Game #50: Zibanejad’s first hat trick as a Ranger does in Devils 4-3

Posted on January 31, 2019 by Derek

The first meeting of the season finally took place in Game 50 for the Rangers and Devils. On a frigid night at the end of January in Newark, the Rangers got a hat trick from Mika Zibanejad (3-1-4) to do in the Devils 4-3. His line with Mats Zuccarello (3 primary assists) and Chris Kreider (team best 23rd goal) dominated the Devils, who were without key defensemen Sami Vatanen and Ben Lovejoy.

It showed throughout as the game went on. For a while, the Rangers refused to shoot the puck on Devils starter Keith Kinkaid. In fact, they only registered two shots in the first 14:54. It was strange. The Devils took advantage of two Rangers’ penalties, cashing in with a pair of power play goals from Nico Hischier (goal, assist for 10th multi-point game of season) and Marcus Johansson (8th of season).

On the first one that Blake Coleman drew on Marc Staal (holding), Pavel Zacha out-muscled Neal Pionk off the puck to free it up for a turnaround shot from Hischier for a unassisted goal at 5:10. It was his 14th. Up till that point, the Rangers penalty kill was doing a good job. But all it took was one mistake for the puck to wind up behind starter Henrik Lundqvist due to a very soft play by Pionk. Why he was back paired with Staal is inexplicable while Tony DeAngelo sat. I would love to know coach David Quinn’s reasoning behind it. Brendan Smith paired up with Kevin Shattenkirk most of the contest. He actually played well.

The second Devils power play tally came from Johansson on a great effort play. With Jesper Fast off for a questionable tripping minor, he followed up a Brian Boyle shot that ricocheted off the goalpost by diving to put home a rebound with Pionk on the ice literally. Another bad play by the second-year defenseman, who’s clearly struggling and should be the odd man out for Saturday against the Lightning.

Johansson’s goal gave the Devils a two-goal lead with 3:42 left in the first period. Even though they were up two, they didn’t exactly dominate play at five-on-five. In many ways, the Rangers were their own worst enemy. Despite having sustained forecheck pressure on a few shifts, they passed up shots. None more glaring than Pavel Buchnevich on a mini break. Kevin Shattenkirk made a perfect outlet for Buchnevich at the Devils blueline. He then broke in and for some reason, opted to try a fancy move rather than shoot from a good angle. It was exasperating. Needless to say, he didn’t see many shifts in the first two periods.

Finally beginning to dictate play, the Rangers got a late power play off a offensive zone draw. Referee Kevin Pollock called Johansson for interference on Vladislav Namestnikov with seven seconds left. Incensed by the call, both Johansson and New Jersey coach John Hynes didn’t like it. The MSG replays seemed to indicate why it was called. Johansson prevented Namestnikov from skating through.

You don’t expect to score with so little time left in a period. However, the Blueshirts made it work thanks to a Zibanejad win back to Kevin Hayes. Hayes wasted no time shooting for Zibanejad, who easily redirected the puck in for a goal with 1.8 seconds remaining. Hynes gave a blank stare in the direction of Pollock. But really, he should’ve been upset with the lazy coverage by his penalty killers in front. Zibanejad’s 18th from Hayes gave the Rangers some life into the second.

The second was largely controlled by the Rangers. In particular, Zuccarello who was everywhere during the top line’s shifts. The Devils had no answer for the cohesive trio that features their leading scorer Zibanejad and top finisher Kreider. Zuccarello is their best playmaker, who makes things happen by being a water bug. Ever since he acknowledged that his struggles had more to do with the trade deadline, he’s been tremendous. That continued on Thursday night with his three assists giving him a dozen points (4-8-12) over the last six. His value is increasing with each big game.

There wasn’t much in terms of scoring during the second. In a period they outshot their opponent 12-5, the Rangers needed a atrocious call on Miles Wood to help get the game tied. After taking a outlet pass, the speedy Wood had a couple of steps on a hustling Smith, who came back hard to shove the gritty Devils forward into Lundqvist. Somehow, they thought that was goaltender interference. That was just abominable.

Later on, they watched Namestnikov get shoved hard into the boards during the third. Even though they didn’t cash in on the dubious call on Wood, they got another opportunity over a minute later when Smith drew a hooking minor on Blake Coleman.

Taking full advantage of an early Valentine’s gift, Hayes moved the puck down for Zuccarello, who had way too much space to pass across for a wicked Zibanejad shot from the left circle for number 19 to tie the game at 16:36.

In a period they dictated, they got nabbed for yet another bench minor, causing steam to come out of Quinn. I’ve lost track. Is that seven or eight too many men on the ice minor penalties? Fortunately, it didn’t cost them.

Kreider made it three straight goals on another dominant shift down low by the top line. Zibanejad made a good play to keep the puck alive to Zuccarello, who came around the net and found Kreider for a quick wrist shot that surprised Kinkaid for a 3-2 lead at 4:43.

But before they could get too comfortable, an awful turnover by Jimmy Vesey led directly to Devils defenseman Egor Yakovlev tying it just 53 seconds later. Vesey’s lazy giveaway allowed Hischier to keep it in and feed Johansson, who dished across for a Yakovlev one-timer that beat Lundqvist. It was his second of the season. He played in place of Vatanen, who was placed on injured reserve.

Unlike the first two periods full of special teams, there were no penalties called. It was played at even strength. The two bitter rivals took turns getting chances. A few times throughout the game, the Devils tested Lundqvist’s glove. It was up to the challenge. He robbed Kevin Rooney a couple of times. Shots were 9-7 Devils in the third.

However, they had issues with the Zibanejad line all night. Quinn made a interesting move, benching Vesey in favor of Buchnevich following his turnover. The much maligned 23-year old Russian had been stuck on the fourth line without receiving any power play time. He’d barely played six minutes. But having used his speed and shot to create a chance which Kinkaid stopped, Quinn gave him a reprieve.

As it turned out, Buchnevich rewarded the coach by keeping a dominant shift going after coming on for a changing Kreider. After he moved the puck behind the net for Zuccarello, the creative puck wizard centered for a cutting Zibanejad, who made a brilliant move and sweet backhand finish for the hat trick with 4:36 left in regulation. His 20th proved to be the game-winner.

The Devils eventually pulled Kinkaid for an extra attacker. However, they were unable to beat Lundqvist, who actually was pretty good despite allowing three to get by him. Quinn even sent Buchnevich out for a defensive shift to help protect the lead. Staal protected the puck in the corner while absorbing a couple of checks as time expired.

BONY 3 STARS:

3rd 🌟 Nico Hischier, Devils (14th of season, assist)

2nd 🌟 Mats Zuccarello, Rangers (3 primary assists)

1st 🌟 Mika Zibanejad, Rangers (1st hat trick as a Blueshirt-#’s 18, 19, 20, assist for a 4-point game)

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Rangers visit Devils in first meeting

Posted on January 31, 2019 by Derek

Tonight in about half an hour, the Rangers and Devils renew the Hudson rivalry in Newark. It’s the first meeting of four in a odd season if you go by the schedule. Both teams have played 49 games, and are first meeting with not much on the line. Neither are going to the playoffs.

On one of the most bitter ice cold days of the Winter, I’m sure many fans will brave the elements to see the Rangers and Devils play at The Prudential Center. Ha. Don’t expect a sellout. Those no longer happen. Not even for Rangers vs Islanders. They already finished their season series earlier this month.

Hasan said he’s skipping the game. Can you blame him? It’s not the most exciting hockey right now for fans of either side of the classic rivalry that really began in ’93-94. I’m not gonna rehash that due to it being the 25-Year Anniversary of the Rangers winning the Stanley Cup. Something they’ll honor in just over a week against Carolina on Feb. 8 at MSG. I’ll be there for it.

Currently, the Rangers are sixth in the Metro Division with 49 points and a 21-21-7 record. They’re four points up on the last place Devils, who enter with 45 points and a 19-23-7 record. They won their first game following the break by again defeating the Penguins. A team they own. The Rangers lost a tough one to the Flyers 1-0 the other day. They got shutout by mere mortal Anthony Stolarz (38 saves) despite outshooting them 25-7 the final two periods.

They’ll likely have two good offensive players back in the lineup at faceoff. Pavel Buchnevich will return to the lineup after being a healthy scratch for a fourth time this season. We’ll see how he responds to coach David Quinn criticizing his inconsistent play. He will again start on the fourth line with Boo Nieves and Cody McLeod, needing to earn his way up including power play duty where he excels.

If Mats Zuccarello can’t go, then there’s the likelihood that Buchnevich could find himself on the top line if Quinn believes he’s ready. That would reunite him with Mika Zibanejad and Chris Kreider. But if Zuccarello is back following the left foot infection, he will start on the top line. He practiced in full yesterday.

The Rangers will be without rookie Brett Howden for three to four weeks. The hexed rookie forward suffered a sprained knee in the loss on Tuesday night. He was showing signs of snapping out of it, nearly scoring on a good shift. Unfortunately, now he’ll be out a while.

If they do go with 12 forwards and 6 defensemen, figure Brendan Smith to sit out. I wish Quinn would keep Tony DeAngelo with Marc Staal. Instead, he’s gone back to Neal Pionk with Staal despite improvement from DeAngelo. Brady Skjei will likely pair with Adam McQuaid, leaving DeAngelo with Kevin Shattenkirk.

Henrik Lundqvist gets the start versus Keith Kinkaid. I guess the Devils don’t have anyone else they have faith in. I think Mackenzie Blackwood is still down in the AHL. I have no clue what’s going on with Cory Schneider.

The Devils placed top defenseman Sami Vatanen on the injured reserve due to a concussion. They recalled veteran Eric Gryba. Remember his hit in the preseason that resulted in a fight the next game? Maybe we’ll get a rematch between him and McLeod.

The Devils remain without last year’s Hart winner Taylor Hall. They’ve played okay thanks to Travis Zajac, Miles Wood and Blake Coleman stepping up in his absence. Pavel Zacha had a goal and assist in their victory versus the Penguins. He is still a work in progress in Year Three.

That’s pretty much it. There’s not much else to get pumped for. Two rivals battling for pride, or lottery position.

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Pierre McGuire embarrasses classy Olympic Champion Kendall Coyne during telecast

Posted on January 31, 2019 by Derek

I have never had much issue with Pierre McGuire before. Even though the NBC hockey analyst who broadcasts between the benches can be over talkative and strange at times, I’ve usually found his reporting entertaining. He provides interesting bits and pieces on what’s going on with each bench. That along with some of the banter between players makes his job worthwhile.

However, McGuire went over the edge during last night’s telecast between the Lightning and Penguins in Pittsburgh. Prior to the game, he had USA Olympic champion Kendall Coyne Schofield with him to give a quick preview of the game. A five-time gold medalist at the World Championships who knows the game quite well, she was a guest analyst following her cool participation in the All-Star Skills Fastest Skater this past weekend in San Jose.

That should’ve been the focus on NBCSN. Instead, we got this disturbingly awkward conversation between McGuire and Coyne, who handled it with total class.

Even if McGuire was joking with his weird sense of humor about her being there to provide analysis instead of saying, “not a fan,” he didn’t have to insult her intelligence along with the viewers by telling Coyne where the Tampa bench was. It came off in poor taste.

This is exactly the kind of controversial thing that broadcasters should stay away from. More women are getting opportunities to provide input on games such as the Penguins’ 4-2 home win over the Lightning. Cammi Granato is a fixture on TSN. We’ve seen plenty of successful female sports broadcasters fare well in the industry. Whether it’s Deb Placey, Shannon Hogan, or Amanda Borges, they’ve been true professionals. Borges now does work for Yahoo Sports on The Spin while Placey co-hosts NHL Live with E.J. Hradek on NHL Network and provides work for NHL.Com.

What gets lost in McGuire insulting Coyne is that if you paid close attention to her insight, it was right on. She told Pierre:

“I’m excited to see Tampa’s start. They’ve been off for 10 days, haven’t had a game. Pittsburgh on the other hand had a tough loss on Monday. Got a little blown out of the water by the New Jersey Devils. So, I’m excited to see the start tonight.”

Coyne nailed it. The Lightning got scored on three times in the first 8:21 including consecutive Penguins goals from Phil Kessel and Sidney Crosby 16 seconds apart to make it 3-0. Pittsburgh prevailed 4-2 over Tampa Bay.

A great job out of Coyne, who came off as the true winner she is. McGuire, not so much.

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Game #49: Rangers run into hot goalie in 1-0 shutout loss to Flyers, Watch Derek’s Vlog

Posted on January 30, 2019 by Derek

Sometimes, hockey is simply explained by running into the hot goalie. The Rangers ran into an unusual one in Anthony Stolarz as he stopped all 38 shots for a 1-0 Flyers shutout at MSG last night. It was the 25-year old Edison, New Jersey native’s night. He delivered many big saves the last two periods to make Oskar Lindblom’s goal 1:40 in stand up for Philadelphia’s second consecutive win in two nights.

There’s really not a whole lot to say. Coming off a nine day layoff due to the ridiculous bye week and All-Star weekend, the Rangers were a little flat at the start. That was enough to lose a game they dominated. After a good first in which they had 12 shots, a tired Flyers had nothing left in the fuel tank. They only mustered seven more shots on backup Alexandar Georgiev (18 saves).

One defensive breakdown with normally reliable forward Jesper Fast botching the coverage on a Flyers extended shift that allowed Lindblom enough time to flip a backhand in, was enough to lose a hockey game. The Rangers outshot the Flyers 38-18 overall, including a ridiculous 25-7 the final two periods. It didn’t matter due to Stolarz, who posted only his second career shutout and first of the season in just his eighth start. It was his 10th appearance. He won for just the third time in ’18-19. In parts of two seasons with Philly, he is up to 5-4-3 in his career with a 2.86 GAA and .909 save percentage.

You get the picture. I decided to break the game down via my YouTube channel. That included some interesting thoughts on David Quinn scratching Pavel Buchnevich for the fourth time this season in favor of Brendan Smith, who even took some shifts as a forward. He nearly scored on one of their best chances late in the third.

In the video below, I highlight the improved play of Chris Kreider as a primary example of a player who took a while to develop into the consistent power forward we see today. I also get into the whole Mika Zibanejad vs Kevin Hayes debate and touch on Kevin Shattenkirk having the worst luck even on his 30th birthday when he learned he’s going to become a Dad. Plus some observations on the All-Star Game and who Blueshirt fans should be excited for in the future.

I hope you enjoyed my first ever live Rangers Vlog. Something I’ll be experimenting with. To follow me on YouTube, I’m kovy274hart.

One note from Tuesday was the unfortunate injury to Brett Howden. A rookie who hit the wall, he was playing his best game in a long time. Shifted to the wing, he nearly scored for the first time since Nov. 12. Now, it looks like he’ll miss some time from what Quinn told reporters. Bad luck for a first-year player who’s never stopped working despite his struggles.

Assuming they go back to the traditional lineup of 12 forwards and 6 defensemen, figure Buchnevich to slot in for Howden and Mats Zuccarello to return if he’s ready. The Rangers are at the Devils in Newark for the first match up between the Hudson rivals at the end of January. More great scheduling. 😛

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Buchnevich will not play versus Flyers

Posted on January 29, 2019 by Derek

Hockey is back after a long time off. For the Rangers, they’re finally back at it tonight with the Flyers in town. When we last left off, they were winners of three in a row to enter the bye week and All-Star break feeling better about themselves.

The reemergence of Mats Zuccarello provided a spark on the top line with Mika Zibanejad playing his best hockey. Unfortunately, a left foot infection will prevent Zuccarello from going later tonight. They’ll still have leading scorer Zibanejad and top finisher Chris Kreider intact.

It won’t be Pavel Buchnevich, who replaces Zuccarello. Instead, the enigmatic 23-year old forward will not play. Coach David Quinn has decided to go with 11 forwards and seven defensemen. That includes Neal Pionk, who makes his return after a week off to recover from a lower body injury that apparently had hindered his play. During today’s interview following the morning skate, Quinn discussed his decision to play Brendan Smith as the seventh defenseman while healthy scratching Buchnevich.

When pressed as to why Buchnevich isn’t playing, Quinn didn’t pull any punches. He said, “He has to play better.” Interesting stuff considering where the third-year right wing finds himself. Prior to the break, he was on the fourth line with either Boo Nieves or Brett Howden with Cody McLeod. I didn’t view it as a punishment. But rather the first-year coach trying to change Buchnevich into a more effective player at five-on-five. His Corsica rating has suffered. At last check, it was 43.9. To be fair, he’s started 51.5 percent in the defensive zone. A role reversal. Under Alain Vigneault, he got over 57 percent of his starts in the offensive zone last year. Interestingly, he still finished under 50 CF.

The issue for Buchnevich is consistency. He doesn’t always bring it every shift. A talented player who achieved career highs last season across the board in games played (74), goals (14), assists (29), points (43), even strength goals (9), power play points (5-12-17) and shots (136), this was supposed to be the breakout year for him.

However, it’s been anything but. In 32 games, he has nine goals and six assists for 15 points. His best stretch came in early November when he posted two goals and two assists before suffering a broken thumb that sidelined him over a month. When he first returned in mid-December, he had a goal and assist in his first two games back for a season best five-game point streak. In fact, eight of his 15 points came within an eight-game stretch between Oct. 25 thru Dec. 16.

Since then, points have been hard to come by. Despite not being productive, Quinn was still giving Buchnevich the benefit of the doubt. It wasn’t until the last batch of games before the break that he was demoted to the fourth line. He still was rewarded with power play time in a easy home win over Carolina on Jan. 15. He posted two power play goals to erase a six-game drought.

Part of the problem is he doesn’t shoot the puck enough. He’s totaled 39 shots in 32 games. Buchnevich is a very effective player on the man-advantage. Four of his nine goals have come on it. If you count a goal with Henrik Lundqvist pulled in the season opener against Nashville, five of the nine have come a man up. It’s being able to harness it at even strength that has been mystifying. Along with a unwillingness to take the body conistently, you have a underachieving player who should be doing better.

Critics of Quinn like to turn that around by claiming that Buchnevich should be handed a spot on the top line with Zibanejad and Kreider. The KZB line had some success last year under Vigneault, who they hated. However, they weren’t very productive at even strength despite good Corsica numbers. When Jesper Fast replaced Buchnevich on the line, they actually were more successful at five-on-five. Fast is a more consistent player with a better defensive acumen and stronger work ethic. Those are factors.

Buchnevich isn’t a small guy either. Listed at 6-3, 196 pounds, he’s fully capable of playing a grittier style. Something he did with success following some criticism from Quinn. He wants a more active Buchnevich, who will use his shot more and get to the inside for rebounds. Most of all, finish checks. I don’t know if he’ll ever be that type of player. He’s more about flash and dash due to his skating and European influence.

Before the season, I projected him for between 20-25 goals and 55-60 points. I felt based on his playmaking ability, he could top 30 assists in a top six role. I also believed he could get at least 20 goals with half coming on the power play. I was far from alone in this thinking. Under the demanding Quinn, it hasn’t translated. The difference between him and Vigneault is he gives clear explanations for his lineup decisions.

Buchnevich is far from alone in being a part of the Quinn Bin. He’s made examples of plenty of players including veteran Kevin Shattenkirk and Vladislav Namestnikov. Tony DeAngelo has responded well to all the games he’s missed by forming a good pair with veteran leader Marc Staal. Namestnikov might not have the skill of Buchnevich, but he’s worked hard to carve a niche under Quinn, even earning penalty killing time. He also plays with edge by taking the body. Something Quinn emphasizes. Even favorite Jimmy Vesey was made an example of due to his play levelling off. The difference is he has 11 goals and 13 assists in a defined third line role. He also receives power play and penalty kill time.

I’ve said that Buchnevich will decide his future over the next three weeks. If his play improves when he probably returns on Thursday in New Jersey for astonishingly the first rivalry game against the Devils, he can avoid getting traded at the Feb. 25 deadline. If he continues to be unsteady, he’ll pack his bags and be gone. A scenario nobody could’ve foreseen.

As far as the lineup, Namestnikov will move up to play with Zibanejad and Kreider. The cohesive line of Filip Chytil, Ryan Strome and Fast remains together. Kevin Hayes is finally ready to go. He’ll play with Vesey and Brett Howden, who hopefully will be rejuvenated following the off time. Nieves and Cody McLeod are the 10th and 11th forwards. I’m sure Nieves will be worked in regularly due to how well he’s played. McLeod stays in just in case the Flyers pull any shenanigans.

Alexandar Georgiev makes the start. Quinn wanted to give All-Star Henrik Lundqvist the night off. He earned it with his performance in the breakaway challenge and by allowing nothing in the first period of the final to help the Metro defeat the Central to win the tournament.

As far as going with seven D, eh. I’m not a fan. It seems more like a showcase than anything.

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Game #49: Meh Monday – Devils 6, Penguins 3

Posted on January 29, 2019 by hasan4978

It’s been a long time since I cared so little about a Devils blowout win over the Penguins. Nine days without a game has made hockey angst dissapear but also widened our insurmountable deficit on a playoff spot. Even with last night’s 6-3 win in Pittsburgh which wasn’t even that close, the Devils are still a whopping thirteen points behind the second wild card. With barely a month before the trade deadline it’s just a matter of when and how many, not if some key names go out the door.

In a way it almost makes this season worse that this Devils team is still capable of dominating a quality foe like Pittsburgh. Even though I know full well that bad teams can still have good teams’ number. I remember a ton of wins like teams from the Islanders and Thrashers over us when they had bad seasons and we were having good ones back in the good ol’ days. Still, you get caught up in wondering why can’t this team put together more performances like last night?

Predictable and meaningless as it was, there’s always something good to take out of a win, starting with the injured Miles Wood’s return to the lineup and to a line with Travis Zajac and Blake Coleman that was playing well before Wood’s injury. They dominated yesterday and Zajac led the way with a four point night, putting up a goal and three assists and getting a well-deserved first star out of it. Of our six goals, they were all scored by six different players including the embattled Pavel Zacha, who actually put up both a goal and an assist – both rarities for the 2015 first-rounder who’s yet to find consistent production here.

Also after a lot of rest and bench time in recent weeks, Keith Kinkaid came out of the break with one of his best performances of the season making 37 stops. Granted, many of them came in the third period when the Pens were already way behind playing catchup but still you’d like to see the number of shots allowed eventually come down. Especially if they are going to bring back young Mackenzie Blackwood sooner or later for more playing time. Blackwood spent the Devils’ break down in the AHL. He only got in one game as the Devils are also trying to rehab Cory Schneider mentally and physically (without much success so far given Cory’s given up 11 goals in his last two games!), but at least got to partake in the AHL All-Star festivities.

Blackwood might be back after the AHL All-Star game, but then again Cory’s clock on rehab games runs out this weekend, rendering it high noon for some decisions to be made on the immediate and long-term future of Devils’ goaltending. Will Cory get games at the NHL level or be immediately waived? Despite his contract which has three years still after this season, it doesn’t seem as if there’s a lot of organizational patience left for Cory to even be a functional goaltender. There’s also a slight but not realistic chance Kinkaid gets traded which would clear spots for both Cory and Blackwood.

Our next game is amazingly enough our first against the rival Rangers this season. And suddenly there’s even excitement in the Ranger camp after their pre-break winning streak. Shameful really that they seem much further along after one year of their rebuilding than we do in year four. Of course we did have a similar season in coach John Hynes’ first year here as well, somehow scratching out an above NHL .500 finish with a team that had dubious talent on it. My view of Hynes has gone up and down a roller coaster from a bullish one after that season and last year to a bearish one after our multiple steps back in his second season and this year. He’s not going anywhere in the immediate future as evidenced by his recent contract extension but next year’s gonna have to be another bear or the perceived hot seat might finally scald the head coach.

I won’t be at Thursday’s game or even watching for the most part but there is still a certain amount of pride on the line given the rivalry and the fact one team seems ascendant while the other is stuck in quicksand.

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HARD HITS: NHL All-Star Weekend and Trade Deadline

Posted on January 28, 2019 by Derek

NHL All-Star Weekend came and went in San Jose. They were a great host with some of the best fans in the game. I’m not much for the All-Star Game anymore due to the changes. Most notably, the wild and crazy 3-on-3 winner take all tournament that features all four divisions battling for $1 million. However, I did catch some of the Skill Competition and part of the Metro Division defeating both the Atlantic and Central to take the money.

I’m gonna give you some thoughts on what I liked and what I think can be done better to make the big weekend more fun for hockey fans. I guess it depends on what kind of fan you are. Some of the newer audience enjoys the uniqueness of the frenetic pace of 3-on-3 that we’ve enjoyed during the regular season in a too abbreviated five minute overtime. As legendary NBC play-by-play man Doc Emrick would say, “What chaos!” It sure is.

Watching two 10 minute periods of 3-on-3 featuring most of the game’s best players is fun and random. One of my favorite things. I guess maybe because I’m old school, I prefer the traditional 20 minute five-on-five for three periods with the hectic 3-on-3 for OT. I would love to see the league go back to East vs West and interchange with the popular North America vs The World. Something I always enjoyed. Where else could you get enticing match ups featuring the likes of Sidney Crosby, Connor McDavid, Nathan MacKinnon, Jack Eichel, John Tavares, Auston Matthews, Patrick Kane, Johnny Gaudreau, Mark Scheifele, Blake Wheeler, Brent Burns, Seth Jones, Mark Giordano, Kris Letang, Marc-Andre Fleury, Carey Price and John Gibson against European talent such as Nikita Kucherov, Alexander Ovechkin, Artemi Panarin, David Pastrnak, Leon Draisaitl, Sebastian Aho, Mikko Rantanen, Gabriel Landeskog, Elias Pettersson, Aleksander Barkov, Evgeni Malkin, Erik Karlsson, Victor Hedman, Roman Josi, Miro Heiskanen, Pekka Rinne, Henrik Lundqvist and Andrei Vasilevskiy?

Most would argue that there’s never been better talent between Canada and the United States, and they wouldn’t be wrong. I excluded Mitch Marner, Mathew Barzal, Drew Doughty, Morgan Rielly and Thomas Chabot to name a few. In the glory days, you had Sergei Fedorov, Pavel Bure, Teemu Selanne, Jaromir Jagr, Nicklas Lidstrom, Dominik Hasek, Pavol Demitra, Sergei Gonchar, Ziggy Palffy, Peter Forsberg, Mats Sundin, Patrik Elias, Nikolai Khabibulin, Teppo Numminen and Marian Hossa. The skill level for the World was off the charts. Sometimes, it even included the scintillating Alexei Kovalev or Martin Straka. Yeah. Those were the days. Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg along with Daniel and Henrik Sedin followed suit.

Just for the dream goalie match-up of Hasek vs Martin Brodeur for a period, it was worth it. Or say Forsberg up against Eric Lindros, or Colorado teammate Joe Sakic. Ditto for Fedorov against Steve Yzerman. How about Sundin facing Mike Modano? Or Elias trying to get past Scott Niedermayer or Scott Stevens and beat Brodeur? It always created a interesting dynamic. I’d like to see the NHL get back to that.

Not that the 3-on-3 circus isn’t entertaining. Where else can you have goalies at the skaters’ mercy facing 3-on-1’s and clean breakaways from the red line? One of my favorite moments when I watched was seeing Braden Holtby aggressively challenge a breakaway and do the old Brodeur/Hasek slide to cover up the puck and take away the scoring chance. As long as no one gets hurt. You always worry about that with goalies in such a unpredictable exhibition.

What about the move Stamkos pulled off on Lundqvist, who went for the poke check, only for the gifted Lightning captain to somehow tuck the puck between his legs and around the Rangers netminder and in for a spectacular goal? Wonderful stuff. Of course, the elder statesman put on a show on Friday night by winning the breakaway with 12 consecutive saves. The 36-year old also shutout the Central in the first period of the Metro’s 10-5 win in the championship round.

Of course, Crosby took home MVP honors with four goals and four assists for eight points in the two Metro victories. The Pens captain got booed by the San Jose crowd even when he didn’t participate in the Skill Competition on Friday due to being sick. It was hilarious. He wasn’t even present and they still booed. Tavares also got jeered throughout. I forgot why initially. But it was due to the Sharks just missing out on Tavares last summer when he chose the hometown Maple Leafs over the Islanders and Sharks. Fans never forget. I still found it funny. It’s not like he spent the past decade as an Islander. Wait till his return to Nassau Coliseum. First, he’ll be back in Brooklyn next month. Then, Long Island. That should be must see TV.

https://twitter.com/BarSouthNCelly/status/1089018053050789888?s=19

As far as the Super Skills, I loved seeing U.S. Olympian Kendall Coyne Schofield take part in the Fastest Skater competition. She became the first woman to compete in the All-Star Skills. She did very well skating to a time of 14.346 seconds. It was a signature moment. McDavid took the event for a third straight year by beating out Eichel with a 13.378 for the win. Eichel’s time was 13.582, passing Stars rookie defenseman Heiskanen, who ran a time of 13.914 after falling hard on the second turn to get a retry. He shook it off.

Lundqvist making 12 saves in a row was cool. He admitted to getting a bit lucky on Kucherov and Tavares. But sometimes, goalies need puck luck. I can’t remember the last time Lundqvist looked so happy. It was nice to see. He will get Tuesday’s first Rangers game back off at home against the Flyers.

The hardest shot disappointed. Carlson won it with his best shot clocked at 102.8. I actually thought it was lower on my first audio podcast via Facebook. Oops. At least it was up from Washington teammate Ovechkin, who won the event last year with only a 101.3 in Tampa Bay. Ovechkin skipped All-Star Weekend, opting to take time off to be with his family. He will serve a mandatory one-game suspension. Eek. I don’t like when players skip the event because it takes away from something the fans voted on. They want to see the world’s best. Crosby has sat out before too. What’s the point of having it if a few of your best are going to make a excuse to not participate? Unless you’re hurt, you should represent your team for the fans.

I didn’t like having the All-Star Game on Saturday night. Why? Because they wanted to avoid going up against the glorified joke that is the Pro Bowl? Gee whiz. I get that the leagues probably had a mutual agreement not to have their games on the same day. I preferred the All-Star Game on Sunday afternoon. Oh well.

I want to get back to the hardest shot for a second. Gone are the days when players registered 107-108 MPH. You’ll never see it again. If there is one criticism of NBC and NHL Network, they neglected to mention Al Iafrate. The former Cap defenseman was once clocked at a then record 105.2 in the era before composite sticks. His ’93 record stood until Zdeno Chara broke it in ’09 with a 105.4. They don’t even acknowledge it. So much for recognizing history. I’ve never seen a player with a harder shot. It was scary. Imagine what the man with the crazy hairdo and bald spot could’ve done with today’s sticks. Chara holds the modern day record with a 108.8 set in 2012.

Shooting accuracy I used to love. I liked the traditional targets. Pastrnak won it. He’s a pretty good shooter. I said he was a lock for 40 goals. He’s got 27 in 49 games this far. The best guys at target practice were Ray Bourque and Mark Messier. They were money.

I don’t care for the passing thing because it’s so hard. Datsyuk was the master. Gaudreau won the other cool contest narrowly edging Kane to repeat. Those two are so similar. Johnny Hockey is the favorite for his first Hart on the first place Flames. What a year so far.

As far as predictions for the Feb. 25 trade deadline, I will make one. Jimmy Howard to Calgary because it makes too much sense. He’s still got something left and would be an upgrade over what they have. David Rittich has done a good job while Mike Smith is washed up. On a bad Detroit team, Howard has 16 victories, a 2.76 GAA, .916 save percentage in 34 games (33 starts). He deserves a shot to go help a contender win. The Flames are the perfect spot.

Look for either Boston or Columbus to be in on forwards Wayne Simmonds and Mats Zuccarello. Both can use good character players that can add necessary experience and scoring depth for a run. Ottawa’s Ryan Dzingel is a good bet for someone in his walk year. He has 20 goals. What the Senators decide on Matt Duchene could have an impact on what happens with Kevin Hayes and the Rangers.

If as expected GM Jeff Gorton moves both Hayes and Zuccarello, he might not be done. Kevin Shattenkirk has played himself into a potential trade. It hasn’t worked out the way he envisioned playing for his favorite hometown team. He’s better suited on a contender that can use a third pair right defenseman who can play power play and in the offensive zone.

Don’t be surprised if Pavel Buchnevich is on the block. The 23-year old Russian has been inconsistent under Rangers coach David Quinn, who like predecessor Alain Vigneault, doesn’t fully trust him at even strength. Buchnevich is a weapon on the power play where four of his nine goals have come. Counting a 6-on-5 situation early in the season, that’s five of nine a man up. How Buchnevich performs over the next three weeks will determine what the organization does. He’s a restricted free agent this summer. If he stays, a perfect bridge candidate who wouldn’t cost a lot. Figure in the neighborhood of $2.2 million AAV.

Shea Weber has been very good since returning to Montreal. He’s a big reason the Canadiens find themselves in third place two ahead on Boston. With 61 points, the play of Weber and Price have solidified the surprising Habs, who also are three up on second wildcard Pittsburgh, and seven clear of the Sabres and Hurricanes. I’m not a big believer in Carolina. But still think Buffalo could make a push. Keep an eye on the Panthers, who were starting to play better since Vincent Trocheck returned. They won their last three before the break including a impressive win over the Leafs. With still just 48 points and 34 games remaining, they’ll have to jump over four teams. If Roberto Luongo rounds into form, it’s possible.

And finally, the Blue Jackets find themselves in a tough spot. They know they’re likely to lose both Panarin and moody former two-time Vezina winner Sergei Bobrovsky this summer. That doesn’t matter. This is a franchise that still hasn’t won a playoff series, blowing a winnable first round last year in losing four straight to eventual champion Washington. They should roll the dice and be all in. The Metro is wide open. This is their best chance to break the hex and make a run. We’ll see what they’re made out of.

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Lehner and Zibanejad earn first and second Stars of Week

Posted on January 21, 2019 by Derek

It was a good week for New York locals. Both the Islanders and Rangers were successful on the ice with key players highlighting big weeks by each crosstown rival.

Isles starter Robin Lehner earned the NHL’s First Star of the Week by winning all three of his starts to propel the surprising club into first place in the Metro Division. They lead the Blue Jackets and Capitals by three points following Lehner’s 19 save shutout of the Ducks on Sunday.

Following a bad 7-5 defeat at Columbus that resulted in heavy criticism from first-year coach David Quinn, the Rangers responded by winning their next three games. Mika Zibanejad was instrumental during the three-game winning streak. He twice had two-goal games including his third four-point game of the season. His performance was recognized by the league with the first line center garnering Second Star of the Week honors, beating out high scoring Blackhawks superstar P

Lehner, Zibanejad and Kane Named NHL ‘Three Stars’ of the Week

NHL Public Relations

January 21, 2019

Stars of the Week, Lehner, Zibanejad, Kane

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

NEW YORK (Jan. 21, 2019) – New York Islanders goaltender Robin Lehner, New York Rangers center Mika Zibanejad and Chicago Blackhawks right wing Patrick Kane have been named the NHL’s “Three Stars” for the week ending Jan. 20.

FIRST STAR – ROBIN LEHNER, G, NEW YORK ISLANDERS

Lehner stopped 65 of the 67 shots he faced, compiling a 3-0-0 record with a 0.67 goals-against average, .970 save percentage and one shutout to lift the Islanders (29-15-4, 62 points) to their fifth straight victory overall and into first place in the Metropolitan Division. He yielded one goal in each of his first two outings for the week, making 30 saves in a 2-1 overtime win against the St. Louis Blues Jan. 15 and 16 stops in a 4-1 triumph over the New Jersey Devils Jan. 17. Lehner then helped the Islanders record their second consecutive shutout (following a 19-save performance by Thomas Greiss Jan. 18 at WSH), turning aside all 19 shots against in a 3-0 victory over the Anaheim Ducks Jan. 20. The 27-year-old Gothenburg, Sweden, native has appeared in 26 total games this season, pacing the NHL with a 2.02 goals-against average and ranking second with a .930 save percentage to go along with a 15-7-3 record and three shutouts. Lehner also leads the League with 11 wins in his past 12 contests dating to Dec. 18 (1.30 GAA, .953 SV%, 2 SO).

SECOND STAR – MIKA ZIBANEJAD, C, NEW YORK RANGERS

Zibanejad scored the winning goal in all three of his appearances, topping the NHL with five total tallies (5-2—7) to propel the Rangers (21-20-7, 49 points) to a perfect week. Zibanejad posted 2-2—4, his fourth career four-point performance and third of the season (also Oct. 23 vs. FLA: 2-2—4 and Dec. 29 at NSH: 0-4—4), in a 6-2 win over the Carolina Hurricanes Jan. 15. He then scored once, the decisive marker, in a 4-3 victory against the Chicago Blackhawks Jan. 17. Zibanejad added two more goals in a 3-2 triumph over the Boston Bruins Jan. 19, making him the second player in the Rangers’ 93-year history to record the winning goal in three consecutive team games (also Rod Gilbert: Dec. 11-17, 1966). The 25-year-old Huddinge, Sweden, native leads New York with 27 assists and 44 points in 48 total contests this season (17-27—44) – three points shy of his 72-game output from 2017-18 (27-20—47).

THIRD STAR – PATRICK KANE, RW, CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS

Kane, the top scorer on the Blackhawks (17-24-9, 43 points), registered one four-point outing and one five-point performance to lead the NHL with 4-6—10 in three games. He opened the week with 2-2—4, his eighth multi-goal effort of the season, in an 8-5 loss to the New Jersey Devils Jan. 14. Kane collected one assist in a 4-3 loss to the New York Rangers Jan. 17. He then posted 2-3—5, his second career five-point game and first since Jan. 9, 2018 (1-4—5 at OTT), in an 8-5 victory over the Washington Capitals Jan. 20. The 30-year-old Buffalo native sits fifth in the League with 29-41—70 through 49 total contests this season. That includes 7-13—20 during an active eight-game point streak, giving him the most points thus far in the 2019 calendar year.

### (1/21/19)

Attachments:

StarsWeek012119.pdf

All-Star Skills

The 2019 SAP NHL All-Star Skills will take place Friday, Jan. 25, at SAP Center (6 p.m. PT / 9 p.m. PT, NBCSN, SN, CBC, TVAS).

The evening will feature six events, all individual competitions that will award the winner $25,000.

* Bridgestone NHL Fastest Skater
* Enterprise NHL Premier Passer
* Ticketmaster NHL Save Streak
* Gatorade NHL Puck Control
* SAP NHL Hardest Shot
* Honda NHL Accuracy Shooting

Click here for event details.

All-Star Game Jerseys

The NHL and adidas have unveiled the eco-innovative and ocean-inspired adizero authentic jerseys for the 2019 Honda NHL All-Star Game – the first-ever NHL jerseys featuring repurposed and upcycled materials created in partnership with Parley for the Oceans.

Designed with Parley Ocean Plastic – a range of materials made from upcycled marine plastic debris – each jersey is crafted to be a symbol of change in the movement to protect the oceans.

Click here for more details.

Stadium Series Accreditation

Media credential applications for the 2019 Coors Light NHL Stadium Series now are available.

Click here to submit an application, which is due by Thursday, Feb. 7.

The 2019 Coors Light NHL Stadium Series will take place at Philadelphia’s Lincoln Financial Field – between the Philadelphia Flyers and Pittsburgh Penguins – on Saturday, Feb. 23.

All-Star Game Jerseys

The NHL and adidas have unveiled the eco-innovative and ocean-inspired adizero authentic jerseys for the 2019 Honda NHL All-Star Game – the first-ever NHL jerseys featuring repurposed and upcycled materials created in partnership with Parley for the Oceans.

Designed with Parley Ocean Plastic – a range of materials made from upcycled marine plastic debris – each jersey is crafted to be a symbol of change in the movement to protect the oceans.

Click here for more details.

Stadium Series Accreditation

Media credential applications for the 2019 Coors Light NHL Stadium Series now are available.

Click here to submit an application, which is due by Thursday, Feb. 7.

The 2019 Coors Light NHL Stadium Series will take place at Philadelphia’s Lincoln Financial Field – between the Philadelphia Flyers and Pittsburgh Penguins – on Saturday, Feb. 23.

Midseason Rankings

Center Jack Hughes of the U.S. National Team Development Program’s Under-18 Team and right wing Kaapo Kakko of Finland’s TPS rank No. 1 among North American and international skaters, respectively, in NHL Central Scouting Bureau’s midseason rankings.

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Game #48: Zibanejad scores twice to highlight Rangers’ 3-2 win over Bruins, third win a row into break

Posted on January 20, 2019 by Derek

Here’s where Henrik Lundqvist ranks on the all-time NHL wins list following his 446th victory to pass Terry Sawchuk. AP Photo courtesy MSGNETWORKS via Twitter

This one was well earned. A job well done by a determined bunch of Rangers, who reeled off a third win in a row into the odd bye week and All-Star break with a 3-2 victory over the Bruins in Beantown.

It’s funny how it works sometimes. They only had 20 shots on goal and just 28 total attempts. The Bruins may have outshot them 29-20 and out-attempted the Blueshirts 56-28, but they didn’t outplay them. Especially during the crucial parts of a very competitive game that had a little emotion to it due to popular former Bruin defenseman Adam McQuaid returning to a nice video tribute and cheers from appreciative fans.

On a night Henrik Lundqvist passed Terry Sawchuk for sole possession of sixth place on the all-time wins list with number 446 in one of his favorite arenas historically (Lundqvist vs Tim Thomas especially), it was the Rangers who got big performances from their best players. That included emerging rookie Filip Chytil, who duplicated the goal he scored against Chicago by doing the same thing to Boston late in the first period to tie the game 64 seconds after Danton Heinen tallied.

Chytil’s ninth unassisted (third in five games) was a thing of beauty. It was another great end to end rush that started deep in his own end with the supremely skilled 19-year old Czech forward able to skate by the Bruins D before whipping a perfect shot high short side on Tuukka Rask at 18:32. Unfortunately for Rask, Chytil was shoved from behind into him for a direct hit that knocked out the Bruins starter. What really is too bad is that he sustained a concussion due to the impact. Hopefully, he won’t miss significant time. Best wishes to him for a speedy recovery. Here’s how it looked in top speed via the Bruins feed on NESN called by Jack Edwards and Andy Brickley:

There was nothing he could’ve done. He tried to avoid Rask, but Charlie McAvoy checked him right into his poor teammate. If you look carefully at the replay following his goal, a concerned Chytil went over to Rask to check, but David Pastrnak pushed him away. It’s understandable why. It had to be extremely frustrating for the Bruins at the moment. They knew the injury was bad to Rask, who immediately was replaced by backup Jaro Halak.

Nobody likes to see anyone get hurt. It was a subplot to a good hockey game that was hard fought by both classic Original Six rivals. A big reason the Rangers won was their special teams. In the opening period, they went three-for-three on Bruins power plays. That included a pivotal kill of a Ryan Lindgren hi-sticking double minor in the first half. In fact, the more aggressive tactics actually resulted in better chances for the Rangers with Boston held to only one shot in the four-minute power play. That resulted in groans from the pro Bruins crowd.

Penalties weren’t a problem in the second. The Rangers took only one while on the power play with Kevin Shattenkirk called for a dubious trip that resulted in four-on-four. In what was a tightly contested second, they got the lone goal at five-on-five thanks to a rare face-off win by a unlikely candidate.

In a game where the Bruins dominated in the middle by winning 64 percent (42-and-24), they had one of the game’s best in Patrice Bergeron against Mats Zuccarello after Mika Zibanejad got tossed out. Easy win for Bergeron, right? Wrong! Zuccarello won it clean back to Brady Skjei, whose shot was redirected in by Zibanejad for a 2-1 lead. Just how they drew it up. Even Sam Rosen and Joe Michelleti sounded shocked.

Things couldn’t be going any better for Zuccarello, who recorded two assists to pad his total to nine points (4-5-9) over the last five games. He also had a run in with the much taller and stronger Zdeno Chara, which is always amusing. Zuccarello versus Chara. He doesn’t back down from anyone. It’s nice to see him having fun again, and playing superb hockey. Whoever winds up with him will get a good player that can bring a lot to the table for a playoff run.

The interesting aspect is in winning a third consecutive game, the Rangers are up to 49 points with 34 games remaining. They somehow are only nine points behind the Penguins, who lost in Vegas 7-3. It’s not happening. However, it’s a credit to the players for how they responded since David Quinn’s roast job last Sunday. They went 3-0-0 this week to get back over NHL .500 (21-20-7) with a 10-day vacation. Lundqvist will go to the All-Star Game having won three in a row. That has to feel good. He looked very happy in the postgame talking to John Giannone.

He mentioned the focus on the penalty kill and special teams that won them the game. They not only were five-of-five on the kill, but went 1-for-3 on the power play highlighted by Zibanejad’s game deciding PPG with 10:55 left in the contest. On the game-winner, Zuccarello got the puck to Shattenkirk at the point. He found Zibanejad in his spot for a wicked wrist shot past Halak for his 17th. He’s playing the best hockey of his career. Zibanejad goes into the break on a three-game goal scoring streak with five goals. He also has two assists and seven points over those three. In the past five, he’s 5-4-9 and plus-five. He leads the team in scoring with 44 points (17-27-44) in all 48 games.

There also was this from McQuaid in direct response to a questionable hit from Chris Wagner on a unsuspecting Jesper Fast.

This is what makes McQuaid such a great teammate. It’s why he was extremely popular in Boston. He took care of business against Wagner. In typical fashion, the Rangers wound up a man down due to McQuaid getting the extra two for roughing. Somehow, Wagner skated free of any interference minor penalty for the hit on Fast. He saw him all the way too. What a league. Wagner is a physical player who likes to hit. So, it came as no surprise. I didn’t like it, but I was more incensed by the call that gave Boston a power play. Poetically, they did nothing on it.

After Halak was pulled for an extra attacker, Lundqvist made a couple of saves to preserve the win. He finished with 27 saves. He also got plenty of help from willing teammates, who sacrificed for the cause. That included Marc Staal selling out for a huge diving block that denied a Boston opportunity. The kind of gritty play the defunct captain has done for years without much recognition. He’s played very well since Tony DeAngelo was teamed with him. Even when Neal Pionk returns, that pairing must stay together. DeAngelo has played very well, proving he can be dependable.

It was a good way to conclude the first half if you can call it that. It was great to stick it to Boston after the Wagner hit. A well deserved win that saw plenty of happy faces as they took off for the break.

BONY 3 STARS:

3rd 🌟 Filip Chytil, NYR (another goal for the highlight reel for the rising future star)

2nd 🌟 Mika Zibanejad, NYR (two more goals for the top center who’s been on his game)

1st 🌟 Adam McQuaid, NYR (it’s rare that I give the number 1 star to a heart and soul guy with no points, but McQuaid’s imprints were all over this win from his response to Fast being hit to his 4 hits, 3 blocks and 2 takeaways. A true warrior!)

Notes: Brad Marchand got the Bruins second goal early in the third following a Lundqvist misplay that allowed Bergeron and Pastrnak to combine to set up The Rat’s 19th at 3:24. Boston carried the play early on, but the Blueshirts had a good response with Zibanejad’s second of the game proving to be the difference. …

A day after Alexandar Georgiev was sent down to Hartford, the Rangers optioned both Boo Nieves and Lindgren, who looked good in his first three games. They’ll get into more games to stay sharp. It doesn’t look like Brett Howden will be following them. He’s been a huge scoring slump. But maybe some time away from the rink is best. … When Kevin Hayes returns, what happens to the lineup? Does Howden come out? With how well Ryan Strome has centered Chytil and Fast, it’ll be interesting to see what they decide. Ditto for Pionk with Shattenkirk finally starting to round into form.

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The first place New York Islanders

Posted on January 19, 2019 by Derek

A quick glimpse of the standings and you’ll probably do a double take. Maybe even a triple take.

METRO DIVISION

1.New York Islanders 47 GP 28-15-4 60 Pts 26 ROW

2.Columbus Blue Jackets 47 GP 28-16-3 59 Pts 28 ROW

3.Washington Capitals 47 GP 27-15-5 59 Pts 24 ROW

4.Pittsburgh Penguins 47 GP 26-15-6 58 Pts 25 ROW

We’ll make the second wildcard Pens the cutoff. There’s no reason to include the pretenders. None of the remaining four teams are playoff caliber. You have your top half all jockeying for position in the second half with the All-Star break approaching.

Entering tonight, all four Metro contenders have played 47 games. The Blue Jackets will play number 48 later at Minnesota, and the Penguins visit old friend Marc-Andre Fleury and the Golden Knights for their 48th game. So, things could change again depending on the results. With any type of win, Columbus can vault over the NHL’s biggest surprise. The first place New York Islanders.

At this point of the season, the much improved Islanders under the guidance of Jack Adams candidate Barry Trotz have won 14 of their last 17 to lead the division with 60 points. Since suffering a tough luck 2-1 home loss last weekend to the rival Rangers, they responded impressively with four consecutive wins. That included a statement 5-1 home victory over first overall Tampa the following night. After a lucky 2-1 overtime triumph over the Blues, they easily defeated the Devils 4-1 prior to Trotz’ return to Washington on Friday night.

For the veteran coach who led the Capitals to their first ever Stanley Cup last Spring, it was a emotional return against the team he formed a bond with that will last forever. That’s why it was fitting on the night they honored proud veteran defenseman Brooks Orpik for playing his 1,000th career game. Trotz was back in DC with his new team with two home arenas playing its best hockey. There was a wonderful tribute to the proud coach and his assistants during a stoppage. There was a well deserved loud reception and stick taps from his former players including Conn Smythe winner Alexander Ovechkin. At first, you could see how much it meant with an emotional Trotz tearing up. But he eventually smiled and said something to his players on the Isles bench before waving to the crowd. It was nice to see.

Maybe his new team knew how much this game meant. They came out and controlled it in entirety. With Trotz changing his mind on giving starter Robin Lehner back-to-back starts, instead going to backup Thomas Greiss, the Isles played with urgency throughout. From the NHL’s worst defensive team a year ago to the league’s best, they took time and space away from a talented roster that right now is out of sync. They were frustrated by a diligent checking and stingy group that’s doing this despite losing John Tavares to the Maple Leafs.

Astonishingly, the Islanders have the identical amount of points (60) at this stage as the high scoring Leafs, who fell to lowly Florida yesterday. Tavares has played very well leading his new team with 29 goals and five game-winners. His 52 points rank second on Toronto behind super soph Mitch Marner (60).

If you contrast that with Mathew Barzal pacing the Islanders in scoring with 44 points and 31 assists, it’s totally different. The Isles defend better. They also won the first meeting by going up to Toronto and shutting out the Leafs 4-0. A game highlighted by Barzal’s hat trick and assist for four points on Dec. 29. Dating back to a tough 3-2 loss at Vegas on 12/12 that made them 1-3-1 over a difficult stretch, they’re 14-3-0 since.

Including last night’s 2-0 shutout on third period goals from Josh Bailey and Cal Clutterbuck, they’ve won 11 of the 17 previous games in regulation. Only three have gone into extras with a shootout win over Detroit, along with overtime wins over Chicago and St. Louis.

They do it with strong goaltending from Lehner and Greiss, who hasn’t played that much due to how well the former Sabre has done. Not bad considering new architect Lou Lamoriello signed him to a one-year deal for a bargain basement price of $1.5 million. After addressing some key off ice issues that were having a negative affect on him, Lehner has rewarded the Isles with a 14-7-3 record, 2.11 GAA, .928 save percentage and two shutouts in 25 contests including 23 starts. Tremendous stuff from a unproven netminder who had been inconsistent and injury prone throughout his career. Greiss has 14 victories with a 2.50 GAA, .920 save percentage and two shutouts. Combined, that’s 28 wins for the pair with four shutouts along with a league best 2.47 GAA. That counts Christopher Gibson, who got into one game.

It’s a huge turnaround. The Islanders still give up over 30 shots a game. However, it was higher earlier in the season. They’re now ranked 20th, which is a dramatic improvement. So much of it due to the very organized system Trotz has got them to buy into. When you hear players talk before and after games, they mention how confident they are that they’ll win. That was never the case under the old regime that included Garth Snow and former interim coach Doug Weight.

Having one of the game’s best coaches along with a legendary GM counts for something. Especially when it comes to changing the culture. They believe in each other.

The offense is by committee. It isn’t only the top six that includes Barzal, gritty captain Anders Lee (18 goals), Bailey (36 points) and the improved Brock Nelson (16-15-31). But also about the best fourth line in name only that saw Lamoriello wisely reacquire popular grinder Matt Martin from Toronto- reuniting him with Casey Cizikas (11 goals, +14) and Clutterbuck. Or the overlooked Valtteri Filppula, who’s contributed 10 goals with three game deciders. Leo Komarov, who brings consistent energy to his shifts as well.

But how about the no name defense that still features vets Nick Leddy and Johnny Boychuk? Last year was a nightmare for Leddy, who finished a nightmarish minus-42 rating despite having 42 points. A year later, he’s 1-16-17 with a plus-one.

Nobody on the blueline scores a lot. However, with emerging youngsters such as Ryan Pulock, Scott Mayfield and Devon Toews, there’s a reason for Islander fans to get excited. These aren’t the same Islanders, who rolled over and teased their loyal fan base.

Indeed, the fans can finally be proud and loud, especially at Nassau Coliseum. They’re a first place team not by accident. Rather by hard work. Lamoriello and Trotz have successfully remade New York’s other team. The only local that is competitive and has a shot to do something in the playoffs. They still must get there. A welcome change.

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