Battle Of Hudson covers the Rangers and Devils, who's intense rivalry heated up in the 90's. With fresh faces added, they battle for supremacy in NYC and NJ..
Once again I don’t feel like posting the lowlights, Hynes’ postgame presser or anything else from this team as the lede, so instead I’ve been posting other stuff like Major League or Wargames with DEFCON 1. Today it’s Rocky III. Why that one? Because this team looks like Rocky at the beginning of that movie, arrogant and happy – then when he fights Clubber he gets off to a great start for the first little while before totally collapsing after not listening to his trainer’s advice. That’s what this team represents right now. The Devils’ 4-0 start represents the first minute or so of the Clubber fight, after that this sorry excuse of a hockey club continues to get knocked around rink after rink now sinking to 2-7-1 in their last ten games with two straight blowouts and three in the last week and a half. Other than perhaps the December death march a couple years ago, this team hasn’t been as pathetic when it ‘mattered’ since the Macloser era in 2010.
I’d have been better off not turning this game on at all. As it was, I was with a friend during the first period and we didn’t have the game on but I did check the app a couple of times and saw things already weren’t going well down 1-0 with a horrible shot total against. Then we did turn it in on in time for the start of the second, and moaned after another quick two goals went past Keith Kinkaid, took my friend’s dog outside to do number one (basically what the Devils have been doing all over themselves) then left her with her mom so they could get some rest. I got home just after our one lousy goal but even just seeing the reaction when Travis Zajac scored was troubling. The reaction was the dead emotionless celebration you’d expect at 6-1 with thirty seconds left in the game, not when it’s still theoretically a contest at 3-1.
Of course what you would expect to happen from a team of heartless zombies happened, as another two goals went past Kinkaid and you could see him shaking his head and rolling his eyes on the MSG camera after the fifth goal went in. At that point I would have pulled KK, but for reasons known only to him coach John Hynes left his goalie in a four-goal game to start the third period when Cory Schneider got pulled at 4-2 the other night. At that point the ‘contest’ is over with, just let your backup who’s played two NHL games in the last several months get some game action and try to get him some confidence. Cory’s only good run in 2018 came after a similar no-pressure appearance in Game 2 of the playoffs that got him going. Not that I do have any faith in him to get it going for a long period but when the puck’s not hitting your goalie it’s time to take a seat.
Although the coach certainly deserves some blame for this team’s continued lack of effort or structure (and he should get it through his thick skull putting all the team’s scoring on one line isn’t going to work on the road), I actually would not fire Hynes at this point. Maybe it’s personal bias in part because he’s a likeable, well-meaning dude, maybe it’s the realization that this team just isn’t any good and last year was clearly a fluke at this point anyway. Right now I’m more mad at GM Ray Shero and the players than at coach Hynes to be honest. I’ve said this before but it bears repeating, we’re four years into the ‘rebuild’, when do we actually start trying to be a real contender? If Shero fires Hynes at this point it’s quite frankly the coward’s way out when he didn’t do his job this offseason and let the team get stagnant.
And at some point this group of players needs to take accountability on themselves and be self-starters (to steal a Hynes cliche). This is the kind of stretch where something drastic needs to happen. If it’s not firing the coach then it’s a big trade, or something else earth-shattering like stripping Andy Greene of the C. Right now, to be honest nobody deserves that letter – there are no leaders on this team. If there were things wouldn’t have gotten this bad, this quick. If we had a leader, someone would be airing out their peers in the locker room but as has been the case for years this organization is too milquetoast in terms of personalities. Our last true ass-kicker as a head coach was Jacques Lemaire, although Hynes has his moments where he can be a hard-ass. We haven’t had a captain who got in people’s grills since…Scott Stevens. Sure guys like Greene, Bryce Salvador and Patrik Elias are consummate professionals – well at least the latter two were at the moment – but they aren’t the kind of guys that are going to get in someone’s face overtly. Which is okay if you have a head coach or another respected guy in the room willing to do it, but if there is nobody fitting that description…
It’s so bad I’ve actually rooted for this team to get their face kicked in during more than one third period including tonight, somehow hoping THIS will be the embarassment that wakes them up. But if getting wasted in Tampa or Ottawa didn’t wake them up or getting shut out in Brooklyn, why would being wasted in Toronto do anything? This team has no pride and until they get it through their thick skulls that jobs and reputations are on the line as the season slips away in a hurry, nothing will change.
Last year’s Devils were a little like the Cleveland Indians in the fictional movie Major League, picked for last by everyone they stun the experts and excite their fans to make the playoffs with a miracle late-season run. Welp, so far this season has been like the beginning of Major League 2 where that same group comes back fat and happy thinking of everything but baseball, going back to their previous losing ways as a result. Sadly once again the Devils are mirroring the faux Indians, playing aboslutely horrible and not even looking like they want to compete in the majority of these games.
For real life standards, this is bad now. 2-6-1 in their last nine games with an increasing number of blowouts is just inexcusable, whether you wanted to believe the Devils were a bubble team or a budding contender going into the season, this is bad by any standard. Not quite 2010 bad yet but it’s getting there at an alarming rate. It’s one thing to get blown out by Tampa Bay, but to get destroyed by OTTAWA, really?! An Ottawa team where the owner is basically pulling a Rachel Phelps from Major League? The same Ottawa team whose players were literally just outed in the back of an Uber having a grand old time complaining about their coaching staff and bragging about not paying attention to videos?
Even as negative as I’ve been about this team I didn’t see last night coming, especially after the previous night’s blowout win in Pittsburgh seemingly giving us a little momentum back. Thank goodness for ‘real life concerns’ (re: midterms coverage) taking my attention away from last night’s game. Unlike the Tampa game which I watched start to finish, I didn’t even turn it on when we got another 2-0 lead that would quickly melt away in an avalanche of goals. Not that I was actually expecting us to give up SIX unanswered goals…SIX! Clearly coach John Hynes has no answers anymore in trying to explain how a team that started 4-0 has disintegrated in such a short time, how this team keeps blowing either big early leads or mid-third period leads, and why this team just continues to be sloppy and haphazard.
They’re clearly an every-other-year team at this point in terms of effort and execution and Hynes’ early season popularity with the fanbase after last year’s playoff run and the Beind The Glass series visibility is going to disintegrate pretty quickly, especially now that Joel Quenneville was shockingly fired from the Blackhawks. Not that I’d expect Ray Shero to go full Lou and pull the plug but now that it’s an option people are going to start wanting change the more this team continues to fall over themselves.
One thing I know for sure, I’m sick of Cory Schneider, not that I’m blaming him for last night neccesarily since the team obviously played no better under Keith Kinkaid, but it just seems like he’s cursed at this point. Last night was a perfect prism of Cory’s entire tenure as a Devil – play well as the team collapses around him, then give up the killer soft goal in a close game and have that hangdog look on the bench as he gets pulled midway through the second period. Despite the fact he’s a pending UFA and Cory’s signed for the next few years, they must ride Kinkaid till further notice, Cory should only play the back-to-backs and you might as well sacrifice him against the better teams so we have more of a chance to beat the weaker teams like Ottawa.
Not that there wasn’t plenty of blame to go around last night, I’m sure there was. I would say it’s bag skate time but we already tried that a couple weeks ago, and the short term effect only lasted the next game and a half before the team went back to sucking lemons. Since I didn’t watch I really have little else to say, I’m not in the mood for more of a rant especially since I’m at a loss over what needs to be done. Unfortunately I think the staff is as well.
A big part of the problem is other than Hynes himself there’s really nobody in the locker room that will consistently get in his teammates’ face, there’s no bad cop other than the head coach. Andy Greene’s a milquetoast ‘lead by example’ captain which is fine if you have enforcer lieutenants but who’s the enforcer lieutenant here, UFA role player Brian Boyle? It’s certainly not Taylor Hall who’s also lead by example. All we can hope for is this movie ends the same way as Major League 2 with the team getting their heads on straight in time for another miracle run.
How would I describe tonight’s come from behind win over Montreal? Exciting. Amazing. Unreal. Terrific. You can find so many positive adjectives when it comes to their fourth consecutive win. The Rangers played the kind of determined, together and tough hockey they rarely did under Alain Vigneault. This was the best win of the season.
I can’t remember the last time I got so pumped up from a win. The Rangers came back to stun the Canadiens 5-3 at a loud MSG that drew a packed house of 17,428 screaming fans. I’m not the only one. This gem from MSG analyst Steve Valiquette on his way back home.
I’m on the Metro North Train back to CT…Rangers fans are rabidly celebrating this win. Did we just win the Cup?!!! Drive for 5 on Friday! #NYR#LGRhttps://t.co/JYPeCWJB63
For so long, we have wanted to see the kinda resilient, in your face hockey we are getting from David Quinn’s Blueshirts. They never give up. Which reminds me of another classic movie reference from the 80’s in a epic scene.
If you don’t believe something is different following the Rangers’ epic rally from a 3-1 deficit in a stirring come from behind victory, then you’re as color blind as most voters on Election Day. Real change comes from within. But in hockey terms, it starts with the coach and how they adjust. Right now at the 15-game mark, Quinn has adjusted well. So has his team, who seem more united than they ever were the past two seasons.
"It's fun to watch for them to play well and feel good about themselves." – #NYR Head Coach David Quinn https://t.co/lGK4zKiUQs
Now 7-7-1 having increased the winning streak to four since Quinn called them out in LA, they have responded remarkably well. Beating the Sabres was one thing. But the way they got off the mat and wore down a tired Montreal club playing the second of a back-to-back following a win in Brooklyn, was impressive. Maybe it’s true they took advantage of opponents who were playing for a second straight night. However, it didn’t come easy against a much improved Habs team with more speed, skill and grit than before.
So when Neal Pionk got caught on a pinch leading to Tomas Tatar beating Henrik Lundqvist five-hole only 23 seconds in with Marc Staal back, it wasn’t the ideal start against the classic rival. I almost forgot why these teams have a holy rivalry that dates back to my Dad’s heyday in the 70’s. This game was a fresh reminder of why. Nevermind the awful refs who made a couple of questionable calls against us. It just toughened up the Rangers, who came together when facing a four minute Montreal power play followed by an abbreviated five-on-three.
They could’ve caved in after Cody McLeod was obviously given too many minutes after he charged defenseman Jeff Petry from behind. Mike Reilly responded by going back to get two for roughing. I’m not sure where they got the four minutes for roughing from, or the misconduct that earned McLeod 16 minutes. What I do know is McLeod was incensed at the Habs for a Max Domi run at Filip Chytil. Domi drew the attention of Marc Staal, who battled the Canadiens’ leading scorer in the first period. Neither McLeod nor Staal were gonna put up with Domi’s crap. That’s the difference under this coach. This team doesn’t back down. Not even following a foolish Brendan Smith minor penalty that handed the Habs a two-man advantage for 43 seconds.
They fought back by killing the penalties with excellent penalty killing and big saves from Henrik Lundqvist. Astonishingly, Montreal had only nine shots on seven power plays. Domi scored their lone power play goal to put them ahead 3-1 following rookie Lias Andersson’s second bad high sticking penalty. Rather than bench him, Quinn sent him back out to redeem himself in his season debut. I don’t think he would’ve seen another shift under Vigneault. Things are different now. The coach talks to his young players after mistakes, and gets his message across.
Andersson was part of a good penalty kill with his hustle leading to Smith leading Vladislav Namestnikov for a shorthanded bid, which Carey Price denied. He also played on a good energy line with Ryan Spooner and Jesper Fast. The cohesive trio forechecked the heck out of the Habs. It was promising. Andersson plays with the edge and grit Quinn likes. I would love to see him stay up even when Brett Howden returns. Why not? It’s not like McLeod should be a regular. Vinni Lettieri works hard, but the reality is he doesn’t bring any offense.
In the first, after trailing by one on Tatar’s early tally, Kevin Hayes worked some magic with Chris Kreider to tie the game. On a great rush, he passed up a shot to try a cross-ice feed that deflected back to him off a Montreal skate. He then passed across for a sweet Kreider finish for his team-leading seventh. During the goal celebration, Kreider pointed back to Hayes for the play.
The game was really a track meet between two young teams trying to establish themselves. Montreal came in with eight wins in their first 13. They already were the talk of hockey along with Vancouver. There was a lot of open ice and skating throughout. In the first, the teams combined for 28 shots with the Canadiens holding a 17-11 edge. Part of that was the way the game was played. The other part was the Rangers took two penalties to give the Habs the game’s first two power plays. Neither of which they could capitalize on. Staal and Domi each got two minute minors after a wrestling match. The goalies were good. They had to be.
In the second, a good shift by Montreal resulted in Tatar getting his second of the game from Phillip Danault and Brendan Gallagher. It was some really good passing down low that allowed Tatar to redirect a Danault pass by Lundqvist for a one-goal lead. On the play, Brady Skjei lost his stick. Smith did a poor job covering for him. McLeod got lost in front on the goal against. Total domination by the Canadiens on that shift.
Andersson then took his second minor for high sticking less than a couple of minutes later. That didn’t end well for the penalty kill. They got caught skating in circles as Gallagher came out from the corner and fed Domi, who patiently outwaited Lundqvist, tucking a backhand in for his ninth. A terrific play for sure, but one that could’ve been prevented. Staal was unable to stop Gallagher and Mats Zuccarello forgot to take Domi backdoor. Just like that, they were down 3-1.
Then came the chaos between McLeod and Reilly, which refs Jean Hebert and Peter MacDougall complicated to loud jeers and some head shaking by Quinn at the bench. I had almost forgotten why I learned to hate Montreal. It’s got nothing to do with their fans, who are awesome and passionate. Everything to do with how they get the benefit of the calls. So does Toronto. But enough about that.
That’s when everything changed. The intensity level was already up to a feverish pitch. It’s the kind of hockey game I wish I was at. But the Montreal game sold. So, we stayed home and watched with the same intensity as the players. It was a really fun game. As good as the first was, the wild and crazy second was even better. Shots favored the Rangers, 13-12. They never got rattled by the penalties with Smith’s really dumb. It could’ve been costly.
Instead, they got everything killed off and then swung the momentum. A Tatar interference minor cancelled out the Smith penalty. During a four-on-four, they got some chances on Price, who was sharp. A Danault hook that took down a relentless Fast gave the Rangers a power play. It looked like they would waste it. They missed Howden, losing key offensive draws that allowed Montreal to clear the zone.
At that point, I was frustrated. But as the power play expired, Tony DeAngelo took a smart wrist shot that went through traffic with both Namestnikov and Jimmy Vesey in front, which beat Price to cut it to 3-2 with 2:15 left. Hayes earned the primary assist, and Vesey got a deserved secondary helper. Without him directly in front of Price, that goal doesn’t happen. It really got the crowd going.
Still trailing by one, the Rangers applied all kinds of pressure on a exhausted Habs. They kept forechecking them to death. Eventually, they cracked. Ironically, it was some defensive work by Staal that led directly to the tying goal from a reenergized Pavel Buchnevich. After breaking up a play in front of Lundqvist, Staal worked the puck to Hayes, who was flying all night. He got the puck back to an open Staal at the point. He shot the puck, which Price muffed for a juicy rebound. Buchnevich was in the right place at the right time, depositing it through Price for his fourth goal to tie the score with 11:35 remaining. It was his first goal since returning on Sunday. It had to feel really good. He’s been so much more involved in all aspects. That’s what Quinn wanted. It was great to see.
With the game tied and the crowd into it, an unbelievable shift by the fourth line resulted in a standing ovation. That included McLeod, who I criticized earlier on Twitter. Funny how that works. After he returned, there he was along with a bunch of players battling for a puck against the boards. That included Filip Chytil, who was effective during his shifts. Eventually, McLeod freed the puck and passed to an open Staal for a routine shot that Price gloved to finally get a whistle. It was that good.
Following an obvious Montreal bench minor, Vesey was called for a dubious hook to negate the power play. It was an awful call. His stick accidentally got stuck in Petry. Utterly ridiculous. Vesey could only shake his head in disbelief as he headed to the penalty box.
What happened next was unreal. With the crowd still booing and myself ticked off yelling at the screen, here came Pionk from his own end. He outskated all four Habs, undressing the D and then going to a forehand deke tuck that may as well have hung Price’s jockstrap from the rafters. It was so fantastic that it prompted this electrifying reaction from the always excitable Kevin Weekes on NHL Network.
That is why I love Weekes. He truly is a great guy. He responds to tweets and is so much fun. I must say seeing Pionk pull that off from 200 feet behind his net was crazy. What a game-winner. The easiest assists Kreider and Zibanejad ever picked up.
Montreal still had a chance. But a brain cramp allowed Zibanejad to put the exclamation on the comeback with a shorthanded goal. The puck literally came back to him and he went upstairs on Price for the 5-3 final.
It’s amazing to think that this team is back to .500 (7-7-1). They have far exceeded expectations after the 3-7-1 start. They’re playing so hard for Quinn and forming much better work habits that can make fans proud to cheer for this team. This is an easy team to like. Bring on more excitement!
#NYR Neal Pionk talks about the resiliency the team showed tonight in the comeback win!
3rd 🌟 Marc Staal primary helper on Buchnevich goal, 2 takeaways, plus-three in 28 shifts (19:57)
2nd 🌟 Neal Pionk a goal of the year candidate for his second in two games, plus-two in 34 shifts (25:04) with four blocked shots
1st 🌟 Kevin Hayes 3 assists including 2 primary, 5 shots, 9 attempts, 13-and-17 on draws, plus-three in 29 shifts (21:52)
Notes: Zibanejad leads the team with two shorthanded goals. Good thing I scooped him up for fantasy. Cory Schneider is killing me. It sounds like his team hung him out to dry. … Andersson went 7-and-2 on draws with three shots in 18 shifts (12:17). He definitely looked good. … Shots were 34-32 Montreal with attempts 60-57 Habs. … Lundqvist made 31 saves compared with 27 from Price. … Rangers won the face off battle 35-30 paced by Andersson (7-2) and Zibanejad (12-6). The Habs were led by Andrew Shaw (8-6) with Domi going 9-and-9.
It looks like the Rangers have adopted the Relentless moniker this year that the Devils used last year. Why not?
Down 3-1… Then 4 straight goals! To make it 4 straight wins! These boys are Relentless!#NYRhttps://t.co/iPTAA05L8Z
After spending the first month in Hartford where he performed well, 2017 first round pick Lias Andersson makes his season debut for the Blueshirts when they take on the Canadiens at The Garden. Having just turned 20, Andersson believes he is ready to contribute after producing four goals and eight assists for 12 points in 14 games for the Wolf Pack.
The seventh overall pick in the 2017 NHL Draft just missed earning a roster spot in camp. The surprising Brett Howden edged him out. Howden has been a shining light for the 6-7-1 Rangers, who enter tonight’s match winners of three in a row. He’s tied for third in team scoring with nine points (3-6-9). Unfortunately, he sustained an injury in Sunday’s win over the Sabres. He was held out for precautionary reasons. Even though he told reporters he felt better, the Rangers are being cautious with the 20-year old rookie, whose nine points rank second among freshmen.
At first glance, it didn’t look like Andersson would get the call. However, the organization felt he is ready to help out. For how long, it’s hard to say. With Ryan Spooner continuing to underperform with only two points in a dozen games, there’s an opportunity here for Andersson and the other 2017 first round pick Filip Chytil, who still hasn’t scored a goal in 14 games. However, coach David Quinn feels there’s enough positives from the teenager to keep him in the lineup. He picked up an assist on a power play goal the other day. A skilled player, it would be nice to see Chytil get one. I’m sure the organization is continuing to assess what will be best for his development. He has three assists thus far.
Both Andersson and Chytil each got in nine games last season under Alain Vigneault. The limit so the first year of their entry level contracts wouldn’t be burned. Now, it’s about taking the next step in the rebuild.
Fans must remain patient with both. They may not get ideal ice-time to be successful right away. But Quinn is managing them as best he can despite some gripes from other fans. He wants to make sure they become complete players. Not an easy thing to do. This is a coach who hasn’t been afraid to make examples out of veterans.
It’s an exciting time for Rangers fans. Let’s remember that. Tonight, we get to see both 2017 first round picks in the lineup. The future is now. But it’ll take time.
A good coach can make all the difference. For years, the Islanders have been viewed by many observers as an afterthought in the metro area. Despite a rich history and tradition that includes the Stanley Cup dynasty of winning four consecutive championships between 1980-83, there hasn’t been much to talk about since.
Sure. They had some good teams afterwards featuring Hall of Famer Pat LaFontaine. A franchise center who’s best remembered for his goal in the fourth overtime to beat the Capitals in ’87. Unfortunately for LaFontaine, the closest he came to glory on Long Island was his rookie year when as a teenager, he scored 13 goals and 19 points in 15 games during ’83-84. He followed that up with nine points (3-6-9) in 16 games during the playoffs when the Oilers ended the Islanders dynasty by sweeping them.
LaFontaine lasted eight seasons as a terrific number one center before being traded following a holdout on October 25, 1991. He was packaged along with Randy Wood, Randy Hillier and a ’92 fourth round pick (Dean Melanson) to the Sabres in exchange for new top center Pierre Turgeon, Uwe Krupp, Benoit Hogue and Dave McLIwain. A blockbuster deal that benefited both New York clubs. While LaFontaine went onto center Alexander Mogilny and Yuri Khmylev in Buffalo, Turgeon became a star on the Isles at Nassau Coliseum. He headlined the ’92-93 team that made a run to the Conference Finals before losing in five games to the Canadiens. Of course, Islanders fans still despise Dale Hunter for his cheap shot on Turgeon following a goal celebration that injured their best player. A good team that featured Hogue, Krupp, Ray Ferraro, Steve Thomas, Pat Flatley, Glenn Healy, Derek King, David Volek, Vladimir Malakhov and Darius Kasparaitis. The first round win over the Capitals and second round upset over the two-time champion Penguins is fondly remembered. But Montreal overtime magic led by Patrick Roy did them in as the Canadiens won the Cup over the Kings.
Soon after, their time had come and gone in the blink of an eye. The following Spring, a late run to grab the eighth seed resulted in a sweep by the hated Rangers, who made quick work of them en route to the Cup. Ironically, ’93 playoff hero Healy became a popular backup on the Broadway side of the rivalry behind Mike Richter. Turgeon was dealt to Montreal with Malakhov for Kirk Muller, Mathieu Schneider and Craig Darby on April 5, 1995. It was a PR nightmare with that Isles home game Pierre Turgeon Poster Night. Making matters worse, Muller wanted no part of Long Island. He barely played before forcing a trade to Toronto in ’96.
So much changed. The Mike Milbury Error was filled with turmoil due to cheap and untrustworthy management. Along with Milbury’s awful penchant of giving away young players with talent for vets too soon, it doomed the franchise. With ownership issues that included the John Spano headache, it only made matters worse. So much talent came and went. Notable players who went onto good careers include Todd Bertuzzi, Roberto Luongo, Zdeno Chara, Olli Jokinen, Wade Redden, Bryan Berard, Bryan McCabe, Eric Brewer, J.P. Dumont and Tim Connolly. There also was the Rick DiPietro draft mistake that led to trading Luongo and Jokinen to Florida for Oleg Kvasha and Mark Parrish. Milbury could’ve kept Luongo, who’s a future Hall of Famer, and selected either Marian Gaborik or Dany Heatley. At least Parrish and key acquisitions Mike Peca and Alexei Yashin helped them reach the playoffs. However, they never got out of the first round. Meanwhile, Chara became one of the best defensemen and a first round pick which turned into Jason Spezza made the Senators an Eastern power.
Even following the Milbury debacle when the recently passed Charles Wang came in and saved the franchise, they still didn’t have much success. Despite landing John Tavares first overall in ’09, they only made the postseason three times, only getting out of the first round once. Tavares’ heroics carried them past the Panthers in 2016. The final two years of the Tavares Era were bitter disappointments that resulted in playoff misses along with dismissing coaches Jack Capuano and Doug Weight.
Needing a fresh start, they brought in championship proven executive Lou Lamoriello as Team President. He then fired Garth Snow and named himself GM. Then patiently waited for Barry Trotz to say good riddance to the cheap Caps following their first Cup. He was underpaid and wasn’t treated with respect for guiding Washington to its first championship.
A veteran coach with a no nonsense disciplinary style that’s similar to Lamoriello, Trotz has done a masterful job changing the script for the Islanders. A proven winner who’s had success both in Nashville and Washington, he’s taking on a different situation in Brooklyn. Following his hire, Lamoriello was unsuccessful re-signing Tavares, who chose to fulfill a childhood dream by playing for his hometown team in Toronto. It’s gone well so far for him and the Maple Leafs.
As for the Isles, Lamoriello actually reacquired Matt Martin from Toronto. The popular fourth liner, who always brings energy and physicality to every shift, is reunited with linemates Casey Cizikas and Cal Clutterbuck. The reunion has been successful with the trio bringing exactly the kind of tenacity to the ice that fans love.
They also came up short in their attempts to re-sign Calvin de Haan. He decided to leave for Carolina. Another improved team in a crowded Metro Division that’s as unpredictable as the autumn weather. Despite the loss, the Isles have enough defensemen to compensate. However, there is no true number one guy. While vets Johnny Boychuk and Nick Leddy are still around to give Trotz valuable minutes, neither are what they once were. Leddy can be counted on for good skating and staying healthy while the gritty Boychuk plays more physical with his unselfish play leading to injuries. Right now, he’s healthy.
That bodes well for a no name defense. If anyone is the most valuable, it’s probably Ryan Pulock. A younger right D with a blistering shot, he also is solid in his end sacrificing for the cause. He only has one goal following a big preseason. Sooner or later, that’ll change. Pulock possesses a deadly accurate one-timer that can beat goalies. Scott Mayfield also plays key minutes along with Mr. Overtime, Thomas Hickey and Adam Pelech. So, the blueline isn’t that bad despite no big star to anchor it.
Under Trotz, the team is more structured in their zone, keeping most shots to the outside. They’ve allowed both Thomas Greiss and Robin Lehner to make the saves. In a recent shutout at home over the Devils this past weekend, Greiss made the big stops. Brock Nelson scored the insurance goal in the win that improved them to a impressive 6-0-0 versus divisional opponents. A great mark so early in the Trotz Era.
Nelson has been a pleasant surprise. With Tavares gone, the Isles had an opening in the top six. So far, so good for Nelson, whose seven goals pace the club. He has replaced Tavares by forming good chemistry with new captain Anders Lee and underrated playmaker Josh Bailey. The trio are doing their part so far with Bailey leading the team in assists (12) and points (15). The gritty Lee has done a bit of everything, with five goals including a team-leading four on the power play. He ranks second in scoring with 13 points while also showing a willingness to make opponents accountable with 21 penalty minutes.
While second-year pivot Mathew Barzal tries to overcome a slow start with just one goal on 18 shots, he remains a dangerous scoring threat that draws the attention of opponents. His superb skating and vision are why teams are looking to take him away. He’s still managed 10 assists for 11 points. A minus-seven rating is something he’ll need to improve on at even strength. Trotz has Barzal working with familiar linemates Anthony Beauvillier and Jordan Eberle. Neither have started well with Beauvillier only with one goal and a minus-six while Eberle is 4-3-7 with a minus-four rating. The trio are the only regulars up front who are struggling at five-on-five. It would behoove Barzal to think shot more. He’s becoming too predictable.
Encouraging for the Islanders is they are getting contributions throughout the lineup. Lamoriello addition Valtteri Filppula scored his fifth goal Monday night in a disappointing 4-3 shootout loss to the Canadiens. It was a game they had control of, leading 3-1 before a strong final two periods by Montreal forced extras. The Isles didn’t play well and got what they deserved, which Trotz referenced afterwards. Unlike the win over New Jersey on Saturday, they were outworked by a more determined opponent. Something Trotz won’t accept.
That kind of strong mindset is exactly what this franchise needs. They haven’t had it for a long time. Trotz brings credibility to how they play along with Lamoriello. It’s a perfect match. One other thing that makes it a good partnership is that both Lamoriello and Trotz are no nonsense guys who understand what it takes to be successful.
So, even after having a five-game winning streak snapped last night, Trotz said the right thing. Following the loss, he indicated that his team was easy to play against and thought it was the worst game of the season. A point Lee echoed in the locker room. Having accountability is good. It’s something we now see with the Rangers and their new coach, David Quinn. You also see it in New Jersey with John Hynes. Wanting more out of your team should be the case. Especially after losses. Players respond well to criticism and honesty.
For the first place Islanders, who lead the Metro Division with an 8-4-2 mark with 18 points, they know more is expected. They don’t have a great starting goalie. They must play hard and minimize the chances against so the goalie tandem of Greiss and Lehner can have success. So far, so good for a surprising team that’s done well till this point.
The mentality has finally changed for Islanders fans. There’s a reason to get excited. Their team won’t be a pushover anymore.
We fans can get a little superstitious from time to time. At times when the team’s slumping we try to change things up (or conversely when going well, we try to repeat our same routine) as if anything we do actually affects the team’s on-ice performance, just to avoid the dreaded jinx. Heck, players themselves can get pretty superstitious too, just ask most of them. Partly with that in mind, I decided to go straight radio for tonight’s game – no TV, no Twitter – just listening to Matt and Chico online. Actually my motivation wasn’t so much off of any kind of belief the team would play better but more that I needed the calming influence of Chico in case things went to crap.
I may have to do this for a few more games going forward judging off of tonight.
Other than the rout of the Capitals in the home opener, tonight’s demolition in Pittsburgh was the team’s most complete game of the season. Sure the Penguins haven’t been playing at their own usual high standards lately, losing four straight including a 5-0 whitewash at the hands of the Leafs a couple nights ago, but that’s just all the more reason to put the hammer on a team when they’re not going well. Of course, that’s easy for me to say with the Devils having come off of three straight losses to open their season-high seven-game road trip. In fact, tonight was the Devils’ first road win all season, in their fifth game away from the Prudential Center (not counting the ‘home’ game win in Sweden).
As much as I like the TV crew, Chico’s a treasure to listen to. He was in rare form tonight both with his early observation that the Penguins were off their game, and his usual complement of Chico-isms, saying the Devils defensemen were hitting snakes between the eyes after Will Butcher and Ben Lovejoy had apparently scored the initial two goals (Lovejoy’s was later changed to Brian Boyle). Not to mention his exaggerated John Sterling-esque call on the aformentioned Lovejoy/Boyle goal. You could tell how pained ex-goalie Chico was when Keith Kinkaid gave up a floater shortside for the tying goal in the first period, fortunately that wouldn’t matter in the end as the Devils turned a close game in the middle of the second period into a rout by the early third.
Of course listening on the radio you can only get so much of a sense of how the game goes, and don’t really get to watch individual players as much or see what’s happening now that we’re spoiled with HDTV to watch with – but perhaps we shouldn’t view games with such a critical eye all the time, especially in November. If the radio was good enough for fans before the ’50’s then why not go old-school? Not that I needed a TV to see that the first-star of the game was clearly Boyle, whose natural hat trick was a welcome surprise and the first of the big man’s long career. Ironically it was Hockey Fights Cancer night in Pittsburgh, and nobody’s a better example of that than Boyle himself, in fact he was just recently declared cancer-free.
Goals from Butcher and Travis Zajac sandwiched Boyle’s natural hatty and for once there was no real angst for the men in white and red, or us. After a poor few games, Butcher’s opener had to be a sigh of relief for him. Our previously nonexistent second line actually chipped in a goal with Marcus Johansson assisting on Zajac’s marker on the first shift of the third peroid. Ex-Penguin castoff Jean-Sebastian Dea assisted on both first-period goals as the fourth line contributed big-time although two of Boyle’s three goals actually came on the power play. Special teams had been a sore spot lately but going 3-3 on the PK and scoring twice with the man advantage changed that.
Perhaps the only bad thing about tonight’s game is the Devils don’t get a lot of time to savor this one with a trip to Ottawa tomorrow. Then again maybe that’s a good thing, don’t give the team time to get big heads again. After Kinkaid had a 35-save game will coach John Hynes go back to him tomorrow on a back-to-back? As important as I think the rest of this road trip is, and as down on Cory as I am I’m still not sure we’re quite at the point yet to go to the wall playing Keith in 90% of the games. It’d be nice to give Cory a shot against a bad team, of course if he flops then there’s a problem and Keith’s the clear starter till further notice, which he may well be anyway.
Programming note: Don’t expect an immediate recap for tomorrow’s game, as like most of America I’m going to be unhealthily immersed in the TV and online coverage of the midterm elections. I probably will wind up taping the Devils game and watch it either Wednesday or Thursday, assuming there’s anything worth watching on replay. Obviously I’m not going to push politics on anyone here, except to say elections have consequences and go vote if you’re physically able to. Don’t leave your ballot blank or protest vote for Gritty because you don’t like the major candidates. Vote, and make it count with an informed decision.
I’ll be perfectly honest. I missed most of last night’s game. We had dinner plans with Mom and had Japanese food at a nice place on the North shore of the Island. Family comes before everything including our favorite hockey team that was playing in its fourteenth game.
Judging by the statistics of a somehow scoreless first period, I could tell that the Sabres dominated play. Sometimes, all you need is a great goalie to keep you in it. Henrik Lundqvist is going to the Hockey Hall of Fame for those reasons when his brilliant career ends. Luckily, we still get to have him for a few more years. He is a very prideful man. He is a perfectionist, who demands the best out of himself every night. He might be 36, but don’t tell him he can’t get the job done.
Lundqvist’s 39 saves (30 the first two periods) were plenty to finally end the struggles versus Carter Hutton. At least for one night, the Rangers solved him enough scoring twice on 20 shots to defeat him and to an improved Sabres by a score of 3-1 before 16,904 at a less than capacity MSG.
These days, they’re not selling out Dolan’s building as much. I believe that has more to do with not dropping ticket prices in more expensive seats, along with the ridiculous food and beverage costs. Thirteen bucks for a can of beer is absurd. It’s fourteen for tap. At the games I attend, I’m not contributing to that ridiculous price. The next one could be tomorrow when the surprising Canadiens visit. That’s because we haven’t been able to sell it. If we can’t, that suits me just fine. Montreal games are always the best due to their passionate fans who come.
Most importantly, the Rangers have done something I didn’t think could be accomplished with the current roster. In a rebuilding year, they’ve managed to win three in a row. That’s called a winning streak! Cue the classic speech from Major League II.
That clip will never get old. James Gammon’s Lou Brown character shall live forever. Legends Never Die!
Make no mistake. Despite being largely out played, outshot (40-21) and out attempted (72-43), the Rangers aren’t giving this win back. They don’t have to. What fans must understand is that not every victory is going to be pretty. Especially with a first-year coach and young team with expectations down. Even the good teams occasionally need their goalie to steal a game. We should be thankful we have one who can still do it.
By pulling out the last two games of that four-game road trip in shootouts, they gave themselves an opportunity to win a third straight time. Suddenly, they’ve pulled within one of .500. A record of 6-7-1 doesn’t sound so bad. Even if this was only the second win in regulation (the other coming at home over Edmonton), they’re doing better than most thought. In case you haven’t noticed, most of the division is struggling. Even the defending champs are. Only the Islanders are playing up to par when they weren’t supposed to. The Hurricanes have cooled off considerably.
What I’m pointing out is the inconsistency we are seeing in the Metro Division. You don’t get style points for winning. Maybe this isn’t a game David Quinn will love, but when push came to shove, his team did a heck of a job protecting a one goal lead in crunch time. Once Brendan Smith handed the Sabres their only goal, they tightened up following a few key Lundqvist saves.
Buffalo only got ten shots in the third including Smith’s early Christmas gift to Conor Sheary. They didn’t dominate play as much. Shots were 10-7. Let’s also credit Quinn for doing a masterful job with the 10 and a half forwards he had left to work with due to rookie Brett Howden being held out for precautionary reasons. Howden still found a way to impact the game by neatly setting up Jimmy Vesey’s first of two at the one-minute mark of the second. His goal followed up Neal Pionk’s first only 19 seconds later for a 2-0 lead.
Replay of that goal from Jimmy Vesey. Sick shot to beat Hutton on the short side. Pretty pass by Brett Howden as well. Oh, and of course, Jesper Fast started it all with a great forecheck #NYRpic.twitter.com/RV7BKdw1CY
When I checked the Rangers app on my phone, I was shocked. How did that happen? Well, it did. I’m sure Quinn wasn’t happy with the lopsided first that saw Buffalo also control possession by winning more face offs. By the end of the game, the Rangers were dead even in draws, 28-28. Mika Zibanejad went 11-and-9. Kevin Hayes lost more than he won finishing 7-and-11. But they got contributions from unlikely sources, Chris Kreider (2-for-2) and Vinni Lettieri (2-and-1). Before he exited the contest, Howden was four up and four down. Even Filip Chytil was okay going 2-and-3. Add it all up and they offset Jack Eichel, who finished 11-and-7 without a point. They cooled off Eichel’s red hot line, victimizing him, Jeff Skinner and Jason Pominville twice during the same shift.
If you can do that, you’re doing something right. That line destroyed Ottawa on Saturday, and had been on fire. Pominville had a seven-game point streak snapped. Skinner entered with 14 points (8-6-14) in his last eight games. Since Pominville was added to that line, Eichel had 12 points while racking up 11 assists over the last seven.
Considering that in the first meeting, Hutton stole the show with 43 saves on Oct. 6, the two New York teams are even. There’s one match-up remaining not until February 15 in Buffalo. Maybe by then if things are better, I’ll make my first trip to a Sabres game.
Regarding the two goals, both were nice plays. Pionk’s first of the season came off some good work from Zibanejad and Vladislav Namestnikov. Namestnikov made a nice pass across for Pionk, who let go of a good wrist shot that beat Hutton for the first goal of the game at 41 seconds. Quinn them sent out the Howden line. Off some more good work, Jesper Fast won a board battle to work the puck to Howden. He made a good pass to an open Vesey in the high slot. Vesey went top shelf for his fourth at 60 seconds. It was his first goal in seven games since Oct. 17 at Washington.
The Blueshirts took some penalties. Consecutive minors on Cody McLeod and Smith gave Buffalo a golden opportunity to tie the game. But the penalty kill and Lundqvist came through. Astonishingly, the Sabres had the game’s first four power plays. They went 0-for-4. Fourteen of their 40 shots came on it. That’s how good Lundqvist was. Too bad I missed it.
“Tonight I feel like we made some really strong plays at the right time and it paid off.” – #NYR Henrik Lundqvist after his 39 save performance in the win. https://t.co/E27KzgX6gc
In the third, Quinn mixed up his line combinations. After giving Pavel Buchnevich less than four minutes of ice-time in the first, he increased his shifts. After sitting out the previous two games, Buchnevich was back in for the disappointing Ryan Spooner. Although I didn’t see anything until the third when we got home, I liked what I saw from him. He was more engaged, delivering a couple of checks (4 hits) while being more involved offensively. Just the kind of response Quinn was looking for.
He rewarded Buchnevich by giving him a few shifts with Zibanejad and old linemate Kreider, who only played 14:06. Buchnevich received 17:07, which should silence the critics that have been impatient with a no nonsense coach, who demands more from his players. As if that’s a bad thing. Even though he didn’t register a shot, Buchnevich had two attempts and was way more physical than in his first 11 games combined. A good sign.
I particularly liked the defensive play from veteran Marc Staal and Brady Skjei late in regulation. Both made good plays with and without the puck, playing the man. Staal blocked a Kyle Okposo shot that was close to going in. Skjei made the key takeaway and pass for Vesey’s empty netter from 160 feet that sealed the deal with 1:51 remaining. His two goals give him five. With a helper in the last game at Anaheim, that’s three points in two games for the hard working forward.
What’s to say right now? If this team isn’t at rock bottom now with three straight losses culminating in yesterday’s whitewash at Barclays with Lou Lamoriello being satisfied in his new post as GM of the first-place Islanders, I shudder at what will be rock bottom. I’m just glad that unlike Tuesday I followed through on my threat to boycott. I knew this game would be an ass kicking too just like in Tampa, and that’s basically what happened. Granted, looking at the boxscore the 3-0 final is slightly misleading since it was 1-0 until there were five minutes left in the game. Still, I figured on a multi-goal loss and wasn’t the least bit surprised when I finally turned the game on to see highlights of the empty-netter in the dying seconds and three-nil popped up on the score.
We’re now at the moral victory portion of the program where the message out of the room was at least we played better. I’ll buy that for a game or two since effort has been at least half the problem so far, but if they don’t start getting results real soon the Devils will be so far down the hole they’ll need at least a couple months to get out of it – if they can at all. Just don’t insult my intelligence like the football Jets and Todd Bowles frequently do and talk about how things have changed when they keep churning out the same record year in and year out, with the same number of no-show performances. I’m not giving the Devils any credit for effort at least until they start stringing a few better efforts together in a row, and eventually get a couple of wins out of it.
Arguably nothing happened in-game that was as important as in the day between games anyway, when the Devils sent out a blaring message by demoting Pavel Zacha to the AHL. Not being sure of the waiver rules I’d somehow believed a few days ago that they couldn’t demote Zacha without exposing him to waivers, but since he’s still under the 160-game threshold by a few the Devils were able to send this wake-up call. It’s one thing to tell someone to do something, it’s another to show there are real consequences if you don’t and now the rest of the room knows that even a recent high draft pick can be cut if he doesn’t pick it up. Hynes’ comments on Zacha were on-point (unlike the player himself).
Hynes on re-assigning Zacha to Bing: "His scoring chances inside the dots, in the hard areas, are right now non-existent. He has to be a more difficult player offensively in order to produce pts. The shot is a skill thing, but he's not putting himself in positions to use it."
Can’t say I loved the fact Kurtis Gabriel was one of the callups though, every year I and other fans complain one-dimensional goons shouldn’t play, but invariably if a team doesn’t have enough sandpaper in the rest of the lineup, that still ends up happening sooner or later. Especially after a string of recent games where the team showed little fight figuratively or literally – and one of the few guys who tried was defenseman Mirco Mueller, who was pummelled like a blowup doll in Detroit. Still, playing Gabriel in Brooklyn yesterday over the likes of Joey Anderson was even more laughable considering the Isles’ own enforcer (Matt Martin) was out of the lineup. At least Gabriel couldn’t look to take penalties against Martin the way he did in the preseason when he embarassed himself by taking a string of minor penalties there.
Another problem at this point is Hynes’ recent backing of himself into a corner by publicly pooh-pooing the question about breaking up the first line to spread out the scoring. While I was inclined to side with him in not breaking up the Hall-Hischier-Palmieri troika (at least until Jesper Bratt finally returned), maybe it would be nice to give Marcus Johansson someone to pass to since that’s all he’s good for at this point. Plus the first-line’s home/road combined splits I saw online last night were staggering.
Eight home games: 13 goals, 18 assists, +15
Four road games: 1 goal, 5 assists, -22
What does that mean? When you can’t get the last line change having a good chunk of your scoring in the first line can be more of a problem than it’s worth. With four more road games coming up and the team struggling, they can’t afford to be stubborn for too much longer. A looming back-to-back against the rival Pens on Monday, then off to Ottawa on Tuesday isn’t going to be any easier than the last few games have been. Adjustments need to be made and the effort supposedly showed yesterday needs to be sustained through multiple games or a once-promising season could be derailed in a hurry.
When Buffalo general manager Jason Botterill took over the Sabres in the summer of 2017, one of his first moves was reacquiring Jason Pominville as part of a four player trade that included two draft picks with Minnesota on June 30, 2017. Defenseman Marco Scandella also came over from the Wild in exchange for forwards Tyler Ennis (now with Toronto) and Marcus Foligno. The goal of the deal was to help upgrade a weak blueline.
Even though nobody will confuse the 28-year old defensive defenseman with Rasmus Ristolainen or Rasmus Dahlin, Scandella is still a key cog on a revamped blueline that also includes Jake McCabe, Zach Bogosian and Casey Nelson. The latter has been a surprise for coach Phil Housley due to his skating. Obviously, winning the NHL Lottery to select Dahlin first overall this past summer really helped. The teenager will be a fixture for years to come.
What nobody counted on was the popular former Buffalo playoff hero filling a huge void in his second season back where he belongs. Pominville has always been a tenacious worker, who brings a good work ethic to his shifts. Following a decent ’17-18 in which he tallied 34 points (16-18-34) while playing all 82 games, the well respected 35-year old who recently played his 1,000th career NHL game has taken his game to a level once seen when he was a huge part of a very good Buffalo team. One that challenged for the Eastern Conference. There was that memorable shorthanded goal he scored while down two men, eliminating Ottawa in the Conference Semifinals. I remember echoing to close personal friend Brian that I had a feeling about a shorthanded goal. I guess I knew. That prompted one of legendary Sabres announcer Rick Jeanneret’s greatest calls.
As he went around Daniel Aldredsson as if he were a Ton an with Wade Redden watching, it allowed Jeanneret to beam, “Oh now do you believe? NOW DO YOU BELIEVE! These guys are good! Scary good!”
As we celebrate Jason Pominville's 1,000 @NHL games, the memories over the years come rushing back.
If ever there was a time the Buffalo Sabres should’ve won the Stanley Cup, that ’05-06 season was it. They were deep, talented and had it all including unreal goaltending from Ryan Miller. Unfortunately, injuries to a depleted blueline proved costly in a crushing seven game Conference Final loss to Carolina. You can’t convince me or any Sabres fan, who lived and died with that team, that the Hurricanes were better. To win 16 games in the toughest tournament, you also have to get lucky. I know that well as a Rangers fan, who dies a little more every day since ’94. Especially given what happened to the ’13-14 team in the Stanley Cup Final versus the hated Kings.
The amazing thing is Pominville is one of three Sabres left from that roster who are still playing. The same one which dominated the East the following season, only to be stunned by the Senators in the same round. A revenge series. Sometimes, those happen. It happened to the end of the old Rangers roster by the very same Ottawa in that fateful second round in 2017. That was the end for them. Now, it’s rebuild mode under a new coach. Something oddly familiar to Buffalo fans. They’ve been waiting patiently for a good team that could challenge for the playoffs. It’s been a while. The glory days of Chris Drury, Daniel Briere, Thomas Vanek, Maxim Afinogenov and Brian Campbell are long gone. Counting ’06-07, there are five players left with Drew Stafford and Andrej Sekera also still around.
All this time later and here’s Pominville, who got a well deserved beautiful ceremony honoring his career spent mostly in Buffalo, turning back the clock. Second-year coach Phil Housley has put together a tremendous top line. The kind the Sabres haven’t had in a decade. Centered by new captain Jack Eichel and anchored by Jeff Skinner and Pominville, they have been dominant. Never was that more clear than in Pominville’s 1,001st game.
On a day he won’t forget, the senior citizen went out and celebrated in style by scoring twice and recording an assist for a three-point effort. For the season, the ageless Pommer is up to eight goals and six helpers for 14 points in 14 games. The line is doing damage. Since being put together, they’ve produced big goals in comeback victories as the Sabres continue to prove they can’t be taken lightly. The cohesive trio combined for four of Buffalo’s nine goals in a 9-2 blowout win over the Senators at home. They totaled nine points with Skinner getting two goals and one assist while Eichel had three helpers.
A couple of days after losing in Ottawa, the Sabres dominated their Canadian rival. It was all working for an improved hockey club that upped its record to 7-5-2 in a competitive Atlantic Division. Their 16 points are tied with the Bruins and Canadiens, who both lost on Saturday. Each have played one less game. So for now, Buffalo is in fifth place. However, if they played in a perplexing Metro led by the surprising Islanders, they would be second. They’re right where they want to be at this point. In the mix for a potential wildcard that could include more competitors than last year.
How good was the win? Winning netminder Linus Ullmark had virtually nothing to do for most of the day. He did allow two goals on 29 shots. But it was all Buffalo. They controlled play throughout that was highlighted by a dominant second period. After chasing Ottawa starter Craig Anderson with three goals in the first that included Pominville scoring on a rebound of an Eichel shot off the post, they greeted poor reliever Mike McKenna rudely. They outscored the Sens 5-1 and outshot them 21-9. Thirteen seconds after Skinner got his second on a wonderfully constructed play for a power play goal, Zemgus Girgensons scored his first of the season.
What followed was three more goals in short order. Max McCormick, Pominville and Conor Sheary made it 7-0. The five Buffalo goals came within a 2:42 span, prompting an animated Ottawa coach Guy Boucher to call a timeout and yell at his guys.
By the time the game was over, Patrik Berglund and Casey Mittlestadt had added tallies for a 9-2 win. Each had good games with a goal and a helper apiece. Maybe that’ll get Mittlestadt going. The gifted 19-year old rookie entered with only three points. Much is expected from the playmaking pivot and Sam Reinhardt, who remains stuck on one goal despite tallying two assists to hike his total to seven. If those two can find more consistency, that would help secondary scoring.
On a big day where 15 Sabres’ skaters of 18 got on the score sheet, the only downside was Dahlin having to exit the contest due to a lower body injury sustained from blocking a couple of shots. It isn’t known if he’ll dress for Sunday night’s visit at the Rangers on Broadway. That would be a disappointment if he couldn’t play.
For now, Buffalo has a good team that knows it can score more. They also have two goalies that are getting the job done. How unfortunate for the Rangers that they’ll see their kryptonite, Carter “E.F.” Hutton. He owns them. He made over 40 saves in an early Buffalo win last month.
Silver sword. Video tributes. Messages from old teammates. Oh, and a win to top it off.
Before we wrap this up, it’s worth noting that Pominville ranks third among the 2001 Draft Class in points, trailing only top pick Jason Spezza and second overall pick Ilya Kovalchuk. He’s now up to 710 (285-425-710) after putting a stamp on game 1,001 that saw the team present him with gifts along with taped messages from former and current teammates. That included Botterill, who was his Rochester teammate before retiring. Now in Year Two, he looks to have put together a team Buffalo can be proud of. One that features the second round gem taken with the number 55 pick.
I’m not much for superstition. Though I do have my OCD rituals. Game number 13 turned out to be a lucky one. It also had two repetitions from the other night. Like the crazy win at San Jose, the Rangers needed a shootout to prevail in Anaheim last night 3-2. Also similar, they blew a one goal lead in the final minute of regulation to be pushed into extras.
So far, so good for the Rangers, who improved to a perfect 3-0 in shootouts. Thursday’s heroes were Alexandar Georgiev, Mats Zuccarello and Mika Zibanejad. Georgiev went two-for-two in the skill competition to improve to 2-1-0 in three starts. He also was superb in the first 65 minutes, making 28 saves. Zuccarello and Zibanejad each beat John Gibson on wrist shots with wiggle room in the first two rounds. Georgiev stopped Pontus Aberg and Ryan Getzlaf to pick up the victory.
The game wasn’t as good as the wild and wacky 4-3 win over the Sharks. Coach David Quinn was proud of the guys for toughing one out to finish the four-game road trip 2-2. They were tired, but competed well enough to be in a winning position with under a minute left in regulation. The blown lead hex struck again when following a Tony DeAngelo turnover, Getzlaf found Rickard Rakell wide open for the tying goal with 26 seconds left.
Despite having the better of the play in the three-on-three overtime by getting three of the four shots, they were unable to beat Gibson, taking it to the shootout. Not the greatest way to settle extra points, it is what it is. In this case, the Rangers shooters were better than the Ducks, who have now dropped seven straight games (0-4-3). You can see why they’re struggling. Cam Fowler came close to ending it, but his shot hit the post.
Neither Zuccarello nor Zibanejad tried dekes instead opting to simplify their approach with good snap shots that beat Gibson. Zuccarello went through the wickets and Zibanejad found just enough real estate to beat Gibson short side to clinch the victory.
Following a scoreless first period that saw the teams dead even in shots (7-7), the play picked up in the second. The Rangers got on the board first thanks to some good work behind the net from rookie Filip Chytil. His second effort resulted in a centering feed that deflected off rookie Brett Howden right to Kevin Hayes, who finished off his third for a nice power play goal. It was a good play by the trio.
Another look at the relentless 🚨 that got it started for #NYR
The Ducks were able to even it up on their own power play. With DeAngelo off for interference, Anaheim worked the puck around for a Rakell one-timer that a sharp Georgiev stopped with a great reflex save. However, the rebound caromed into the air which allowed Jakob Silfverberg to bat it in for the tying power play tally. Getzlaf set it up.
Less than two minutes later, a excellent shift by the Howden line resulted in a go-ahead goal from the 20-year old center. Off a good forecheck, Marc Staal made a good shot pass in front for Jimmy Vesey, who made an even better one touch redirection pass to a wide open Howden for a tap in at 14:29. That gave him a goal and assist. He continues to perform well for the Rangers. The ex-Lightning prospect wins over 50 percent of his face-offs. He went 10-and-7 yesterday.
In the third, it was obvious that the Blueshirts didn’t have much left. They tried to protect the lead. It wasn’t that they sat back. Anaheim had more energy. It still looked like they were doing a good job by limiting the Ducks to seven shots for most of the period. The Rangers had four.
Then came the final frantic minute. With a chance to clear the zone, DeAngelo panicked by holding onto the puck in the corner. Eventually, Anaheim recovered it to set up a last ditch effort with Gibson pulled for an extra attacker. Getzlaf held the puck and patiently waited before sending a perfect pass across for a Rakell laser top shelf that tied the game. Brady Skjei lost his man due to puck watching. He wasn’t alone.
Georgiev stoned Kiefer Sherwood on a break in overtime. Then came the shootout. Zuccarello and Zibanejad made no mistake. The Rangers improved to 5-7-1 after 13 games. Not bad considering only one win has come in regulation. They host Buffalo this Sunday night at 7 PM.
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Battle Of Hudson 
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