Game #81: Throwback Thursday – Canes 3, Devils 1

Posted on April 5, 2019 by hasan4978

In a lot of ways last night’s penultimate game was a look back at the way things used to be for the Devils.  Specifically, last night’s game in Carolina which clinched a playoff spot for a resurgent Canes team returning to the postseason for the first time since 2009 being eerily similar to our own game #81 last season at home against Toronto, which clinched a playoff spot for an upstart Devils team returning to the postseason after a five-year drought.  Perhaps our own season this year can serve as a cautionary tale for the Canes and their fans…but also as a reminder to enjoy this moment.  You’re certainly not gifted the postseason every year although for the longest time as Devil fans we were spoiled under Lou Lamoriello to believe the postseason was a given, which it was 95% of the time.

This won’t be so much a recap of last night’s game (which I couldn’t watch much of) as it will be a general season rundown.  I have no motivation to even watch tomorrow’s finale at Florida, let alone do one more recap.  What’s the point…it’s a snoozer between two non-playoff teams for draft position only.  I suppose it is one final chance to see the MSG on-air personalities and/or hear Matt and Chico on the radio before the long summer.  So maybe from that standpoint I’ll at least turn on the pre and postgame along with perhaps the final few minutes, even if emotionally I waved goodbye to this season last Saturday with my final home game.  And it’s always tough to watch games when your loyalties are divided anyway.  I admit I was glad that we lost and the Sabres won last night, improving our lotto odds.  With nothing on the line for the Panthers it’ll be that much easier to be ambivalent about the finale as well.

Make no mistake, it’s embarassing it’s come to this – again.  Missing the playoffs for the sixth time in seven years, and having one of the worst years in franchise history the season after showing so much promise.  It’s certainly the most dissapointing season I’ve experienced as a Devils fan given the expectations and anticipation, even more so than missing the playoffs as a defending champion in 1995-96, or the 2014-15 and 2016-17 fiascoes where I didn’t expect much beforehand anyway.   Not that I really expected to build on last season given this offseason’s recent inactivity from Ray Shero, but I was hopeful at least for a more competitive team.  Even last night ticked me off from the standpoint that coach John Hynes seemed really zeroed in on effort and mistakes the way he and the team seemingly hasn’t been for much of the season.  Sure, it was important to see how younger players handled an obvious playoff atmosphere but if we had more nights with this kind of focus from the top down maybe this season doesn’t get out of hand as quickly as it did.

Of course given Hynes’ in-season extension (which came just in the nick of time before the roof completely fell in), he’s not likely going anywhere this offseason and neither is Shero so it’s on both of them in year #5 of this regime to really take the step forward many feel they should have taken this season.  At the very least, another offseason of complete passivity with $20 million of cap space going to waste can no longer be tolerated.  I know, I know, we’re not likely to attract many top-end free agents and you don’t want to overspend on the mediocre ones – I’ve been a fan for 25 years, there’s other ways to use cap space besides on free agents.  Specifically trades with teams that are tight against the cap.  And sometimes you need to take a chance and get the right B and C level free agents anyway, and not rely on filling every single hole from within and through straight trade robberies.

Certainly trying to fill every hole from within this offseason backfired spectacularly.  Even if Taylor Hall missed over half the season and the goaltending went splat until it was too little, too late, they still had a number of dissapointing performances from younger players.  Up front, Miles Wood took a step or two backwards this year after signing a long-term deal this offseason, while Pavel Zacha’s horrendous first half was only partially salvaged by a better second half.  Still it’s telling when you’re touting a 23-point season in 60 games as improvement just because…but the second half.  Next year he’s gotta really take a step forward and for the whole season.  Former first-rounder John Quenneville was a total flop, scoring just one goal (with zero assists) in nineteen games after being handed a job out of camp.  Joey Anderson’s first season got interrupted with a horrible injury but he didn’t show much in his 33 games either with just four goals and two assists.  Brett Seney showed a spark at times, but just didn’t add enough offense to survive with his small frame, producing just five goals and thirteen points in 50 games.  Another former first rounder in Mike McLeod playing twenty games with zero goals?  Child please.

Obviously there were dissapointments with the young guys defensively too, specifically Mirco Mueller and Steven Santini.  Mueller was okay at times but just didn’t add enough offense to be only okay defensively, and again had his season derailed with a freak injury while Santini’s just gone completely backwards defensively and adds even less offense than Mueller with just four points in 38 games.  Damon Severson and Will Butcher were mixed bags.  Severson started his usual maddeningly wild self, seemingly got better down the stretch but still is prone to gaffes.  Can’t really argue with eleven goals and 38 points, but that -26 with those offensive numbers is just woof-worthy.  Yeah, yeah I know plus minus is so 1960’s, but when you have by far the worst plus-minus on the team for multiple years and also have a bad plus-minus with solid offensive numbers those are both pretty good indicators you’re bad and/or derelict defensively.  Butcher stagnated offensively with just four goals and 29 points after a solid rookie season but seemingly did get better defensively in the second half with more responsibility.

Not that the kids were alone cornering the market in dissapointments.  Starting with our vet goaltending tandem in Cory Schneider and Keith Kinkaid, which completely imploded left and right throughout the first 2/3 of the season and was a big reason the season melted down at warp-speed almost before winter got started.  Sure Cory did better down the stretch in junktime but how seriously can I take his post-injury play?  Especially since Cory has gotten hurt left and right and you can’t count on him to stay healthy for any long stretch.  It was somewhat encouraging to see a .920 save percentage post-second injury return but my memory of his horror show 2018 (specifically his first few starts this year off of the first injury return) is still giving me PTSD.  As far as Kinkaid, he went from zero to hero back to zero all in about a calendar year from last February till the time he got unceremoniously dumped to the Blue Jackets’ scratch box for a high school player – a 2022 5th rounder, to be exact.  It was a shame to see it come to an end for Keith this way after he was arguably the second biggest catalyst in getting the team to the playoffs last year but you couldn’t really have expected a career backup to stay on that kind of roll.

Ironically, most of our other vets you can’t really say were dissapointing other than the departed Marcus Johansson (much like some other players, produced too little too late) and Sami Vatanen who had an injury-plagued season and his level of play certainly plummetted this season in general when he was in the lineup.  Maybe he never truly got over last season’s Nikita Kucherov-induced concussion in last year’s playoffs.  Hall certainly followed up his MVP campaign with a similar statistical pace, putting up 37 points in 33 games but his torn meniscus torpedoed his season and he wasn’t seen at all in 2019.  Other vets like Kyle Palmieri, Travis Zajac and Andy Greene basically met expecations for their various roles.  You’d eventually like to find better replacements for Zajac in the top six or Greene on the top defensive pairing but that can’s been kicked down the road for another year, while Palmieri was having an even better year than his 27 goals and 50 points would suggest but he’s gone ice-cold the last few weeks, perhaps either playing hurt or just dispirited from the state of the team.

To find actual bright spots or unexpected you generally have to look far and wide, or stretch the definition of what a bright spot is.  Except for the obvious one in Mackenzie Blackwood, who was surprisingly successful in his first NHL season with a GAA of 2.59, a .917 save percentage and two shutouts in 22 games heading into tomorrow’s finale.  His splits would be spectacular if it wasn’t for the one horrific nine-goal meltdown in Calgary he was unfathomably allowed to give up all nine goals in, but he recovered from that nicely to maintain his solid play down the stretch.  Aside from Blackwood though, you really gotta search for an obvious bright spot.  Nico Hischier and Jesper Bratt having solid second seasons?  They didn’t really take a huge leap forward but in the case of Nico, he did maintain his solid level even after Hall’s injury while in Bratt’s case he overcame an early-season injury and was able to maintain his play through the second half unlike last year, until another injury ended his season anyway.  Kevin Rooney and waiver pickup Kenny Agostino showing some flashes of being everyday NHL players in the back six?  Meh.  Blake Coleman with 22 goals and 35 points in a third-line role would qualify as a positive but even his play has deteriorated as of late in a slew of penalties and a second-half slump.

Clearly there were a lot of problems with the 2018-19 season of the Devils, not all of them will go away with better health next season.  Some go away with better goaltending from a presumably healthy Cory and a confident Blackwood splitting the netminder duties in some fashion or other, but Shero is going to have to take care of the rest.  Hoping that recent draft picks Ty Smith and Jeremy Davies can add to the defense is a…hopeful plan I guess.  I do have high hopes for Smith and people talk highly of Davies but it seems like counting on one or both to win spots in the top six is just a inviting rerun of all the young forwards we gave shots to this year dissapointing, only on the blueline.  I’m not sure any of the young guys we’ve seen up front will really take a step forward next year and as far as I can tell, I don’t think any of our juniors/college forwards will be ready to win a spot in 2019-20 either.

Sure, you may think I’ve painted a bleak picture but really there is a way out.  Spend some money in free agency, make a trade or three using some cap space, draft a good, solid prospect with a first-rounder now assured of being in the top six even in a lottery worst-case, and take advantage of having three second-rounders either in trade or to stock the pipeline even more.  Find a way to add a legit top six winger and a legit top two-four defensemen plus hope Ty Smith can develop into one.  This team can get back to at least a 2017-18 level with the promise for more but they can’t have another complacent, passive offseason.  Otherwise the fanbase will start to become more disgruntled with the new regime and passive themselves over extended losing.

For now at least, that’s all from me for a while.  Sure I’ll probably have a draft post next week once the Devils’ spot gets determined but after that I’m going underground for a tbd timeframe.  Like Tommy Lee Jones said at the end of the Fugitive, ‘It’s over now…you know, I’m glad?  I need the rest’.

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The final game of the season

Posted on April 5, 2019 by Derek

Tonight, the Rangers wrap up the season at MSG when they host the Blue Jackets. For all intents and purposes, the game means nothing. However, it has is of significant importance to Columbus. A win of any kind clinches the playoffs.

With that the case, there’s something to play for. No. I don’t expect our team to be as desperate as the Jackets should. However, a better effort than the horrible display we got the other night in a uncompetitive loss to lowly Ottawa is required. Coach David Quinn wasn’t happy. He expects better.

For that reason, I do too. Not that I particularly care if they win and potentially ruin former coach John Tortorella’s playoff chances. I never had a problem with how he did here. His tenure included a surprising first place finish in the East with a team that wasn’t expected to wind up there in ’11-12. That’s still one of the best coaching jobs a Rangers bench boss has done. Following the crushing loss in the Conference Final to the Devils, increased expectations cost Tortorella his job the next Spring. That’s ancient history.

All this time later, he’s still around trying to get an all in Columbus team into the big dance. They still haven’t gotten out of the first round. If they somehow lost tonight or got beaten out by the Canadiens, who only have to beat the bitter rival Maple Leafs tomorrow night and get help, it probably will cost Tortorella his job. Likely the final one he’ll have as an NHL coach.

The Blue Jackets rolled the dice by acquiring Matt Duchene, Ryan Dzingel and former Blueshirt Adam McQuaid at the deadline. They know the situation with potential unrestricted free agents Sergei Bobrovsky and Artemi Panarin this summer. You can add Duchene and Dzingel to that list. It’s now or never for them. Given how awful they were in a blowout home defeat to the Bruins, you’d expect some urgency later. If not, they’re playing with fire. Tomorrow is the last day of the regular season.

What I do know is that Alexandar Georgiev gets the start. He deserves it. Something Henrik Lundqvist acknowledged following the other day which wasn’t his fault. It sure is sad to look at his record. Since February, he’s 2-11-3 with a 3.19 GAA and .906 save percentage. The fact that he’s still at .906 during the worst stretch of his career speaks volumes. He’s faced an average of 33.8 shots per game.

By comparison, Georgiev is 7-4-3 with a 2.61 GAA and .926 save percentage plus a shutout on his 23rd birthday. Interestingly, the rookie has faced more shots since February, seeing an average of 35.9 over that span. His strong finish has opened Ranger eyes. He’s earned the right to stay as the backup for next season.

Though it’ll be interesting to see how top rated Russian goalie prospect Igor Shestyorkin performs ‘if’ he is signed finally. The Rangers have a good problem in net. It’s also worth noting that there would be virtually no market for Georgiev, who’s much more unproven than either Cam Talbot or Antti Raanta were. That’s why the talk that they should explore a trade is ridiculous. Goalies don’t have much value unless they’ve proven themselves.

When I observe the games that Georgiev starts, the team tends to play harder for him. Even though he’s faced a inordinate amount of shots, they do a good job limiting opponents from getting good looks. By keeping most to the perimeter and taking care of the net front, it allows Georgiev to see most of the shots and get into a rhythm.

I don’t know if it’s a psychological thing. But it always has felt like the team plays differently for the backup than Lundqvist. Maybe it’s due to what the 37-year old future Hall of Famer has accomplished. He’s spoiled us. It’s why seeing him go through all the losing is tough. Those postgame interviews with MSG lifer John Giannone are hard to watch. You can see how much it’s taken a toll. To his credit, he’s acknowledged that this is what he signed up for. Maybe not the miserable performance they gave him on Tuesday.

It’s hard to explain why this team laid proverbial eggs on its two biggest nights. The shutout to now playoff bound Carolina on the 25-Year Anniversary celebration of 1994, and the stinker on Steven McDonald night when Mika Zibanejad won the Extra Effort Award. It doesn’t make sense.

Given how bad they were which they admitted, I don’t see them mailing it in tonight. If the Blue Jackets want to guarantee themselves the playoffs, they’ll have to earn it.

It’s gonna be a bit strange to be at such a nonchalant game. Most of our fans are rooting for a loss. Something I can’t do. Not at least publicly. Though I do get the logic. If they lose this one and get beat once again by the Pens tomorrow in Game 82, it could help the Rangers in next week’s Draft Lottery. Maybe they can finish a spot or two higher to give them better odds at Jack Hughes or Kaapo Kakko.

When the game starts, all that becomes secondary. I won’t be thinking about it like a few annoying fans who have become fascinated by it. I’m there to enjoy a game and catch up with our extended family. Those are the people who make the game experience still fun. Without them, I don’t think we would still be going to the select number of games that we do.

It’s the end of another season at MSG for the Garden Faithful. A phrase made famous by Adam Graves. Let’s remember that.

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Official: Sather to step down as Team President

Posted on April 4, 2019 by Derek

Last night, TSN’s Bob McKenzie reported that this could be it for Glen Sather as Team President. Here is the key information.

It wouldn’t be a surprise. Slats is getting up there. Since relinquishing his role as Rangers GM, which went to Jeff Gorton, he hasn’t been as involved in the team’s daily transactions. However, he’s lent a voice to Gorton including signing off on the rebuild that included a public team letter addressing the fans.

UPDATE: Sather confirmed to Larry Brooks of the NY Post that he is stepping aside. He will still be in an advisory role to CEO James Dolan at MSG. Here’s a look back at his 19 years as both Team President and GM:

As much criticism as he’s received over the years, Sather rebuilt the team following the lockout to turn them into one of the NHL’s better clubs. He molded the first roster that got back to the playoffs by surrounding Jaromir Jagr with Czechs Martin Rucinsky, Martin Straka, Petr Prucha, Marek Malik and Michal Rozsival. Brendan Shanahan was signed the following year.

Signing Michael Nylander was a smart move. He centered Straka and Jagr in ’05-06 when No. 68 set new franchise single season marks in goals (54), points (123), power play goals (24) and shots on goal (368). His nine game-winners matched Mark Messier and Don Murdoch for the most in a single season.

Sather also made underrated moves like adding Steve Rucchin and Petr Sykora to help that team succeed. Even though they were swept by the Devils in the first round, a new era was born thanks to former 2000 seventh round pick Henrik Lundqvist. It’s hard to believe at 37, the franchise leader in wins (449) and shutouts (63) is still here. The only Vezina a Ranger goalie has won since John Vanbiesbrouck in 1986. Lundqvist won it in 2012 by winning a career best 39 games with a 1.97 GAA, .930 save percentage and eight shutouts.

Ultimately, the teams Sather constructed fell just shy of their goal. They lost in the Stanley Cup Final to the Kings in 2014 and fell in seven games to the Lightning in the Eastern Conference Final in 2015. He took big risks by going all in on Rick Nash, Martin St. Louis and Keith Yandle. Even though those teams didn’t win the Cup, those were the right moves. Ditto for signing Marian Gaborik and Brad Richards with the latter playing a key role in helping the Rangers rally from a 3-1 deficit to beat the Penguins in 2014. Richards scored and set up big goals in 2012 when the team made its first trip to the Conference Finals since 1997. Gaborik had a huge goal in sudden death set up by Richards, who also had the primary assist on St. Louis’ series clincher versus Pittsburgh two years later.

There were tough decisions like choosing Dan Girardi and Marc Staal over captain Ryan Callahan, who was dealt for St. Louis with two first round picks. Viewed as overpayment. Without St. Louis, there’s no run in 2014. How about that overtime winner he scored to beat the Canadiens in Game 4? Top shelf. It’s too bad they didn’t win in the two years with him.

Key young players like Callahan, Brandon Dubinsky and Artem Anisimov were integral parts of the team becoming a contender. So too were under the radar team guys such as Brian Boyle, Brandon Prust and the controversial Sean Avery. It’s hard to believe that was so long ago.
Chris Drury was brought in one summer with Scott Gomez. Even though it didn’t work out the way they envisioned, Slats made perhaps his best deal when he got Montreal to take Gomez that resulted in the team stealing away future captain Ryan McDonagh. A trade that haunted Montreal, particularly in the ’14 Conference Final when McDonagh dominated them.

There were smart moves like signing former Blackhawks first round pick Kevin Hayes and landing virtual unknown Mats Zuccarello, who only became one of the most popular players in team history. It’s sad to think he’s now on Dallas trying to help lift the Stars to a run. Ditto for Hayes with Winnipeg where he’s formed a dynamic duo with emerging star Kyle Connor.

Meanwhile, McDonagh has been brilliant in his first full season in Tampa. He’s over 40 points and chasing the Bud Light Plus/Minus title. At last check, I think he was plus-38. It’s odd how you have Mac, Cally, Danny G, Anton Stralman and J.T. Miller all chasing a Cup with the President’s Trophy winning Lightning, who have won 60 games. Yikes.

There are always up and downs when you look at what Sather has done since replacing Neil Smith. It’s easy to forget how bad a situation Smith left him. However, hiring Ron Low and Bryan Trottier were unmitigated disasters. The Eric Lindros trade was a calculated risk. It was working in Year One until Lindros had his bell rung in San Jose. Right around the same time I relocated to Bristol at ESPN. I can still recall watching them get pulverized by the Coyotes on New Year’s Eve at the trailer. Wow.

Had Lindros stayed healthy, it could’ve been a different story altogether. Instead, he wasn’t the same following the concussion. However, he still wound up a point-per-game producing 37 goals with 36 assists for 73 points over 72 games in ’00-01. Lindros centered the FLY Line that season flanked by Theo Fleury and Mike York. If only Fleury didn’t have all his off ice issues due to being sexually abused in juniors. Sickening. I’m so glad he was able to survive, make a full recovery and become the strong person he is today. I still have a photo of us saved from meeting him at a book signing.

You can also point towards some of the Sather epic fails during that awful error. I misspelled it intentionally. Signing Vlad Malakhov over Mathieu Schneider. The Bobby Holik disaster. The Mike Dunham (Doneham) trade after Mike Richter got hurt. Drafting Al Montoya. At the time, they didn’t know what they had in Lundqvist. That draft sucked. Bringing back Alexei Kovalev. It didn’t work out for him here. Then, they traded him to Montreal for an awful return of Jozef Balej, Garth Murray and Bruce Graham. Who? Exactly. Dave Karpa (Krappa), Igor Ulanov, Darius Kasparaitis (Kasparminus), Scott Fraser.

It’s too bad Pavel Bure got hurt because he would’ve been great. The explosiveness was still there before Mike Danton ended his career in preseason. So much went wrong with those teams. Even Messier II didn’t work. But he did get a memorable send off which I was at when The Garden rocked. The Dan Blackburn freak injury that finished his career was typical Rangers luck. Stefan Cherneski?

The regrettable Brian Leetch trade without even getting his consent and moving him on his birthday. Holy moly. Jarkko Immonen, Max Kondratiev (became Sykora), and draft picks that became Lauri Korpikoski and Michael Sauer. It didn’t exactly work out. He also gave away Korpikoski for Enver Lisin. What about taking Hugh Jessiman over Zach Parise? Yikes.

I guess had the team won a Cup in the window between ’12-15, Sather would be viewed differently. Derek Stepan, Michael Del Zotto, Callahan and Dubinsky all had success here. So did Fedor Tyutin before he was moved for Nikolai Zherdev. Stralman was one of Slats’ best signings. He also became one of his biggest mistakes, letting him go to Tampa while bringing in Dan Boyle.

Sather’s health is rumored to be declining. Hopefully, he’s getting all the help he needs. On an emotional day for my family where we lost our aunt on my Mom’s side, I can sure relate.

Sather indicated that he wouldn’t be doing this if the organization was in turmoil. He’s happy with the direction under Gorton with assistant GM Chris Drury. He will assist them in the search for a new Team President, which they hope to have in place by the Draft.

His one regret is that they didn’t win the Cup, referencing the three gut wrenching overtimes at Los Angeles.

Adam Fox Update: Correcting one thing I said regarding Hobey Baker finalist Adam Fox, who plans to return for his senior year at Harvard. He has to play it out before he can become a unrestricted free agent next summer.

If at that point he doesn’t sign with Carolina, then he will go on the market in 2020. I still don’t know if I would give up anything for his rights. See the Sabres and Jimmy Vesey. That guaranteed nothing.

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Congrats to Mika Zibanejad on winning the Steven McDonald Award

Posted on April 3, 2019 by Derek

Mika Zibanejad smiles as he poses for a photo after winning the Steven McDonald Award. AP Photo via Getty Images courtesy Rangers.

They waited a bit longer to present the Steven McDonald Award. As expected, this year’s winner is Mika Zibanejad. Number 93 has been a consistent force for the Rangers in a down season.

Even though he didn’t add any goals or assists to his team-leading 72 points (30-42-72) in a disappointing 4-1 defeat to the Senators tonight, it didn’t matter. As NYPD sergeant Conor McDonald noted during a heartfelt speech about what his father meant to him, the 25-year old Zibanejad was better than he’d ever been while doing it with a smile on his face.

Congratulations to Zibanejad on winning the 2018-19 Extra Effort Award! He certainly is worthy and should be viewed as the favorite to become the team’s next captain.

The game itself was a letdown. The Rangers never led and didn’t play particularly well. It was yet another depressing reminder of how they are when Henrik Lundqvist starts. He remains stuck on 18 wins. Coach David Quinn had wanted to get him to 20 so he could continue that streak. That’s out. I can’t see him getting the final four games with Alexandar Georgiev sitting out in a back-to-back.

At least Lias Andersson had a good moment at MSG by having his best game as a pro. He became the youngest Blueshirt to score a shorthanded goal since Niklas Sundstrom in 1995. Andersson was all over the ice and showed more confidence offensively throughout.

What I’ll remember most of all was what Conor McDonald said during a emotional speech. It truly was great and had me almost in tears.he sounded a lot like his father, who must be very proud of his son looking down. I’ll just leave this here. Wow!

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My thoughts on the Steven McDonald Award

Posted on April 3, 2019 by Derek

In about half an hour, the Rangers will introduce Steven McDonald’s family to the crowd at MSG. They’ll get a standing ovation as always on an emotional night. It’ll be loud and what all 41 home games should be, but for a very different reason.

The Steven McDonald Award has been in existence since 1987-88 in honor of former police officer Steven McDonald, who was shot in the line of duty paralyzing him from the neck down.

The former NYPD detective became a true inspiration for this city. Despite needing a ventilator to breathe after becoming a quadriplegic due to the serious nature of his injuries, he stayed strong for nearly 30 years until his death on Jan. 10, 2017.

It’s astonishing to think how much he means to New York City. He forgave the shooter, who was only 15 at the time. Ironically, Shavon Jones died in a motorcycle incident after serving nine years in prison. He called McDonald to apologize.

No matter what, it’s a sad story. The Rangers created the prestigious award over 30 years ago. It recognizes the Ranger who goes above and beyond the call of duty. A check of $25,000 is presented to the winner, which is then donated to the Steven McDonald Foundation.

In 10 minutes, son Conor and wife Patti will carry on the proud tradition. Sergeant McDonald will announce the 2018-19 winner. It’ll be another special moment at The Garden.

It’s expected to be Mika Zibanejad. The team’s leading scorer has had a tremendous season setting careers highs in goals (30), assists (42) and points (72). He’s the first Ranger to register 30 goals and 70 points since Marian Gaborik.

I believe the 25-year old center is a worthy choice. A future captain, he’s certainly put in the work and become a true number one center. However, he’s also the Team MVP.

For that reason, I voted for Vladislav Namestnikov. When I think of what the award symbolizes, it’s not about the most talented player or even the best one. Last year, fans voted for Henrik Lundqvist. I voted for Kevin Hayes because I felt he was the player who gave everything and was the most consistent.

This is a award that once went to Jed Ortmeyer. That’s the kinda player who should win. It’s hard to fathom that Jesper Fast has never won it before. He epitomizes what it’s all about.

That’s how I feel about Namestnikov, who might not have the fancy numbers. He’s just given a consistent effort after his one appearance in the Quinn Bin. I know he won’t win. But he definitely should get votes.

There’s also a game against Ottawa. I may or may not recap it. That doesn’t matter. What’s more important is what’s about to happen on the ice before. That Matters most!

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Is signing Adam Fox the right move?

Posted on April 3, 2019 by Derek

Hobey Baker finalist Adam Fox plans not to sign with Carolina and become a free agent this summer. Will the Rangers go for it? AP Photo via Getty Images courtesy USA Today

There’s been a lot of talk lately about Adam Fox. A 21-year old defenseman who won’t be signing with Carolina after being a throw in as part of a good trade between the Hurricanes and Flames. Basically, it was two for two with Micheal Ferland and Dougie Hamilton going to Carolina while Elias Lindholm and Noah Hanifin went to Calgary.

Originally a Flames third round pick in the 2016 NHL Draft taken 66th overall, the right defenseman represented Team USA at the 2017 and 2018 IIHF Under 20 World Junior Championship. A good skater with offensive potential, he posted nine points (1-8-9) in 14 total games for America.

Not the biggest in stature, Fox is 5-11, 185. However, his speed and skill are big reasons why there will be interest this summer. He’s played at Harvard University for three years. In his Junior year, Fox had 48 points (9-39-48) with 14 penalty minutes and a plus-23 rating in 33 games for the Crimson.

One of 10 players nominated for the Hobey Baker handed out to college hockey’s best player, the Jericho, New York native is one of six defensemen to be included. Quinn Hughes and Cale Makar are two of the top D that were recognized. Both were lottery picks the past two drafts with Hughes going number seven overall to Vancouver and Makar fourth overall to Colorado.

I want to make one thing perfectly clear. Fox isn’t those guys. He won’t be a top pair defenseman who can make a major impact. However, he could be a top four who should be effective on the power play. He’s a playmaker first as evidenced by the 39 assists he tallied this season.

As someone who remembers him from those two tournaments, he was a good offensive player for USA. Whenever it comes to these guys who don’t sign, I’m skeptical. Fox is about to go through his second organization to become unrestricted this summer.

It’s one of those loopholes I never liked dating back to the days of Mike Van Ryn, who spurned the Devils to sign with the Blues. He never became the player most envisioned, faring better in Florida. Ironically, he now serves as an assistant coach for St. Louis, who turned its year around.

When Fox was included in the Calgary deal with Carolina, most observers knew he would not sign with Carolina. That’s his choice. It’s one many players have used including former Hobey winner Jimmy Vesey. Vesey also starred for Harvard and decided against signing with Nashville. He chose the Rangers over the Sabres. It hasn’t worked out the way anyone thought. A third liner who tops out at 17 goals despite his size of 6-3, 199 is disappointing. Especially when coach David Quinn gave him more of an opportunity. I’m still uncertain how he won the Hobey over Kyle Connor.

Given their track record, the Rangers aren’t the best team to sign with. Use former Hobey winners Mike Mottau and Matt Gilroy for further reference. This isn’t to say Fox won’t have a good NHL career. I’m only pointing out the facts, and they’re not good. The Rangers stink when it comes to getting the most out of former top college players. Unless you want to go all the way back to Brian Leetch and Tony Granato, count me as someone with cautionary concern.

For a closer look on former Hobey winners, please use the link to see the full history of the prestigious award. It also lists the other finalists. It’s interesting to note that there have been more busts who won while quite a number of runners up became household names. For every Paul Kariya or Johnny Gaudreau, there’s a Tony Hrkac or Kip Miller. Who the heck is Bill Watson? Like the NHL Draft, it’s hit or miss.

If you want Fox, don’t forget Tony DeAngelo does everything that Fox can. It took the former Lightning 2014 first round pick a few years and coincidentally his third organization to fulfill potential. He doesn’t turn 24 until next season on Oct. 24. With a secondary assist on Monday night at New Jersey, he reached 30 points for the first time in his career. He’s also under six feet tall like Fox, but brings an edge most Rangers haven’t had in recent years. He beat Devils rookie Nathan Bastian in a scrap. DeAngelo is a key player moving forward.

Here’s the truth. If the Blueshirts sign Adam Fox, it would give them another young defenseman to look at in training camp. Given the state of the blueline, I’m fine with that. Especially when one watches Kevin Shattenkirk lose battles in his end while paired with Brady Skjei. The veteran is an offensive defenseman who must perform more consistently in ’19-20 assuming he’s kept. There’s no reason to believe he won’t be.

If one figures Skjei, Shattenkirk, DeAngelo and Marc Staal are the Rangers’ top four to start next season, that leaves three spots open for competition. I don’t expect Fredrik Claesson to return. Brendan Smith should be after giving a good showing as a part time forward who can still play on the third pair when called upon. His contract makes him immovable. He’s a good character guy. Just not a full timer.

Maybe Libor Hajek wins the job on the third pair. He looked capable in his brief cameo before a separated shoulder ended his season. The 21-year old Czech scored his first NHL goal in five games after being recalled from Hartford. The 6-2, 204 pound left defenseman has the right combo of size, skating and skill to become a good player. He came over with Brett Howden and Vladislav Namestnikov in the blockbuster trade with Tampa involving Ryan McDonagh and J.T. Miller. A deal that also netted top D prospect K’Andre Miller.

If the Lightning win the Cup this year, the Rangers also receive another first round pick. With the two they already have, that would be the same three they had last year. Maybe even four if Mats Zuccarello can pull off some magic with the playoff bound Stars.

Neal Pionk is a Group II free agent this summer. Even though he’s struggled in the second half since an injury, the organization likes him. In his first full season, the 23-year old right defenseman has achieved career bests in goals (6), assists (19) and points (25). He still turns over the puck too much and isn’t strong enough in front of his net. Areas he must clean up to stick. I’m not sure he’s more than a seventh defenseman. Time will tell.

Ryan Lindgren is the other forgotten young defenseman. Acquired from Boston as part of the Rick Nash deal, the 21-year old has the look of a defensive D who can clear out the front of the net. More physical than Hajek, he’s a former Bruins second round pick selected number 49 overall in 2016. He got into three games with the Blueshirts. He also played for Team USA at the U-20 WJC in ’17 and ’18.

Other young D to keep a close eye on are Nils Lundkvist, Yegor Rykov, Nico Gross, Joey Keane and Brandon Crawley.

Once the season concludes on Saturday, the Rangers can tend to the next order of business. That includes next Tuesday’s NHL Draft Lottery. Even if they’re in the middle of the pack, you never know how the ball will bounce. As far as this June in Vancouver, it’s a deep draft that isn’t only about 1A Jack Hughes and 1B Kaapo Kakko. There are other quality prospects to choose from including Vasili Podkolzin, Dylan Cozens, Trevor Zegras, Bowen Byram, Peyton Krebs, Alex Turcotte, Kirby Dach.

Between now, April 9, June 20-21 and July, we’ll learn a lot about the direction of the Rangers. Don’t jump the gun just yet. Be patient.

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Video of Day: Rangers and Devils fans come together

Posted on April 2, 2019 by Derek

It’s rare that two fan bases that hate each other due a heated rivalry can agree on something. However, a rare occurrence took place during last night’s final regular season meeting between the Rangers and Devils.

Fans from both sides of the bitter Hudson rivalry came together. The reality of our teams is they’re both out of the playoffs in the same year for the first time in the history of the rivalry. That dates back to 1982 when the Colorado Rockies moved to New Jersey and became the Devils. Even during the Dark Ages, the Devils carried the torch from ’97 thru ’04 until the Rangers returned to the postseason in ’06.

It’s a odd thing when fans who have had arguments over everything and even the occasional fight in the stands, can agree on one thing. Both teams suck. Here is the highlight from Monday night:

If you cannot share a good laugh and see the humor in our current situation, then you might need a good therapist. Losing sucks. That much has been made clear from all players whose teams didn’t qualify for the playoffs. Connor McDavid will once again be staying home despite a third straight 100 point season. The game’s best player must feel jinxed. Imagine having two superstars in the class of McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, who both eclipsed 40 goals and 100 points, and still aren’t in the postseason.

Exactly. The Devils have been without Taylor Hall the whole second half. Last year’s Hart winner hasn’t played since before Christmas. He had 37 points in 33 games. Basically, their season ended before the New Year. A bitter pill to swallow off their surprising postseason appearance in 2018.

The Rangers are where most expected they’d be. Fully committed to a rebuild, they traded Mats Zuccarello and Kevin Hayes for draft picks. Brendan Lemieux also was acquired from Winnipeg in the Hayes transaction. With 75 points and three games left, they continue to play hard for David Quinn. The league’s youngest roster has given a good effort.

Both Hudson rivals will be in the April 9 NHL Draft Lottery. That’s in exactly a week on NBCSN. The Devils have 70 points and should be higher in terms of the odds. We’ll see what happens.

At least for one night, both Rangers and Devils fans agreed on one common thing. “We Both Suck!!!!!”

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Game 79: When actual predictions come true

Posted on April 1, 2019 by Derek

Rangers 2 Devils 4

So, I was on my FB messenger earlier during the second period with my Devils buddy. We were rousing each other on who would win the final meeting of the season. He said 4-2 Rangers. My response:

“Not tonight. The New Jersey Devils prevail 5-2.”

Okay. Maybe I was off by a goal. But at least I had the right side. In a rare emotionally charged game between the old Hudson rivals playing for pride, it was the Devils who prevailed by a score of 4-2 in Newark. They salvaged the final meeting to avoid losing all four games.

Not that it means much. It doesn’t. But even though I skipped the first half, I got down just in time to see Filip Chytil tie it up. Once again, the Rangers rallied from a 2-0 deficit against their blood rivals. However, they couldn’t complete the comeback for Henrik Lundqvist, who must feel like he’s eternally jinxed. Every time he starts, he loses. Even when he plays well.

It can’t be easy for the Rangers franchise leader in essentially every goalie category to lose regularly. Sure. It started last year. But now, he’s barely playing with David Quinn giving rookie Alexandar Georgiev a good look to see what they’ve got. Georgiev has played very well over the final part of the season. He will make the decision on Igor Shestyorkin tough next training camp.

As for Lundqvist, following a brutal goal allowed to Devils forward Miles Wood, he turned in a good performance. He faced 40 shots with the fresher Devils peppering him throughout. It isn’t surprising considering the Rangers sorta played yesterday in that easy 3-0 shutout victory of the lifeless Flyers. New Jersey had better legs. It showed with the game tied in the latter stages of the third.

Connor Carrick’s second goal as a Devil proved to be the winner coming at 15:50. There was little Lundqvist could do. Drew Stafford continued his drive to be re-signed by taking back a puck from Vladislav Namestnikov and then passing for a wide open Carrick, who had all night to fire one past a frustrated Lundqvist due to Kevin Shattenkirk falling asleep. It is what it is.

Joey Anderson added a empty netter right after Lundqvist was pulled to seal the Devils victory. The former Team USA captain of the 2018 World Junior Championship bronze medal roster got to celebrate his fourth NHL goal.

Honestly, this was more about what happened during a hard fought contest that harkened back to glory days. Think 2012. No. It wasn’t quite as insane as the infamous Line Brawl I ran out of the bathroom to see. But it was refreshing to see some emotion back in a rivalry that’s been dead for a while. Look at what Lundqvist said after the game.

He’s 💯 percent right. This is professional sports. No matter what, you gotta find a way to compete even if there’s no playoffs for either team. It was hard fought in more ways than one. You had scrums, edge and heated exchanges followed by three fights. When is the last time that happened? Maybe Hasan knows the answer. I know he probably didn’t watch. He must’ve been locked in on the Mets big ninth inning highlighted by Pete Alonso’s first career home run. Your hockey team might be a bit away, but I have a sneaky feeling Alonso is the goods and the Mets will be good.

You had Brendan Lemieux right in the middle of the fireworks. Reinserted by Quinn, who felt his game had slipped, the son of popular former Devils playoff hero Claude Lemieux, was back to his ornery self. He was dishing it out and taking it all game. That included being on the receiving end of a Stefan Noesen cross check which led to Tony DeAngelo mixing it up with Nathan Bastian.

I like DeAngelo because he plays the game the right way. It’s interesting that he’s basically my height just under six feet and doesn’t back down from no one. He is more than just the skating and offensive skill he brings to the rink. I rather enjoyed his back and forth discussion with Bastian in the penalty boxes. You could tell it was good natured. Lemieux then battered Wood in a quick dust up, bloodying his nose. It was a mismatch. Wood simply picked the wrong guy.

Wow. That’s a little after I put it on. I picked the right time to watch. Lemieux is tough as nails and someone this club has lacked dating back to the good old days when Brandon Prust was standing up for teammates. Someone has to do it. The final sad days of the Alain Vigneault Era lacked that type of passion. All they ever did was skate away and infuriate the fans. It was passionless hockey. No wonder they went out with such a wimper against Ottawa. Can you believe that series was two years ago?

I really like Lemieux’s honesty here with John Giannone. He talked about both teams being frustrated and showed respect for Wood, who asked him to go. Something the replay clearly showed. I said it at the time that Wood was trying to change the momentum. It worked for his team even though he took some punishment. Like Canes play by play man John Forslund often says, “That’s hockey baby!”

Lias Andersson also had his first scrap against Blake Coleman. Let’s just say he needs work. Welcome to the NHL!

Travis Zajac got the other Devils goal on the power play. He has 18 goals on a bad team. That’s a proud veteran who is still around on the Jersey side. Not a bad season for the former top center of ZZ Pop.

Mackenzie Blackwood made 30 saves while Lundqvist stopped 37 of 40. Brett Howden got the first Rangers tally giving him three points in a two day span. Nice to see him regaining his confidence.

Given how the game finished with Chytil taking a slash, maybe we will actually have something to look forward to next season.

BONY 3 STARS:

3rd 🌟 Miles Wood, Devils (10th of season and game changing fight)

2nd 🌟 Henrik Lundqvist, Rangers (37 saves including some good ones in a busy 3rd)

1st 🌟 Connor Carrick, Devils (game winner for 2nd goal as a Devil with 4:10 left in regulation)

Notes: DeAngelo picked up a secondary assist for his 30th point. The first time he’s hit that mark. … Pavel Buchnevich sat out due to precaution after leaving Sunday’s game for concussion protocol. I hope we get to see him again before it ends. … Fredrik Claesson played for Brendan Smith, who got the night off. … The teams combined for 40 penalty minutes in the heated second.

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The Hughes/Kakko Lottery Race

Posted on April 1, 2019 by Derek

As I’ve stated repeatedly on this blog, I’m not a fan of tanking. That’s for losers. Sure. It helps your team’s odds in a highly anticipated NHL Draft Lottery like this year’s crop which features Jack Hughes and Kaapo Kakko. But it doesn’t guarantee anything.

When the Devils won the 2017 Lottery, they finished 26th out of 30 teams- tying in points (70) with the Coyotes, who had one less regulation and overtime win. The Canucks had 69 and the Avalanche were the worst team in the league with only 48. Colorado had the highest odds and it didn’t matter.

With the Devils winning it and selecting Nico Hischier first overall, Colorado fell to number four and still drafted a good player in defense prospect Cale Makar. He’s a Hobey Baker finalist after his second year at UMass-Amherst.

It’s also the same lottery that saw Vancouver drop to fifth and wind up with Calder lock Elias Pettersson. That proved two things.

A.That was a deep draft.

B.You can still get a good player even if you slip.

It boils down to good scouting and luck. Look at Flyers center Nolan Patrick. He and Hischier were neck and neck as the top two draft picks. In Year 2 after Philly moved all the way up to second overall, Patrick has the identical 13-17-30 line with only a few games remaining. Meanwhile, the Stars wound up grabbing a good defenseman in Miro Heiskanen, who’s 12-21-33 as a rookie at number three.

If you’re keeping track, I get it. The Rangers were two picks away from landing primary target Pettersson that draft following the trade of former playoff hero Derek Stepan and Antti Raanta for Tony DeAngelo and the seventh overall pick that turned into Lias Andersson. However, it’s too soon to write off the 20-year old Swede the way some ultra negative fans are already doing. They finally have the right coach in David Quinn, who’s done a good job developing young players this season.

Fast forward to April 9. It’s only eight days away. The anticipation is building in these parts with both the Devils and Rangers two of 15 participants for next week’s lottery. The other 16 will be busy in the playoffs. That includes the Islanders, who are to be congratulated on a great year by surprising everyone thanks to the hires of Lou Lamoriello and Barry Trotz. They face you know who in a rematch at NYCB Live Nassau Coliseum tonight with the Maple Leafs needing one point to clinch. John Tavares will get cheered. April Fool’s. 🙂

Right now, this is how the bottom of the NHL standings look entering tonight’s meaningless exhibition between the Rangers and Devils in Newark.

31.Senators 78 GP 62 Pts 28 ROW

30.Kings 78 GP 67 Pts 26 ROW

29.Devils 79 GP 68 Pts 26 ROW

28.Sabres 79 GP 72 Pts 26 ROW 😐

27.Red Wings 79 GP 72 Pts 28 ROW

26.Rangers 78 GP 75 Pts 25 ROW

25.Ducks 80 GP 76 Pts 30 ROW

24.Oilers 78 GP 77 Pts 31 ROW

23.Canucks 79 GP 78 Pts 28 ROW

22.Blackhawks 78 GP 79 Pts 32 ROW

Note: ROW is included because it determines first tiebreaker. In this crazy scenario, you want your team to have less so your team finishes lower. Even with the odds not as favorable as before, you never know.

The fact Buffalo has fallen so dramatically with last year’s prize in rookie defenseman Rasmus Dahlin along with Jack Eichel, Sam Reinhardt and Jeff Skinner is absurd. What do they have? Thirteen wins since late November?!?! If ever a team doesn’t deserve to win the Jack Hughes/Kaapo Kakko Lottery, it’s them. Ditto Edmonton with them basically done. They already boast Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins is good too.

The one point I want to raise is that the bottom feeders have been playing better lately. Even Ottawa and the Kings are winning games. Don’t forget by opting to accept Colorado’s number one pick last year (Brady Tkachuk) in the Matt Duchene disaster, the Senators don’t have their pick. It belongs to the Avalanche, who are in the second wildcard with 85 points. One up on the miracle Coyotes. I didn’t include either along with the fading Wild due to all three still in contention. The Blackhawks can still make it if they run the table and get help. The Flyers and Panthers are already eliminated and in play.

What will happen next Tuesday? Nobody knows. With the odds more weighted like the NBA to be fair to everyone, it’s no guarantee the worst team will win. Of course, the runner up won’t be too upset with either Hughes or Kakko as their consolation prize. However, this is a deep draft. So, that’s good news for the teams that finish behind the top two. So is next year’s class.

NHL 2019 LOTTERY ODDS

There really isn’t anything else to add. Even with the Rangers having won two in a row for the first time since January, I don’t care either way. If they lose, it can’t hurt their chances. However, I’m kinda hoping the honest approach Quinn’s team has taken will earn them a reward. Like Hasan noted when John Moore scored an overtime winner in 2017, it actually worked out for the Devils.

We’ll see what happens.

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Game #78: A Georgie Special as Buchnevich and Strome stay hot in win at Flyers

Posted on March 31, 2019 by Derek

Some might say, ‘What’s the point in winning these games?’ I think Marc Staal said it best the other day. You don’t teach losing at any level. It’s about competing every game no matter what. Or in hockey terms, every shift.

The Rangers continue to play hard for coach David Quinn. Today, they easily shutout the lifeless Flyers 3-0 in the City of Brotherly Love to earn a win in the final game of the season series. Philly had dominated the series by taking the first three. But a day after getting eliminated by the Canes, they clearly were not into the early NBC matinee.

Even if Gritty was rolled out and later shown on the scoreboard with Hockey Hall of Famer Peter Forsberg, who had about as much excitement for the popular Flyers rookie mascot as the team had in playing. I agree with what Eddie Olczyk said during the telecast to Kenny Albert. It’s hard to get up for a game a day following playoff elimination. Sean Couturier told Pierre McGuire “it sucks,” before the game.

Be that as it may, the Rangers did what they were supposed to. No. They didn’t tank like some of our fans want. I understand that a worse position in the final standings would give them a higher percentage for winning the April 9 NHL Draft Lottery. However, it’s not an exact science. There’s no guarantee. We saw the Devils win the lottery two years ago to move up to first overall and land Nico Hischier. Sometimes, you get rewarded for honest play. Interestingly, nobody is tanking. Hasan cited the tweet by Devils play by play man Steve Cangialosi last night.

It’s funny. But if you compare our team to the other bottom feeders, their record is worse. Yet fans are still complaining because of course. The 3-0 victory gave the Rangers their first two game winning streak since mid-January when they reeled off three in a row over Carolina, Chicago and Boston from 1/15-19. So, the fans that are upset are wrong. Shocking as usual. For the month of March, they went 4-8-3. I’ll repeat. They were 4-8-3.

You can never satisfy everyone. Especially Debbie downers who have forgotten the most important part of rebuilding. Building a winning culture. Thank God for Quinn, who’s instilled a real work ethic that’s resulted in big improvements from a few young players including Pavel Buchnevich, Alexandar Georgiev and Ryan Strome.

Buchnevich scored number 20 in the win to continue his hot streak. That’s a seven-game point streak (4-4-8). Since March 3 versus Washington, he has eight goals and four assists. How has he done it? With the kind of hard work combined with unique skill the maturing 23-year old forward has. He’s a different player. It bodes well for the future.

Georgiev continues his evolvement in net by stopping all 29 Flyers shots for his second career shutout. Both coming this season. He’s been impressive since the All-Star break. He made 55 saves against Toronto on his 23rd birthday last month. He stoned the Leafs again last week with 44 stops in a win up north, and was superb in making 44 to highlight Friday’s home win over the Blues. So, Quinn stuck with him. He rewarded his faith by evening up his record at 13-13-3. Okay. So technically, it’s not .500. But Georgie is improving. Not so fast Igor Shestyorkin. It’s a good problem to have moving forward with Henrik Lundqvist here for at least two more years.

Strome has been just as hot as Buchnevich. He continued his strong play by scoring another goal and assisting on one to give him two multi-point games in the last three. He’s up to 17 goals as a Ranger. In fact, it matches his best output that he accomplished with the Islanders in ’14-15. That’s still his best season. He posted a career high 50 points (17-33-50) over 81 contests. In 59 games with the Blueshirts, the 25-year old forward has 31 points (17-14-31). Solid production that’s become more consistent recently. That’s the key.

Brady Skjei also got his seventh goal from Strome and Brett Howden in the third to put it away. That leads all Ranger defensemen. The seven markers are a career high. He’s quietly made strides in his third season following a poor start. The just turned 25-year old is becoming more of a leader. Something that’s necessary with the Rangers the league’s youngest roster. Their average age is a shade over 25.

As poorly as Philadelphia played, they got plenty of power play time in the second due to Brendan Smith repeatedly taking minor penalties. He took all four of the Rangers’ penalties including two in succession. That included a weird sequence where as he was coming out of the penalty box, he touched the puck before stepping on to the ice. A no no. It is interference. He could only shake his head.

But Georgiev was sharp throughout. His rebound control was excellent. The Flyers created opportunities on their power plays. However, Georgiev saw everything and ate up a couple of low offerings from Shayne Gostisbehere. No Flyer screened him. They definitely missed Wayne Simmonds, who’s now a Predator. He was great at getting in front and tipping shots or making life difficult. Georgiev’s best save came on James van Riemsdyk when he stoned him on a breakaway. He stayed calm and patient to thwart a good finisher.

Buchnevich’s goal was nice. It came in the first from Mika Zibanejad and a grinning Chris Kreider, who created the play. He gave Buchnevich the business on the bench for getting that 20th goal. The KZB Line is much better than last year. All three players are harder on the puck and it makes them tougher to stop given their skill.

Strome had a nice finish past rookie Carter Hart on a good pass from Howden with only three seconds left in the period. Just a nice all around play. Smith got the secondary assist. He played with them up front.

Skjei put the Flyers out of their misery on a good play by Howden that Strome was involved in. Overall, it was a well played game by the Rangers. They got the deserved reward.

BONY 3 STARS:

3rd 🌟 Pavel Buchnevich, Rangers (notched career best 20th goal)

2nd 🌟 Alexandar Georgiev, Rangers (29 save shutout for 2nd of career)

1st 🌟 Ryan Strome, Rangers (17th as a NYR, and a helper)

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