Lou cleans house, names self new Islanders GM

Posted on June 5, 2018 by Derek

As expected, Lou Lamoriello wasted no time making changes. The new Islanders Team President cleaned house by firing both former GM Garth Snow and coach Doug Weight earlier this afternoon.

The 75 years young Lou named himself the new general manager of the team. The search for a new coach for the Islanders begins immediately.

There you have it. In classic fashion dating back to the glory days with the Devils, Lamoriello is in full charge of another local franchise. This was always the easy move to make for a proven executive, who sounded energized in a recent interview with WFAN’s Mike Francesa. So, he has something in common with New York’s biggest sports talk radio personality. Neither are the retiring types.

It’ll be interesting to see what Lou decides to do next. He’ll want a coach in his no nonsense personality. He didn’t leave a easier post in Toronto to take it easy. He’s in Brooklyn (for now) for one reason. To rebuild on the fly a team that could be on the verge of losing its premier star, John Tavares to free agency. That all depends on the current Isles captain. Will he stay with favorite ex-coach Weight gone along with Snow? We don’t know.

It’s funny to see all these rumors spreading like wildfire on social media that Lamoriello will trade Tavares’ rights before July 1. How does anyone really know? He spoke to Tavares when he accepted the job. You never know with Lou.

The Islanders first need a coach, which could happen as soon as the Stanley Cup Final ends. The Capitals will get the first of three chances to win their first Cup on Thursday against the Golden Knights in Vegas. As soon as it concludes, expect Lamoriello to move fast. Maybe he’ll get permission to speak with Toronto Marlies coach Sheldon Keefe. Considering the ties to the Leafs, it makes sense.

There’s also the small possibility of Washington coach Barry Trotz, who could become the biggest coaching free agent. That is if the Caps don’t keep him. That doesn’t seem very likely with Trotz on the verge of guiding the franchise to its first championship.

Whatever Lamoriello decides, the Islanders are a whole lot more interesting now. No longer will they be the laughingstock of the NHL. There won’t be any more jokes about Snow having the same lifespan as current NBC analyst Mike Milbury. Both weren’t too successful with similar results. Only Snow had a team finally advance out of the first round thanks to Tavares’ heroics.

With soon to be named Calder winner Mathew Barzal ready for bigger things and top prospect Kieffer Bellows poised to be the next good player the Islanders produce, they should be okay for the future.

Lamoriello will have the task of re-signing Tavares and less discussed defenseman Calvin de Haan. A valuable player, who the team sorely missed. He also must choose a new number one goalie after Snow did nothing. Thomas Greiss and Jaro Halak aren’t starters.

He’ll want to see if he can sign 2014 fourth round pick Linus Soderstrom. A 21-year old Swedish goalie prospect who could hold the key to the future. Although he didn’t perform as well in ’17-18 for HV71 Jonkoping in Sweden, he’s an important player. Particularly with no positive development on 2014 third round pick Ilya Sorokin. A highly rated 22-year old Russian who stars for CSKA Moscow of the KHL.

All this makes the Isles one of the more intriguing teams to watch this summer.

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Hard Hits: Ovechkin and Caps silencing critics

Posted on June 3, 2018 by Derek

Through three games of the most unpredictable Stanley Cup Final, it’s Alexander Ovechkin and the Caps needing just two more wins to capture the franchise’s first Cup. In a virtuoso performance following a bizarre introduction from game show host Pat Sajac, Ovechkin scored his team’s first goal in a 3-1 home win in Game Three over the Golden Knights to take a two games to one series lead.

As has been the case throughout this postseason, the Great Eight has continued to play at another level. In continuing to lead his team by playing excellent two-way hockey that’s included sacrificing his body for the cause to block one of 26 Vegas shots, Ovechkin is proving the critics wrong. As if the greatest goalscorer of this generation and second best player behind Sidney Crosby, was to blame for previous Washington failures. He always produced but wasn’t as complete. That’s the difference with every skater on the Caps along with the laser focus of Braden Holtby.

What they lacked before was the grit and determination along with the tenacity to get it done. Now, they’re more resilient winning the one on one battles. They play much tougher defensively which makes games like Saturday night’s ugly for the viewers but beautiful for long suffering Caps fans. It might not be a pretty style of hockey under coach Barry Trotz. But unlike 2015, ’16 and ’17, they’ve persevered to the point where they can taste it.

While Ovechkin has been front and center scoring timely goals in the last two games which are both wins, the supporting cast has continued to play their roles as perfectly. In Game Two, they held off a Golden Knights’ strong third period to pull out a hard fought 3-2 victory to square the series. They did it without star center Evgeny Kuznetsov, who missed most of the last two periods due to an upper body injury he sustained on a clean, heavy hit. Lars Eller was instrumental in the victory with a goal and two assists while dominating on faceoffs. His primary helper on a Ovechkin power play goal broke a 1-1 tie. He also helped set up unlikely hero Brooks Orpik’s game-winner.

In the playoffs, it’s not always the stars who help you win. It’s guys like André Burakovsky, who sprung to life in Game Seven of the Eastern Conference Final with two goals to help the Caps shutout the Lightning. Burakovsky was benched in the same series. He had two helpers in Game Two. Without guys like Devante Smith-Pelly and Brett Connolly, the Caps wouldn’t be where they are. Even with Kuznetsov returning to play last night and score a huge goal to convert a three-on-one rush, Smith-Pelly stepped up with his fifth of the tournament. A big insurance marker that restored a two-goal lead in the third after a rare Holtby misplay had given Tomas Nosek an easy goal. Jay Beagle recorded two assists while centering the fourth line that had Smith-Pelly and hustling rookie Chandler Stephenson on it.

On a night the second scoring unit of Nick Backstrom, Jakub Vrana and T.J. Oshie were quiet, it was the vaunted top line with Kuznetsov (goal/assist), Ovechkin (franchise tying 14th goal) and pest Tom Wilson (5 hits, big recovery that led to Ovechkin goal) that set the tone. They easily could’ve had more than two of the three Washington goals. Marc-André Fleury was spectacular throughout making big saves that gave Vegas a chance. He robbed Ovechkin at least three times including twice with superb glove stops. The score could’ve been more lopsided given how much the Caps dominated territorially.

The Golden Knights didn’t have the puck enough. Turnovers were a theme with some blown assignments leading directly to goals against which Fleury had no chance on. It was a credit to how thorough the Caps checked. They gave their opponent nothing by blanketing the neutral zone and making a cocoon around Holtby. This led to plenty of missed opportunities. Forty of the Knights’ 62 attempts never reached the Washington net. Twenty-six were blocked while another 14 missed the net completely.

A tighter checking game has favored the detail oriented Caps, who have won both low scoring contests since the wild and crazy Game One that featured 10 goals and a Stanley Cup record four lead changes. They shutdown the Knights’ top line of William Karlsson, Reilly Smith and Jonathan Marchessault. They also exposed the Vegas second line turning James Neal, Erik Haula and David Perron into a combined minus-nine. They were victimized on all three goals. Perhaps that’ll result in Vegas coach Gerard Gallant adjusting that line along with a couple of personnel changes. Something he hasn’t shied away from all season. Figure either Tomas Tatar or Oscar Lindberg to be back in for a crucial Game Four tomorrow night.

As far as Holtby, he’s on a good roll. Following a shaky Game One in which he allowed five goals on 33 shots, he’s given up just three on 61 shots. His defense has been better at protecting the net and swarming Vegas skaters. But he’s also been much sharper, bringing back his old Vezina form. Three goals allowed in the last 128:28 is pretty dominant.

It’s all working for the Caps. Two more wins and they finally reach the mountain top.

Body Checks

-I know it wasn’t the greatest game to watch. Now, I kinda understand what critics of the ’11-12 Rangers were talking about with all the blocked shots. It’s ugly but effective. It’ll be interesting to see what adjustments Gallant makes.

-It is absurd that two Stanley Cup games in a row didn’t air on NBC. Especially Saturday night in prime time. Instead, it was on NBCSN. NBC was re-airing a Dateline piece from a year ago in the 8 PM time slot. Genius programming. What a great league partner.

-The amount of clutching and grabbing the sea of red got away with was reminiscent of the pre-lockout days when anything went. So much for having a rulebook on obstruction.

-John Carlson hasn’t hurt himself one bit this postseason. A unrestricted free agent in July, the biggest Caps weapon from the right point will make a lot of money this summer. What better situation is there than the one he’s in? Unless the Devils come calling and sell him on a homecoming featuring Taylor Hall and Nico Hischier, he would be nuts to leave.

-Every tweet former pugilist Daniel Carcillo sends out is one of significant interest to fans and current players of the sport. The current lawsuit against the NHL is no laughing matter. Every time Gary Bettman sidesteps the issue of responsibility for the damage caused by head trauma that’s led to struggles off the ice, he comes off like a fraud. He can talk up the good PR of the expansion Golden Knights proving that anyone can make a run and build a new fan base. But he’s a jackass when it comes to the seriousness of how the league looked the other way on concussions damaging the brain to the point where CTE could be linked.

-New Islanders Team President Lou Lamoriello is no better. TSN continues to roll out a series of damaging articles on former players such as ex-Devil Mike Peluso, who played through concussions due to expectations. The league was a lot different in the 90’s and even 00’s. There was a lot more fighting. These guys put themselves at risk not knowing the severity of the damage blows to the head along with landing on the ice could cause. Nobody knew except Eric Lindros, who was right about how poorly the Flyers and Bobby Clarke handled him. Concussion protocol probably wouldn’t be around if not for former NHLPA leader Lindros.

-For old school executives in Lou’s class to not acknowledge it smacks of arrogance. He always talks about putting the team first. The logo in the front of the jersey over the name on the back. That’s all well and good. But what about caring for the players? I guess that didn’t matter. Winning at all costs.

-Per Doc Emrick, 13 remaining Caps were drafted by former GM and current Vegas one George McPhee. So, if his old team wins, he’ll have a lot to do with it. I’m sure that’s not what he’s thinking at the moment.

-When Emrick disagrees with a missed call, he lets the audience know about it. During a sequence in which he thought there was a penalty, he said, “Play continues.” Then when expecting an icing that never came, he quipped: “Why would it be?”

More reasons to love Doc.

-So many experts on what the Rangers should do including the captaincy. I don’t think they have a captain on the current roster. Mats Zuccarello enters his final year if he’s not dealt. Chris Kreider could be a good leader but isn’t ready for that kind of responsibility yet. Why not enter ’17-18 without a captain? They did it before in ’05-06 following the lockout under Tom Renney. It worked out well. Of course, they had Jaromir Jagr and savvy vets Martin Straka, Martin Rucinsky, Michael Nylander and Steve Rucchin. As Vegas has proven, you don’t have to name a captain.

-The Lamoriello hiring for the Islanders was a no brainer. Even at 75, he’s a fine executive who still has a healthy appetite to want to clean up the mess in Brooklyn and soon Long Island. From a business standpoint, it makes sense. What happens if John Tavares still leaves?

-Things I hate:

-the mini advertisements before play following a icing or offside.

-Pierre McGuire waxing poetic on another fourth liner. It doesn’t matter what year it is. It’s a team game. But fourth liners shouldn’t have this much impact. If they do, why didn’t Jed Ortmeyer win a Cup? How about Dominic Moore or Brian Boyle? They’re all guys I like. But at what point does it become ridiculous? Then you wonder why teams overpay these guys. For the same reason unheralded defensive defensemen get ridiculous contracts.

-The league talks up the talent and it’s true. But then you watch these games and there’s little room to make a play or take a shot. Even with all the rule adjustments, it’s a drag. Goalies have too much equipment. So do players. Particularly shoulder pads that can do damage on big hits. Plus the substandard officiating which frustrates benches and viewers while confusing broadcasts.

-So, Larry Brooks will be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame for his contributions as a writer. When asked about it, favorite target John Tortorella had ‘no comment.’ I wonder what Dan Boyle thinks about this. It’s funny that Brooksie stuck. Tort’s old nickname for Brooks. Will he mention Torts in November?

-Brooks used to be a fun read for his Slap Shots column in the New York Post. But he’s so negative about everything that I am not sure he should keep covering the sport. I admit to similar frustration with the league. But if I can see how great a story Vegas is, why can’t Larry? Because he can be a stick in the mud. The show in Vegas is unlike anything we’ve ever seen. While some critique the Medieval Times act, I enjoy it for what it is. Entertainment in a sport that takes itself too seriously. When you have NBC talent gushing over it and using Jeremy Roenick in all sorts of chaotic roles engaging the fans, they know it’s funny. Why can’t hockey fans laugh? We are sometimes our own worst enemies.

-I guess Pat Sajak won’t be introducing the Nationals lineup in October.

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New Rangers coach David Quinn is a hockey lifer

Posted on May 25, 2018 by Derek

Yesterday at a press conference, David Quinn was introduced by general manager Jeff Gorton as the New York Rangers 35th head coach in franchise history.

The 51-year old hockey lifer has been involved playing the game and coaching it since childhood. He played all four years at Boston University from ’84-87 and represented Team USA in 1986.

Unfortunately, when he tried out for the ’88 Olympic team, Quinn was diagnosed with Haemophilia B (Christmas Disease), a rare disorder that prevents blood from clotting properly. Forced to retire from the game, he discovered expensive medication to battle the disease and attempt a comeback as a professional.

After failing to make the ’92 Olympic team, ironically it was the Rangers who signed him to a pro contract in February that same year. He completed the remainder of the season with the AHL affiliate Binghamton Rangers before spending ’92-93 with the Cleveland Lumberjacks in the International Hockey League (IHL).

Following his retirement, Quinn began his coaching career as an assistant with Northeastern before joining the University of Nebraska-Omaha for six years. After spending time as a USA developmental coach, he returned to his alma mater as a assistant, helping guide the Terriers to a national title in 2009.

Before returning to become coach of Boston University in 2013 replacing legendary coach Jack Parker, he got his first head coaching position with the Lake Erie Monsters of the AHL in ’09 while with the Colorado Avalanche organization. He spent three seasons there before serving as a assistant on the Avalanche for ’12-13.

Following five successful seasons coaching his alma mater BU to a NCAA Runner-Up in the 2015 Championship Game along with two Regional Finals the last two years, he moves up to become the coach of the Rangers. His third position as a head coach.

A former defenseman who’s developed Charlie McAvoy and Matt Grzelcyk, he will emphasize a attacking style from the defense out. That doesn’t mean only improving team defense which was a sore spot under former Rangers bench boss Alain Vigneault the past two years. It also emphasizes using defensemen to transition the puck through the neutral zone and activate offensively which can make it harder on opponents to clear the zone.

In a rebuild with several young players, the Rangers must get back to harder working habits. If they are successful under Quinn, they’ll have a more sustained forecheck involving all five players during shifts. An area that disappeared from their game. In order for the team to have success, they must press the attack and have more puck possession in the offensive zone. A role reversal from what we saw recently.

All one has to do is watch how this year’s Disney story the Vegas Golden Knights play under Gerard Gallant. Every player has a defined role. He rolls four lines and plays three defense pairs in front of Conn Smythe frontrunner Marc-Andre Fleury. The way they use their skating and team speed attacking offensively and defensively has given opponents fits. Even the mighty Winnipeg Jets wore down losing in five in the Western Conference Final.

The Stanley Cup which starts on Memorial Day between the Caps and Knights in Vegas Monday night, should be very entertaining for fans of the sport. Nobody could’ve predicted this final.

You have Alexander Ovechkin playing the best hockey of his brilliant career with a more together Washington team that sacrifices to win in beating the Pens and stunning the Lightning in seven with a dominant 4-0 win on the road to make their first Cup appearance since 1998.

You have the expansion darling Golden Knights comprised of players 30 teams didn’t want led by William Karlsson, Jonathan Marchessault and Reilly Smith along with Fleury. It’s a fascinating match-up.

In many aspects, this is what Ranger fans want to see. How soon it happens remains to be seen. Quinn is a strong personality who wants to change the culture. Even after turning down the job multiple times, he changed his mind and decided to take on a big challenge. Now, he’ll have to prove he’s worth the $2.5 million per season the Rangers are paying him over the next five years. Listening to him speak, he sounds excited.

He should be. It’s not every day that a job like this becomes available. His familiarity with many of the young Blueshirts who played collegiately should come in handy. It’s all about developing the new core and improving.

With the welcome mat for Quinnsanity, a new era is upon us. The job starts right away.

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Rangers bring in a new era with hire of David Quinn

Posted on May 23, 2018 by Derek

As the playoffs have gone on, it’s taken a while for the Rangers to find a new coach. After swinging and missing on Jim Montgomery, who reportedly turned down more money to stay in the Midwest and accept the job with the Stars, they have convinced David Quinn to leave Boston University and take over behind the bench in Manhattan.

Even after Quinn was rumored to stay with BU where he had developed good players including most recently Jack Eichel, Charlie McAvoy and Matt Grzelcyk, the Rangers persisted in their quest to go outside the box as GM Jeff Gorton and even Garden CEO James Dolan had hinted at during the process. More committed to a rebuild, it makes perfect sense for the Rangers to hire a developmental coach familiar with working with young talent. A avenue I suggested in this space.

After spending five seasons with the Terriers producing a 105-67-21 record in the Hockey East which included a runner-up in the Frozen Four in ’14-15 when they lost in heartbreaking fashion, the 51-year old Quinn will try his hand at coaching in the NHL.

It’ll be interesting to follow his path. There haven’t been many college coaches who moved up to the NHL ranks. The most notable are Miracle worker Herb Brooks and Badger Bob Johnson. The Flyers have had moderate success with Dave Hakstol overachieving by making the first round this year. Now, you can add two new former college coaches in Montgomery and Quinn.

So, how will Quinn do? That remains to be seen. With the Rangers organization finally confirming him as the 35th coach in franchise history earlier today, now comes the real challenge ahead. Turning around a bad team that missed its first postseason since 2009-10.

Much depends on what Gorton decides with his new coach and chief scouts. With the NHL Draft a month away, the team owns the ninth overall pick. They also hold a extra first from the Bruins in the Rick Nash deal that also netted D prospect Ryan Lindgren and key restricted free agent Ryan Spooner. He’s a year away from unrestricted status. Management must decide if it’s worth retaining Spooner for a year and make a similar decision on Group II forward Vladislav Namestnikov, who didn’t have a good showing after coming over from the Lightning in a blockbuster trade that sent former captain Ryan McDonagh and J.T. Miller. A deal that netted D prospect Libor Hajek, forward prospect Brett Howden along with a 2018 first round pick if the Lightning win the Stanley Cup. Plus a 2019 conditional second.

So much is tied into those two trades. There’s three prospects the Blueshirts are counting on for development along with what they can turn the extra picks into. Is the plan for Gorton to shop the number nine along with the additional first and second to move up into the top four and grab Oliver Wahlstrom, Brady Tkachuk, Filip Zadina or Adam Boqvist?

Gorton faces tough decisions on RFA’s Kevin Hayes, Brady Skjei and Jimmy Vesey. Plus whether they have full confidence in Alexandar Georgiev to back up Henrik Lundqvist, who shouldn’t start over 50 games. He can’t physically do it anymore. Do they trust Georgiev off his good first impression or consider re-signing Ondrej Pavelec?

The team will have cap space to make moves this July. What are they planning? Are they in on big free agents John Tavares, John Carlson or James van Riemsdyk? I would think not but you never know what the thought process is. Now a hard nosed vet such as James Neal on a reasonable deal could work. The same for Calvin de Haan, who has peak years left if he leaves the Islanders.

Most importantly, how Quinn and the new staff handle key young players like Lias Andersson, Pavel Buchnevich, Filip Chytil, Tony DeAngelo, Neal Pionk and Brady Skjei will go a long way to determining where the franchise is over the long term.

The leadership will fall not just on veterans Marc Staal (assuming he’s back), Lundqvist, Kevin Shattenkirk and Mats Zuccarello but Jesper Fast, Hayes, Chris Kreider and Mika Zibanejad.

It is a new day for Blueshirt fans. At times, the fan base has been impatient and quick to judge things. They must understand that a rebuild like this could take time. Realistically, I don’t expect this team to see the playoffs until 2020 or 2021. There are too many good teams ahead inside the division and improving in the East.

We must be ready for it. A youth movement is something many have wanted to see following the last ditch effort that hit a wall against Ottawa in the second round of the 2017 NHL Playoffs. Now, things have changed. Alain Vigneault is finally gone and so too are most of the players who made big contributions to the 2014 and 2015 rosters that made deep runs.

It’s all about the future. The present could be a trying time for fans. We’ll see how quickly the final roster after this offseason adjusts to Quinn. I’m looking forward to it.

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Lou to join Islanders as president of hockey operations

Posted on May 22, 2018 by hasan4978

In a move that’s been rumored for a few weeks and reported yesterday by Arthur Staple of the Athletic website, the Islanders moved to hire longtime NHL exec Lou Lamoriello as their president of hockey operations, mere weeks after he left his post as GM of the Leafs.  I can’t say I’m all that surprised Lou returned to the tri-state area (though I would have been floored if it was with the Rangers and not the Isles), especially with son Chris Lamoriello already holding a front office position in the organization – not to mention former ex-Devils Chris Terreri and Scott Gomez on their coaching staff.  As much as I and others made fun of Lou constantly bringing ex-Devs home, he’s already got a few there to greet him.  I’m sure others will follow in time…Tom Gulitti (among others) speculated he might bring aboard Scott Stevens as part of his coaching staff which would make a lot of sense, since the former HOF defenseman and current NHL Network analyst always seemed to have one foot in coaching but the other foot toward staying near family.

Even above nepotism and speculated reunions – another possible one being with head scout David Conte, now an advisor on the (gasp) Western Conference champion Golden Knights – the main reason for Lou’s hiring seems to be to give the organization more credibility, doubly important with franchise center John Tavares set to test free agency in another month.  It’s no secret the Islanders have operated in fits and starts in the twelve-year tenure of Garth Snow (has it really been that long?), and while it’s speculated his contract status all but precludes his firing, the stripping of Snow’s power was rumored all offseason by Staple who deserves credit for being first with both the initial rumors and the actual hiring of Lou.

It’s been reported Lou already spoke to Tavares – at least informally before the hiring was official or announced.  You would think Lou would have a pretty good idea he would be able to convince JT to stay before taking this job, especially considering Lou’s not going to take another job at age 76 to rebuild.  Of course heaven forbid Lou had done this sort of thing with the Devils (speak as an emissiary to a top FA while still technically under contract as an advisor to another team) and the NHL PR police would have been all over us left and right, threatening to take away a pick or fine us.  While you can certainly question Lou’s record in the post-cap era, he’ll be worth his salary to new Isles owners Scott Ledecky and Johnathan Malkin with just two actions…re-signing Tavares and being a GM upgrade over Snow, assuming Lou or Lou via Chris becomes the GM.  He’ll run hockey operations in Brooklyn, giving him more power than he had in Toronto where he was the GM under Brendan Shanahan.

While it certainly won’t be easy for Lou to build a winner in the brutally tough Metro division, he’s never backed down from a challenge before.  As a Devils fan I have mixed feelings on this move.  Clearly Lou can do and go wherever he wants after being relieved as GM in Toronto, and the Isles – while a tri-state area competitor have never been a blood rival like the Rangers or Flyers.  It’ll be annoying having him be more of a direct competitor to us going forward, especially since the Lou-Shero comparisons had started to die down among Devil fans with the team’s run to the playoffs this year, but it’ll be more pronounced than ever now.  Part of me is rolling my eyes a little with Lou at age 76 taking over a brand new job since it certainly isn’t the norm for any chief executive in any sport (and he certainly doesn’t need the job for money or legacy-building), but that’s just stupid ageism…hey I hope I’m as active and vibrant as he is at that age.

I’ve had my own criticisms of post-cap Lou in his last ten years as a GM here – mainly being slow to adjust to the quicker, faster NHL style – but him trying to win isn’t one of them.  Sure, the Devils as a franchise should have tried to rebuild a year or two before they started that process in earnest under Ray Shero.  That said, I never like to pull out the if you’re a real fan card…but if you’re a real fan you appreciate the fact Lou always tried to win without relying on the tankathon card to go for high draft picks, and I’m sure he’ll do the same in Brooklyn.  It’s easy for fans who don’t go to games and are more detached to say let’s wait five years and maybe start to win after getting a bunch of high picks but five years is a long time in life, you can’t sim through it like an EA video game.  Ask Sabres fans, playing the rebuild card doesn’t automatically lead to a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.

Of course it would have been nice if Lou had gotten a GM job in say, Minnesota where we could follow him from afar, but how can you really blame him for taking this job?  It seemed a natural fit from the first rumors this offseason given all the factors stated above with a return to the tri-state area and being closer to his own family (not just Chris) away from the rink.  It’s sort of ironic that Lou shared in Devil fans hatred for the Rangers and Flyers for three decades here – famously not doing deals with either team – and now he goes to another team who’s rivaled with both.  I doubt there’ll be many Lou-Shero deals at this point either haha, our only one with Toronto in the last couple years involved the immortal Sergey Kalinin.

I’m not going to wish him good luck, he’s too close to home now for that but it certainly adds some more spice to local hockey with the Rangers in the middle of a rebuild.

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Conference Finals Preview: Fresh blood good for NHL

Posted on May 11, 2018 by Derek

Unlike the past decade that’s been largely dominated by the Penguins, Blackhawks and Kings who combined for eight of the last nine Stanley Cups, there’s fresh blood in the Conference Finals which start tonight in Tampa with the Lightning hosting the Capitals.

Of the four teams left, only the Bolts have a wealth of experience. This will be their third Conference Finals appearance in the last four years and fifth of the decade. They lost to the Blackhawks in the 2015 Cup Final. That could come in handy with key additions Ryan McDonagh and J.T. Miller bringing added experience from deep runs with the Rangers.

While Tampa boasts the most players who have gone this far, the other three participants shouldn’t be discounted. The Caps, Golden Knights and Jets are all here on merit. Washington earning it by finally overcoming the two-time champion Pens in a excellent six-game series.

Now, Alexander Ovechkin finally gets a chance to show what he can do on a bigger stage. The game’s best finisher of this era has certainly been a big factor scoring and setting up goals including Evgeny Kuznetsov’s overtime series winner to stun Pittsburgh in Game 6. But the brilliant and consistent play from former Vezina winner Braden Holtby is the biggest reason they’re here. It’s amazing to think he didn’t start the Columbus series but has been brilliant since winning six of games.

The Golden Knights remain a unbelievable story as a expansion team that backed up winning the Pacific Division by dominating the Kings and wearing down the Sharks to reach this point. Marc-André Fleury is a leading candidate for the Conn Smythe with the former Stanley Cup champion with the Pens playing arguably his finest hockey. He’s the backbone of a total team that features a dynamic top line anchored by ever dangerous William Karlsson and flanked by Jonathan Marchessault and Reilly Smith. All four lines use speed and forechecking ability to tire out opponents under Jack Adams front runner Gerard Gallant. Nate Schmidt is the leader of a underrated blueline.

The Winnipeg Jets are appearing in their first ever Conference Final. For long time Jets fans who go back to the first Winnipeg team that featured Dale Hawerchuk and then Hall of Famer Teemu Selanne and Keith Tkachuk, it’s a emotional time after how the second franchise that relocated from Atlanta advanced by winning for a third time in Nashville taking Game 7 last night in convincing fashion 5-1.

Enough credit isn’t given to veteran coach Paul Maurice. Sure. Winnipeg has immense talent which explains how they were the West’s second best team during the regular season finishing only three points behind the Predators. In the seven-game second round series victory, Mark Scheifele scores huge goals in the three road wins. He’s a legit star with 11 markers this postseason. Blake Wheeler’s great set up to Scheifele late in the second on Thursday finished off Nashville. Wheeler is the most underrated captain with amazing skating and playmaking abilities.

That the Jets can come at opponents with rookie Kyle Connor on the top line and the electrifying sniper Patrik Laine on the second line with great deadline pickup Paul Stastny and speed demon Nikolaj Ehlers is scary. What’s scarier is Ehlers has yet to score a goal. The third and fourth lines are superb on the cycle. Still, it’s been the brilliant play of Dustin Byfuglien that has the Jets here. The physically imposing defenseman who won a Cup in Chicago is playing the best hockey of his career. He’s impacting games offensively and defensively with his physicality. He scored a few huge goals versus Nashville while delivering some crunching hits. Just ask P.K. Subban. Tyler Myers is playing strong defensively and Jacob Trouba makes this Winnipeg team tough to play against. In Game 7, they gave the Predators nothing.

If you’re able to get past all that, you must deal with Vezina finalist Connor Hellebuyck. He’s proven why he’s so highly thought of making key saves when called upon. He can be beaten but getting bodies to the net is the key.

As for the Lightning, they took out the Bruins in five games despite not too many goals from Nikita Kucherov and Steven Stamkos. They heated up towards the end with Stamkos, Kucherov and Miller hurting Boston the final two games. The play of dangerous second line trio Ondrej Palat, Tyler Johnson and Brayden Point has been huge. They recovered from a awful Game 1 to help neutralize the Bruins top line while doing damage five-on-five. Palat always elevates his play in the Spring. He’s scoring big goals and hitting. Johnson is the smart two-way pivot who can score and set up goals while being a key penalty killer with Palat. Point is a game breaker who can flat out make defenders look silly with his blinding speed and finishing ability. Ask Zdeno Chara.

The scary aspect is the Bolts boast the best depth with the third line featuring Yanni Gourde, Alex Killorn and rookie Anthony Cirelli able to contribute. The fourth line with Chris Kunitz, Cedric Paquette and Ryan Callahan is your classic grind line that keeps play away from their net. When you combine a defense featuring certain Norris winner Victor Hedman with Anton Stralman, McDonagh and Dan Girardi, they are very tough. Don’t forget rookie Mikhail Sergachev who has a lethal shot.

Andrei Vasilevskiy is very good in net. He’s got lightning like reflexes like the team name. So, they are very complete.

On paper, the Bolts are the favorites. Winnipeg will be on the Western side. If it comes off, it would be a great Stanley Cup Final.

The Pick

The Caps are more together than past years which is why they’re here. But Nicklas Backstrom must be close to healthy for them to have a chance. Both John Carlson and Dmitry Orlov will have their work cut out along with Brooks Orpik, who could have issues with the Bolts speed. Ovechkin needs a huge series along with Kuznetsov and T.J. Oshie. Tom Wilson is back and he can help annoy the Bolts stars. Holtby will have to stand on his head.

Honestly, I think the Lightning have too much here. They can create match up nightmares for the Capitals. Barry Trotz must come up with a way to slow down Jon Cooper’s Bolts, who can explode at any moment.

Series Prediction: Lightning 🌩 in 6

The Golden Knights are no joke. They play as a team and have enough speed both offensively and defensively to give Winnipeg a series. Winnipeg will focus on shutting down the top line of Karlsson which means James Neal, David Perron and Alex Tuch must step up along with Erik Haula. Cody Eakin, William Carrier and Ryan Carpenter are key bangers who must forecheck effectively.

Shea Theodore and Colin Miller are good skating defensemen who can contribute offensively. Deryk Engelland has become a match-up physical D who Gallant counts on with Schmidt.

In order for them to pull it off, they must stifle the dangerous Winnipeg attack. That means plenty of work for Fleury, who’s been amazing so far. The amount of traffic he’ll have to deal with along with side to side movement is daunting. He’s the backbone of the Golden Knights, who have a great home ice advantage just like the Jets with the Winnipeg Whiteout. It should be fun hockey.

If the Jets can impose their will, they’ll advance. The talent in the top six can really do damage. The depth is solid with Bryan Little, Adam Lowry, Andrew Copp and Joel Armia able to factor in.

The Jets defense will get a good test against the Knights speed. But their physically and size could prove too much. If Hellebuyck holds up, they’ll move on and play for their first Cup.

Series Prediction: Jets in 6

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Ovechkin Caps finally get better of Crosby Pens

Posted on May 8, 2018 by Derek

It had to happen eventually. In a year where most pundits including myself wrote them off even after they won the Metro Division, the Capitals finally proved they were better than the Penguins. Indeed, the Ovechkin Caps are moving on to their first Conference Final in 20 years after getting the better of the Crosby Pens.

They earned it the hard way by going to overtime before Alexander Ovechkin sprung series hero Evgeny Kuznetsov for a breakaway goal to defeat the Pens 2-1 in Game 6 at Pittsburgh. It ended a great run by Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and the rest of the Pens, who were seeking to become the first team to three-peat since the New York Islanders dynasty. They won back-to-back Stanley Cups and nine consecutive series. Similar to the Red Wings in ’99 and Lemieux/Jagr Pens in ’93, they lost in the second round.

Another similarity to that great Pens team is they fell in sudden death on home ice to get dethroned. The only difference is the ’93 team lost to the Islanders in seven with David Volek winning it. That was a bigger upset.

This was two evenly matched teams in a rivalry that had been one sided. In the first three meetings all in Round Two, the Pens advanced and went on to become champs. All-time, the Caps had only beaten the Pens once in 10 previous meetings, doing so in ’94. From a historical standpoint, this was arguably the most important win in franchise history.

Given who it involved, they needed this emotional victory. Maybe it was destined to go to overtime for Ovechkin to exorcise all the demons. His team had never been past this point. When it wasn’t the Pens breaking Caps hearts, it was the Rangers driving a stake through their heart in a memorable 2015 Conference Semifinal.

In the series, Ovechkin finished with three goals and four assists totaling seven points. It was his passing that made the biggest difference. In the 6-3 comeback win in Game 5, Ovechkin made a perfect pass to set up rookie Jakub Vrana’s game-winner late in regulation. A unselfish play by the greatest goalscorer of our generation.

In a tightly contested Game 6 with no room, Ovechkin came back hard on the back check to steal the puck following a Crosby turnover in the Caps zone. He then made a nice pass to a streaking Kuznetsov in the neutral zone that allowed the speedy younger Russian to break away. Once he was in on Matt Murray, he faked a backhand deke and tucked a forehand between Murray’s pads for the emotional series clincher at 5:27 of OT. Kuznetsov did his odd bird dance in celebration as Ovechkin and excited teammates mobbed him.

How much did it mean to Ovechkin? In a postgame interview, he had a classic reaction to Pierre McGuire’s question on Kuznetsov’s breakaway.

https://twitter.com/hockeyhangout/status/993683827955589121?s=21

Well said. This meant everything to the Great Eight. He now gets to play in his first Eastern Conference Final. For the Caps, it won’t get any easier. They’ll face the number one seeded Lightning for a chance at a trip to a Stanley Cup. It was exactly 20 years ago that they made it before getting swept by the powerful Red Wings.

They’re here because they outplayed and outworked the Pens in the two biggest games of the second round. They turned around Game 5 with a unreal third period outscoring the Pens 4-0. Kuznetsov was again involved beating Murray on a breakaway 52 second into the third to tie the score. He was huge.

In Game 6 last night, the Pens didn’t get the strong start they needed in front of the home crowd at PPG Paints Arena. Instead, they were stuck in mud against a defensive minded Caps, who limited them to six shots in a nerve racking first. Neither team did much. But it was a perfect road period for Washington.

When they needed a big save, series MVP Braden Holtby gave it to them. Ever since he returned to the net, he’s been sensational. He turned the first round around against Columbus by winning four consecutive starts. He was the better goalie in the Metro Division Final outperforming Murray, who was still superb in Monday’s elimination game. Even after giving up the short side to Alex Chiasson to fall behind, Murray made some unreal stops to give his team a chance. He was busier making 28 saves. Holtby finished with 21.

The Pens had trouble getting inside on the Caps defense. In particular, big scorer Jake Guentzel, who was blanketed the last two games. He had no shots last night and was surrounded. Ditto for clutch Pen Bryan Rust, who wasn’t able to get off his big shot whenever he had a rush. Crosby was also quiet with only one shot. It was that kind of game.

Pens coach Mike Sullivan adjusted his lines to create a spark. It still took a bounce for his team to tie the score. Off a Crosby faceoff win back to Brian Dumoulin, he passed across for a Kris Letang one-timer that changed direction going off a Cap and by Holtby. He was expecting a different shot and was in position for the save until the odd deflection which tied the score.

Holtby was at his best following the Letang goal. He had to be because suddenly the resurgent Pens tilted the ice turning the Caps into a full fledged panic attack. They survived the onslaught thanks to Holtby and hung on to escape the second still tied.

They regrouped in the third to outshoot the Pens 9-5 in a tentative period where both teams were afraid to make a mistake. The Caps were better nearly untying it late when Vrana got free in the waning seconds. If he could’ve backhanded a loose puck off a rebound, there wouldn’t have been any OT.

As fate would have it, the Caps had to do it the hard way in enemy territory. Barry Trotz’ club did it without Nicklas Backstrom, whose availability for the next round is unknown. I’m sure he’ll be back. Without Backstrom, Lars Eller stepped up. He was one of their best players. So was Jay Beagle, who in limited duty was effective along with Chiasson creating chances. T.J. Oshie was a beast all series.

Trotz deserves full credit for his strategy without one of his best players. He also was without suspended forward Tom Wilson, who served the final game of a three-game ban for his cheap shot that broke Zach Aston-Reese’s jaw and concussed him. They managed just fine going 2-1 in the three games.

It wasn’t surprising that the overtime didn’t last long. The Caps looked confident and wanted to end it and not take their chances in a home Game 7. Can you blame them after last year?

The Pens had only two shots compared to the Caps six. But they did get a great chance. On a good forecheck by Carl Hagelin, he found Tom Kuhnackl open in the circle. He fired a seeing eye shot between Brooks Orpik’s legs right off the far goalpost. That close to Game 7.

It wasn’t long after that Dmitry Orlov forced a on rushing Crosby into a turnover, sending the puck the other way. The Caps transition was one of the biggest factors in the series victory. It was there in Game 5 when Holtby made the big save to deny Dumoulin and send Ovechkin off to the races where he passed for Vrana who scored the winner.

It was there again as Ovechkin retrieved the loose puck and backhanded a pass up the middle to Kuznetsov, who got behind the defense. He did the rest to finally give the Caps the win they’ve been looking for in this round over their kryptonite.

Now, they have more work to do. It won’t be easy against a very deep Lightning team who is loaded both up front and on D. The Caps will again be the underdog. A role they don’t mind. They’ve been counted out all season. This is just another quality opponent standing in the way.

Most observers including yours truly think the Lightning will prevail. The Caps will have to prove us wrong. At this point, I don’t think Ovechkin and his teammates care. They’re finally here. Now we find out if they have what it takes against the East’s best team.

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Stamkos praises ex-Rangers vets following second round win over Bruins

Posted on May 7, 2018 by Derek

The Lightning returned home and finished the job yesterday. They defeated the Bruins 3-1 in Game 5 to eliminate Boston in the second round series. They’ll now await the winner between the Penguins and Capitals in the Eastern Conference Final. Washington can advance with a win tonight at Pittsburgh in Game 6.

Tampa beat a quality opponent in five games by using their superior depth and speed to outplay Boston five-on-five. In fact, the Bruins didn’t score a even strength goal the last three games. It was the Lightning who took control by continuing to pound away at the Boston defense until it wore down. They didn’t just use their speed and skill but finished checks at every turn. That included a clean hit by J.T. Miller on American idol David Backes that knocked him out of Sunday’s game.

Classy stuff from Miller, who scored the series clincher with a power play goal that put the Bolts ahead to stay. If only more players showed that kind of remorse following hits that injure players. At least his was clean with him just standing up Backes knocking him to the ice. A lot can be learned here from what the former Ranger said. You don’t laugh at injured opponents after vicious cheap shots like the one Tom Wilson delivered on 23-year old Staten Island native Zach Aston-Reese that concussed him and broke his jaw. It earned the controversial Wilson three games off.

More than anything, Tampa is back in its third Conference Final the last four years due to its excellence of execution. Something that would make Bret “The Hitman” Hart proud. They followed coach Jon Cooper’s script to a tee by winning most of the five-on-five battles to wear out the Bruins. It didn’t help that key defenseman Torey Krug went down with a potentially serious ankle injury in Game 4. To hear losing netminder Tuukka Rask tell it, his team had no chance at even strength. A telling quote during the postgame. He was by far the Bruins’ best player with old reliable Patrice Bergeron right behind. Not surprisingly, he offered no excuses.

The Bolts have been aided by the additions of former Blueshirts Miller, Ryan McDonagh, Dan Girardi, Ryan Callahan and Anton Stralman. All played important roles in helping them advance. In particular, Tampa captain Steven Stamkos had high praise for vets Callahan, Girardi and McDonagh and Chris Kunitz following the victory. The portion of the clip starts at 3:04 and ends at 3:48 on that experience helping.

There’s no doubt that what they were able to do following a 6-2 Game 1 loss was impressive. As Stamkos noted, the blowout might’ve actually helped wake them up. He said they came out a little flat from the layoff but responded very well by winning the next four to stun the Bruins.

Stamkos also discussed how important Brayden Point was in the series win. He scored the tying goal yesterday and his line with Ondrej Palat and Tyler Johnson were much better following a dismal first game. As were McDonagh and the team defense. Also emphasized was how focused they were on shutting down the Boston top line of Brad Marchand, Bergeron and David Pastrnak at five-on-five. An area Tampa excelled at the final three games blanking Boston. Something unforeseen.

McDonagh talked to the media at his locker about how they were able to turn it around. If I could point to one play by the former Ranger captain, it would be the hit he laid on Marchand while shorthanded. It resulted in a boarding minor penalty putting his team two men down. But that was the kind of edge the Lightning needed to play with. McDonagh and the rest of the Bolts were more physical throughout. It was mostly McDonagh and Girardi who drew the assignment after Cooper put Stralman back with Victor Hedman.

Sometimes, that kind of gritty style can frustrate opponents. In addition, the Bolts got plenty out of the third and fourth line. The third consisted of Anthony Cirelli, Yanni Gourde and Alex Killorn, who set up Girardi’s crushing overtime winner in Game 4. Cirelli was often parked in front of Rask screening him while Gourde was his feisty self.

The fourth line of Kunitz, Cedric Paquette and Callahan were thorns in the side for the B’s. They won puck battles and forechecked and hit every chance they had. Callahan didn’t let Marchand get underneath his skin following the low bridge and licking incident that was ugly for the Bruins and NHL. He got in his face and continued to play the same style he always has by getting in on the cycle, finishing checks and blocking shots. They really were a effective line.

Not surprisingly, Callahan replied, “No words were exchanged,” on the handshake between him and Marchand when asked about it. He moved on. That’s what makes him such a good leader.

It’ll be interesting to see who they draw next. Is it finally time for Alexander Ovechkin to beat Sidney Crosby and make a Conference Final? We’ll get a better answer tonight in Game 6.

In the mean time, the Lightning will be standing in the way. Former Blueshirts and all.

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HARD HITS: Former Rangers having impact for Lightning

Posted on May 6, 2018 by Derek

When Ryan McDonagh and J.T. Miller were traded to the Lightning at the very end of the trade deadline, they went from a hopeless situation on Broadway to a pressure packed one in Tampa.

No stranger to deep runs in the postseason, McDonagh has recovered nicely from a injury which held him back at the end of the regular season. The former Rangers captain has found a new home with familiar faces on a supremely skilled Lightning who enter Sunday’s home match against the Bruins looking to advance in Game 5 with a win to the Eastern Conference Final.

Following a disappointing Game 1 in which both he and partner Anton Stralman struggled mightily along with key Bolts trio Ondrej Palat, Tyler Johnson and Brayden Point, McDonagh has been a big part of three consecutive wins to move within a game of the fourth Conference Final of his career. The first three coming with the Rangers including the bitter conclusion against his new team in 2015. First, there’s the matter of getting that fourth game from a tough Boston team who won’t just roll over despite losing key skating offensive defenseman Torey Krug to a ankle injury for the remainder of the series.

In their third straight win which was aided by a missed hooking call on Nikita Kucherov that led directly to Tampa captain Steven Stamkos’ tying goal, McDonagh had a strong game going plus-two with two hits and three blocked shots in 29 shifts logging 23:58 of ice time. It was like old times with number 27 reunited with old familiar number 5, unlikely overtime hero Dan Girardi. They were not only superb throughout five-on-five in their end zone but combined to for the winning goal. Even though he didn’t get an assist, McDonagh kept the play alive with a great pinch to keep the puck in. His aggressive play along the boards allowed Alex Killorn to carry the puck down low and find enough real estate to get it to Girardi for the one-handed tip in at 3:18 of sudden death.

For Girardi, it was a pretty sweet moment. A year ago, he took a lot of heat along with McDonagh for the Rangers’ failures to protect late leads in a second round defeat against Ottawa. Here he is a year later playing a important role for coach Jon Cooper in the top four. Something some doubters didn’t think he could still do. Wonder how they look now after Girardi’s big Game 5 that included the OT winner along with the usual grit from the ultimate warrior who finished with four hits, four blocks along with a plus-two in 29 shifts (21:12) including 19:09 at even strength.

Sometimes, situations become stale. A change of scenery is needed. That could also be the case for soon to be released former Met pitcher Matt Harvey. Of course, he also needs a attitude adjustment. Something Girardi or McDonagh never needed. They’ve been through the playoff wars before. Both still searching to climb the highest mountain and win a Stanley Cup.

The same can be echoed for old warrior Ryan Callahan. Somehow, even after all the setbacks, he’s still able to play the same meat and potatoes game that made him a very popular player in Manhattan. Not even all the wear and tear or Brad Marchand’s cheap shot or despicable licking can stop Callahan from playing the physical game he’s known for.

Playing on a good fourth line with Cup winner Chris Kunitz and overlooked grinder Cedric Paquette, Callahan has fit right in on a effective checking line that’s caused havoc for the Bruins. So it’s no surprise that in 20 shifts (14:57), Callahan delivered four hits and sacrificed his body making two blocks. They might not contribute much offensively but their forecheck and attention to detail have been vital, allowing Cooper to roll four lines.

Since departing New York, Miller has fit in on the Bolts’ top line featuring lethal combo Kucherov and Stamkos. A strong skater who mixes it up, Miller is used to get in on the forecheck and take players off the puck behind the net. He is a good complement due to his playmaking abilities. His postseason hasn’t been great but the goal with five assists in Tampa’s first nine games is a improvement from his Rangers days.

On the unpenalized Kucherov takeout of Charlie McAvoy, Miller recovered the loose puck and made a perfect pass into Stamkos’ wheelhouse which tied Game 4. He still has frustrating moments during shifts where he overthinks the game. Instead of shooting on a quality chance, he back passed to no one for a turnover. That was part of the problem under former Rangers coach Alain Vigneault. Cooper responded similarly by having Point take the next shift on the first line in place of Miller, who retuned to that line the rest of the game.

It would be nice if he improves upon his ugly goal output in his playoff career. He enters today with only two goals in 49 postseason games. That would mean being more aggressive and thinking shot more. Not always deferring to his more gifted linemates.

The fifth ex-Blueshirt is Stralman. A valuable part of two runs to the Conference Final in ’12 and ’14, the low key 31-year old has been a even better player with the Lightning. If only the Rangers had kept him. Stralman plays mostly with Victor Hedman on the top pair. Though he switched with Girardi in the first round working instead with McDonagh. A solid puck moving right D who is effective defensively, Stralman also can play with edge when called upon.

It’s still a bit hard to believe the Tampa Blueshirts are part of what could be a special team. They all are playing their parts well. If it continues and they eliminate the Bruins later, they’ll be back in the Final Four. A place not unfamiliar for the five ex-Rangers. Of the five, Stralman has lost in two Stanley Cups doing so in back-to-back years in ’14 with the Blueshirts and ’15 with the Lightning. Former Ranger and Bolt Brian Boyle also shares that dubious distinction. He was eliminated as a Devil by these Lightning in the first round.

So, how will it finish? Do the five former Rangers finally get their names etched on the Cup? Only time will tell. They still have a job to do. Close out the Bruins. There’s a lot of work left. It’ll be interesting to follow.

BODY CHECKS

-Given how poorly they played in a huge home Game 5 in a humiliating 6-2 loss to the very tough Winnipeg Jets, you can say the Predators are feeling the heat. They’re expected to win the Cup this time. Even if the second round match-up against the Jets, who were three points less during the season seems unfair due to the format. Can they go into Winnipeg again in the loudest environment and win Game 6? The defense will need to be a lot better.

-This isn’t a Pekka Rinne problem. It’s a P.K. Subban, Roman Josi, Mattias Ekholm, Ryan Ellis issue. That’s the strength of the team. It would be hard to recognize it with poor coverage resulting in Rinne being chased twice at home. The forwards also share responsibility.

-Winnipeg is really good. They finally got a breakout performance from rookie Kyle Connor, who scored twice and made a brilliant pass across for a Mark Scheifele goal. Scheifele has been brilliant with nine goals and five assists so far. He’s a superstar. It’s time to recognize how special he’s been. Still, Dustin Byfuglien has been the most important Winnipeg Jet in the series. With a goal and assist on Saturday night, Big Buff is up to four goals and three assists in the series. His seven points have all come in the three wins.

-So does Peter Laviolette reinsert vet Scott Hartnell to slow down and distract Byfuglien? It worked in Game 4. A defensive oriented 2-1 win that evened the series.

-By delivering a great third period in which they outscored the Pens 4-0 to overcome a brutal second in which penalties put them in trouble, the Caps are now a win away from finally getting past their kryptonite. Alexander Ovechkin went from potential goat to hero when on the same shift he forgot to cover Brian Dumoulin, Braden Holtby bailed him out with a huge save to start a transition that led to Ovechkin making a terrific play waiting to the last possible split second to pass to rookie Jakub Vrana for the game-winner with 4:38 left. It’s the best hockey of Ovechkin’s brilliant career. His team now has two chances to get the all important fourth game off Sidney Crosby and Co. It won’t come easy. If they actually close out the two-time defending champs, it’ll be a huge hurdle climbed and mark Ovechkin’s first Conference Final appearance. We’ll see if they have the guts to finish the Pens.

-That they did it minus Nicklas Backstrom is impressive. He only took two brief shifts in the third before exiting with a unknown injury. Evgeny Kuznetsov stepped up with the tying goal on a breakaway 52 seconds in when Kris Letang screwed up the coverage. Letang also blew the assignment on Vrana by puck watching Ovechkin instead of taking the goalscorer. A rough night for Letang. T.J. Oshie made a great defensive play diving to steal the puck away from Phil Kessel. He then scored a empty netter. Valuable checking pivot Lars Eller added a well deserved second empty in the waning seconds for a 6-3 victory in Game 5.

-The Bruins must try to stave off elimination in Tampa today without Krug. A big loss to a blueline without much team speed. Zdeno Chara has struggled with the faster Bolts and rookie McAvoy has had issues. Kevan Miller isn’t particularly good. Matt Grzelcyk is a good skater but suspect in his end. Former Ranger Nick Holden enters a elimination game subbing for the injured Krug. He’s barely played. Hard to believe Rangers GM Jeff Gorton got a third round pick and defenseman Rob O’Gara for him.

-I will always like Rick Nash. A good character player who handled himself well despite only scoring 40 once while dealing with injuries. He is a good three zone player who can play power play and penalty kill. The return on him for Boston as a Spring rental has been disappointing. Three goals and two assists with a minus-five rating isn’t what the Bruins needed. Not for what they gave up. He’s just never been a big playoff performer. Maybe Boston should have rented Summer Rental. John Candy at least wouldn’t have disappointed. He never did.

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No Licking Allowed: The curious case of Brad Marchand

Posted on May 5, 2018 by Derek

Brad Marchand remains a puzzling star player for the Bruins. A top 10 player who can impact the game in all three zones with his tenaciousness combined with speed and skill, The Rat was up to his old tricks during last night’s 4-3 overtime loss to the Lightning in Game 4 of the Atlantic Final in Boston.

A polarizing player due to his penchant for controversial plays that have resulted in suspensions and plenty of eye rolling from the hockey community, Marchand had a significant role on Friday night at TD Garden. Let’s get to the good part first.

With his team already in a early 2-0 hole, Marchand helped bring the Bruins back. He was in on two of three consecutive goals scored by Boston. The first came on a power play goal finished off by David Pastrnak that cut the deficit to one.

Following a Patrice Bergeron power play goal that tied the score in the second period, a bad call on Bruins fourth liner Noel Acciari put them down a man. With the partisan Bruins crowd booing and giving it to the refs for such a lousy call, Marchand made a great play to force a turnover at the Bruins blueline.

The feisty Boston pest then skated down the right side with the puck as Bergeron cut to the net. Marchand made a perfect centering feed that Bergeron neatly redirected past Tampa goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy for a shorthanded goal with 13:24 remaining in the third. The well executed play gave the Bruins their first lead.

It may have held up had the refs not swallowed their whistles on a controversial no call that led directly to Steven Stamkos tying the score with 7:04 left in regulation. The play in question saw Lightning scorer Nikita Kucherov hook down Boston rookie defenseman Charlie McAvoy. That freed up the puck for J.T. Miller to retrieve and make a perfect centering pass to a open Stamkos for a one-time blast past Boston goalie Tuukka Rask.

It was definitely a missed call. Considering what they called earlier on Acciari, it was inexcusable. Such inconsistent officiating has been going on the whole playoffs. That the no call which should’ve been a hooking minor penalty on Stamkos impacted the outcome is inexcusable.

https://twitter.com/chrissylee86/status/992589975102386176?s=21

Tampa took full advantage with Dan Girardi playing the role of unlikely hero when he was able to get one hand on his stick to deflect home a Alex Killorn pass in front to beat Rask at 3:18 of the first overtime. A feel good moment for the former Rangers defenseman who has found a new home with familiar faces in Tampa after getting bought out last summer.

In between all this, Marchand managed to pull some of his antics which are still being discussed in social platforms. With one of the best point producers in the league, it’s always the Good, Bad and Ugly literally. For some reason only known to him, he can’t stay away from trouble.

The first ugly incident took place in a physical second when following a clean Ondrej Palat check on Boston’s Adam McQuaid, Marchand responded by going low on Ryan Callahan for a dirty hit that could’ve seriously injured the ex-Ranger captain. He low bridged him which an irate Callahan didn’t take kindly to.

What happened next was typical Marchand. Known for licking opponents- particularly Leafs forward Leo Komarov during the regular season and in Boston’s first round series win- Marchand did the same thing to Callahan after he was pushed and yelled at. Here is how the ugly scene looked:

I don’t know what the heck Marchand’s thinking. With it not the first such incident involving his tongue, the league has warned him that he’ll face discipline if there’s a next time. I would’ve fined him the max. Tampa coach Jon Cooper had a strong take on such ugliness which doesn’t belong in the game.

It’s beyond comprehension. This is a player who received a five-game ban for a blatant elbow that concussed Devils forward Marcus Johansson. He missed significant time and didn’t return until the postseason.

Over his nine-year NHL career, the 29-year old Marchand has been suspended six times for 19 games while forfeiting $872,522.61. He’s also been fined three times.

Interestingly, he’ll celebrate his 30th birthday on May 11. By then, the Bruins could be eliminated. Game 5 is tomorrow in Tampa Bay at 3 PM.

Marchand is over a point-per-game dating back to ’16-17 when he achieved a career high 85 points including 39 goals in 80 games. In 68 contests this past season, he matched his career best with 85 points to increase his production on the best line in hockey with Bergeron and Pastrnak. In between the controversial plays and Lick Gate I and II, he’s managed to put up 17 points (4-13-17) in 11 games this postseason.

What if he cut out the crap and just played hockey? He would be much better received. But would changing his style affect him? Some players must play on the edge to be effective. Marchand isn’t the biggest guy. Generously listed at 5-9, 181, he has to play tough to win some of those board battles. More often than not, he comes out with the puck and makes things happen.

At a average cap hit of $6.125 million per season all the way through 2023, he’s easily one of the biggest bargains in the game. But at what cost? If he continues down this immature path, the Bruins might finally conclude enough is enough. Even some of his own fans are getting tired of it.

So, will he ever change? I don’t know. I can’t get inside his head. What I do know is despite everything, he remains one of my favorite players. But this really needs to stop. He’s doing himself and the NHL a disservice. Clean up your act.

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