. He tried to stuff a backhand in, but the rating Vezina winner stoned him before being bumped into. To Lemieux’s credit, he did try to avoid him. But there was no way he could. What I didn’t like was Lemieux immediately dropping the gloves and catching McDonagh off guard with a couple of quick rights to the face before the ex-Ranger knew what hit him.

I understood Lemieux’s frustration. He’s a competitor and doesn’t half-ass it. He plays hard. But he could’ve shown some class by waiting for McDonagh to get his gloves off. McDonagh isn’t a fighter. So, it was dissatisfying. I wish it had been Killorn or Gourde. Two guys that acted like punks. Of course, the blind refs gave Lemieux an extra for goaltender interference.

Off a clean face-off win, Kucherov got the puck over to Stamkos for another rocket. Initially, it looked like his second goal with it seeming to tip off Lundqvist’s glove. However, as both Micheletti and Sam Rosen pointed out, Killorn somehow got his stick on it to put it in. The original Stamkos shot was going wide. That fourth power play goal took all of six seconds.

Judging from Lundqvist’s reaction, I got the feeling he’d ask out. Now, I don’t know for sure if he did. But sure enough, Georgiev returned for the start of the third period. I don’t care what the truth is behind that decision. I didn’t like it one bit. He was the backup tonight. But once Quinn went to him, our 37-year old veteran should’ve finished the game. It came off bad.

I’m really starting to wonder if Lundqvist is selfish. I don’t care what he did in 2012, ’14 or ’15. I don’t care about all the franchise records he has. All they do is make excuses for him. He doesn’t have to be here. He chose to be.

Seeing Georgiev forced back into the net bothered me. To the 23-year old netminder’s credit, he got back in and made some tough saves. That’s a good T-E-A-M guy. The only goal he allowed was to that fraud pansy Gourde, who again wouldn’t fight Lemieux. It was a fifth Tampa PPG. He caught Lindgren flat-footed and drove one far post and in.

Rather than focus on the Lundqvist story that MSG predictably ignored on their postgame with John Giannone, Steve Valiquette and Anson Carter, I want to praise Chytil for how he’s come back and played. A lot of young players get sent down and sulk after not making the roster. Instead, he went down to Hartford and played his butt off to finally get recalled when Mika Zibanejad went down to the mystery UBI.

All he’s done is score six times in eight games while looking like a totally different player. The best aspect is it’s at center. His natural position. He is in better position and making good reads and reactions due to a different confidence level. He put away his fifth goal early in the third by putting himself in the right spot to receive a good Hajek pass and fire home a beauty past Vasilevskiy that temporarily made it 8-2.

Following Gourde scoring on the man-advantage due to a Jesper Fast hi-sticking double minor, Chytil again was in the right spot to follow up a Buchnevich rebound for his second of the game. In a very bad game for the team, he wound up with two goals, won 7 of 12 draws and was plus-one in 15:08.

That tells me a lot about the kid’s character. He’s gonna be a good one. The chemistry he has with Buchnevich (team-leading 13 assists) is undeniable. I also like Kreider on that line. He’s starting to pick it up too. He nearly had his second of the game on a very good pass by DeAngelo. But he just missed. Definitely one he would want back. I also loved what he and Ryan Strome had to say in the postgame. Those are the only interviews I’m putting up.

Of course, it’s not even up on Rangers Twitter. What a waste. To summarize, Strome called it embarrassing and unacceptable. They hung both goalies out to dry and didn’t give themselves a chance. Kreider echoed similar thoughts along with them losing their structure and getting disconnected from how they have to play. That’s the best I can do.

No three stars. Unnecessary.

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Crickets chirping in Newark

Posted on November 14, 2019 by hasan4978

NHL.com has this video clip of last night’s ‘highlights’ as nine minutes long.  I beg to differ, and not just because I’m salty over the Devils’ latest fiasco at the Prudential Center.  Even when the Devils had a 2-1 lead through the first fifty-three and a half minutes, it wasn’t a particularly entertaining game.  In the glory days, it used to be that boring was other fans’ code for being bitter over our stifling defense shutting down games but in the case of last night boring represented two bad teams playing a near passionless game with one bad team getting ultra conservative with a one-goal lead and eventually paying for it.

Even with a surprisingly high attendance of 13,438 (barely 3000 short of capacity) for a midweek fall game against a nondescript team, it wasn’t like the team gave the crowd much to be excited about.  Other than maybe the first several minutes of the game when the Devils could have run Ottawa out of the building with some early momentum, outshooting the Sens 8-0 and getting a sweet breakaway goal from Wayne Simmonds to take an early lead there wasn’t much to report from the game.  Even Jean-Gabriel Pageau’s first goal that tied the game in the first was met with a collective ‘huh?’ reaction after he snuck in a shortside goal on Mackenzie Blackwood.

Maybe that goal was indiciative of how the Sens sneak up on teams in general.  If you asked me before the game I wouldn’t have guessed they even had six wins, or remembered the name of their head coach.  Nor did I realize Pageau even had a hat trick until I read about it in Derek’s recap.  After they stripped down and started an owner mandated budget-cut (i.e: ‘trust the process’) nothing was or is expected from Ottawa this year.  And clearly they’re not going to make the playoffs in a loaded Eastern Conference, but just the fact they compete and have gotten their share of wins early is indicative of buy-in from the players of this coaching staff, no small consideration after it wasn’t too long ago where some Senators players were videotaped in an Uber with unfiltered thoughts on the state of their team.

One of my bitter jokes last night was that if you had someone Uber-recording Devils players after the game they’d probably give the exact same cliched, milquetoast thoughts they give for public consumption.  Which isn’t a compliment, but rather an indictment of the so-called leadership on this team and the lack of passion in the room.  No I’m not expecting Scott Stevens to walk through that door, but it would be nice to see someone – anyone – throw a skate in the locker room and demand more from this underachieving group.  This lassiez-faire atitude reached a new low last night in the third period.  Once Devils defenseman (ahem) Matt Tennyson tied the game with a perfect screen in front of Blackwood on Mark Borowiecki’s goal, right there the team quit on the ice in the last six and a half minutes.  In a tie game, against the Ottawa Senators at home.  Basically every last man starting with my guy P.K. Subban, whose ‘effort’ on both Pageau’s winning goal and on a breakaway Blackwood had to stop before that was hideous…you don’t believe me, check that highlight video.

Not that he’s the only one whose effort dragged in those last few minutes but when you’re talking about a supposed leader on the team – whether it’s Subban floating around during the game or Taylor Hall after it seeming more preoccupied with his stats in his free agent year than the team’s losing, then Houston we have a problem here.  That goes to leadership and the lack of respect for it.  Why would the players have any respect for management when there’s been zero accountability in the last five years?  Say what you want about Lou Lamoriello, things got stale here – it was time for a change and the team needed a rebuild, I get all of that but he wouldn’t stand for what this team’s become now.   And he’s certainly getting the last laugh in Long Island now, isn’t he?  As the Islanders win their nine thousandth straight game while the Devils head for rebuild 2.0 and a deadline where Hall, Andy Greene and Sami Vatanen could all be on the move and we’ll be once again breathlessly hoping good things happen in threes with another lucky lotty drawing.

Not that winning lottos have done a lot of good for us at this point.  On this roster we’ve iced THREE #1 overall picks on an almost nightly basis – Hall, Nico Hischier and Jack Hughes – along with the ‘best player not in the NHL’ in Nikita Gusev, traded for a Norris Trophy winner in Subban and made other additions like Simmonds.  Yes everything needed to go right for the Devils to be on the plus side of the playoff bubble but instead, the total opposite has happened and everything has gone wrong.  Blackwood struggled early and fellow goalie Cory Schneider’s just struggled – again.  Gusev may have a world of talent but he’s been frighteningly bad away from the puck to the point where he was scratched for two straight games.  Subban hasn’t done much at all, and Hall only has two goals and is a whopping 0-7 on breakaways including one last night that could have put the game away early in the third period against a Sens team that really showed little bite until the tying goal.

Yes there’ve been plenty of low points this season – losing the four goal lead on Opening Night, losing a three-goal lead to Florida, but in some ways last night was the total nadir with the team quitting on a game the franchise absolutely needed to win if they wanted to sell any hope of getting back in the playoff race anytime soon.  Instead the Devils sank to the bottom of the Eastern Conference entirely with their twelfth loss in seventeen games, suffering their seventh home defeat in nine games.  I don’t want to hear about the St. Louis Blues last season being dead last in the NHL in January, that’s the exception rather than the norm plus it took 100 points to make the playoffs in the East last year (and 99 the year before that) while it only took 90 to make the playoffs in the West.  The Blues made the playoffs comfortably in the end but they would have had to go down to the wire to make it in the East where there’s a lot less of a cushion, especially when you factor in improving teams like Florida and the Flyers who didn’t even make the postseason last year.

It’s not even just that things are bad now…but what’s truly a discouraging thought is why should I think things are getting better anytime soon?  Even putting aside for a moment that a deadline selloff and rebuild 2.0 looms, what’s truly grating is with each passing day, week and month John Hynes and this current staff stays employed despite a resume of one playoff appearance in five seasons and a whole lot of ugliness around that, I’m that much more convinced that there’s no accountability anywhere in this organization.  Crickets are chirping while Newark burns down around Ray Shero, who may very well lose his second GM job based on sticking with a hand-picked coach too long.  That’s presuming the owners actually care about the hockey team and not just the profits in the building.

At least in the case of Dan Bylsma you could understand it, he won a Cup with Shero.  What has this head coach done to deserve total immunity?  I’m half expecting Shero to troll me and all Devil fans like Christopher Johnson with the Jets and announce that Hynes is here through the rest of the season and beyond.  You want to blame some of Hynes’ woes on the goaltending that’s fine, but he was supposed to be a developmental coach that hasn’t exactly developed a lot of the young talent on this roster.  Even Nico has stagnated in his third year.  If it wasn’t for Blackwood stepping up after his own bad start to the season – last night aside – would this team have any wins at all?

When a handful of players underachieve you tend to blame the players.  But when pretty much an entire roster is underachieving, that’s when you gotta blame the coach.  Even the good plumbers (as Jacques Lemaire would once famously say) like Blake Coleman and Travis Zajac have been MIA this season.  While this isn’t quite as bad as the John MacLean fiasco of a season yet, it may well get there with more ‘efforts’ like last night.  But at least you knew there would eventually be accountability for inefficiency and lack of effort in 2010.  I’m not so sure about that now.

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The Devil Dilemma

Posted on November 14, 2019 by Derek

Andy Greene defends a Senator during a disappointing 4-2 home loss for the Devils. AP Photo by Bill Kastroun via Getty Images

One of the real mysteries of the early season is the inconsistent play of the New Jersey Devils. Somehow, a team that improved its roster through the NHL Draft with top pick Jack Hughes, then trading for defenseman PK Subban, and signing well respected veteran forward Wayne Simmonds, has not found its footing.

Even a promising 2-0 start to a five-game road trip with back-to-back wins at Carolina and Winnipeg was tarnished by awful performances in consecutive losses to Calgary and Edmonton. At one point, they were outscored 8-0 after jumping out to a 2-1 lead against the Flames. Such implosions have been a frequent occurrence under veteran coach John Hynes. No longer the fresh face he was when GM Ray Shero hired him from Wilkes-Barre Scranton in the Penguins organization, the fifth year Devils bench boss isn’t getting it done.

Most discouraging is that following a feel good 2-1 win at Vancouver to conclude the Western Canadian portion of the road trip 3-2-0, they laid another egg in Wednesday night’s 4-2 home loss to the Senators. Like many games they’ve blown for mind boggling defeats, it was a game they should’ve won. Instead, they wasted a 2-1 lead courtesy of Simmonds and Will Butcher goals that had them up a goal after the first period.

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Unable to add to the lead in a second that featured a brilliant rush from Hughes, who split two Senators before being denied by veteran goalie Craig Anderson, the Devils left the door open for an Ottawa comeback. Having seen them first hand outplay and outwork the Rangers last week in a well earned Senators 6-2 win at MSG, they play the game hard. Despite not being the most talented, they continue to work hard under first-year coach DJ Smith.

If you let them hang around, it’s at your own risk. Ottawa has posted wins over the Hurricanes and Lightning. If you don’t bring it, they can beat you. Last night’s victory was their third over the last four. In fact, that made it four of six for a team that lost six of their first seven games at the start.

Having stated that, you cannot lose games like the one the Devils did at The Prudential Center in Newark on Wednesday. Not when you have higher expectations. This is a roster that’s supposed to challenge for a playoff spot. If we are judging it off the first 17 games, it’s a colossal failure. New Jersey finds itself with a 5-8-4 record for only 14 points. That puts them in last place in the Metro Division. In fact, their five wins and four ROW (regulation overtime wins) are the fewest in the Eastern Conference. A far cry from what’s expected.

The Devils are currently without top defenseman Sami Vatanen. I said top because after having trouble with injuries establishing himself following a trade with Anaheim that sent 2011-12 playoff hero Adam Henrique to the Ducks, he’s been the one constant on this year’s roster. In 15 games, Vatanen leads Devil defensemen in goals (4), points (8), plus/minus (4), and ranks second behind team captain Andy Greene in blocked shots (25). He’s also tied with Butcher with four assists. He missed a second straight game with an “upper-body” injury.

It definitely hurts the back end. Even with key addition Subban, who has yet to establish himself following a trade with Nashville, the Devils still lack depth on the blueline. Without Vatanen, the top four consists of Subban, Butcher, Greene and Damon Severson, who isn’t known for his defense. Yesterday, Hynes was forced to play both Mirco Mueller and Matt Tennyson as the third pair. They were on for a goal against in approximately 20 shifts.

The Senators got a signature performance from breakout star Jean-Gabriel Pageau. A name I’m quite familiar with unfortunately. His four goal game against the Rangers in a Senators comeback win in overtime was a crusher during the second round of the 2017 Playoffs. While Pageau isn’t as skilled as other forwards, he makes up for it with good skating and a consistent work ethic. He was at the center of the 6-2 win last week at MSG. He’s been on fire lately.

Since the two goal game on Nov. 4, the pesky center has eight goals over his last half a dozen games. That included a hat trick in which he victimized the Devils. Already having one back in the first period, Pageau got the game-winner with 2:01 remaining in regulation. It followed up a tying goal from physical defenseman Mark Borowiecki 4:29 earlier. One that Devils netminder Mackenzie Blackwood needed to have. There was some traffic, but the shot from Borowiecki went right through him.

Following his second of the game, Pageau anticipated what Taylor Hall wanted to do. The former league MVP who once carried this team to the playoffs only two years ago telegraphed a shot that Pageau easily blocked. He quickly fired the puck down ice into a vacated net for the hat trick at 19:34. An intelligent play by a complete hockey player.

Maybe that’s the biggest issue plaguing the Devils. Aside from getting unsteady goaltending from the tandem of Blackwood and Cory Schneider, who isn’t the same guy laterally due to the injuries, they don’t have many complete players that can lead the team.

Subban was brought in as much as a gate attraction as much as he was to help stabilize the defense. Two goals (one empty netter in a win over NYR) and three assists is hardly enough for a player of his caliber. While I’ve always admired his cool personality and what he does off the ice with charities, this is a former Norris winner who must perform better. If not, it’s going to be a long season in New Jersey.

The Devils know they’re not getting much from Greene aside from five-on-five play, penalty killing and the grit that comes with blocked shots. The reality is the well respected veteran just turned 37 and is in the final year of his contract. He could be on the move to a playoff contender that can use a guy with his character as a depth defenseman on a third pair. Similar to Marc Staal in New York, Greene plays a bigger role out of necessity. Listening to him speak to reporters after the loss is reason enough to respect him.

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AP Photo via Getty Images courtesy NHL.com

Then there’s Hall, who again failed to hit the score sheet. He remains stuck on two goals in 17 games. His shooting percentage is an anemic 3.2 percent. It’s not going well for the birthday boy. Hall turns 28 today. Two seasons removed from a awe inspiring Hart that saw him achieve career bests in goals (39), assists (54), points (93), plus/minus (14), power play points (13-24-37) while matching a career high in game-winners (7), the Devils leading point getter as legendary former New Jersey voice Doc Emrick would say, is without a goal in six straight.

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Hall’s 15 points including 13 assists pace the team. However, they need him to start finishing. Two goals on 62 shots isn’t getting it done. Neither is no power play goals or game-winning goals. He’s in a contract year. Unless things dramatically change, the Devils organization might decide to trade him. How much is a skilled player, who has a Hart Trophy under his belt gonna be worth? He currently is being paid $6 million this season. The cost next summer could be astronomical. Or out of the price range.

With Shero recently extending third-year pivot Nico Hischier for an average cap hit of $7.25 million through 2027, he’s looking to build at center led by 18-year old phenom Hughes and the 21-year old Hischier. The dependable right wing Kyle Palmieri is signed at a discount AAV of $4.625 million through 2021. He will cost significantly more by then. Considering that they’re probably going to lose Hall, Palmieri is a must keep.

Here’s the question for the Devils. Who else fits into their long-term plans? Simmonds is signed for a year which means his $5 million salary can come off the books. Vatanen also can become unrestricted next summer. He has a solid AAV of $4.875 million that expires following the season. The 28-year old right shooting Finn could be gone by the trade deadline. Especially with top D prospect Ty Smith in their future. Even though he didn’t make the roster, the 2018 first round pick is expected to make the jump from Spokane next year.

Which other forwards are worth keeping? Shero invested nine million over two years in former KHL star Nikita Gusev. A small 27-year old Russian forward he acquired the rights to from Vegas for a 2020 third round pick and a 2021 second round pick. A pretty good price to pay for a player who never played in the NHL until now. So far, it’s been mixed results. Gusev has four goals and two assists, but has also been a healthy scratch in three games. That’s not a ringing endorsement. If you are paying him an AAV of $4.5 million, he has to play. Their scoring depth isn’t great.

Hard working two-way center Blake Coleman is a good bargain that earns $1.8 million through ’20-21. He’s a good penalty killer and shorthanded threat. The 28-year old American has three goals and two helpers. He is a diligent checker who delivers hits. But he’s a third liner that must contribute. Last season was a breakout with a career high 22 goals, 36 points and 71 penalty minutes.

Two younger players they’re counting on are Miles Wood and Pavel Zacha. Each are signed through 2022. Wood gets $2.75 million AAV while Zacha costs $2.25 million towards the cap. Of the two, it’s the former first round pick Zacha who’s been one of the club’s most consistent players. No longer being used at center, he’s shifted to the wing and provided offense with a pair of goals and six assists for eight points. Consistency remains the key to his growth.

As for Wood, he remains a frustrating player for Devils fans. The 24-year old from Buffalo is a player who plays with a lot of energy. Sometimes, he can be too wired and take ill advised penalties. In their playoff season, Wood scored 19 goals and added 13 assists with 84 penalty minutes. 2018-19 was disappointing as he wound up only 10-14-24 with 91 PIM in 63 contests. So far, it’s much of the same. He is on the fourth line and has five points (2-3-5) with a minus-six rating and 10 PIM. He’ll sometimes create breakaways due to his work ethic, but doesn’t possess good hands.

Jesper Bratt is in his third year. The 21-year old Swede with the great speed has four goals and two assists while getting into 14 games. I don’t understand why he doesn’t play every game. He isn’t a top six forward. However, he can be helpful on the third line due to his skating and ability to create scoring chances. The other Jesper is Jesper Boqvist. A rookie who’s been used sparingly despite a good camp. He scored in a shootout, but doesn’t have an official NHL point yet in six games. Pretty soon, the Devils must decide what’s best for him.

One Devil that hasn’t been discussed is Travis Zajac. Believe it or not, the 2004 first round pick taken one spot after Lauri Korpikoski, is still in Jersey as one of the team leaders. Even though his production suffered following the bitter departure of Zach Parise, the two-way pivot has remained a solid player. Sure. The big contract former Devils architect Lou Lamoriello gave him was frowned upon. But the $5.75 million on average no longer looks that bad compared to some other contracts.

Last season, Zajac had a good year posting 19 goals and 27 assists for 46 points over 80 games. He was healthy and proved he can still be a key contributor. However, it’s been a bad start for him. He only has one goal and three helpers in 17 games. While his role might not be what it once was, Zajac is still a dependable guy on face-offs as well as the penalty kill. He can be used as a match-up center at five-on-five. Though that’s gonna be Hischier’s role very soon.

When you look at the roster, you can argue that key stars Hall, Subban and Hischier can perform better. Palmieri has 11 points (6-5-11). Hughes is 4-5-9 so far and continuing to learn. Simmonds is 3-5-8. If he’s not producing on the power play which has been a issue, that’s a problem.

So, is this team really this bad? Probably not. Unless the scoring picks up via Hall going on a hot streak and Subban finding the range, they’ll be hard pressed to win consistently. Blackwood is the better goalie. He’s only in Year Two. If Schneider’s struggles continue, would they recall Louis Domingue? It could be worth a shot.

This team will go as their key players do. Hughes will improve. He’s got that kind of talent. I would put him back between Hall and Palmieri. Let Hischier work with a second line of either Gusev or Zacha with Bratt.

What about Hynes? That all depends on Shero, who remains loyal to his friend. Obviously, it’s gotta be frustrating for Hasan and the Devils fans. They don’t have that look. When my friend Rob has thrown in the towel this early, you know it’s bad.

Whatever happens, the roster could look very different a few months from now.

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Interesting thoughts from Brendan Smith reveals a lot about his character

Posted on November 13, 2019 by Derek

Brendan Smith is one of the older players on the Rangers. At 30 years old, the veteran is the fourth oldest Blueshirt behind elder statesmen Henrik Lundqvist and Marc Staal, and role player Micheal Haley.

Originally acquired from the Red Wings in ’16-17 to help the Rangers advance to the second round of the playoffs, he re-signed for four years with an average cap hit of $4.35 million through 2021. After struggling mightily in ’17-18 due to admittedly doing too much celebrating following his wedding, Smith carved a new role under coach David Quinn last season.

With the organization going in a different direction by committing to a rebuild, Quinn decided to try Smith up front as a fourth line forward. The odd move saw the defenseman adjust his style even putting up points through hard work. It likely saved his NHL career.

While many pundits wondered if Smith would be a buyout candidate along with Staal, the Rangers did neither. Instead, they freed Kevin Shattenkirk, who has since found a new lease on life with the Lightning. Where all Rangers seem to go. For the Shattenkirk crowd, it was the best move for all parties due to Adam Fox and Tony DeAngelo along with big acquisition Jacob Trouba, who ironically has struggled compared to the other two right defensemen.

A good training camp for Smith saw him rewarded by Quinn. He once again became a fixture on the fourth line. He won the roster spot fair and square due to his work ethic. While there are legitimate gripes about the butchering of Lias Andersson, Smith has proven to be an effective fourth liner due to the energy and grit he brings. Though not a long-term solution, he also doubles as a penalty killing defenseman. Quinn has utilized him right.

Some people might ask why is Smith still in New York. It’s quite simple. His commitment to the team along with his character and experience are viewed upon favorably. Just listen to him during this recent interview put up by the Rangers on Twitter.

The man gets it. He understands what the team must do to win hockey games. He also doesn’t sound like a player, who is going to accept mediocrity. He’s talking about how getting wins now is just as important as next March and April. He’s right. Even if the playoffs remain a long shot, Smith has the right approach.

They want to create a winning environment. You never hear Quinn pleased following a blowout loss like they’ve had to the Bruins and Senators. Both at MSG. A losing culture is unacceptable. They aren’t the other tenant, who is run like a circus. Thankfully, Dolan isn’t involved with the hockey team. He lets his hockey people run it.

As for Smith, I like his message. It’s one that you want the younger players to get. They looked a lot happier last night celebrating Kaapo Kakko’s overtime winner over the Pens. That’s how it should be.

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Game #16: Kaapo Kakko Night, rookie lifts Rangers to thrilling overtime win over Penguins

Posted on November 13, 2019 by Derek

Adam Fox and Kaapo Kakko celebrate Kakko’s overtime winner highlighting a well deserved 3-2 Rangers win over the Penguins. AP Photo by Jim McIsaac via Getty Images

It took 16 games. Finally, Kaapo Kakko announced himself to the NHL. The number two pick of the 2019 Draft was sensational in recording his first career two goal game to highlight a thrilling Rangers 3-2 win over the Penguins in overtime.

That it came at the expense of the Pens made it more satisfying. A franchise that’s been gifted superstars Mario Lemieux, Jaromir Jagr, Evgeni Malkin and Sidney Crosby. They were without Crosby, whose status remains uncertain for their next game. However, Malkin played. Kris Letang did not. The great defenseman never can stay healthy.

It doesn’t matter. This was a good win for the younger Blueshirts over a quality opponent that’s used to missing players and still finding a way. Over the past week, we’ve seen the growth and maturity of the 18-year old Kakko. An emergency first-year player who is starting to show what the hype was all about. The powerful skating, strength and scoring touch are something to behold. He was the best player at MSG.

If Kakko starred by lighting up the Garden with two great goals including a thrilling overtime winner, then Adam Fox was the costar. The 21-year old smooth skating, right defenseman continues to improve in front of our eyes. In this one, he extended his point streak to five by recording a goal and wonderful primary assist that set up Kakko’s first overtime winner. He’s 2-4-6 over the hot stretch while forming a cohesive third pair with close USA World Junior Championship teammate Ryan Lindgren. They’re the Rangers’ best tandem right now. Both are 21 and growing in stature.

Not to be outdone, Alexandar Georgiev returned to the net after getting the past three games off. Back in as a starter for Henrik Lundqvist, the 23-year old Bulgarian was very good throughout. The only two goals he permitted came in a flat second that saw the Pens carry the play. Georgiev made some key stops en route to 30 for the game and his fourth win in eight games.

Without some point blank saves including one on Brian Dumoulin in the dying seconds of regulation, there is no big Kakko Moment. This was his night. He was dominant on many shifts including a monumental one where the Pens couldn’t get the puck away from him. He hounded it and nearly set up a go-ahead goal in the third period with the crowd buzzing. What an exciting player.

The first period was as good a start as you can have. With the game still scoreless, Brendan Lemieux took a Tony DeAngelo pass in his own zone and made a great stretch pass that hit Kakko in stride for a clean breakaway. Once he moved in on Matt Murray, the dynamic kid from Finland went to his signature move by faking forehand and then going backhand deke around the Penguin starter’s outstretched pads. A beautiful tuck for his fifth of the season at 6:42.

I actually heard it on the radio called by Don LaGreca due to finishing my piece on Don Cherry and the toxic culture of social media. If you haven’t done so already, go read it. I got some very nice feedback from some followers including knowledgeable Canadian hockey fans. It was overwhelming. Just being able to interact with other people without it turning into a childish argument is progress. I think a lot of adults have a lot to learn.

The conclusion of the first was just as exciting. On a kind of a broken play where Filip Chytil lost the puck right to Artemiy Panarin, the Bread Man went to work and found a cutting Fox wide open for a laser short side, high glove on Murray for a 2-0 lead with 9.3 seconds remaining. It was another gem from Panarin, who tied the longest point streak of his career by extending to nine straight (4-9-13).

The Pens responded in the second period by getting two goals to tie the game up. The first one didn’t take long to materialize. On an extending shift from the Malkin line, he and Marcus Petterson combined to get the puck over to Justin Schultz. He skated in and from a tough angle was able to snap a wrist shot off the far bar and in at 1:13.

Over ten minutes later with Fox off for one of those annoying phantom hooks, a bad bounce allowed Dominik Simon to get the puck over for Jared McCann, who pounded it past Georgiev and home top shelf. His power play tally tied it up with 7:27 left in the stanza.

Despite the Pens holding a 11-7 edge in shots along with more puck possession, the score remained tied at two entering the third. In it, each team made it fun by using their skating to generate scoring chances. Neither sat back. There were a combined 20 shots with the Pens leading the way with a dozen to the Rangers’ eight.

While Georgiev held down the fort at his end, Murray did the same on the other. That included stoning Pavel Buchnevich on the doorstep and then turning away Brett Howden on a great Kakko feed. Both netminders were good. Murray finished with 24 saves.

In the three-on-three overtime, chaos ensued. It didn’t look good for the Rangers, whose three skaters were caught out for a long shift. But the Pens never could finish it off.

Instead, it was Buchnevich and Fox turning it around for a quick counterattack. As Fox carried the puck at center, the crowd anticipation was building. What followed was a brilliant centering pass for a Kakko tip in that won the game at 2:24 of OT. It touched off a nice celebration.

It was fitting that Kakko got the team’s first overtime win of the season. He was the best player and it was a game they deserved to win. He joined some exclusive company that includes some great names of 18-year old rookies to record a two goal game. Yes. Crosby and Patrik Laine are in that list. Nice job.

This was an enjoyable game with a nice result. Hopefully, they can build on it.

Battle Of Hudson 3 🌟

3rd 🌟 Brendan Lemieux, Rangers (primary assist on Kakko breakaway goal, 4 hits and 3 blocked shots in 15:06 for hard nosed player)

2nd 🌟 Adam Fox, Rangers (2nd of season plus 🍎, +2 in 19:03, five-game point streak 2-4-6)

1st 🌟 Kaapo Kakko, Rangers (1st career 2-goal game including OT winner at 2:34, 3 shots, +1 in 16:38)

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Don Cherry comes clean

Posted on November 12, 2019 by Derek

AP Photo Detroit Free Press via Getty Images

By now, the hockey community knows that Don Cherry is no longer employed by Sportsnet. The less said about that network, the better. Ditto for lifelong partner Ron MacLean, who stood by and gave a thumbs up on set. Then buried his friend that helped him get his job back with CBC twice. With friends like these, who needs enemies?

The truth is Mr. Cherry is an 85-year old man who still has more energy and passion than people half his age. When it comes to the sport, Grapes has always given a hard hitting opinion on anything. A lot of the time, he was right. Particularly about the safety issues when it came to players getting hurt due to unsafe areas with no give like near the benches. He would illustrate how to block a shot without risking serious injury.

Of course, I always enjoyed his rants on face-offs. One time, I was over a friend’s house in South River, New Jersey when this quirky man who guided the Bruins to two Stanley Cup Finals in the 1970’s, went cuckoo over how important draws were. He screamed over and over again, “Face-offs! Face-offs! FACE-OFFS!”

It was one of the funniest things we’d ever seen on the Coach’s Corner. The always entertaining first intermission hockey segment on Hockey Night In Canada. There was no denying the chemistry between MacLean and Cherry. I wasn’t introduced to the back and forth banter until the 1990’s. Maybe it was due to not seeing anything like that before. Right away, it appealed to me. I couldn’t help but smile and chuckle at some of the stuff Cherry would say. But as a former successful coach, he had merit.

Even if you didn’t always agree with his controversial takes on Russian players (my biggest gripe), he had a point about having good old kids from Ontario on your roster. I remember one particular instance in which he went up and down the Maple Leafs roster. To say he was displeased would be an understatement.

When it comes to how I feel about building a competitive roster, I believe you need the right combination of skill, skating and physicality. It can’t be one dimensional. I watched the Canucks lose to the Bruins for the 2011 Stanley Cup due to not having enough grit. They didn’t push back enough against Boston, who had a prime Milan Lucic, Brad Marchand and Zdeno Chara. It cost them their first Cup. The Rangers were similar under Alain Vigneault. Though it was more due to the hated Kings’ superior talent, size and physical forecheck. It was a winnable series had they not sat back and relied on Henrik Lundqvist.

All this stuff is part of the way Cherry thinks. He is right about one thing. You cannot allow your team to get pushed around. We saw it with the turn the other cheek Blueshirts too much as the AV Era wound down. Under former Boston University coach David Quinn, they no longer back down. There are more scrums and even some fisticuffs even if that part of the game is fading. You still need some truculence. Having character guys like Brendan Lemieux, Micheal Haley and even skilled yet tough defenseman Tony DeAngelo helps. Especially with a young rebuilding roster. They can’t allow the kids to take cheap runs without retribution. Accountability is important in hockey. It’s a team sport.

As far as Cherry goes, he came clean today. In his first public statement to the Canadian Press, Grapes was candid about what he meant. Sometimes, words come out wrong. We’ve all been guilty of this. My conclusion was that Cherry should’ve worded his commentary on wearing poppies differently. Something he admitted in an interview.

The thing I like is his sincerity. He knows he messed up. But he also stood by what he meant yesterday. This was all about wanting more Canadians to pay homage to the great soldiers who served on Remembrance Day. It’s definitely something he’s passionate about.

Anyone who has watched him over the years knows how much he loves the great servicemen and servicewomen that sacrificed for Canada. How many haunting images have we seen over the years presented by him over the outstanding people who mean more to our way of life than anything. That goes double for every US soldier. They are the true heroes. Seeing the images of fallen soldiers presented by Cherry, who spoke highly of each by presenting their names and talking about who they were, always left me choked up.

No matter what you feel about the man personally, he got it. I’ve seen an awful lot of misguided opinions from the same kind of people I don’t have any respect for. They’re the same ones who reduce themselves to personal insults, unfair labels and cheap attacks that have no place in society or on social media. This is what’s being pushed by many in the mainstream media. Where everything is front and center. In your face even if they don’t always get the story right.

There are way too many people who jump to conclusions. Who don’t realize the psychological damage they’re causing along with grief. They are nothing but bullies. Cyber bullying is a serious issue in schools. So too is bullying. Often, it’s not the bullies who are blamed when sickening tragedies occur. If people treated each other nicer and with more respect, it’s my opinion that a lot of these shootings would decrease.

The media doesn’t help. They immediately put up photos of the killers and their names. Never thinking for a second that it comes off wrong. It’s the victims that matter. Their families will never be the same. Who were the innocent victims. The question is who drove these mentally unstable people over the edge. It’s something that’s frequently ignored.

They all ignore mental health. But the stigma is real. I know. I suffer from chronic anxiety and depression. But I don’t have a bad bone in my body. Most importantly, my mind. I wish more people affected by this disease were like that. Not everyone is.

The way we treat people matters. I’ve disagreed with things Cherry’s said over the years. He’s not perfect. Now, he no longer is part of Saturday’s. It was always going to end. It just should’ve been done differently.

Communication matters. Until we get back to treating people with opposing viewpoints right instead of attacking them, we’re fighting a losing battle.

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The Lias Andersson Issue

Posted on November 11, 2019 by Derek

Lias Andersson (with Brendan Lemieux above) has been handled poorly by the Rangers organization. AP Photo via Getty Images

Imagine having the foresight to see ahead and plan for the future. This is exactly what the Rangers did in the summer of 2017 when they traded Derek Stepan before his no move clause kicked in. General Manager Jeff Gorton packaged Antti Raanta with Stepan to the Coyotes in exchange for Arizona’s first round pick that became Lias Andersson at number seven and defenseman Tony DeAngelo.

That deal was consummated on June 23, 2017. At the time, it was a move that made sense. Following a disappointing second round series loss to Ottawa, it looked like the end of the window for that core to win under coach Alain Vigneault. It was an admission that the time had come and gone for a cohesive group that gave Garden Faithful some great moments.

Stepan was a big part of that. He centered one of the top two lines on the ’13-14 team that reached the Stanley Cup, and gave us a signature moment in a dramatic second round comeback from 3-1 down to stun the Caps.

Since we are in November, it feels somewhat appropriate for this Guns N’Roses line from one of my favorite songs, “November Rain.”

Nothing lasts forever

And we both know hearts can change

And it’s hard to hold a candle

In the cold November rain

Long gone are the glory days of Stepan, Derick Brassard, Mats Zuccarello, Brad Richards, Martin St. Louis, Dan Girardi, Ryan McDonagh, Carl Hagelin, Brian Boyle, Dominic Moore, Benoit Pouliot, Anton Stralman, Keith Yandle, etc. The only holdovers from the last run in ’14-15 are Henrik Lundqvist, Marc Staal, Chris Kreider and Jesper Fast. Richards, St. Louis, Girardi are all retired along with former Black and Blueshirt Ryan Callahan. Moore last played hockey for Zurich in the Swiss League. Pouliot last played for the Sabres.

Meanwhile, Brassard has been well traveled since his Big Game Brass days on Broadway. He’s now with the Islanders after going from the Senators to Pens to Panthers to Avalanche in very nomadic fashion. Zuccarello went from a rental with the Stars to signing with the Wild. Boyle has been all over the map since he set up Moore for the clinching goal that sent the Rangers to their first Cup Final in 20 years. He played for the Lightning, Maple Leafs, Devils where he became an inspiring story after overcoming Leukemia. Then the Predators and now the Panthers, who he scored his third goal for during Sunday’s 6-5 shootout win over the current Rangers. Yandle is a teammate. McDonagh is a key defenseman on the Lightning. Also a former captain.

To say things have changed would be understating it for the current Blueshirts under second-year coach David Quinn. In rebuild mode during Year Two, they’ve been up and down thus far literally. As the 7-6-2 record indicates, they’re the definition of mediocre. Not to diminish the early positive returns from Artemiy Panarin. It’s a work in progress.

There have been some bright spots over the first 15 games. We’ve seen the improvement of DeAngelo, whose ability to jump into the play and contribute has him ranked ninth among defensemen in scoring with 13 points (5-8-13). A net positive for the 24-year old who came on last season following a number of healthy scratches. He’s now established himself as a trustworthy top four defenseman, who can play the power play. Defense is still an area he must improve on.

He’s far from alone there. Featuring a few first-year players including Adam Fox, Libor Hajek and Ryan Lindgren on the back end, the Rangers are very young. The offense is coming for Fox, who Gorton wisely acquired the rights to from Carolina for a couple of draft picks. He’s got points in four straight entering tomorrow night’s home match against the Sidney Crosby less Penguins. Of the younger kids, Fox and Lindgren are the steadiest defensemen in their end. Lindgren just recorded his first NHL goal on Sunday. Hajek (2 assists) still is a little inconsistent despite the skating and skill he brings.

The positive side is Quinn is willing to give these guys some rope. That way they can learn from their mistakes. If only that applied to everyone. While we’ve seen 2019 second overall pick Kaapo Kakko start to find his footing with his fourth goal in the 6-5 shootout loss to the Panthers, there’s been nothing for Andersson. The 21-year old center the organization selected as part of the Stepan trade, remains stuck on the fourth line. He hardly plays enough under Quinn, who seems to prefer sophomore pivot Brett Howden. He centers the third line and is way more trusted by the coaching staff.

Nothing against Howden, who had a decent rookie season last year with 23 points (6-17-23) in 66 contests. But what is he? A good skater with a high IQ that allows him to kill penalties, the 21-year old from Calgary receives an average ice time of 15:45 per game. Over that span, he’s even gotten an opportunity to center the second line. A failed experiment that didn’t last long. So far, he has two goals and two assists in 15 games. They’ve treated him fairly.

They haven’t done right by Andersson, who was left answering more questions following yesterday’s match in which he didn’t even receive eight minutes. Quinn said it was just the flow of the game. Kind of a cop out. He’s used that same line before when Andersson doesn’t play enough. It’s a poor excuse. Why does he average 9:54 a night with about two minutes coming on the penalty kill?

What is the plan for Andersson? Is there one? Or is he stuck in a bad numbers game where the organization favors Howden due to trying to justify a trade with the Lightning? You know. The one that sent not only former captain Ryan McDonagh to Tampa, but JT Miller as well. Even if he was redirected to Vancouver, Miller seems to be doing real well in his new home.

The full trade was McDonagh and Miller in exchange for Howden, Hajek, now ex-Ranger Vladislav Namestnikov (Nick Ebert and 2021 4th Rd Pick), 2018 first round pick Nils Lundkvist along with conditional second pick Karl Henriksson, who looks like a steal. Overall, it could turn out to be a good trade in favor of the Blueshirts. Especially if Hajek improves and Howden. But it hinges on prospects Lundkvist and Henriksson. They could have a higher upside.

It’ll be interesting to see how things develop over time. When it comes to rebuilding, patience is required. Here’s the rub. In 81 NHL games, Howden has totaled eight goals and 19 assists for 27 points. That’s almost a full season. He hasn’t improved yet. Not if you’re basing it off what we’ve seen. He certainly works hard enough. But it comes down to production. He is getting every chance by the organization. Notice I didn’t say Quinn. I believe it’s the organization that wants Howden to succeed.

I want every young Ranger to. But not at the expense of Andersson, who they thought was worth taking seventh overall over two years ago. They liked him better than Casey Mittlestadt, who has more of a defined role on the Sabres. Martin Necas, Nick Suzuki and Robert Thomas were all available. Those are players with more skill than Andersson, whose tenacity and leadership qualities the Rangers liked. It’s not like he didn’t have a good World Junior Championship. Or did they forget his six goal, seven point performance to lead Sweden to silver. The medal he chucked over the glass in frustration.

Of course, the Rangers also selected Filip Chytil at number 21 of the same round. A player with a higher ceiling due to his unique combination of skating and uncanny ability to finish. The goal he scored on Sunday where he went around one player and snapped a perfect wrist shot gave him four goals in six games since his recall from Hartford.

While Chytil has looked like a different player after not making the roster out of camp, Andersson can’t escape jail. He remains centering the fourth line which now consists of Greg McKegg and plugger Brendan Smith, who’s been better than expected in a dual role where he doubles as a penalty killing defenseman. Yet people complain about that.

The same way they’re celebrating the demise of Don Cherry, who made an off color remark about wearing a poppy that was misconstrued due to how poorly he worded it in support of Veterans. How ironic that he’d lose his job on Remembrance Day. This is how intolerant society is becoming. I doubt he cares. He’s said far worse and is an 85-year old man, whose dedication to the sport and great Canadian servicemen will continue without hypocrite Ron MacLean and the hideous Sportsnet that caved in to the public outcry.

They should’ve just done it amicably a couple of years ago without it turning into a circus like the basketball team that plays at MSG. That’s my only take on the controversial matter. Things can always be handled better. They just aren’t anymore due to the overly sensitive PC culture on social media. I might be spending less time there.

Regarding Andersson, something has to give. Either they start playing him with better players on at least the third line, or shop him. This disturbing trend can’t continue. He’s being treated with kid gloves. It’s as if he’s never played hockey before. Something he’s done most of his life. This is why I don’t fully trust the Ranger organization when it comes to development. They don’t know what they’re doing. They’ve not only hurt Andersson’s confidence, but his trade value.

Manny Malhotra was handled similarly by a dysfunctional Rangers organization once before becoming a solid NHL player elsewhere. AP Photo via Getty Images

It reminds me of what the awful management did to another high first round pick in Manny Malhotra. He was treated similarly. Even after winning a Calder Cup with Hartford. I bet he couldn’t wait to escape that toxic environment. Even if it took until Dallas moved him to Columbus to get settled into a checking center role where he became a reliable face-off guy and penalty killer, Malhotra turned into a well respected NHL player who went on to a successful career.

History seems to be repeating itself. It really shouldn’t. This is a Rebuild. Andersson deserved to center the third line over Howden based on preseason. Instead, he’s persona non grata. Either play him and see if he can perform or free him from this chaotic madness.

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Game #15: Outclawed by the Panthers in a Texas Holdem style shootout, disappointing Sunday

Posted on November 10, 2019 by Derek

Ryan Lindgren is pumped up after scoring his first NHL goal. The Rangers lost to the Panthers 6-5 in a crazy game that lacked defense, but had plenty of excitement. AP Photo via New York Rangers courtesy Getty Images

Rather than do a traditional game recap, I’m gonna break down today’s dizzying 6-5 loss to the Panthers in a shootout a bit differently. If you’re a poker fan, then this game was for you.

It felt like a Texas Holdem style shootout that broke out at MSG. Not a hockey game. Both teams threw all their chips in. It was the visitor playing for a second consecutive day that won the pot.

There’ll be no Lou reference from Major League regarding an actual “winning streak.” It didn’t happen for the Rangers, who were just too loose defensively. They played into Florida’s hands by getting into a track meet. To hear David Quinn describe it, he summed it up best.

One thing he said is his team has a lot of scorers. That is true. The problem is you can’t play like that and expect to win. He felt that the defense has been lulled into a false sense of security due to the goaltending of both Henrik Lundqvist and Alexandar Georgiev. Go look at their save percentages. Though Hank’s was hurt by Sunday’s shootout. He entered play with a .921 save percentage despite still being over a 3.00 goals-against-average.

The amount of scoring chances this team gives up is absurd. After having the Hurricanes fire the kitchen sink at Lundqvist, who bailed them out with 45 saves, the Rangers didn’t play well. How can anyone argue? They vacated their assignments and made life difficult again on Hank. He was sharp in a first period that unraveled late. He was making the stops on good Florida shots until the 18-minute mark.

A period that started out promising thanks to a splendid passing play between Artemiy Panarin and Ryan Strome to get rookie Ryan Lindgren his first career NHL goal, became a disappointing one due to a pair of Panthers goals in only a 30-second span. Consecutive goals from Aleksander Barkov and Dominic Toninato (who?) turned a 1-0 lead into a 2-1 deficit after one period of play.

I’m not going to go crazy over Lundqvist finally giving in on a very good Barkov low snipe from the circle. He’s got that kind of talent. That’s five games in a row with a goal for Sasha after not scoring one. He’s a superstar on a good roster that still hasn’t figured out how to play under Joel Quenneville. The goal from Toninato was a total breakdown. They let MacKenzie Weegar and Dryden Hunt (who?) get in on Lundqvist, who went down to make a stop but couldn’t recover on the rebound by Toninato.

It was brutal. Maybe not quite like that disgrace from the Giants that I predicted when everyone had them beating the Jets in the Toilet Bowl. I listened to the radio call from a perplexed Bob Papa and Carl Banks while having the hockey game on mute. That way I could get both of worst best worlds.

I’ll be honest. As fun as it was to watch each team go goal for goal in a second that saw the Blueshirts win the old fashioned shootout 3-2, it was a bit frustrating. Filip Chytil scored a nice goal on a delayed call to tie it up. It was his fourth goal in six games. But a phantom hooking minor on a exasperated Strome, who also took a legit tripping minor in period one, resulted in a pretty play from Jonathan Huberdeau to Barkov to Evgenii Dadonov for a tic-tac toe power play goal that made it 3-2 Panthers. That was the goal of the game.

Then, Brady Skjei skated in and fooled Florida backup Sam Montembeault with a backhand from a crummy angle to tie it again 49 seconds later. A scrap between Greg McKegg and Toninato led to an extra two for roughing on the Panthers forward. A real good power play followed with Tony DeAngelo and Strome combining to set up an open Kaapo Kakko, who wisely skated into space before firing home his fourth at 7:31. It came two minutes after the Skjei goal.

Less than a minute later, the mystifying play continued. The lack of Rangers defense allowed Frank Vatrano to sneak behind and receive a Dadonov pass for a breakaway goal. He went forehand deke and backhand shelf on Lundqvist. As good a move and finish as you can have. Vatrano flies under the radar on that team. He’s good.

At that point, maybe it was due to all the craziness of both the football game on the radio and what felt like the longest period of hockey I’ve ever watched. I turned it off and fell asleep. I just figured both the Giants and Rangers were losing. I knew it. I didn’t miss much.

Chris Kreider scored a power play goal by neatly deflecting in an Adam Fox point shot for a 5-4 lead late in the period. Panarin drew the other assist. That gave him two more points. Both helpers. He’s a point machine. It doesn’t matter who he plays with. That’s why I say keep him with Strome and Jesper Fast whenever Mika Zibanejad returns. Let Kakko and the underrated Brendan Lemieux work with Zibanejad. Lemieux had a tough day. He took two shots on nice diving blocks and was in pain. Also was on for a couple of goals against. The Brett Howden line struggled at even strength. Howden lost 11 of 15 draws.

Speaking of Mika, they insisted it wasn’t a concussion when Patrice Bergeron reverse hit him two weeks ago. Does anyone believe the Rangers? They lie about almost everything when it comes to injuries to players. The timeline is never what it seems. It’s kinda ridiculous. And the NHL allows it. They let teams pull this crap due to the UBI and LBI abbreviations that every fan and reporter knows. It’s complete crap. That’s all I’ll say on that.

In the third, I caught the highlight of old friend Brian Boyle’s goal that forced extras. His third was what else but a good redirection while parked in front of Lundqvist. Keith Yandle took the shot. Boyle did what he does best. A smart signing by the Cats. Boyle also destroyed the Rangers on face-offs going 14-for-17. How dominant was Florida on draws? They embarrassed the Blueshirts by winning a ridiculous 76 percent (41-and-13).

That cannot happen in any game. You lose that amount of face-offs and you’re usually going to lose in regulation. The Rangers got lucky. They faced a bad backup and took advantage to score five times on him. You score that many and you should win. The blame Lundqvist crowd will be out in full force. Go and look at the goals and the highlights. He wasn’t perfect. Neither was Georgiev against Ottawa. But it wasn’t the goalie.

I haven’t even looked at the shootout until now. Vincent Trocheck picked his spot after going in deliberately. He beat Lundqvist glove side with a good shot to win the skill competition in Round Three. Hank allowed two goals on three shots. If you want to criticize him, you can there. Especially against Montembeault.

That’s a game you should win. But until the defense plays better, this is what you’ll continue to get. A mixed bag. And by that, I don’t only mean the six defensemen which apparently were down to five due to Lindgren missing some shifts. But also the forwards.

Don’t believe me? Watch how the Islanders play under Barry Trotz. Nobody says anything about the assistant coach either there. Trotz gets all the credit. This is basically for the Fire Lindy Ruff crowd. Let’s say they do can him. It’s still a young defense. There will still be issues. Anyone who thinks otherwise is out of their mind.

The Rangers got the Pens on Tuesday at home followed by the Florida trip with stops in Tampa Thursday and Florida Saturday. They get a day between each game. That’s not bad. I wonder if Quinn will go back to Georgiev against the Pens. We’ll see.

AP Photo via Getty Images courtesy New York Rangers

Battle Of Hudson 3 🌟

3rd 🌟 Evgenii Dadonov, Panthers (1-2-3, +1 in 19:38)

2nd 🌟 Chris Kreider, Rangers (4th of season on PPG plus 🍎, +2 in 20:28)

1st 🌟 Aleksander Barkov, Panthers (5th of season plus 🍎 in 24:27, 11/15 on draws, 4 shots)

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HARD HITS: How good are the Islanders?

Posted on November 10, 2019 by Derek

Mat Barzal celebrates a goal in another Islanders win. They’re off to a hot start in Year Two under Barry Trotz. How good are they? AP Photo by Jim McIsaac via Getty Images

It’s Year Two for the Islanders under superb coach Barry Trotz. After surprising many by finishing second in the Metro Division and sweeping the proven Penguins in the first round last season, they’re off to a great start.

Counting Saturday’s 2-1 home win over the Panthers, that’s 11 wins in their last 12 games (11-0-1). Over that span, it included a 10-game win streak that saw the very disciplined and detail oriented Islanders outscore opponents 34-17. In eight victories, they scored at least three goals or more. The only two they didn’t were a 3-2 shootout win and a 1-0 shutout. Nine of the 10 wins saw them allow two goals or fewer.

Even in blowing a three-goal lead in the third period of a disappointing 4-3 overtime loss to the Pens on Thursday, the Isles haven’t lost a game in regulation since Oct. 11 to the Hurricanes by a count of 5-2. By rebounding to another one goal triumph yesterday on goals from Mat Barzal and Scott Mayfield, they showed their resiliency.

All one has to do is take a look at the standings. The Capitals are first in the division and Eastern Conference with 29 points in 18 games. They’re 13-2-3 and look like they’ll be tough to beat. However, so are the Islanders. They’ve played two less games (16). So with a 12-3-1 record, they have 25 points to keep pace with those Caps. The 25 rank second in the East. One ahead of Atlantic Division leader Boston. By comparison, the John Tavares Maple Leafs have 22 in two more games played.

Go look at the Isles goal differential and how many they allow. While the Leafs are just plus-three (60 GF, 57 GA), the Islanders are plus-14 (49 GF, 35 GA) to rank third with the Pens behind the Caps (+19) and Bruins (+18). Similar to last year, the Islanders are tops in goals against per game with a 2.19 average allowed. They’ve permitted a league low 23 goals at five-on-five.

The interesting aspect is Trotz’s club can get better on special teams. They rank seventh in penalty killing at 85.1 percent while scoring three shorthanded goals. The power play is a different story. The Isles rank 19th overall clicking at 17.9 percent (5-for-28). That includes a dreadful 1-for-18 (5.6 percent) at home. Even though they haven’t played much on the road, they’re 4-for-10 for 40.0 percent in five matches away. That might help explain their 4-1-0 road record.

For the most part, the Islanders have fared well despite having two home rinks. Even with them playing more games so far at NYCB Live Nassau Coliseum, they’re a combined 8-2-1 in the 11 home games played. All they do is win no matter what. Drake would be proud. We kid.

The question is how good are the Islanders. Well, when you look at the play in front of goalie tandem Thomas Greiss and Semyon Varlamov, they’re getting the job done. In his ninth game (eighth start), Greiss made 37 saves while allowing only one goal to Aleksander Barkov. He’s won his last six decisions while permitting just 10 goals on 192 shots (.948 save percentage). That translates to a 1.67 goals-against-average (GAA).

Varlamov has been almost as good. He was a controversial signing by GM Lou Lamoriello due to replacing popular goalie Robin Lehner, who’s been putting up similar numbers on a worse Blackhawks team. They justified the move due to wanting to have the veteran Russian around to tutor top goalie prospect Ilya Sorokin. A third round draft pick in the 2014 NHL Draft taken number 78, he continues to excel for CSKA Moscow in the KHL. The 24-year old Sorokin has posted four shutouts and a 10-3-2 record, 1.24 GAA and .948 save percentage this season.

Prior to allowing four goals to the Pens in the third period and overtime, Varlamov had won five straight starts. That included a 27 save shutout over Buffalo on Nov. 2. Overall, he’s 5-2-1 with a 2.37 GAA and .928 save percentage. Solid numbers for the 31-year old veteran.

Even though they give up a lot of shots against per game (32.1) to rank 13th overall, neither goalie is complaining. That’s largely due to the Trotz system. If last year felt like a crash course in adjusting to go from the worst defensive team to the league’s best, then this time around the Isles are a well oiled machine. They’re so disciplined in how they play by limiting opponents’ chances to the outside. When they do give up a quality one, both Greiss and Varlamov are there more often than not to shut it down.

The neutral zone is like a maze for opponents to get through. They make it hard by clogging up the middle and taking away areas to skate into open space while being diligent defensively. You’re not getting too many free passes or easy access into the Isles zone. That’s a credit to how tough they are under Trotz. It’s not much different from how the old style 90’s Devils teams played under Jacques Lemaire. While it can be sleep inducing for foes, it’s very effective.

Let’s put it this way. Leading scorer Barzal ranks 56th among NHL skaters with 14 points (7-7-14). He’s the only New York Islander in the top 85. Josh Bailey is 86th with a dozen points (6-6-12). However, if you can hold opponents down the way they have, you don’t need to score as many goals to be successful. Note also that Barzal is picking up key goals and assists while being responsible defensively. He’s a plus-12.

When your best player is buying in, that bodes well. The great thing about the Isles is everyone gets a chance to be a hero. Even Cole Bardreau, who scored on a penalty shot in a recent win. He just got sent back down to Bridgeport, but that one goal will always be a special moment. That in a nutshell is this team. Jordan Eberle just returned yesterday and his one highlight was playing goalie for Greiss by making a diving save to prevent a goal. Not known for his defense, it was no problem for Eberle.

Since they’re so good at even strength, most of the roster is full of pluses. Only Bardreau (-1), Tom Kuhnackl (-1) and rookie Oliver Wahlstrom (-2) have minuses. Even Derick Brassard has been revitalized. Playing under Trotz, the former Ranger playoff hero has five goals and three assists. That included a recent five-game goal streak in which he went 5-1-6 and plus-six. Seven of his eight points have come since Oct. 24. Maybe there’s still hope for Big Game Brass, who was signed as a replacement for Valtteri Filppula.

You know what you’re going to get from vets Brock Nelson, Anders Lee, Anthony Beauvillier, Casey Cizikas, Cal Clutterbuck and Matt Martin, who remains out with an injury. However, it’s the continued evolvement of the defense led by sophomore Devon Toews (2-8-10) that’s making a difference. Adam Pelech and Mayfield continue to improve along with shutdown right defenseman Ryan Pulock. Vets Johnny Boychuk and Nick Leddy remain dependable while Trotz works in first round pick Noah Dobson. His development is a key moving forward.

So, can a good team with solid structure go deep in the playoffs? It’s hard to say. They don’t win with skill, but rather with will. There’s a lot of grit and determination to these Islanders. They’re the sum of its parts. Once, former Ranger coach Colin Campbell called the Devils a flock of interchangable parts. Or something to that effect. It was viewed as disrespectful. The funny part is it wasn’t. He was praising how well each player fit into their roles. It’s similar with the Trotz Isles.

I’m not ready to make any crazy prognostications. I didn’t even have them in the playoffs again. Let’s also remember that we haven’t reached the quarter mark yet. As good as they are right now, it’s too early to say for sure where they’ll be in a few months.

I still believe you need a bit more skill to be successful in the postseason. No disrespect to what they’ve accomplished. If they are indeed in the playoffs again, Lamoriello should do everything in his power to make a big trade that can ultimately make a difference. It’s very hard to sustain this level by outworking opponents when the competition picks up. That can work in the regular season.

I’m not sold on three rounds of the playoffs just to reach the Stanley Cup Final. The John Tortorella ’11-12 Rangers squeezed every ounce and they had considerably more talent before losing to the Devils in the Eastern Conference Final.

BODY CHECKS:

How much longer until the Devils pull the plug on coach John Hynes? They take two steps forward with good road wins in Carolina and Winnipeg. Then lose by a combined score of 9-2 to the Flames and Oilers in a failed tour of Alberta. What if they lose the final game of the Western Canadian swing in Vancouver later today?

Cory Schneider looks done. It’s a real shame. But the injuries have reduced him to a backup role behind second-year goalie Mackenzie Blackwood. Schneider’s lateral movement isn’t as good side to side which explains why he allows questionable goals. He’s a good team guy who’s always at his locker win or lose. It’s gotta be tough.

If you’re building a franchise, choose one player not named Connor McDavid.

A. Leon Draisaitl

B. Nathan MacKinnon

C. David Pastrnak

D. Elias Petterson

I only included Petterson because he’s proving already that his Calder season wasn’t a fluke. He’s over a point-per-game and is the focal point of an improved Canucks that also features captain Bo Horvat, Brock Boeser, Quinn Hughes and goalie tandem Jacob Markstrom and Thatcher Demko.

JT Miller seems to be fitting into Travis Green’s system so eight goals and 10 helpers with three power play goals by being the net front presence. Why didn’t he have that role in Tampa?

As great as Pastrnak is with his league-leading 15 goals, nine power play goals and 30 points which ties with Draisaitl for first in the scoring race, sidekick Brad Marchand remains a must watch player on that dominant top line with Patrice Bergeron in Boston. So low to gravity is the Rat that he’s nearly impossible to check and is the straw that stirs the drink. As his 10 markers, 18 helpers, 28 points, three game-winners with 35 penalty minutes prove, he’s a royal pain in the ass. And one of the game’s best players.

When I wrote a post devoted to Marchand for Hart a couple of years ago, I wasn’t kidding. Too bad he’ll never be popular enough with writers who despise his antics yet have no problem with rating MVP Nikita Kucherov continuing to deliver controversial hits like the low bridge he had that injured Sabres forward Vladimir Sobotka in Sweden. Hypocrisy, much?

If you haven’t already, do yourselves a favor and see The Russian Five movie that recently aired on NBCSN following Wednesday Night Hockey between the Rangers and Red Wings. What an emotional and uplifting tale it is of Russians Igor Larionov, Slava Fetisov, Sergei Fedorov, Vyacheslav Kozlov and Vladimir Konstantinov, whose injury in a limo following Detroit’s first Stanley Cup victory in 42 years, ended his hockey career. As they retell and I recall, it motivated the Red Wings to repeat as champs with a teary eyed ending following a sweep of the Caps turning into the emotional moment of Konstantinov being wheeled out with the Cup. It’s still one of those moments that gives fans chills. The whole two hour movie is done so well. It sure takes me back to a different time.

For my money, the Hart season Fedorov put together in ’93-94 where he was at the pinnacle going 56-64-120, remains the best ever season by a Russian hockey player. He led the league with 39 even strength goals while adding another 42 assists at even strength, totaling 81 ES points. He added 13 power play goals, four shorthanded and 10 game-winning goals. Number 91 was all world firing 337 shots and going plus-48 to win the Selke while sweeping the Hart and Pearson elected by the players. He was special.

John Carlson leads all defensemen with 28 points (10-18-28), turning it into a video game. This is the way it once was for Paul Coffey, who only played with some of the all-time greats with Edmonton, Pittsburgh, Los Angeles and then Detroit. His 28 points are 10 clear of Dougie Hamilton and 11 up on Roman Josi and Calder leader Cale Makar.

Erik Karlsson is minus-11 with a goal and 10 apples in Year One of that big new contract in San Jose. The injuries have taken a toll on the old 29-year old defenseman with a high pain threshold. It’s too bad he’s struggling so mightily. We called it. Teammate Brent Burns is not much better either with a minus-11 despite 16 points (3-13-16). No wonder the Sharks are where they are.

The Leafs remain a good team that’s flawed. Despite all their insane talent, they give up almost as many goals as they score. They added Tyson Barrie in an offseason trade with the Avalanche to improve the defense. However, Mike Babcock hasn’t figured out how to utilize him. Morgan Rielly puts up all the points from the blueline still. Mystifying.

At some point, Sergei Bobrovsky is gonna turn it around with Florida. He’s too good a netminder for this to continue. They’re winning in spite of him. Joel Quenneville is one of the best coaches. He’ll reel it in.

If both Ryan Strome and Tony DeAngelo continue producing, how do the Rangers not extend both? They’re part of the team’s early success. Neither is old. There’s nothing wrong with keeping good players to move your rebuild in the right direction.

I found it fascinating how Alexei Kovalev critiqued how he was handled by the Rangers. Especially in the short-lived second go round when Glen Sather acquired him back from Pittsburgh. Somehow, he was misused by playing out of position as a left wing instead of his normal right wing. He also wasn’t utilized properly on the power play. Funny. But even when they were making the playoffs under Alain Vigneault, he misused Eric Staal similarly. Hockey’s Different Here!

For more on Kovalev and Fedorov, go follow Gillian Kemmerer on Twitter @gilliankemmerer. She had two great interviews with each. Kovalev’s can be found here.

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Staal to miss at least two weeks due to ankle procedure, a message for misguided fans

Posted on November 9, 2019 by Derek

When coach David Quinn indicated to reporters that some players were ‘banged up,’ he wasn’t kidding. Apparently, Marc Staal was one of those players. The veteran defenseman had minor surgery to repair an ankle infection that stemmed from what else but a blocked shot.

Staal will be out at least two weeks before being reevaluated. With a game tomorrow against the Panthers, the Rangers haven’t announced if they’re recalling someone. They’ll have to wait until later with Hartford playing Belleville tonight.

Of course, Quinn can always shift Brendan Smith back to his original position if someone has to come out of the lineup. Smith plays forward on the fourth line while working double duty as a defenseman on the penalty kill. For now, Brady Skjei will come back in tomorrow after sitting out his first game. We’ll see how he responds.

With Ryan Lindgren not giving the coach a reason to take him out, it’s a good bet that we’ll see a defense of Libor Hajek, Jacob Trouba, Skjei, Tony DeAngelo, Lindgren and Adam Fox. This is a opportunity to find out more about the younger blueline with Staal out. We’ll see how they do.

As for Staal, it just proves how misguided some of the fanbase can be. There are fools celebrating his injury because he’s not the same player he was. I’m not sure if they noticed. But the team won the last two games with Staal in the lineup. To be fair, that included Henrik Lundqvist making 45 saves at Carolina the other day.

https://twitter.com/Kovy274Hart/status/1193238934886780928?s=19

The point is no matter what you feel for Staal, who’s only given his blood and guts for 13 years, being happy when a player is hurt is wrong. It’s classless and trashy. Childish behavior that’s been promoted in other spaces. The less said about it the better.

Given how hard Staal plays, it’s not a surprise that he played hurt. So too did former teammate Dan Girardi with an ankle that looked like a balloon under Alain Vigneault. The things heart and soul guys do to play is crazy. That’s the mentality of hockey players. They will play through pain. Not take games off for aches and pains like NBA superstars.

That’s why Staal has my respect. If you’re upset about the contract, take it out on Glen Sather. He also overpaid Lundqvist. That hasn’t helped either. For those celebrating his great game, remember one thing. He’s done it before the past couple of seasons. The key is being able to sustain it. The defense isn’t changing for him or Alexandar Georgiev. Neither are the forwards, who aren’t always in the right spot.

Good defense is about all five players. Not just the two defensemen as some would have you believe. Will they have more inconsistent performances that tax the goalies? Probably. At least number 18 won’t be blamed.

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