Kreider Ties Henry’s Rangers Franchise Record

Posted on February 22, 2025 by Derek

On a disappointing night that saw the Rangers sink even lower by getting routed by the Sabres 8-2, there was one bright spot at least.

In the second period with the Rangers trailing 5-0, Chris Kreider scored a power-play goal at 5:29 to get them on the board. His sixth power-play goal of the season tied Camille Henry’s Rangers franchise record for the most in team history.

The 116th power-play goal of his career came from his office in front of the Sabres net. As Artemi Panarin took a J.T. Miller feed and moved into position, Kreider stood to the side of Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen to get ready to tip in a Panarin shot for his 17th goal of the season.

Kreider’s goal gave the Rangers a little bit of life. Less than six minutes later, Mika Zibanejad scored to make it 5-2. However, the comeback was short-lived. A Sabres’ three-goal barrage in the third period finished off another lopsided Rangers loss in what’s becoming one of the worst seasons in recent memory due to expectations.

Despite it being a challenging season, Kreider’s now tied with Vincent Trocheck for second on the Rangers in goals – trailing only Panarin who leads the team with 23. A three-time 30-goal scorer, the 33-year-old needs three goals to make it 10 seasons of reaching 20 in his career.

Henry’s record stood for 57 years. A Ranger from 1953-54 thru 1964-65, The Eel made his living scoring on the power play. Three different times, Henry paced the NHL in power-play goals, including his rookie season when he scored a career best 20 to win the Calder at age 21. He hit double digits in power-play goals five different seasons, with the final one coming in 1964-65 when he scored 13 of his league-high 16 as a Ranger. The last three came as a member of the Blackhawks after he was traded.

During 1967-68, Henry returned to the Rangers when he was dealt back to New York. In what was his final season as a Ranger, he scored one more power-play goal- finishing with a franchise record 116. Even Rangers legends Rod Gilbert (108), and Brian Leetch (106) never broke Henry’s record.

For over a decade, Kreider’s been a consistent performer on the man-advantage. However, it wasn’t until Panarin and Adam Fox joined the club in 2019-20 that his production reached new heights. After getting nine power-play goals in 2019-20, Kreider notched a career high 11 in the abbreviated 2020-21 to pace the team. The following season, he shattered it by recording 26 to eclipse Jaromir Jagr’s single season record of 24 set in 2005-06.

Following scoring only eight on the power play in 2022-23, Kreider led the Rangers with 18 in 2023-24 to pull him within reach of Henry’s record. Despite struggling with back issues, Kreider’s finally matched Henry. It took a little longer for him to get there, but he’s on the precipice of becoming the all-time franchise leader in power-play goals.

The Rangers are back in action tomorrow afternoon when they visit the Penguins.

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Rangers Continue Playoff Chase

Posted on February 22, 2025 by Derek

After a two-week break due to the 4 Nations Face-Off won by Canada, the New York Rangers return to the ice for a late afternoon game against the Buffalo Sabres. Now that the sun sets at a normal time, we’ll still be able to see it when the puck is dropped for today’s game at 5:30 PM in Western New York.

With 27 games remaining, the Rangers continue their playoff chase. They began Saturday trailing the Senators by four points and the Red Wings by three for the final two wild cards. At last check, the Red Wings were leading the Wild 3-1 in the third period in a game on ABC. If that score holds, they’ll jump over the Senators into the first wild card. At 7 PM, the Senators host the Canadiens on Hockey Night In Canada. At the same time, the Bruins take on the Ducks in Beantown while the Blue Jackets are home for the Blackhawks. Among the teams in the wild card hunt, only the Islanders aren’t in action. They’ll play the Stars on Sunday night in Elmont.

For the Rangers, they must keep winning games. They can’t concern themselves with what happens on the scoreboard. It’s all about what’s on the schedule. They start it off with two winnable games against opponents who aren’t in the playoffs. After facing the Sabres later, they’ll visit the Penguins tomorrow for an afternoon match on national TV. Sidney Crosby will be back for the Pens after captaining Canada to gold. That doesn’t matter. What does is that the Rangers come away with four points this weekend.

They’re pretty healthy for the final stretch. Igor Shesterkin will be back to start against the Sabres. Whatever was ailing him before the break, he should be fully recovered. A top three goalie, it hasn’t been a good season for Shesterkin, who signed an extension in December that’ll make him the highest paid netminder in the league starting next season. It’s time for Shesterkin to deliver in net. He’ll have to carry the Rangers to the postseason.

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As far as the players who participated in the 4 Nations Face-Off, only Vincent Trocheck is banged up due to suffering a broken finger against Sweden. The positive news is that he won’t miss any time. If there’s a concern, it’s how it’ll affect him on faceoffs. The Rangers’ best went 0-for-4 against Canada in the championship game. Winning draws is a key part of Trocheck’s game. Hopefully, it doesn’t fall off dramatically. He enters play with a 60.6 success rate in the dots, which is tied for the league lead with Senators’ center Claude Giroux.

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Encouraging is that the Rangers rank second in the league on faceoffs (53.9). Mika Zibanejad has improved by winning 53.1 percent of draws. J.T. Miller is over 58 percent for the season. Sam Carrick has also gone 54.4 percent on faceoffs. Head coach Peter Laviolette has plenty of reliable options to take critical draws.

The Rangers will remain without rookie forward Adam Edstrom, who suffered a lower-body injury on Feb. 1 against the Boston Bruins. He’s not expected to return until the spring. It’ll either be Carrick and Matt Rempe with Reilly Smith or Jimmy Vesey.

Of the five players who participated in the 4 Nations Face-Off, defenseman Urho Vaakanainen impressed me the most for Sweden. He was used in a top four role and played well defensively. He’s been a steady player since coming over from Anaheim in the Jacob Trouba trade. Vaakanainen has played primarily with Braden Schneider on the third pair. It’ll be interesting to see if there’s any carryover from a good tournament.

Both Miller and Trocheck played in all four games for USA. Miller was utilized more in a defensive role along with Trocheck, who centered the fourth line. Miller also saw some time with Devils center Jack Hughes against Canada in the final. He made some good defensive plays during the tournament. Chris Kreider only got into two games. He scored the only goal for USA in a 2-1 loss to Sweden. Then, he played less than six and a half minutes against Canada. It was a mystifying decision by USA coach Mike Sullivan, who lost top forward Matthew Tkachuk for almost the final two periods. Kreider should be fresh for the stretch drive.

Adam Fox also played in every game for USA. Similar to how his season has gone, he struggled to distinguish himself. Fox saw his ice time cut down due to his struggles at even strength. He also was replaced on the top power play unit by Blue Jackets defenseman Zach Werenski, who’s having a Norris caliber season. Ever since Fox suffered the injuries on a pair of knee-on-knee collisions last season, he hasn’t been the same player. His skating has looked worse, and his defensive play has suffered. If he’s playing on a bad knee, why didn’t the Rangers address it in the off-season? It’s been frustrating to watch Fox this season.

When they came back to defeat the Blue Jackets two weeks ago, the Rangers were sparked by Trocheck and Will Cuylle. Cuylle had his shot tipped in by Vaakanainen to tie the score at three. It was then Cuylle who took advantage of a turnover to get the winner late in regulation for a big win. I would expect that combination with Alexis Lafreniere to stay together.

Laviolette decided to try to find more balance by splitting up Zibanejad from Miller. Zibanejad had some success with Kreider and Arthur Kaliyev, who scored his third goal as a Ranger against the Blue Jackets on Feb. 8. Miller played with Artemi Panarin and Vesey, who’s hardly ideal for a top line role. We’ll see how things shake out in Buffalo.

Jones on Loan to Hartford

With Zac Jones remaining the odd man out, he was loaned to Hartford on a conditioning assignment. It’s important for him to play games. His first one didn’t go well with him finishing a minus-3 in a Wolf Pack 4-1 loss to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on Friday night.

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Jones can stay down with the Wolf Pack for two weeks. Defenseman Matthew Robertson was recalled taking his place on the roster. Robertson has still yet to make his NHL debut. He’s taken the place of former Ranger Ryan Graves. Another player they never gave a chance to who eventually became a solid defenseman with the Avalanche before his career declined with the Devils and currently the Penguins.

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O’ Canada! McDavid scores in overtime to give Canada 4 Nations Gold over USA

Posted on February 21, 2025 by Derek

O’ Canada! Connor McDavid’s goal in sudden death gave Canada a 3-2 win over USA to win gold at the 4 Nations Face-Off last night in Boston.

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On a memorable night when hockey was front and center in the United States on ESPN, Canada came back to defeat USA in a great championship game to conclude the 4 Nations Face-Off before a raucous environment at TD Garden. Jordan Binnington turned back the clock by making 31 saves on 33 shots to backstop Canada to the gold medal. That included six in overtime when he made a couple of highlight reel stops to prevent USA from winning.

Unlike the first game last Saturday, there were no fights in the championship rematch between close North American rivals. Instead, it was just hard-nosed hockey from the world’s best players. The intensity ramped up as the two countries battled for supremacy.

Playing without Charlie McAvoy, USA lost its best physical defenseman due to an infection the Bruins defenseman suffered against Canada in the first meeting. Similar to their 2-1 loss to Sweden in the final game of round robin play, Jake Sanderson stepped up in McAvoy’s place. The young Senators defenseman scored a big goal that put USA ahead in an exciting second period.

In a similarity to the first game, the Canadians drew first blood. On a good pinch from Thomas Harley, who filled in well for an ill Josh Morrissey, he moved the puck down low for Nathan MacKinnon, who then circled around into the high slot before firing a wrist shot past Connor Hellebuyck through traffic to give Canada a 1-0 lead at 4:48. Sam Reinhart picked up a secondary assist on the play.

When a more aggressive Canada threatened to increase their lead, Hellebuyck rose to the occasion by making some clutch saves to give his American teammates a chance. That included two very athletic pad denials while battling players in front. Seth Jarvis was left frustrated by not being able to get the puck by Hellebuyck, who made 10 saves in a busy first period.

With the Canadians in control for most of the period, the Americans began to push back thanks to a few faceoff wins. Finally with some momentum, they tied it up thanks to some outstanding work from captain Auston Matthews. The Maple Leafs star skated around the net and had his wrap-around attempt go right to Brady Tkachuk, who jammed it in for his third goal of the tournament at 16:52. Tkachuk’s emotional reaction during the goal celebration said it all. When interviewed following the heartbreaking loss, he called it the best hockey he’s ever been a part of.

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In the second period, USA made it happen thanks to some hard work in front when a pinching Sanderson got to a Matthews rebound and put it home to make it 2-1 at 7:32. The play was made possible by Zach Werenski, whose point shot went off Binnington right to Matthews. He then had his backhand stopped before Sanderson buried the rebound for his first of the tournament.

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Over a minute later, Vincent Trocheck took a tripping minor in the offensive zone to put Canada on the power play. Despite having the opportunity to tie it, they only could muster one shot from MacKinnon who had it stopped by Hellebuyck. In fact, a McDavid turnover nearly led to USA scoring shorthanded. After getting stopped on an initial shot, Dylan Larkin went for a turnaround shot from a tough angle that Binnington kept his concentration on to deny the bid. That proved to be a turning point.

In a period where they were limiting the Canadian forecheck, USA had one momentary lapse that proved costly. On what was a bad decision by Adam Fox, he forced a pass to J.T. Miller in the neutral zone. The puck was turned over allowing Mitch Marner to make a nice drop pass for Sam Bennett, who tied the game with six minutes remaining in the period. Fox also made the mistake of leaving his man to go to Marner, which allowed Bennett to score his first of the tournament.

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Following the goal, a surging Canada pressed for the go-ahead goal. Hellebuyck made a strong save on McDavid. In the final moments, USA was on their heels as time wound down to end the second. They escaped falling behind.

The third was a different story. Urged on by a supporting pro-American crowd with “USA, USA, USA!” chants, USA came out aggressively. In fact, Jake Guentzel was sent in on a mini break. His backhand was foiled by Binnington, who would have to contest with a lot more than Hellebuyck the rest of the way.

Despite losing star forward Matthew Tkachuk to an injury, USA continued to control the action. Even with head coach Mike Sullivan hardly playing Chris Kreider, which shortchanged his bench, the 10 forwards he used applied a ton of pressure on Canada. In particular, Guentzel was dangerous. He had two more chances to put his team ahead. However, his shots didn’t find the back of the net. Those missed opportunities came back to haunt USA.

With the lone exception of the Canadian third line comprised of Lightning duo Anthony Cirelli and Brandon Hagel with Mark Stone, the stars for Canada struggled to establish anything. They were bottled up by the diligent checking of the American defense led by Jaccob Slavin. Slavin was a human eraser, even making a huge save to prevent a Sidney Crosby goal with an open net. The Hurricanes defenseman has been one of the game’s best defensive defensemen for a long time. If they valued defense more, he’d be up for the Norris.

As regulation began to wind down, USA came close to winning it late. Following a Hellebuyck save on MacKinnon, who took MVP honors, Jack Eichel just missed on a backhand with Binnington dead to rights.

In overtime, the Americans continued to press the action. Over a minute in, Brock Nelson had a good chance to end it. But he sent his shot high and wide. On a night when Jack Hughes had some jump, he didn’t get the bounces and often was stuck with a mixed bag from Sullivan. For some reason, Nelson was with Hughes and Miller for a few shifts. It made about as much sense as healthy scratching Kyle Connor so he could only play Kreider a game low 6:25.

Binnington delivered his finest moments when after stopping Matthews, he reached out with his glove to stop Brady Tkachuk. He wasn’t credited with a shot on goal, but it looked like the game was about to be over. Despite Matthews having his best game of the tournament, he’ll unfortunately be remembered for his final defensive shift.

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After Hughes failed to negate a Nelson icing, that led to an offensive draw for Canada. On a faceoff he won, McDavid opted to go forward with the puck. His shot was blocked by Noah Hanifin, who had a stellar tournament defensively. As often happens on a broken play, something happened to end the suspense quickly. After Cale Makar retrieved the loose puck, he got it over to Marner, who found McDavid wide open in the slot for the winner at 8:18 of overtime.

On the play, Matthews allowed McDavid to slip loose to get the memorable goal. Both he and Hughes got lost in coverage. It was a bitter pill to swallow. In an overtime they controlled, USA lost due to one mistake. That wasn’t the only one. It was moments earlier that it appeared that Canada got away with too many men on the ice. Even though nobody touched the puck, it was clear as day. In a game where one penalty was called, they missed that one. Both Chris Rooney and Gord Dwyer officiated a good game. They let the players decide it. USA was stewing over the missed call when it happened.

As tough a defeat as it was, USA knows that they’re right there with Canada. Despite not having Quinn Hughes available and losing Matthew Tkachuk, they were a shot away from winning the gold at 4 Nations Face-Off. So many fans tuned in to watch the spectacle.

Even if it wasn’t the result American hockey fans wanted, the true winner was the NHL. The event was a huge success. It didn’t matter that it only featured four countries. Most of the games were very competitive with a majority decided by a goal. The hitting we saw from players was playoff caliber.

The championship game had ebbs and flows as you would expect. Canada surged early to go ahead. USA came back to draw even. They then used their forecheck to take the lead. But Canada got a key contribution from a big game player in Bennett who won a Stanley Cup. Having those kind of gritty guys matter. In the end, it was the Canadian side who trusted their depth players more. The ice time was much more balanced, with Brad Marchand logging a team low 12:23. Jon Cooper played everyone. He outcoached Sullivan due to his lines being better. Sullivan shuffled too much, which came back to hurt them.

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Fireworks Between USA and Canada Highlight Intense Rivalry

Posted on February 17, 2025 by Derek

On Saturday night, Bell Centre hosted a memorable international game played between North American rivals, USA and Canada up in Montreal. What took place at the start was quite memorable.

In what was pre-planned, Matthew Tkachuk took on Brandon Hagel two seconds into the game. With an energized capacity crowd of 21,005 still going crazy, Brady Tkachuk and Sam Bennett squared off a second later in an entertaining bout that was the best of three tilts that took place. Following a Charlie McAvoy shot right on Canadian starter Jordan Binnington, the pleasantries continued when J.T. Miller battled Colton Parayko just six seconds later.

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The three bouts highlighted the intense rivalry between USA and Canada. In those first nine seconds, hockey fans got exactly what they wanted to see. As has been the case recently due to the heated political distractions between the two countries, Canadian fans booed the American national anthem. When he was asked about the boos after their first win over Finland in the 4 Nations Face-Off, Matthew Tkachuk said he didn’t like it. Instead of crying over it, he decided to ask Hagel if he would go before the game. Younger brother Brady knew he and Bennett would then battle. When he joined Matthew in the box, he got his older brother’s approval.

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Although Connor McDavid would later dust McAvoy to score a highlight reel goal that put Canada ahead just over five and a half minutes in, the tone was set for the big game. As is customary, McDavid can make defensemen look ordinary when he gains a full head of steam in transition. On what was a spectacular rush that started with a good Drew Doughty outlet, he went around McAvoy and beat Connor Hellebuyck with a backhand upstairs before celebrating with as much as enthusiasm as one would expect.

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It was a quick start for Canada, but what followed was a friendly reminder that their archrival wasn’t backing down. To demonstrate how much raw emotion was in the match, McAvoy leveled McDavid with a clean hit against the boards that drew oohs and ahhs from the crowd.

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What followed was USA responding by tying the game on a quick goal in transition from Jake Guentzel with 9:45 remaining. After taking a Brock Faber outlet, Jack Eichel gained the Canadian zone and fed Guentzel for a wrist shot that snuck through Binnington from a bad angle. Whatever momentum Canada had early was gone completely.

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On the next shift, Brady Tkachuk delivered a thumping hit on Doughty that jarred the glass. The Senators captain hits hard and makes an impact. By far the toughest of the Tkachuk family, including Dad Keith, Brady is a menace to play against for opponents. If he can lead Ottawa to the playoffs, expect him to make some noise in the first round. He’s the premier power forward in the game. While Matthew remains the more proven player, he doesn’t have Brady’s snarl.

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Since USA head coach Mike Sullivan put them on the same line with Eichel, they’ve been unstoppable. In the 6-1 victory over Finland last Thursday, they combined for seven points with the Tkachuk brothers each getting a pair of goals.

If there was a contrast between the teams, it was USA’s ability to contain Canada’s offense. The Canadians had trouble establishing a consistent forecheck without top defenseman Cale Makar, who missed the game with an illness. Already down Shea Theodore, who is expected to be out until the spring after suffering an upper-body injury in Canada’s 4-3 overtime win over Sweden, it wasn’t as easy to keep plays alive in the offensive zone.

While they still had Josh Morrissey, Devon Toews, and Thomas Harley who filled in, there wasn’t as much sustained pressure. An American defense led by Jaccob Slavin, McAvoy and Noah Hanifin took away time and space from McDavid, Sidney Crosby, and Nathan MacKinnon. The forwards also did their part to make it difficult on a Canadian offense that also included Mitch Marner, Mark Stone, Sam Reinhart, and Brayden Point.

On the flip side, USA applied more pressure as the game moved along. Binnington came up with some key stops to keep the game tied in the second period. When it looked like Canada finally had the momentum due to a strong shift from the McDavid line, an uncharacteristic turnover from Crosby led to Dylan Larkin getting the game-winner with 6:27 remaining.

On a Canadian reentry, Crosby forced a pass in the middle of the ice that was intercepted by Matt Boldy. He then sent Dylan Larkin on a two-on-one rush in the opposite direction. With the pass being taken away, Larkin took the shot and beat Binnington high for his first of the tournament. That quieted the Canadian contingent.

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With the play exclusively at five-on-five for the final 40 minutes, USA opted to tighten up the neutral zone to slow down their dangerous opponents. Even when they got shots through, Hellebuyck shut the door. Unlike the goal he allowed in the opener, the rating Vezina winner was on the money. He didn’t give up any juicy rebounds, either. Hellebuyck finished with 25 saves, including eight in a third period controlled by Canada.

There was little doubt that they’d turn it up in the third. A loss in regulation meant that they would still need to earn a spot in the semifinals. They spent plenty of time in the USA zone. However, they were only able to generate a couple of quality chances. It spoke to how well USA executed their gameplan. They took away Canada’s speed and won the key defensive battles on the walls. Neither Auston Matthews nor Jack Hughes had good games offensively, but it didn’t stop either from making smart defensive plays to get pucks out. Vincent Trocheck and Brock Nelson were superb defensively. They made smart reads to break up plays.

After Canadian head coach Jon Cooper pulled Binnington for an extra attacker, Guentzel added an empty netter with 1:19 left to seal the victory.

The only concern moving forward is how serious Matthew Tkachuk’s injury is. During the third period, he came back to the USA bench and told assistant coach John Tortorella he couldn’t go. They termed it an upper-body injury following the game. With nothing on the line against Sweden Monday night in Boston, they can dress Chris Kreider and rest Tkachuk. He’ll have four days off before Thursday’s final at TD Garden in what should be an electric atmosphere.

For the doubters, they’ve been proven wrong. The intensity of these games has been through the roof. Finland needed to win over Sweden and got it done by coming back to beat them 4-3 in overtime on a goal from Mikael Granlund. If the Finns can beat Canada this afternoon, then the late game between Sweden and USA becomes significant. A lot is at stake.

Will Cooper consider making a change in goal? He has Adin Hill in reserve. We’ll see what he decides to do.

As good as their win was over Canada to guarantee them a spot in the final, the job isn’t finished for USA. It’s all about the big game later this week. They’ll probably need a goal from Matthews to win. If it’s a rematch with Canada, the ratings will hit the ceiling.

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RANGERS LEGENDS: Camille Henry

Posted on February 15, 2025 by Derek

On a big hockey Saturday in February due to the highly anticipated USA versus Canada game tonight at the 4 Nations Face-Off in Montreal, it also gives us time to dig into the past. With Finland taking on Sweden in the appetizer this afternoon at Bell Centre, I wanted to focus on a Rangers legend from the past.

For over a decade, Chris Kreider has made a living in front scoring on the power play. The 33-year-old left wing once shattered Jaromir Jagr’s Rangers single season franchise record with 26 power-play goals in 2021-22 when he posted a career best 52 goals. Since then, he’s been chasing another franchise record that’s still currently held by Rangers’ legend Camille Henry.

Henry starred for the Blueshirts between 1953-54 and 1964-65. Nicknamed The Eel due to his small stature of five-foot seven, 142-pounds and having some slippery moves on the ice that led to nice finishes, the left wing/center became one of the best goal scorers in franchise history.

As a 21-year-old rookie, Henry scored 24 goals and added 15 assists for a total of 39 points to win the Calder Trophy. His 20 power-play goals led the league. In fact, 32 of his 39 points came on the power play. He also led the Rangers with seven game-winning goals. They finished in fifth place and failed to qualify for the postseason.

Following posting five goals (5 PPG) and two helpers in 21 contests, the Rangers traded Henry to Providence for cash and the return of Earl Johnson in 1954-55. After being loaned by Quebec to Providence, he spent most of his time with the Reds in the American Hockey League (AHL) who he helped lead to a Calder Cup in 1955-56. Among the highlights of that season, he led the AHL with 50 goals and scored 10 goals in the postseason to pace all skaters in scoring.

In 1956-57, he split his time between the Reds and Rangers. The following season, Henry set new personal bests in goals (32), assists (24), and points (56) while playing in all 70 games for the Rangers. He was also named to the Second NHL All-Star Team and won the Lady Byng. Similar to his rookie campaign, Henry did most of his damage on the man-advantage by scoring 19 of his 32 goals on the power play. His 19 power-play goals led the league. Over his career, Henry paced the league in power-play goals three times.

Prior to 1964-65, Henry was named the captain of the Rangers. During that season, he was traded in a seven-player deal on Feb. 4, 1965. Henry went to Chicago along with Don Johns, Billy Taylor, and Wally Chevrier for John Brenneman, Wayne Hillman, and Doug Robinson. Rangers coach and general manger Emile Francis said, “We’re building a young hockey club and these three players will give us not only youth but also depth, the lack of which has hurt us all season long.

“We hated to let Cammy go.  He’s one of the great players in the league and he has been a great asset to the Rangers organization for the past 11 years,” Francis added about moving on from Henry who at the time was tied for second with Norm Ullman in goals with 21. In 48 games with the Blueshirts, he had 21 goals and 17 assists before having his heart broken by the shocking trade.

“I just sat there stunned,” Henry said while expressing his disappointment. “Emile said, ‘Well, you didn’t fall off your chair yet.’ But he doesn’t know how close I was.”

“I guess it doesn’t pay to be captain,” Henry added in reference to former captain Andy Bathgate who was traded away to the Maple Leafs the previous year on Feb. 22, 1964. Bathgate then helped the Leafs win a Stanley Cup by scoring five goals and adding four assists.

After putting up 21 goals and 17 assists in 48 games with the Rangers, Henry had five goals and three assists in 22 games with the Blackhawks who thought he could be the missing piece to winning a Stanley Cup. That year, the Blackhawks lost to the Canadiens in seven games in the Stanley Cup Finals.

On Aug. 17, 1967, the Rangers reacquired Henry from the Blackhawks for Paul Shmyr. In 36 games during 1967-68, he had eight goals and 12 assists for 20 points. That included one power-play goal. In his previous stint with the Blueshirts, he scored double digits in power-play goals six times. In fact, of his 256 total goals he put up as a Ranger, a franchise record 116 came on the power play. It’s a record that’s stood for nearly six decades. Even Rangers’ legends Rod Gilbert (108) and Brian Leetch (106) never matched Henry’s record.

That could change very soon. With five power-play goals this season, Kreider’s on the verge of tying Henry. With 115 power-play goals, he needs two more to pass Henry to become the Rangers’ all-time franchise leader.

Following the 1967-68 season, Henry was dealt to the expansion St. Louis Blues on June 13, 1968. The Rangers traded Henry, Robbie Irons, and Bill Plager to the Blues in exchange for Don Caley and Wayne Rivers.

In what was his final full season, Henry put up 17 goals and 22 assists for 39 points, which tied him for fourth in Blues scoring in their inaugural season. Henry also ranked fourth in goals and tied for the team lead with Red Berenson with seven power-play goals. During the postseason, under Hall of Fame coach Scotty Bowman, the Blues reached the Stanley Cup Finals before losing to the Montreal Canadiens in four games. Henry finished with two goals and five helpers for seven points in the playoffs. At 36, the elder statesman tied for fourth with Terry Crisp in team scoring during that run.

After registering a goal and two assists in four games the following season, Henry retired in 1970. He finished his career with 279 goals and 249 assists for a total of 528 points in 727 games. Of the 279 goals he scored, 127 came on the power play, with the 116 he scored on Broadway still a franchise record for the time being. Six of his seven hat tricks came as a New York Ranger.

A three-time All-Star, The Eel is still fondly remembered by the older generation of Rangers fans. It would be nice to see him recognized when Kreider breaks his record. In what’s the swan song for legendary TV voice Sam Rosen, who will have a special day on March 22 when the Rangers host the Vancouver Canucks, the organization should highlight what Henry did. It would be a nice touch.

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Tkachuk Brothers Put on a Show in USA Win over Finland

Posted on February 14, 2025 by Derek

Brady and Matthew Tkachuk broke open a close game in a four-goal third period to lead USA to a 6-1 win over Finland in the 4-Nations Face-Off at Bell Centre. The Tkachuk brothers combined for four of the Americans’ six goals in the victory. Not shockingly, they were named the game’s second and first stars in the on-ice presentation.

In the early going, USA failed to convert on a power play chance. They didn’t even register a shot against the Finland penalty kill. The Finns drew momentum from it to score the game’s first goal. On a play in transition, Henri Jokiharju surprised Connor Hellebuyck with a wrist shot from a tough angle to give Finland a 1-0 lead. He took a Mikael Granlund feed and got his first of the tournament with Olli Maatta screening in front.

Less than three minutes later, USA responded to tie the game. After failing to put in a Matt Boldy feed, Brady Tkachuk banked in his second shot off Juuse Saros for his first of the game. He was a big factor throughout, finishing checks along with older brother Matthew Tkachuk. The younger Tkachuk came together with defenseman Niko Mikkola at the end of one shift.

Unlike Canada and Sweden, the second game had a lot more edge to it. There were plenty of scrums with neither side backing down. J.T. Miller made sure to get involved early on. The Americans aren’t shy about mixing it up after the whistle. They’ll probably need to have that mindset when they face Canada on Saturday night. That’s a showdown everyone’s looking forward to.

After he allowed the bad goal to Jokiharju, Hellebuyck settled in to make 20 saves on 21 shots to get the win. One of his best came when he denied Anton Lundell’s shorthanded bid. None of Finland’s big stars had particularly strong games. The trio of Aleksander Barkov, Sebastian Aho, and Mikko Rantanen were held off the scoresheet. They also went 0-for-2 on the power play while allowing USA to go 2-for-4. A notable difference in the game.

With the game still tied late in the second period, Boldy scored a big go-ahead goal to put USA on top. It was a Wild combination with Brock Faber hooking up with Boldy in front to make it 2-1 with 2:56 remaining. Faber had his shot pass tipped in by Boldy.

https://twitter.com/usahockey/status/1890234292456013842

With time winding down, Maatta took an unnecessary hooking minor on Auston Matthews to put USA on the power play. With a fresh sheet of ice, they made Maatta pay. After receiving a pass from Zach Werenski, Matthew Tkachuk had his wrist shot deflect off a Finland player past Saros to make it 3-1 just 15 seconds into the third period.

Only eleven seconds later, Jack Hughes and Matthews combined on a quick hitter in transition with Jake Guentzel taking a Matthews feed and beating Saros with a wrist shot to suddenly give USA a 4-1 lead. That silenced most of the crowd who supported Finland.

https://twitter.com/usahockey/status/1890241429479522485

If there was one critical difference between the teams, it was USA’s ability to get to crash the net. Led by the Tkachuk’s, they had their way. Coach Mike Sullivan made a smart move by putting both Brady and Matthew on the top line with Jack Eichel. Finland had no answer for it. They weren’t strong enough defensively to deal with the big boys. That was evident when Eichel made a great pass in front for Brady that he finished with a quick backhand to put the game out of reach.

https://twitter.com/usahockey/status/1890241862465909093

On another power play later, Matthew got his second of the game when he buried a rebound of a Werenski shot to put the finishing touches on the USA victory. Werenski very quietly had three assists. The Blue Jackets defenseman is a leading candidate for the Norris Trophy. USA is without Quinn Hughes, who is the favorite to repeat for the league’s best defenseman. Cale Makar is the big Canadian star who makes up a great top three for the award. USA will have to slow down Makar and Nathan MacKinnon in two days. They’ll also have to deal with Connor McDavid and Sidney Crosby, who gave another brilliant performance to remain undefeated in international games for Canada.

Finland likely needs to beat Sweden in regulation on Saturday to have any chance of advancing. They play at 1 PM. USA and Canada are in primetime at 8 PM.

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USA Takes on Finland in Four-Nations Face-Off

Posted on February 13, 2025 by Derek

Entering what now is a two-week break from the NHL season, four nations are competing for a trophy in a tournament featuring some of the game’s biggest stars. On Wednesday night before a packed crowd at Bell Centre, Canada hosted Sweden in the first game. It looked like they’d roll to an easy victory, but the Swedes rallied in the third period to make up a two-goal deficit to force overtime.

Unlike the NHL, the rules for 4-Nations are a bit different. Instead of playing three-on-three format for five minutes, the teams play it for 10 minutes. If last night was any indication, we could be in for an exciting tournament. Three-on-three is about as wild as it gets. When you throw in superstars like Sidney Crosby, Nathan MacKinnon, and Connor McDavid, it’s exhilarating to watch.

Admittedly, I didn’t tune in for most of regulation. But there was no way I was missing overtime. To think of what I would have missed. Canada controlled most of the overtime by creating dangerous scoring chances off end-to-end rushes. MacKinnon had three opportunities to be the hero, but Swedish goalie Filip Gustavsson made the clutch stops to keep the game going. He was outstanding for Sweden, finishing with 24 saves.

The Swedes didn’t have the puck as much in OT. But when they did, they came close a couple of times to winning it. Mika Zibanejad had a good chance when he was set up for a one-timer by Viktor Arvidsson. But Canadian goalie Jordan Binnington got across to keep it out. His best save came when he denied Adrian Kempe from in close to prevent Sweden from coming all the way back.

Moments later, Mitch Marner took a Crosby drop pass in the neutral zone, gained the Swedish zone and ripped a wrist shot high blocker past Gustavsson to give Canada a thrilling 4-3 win in overtime at 6:06. Loud cheers followed from the pro-Canadian crowd in Montreal. They came to see a show and got it.

There was the rarity of seeing them cheer when Brayden Point fed Brad Marchand to put Canada up 2-0 in the first period. Normally, Marchand is met with jeers due to playing for one of the Habs’ biggest rivals, the Bruins. But that’s what makes this tournament unique. While Marner got plenty of love from the crowd after being named the game’s second star, USA captain Auston Matthews was booed prior to the game during the introduction. Like Marner, he also plays for the Maple Leafs but is on the enemy.

The loudest ovation was for Crosby when he was presented with the game’s first star by Vincent Damphousse. Chants of “Cros-by, Cros-by!” broke out from appreciative fans who have the utmost respect for the all-time great. That was followed by the playing of the Canadian anthem. As is tradition with international play, the anthem of the winning country is played.

Tonight, it’s USA taking on Finland. The game can be seen on ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPN-Plus. Faceoff is 8 PM.

In a twisted irony, both Chris Kreider and Kaapo Kakko will be healthy scratches for tonight’s game. Kreider is the extra forward for USA while Kakko is for Finland. Obviously, it’s disappointing for both. I still believe Kreider can be an asset for the Americans due to his net front presence and experience. Interestingly, Vincent Trocheck and J.T. Miller will kill penalties together.

If there’s one thing nobody wants to see, it’s an injury to a key player. Shea Theodore became the first victim last night. It doesn’t sound good for the Golden Knights defenseman.

USA will feature Jack Eichel playing with Kyle Connor and Matthew Tkachuk. Jack Hughes starts with Matthews and Jake Guentzel. On his way to a third Vezina, Connor Hellebuyck is the starter.

I like the USA defense pairs. Zach Werenski with Charlie McAvoy as the top pair is a healthy balance. Ditto for Adam Fox teamed with Jaccob Slavin. Noah Hanifin and Brock Faber comprise the third pair. If there is a player missing who deserved to be part of it, John Carlson would be that guy. He still is getting it done for the Capitals, who only have the best record in the Eastern Conference. No Caps are participating in the tournament which excludes Russia. I’m not going to get into that.

Anyway, I didn’t think I’d be into these games. But I like how the presentation. So. I’ll be watching our boys take on Finland. It should be fun.

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Devils stabilize going into the break, all while weathering mini-injury crisis

Posted on February 11, 2025 by hasan4978

Last time I wrote, the Devils had at least beaten the Bruins on Jacques Lemaire night, snapping a four game losing streak and hopefully ending the January blues this team went through. Whatever reason(s) you want to attribute the Devils’ ugly stretch of two wins in eleven games – illness, winter doldrums, immaturity – at least the team managed to snap out of it enough to head into the break in a better state of mind after winning five of their last eight. Which certainly sounds more…okayish than spectacular, and we still had our share of dud games through even this latest stretch (headlined by a scary no-show the first two periods at Buffalo and a completely dead on arrival last home game before the break against Vegas), but at least the team’s done what they’ve had to do in steering the ship back towards the right path.

Given the team’s most recent injury issues – which I’ll get to in a moment – that’s no small feat. Even if three of the wins came against Montreal and Pittsburgh, two teams who we’ve had a ton of success against in recent years (including having won a team record ten in a row in Montreal – you mean Marty never did that?). And it took us three tries over a week and a half but we finally beat up the mediocre Flyers once…yay for third time being the charm? Still, winning five out of eight is a lot better than two of eleven, especially when you consider captain and franchise center Nico Hischier, goaltender Jacob Markstrom and defensive stalwart Jonas Siegenthaler have all missed good chunks, if not most of this stretch.

At least in the case of Nico and Markstrom, both should be back after the Four Nations hiatus, proving to be a well-timed break as far as they were concerned (especially since Markstrom may well have played in the competition itself, not Nico since Switzerland’s not in this…mini-invitational). Siegenthaler’s status is more murky with the official word being that he’s gone for a second opinion on a lower-body injury and they won’t update until after the break – but as usual when it comes to hockey, sometimes the truth comes out with overseas publications and if you believe the scuttlebutt there apparently Siegs had a surgery and will miss weeks.

If true, losing arguably our most reliable defenseman in our own end certainly isn’t ideal from a team standpoint, but at least it gives Simon Nemec more of a chance with the big club after a harsh beginning of the season where he had to play with a rookie on his off side (Seamus Casey) and was coming off an injury suffered ironically in Olympic qualifying. Nemec didn’t play well early, was passed on a depth chart by Jonathan Kovacevic and sent down to Utica, where he stayed until Siegenthaler’s injury at Pittsburgh. Our shootout win in Pittsburgh was also noteworthy on a happier note for the return of Nico Daws in net, a kid I’ve rooted for the last few years and I think he’s been a bit shafted by overworking him with an understocked defense. I was glad to see him get a chance this year with the Devils playing a more structured system, even if he hasn’t exactly had the best of seasons in Utica.

While it was Daws winning the shootout against the Penguins in his first start this season, to be fair it’s been Jake Allen who’s done the lion’s share of work in net since Markstrom’s injury, and he’s played a lot better as the everyday goalie than he did for the previous few weeks in spot duty. At least Allen’s been rewarded with a few wins during this recent stretch, unlike Markstrom who was playing well in defeat the three weeks before his injury. I guess I have to back off assistant GM Martin Brodeur and goalie coach Dave Rogalski this year, as their guys in net look a lot better with a better system in front of them. To be fair, Allen was okay even last year and we haven’t had a goalie of Markstrom’s talent at least since the injury-prone Mackenzie Blackwood early in his career before injuries and off-ice controversy sidetracked his career here. Having a more stable defense and more stable goalies have gone hand in hand with Sheldon Keefe’s system this year.

Ironically the offense has been more problematic than the defense and goaltending as of late, a sentence you didn’t really think was possible to be uttered with this team in the last few years. And all of the above have been more complicated by Nico’s injury which occurred in the second game of this eight-game stretch, at Montreal. So we’ve only been 3-3 since Nico went out, which I guess is the best that could have been hoped for given Markstrom already being on the shelf. While I haven’t watched a full Devils game since the last one I attended – said Bruins game – I’m still glad for the break to come as a bit of a reset for both the team and fans as they lost my interest for a bit with their extended poor play and all the excuses around it.

All that said, our January stretch wasn’t nearly as damaging as it could have been, both because of our strong early season performance and because the teams behind us in the division have started losing enough to re-open the gap on a wild card spot to eight points ahead of surprising Columbus. Ideally nobody else gets injured during this invented tournament (is there really another word for it?), which isn’t the Olympics or even a proper World Championship. It’s just another excuse for the players from four nations to play international games. Good luck to them, ironically the blackout on local TV for actual Devils games have increased the chances of me turning on one of these games from zero to maybe-ish. If it wasn’t for that, I doubt I’d be watching at all tbh but to each their own.

For the Devils, we only have three players in the tournament – Jack Hughes for team USA, Jesper Bratt for Sweden and Erik Haula for Finland. It’s only a four-team tournament with the USA, Canada and the two biggest Scandanavian nations. Leaving out for a minute the more obvious and politically charged omission of Russia and not having a Czech representation either, these days it’s even inconceivable to see an international tournament without Switzerland given the Devils’ heavy Swiss presence of Nico, Siegs, Daws and Timo Meier. Not that any of them would have been playing in this particular tournament aside from Timo (who’s had one goal in the new year) but still, they’ve certainly made more of a mark on the world stage in recent years as a hockey nation themselves.

Whatever happens in this tournament, the Devils won’t be playing until next Saturday in an early evening home game against the Stars, before going on the road for another five games (by then, we’ll have seen the NHL trade deadline come and go). Hopefully this dumb MSG-Optimum war over Devils telecasts will die a painful death by then too, before the casual fan forgets we exist. Without much likelihood of the Rangers or Islanders making the playoffs this year at this point, the Devils may well wind up being the only locals people care about in March, but it’ll be hard to hold everyone’s attention through the spring months without TV coverage given the buzz around both baseball teams and the NBA Knicks, not to mention St. John’s in college basketball lately! Maybe with the team playing better and getting healthier, I’ll be more into listening to the games on radio if it comes to it, though to be fair if the Devils are comfortably in a playoff spot by then it’ll be harder to bother to pay attention to games until the playoffs actually begin – and we know they’ll be on TV.

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Four-Nations Break Comes at the Perfect time for Injured Shesterkin

Posted on February 9, 2025 by Derek

On an off day for Igor Shesterkin, the Rangers announced that he would be out one to two weeks with an upper-body injury. He sustained the injury in the Rangers’ 3-2 loss to the Penguins on Friday night.

The timing couldn’t have been better for the Rangers who now have two weeks off until they play against the Sabres on Saturday, Feb. 22. They can thank the schedule for that. Due to the Four-Nations Face-Off, which begins this Wednesday, Feb. 12, Shesterkin can rest and recover from whatever is ailing him.

“You don’t like to see that, I don’t want to see any of our players go down with injury,” coach Peter Laviolette told reporters prior to the Rangers’ 4-3 win over the Blue Jackets. “There is a little bit of time coming up here, that’s useful. There’s no games being played so that’s a useful thing.” 

It was late in the second period against the Pens that Shesterkin might have suffered the injury. After making a save, he was in some discomfort during a stoppage with 1:05 remaining. The Rangers trainer came out to check on him, but he stayed in for the remainder of the game. In the third period, he never faced a single shot, with the Rangers outshooting the Pens 7-0.

Shesterkin wasn’t scheduled to play last night at Columbus. Instead, Jonathan Quick got the start and made 22 saves to pick up his eighth win of the season. Due to the injury, the Rangers recalled goalie Dylan Garand from the Hartford Wolf Pack to back up Quick. Garand was returned to Hartford on Sunday.

The stoppage comes at a good time for Shesterkin, who struggled over his last five starts by going 1-4-0 with a 3.84 goals-against-average and .835 save percentage. That followed a better stretch to start the calendar year when he posted a 6-0-1 record with a 1.39 GAA and .948 save percentage with two shutouts. Overall, he’s 18-18-3 with a 2.87 GAA and .906 save percentage for the season.

Those numbers are way off his career marks, which include a 2.50 GAA and .919 save percentage. Maybe a reset will help him for the stretch drive with the Rangers having 27 games remaining to reach the playoffs. They entered the break trailing the Red Wings by three points for the second wild card and the Senators by four points for the first wild card. Undoubtedly, they’ll need Shesterkin to be at his best when the season continues. Most importantly, he has to be healthy.

If there’s one thing they have going for them, it’s that they have the most regulation wins (25) amongst the pack they’re competing with to make the postseason. Regulation wins are the number one tiebreaker. Here’s how they stack up on Super Bowl Sunday following today’s two games that included the Lightning defeating the Canadiens 5-3.

EASTERN CONFERENCE

ATLANTIC

  1. Panthers 57 GP 34-20-3 71 Pts 28 RW
  2. Maple Leafs 55 GP 33-20-2 68 Pts 28 RW
  3. Lightning 55 GP 31-20-4 66 Pts 26 RW

METROPOLITAN

  1. Capitals 55 GP 36-11-8 80 Pts 31 RW
  2. Hurricanes 56 GP 33-19-4 70 Pts 29 RW
  3. Devils 57 GP 31-20-6 68 Pts 27 RW

WILDCARD

  1. Senators 56 GP 29-23-4 62 Pts 22 RW
  2. Red Wings 55 GP 28-22-5 61 Pts 21 RW
  3. Blue Jackets 56 GP 26-22-8 60 Pts 18 RW
  4. Bruins 57 GP 27-24-6 60 Pts 20 RW
  5. Rangers 55 GP 27-24-4 58 Pts 25 RW
  6. Islanders 55 GP 25-23-7 57 Pts 19 RW
  7. Canadiens 56 GP 25-26-5 55 Pts 18 RW
  8. Penguins 57 GP 23-25-9 55 Pts 16 RW
  9. Flyers 57 GP 24-26-7 55 Pts 15 RW

As one can conclude, there’s a lot of parity in the league. Even the top teams aren’t what I’d call locks. The Jets and Caps have the best records, with Winnipeg having 81 points to the Caps’ 80 following their 5-4 shootout loss to Utah HC today. Anything can happen. All you have to do is get in.

For the Blueshirts, it’s simple. Beat the teams they’re competing against. They came back to defeat the Blue Jackets late in regulation to gain two points in the standings. When play resumes, following the Sabres, they visit the Pens and then the Islanders to complete a four-game road trip. That’s if you count last night’s win at Columbus. They conclude February against the Maple Leafs at Madison Square Garden. After they host the Predators to begin March, there’s a tough stretch that includes games against the Islanders, Caps, Senators, Blue Jackets, Jets, Wild, and Blue Jackets to conclude the season series. That’s followed by Edmonton, Calgary, Toronto, and Vancouver all on home ice.

There’s no let-up in the schedule. They’ll then travel out to California to face the Kings, Ducks, and Sharks with the final two a back-to-back. The remainder in April comes against the Wild, Lightning, Flyers, Islanders, Hurricanes, Panthers, and Lightning. It won’t be easy. If you’ve followed this team, you already know that the Rangers can beat anyone and lose to anybody.

I’m glad there are two weeks off. We’re going to need it.

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Cuylle Leads Rangers to Big Comeback Win over Blue Jackets

Posted on February 8, 2025 by Derek

Talk about a role reversal. In a complete 180 from Friday night’s loss to the Penguins, the Rangers flipped the script by coming back to defeat the Blue Jackets 4-3 at Nationwide Arena. On Saturday, everything went their way due to the Senators, Red Wings, Bruins, and Islanders all losing.

The Rangers closed to within three points of the second wild card at the break. Five total points separate the six teams with the Canadiens, Penguins and Flyers all seven back of first wild card Ottawa, who has 62 points. Detroit has 61 points, followed by Columbus and Boston who each have 60. The Rangers have 58 with 27 games remaining when they resume play against the Sabres on Feb. 22.

Will Cuylle had a goal and set up the winner in a big third period to turn around a one-goal deficit into a big come from behind one-goal victory in regulation. After tying it less than two minutes into the third period, Cuylle’s shot was tipped in by Urho Vaakanainen with 1:39 left in regulation. On what was a gift from Blue Jackets defenseman Denton Mateychuk, he had his pass in front of his own net broken up by a forechecking Vincent Trocheck. That allowed a hustling Cuylle to jump on the loose puck and fire a wrist shot from the left circle that Vaakanainen got a piece of to beat Elvis Merzlikins and stun the Blue Jackets.

Twenty-four hours earlier, Cuylle took a bad penalty that led to Philip Tomasino getting the winner on the power play in a deflating loss on home ice. Playing the second game of a back-to-back, the Rangers showed some much-needed resiliency to get out of Columbus with two points. Most importantly, they did it in regulation to gain full ground on a division rival that’s now dropped three straight (0-2-1) without leading goal scorer Kirill Marchenko (broken jaw).

After breaking up the new top line, Rangers coach Peter Laviolette had J.T. Miller between Artemi Panarin and Jimmy Vesey. Searching for more balance, he put Trocheck between Lafreniere and Cuylle. Mika Zibanejad and Chris Kreider played with Arthur Kaliyev, who delivered a critical goal in his return to the lineup. Sam Carrick and Matt Rempe worked with Reilly Smith.

The line changes produced mixed results. Early in the contest, Kaliyev took a Ryan Lindgren feed and beat Merzlikins on a wrap-around to put the Rangers ahead. It was his third goal as a Ranger in 11 games. You wonder why Kaliyev was taken out of the lineup in the first place when he has the ability to finish. That’s a question better left for Laviolette, who at least got good contributions from Jonny Brodzinski. As for Vesey, I have no idea why he must play. It isn’t a knock on him as he gives an honest effort. But he has three goals in 30 games. And Laviolette’s answer is to bump him up to the first line.

For one night, we don’t have to discuss the lineup decisions, which included sitting Zac Jones for Vaakanainen. I guess a two-game cameo is it for Jones, who almost surely will find a new team by March. Unlike the price of eggs, his value is declining rapidly due to the how the organization operates. Well, look at the bright side. They got former Vegas first round bust Erik Brannstrom in reserve. If he’s so good, why have three teams given up on him? Hopefully, Brannstrom can provide a better answer when he gets called up.

With the Rangers still leading by a goal, the Blue Jackets drew even thanks to some nice passing down low from Adam Fantilli and Zach Werenski, which led to Kent Johnson getting his 17th at 14:31. On the play, Fantilli made a touch pass for a cutting Werenski, who then made a nice feed across for an unmarked Johnson to fire a quick shot past the outstretched glove of Jonathan Quick.

Less than a minute later, Justin Danforth escaped a Lindgren check to tap in a Jack Johnson feed for a 2-1 Blue Jackets’ lead. On the play, Lafreniere didn’t hustle back defensively. He never does. For a former top pick to be as bad as he is on the backcheck, it’s mind-numbing. Does the coaching staff that includes noted offensive defenseman Phil Housley teach defense? Housley isn’t in the Hockey Hall of Fame for his defense. It isn’t only Lafreniere. It’s been a problem all season with forwards not being in the right spot.

In the second period, Zibanejad finished off an Adam Fox pass for his 11th to tie the score at 6:38. After he received a pass from Kreider, who actually recorded his fourth assist of the season – Fox faked shot and made a sweet diagonal pass across for Zibanejad to one-time past Merzlikins. It was a great play from Fox, who leads all Rangers defensemen with 44 points at the break.

With the game still tied, another mistake from Lafreniere led to the Blue Jackets taking a 3-2 lead late in the period. He watched Damon Severson take a Cole Sillinger feed and set up a cutting James van Riemsdyk that put the Rangers down a goal in a game they had to have. Honestly, as good as he was last year, that’s how bad he’s been this year. He better do some soul searching during the pause and figure it out. The Rangers need him for the final stretch when the play resumes two weeks from now.

Trailing by a goal, it would’ve been easy for them to go away playing for the second straight night. But the Rangers showed a lot of mental fortitude in a big third period. They dominated play by outscoring the Blue Jackets 2-0 and outshooting them 17-4. It was the polar opposite of what happened the previous night against the undermanned Pens.

After Merzlikins was a bit unlucky when his pass around the boards took a funny hop off Trocheck, the puck came to Cuylle. He held onto it with Sillinger draped on him and eventually found enough space to fire a wrist shot through traffic past Merzlikins to tie the score at 1:57 on a delayed penalty. It was a great individual effort from a gritty player who doesn’t mind doing the dirty work.

For virtually the rest of the period, it was all Rangers. They controlled the play with puck possession and kept firing shots on Merzlikins, who held up his end of the bargain for the Blue Jackets. Despite that, it was the Jackets that came close to going ahead twice. Fantilli had a shot ring off the goalpost, followed by Van Riemsdyk also drawing iron.

After Kreider hit the goalpost, there was another close call with Zach Aston-Reese ringing one off the crossbar. With play still going on, Quick came up with two critical stops on Mathieu Olivier, who was his usual pesky self. On the same shift, Will Borgen made a key check on Aston-Reese to prevent a scoring chance.

Following a block from Fox on Fantilli, the play moved in the opposite direction. With the game looking destined for overtime, Mateychuk made the mistake of trying a low percentage pass in front of Merzlikins. Trocheck got just enough of it to force a turnover. That allowed Cuylle to retrieve the loose puck and have his shot redirected by Vaakanainen for the clutch winning goal at 18:21.

From there, the Rangers shut down the Blue Jackets, holding them without a shot the final 2:17 to pick up the biggest win of the season.

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