Sunday stuff that’s bugging me about Rangers

Posted on October 27, 2019 by Derek

It’s a yucky day outside. On a football Sunday, the Rangers play host to the Bruins tonight. While an Original Six match up between classic rivals is always nice for the fans to take in, there are some things that are bugging me.

Let’s start with the throwback game between Bruins and Rangers Alumni. If you don’t have a ticket for the special event which is probably concluding at The Garden, you’re out of luck. Unless you cover the team via media credential, you can’t experience some of the familiar faces that made this one of the most unique rivalries.

Yes, that’s former Bruins center Bob Sweeney beating ex-Ranger backup goalie turned MSG analyst Steve Valiquette. At last check, it was 3-0 Boston. Would you like to know what they were airing over this cool game? The woeful Knicks home opener that saw the Celtics humiliate them the final quarter. Plus the best of MSG 150… Anything to save money in production costs for Dolan. The same crook who rips off fans of the Rangers and Knicks.

I’m sure they’ll show highlights the next time they air a Rangers game. I’m not sure if it’s tonight due to NHL Network having the game. My guess is it’s still gonna be on MSG except for blackout restrictions. Whatever. We won’t be home. We’re going.

This will be my first and last game of the season. At least it’s a good opponent, who plays hockey well. There’s no better line than Patrice Bergeron centering Brad Marchand and the sizzling David Pastrnak, who enters with a league-leading 11 goals.

What else has me annoyed? David Quinn. Following a 6-2 win over the Sabres where his team dominated, he has again decided to go Combos with his lines. Yes. I’m not kidding. Kaapo Kakko is expected to be off the top line already. Jesper Fast replaces him.

Why? This is a joke. Put the prize second pick in the best position to succeed. That’s what the Devils have finally decided to do by having number one overall pick Jack Hughes center Taylor Hall and Kyle Palmieri. Hughes posted a goal and two assists for his first career three point game in a 5-3 loss to the Coyotes.

With Vitali Kravtsov deleting all his photos of being a Ranger on Instagram after deciding to bolt boring Hartford to go back home and play for Chelyabinsk Traktor of the KHL, it’s just not a good look. Sure. He was only drafted first round in 2018. And yes. He didn’t disrespect the organization despite loose interpretations of a interview he gave to Eurosport. That includes Brendan Smith, who he indicated played better than him in camp. That’s true.

Kravtsov is only 19 and doesn’t turn 20 until two days before Christmas. He also had the opt clause to go back home if he wanted to. Considering that there wasn’t a spot for him in New York and he wasn’t getting ideal ice time with the Wolf Pack, it makes sense for him to go play for a pro team he’s more familiar with. The Rangers have the option to recall him. However, it’s likely Kravtsov will stay in the KHL until the conclusion of the season in late February. He should be back.

I’m sick of people bashing Smith. It’s not his fault the Rangers aren’t good at development. All he’s done is give an honest effort in the first eight games while doubling as a top penalty killing defenseman. It’s just sad that former 2017 first round pick Lias Andersson finds himself on the fourth line playing with Smith, Greg McKegg, or Micheal Haley. Why is Haley here for? They couldn’t just give that spot to Boo Nieves.

If the Smith bashing is bad, then the cries for Marc Staal to retire are ridiculous. While it’s true his possession numbers are atrocious, he’s far from alone. If these other bloggers want to preach their charts so badly, why don’t they have a closer look at the zone starts. That tells a lot of the story. Even Jacob Trouba is at 43.0 Corsica. He must suck. Right? What’s even funnier is frequent target Neal Pionk has recovered nicely with Winnipeg.

The truth here has to do with personnel. Pionk still lots a ton for the Jets minus Dustin Byfuglien. The Winnipeg forwards are way better than the Rangers. Even with the addition of Artemiy Panarin and Kakko, who’s still adjusting, the Blueshirts pale in comparison to the Jets, who feature Blake Wheeler, Mark Scheifele, Patrik Laine, Kyle Connor and Nik Ehlers. You should’ve seen the pass Connor made for Bryan Little’s overtime winner to beat Calgary in the Heritage Classic at snowy Saskatoon.

Tony DeAngelo has been on a nice roll since his benching. He’s up to four goals thanks to three over the last two games. After playing with Brady Skjei, who had a better game on Thursday with two assists, DeAngelo is back with Staal on the top pair. There’s no way Staal should be deployed that way at this stage of his career. This is due to Quinn continuing to have Trouba work with rookie Libor Hajek. Skjei will pair up with Adam Fox, who continues to improve game to game. He picked up his first NHL point on Chris Kreider’s first of the season.

So, here are your expected NYR lines at least to start:

Kreider-Zibanejad-Fast

Panarin-Strome-Buchnevich

Lemieux-Howden-Kakko

McKegg-Andersson-Smith

Let’s stop right here. If he’s not gonna rock the vote and use Kakko with Zibanejad, then why the heck isn’t he with Panarin? This is baffling. Howden, Lemieux and Fast had solid chemistry as the third line. Now, he breaks them up at the expense of Kakko, who has to be confused. We’re only nine games in. Quinn has tried every combination except for the one everyone is dying to see.

Panarin-Zibanejad-Kakko

What will it take for the second-year coach to stop babying Kakko? He’s limiting him at the expense of veterans that have no bearing on the team’s future. Talk about a fail.

It’ll be Henrik Lundqvist again in net. He faces Boston backup Jaro Halak due it being the Bruins second game of a back-to-back. Tuukka Rask pitched a shutout yesterday in a Boston win. He’s the active goalie leader in GAA and save percentage. The only thing missing is a Stanley Cup. He came up short for the second time as a starter losing to the Blues last June.

Hopefully later, DQ won’t piss me off any further.

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Дас вы Даная Кравтсов: Goodbye for now Kravtsov

Posted on October 25, 2019 by Derek

Vitali Kravtsov is leaving Hartford to go back to Russia to play for Chelyabinsk Traktor of the KHL. Whatever the reason, that’s where he wants to be. So, he will spend the remainder of the season playing for a team he’s familiar with.

Predictably, there’s been some overreaction to Kravtsov deciding he’d rather develop back home than with the first place Wolf Pack of the AHL. His friends Igor Shesterkin and Yegor Rykov are staying. However, he’s younger. Selected by the Rangers with the ninth pick in the first round of the 2018 NHL Draft, he doesn’t turn 20 until December 23. That’s right before Christmas.

As much as I would’ve preferred him to stay in Hartford to learn the North American style of hockey, I’m okay with it. The Rangers have a clause where they can recall Kravtsov at any time. Considering that he didn’t get off to a good start with one assist in five games with the Pack, I don’t expect to see him for a while. He wasn’t going to be here anyway.

I guess I’m not freaking out over this development like some. Maybe it’s because I understand that there isn’t a role for Kravtsov with the Rangers at the moment. Had he impressed with the Pack, who knows? It was unrealistic to expect him to start fast in a league he was unfamiliar with. Filip Chytil has eight points so far because he’s a year older and spent a season there.

That’s perspective. As long as Kravtsov performs well and matures back home with his KHL team, great. He can return this season. I wouldn’t expect him until after the trade deadline. Maybe mid March when Traktor’s season ends. By then, the roster should look different.

This was supposed to happen. There had been rumors earlier this month that Kravtsov would wind up back in the KHL. I’ll give credit to the guys at Forever Blueshirts for initially breaking this story. They have some reliable people over there who are in tune with what’s going on in Europe.

Unlike other Rangers blogs, they aren’t all fluff. Give them a follow on Twitter @4EverBlueshirts.

That will do it for now. Here’s hoping it all works out for Kravtsov and the Blueshirts.

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A truthful quote from Ryan Strome

Posted on October 25, 2019 by Derek

I always find it fascinating when you have a player, who doesn’t take any credit for having a good game.

Take Ryan Strome for example. With his first two goals including the game-winner during the last minute of a superb first period of the Rangers’ nice 6-2 win over the Sabres, the game’s number one star didn’t overreact to it. He’s a very even keel and hard working player, who deserves more attention for a good start that’s seen him put up six points (2-4-6) in the team’s first eight games.

The former Islanders fifth overall pick seems to have found something since coming over from Edmonton last season for Ryan Spooner. After putting up solid numbers in a secondary role, he’s continuing to make plays in a contract year as a Group II free agent.

Not only that. He also seems to have a good perspective on things. Here’s a good quote from Strome on last night’s victory that ended a five-game losing skid (0-4-1).

“The most important thing is guys know their identity, guys know who they are. No matter what line you’re playing on, if you bring to the table what you were brought here for, I think we’ll be successful.”

If the rest of the players have that approach, then it should bode well moving forward. Good on Strome for being humble as well as truthful.

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Game #8: Strome, Howden and birthday boy DeAngelo highlight well deserved win over Sabres

Posted on October 24, 2019 by Derek

AP Photo credit via New York Rangers courtesy Twitter.

Almost everything worked tonight. David Quinn wanted to see a more complete effort. By altering his lines by splitting up Artemiy Panarin and Mika Zibanejad, he got the results he wanted.

It took eight games for the Rangers to give fans cause for excitement. They were superior in every way to the Sabres at MSG. A stronger attention to detail, better work ethic and improved pace resulted in a satisfying 6-2 home win over a good Buffalo team that entered play winning eight of their first 10 games.

Fittingly, Panarin started the night with a tremendous play to score a highlight reel goal unassisted. Pressuring Rasmus Dahlin in the neutral zone, he stole the puck and broke in on hot Sabres starting goalie Carter Hutton. The Bread Man undressed Hutton by going around his poke check attempt to tuck in a wonderful backhand for a pretty goal.

Playing on a new second line with the game’s first star Ryan Strome, and a more inspired Pavel Buchnevich, Panarin didn’t miss a beat. He had good chemistry with his new linemates. That line combined for four of the team’s six goals. The trio were dominant thanks to a consistent forecheck. Something that had been lacking.

Another area that picked up was the physicality. For once, the Blueshirts played with passion by finishing their checks. Not the most physical team, they out-hit the Sabres 34-28. It was the willingness to get the jersey dirty that was a welcome difference. They were gritty and determined in a dominant first period that saw their hard work rewarded. They outscored Buffalo 3-0.

There were tighter gaps defensively. Better details from a team that had a five-game losing streak (0-4-1). Even though they got outshot 33-24 for the game with the Sabres coming hard in the second period, the Rangers were more focused. That’s how they have to play to have a chance each night.

It was that determination that led directly to the second goal. Thanks to outstanding work started by Brendan Lemieux with his hit keeping a forecheck alive, Jesper Fast put the puck in front for Brett Howden, who finished off his second at 14:32. It was his first goal since Opening Night. He was superb in this one. Playing with Lemieux and Fast did wonders for his game. The 21-year old earned the game’s second star with a goal and primary assist on Strome’s second later. It was one of his best games.

Interesting commentary from Howden on what Quinn went over with the team in a video session both Sam and Joe referenced throughout. Sometimes, having players watch themselves can demonstrate what’s wrong. Howden made sure to talk about it in a quick postgame interview outside the locker room.

Another area the Rangers shored up was the unnecessary early penalties that had been plaguing them. The only penalty was taken by Chris Kreider, who had his hooking minor with 4:27 remaining killed off by a more aggressive unit. They didn’t give Jack Eichel any easy looks. He was coming off a four-point game that including an overtime winner in a 4-3 overtime win for the Sabres over the Sharks a couple of days prior.

Already up two, they put a bow on the great period by scoring in the final minute. Fittingly, it would be Strome doing the grunt work in front by getting into perfect position to redirect a wide Brady Skjei shot past Hutton at 19:22. Tony DeAngelo set it up with a fake shot and pass across for a Skjei shot that Strome tipped in for his first to make it 3-0 good guys.

The play illustrates that if the players put themselves in the right spot, goals can be earned without the fancy dancy East/West display. There’s still room for old fashioned North American style. Strome, Lemieux and Howden exemplified that. So did birthday boy DeAngelo, who celebrated number 24 by getting a goal and an assist to draw the game’s third star. He was very good in this one and has responded well since Quinn benched him in a recent loss.

It wasn’t perfect. You knew the Sabres would come harder in the second. They did. As expected, they ramped up the attack and tested Henrik Lundqvist early and often. He did well for most of the 15 shots Buffalo fired in a period they held a 15-4 advantage. For the game, he finished with 31 saves to pick up his second win of the season. So, just about half came in the middle stanza.

If there was a player that struggled, it was Kaapo Kakko. His own worst critic as a recent interview revealed back in his native country Finland, the 18-year old rookie expects better from himself. He wants to play and score and setup big goals while leading this team to victories. It’s not gonna happen right away. His defensive play hasn’t been good. A giveaway resulted in a Marco Scandella goal from the point beating Lundqvist to cut the lead to 3-1.

The second pick will learn. The encouraging aspect is he didn’t miss a shift. Even if the new first line with Zibanejad and Kreider didn’t click, they’ll get another crack at it against the very tough Bruins on Legends Day this Sunday. I hope they show some of the game between Rangers Alumni. That would be cool. MSG is usually pretty good when it comes to that cool stuff. If not, they’ll provide highlights.

It wasn’t all bad for Kakko, who nearly had another highlight reel goal. Similar to his first NHL tally, he broke in on Hutton and tried to pull off that nice forehand deke and go backhand. Only the goalpost stopped him from number two. He definitely has high end skill. It’s just a matter of finding consistency like most young players. I couldn’t find the GIF. If I do, I’ll link it up. Here was part of what Kakko expressed about his early frustration.

It shows that he is committed to winning. He cares. These are great attributes. Even Panarin noted that he didn’t feel he had played his best hockey. He said it was like at 70 percent. That’s what you want. Your best players expecting better from themselves is good. I liked the defensive commitment I saw from Panarin, who came back hard on the back check to break up a Buffalo rush. He’s not perfect due to some of the high risks he’ll take, but his hustle is unquestioned.

In the second period, the Sabres had more puck possession. That meant a stronger forecheck and more shots. Lundqvist made some important saves to keep his team ahead by two. Most of the play was again at even strength. There was only one minor taken by Lias Andersson, who centered the fourth line with Greg McKegg and Brendan Smith. Quinn stated that he thinks Andersson pauses during shifts instead of continuing to play. He wants him to be faster. He registered a nice hit early. Andersson got 9:39 of ice time including 1:31 on the penalty kill. That’s better.

Prior to successfully killing off Andersson’s hi-sticking minor, a good pinch by Skjei allowed Buchnevich to find a wide open DeAngelo for a tap in at 13:20. It was his fourth goal and third over two games. A nice birthday present for an improving player, who always is interesting to listen to following games. He’s very candid when things don’t go well.

The Sabres were able to get one back with 48.5 seconds left. Vladimir Sobotka surprised Lundqvist with a sinking wrist shot that deflected off Jacob Trouba’s shin. It was a bad goal as it went through the five-hole. You could see the frustration on his face. You never want to give opponents goals in the first or final minute of periods. That made it 4-2. Kyle Okposo and Marcus Johansson got the assists on Sobotka’s first.

Fortunately, it didn’t matter. A lousy Eichel giveaway inside the Ranger blueline led directly to a two-on-one. Howden fed a cutting Strome for a slam dunk. The goal was Strome’s second of the game and restored order. It was his 200th career point. The Rangers led by three with 12:03 left in regulation.

There were some bad penalties from Buffalo’s Jeff Skinner early on. He took a pair of undisciplined minors in the offensive zone and then foolishly argued following hi-sticking Zibanejad. That resulted in an extra minor for unsportsmanlike conduct. The Blueshirts were unable to cash in the double minor. Skinner also was minus-three.

During the man-advantage, Kreider went hard to Hutton’s crease looking for a deflection off a pass. He just missed and slightly banged into Hutton. Of course, they called him for goaltender interference. It was a bad call. Kreider clearly made a effort to pull up and avoid the Buffalo goalie. He barely made contact. The crowd let the stripes know about it.

It didn’t matter. The Rangers would put the finishing touches on the win when Kreider got credit for first thanks to Lemieux creating a distraction. The way it’s gone for him, Kreider will take it. Most notably, rookie Adam Fox picked up his first NHL point with a primary helper. Congrats to him. Fast got another assist giving him five points (2-3-5) in his last five contests.

It was nice to see the team be able to thank the home crowd for welcome cheers following a much better effort. Hopefully, they can remember how well they played in three days. They’re gonna need it.

Hudson 3 🌟:

3rd 🌟 Tony DeAngelo, Rangers (4th of season plus 🍎 in 14:56 with a +2 rating)

2nd 🌟 Brett Howden, Rangers (2nd of season plus 🍎 in 16:20 with a +3 rating and 6 for 12 on draws)

1st 🌟 Ryan Strome, Rangers (first 2 goals on 2 shots, +3 in 18:50, 2-4-6 on season)

Note: The game marked the return of Jimmy Vesey. Dealt in the offseason, the ex-Ranger had a tough night. He left the contest due to an injury and got only 10 shifts logging 6:08 for the Sabres.

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Quinn tweaks lines again with Kakko moving up, splits up Zibanejad and Panarin

Posted on October 23, 2019 by Derek

The David Quinn line experiment continues. The Combos master has once again tweaked his lines. As reported by Brett Cyrgalis of the New York Post, here are what they looked like in practice.

Basically, Quinn took my suggestion of breaking up Mika Zibanejad and Artemi Panarin. Something I tweeted about earlier.

That was in reply to legendary former Rangers blogger Kevin DeLury, who ran The NYR Blog. Now, he co-hosts a new Rangers podcast once a week. It’s called Go Rangers Radio with Paul Cuthbert. DeLury and he work quite well. They also keep it light, which you have to. One of the must listens for any Blueshirts fans.

My takeaway on the new line combos is that it looks a lot better. Finally, we’ll get to see Kaapo Kakko make his debut with Zibanejad on the first line. It’s interesting that Quinn decided to bump up Chris Kreider, who’s really struggled for offense so far. He and Zibanejad have chemistry. So, it should work.

The second line will be centered by Ryan Strome as I suggested. Right now, he’s the best option. He has four assists thus far including a nice primary one on Tony DeAngelo’s second goal last night. It’ll be Strome between Panarin and Pavel Buchnevich. I like the idea of the two Russians playing together. They showed early chemistry. I’d like to see Buchnevich look for his shot more. He’s very unselfish. He likes to defer to Panarin.

I honestly thought it would be the KZB Line reunited while Kakko played with Panarin and Strome. However, I’m definitely okay with this development. The key will be for the coach to allow the new lines a chance to jell. He can’t keep mixing and matching like he’s deciding between pepperoni, nacho cheese or pizza Combos at a convenient store.

The only other change I’d make is flipping Brett Howden and Lias Andersson. Howden is the third center between Brendan Lemieux and Jesper Fast. Andersson is stuck in purgatory with Greg McKegg and Brendan Smith, who’s taken an unfair beating from frustrated fans. I get it. How can he get more shifts than our young players? But he hasn’t played poorly. Smith has given an honest effort, which is more than I can say for quite a few Rangers.

The D on the other hand puzzles me. You didn’t acquire and pay Jacob Trouba top dollar to have him on the second pair with rookie Libor Hajek, whose possession numbers are almost as bad as Marc Staal. Speaking of which, can anyone explain the rationale for using Staal on the top pair? Adam Fox cannot carry him that much? By doing that, they’re giving Staal the toughest match-ups. No wonder he’s struggling.

I like what I’ve seen from Fox, who has over a 50.0 Corsi. Something that’s a rarity. I’m not big on charts. But the numbers don’t lie. If Brady Skjei was performing to expectation, none of this would be happening. He is to blame for the current state of the blueline. He must be more consistent. Instead, he’s on the third pair with DeAngelo. I want to see Skjei and Fox together as a second pair. Have Staal go back to DeAngelo, but as a sheltered third pair at five-on-five.

That makes the most sense. I also want to see Ryan Lindgren already. He deserves another look. He’s a lot more physical than Hajek, who’s a better skater. He didn’t get rewarded for having a better camp. Funny. Hasn’t that happened with Andersson too while Howden is more trusted?

The Sabres are visiting tomorrow. They are off to a unreal start. It probably won’t get better. I’m curious to see who’s in net. Do they stick with Alexandar Georgiev or go back to Henrik Lundqvist? Probably Hank.

That’ll do it for now. But before I go, I see the Devils play their first game this Friday since Mackenzie Blackwood shutout the Canucks last Saturday. Then don’t play again until the middle of next week. NHL scheduling!

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Game #7: Young kids misused again in overtime loss to Coyotes

Posted on October 23, 2019 by Derek

Alexandar Georgiev allows a goal in an otherwise brilliant effort that fell short for Rangers in a 3-2 overtime defeat to Coyotes. AP Photo by Kathy Willens via Getty Images

It is getting redundant. The way David Quinn runs the bench is perplexing. Even in a game his team responded well in following a abysmal first period, the second-year coach refuses to play the kids enough. Who cares about the bleeping point earned in a 3-2 overtime loss to the much better Coyotes?

Lias Andersson 7:34

Kaapo Kakko 9:51

“Hello coach! I exist.”

Let’s stop right there. How is it possible for them to call this a rebuild? If he’s not going to give consistent minutes to Andersson, who remains in jail, and prize second overall pick Kakko, who recorded his first NHL assist, what the heck is the point? Either play them or leave. I’m serious. This is a bad team. Let the young players learn. They’re not going to sitting glued to the bench.

Tonight, it was Alexandar Georgiev’s turn to get peppered early. I don’t know how you come out so flat following Sunday’s fiasco against the Canucks. How is it possible to look as unprepared and be as outplayed as the Rangers were in the first period? They got outshot 21-4 and heard it from the crowd which included my Dad. He’s already starting to get down on Quinn and for good reason.

Like one of many classic scenes from Groundhog Day, the Rangers saw their collective shadow by taking ill advised penalties to hand an opponent the momentum. In this league, you cannot do that and be successful. They’re lucky Georgiev was so good. He only allowed one goal in such a lopsided period, it must’ve given Henrik Lundqvist nightmares watching from the bench. They can thank Georgiev for standing on his head in a game his team totaled 19 shots. He made 32 saves in his third start (first since last Thursday).

Astonishingly, Arizona only was able to get one puck by him early. It came on a total breakdown that allowed Lawson Crouse to put in a Christian Fischer rebound on a play set up from Carl Soderberg. It was way too easy with first Brendan Lemieux and then Tony DeAngelo failing to clear the front of the net.

The period was so bad that I can’t recall any of the four Ranger shots. They at least woke up in time for the second. Finally playing with more assertiveness, they got the game tied up. Pavel Buchnevich forced a turnover in the neutral zone and led a odd-man rush. He fed Lemieux for a one-timer point blank that Coyotes started Darcy Kuemper got. The rebound was put home by a cutting DeAngelo for his second at 5:04.

Unfortunately, Buchnevich also had a bad turnover that led to him getting nabbed for a cross-check. His second minor of the game. He’s putting up points, but isn’t playing a complete game yet. If he wants to be in the top six where he should be, Buchnevich can’t take shifts off. You won’t find this criticism in other blogs. They ignore that part of the game. Taking the body is also a requirement. Not an alternative in the NHL. These are areas the 24-year old must improve on. Not every fan likes him for this reason. I do, but understand the game. He can give more.

The second Arizona goal came with Buchnevich in the box. Alex Goligoski was able to take a Jakob Chychrun pass across and fire a shot that took a unlucky carom changing direction to get by Georgiev for a 2-1 lead at 13:46. Nick Schmaltz set the play up.

But this time, it was some undisciplined play by the Coyotes that allowed the Rangers to even the game back up. A delay of game and bench minor less than a minute apart handed the Blueshirts a two-man advantage for 1:09. Some near misses from Artemi Panarin and Mika Zibanejad allowed Arizona to kill the first half off.

With the top unit off, it was the second unit that went to work. Kakko worked mostly on the left point and had two attempts. Eventually, he helped get the puck over to Ryan Strome, who came out and made a bullet feed across for a cutting DeAngelo finish for his second career two-goal game. It was Kakko’s first assist. The knowledgeable fans cheered in recognition. Too bad it didn’t result in more shifts. Why not?

The third became a defensive battle between two teams not wanting to make a mistake. Neither netminder had to do anything. There were eight total shots. Arizona had five while the Rangers had a pedestrian three. So, in two of three periods in regulation, they totaled seven shots. That’s awful. Way to entertain the fans who paid good money. What are they charging for beer now? Fifteen bucks? Eight dollars for bottled water that sucks. Holy mackerel. And they wonder why they can’t sellout. Why don’t they push another five-game mini plan? In the old days, it was ten games because there were more true fans due to the cost.

The game would go to overtime. Yay! They got a point. It didn’t last long. It only took the Coyotes 64 seconds to end the game. Christian Dvorak took a good Goligoski feed and skated into open ice where he fired a good shot past Georgiev high glove, or top shelf. Where Mama hides the cookies. Thank goodness for Rick Jeanneret. To be honest, it’s a shot Georgiev should’ve had. Something he admitted later. He credited Dvorak for making a good shot. I like his honesty.

They don’t get a point without him. That’s how it’s going to be more often than not during this season. The goalies are gonna have to steal games. Sometimes, it’s not even enough. Be glad they got to OT.

Don’t be happy about DQ. He’s seven games into Year Two and I’m already losing patience. He is not only mishandling Kakko and Andersson, who I don’t even remember being out for a shift. But insists on misusing Chris Kreider. Kreider is hardly featured on the power play due to the three big right shots. He also continues to play out of position because the coach doesn’t trust Kakko to give him first line minutes.

The misusage is frustrating. Not every blog is going to agree on everything. However, most of us see what Quinn isn’t doing. It’s not helping the process. It’s hurting it.

Play the kids already! Let them make mistakes.

Hudson 3 🌟:

3rd 🌟 Alexander Georgiev, Rangers (32 saves including 20/21 in 1st)

2nd 🌟 Tony DeAngelo, Rangers (2 goals including a power play goal, -1 in 18:54)

1st 🌟 Alex Goligoski, Coyotes (power play goal, primary assist on Dvorak OT winner, +2 in 20:28)

Note to the biased New York media who cover this team: I see they somehow gave Kuemper a 1st 🌟. What for? He stopped 17 of 19 shots including a paltry 15 of 16 at even strength. He’s got a nice streak going of allowing 2 goals or fewer dating back to last season. But why is he even a 🌟 for?

Do these fools even watch? Georgiev stood on his head and got no respect except for his teammates, who knew better. Even Sam and Joe saw it. Would it kill them to recognize the quality backup he is? Only the King gets preferential treatment at MSG. It’s insulting. Much like Quinn’s coaching. Stop insulting our intelligence!

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A cool moment between Raanta and Lundqvist

Posted on October 22, 2019 by Derek

Tonight’s game is going off now between the Coyotes and Rangers at The Garden. Neither Antti Raanta nor Henrik Lundqvist are starting. It didn’t stop the former teammates from sharing a cool moment during warmups.

It’s great to see the two catch up. Also Brady Skjei, who gave a puck to a lucky fan, came by and gave Raanta a slap. Pretty nice stuff. These guys don’t forget good teammates. Even if Antti hasn’t been here in a couple of years along with Derek Stepan.

You have to love it.

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The Quinn Combos line shuffle continues, what the lines should look like instead

Posted on October 22, 2019 by Derek

It’s time to find out what Kaapo Kakko can do on the top line. Ditto for jailed former 2017 first round pick Lias Andersson. Getty Images

On Tuesday night, the Arizona Coyotes visit town for the first of a three game tour over four days with stops at the Islanders Thursday and Devils Friday. First up are the Rangers at MSG later today in the Big Apple.

It’s a return for Antti Raanta again. Since leaving in a trade with former playoff hero Derek Stepan, it’s been some bad luck for the former Rangers backup goalie. Injuries have contributed to him losing the starting job to Darcy Kuemper. However, Raanta just won his second start the other day against Ottawa. He could get the call versus his former team.

While the Coyotes enter playing well due to improved all around play in Rick Tocchet’s system that features two good netminders, the Rangers are losers of four in a row. In losses to Edmonton, the Devils, Capitals and Canucks, they’ve been outscored 17-7. Even more alarming, they rank 29th in goals with 17. That’s mostly due to coach David Quinn unable to find the right combinations for Chris Kreider and Kaapo Kakko, whose only goal came on a nice pass from Ryan Strome in transition against the Oilers.

Jesper Fast has three points (2-1-3) over his last two games. Due to being elevated to the top line where he set up Artemiy Panarin for his fourth in Sunday’s comeback that fell short, he’s starting the Blueshirts’ seventh game on the first line with Panarin and Mika Zibanejad.

That was my initial reaction. Notice my confusion over why Lias Andersson continues to be buried on the jail fourth line. I don’t understand what Quinn is doing. Nobody does. It looks like our 2017 first round pick GM Jeff Gorton selected seventh overall, is going to be out of the top nine forever. Great trade. The idea is for development. Not to stunt growth. He’s 21 and outplayed Brett Howden to this point. Yet Howden will center line two between Chris Kreider and Kaapo Kakko. At least Kreider is back on the left side.

Nothing against Fast, who’s one of the hardest working players they have. If everyone had his work ethic, maybe they wouldn’t be struggling. However, Quickie cannot be on the top line. It should be Kakko getting that chance. Meanwhile, Pavel Buchnevich is on a third line with Strome and Brendan Lemieux. Eh. Even if there are some aspects of Buchnevich’s game I dislike, he has to be in the top six.

If I were making the Quinn Combos, this is how they’d look for now:

Panarin-Zibanejad-Kakko

Kreider-Strome-Buchnevich

Lemieux-Andersson-Fast

McKegg-Howden-Smith

At this point, that makes the most sense. It gives Kakko the opportunity to learn while working with their top two forwards. That should include the power play. He’s the key to the future. Let’s see what the second pick can do.

Strome for now is the best option to center the second line. We know he’s not a top six forward. However, based on experience and his ability to make plays on the forecheck while being responsible defensively, he should stay there until Filip Chytil returns from Hartford. Give Kreider and Buchnevich consistent minutes with Strome and see if it can work.

Andersson is the gritty two-way center whose strong work habits, would fit in well with Fast and the pesky Lemieux. That had a perfect balance to become a solid checking line. They can lean on Fast’s experience. Plus become an effective forechecking unit. Exactly what fans want to see.

The fourth line is your basic energy line. McKegg and Smith bring a good work ethic. Howden should be the fourth center for now. He has good speed and playmaking instincts. So, having him on this line should be okay. He kills penalties like Andersson, but gets favorable minutes from DQ. There’s nothing wrong with doing the opposite and finding out if Andersson is capable of a more responsible role. He deserves a chance to succeed.

As for the D pairings, Quinn has decided to stick with what he had last game. So this is it for now:

Hajek-Trouba

Staal-Fox

Skjei-DeAngelo

I don’t agree. Brady Skjei has to be in the top four for the money they invested in him. He’s a much better skater than Marc Staal, who would be better suited for the third pair and PK role he plays. There’s nothing wrong with that. I would switch Tony DeAngelo and Adam Fox. Fox can play with Skjei on the second pair. Let DeAngelo stick with Staal, who he’s familiar with on the third pair.

At some point, Libor Hajek cannot stay with Jacob Trouba. That’s insane. He’s not ready for that kind of role which is why Quinn mixes and matches as games go along. Hajek has to be sheltered because he’s not strong defensively. I’d like to see what Ryan Lindgren can do. They’re shafting him. He doesn’t belong in Hartford. He should be getting into games.

This is clearly a PR move by the organization by giving both Howden and Hajek increased roles due to the Ryan McDonagh/JT Miller trade with the Lightning. It’s not the right philosophy. Minutes should be earned. The results for Hajek have been mixed. I’ve had my say on Howden.

Alexandar Georgiev makes his first start at home. He last was in at the Devils. Hopefully, he’ll be sharper. He’s an important part right now because they can’t overwork Henrik Lundqvist. Lundqvist was peppered on Sunday after the Washington debacle. At least the Devils game was competitive.

That’s it for now. We’ll see if they can snap the losing skid.

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Game #6: That Losing Feeling, Lias Andersson buried again, Jimmy Fallon pays price for supporting Rangers

Posted on October 21, 2019 by Derek

Henrik Lundqvist stops Jay Beagle in a 3-2 loss to the Canucks. AP Photo by Kathy Willens via Getty Images

I’ll be honest. I didn’t have a good feeling about Sunday’s odd 1 PM game against the Canucks. I figured they’d bounce back following being shutout by Mackenzie Blackwood and the Jack Hughes Devils. Still, it’s a bad sign when you can’t take advantage of a tired opponent.

Vancouver was on the back half of a back-to-back. Those are the games even the rebuilding Rangers MUST win. No ifs, ands, or buts about it. A lousy start doomed them in a 3-2 home loss on Kids Day at a less than capacity MSG. That’s what Dolan gets for charging the prices he does. The fan decrease started last year. It’ll continue despite fan excitement over Kaapo Kakko and Artemiy Panarin, who scored his fourth to make things interesting late.

It doesn’t matter if they played one good period. That’s not good enough. Not with a team in transition. Even with fancy new additions Panarin and Jacob Trouba, who’s fast becoming a NHL iron man due to the current state of the defense, this team isn’t good enough to half ass it. They cannot mail it in as they did for too long after being more rested than the Canucks, who are further ahead in their rebuild. Having Elias Petterson, Brock Boeser, Bo Horvat and former buddy JT Miller will do that for Vancouver coach Travis Green, who praised his team’s effort. He called their first two periods the best he’s seen since he took over.

That in itself is an utter embarrassment for confused Rangers coach David Quinn, who didn’t look pleased throughout. Maybe he should start by looking in the mirror. The mixing of lines isn’t working. Sure. It’s only Game Six of an 82-game schedule. I don’t understand some of the combos. Maybe Quinn should have a sponsor for his lines. Combos, anyone? Pizza are my favorite.

Quinn stuck with Chris Kreider playing his off wing on the top line. Kreider did get some opportunities thanks to hard work by using his greatest attributes. His skating and speed. However, Vancouver goalie Jacob Markstrom wasn’t biting. I still am not sure this is best for Kreider moving forward. He’s a left wing playing the right side. He’s doing okay with Panarin and Mika Zibanejad, who continues to be far and away this team’s best player. He picked up an assist in the Rangers’ fourth consecutive defeat. He also hustled like hell to try to prevent veteran Jay Beagle’s back breaking shorthanded goal late in the dreadful first that made it 3-0 Canucks.

Let’s quickly get to the mixed bag of DQ lines sponsored by Combos:

Panarin-Zibanejad-Kreider

Lemieux-Howden-Kakko

Buchnevich-Strome-Fast

Haley-Andersson-Smith

Hajek-Trouba

Staal-Fox

Skjei-DeAngelo

Honestly, I have no clue what Quinn is trying to do. I get the need to look at different pairings due to the continued struggles from Brady Skjei. He had another poor showing. He was caught out of position on the Horvat power play goal and got benched in a dismal second where he gave up a rush that led to Henrik Lundqvist having to fend for himself. Even though he could’ve had the Boeser and Beagle goals (both high glove), he had to do way too much the first 40 minutes. Judging from rewatching, this could’ve been 6 or 7-1. Something Green alluded to afterwards. They had so many point blank chances, it makes you wonder if the guys in the Blueshirts were even there for the first half of the game.

At some point soon, Quinn has to give a struggling Kakko a look with Zibanejad and Panarin. It makes the most sense. Then you can put Kreider back in his ideal spot along with Buchnevich, who lost ice time due to the coach not liking his effort. At one point, he was down on the fourth line. I feel like Howden can’t be asked to be the second center. He isn’t ready yet. It’s doing a disservice to Kakko and Kreider. Filip Chytil had two more points (goal/assist) in Hartford’s win Saturday night. He’s got eight points so far. They still shouldn’t rush him until they feel he’s ready.

I want to talk about Lias Andersson. He isn’t being treated fairly by the coaching staff. While Howden gets all these minutes and hasn’t excelled, Andersson is buried on the fourth line with Smith and Haley (why). So much for training camp meaning anything. Andersson outplayed Howden and Greg McKegg was way better than Haley. Why did they even trade Vladislav Namestnikov if this is what they’re doing? I know it’s not permanent. But here is a harsh reality for Blueshirts fans:

GOALS

Namestnikov 3

Kreider/Buchnevich/Kakko 2

That trend cannot continue. Ever since Kakko got his first NHL goal last weekend, the team hasn’t been the same. There’s no consistency. Obviously, the layoff didn’t help. You need to play games. Something Quinn referenced. Unfortunately, they haven’t gotten any traction. They went 0 for 3 at the Devils, Capitals and home for the Canucks, who gave them a great chance at a comeback due to getting tired. There are two reasons the Blueshirts didn’t complete the comeback:

1. Referees missed calls. You know I hate blaming the refs, but they were not good. The call on Skjei for interference was tacky in the first. Then, they missed an obvious trip with Buchnevich driving the net and under a minute left. Unbelievable. That should’ve been a six-on-four with Lundqvist on the bench. They missed one more too and didn’t put a second back on the clock at the end. Be consistent!

2. Markstrom was good. Of the 38 saves he made, 16 came in the third. He was under stress in similar fashion to his Swedish counterpart. The one goal he gave up was a good Panarin one-timer off a nice Fast pass. That was it. He stood on his head in crunch time by making several big stops with none bigger than the stone job on a stunned Ryan Strome with 40.1 seconds left. A perfect misdirection pass by improving rookie Adam Fox down low for a Strome redirect that Markstrom got. He also made a brilliant save on Tony DeAngelo and got the rebounds during a mad scramble.

Had they approached the first two like the third where they outshot Vancouver 17-6, the Rangers could’ve and should’ve won. When you come out flat and give up three goals on a ungodly 20 shots due to lazy play along with a bad minor penalty on rookie Libor Hajek (hooking), that gave the Canucks the momentum. Their new captain Horvat scored a power play goal on a good feed from Petterson with Miller screening in front. Quinn Hughes helped set it up for a secondary assist. There was enough time for Skjei to close out Horvat. He didn’t and I don’t know what Howden was doing. Trouba was occupied with Miller.

The second Canucks goal was as simple as two terrible defensive plays. First from Smith, who didn’t clear the puck. Instead, it deflected back to Marc Staal. Staal’s attempt was even worse. It went off a Canuck and right to Boeser in the slot. He skated in and released a good shot that Lundqvist got a piece of with his glove, but let in. He slammed his goal stick in reaction. Honestly, those are the saves he needs to make to help this team. It was a brutal miscue by Smith and Staal. But he was there and just didn’t get it. That’s how shaky the defense is.

The third one was a brutal turnover on the power play. The first unit failed miserably. Kreider mishandled a puck followed by Zibanejad making a mistake by getting caught. That resulted in Chris Tanev passing for Beagle, who led a two-on-one. A solid penalty killer who really got it done with the Caps, he skated up ice and somehow got into position as Zibanejad trailed him. With Lundqvist anticipating pass, Beagle surprised him by taking the shot that also went high, glove side for the 3-0 lead.

Vancouver had another 17 shots in a busy second. They totaled 37 thru 40 minutes. That’s inexcusable. So were the ridiculous scoring chances they allowed. Lundqvist had to make some great stops to keep it at three. The one sequence where Skjei got abused and then Lundqvist made a big save and Boeser somehow missed with a wide open net. That can’t happen. It’s why Skjei missed some shifts in the period. Quinn explained how they expect more from him. He is making too much money to be this inconsistent.

Give Quinn credit for realizing which players were going. He moved Fast up and gave Strome more shifts. It was the gritty Fast who was rewarded when a Trouba shot deflected off him for his second goal in two games. Strome did some good work in the corner to get the secondary assist. Very quietly, he’s got three assists in six games. He can use a goal for the consistent work ethic he brings. Maybe it’ll come this week. Arizona visits on Tuesday. They’re also in town to see the Islanders and Devils. Might we see Antti Raanta in net versus his former team? We’ll see. He’s the backup behind Darcy Kuemper.

Whatever was said between periods, it worked. The Rangers reacted differently to being yelled at. They dominated the third, outshooting the Canucks 17-6. They came at Vancouver hard and had the puck possession five-on-five the way we hope they’ll eventually over time. It was relentless pressure at even strength.

That’s where the period was played with the refs putting their whistles away. That includes Dan O’Halloran, who doesn’t have the best relationship with the Garden Faithful. Can I just ask how Staal got a reaction penalty after he was shoved from behind by Jake Virtanen face first into the boards during the second? Holy moly.

With Quinn shuffling the deck, Fast got a few shifts on the top line. It paid
dividends when off some grunt work along with Zibanejad, he was able to find an open Panarin for number four to pull within a goal with 14:29 left in regulation. A great all around play off hard work via the forecheck. Something we need to see more of moving forward.

They had one very long shift where it seemed like a power play in the Canucks zone. In particular, Fox was very good during the shift. He was good in the game, drawing a penalty and looking more confident with the puck. He is due for a goal. He’s getting chances. Maybe he breaks on through. Couldn’t help but get a Doors reference in. I share a birthday with the legendary Jim Morrison. 😀

Of the six D, half played well. They were Trouba, Fox and DeAngelo, who rebounded from a benching by receiving the second most ice time on the back end with 20:18 including 2:19 on the power play. He plays on the second unit, which started two power plays due to the first line being out before stoppages.

Even though they did everything possible to tie it, Markstrom wouldn’t allow it. There’s not much else to say. It was a missed opportunity. Lundqvist finished with 40 saves including 34 in the first two periods.

And finally, there was this funny moment from Jimmy Fallon. He made a deal with the Devil. Oops.

At least he’s a good sport. That’s what Jimmy gets for supporting the Rangers in the early stages of another rebuilding season. Hopefully, they improve so we don’t have a repeat of Fallon getting a pie to his face from NJDevil. Unlike the Giants and Yankees, it at least made me laugh.

Hudson 3 🌟:

3rd 🌟 Jesper Fast, Rangers (2nd of season, assist, +2 in 14:56)

2nd 🌟 Henrik Lundqvist, Rangers (40 saves including 34/37 in 1st & 2nd)

1st 🌟 Jacob Markstrom, Canucks (38 saves including 16/17 in 3rd)

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Hughes’ first goal leads to a second straight Devils win

Posted on October 19, 2019 by hasan4978

I hadn’t heard this call of Jack Hughes’ first NHL goal till now since I was at the game.  Have to admit it was some call by Cangi…that’s #1 for #1!  Well Hughes does wear #86 but everyone knows what he meant, being that Hughes was picked #1 overall in the 2019 NHL Draft.  In a weird coincidence Hughes’ first goal came two years to the day of fellow Devils #1 overall pick Nico Hischier scoring his first NHL goal.  Fortunately in both cases the team won the game, though it certainly wasn’t easy today against Vancouver in a matinee.

Ironically if it wasn’t for the special circumstances surrounding the game – Hughes’ first being the only goal of the game, and playing against his brother Quinn (a defenseman on the Canucks) – it would have been Mackenzie Blackwood getting a deserved first star and post-game ice interview with Erika Wachter for a 25-save shutout.  After a second straight win following six losses to begin the season, I doubt anyone cares about who gets the credit or the military jacket the team’s passing out for their unsung hero of the game – although certainly Blackwood’s strong peformances the last two games pretty much ensures it’s his net for the near future at least.

It’s nice to be able to recap positives for a change…really the last few days feels like a reset on the season given everything that’s gone on.  With the aformentioned six-game losing streak bringing things to DEFCON 2 in Newark, assistant GM Tom Fitzgerald came down to the bench earlier this week, ostensibly at the request of coach John Hynes but few really believe that cover story, or that there wasn’t more to it given the staff has come under fire for the team’s poor start.  However, I doubt the coaches were the only people in the organization put on notice by GM Ray Shero.

Certainly having the assistant GM behind the bench puts everyone on probation – coaches and players alike.  Although things certainly aren’t perfect, clearly the last two games have been an improvement in all areas.  Particularly in this team’s play with a third-period lead which had been nothing short of craptacular before the last two games.  I couldn’t see Thursday’s game, but judging by the shot total and result obviously they played much better in the third period there, and today for the most part they managed to keep the third period low event until the final ninety seconds when three icings and a couple of saves that stopped play drew out the suspense.

Of course it remains to be seen whether the problems that have plagued this team throughout the first two weeks of the season will fix themselves long-term or whether things just look better because we’re in the ‘everyone’s on their best behavior because the assistant principal’s in the classroom’ part of the semester.  Tactically there does seem like a little more structure and certainly the power play actually looked like an NHL power play this afternoon, especially on Hughes’ goal.  Even the penalty kill – which had mostly been awful this season – came up huge today on several straight Canuck power plays in the middle of the game.

Can’t complain about the defense other than whatever the heck Damon Severson’s first five minutes were – when he committed a penalty, should have been called for a second on his next shift, and then gave up a breakaway recklessly wandering out to nowhere.  Honestly if the defense wasn’t already down one top six guy in Will Butcher it might have been benchable.  Maybe someone said something to him on the bench because he clamped down after that and cut out the crazy stuff.  Obviously the return of captain Andy Greene from IR helped offset the loss of Butcher on the blueline and helped stabilize the penalty kill.

Offensively the Devils are running in danger of being a two-line team, and that’s if everyone was healthy.  Hischier missed his second straight game with a bruised rib but still contributed to the good feeling around the team in recent days by signing a seven-year extension.  Not that he was going anywhere in the next few years regardless, but it’s still nice to get that long-term commitment locked up and in a cap league you always want to know cost certainty and not play it year-to-year with arbitration and load up on bridge deals.  He should be back by Friday, which astonishingly is the Devils’ only game in the next ten days.  I’d call it a Ranger-like streak since they’ve had a similar early vacation.  In a lot of ways it’s great timing for it though, given the addition to the staff and polishing up of the team’s game that it needs, plus they can at least sit on two wins in a row and feel better about themselves than they did at 0-4-2.

My biggest concern from today’s game is the dissapearing line of Nikita Gusev and Jesper Bratt.  Offensively they’re both skilled wingers but defensively have been so bad (particularly Gusev) that the staff obviously can’t trust them in tight games late, which we’ve had a lot of.  Their icetime has sunk to the level of fourth-liners but the team is going to need more from both sooner or later.  As good of a player as Blake Coleman is and as good of a guy as Wayne Simmonds is (see below) they really should be third-liners, not second-liners.  Simmonds hasn’t gotten his offense going yet in his first couple weeks as a Devil, eventually they will need more scoring than just the top line plus Nico.

At least the team is still together as evidenced by the melee that ensued late in the second period when a wayward Alex Edler elbow sent Coleman flying (threatening to knock out even more teeth after he’s already had some dental work this season), then Mirco Mueller jumped in and wound up in a tussle with Brandon Sutter earning a plexiglass fist-bump from Simmonds after the fact.

It’ll take more than ‘the brotherhood’ (another staff saying) to keep this team pulling in the right direction though.  Especially when they resume facing teams that aren’t rebuilding themselves.  Obviously the Devils are going to have to pound on teams like the Rangers and Canucks to get out of a hole, but eventually they’re also going to have to up their play to beat the big boys.  It’ll be a long wait till Friday for the next game but at least the cloud surrounding this team has gone away for the moment.  We’re almost at winning streak territory.

They got the win today…now to get one on Friday and make it a winning streak.

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