Deja Vu: Bruins end Leafs season five years later, Second Round set

Posted on April 26, 2018 by Derek

The result was the same. For one hockey crazed city, it was deja vu all over again. For the other, it was celebration time. Five years later in a similar situation, the Bruins again got the better of the Leafs in Game 7. Unlike 2013, they didn’t need a miraculous rally from three goals down to stun Toronto.

This time, Boston needed only one goal to tie the score and swing the momentum in a very entertaining deciding seventh game. After playing a sub par second period to fall behind by a goal, the Bruins used a four goal third to eliminate the Leafs 7-4 before a chaotic environment at TD Garden to advance to a second round match up against the Lightning.

A wild game is just what NBC needed in a otherwise dreadful opening round devoid of drama or excitement. Of the eight series, this was the only one that needed seven games to decide. The classic Original Six rivalry lived up to the hype with the Bruins gaining the upper hand early before the Leafs came storming back to make last night possible. It didn’t disappoint.

The first period featured five goals. Each team traded power play goals in the first five minutes. The Leafs got on the board early with Patrick Marleau deflecting home a Jake Gardiner point shot past Tuukka Rask. But the Bruins came right back when rookie Jake DeBrusk scored on a redirection past Frederik Andersen.

Marleau again tallied when he took a nice Mitch Marner feed and beat Rask with a good wrist shot far side. The Boston netminder was not square to the shooter and was shaky. But the Bruins came hard in the second half and got the last two markers of a crazy period.

First, rookie Danton Heinen was able to get to some loose change off a Rick Nash centering feed that David Krejci got a piece of. Heinen’s quick turnaround shot beat Andersen to tie it at two. With under a minute left in the first, Boston had Toronto pinned in. Patrice Bergeron was able to sneak in on a line change and bury a rebound at 19:23 from Kevan Miller and David Backes for a 3-2 Bruins lead.

There was no momentum from the end of that stanza for the hosts. Instead, it was the Leafs who played a much better second outscoring the Bruins 2-0.

It didn’t take long for Travis Dermott to tee up a left point shot and beat Rask from distance a little over a couple of minutes in. A play set up by William Nylander with Roman Polak earning a primary helper.

There was only one penalty in the second. With Tomas Plekanec in the box, his team took advantage of some sloppy Boston play to score shorthanded. A back pass that Brad Marchand missed allowed Kasperi Kapanen to get behind for a breakaway. With Marchand hustling back, Kapanen was able to ward him off and cut in and put a series of moves on Rask before tucking home the puck on the last of about four dekes for a amazing solo effort. The shorthanded goal gave Toronto a 4-3 lead.

That goal seemed to take the steam out of Boston. Even though they were getting more shots (13) on Andersen, he was stopping them like he did at the end of Game 6. His defense was also suffocating the Bruins in the neutral zone by taking away time and space. They didn’t give up any dangerous chances. Despite just six shots, they converted on 33.33 percent to take a one goal lead to the locker room.

There was no doubt the Bruins crowd was nervous entering the third. Their team trailed in a Game 7 rematch in the same round as 2013. Could they come back again? Of course, the rosters were different but the Bruins still had a few key holdovers including captain Zdeno Chara along with Bergeron, David Krejci (3 assists) and Marchand. Rask wasn’t the goalie. It was Tim Thomas.

In a unpredictable game where there was no such thing as momentum, the Bruins played a great third period. They outscored the Leafs 4-0 to once again break Toronto hearts.

It only took 70 seconds for Torey Krug to tie it with a point blast from Miller off a critical Bergeron faceoff win. He’s money there and in these pressure packed situations. It was no surprise one of the game’s best superstars stepped up with a goal and two assists. Bergeron is my favorite player for a reason.

As if to prove it would not be the Leafs’ night, the Bruins turned a undisciplined Nash retaliation into a four-on-four goal. Once again, it was the super fast DeBrusk who blew through the neutral zone and by Gardiner sending a quick snap shot that eluded Andersen through the five-hole for the series clinching win with 14:35 remaining. Just a unreal individual effort by a young future star who plays like a power forward. No wonder I wish the Rangers could’ve gotten him instead of any draft picks for Nash. The Bruins were never doing it. He’s already a top six forward. DeBrusk had five goals in the series. Amazing production for a young player.

I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the two huge saves Rask made on Kapanen before the comeback. He stoned him pointblank and denied another chance which could’ve put the Leafs up 5-3. The biggest saves of the game. Without them, Boston probably doesn’t win.

With the game still hanging in the balance, David Pastrnak finished off a great passing play from linemates Bergeron and Marchand in front for a 6-4 lead with 8:21 left. When the Boston top line gets on the board, they win. They combined for seven more points to finish with 30 total points in Boston’s four wins in the series. In the three losses, they had no points and went a combined minus-16.

By that point, it was painfully obvious that the Leafs were done. They couldn’t beat Rask in the final period. Even with Auston Matthews finally getting some chances throughout, he continued to struggle. The sophomore only had a goal and assist in the seven games. He’ll no doubt need to improve in future postseasons.

A Marchand empty netter sealed the Bruins win with 51 seconds left. A fitting conclusion considering how hard The Rat works. He had been snake bit the previous two games but was better last night along with Bergeron and Pastrnak.

When it was over, the two teams met at center ice for the game’s greatest tradition. Each player shook hands. A heated rivalry went to Boston again. But at the end of the day, there was mutual respect shown along with great sportsmanship. That’s what makes the hockey playoffs great.

I felt bad for Toronto. Maybe it’s that I’m sentimental towards teams and loyal fan bases who haven’t won in a long time. It must suck for them. No first round wins since ’04. No big runs since ’99 when they lost to the Hasek Sabres in the Conference Final. And of course the gut wrenching classic Western Conference Final loss in seven to the Gretzky Kings in ’93.

Boston now will face Tampa Bay in the Atlantic Division Final. They get two days off to prepare. They’ll need it following a taxing series. Game 1 is Saturday afternoon on NBC at 3 PM.

The second round officially begins tonight. The Caps host the Pens in Game 1 of the same old same old Metro Division Final. I won’t watch a second of it because I don’t believe in the Caps and am sick of the Pens. Maybe me not watching will bring Alexander Ovechkin and Co. some luck. They’ll need it. I don’t think they’re any match for Sidney Crosby, Phil Kessel. Even with Evgeni Malkin missing tonight, I expect the Pens to cruise in five games.

The best match up pits the Golden Knights hosting the Sharks in the Pacific Division Final. I see it being fast and furious with it going back and forth. I’m taking the Knights in seven due to Marc-Andre Fleury.

Posted in NHL Playoffs | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Leafs and Bruins play Game 7 tonight!

Posted on April 25, 2018 by Derek

Of all the series in a lackluster first round, this one has stood out from the rest. A matchup between bitter rivals will require a Game 7 to decide who advances to the second round where the Lightning await.

For the Maple Leafs and Bruins, it’s go time tonight at TD Garden in Boston. Only one team will win while the other has all summer to think about what could’ve been. By coming back from a 3-1 deficit in taking Games 5 and 6, the Leafs have to be feeling really good about themselves. Starting with the brilliant play of netminder Frederik Andersen, they’ve shown tremendous heart to force a deciding game. Facing a hated rival they once choked against, can they finish the job?

For the Bruins, all the pressure is squarely on them. This is a team many felt could make a deep run with a Stanley Cup possible. It was never gonna be easy against the very fast and skilled Leafs. Going in, I felt it would probably be a seven game series with the more experienced Bruins prevailing. However, I didn’t expect Boston to take their foot off the gas pedal. They’ve left the door open for Toronto to pull off a 3-1 comeback for the first time in nearly 80 years in franchise history. They last did it in the 1942 Stanley Cup Final stunning the Red Wings to become one of only four teams to overcome a 3-0 deficit. Twenty eight teams have come back from 3-1 down in NHL history.

Toronto is in this position due to the sensational play of Andersen, who has caught fire. Over the last two games, he’s stopped 84 of 88 shots in both wins to push Boston to a do or die Game 7. In Game 5, he made 42 saves to stave off elimination with many coming (19 saves) in a tilted third that saw the Leafs hang on for a 4-3 victory. He followed it up with 32 big ones in a Game 6 Toronto 3-1 home win at Air Canada Centre before a raucous environment. On a emotional day where the Maple Leafs held a moment of silence for the 10 victims who died along with 15 more pedestrians injured due to being hit by a van in North Toronto on Yonge Street, the Leafs gave their city a reason to smile. Mitch Marner had two points including the game-winner on a nice backhand past Tuukka Rask. Tomas Plekanec sealed it with a empty netter to loud cheers both inside the arena and outside.

The Leafs are here despite Auston Matthews having only a goal and assist with a minus-five rating. Marner has led the way with eight points (2-6-8). The second-year center who flew under the radar entered on fire and has remained that way. Toronto has gotten good series out of Morgan Rielly, James van Rymsdyk, Plekanec, Tyler Bozak along with unlikely source Andreas Johnsson. After being suspended for three games, Nazem Kadri has contributed two assists in two Leafs victories. If Matthews or William Nylander spring to life later, it could be lights out for the Bruins.

Interestingly enough, Boston has gone as their dominant top line has. In the three wins, Brad Marchand, Patrice Bergeron and David Pastrnak have combined for 23 points (6-17-23). In the three losses, they’ve been totally shutdown with no points and a combined minus-16. So, what’s it gonna be for the big line tonight at home? They have missed on a number of chances the last two games. Marchand also was taken off the puck by Plekanec that led to Marner’s winner in Game 6. Don’t forget Bergeron missed Game 5 due to a injury. He returned for Game 6. The number one centerman has five assists but no goals in the series. Pastrnak leads all skaters with 11 points (4-7-11) including a hat trick and three helpers in a blowout win. Marchand has two goals and five helpers.

Torey Krug has led the way on D with eight points while Zdeno Chara has struggled at times with Toronto’s speed. He and Charlie McAvoy haven’t had great series. Outside of Jake Debrusk, Sean Kuraly and David Krejci, Boston hasn’t gotten enough support from key vets Rick Nash and David Backes. Despite creating opportunities on the forecheck, Nash again has been a huge disappointment in the playoffs with just one goal. Backes plays hard like Nash but has two goals. They’re a combined minus-seven.

For reasons only known to coach Bruce Cassidy, talented rookie Ryan Donato has only played one game hardly getting ice time while veteran Tommy Wingels has gotten into three. As mystifying as Boston coughing up a third round pick to play Nick Holden in one playoff game.

It could very well come down to the goalies. Andersen is hot coming in. So, he’s very confident which has to give Toronto a mental edge. Rask is as proven as anyone left in the tournament. But his poor Game 5 hurt his team. He bounced back and played well making 27 saves on 29 shots in Game 6. That included a highlight reel poke check denial on Matthews.

The first goal could have significance. While I don’t put a whole lot of stock in it, I have to believe it’s more important for the Bruins. They don’t want to fall behind and create doubt on home ice. The Leafs have proven they can come back.

It should be exciting theatre. There’s nothing like a Game 7. Especially coming off arguably the best game of these playoffs.

Who will win? Call me a hypocrite or if you’re from Boston, a turncoat. After I had the Bruins not only winning this series but the next two to reach the Cup Final. I just have a feeling about Toronto tonight. This was always the worst matchup for the Bruins and now it’s come true. They have all the pressure.

I’ll even pick a final score.

Leafs 4 Bruins 2

Matthews gets one. So does Kadri. Toronto scores a empty netter to gain a measure of revenge for 2013. The miracle Boston third period comeback from three down with Bergeron tying and winning the series in sudden death. It’s worth noting the Leafs also trailed that series 3-1 before blowing a 4-1 lead in the third of Game 7. I’m going against that historic choke game.

Posted in NHL Playoffs | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Couturier’s hat trick and five points while hurt overshadow Guentzel’s four goals

Posted on April 23, 2018 by Derek

Sometimes, the NHL Playoffs demonstrate how courageous these players are. The level of pain threshold they play through is unreal.

Patrice Bergeron once played with a broken rib and separated shoulder in Game 6 of the 2013 Stanley Cup Final. Even though the Bruins lost the Cup in excruciating fashion to the Blackhawks, Bergeron’s bravery is one that is fondly remembered by hockey fans.

Injuries to Ryan McDonagh, Dan Girardi, Marc Staal and Keith Yandle played a role in a crushing seven game series loss to the Lightning in the 2015 Eastern Conference Final. They all played through the injuries and nearly reached a second straight Stanley Cup Final. The bitter ending still hurts because it was the beginning of the end of that special group.

On Sunday, Sean Couturier played through his own pain. Following a incident at practice when he collided with Radko Gudas, he somehow managed to dress for Games 5 and 6 for the Flyers in a first round series defeat to the hated rival Pens. We didn’t know the extent of the injury until after yesterday’s game that saw the Pens eliminate the Flyers 8-5.

What was known was that Couturier was doubtful for Game 5 at Pittsburgh. But there was the Flyers’ best overall forward on late scoring the game-winner through a maze of players with 1:15 left in regulation to extend the series. It was almost as if it were his destiny to win that game on one good knee.

In a wild and wacky sixth game in Philadelphia, Couturier was remarkable. In what was a crushing loss that turned ugly late due to a few foolish fans who tossed beer on the ice, the Flyers center was brilliant. Somehow, he recorded a hat trick and two assists for a five point game in a tough loss that ended the season. He did it while playing with a torn MCL. Fortunately, it won’t require surgery. He later revealed that if it were in the regular season, he would’ve missed a month.

How well did Couturier play? Try this amazing skill on a mini break with back pressure and little wiggle room. It’s one of the best highlight reel goals I’ve seen given the injury and pressure.

I’ve seen plenty of great goals. I love the way he was able to hold the puck and maneuver it around Matt Murray to his forehand tucking it in with Patric Hornqvist all over him. Wow. Here’s another look at it:

https://twitter.com/barsouthncelly/status/988195403546820608?s=21

The amount of patience, poise and strength it takes to pull off such a move is incredible. Hockey players are special. They can make plays that leave you breathless.

I can only heap praise on Couturier, who just might be the most complete center in the Metro Division. No disrespect to Sidney Crosby, who was his usual brilliant self lighting up his favorite opponent for 13 points in the six game series. But he’ll never be up for the Selke which goes to the top defensive forward. An award Couturier deserves for his brilliant season moving up to center the Flyers top line.

He finished with career bests across the board in goals (31), assists (45), points (76) and plus/minus (34) in all 82 games. The third time he’s played in every game. Couturier missed one game in the first round due to the injury but still managed to lead the Flyers in scoring with five goals and four assists totaling nine points in five games while going plus-one. No other Flyer has over three points with Claude Giroux only having a goal and two assists with a minus-10 rating.

While Couturier’s heroics came in defeat, Pens second year forward Jake Guentzel continued his playoff dominance. He had his first career four goal game with a helper for a five point performance that sparked the Pens in a comeback win.

In a game they once trailed 4-2 late in the second period, the Pens scored the next five goals including the last two of the second. Guentzel set up Hornqvist following a bad Gudas giveaway that led to Crosby feeding Guentzel down low where he dished across for a open Hornqvist that made it 4-3. Before the period concluded, Guentzel scored the first of four straight goals when he deflected in a Olli Maatta point shot with 54 seconds left stunning the Philly crowd.

Guentzel put the Pens ahead for good 30 seconds into the third when he buried a Phil Kessel pass. Following some poor Flyers power plays, he one-timed a perfect Crosby feed past Flyers goalie Michael Neuvirth that gave him a hat trick with 7:12 left for a 6-4 lead. The play was a bit controversial due to Kris Letang getting his stick in the skates of Couturier along the boards which sent him to the ice. The refs made no call due to Letang getting stick on puck. So, there is was no penalty which drew the ire of Flyers fans.

It only got worse when 10 seconds later, he got his sixth for a 7-4 lead. His fourth goal and fifth point giving him 13 in the series. As many as Crosby on a day Evgeni Malkin didn’t play. A special kind of game for a young player who broke the rookie playoff record with 13 goals and 21 points last year helping the Pens repeat.

Of course, as fate would have it Couturier completed his hat trick by getting to a Giroux shot for a rebound goal that made it 7-5 with 2:53 left. But that’s as close as they came. A missed crosscheck with the game and series decided led to a Bryan Rust empty netter to conclude the scoring.

Beer bottles were littered on the ice creating another ugly scene in Philadelphia. No matter how much fans disagree with the officiating, you can’t do that. It was sad because it ruined a great game along with a memorable performance by the injured Couturier. The Flyers fans who stayed till the bitter end saluted their team for the season they gave them.

That’s the problem. The misconception is that all Philly fans are bad. It’s not true. It’s the ugly actions of a few who give them the bad label and poor generalization that’s as bad as anything in this country.

I’ll remember Sunday’s game for two awesome performances by two young players. Couturier the bigger story given what he played with. Inspirational.

Posted in Column, NHL Playoffs | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

HARD HITS: First Round lacking usual bite

Posted on April 22, 2018 by Derek

HARD HITS

By Derek Felix

Normally, the first round of the NHL Playoffs has a couple of riveting series. This year has been lacking that usual bite.

To say it’s been disappointing would be a understatement. While there have still been plenty of highlight reel goals and saves from elite talent, I can’t think of one match up that’s gotten me out of my seat.

With the Lightning eliminating the scrappy Devils on Saturday in five games, that made it four teams already into the second round. Despite Tampa’s ridiculous scoring depth and talent edge, at least it was competitive. Unlike the lopsided sweeps we got in the Pacific with the Golden Knights dominating the Kings and Sharks humiliating the Ducks, the Devils battled hard. They showed up and made the Bolts earn it. Kudos to John Hynes’ club on a superb season that proved no fluke.

As for the Kings and Ducks, the less said the better. Both teams need to undergo serious overhauls. That’s how overmatched they looked against arch rivals.

It also speaks to the cohesiveness and chemistry both Vegas and San Jose have. They toyed with their opponents at times. It’s amazing to think how good the expansion Golden Knights are. A credit to Jack Adams lock Gerard Gallant and his players for buying in. They have a great chance to advance to the Western Conference Final.

With the Knights featuring a balanced offense led by William Karlsson, Jonathan Marchessault, Reilly Smith along with proven netminder Marc-Andre Fleury, they should give the Sharks all they can handle. Logan Couture, Joe Pavelski and Evander Kane lead a potent attack along with Brent Burns in a compelling Pacific Final that pits Martin Jones against Fleury. Hopefully, it won’t disappoint given the skating and quick transition of both teams.

There are still four series left entering Sunday. The Penguins can again close out the Flyers with a win in Philly. At times, the Battle of Pennsylvania has been one sided with Sidney Crosby having his way. It’s astonishing that the Flyers are still alive. They can thank surprise Game Five starter Michael Neuvirth for that along with hero Sean Couturier, who pulled his best Willis Reed by scoring the game-winner with 75 seconds remaining after his status was uncertain due to a bad knee stemming from a injury suffered in practice thanks to Radko Gudas. He’s even injuring teammates.

Winnipeg also easily advanced over the all too predictable Wild who were no match for their high powered offense. Devan Dubnyk did all that he could but finally caved in a embarrassing Game Five that saw the Jets chase him for four goals in the first period en route to a 5-0 shutout. Vezina nominee Connor Hellebuyck’s second consecutive shutout. TMT (Too Much Talent) with Mark Scheifele, Blake Wheeler, Patrik Laine, Paul Stastny, Dustin Byfuglien and a balanced attack doing in the Wild, who couldn’t compete once they lost jinxed high paid forward Zach Parise to another injury. Without Ryan Suter, they were no match.

The Jets have the look of a serious contender. It’s great to see Winnipeg advance past the first round. Even if it’s not the original franchise which is on the way back up in Arizona, they’ve done a great job turning it around since the days of the Thrashers. Paul Maurice doesn’t get enough respect for how good a coach he is.

The interesting subplot is that they’re still waiting for a winner between the top seeded Predators and Avalanche. Colorado extended their Cinderella season by stunning Nashville on late goals by Gabriel Landeskog and Sven Andrighetto to pull out a come from behind 2-1 win to send the series back to Colorado. They did it thanks to the amazing return of The Hamburglar, Andrew Hammond. He only started one game in the NHL this season but in a big spot, stood on his head making 44 saves. If the Nathan MacKinnon Avs can win on home ice later, they’ll force the heavily favored Predators into a pressure packed do or die Game Seven. Who ever would’ve believed that could be possible?

Assuming Nashville does win that series, the big match up awaits with Winnipeg. One with electricity and intensity on both sides. The drawback would be that it’s Round Two. We’ll see if the Preds can deliver the series the NHL needs.

The Maple Leafs finally showed some life going into Boston last night and holding off the Bruins to win 4-3 in Game Five. That means a Game Six in Toronto. Win and they can force a deciding seventh game. That would add exciting theatre to a bland opening round. They can thank Frederik Andersen for bailing them out by making 19 of his 42 saves in a lopsided third period. They got to Tuukka Rask sending him to a early exit by scoring four times on 13 shots. If Auston Matthews can spring to life on home ice, there will be a Game Seven. Just imagine the pressure on Boston in this huge rivalry if it happens.

Hopefully, Columbus can back up John Tortorella’s guarantee after blowing a 2-0 series lead to the resurgent Capitals, who have taken three in a row thanks to Braden Holtby being reinserted by clueless coach Barry Trotz and two overtime wins with Nicklas Backstrom playing the Game Five hero on a unreal redirection of a Dmitry Orlov shot in one heck of a OT.

That’s been by far the best series with four of five games needing sudden death. The Blue Jackets took the first two but the Caps won Games Three and Five with Lars Eller’s bizarre goal that deflected off him and Zach Werenski in double overtime swinging the series. Does Columbus have a answer at home? They can’t really go 0-3 in their own building. This is a franchise that’s never advanced past the first round. It’s up to Artemi Panarin, Cam Atkinson, Thomas Vanek, Pierre-Luc Dubois, a healthy Alex Wennberg along with Werenski, Seth Jones and former Vezina winner Sergei Bobrovsky. They have enough talent. Do they have the heart? We’re about to find out.

Aside from the unusual quiet Round One, you have League partner NBC continuing to screw its own audience with two 3 PM games for a second straight week. I don’t get it. Between this and the other identical 7 PM starts, they have been awful. I’m not talking about the broadcast talent here or studio analysts here. They do their jobs well. Even Mike Milbury, who’s been okay filling in for Ed Olczyk with Doc Emrick. Pierre McGuire is excellent when he’s not on Pens games waxing poetic about Crosby.

It’s hard to fathom why the NHL’s TV partner hasn’t promoted each game more. Marketing has never been the league’s strong suit. Maybe that changes if two bitter rivals go seven in the Eastern Conference. Many fans who don’t have a rooting interest are holding out hope for the Leafs to force a Game Seven against the Bruins. And who wouldn’t love to see the heavy underdog Flyers somehow muster up the energy to take the two-time defending champion Pens seven with all the pressure squarely on Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Phil Kessel, Kris Letang and Company?

It would at least give the first round that added spice it’s lacked.

BODY CHECKS

-What is worse? The fact WFAN hardly aired any Devils games down the exciting stretch including their return to the playoffs or MSG not bothering to do a postgame show following their elimination. Just because they’re not the Rangers doesn’t make it right. I was stunned that MSG did nothing after airing the games that weren’t NBC exclusives. They deserved better treatment.

-One other thing. WFAN is a joke for not cutting away from yesterday’s lengthy Yankees postgame show. They missed the first two periods for silly reports from Suzyn Waldman on Game 19 in April of a 162-game baseball schedule. Utterly ridiculous.

-Even though I took the opposite side on the Nikita Kucherov hit that ended Sami Vatanen’s season, if they suspend Drew Doughty for one game on a similar hit, then the precedent dictates that Kucherov should’ve also gotten a game. There’s no consistency or integrity from the Department of Player Safety. I understand Devils blogger Hasan’s point. And wouldn’t you know it. Kucherov put the final dagger in the Devs’ season with his 10th point.

-I still can’t believe some foolish Bolts fans had the audacity to boo Brian Boyle. Talk about clueless. Boyle is the epitome of class and perseverance personified. He will win the Bill Masterton Trophy for his tremendous fight against cancer, helping inspire and lead the Devils back to the postseason.

-The best studio analyst isn’t on NBC or NBCSN. It’s former Devils great Scott Stevens. The way he breaks down games is great. He really uses a lot of fine details and highlights where some of the defensive breakdowns are that lead to goals. His take on the Kucherov hit was solid. But I liked how he noted Holtby not trusting defenseman John Carlson on a two-on-one to take away the pass on a Matt Calvert shorthanded goal. Had he fully trusted his teammate, Holtby would’ve remained aggressive challenging to take away the angle. Instead, he backed up and gave Calvert enough real estate to score. Don’t forget Stevens coached team defense as a assistant in both New Jersey and Minnesota. He sounds like a future coaching candidate for a vacant job. No. He’s not coming to the Rangers. Can someone retire Larry Brooks already?

-From a Russian article in which he was interviewed, Pavel Buchnevich didn’t have any reaction to Alain Vigneault’s firing. The former third round noted how at times, he was afraid of being benched along with not playing when the team led. It doesn’t paint a rosy picture. Everyone knew the gum chewing coach had to go. He also mishandled Jimmy Vesey. A player who plays a hard nosed game. Under the right coach, he can improve. It would be a mistake to move him.

-I know he’s playing with great players in Kucherov and Steven Stamkos but that J.T. Miller sure makes things happen on the forecheck. It’s kind of nice that he’s no longer benched or taking shifts on the fourth line.

-It was a strange moment when Ryan McDonagh made a great defensive play to clear the zone and pass to Ryan Callahan for the empty net goal that ended that series. Anton Stralman was also out. Considering how hard the Devils social media account trolled Rangers fans on Twitter, a bit of twisted irony that the last two former Blueshirts captains combined to end the Devils season. Funny how that works sometimes.

-In a week, the NHL Draft Lottery will take place up in Toronto. Please let it not be Edmonton.

-The Devils should be in the market for a defenseman and center to aid Taylor Hall. Would John Tavares have interest in moving from Brooklyn to Newark to a more organized team on the right track? What about Jersey native Carlson coming home?

-All those silly rumors of Ilya Kovalchuk to the Rangers, who are rebuilding because it always makes plenty of sense to overpay a aging scorer who hasn’t been in the NHL for a few years.

-If I am Jeff Gorton and there is enough cap room, I would consider going after Evander Kane, who plays with the physical edge and skill that would be perfect. A top two lines featuring Chris Kreider and Kane would be imposing. But that’s only if the Rangers are willing to spend the money. They have quite a few Group II’s with Kevin Hayes, Brady Skjei, Vesey, Ryan Spooner and Vladislav Namestnikov all featured.

-After resigning as coach of the Hurricanes, Bill Peters is expected to be hired as the new Flames coach. I wonder why he left.

-He didn’t have a point in the final two games but Hall proved his career best 39-goal, 93 point season wasn’t a fluke. He definitely bought in.

-I’ve taken to calling Brad Marchand The Rat. He would be proud.

Award Picks:

Norris-Victor Hedman

Vezina-Pekka Rinne

Calder-Mathew Barzal

Selke-Sean Couturier

Byng-William Karlsson

Adams-Gerard Gallant

Masterton-Brian Boyle

Lindsay-Taylor Hall

Hart-Nathan MacKinnon

Posted in Column, Hard Hits | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Your 2017-18 Devils: A team to be proud of

Posted on April 22, 2018 by hasan4978

For the Devils, today’s 3-1 loss to the Lightning in Tampa represents both an end and a beginning.  Of course, the end being that today represents the last game the Devils will play until they open the 2018-19 season next October in Sweden.  Yet, this game also represents a beginning in terms of what will be expected of this organization down the road.  I as a fan can believe this is only the start of bigger and better times ahead (and I do), obviously if GM Ray Shero and coach John Hynes have their way this team will be followed by a better, more mature outfit ready to build off of the strides this organization made during 2017-18.  Hynes perfectly summed up what should be the mentality in a quote I saw just now…’we can be proud, but we can’t be satisfied’.  I’m not up to talking about 2018-19 right now though and speculating about FA signings, departures, trades or what happens with the seventeenth overall draft pick.  That can be saved for the actual start of the offseason once the Stanley Cup is awarded in June since it’s highly unlikely there’ll be major news before then coming out of Newark, plus today’s not about 2018-19 anyway.

I’m not doing a big recap of this afternoon’s game either.  What’s to say, and what does it matter anymore?  Many including me felt today was the eventual, inevitable result against a more talented, seasoned team, particularly once Sami Vatanen went down in Game 4.  Of course we again weren’t helped by the one-sided refereeing which called a couple of very questionable penalties on us while not penalizing the Lightning for the same clutching and grabbing they couldn’t wait to put us in the box for…but I wasted all my rage on that in between yesterday’s blog and my griping watching this game with my friend at a bar uptown.  At least this team went out on its shield and not with a whimper, though it was mostly due to the rejuvanated Cory Schneider who had by far his best game in 2018 this afternoon and at least gave me hope he could again be the caliber of goalie he’d been hyped up as in previous seasons.  Plus once this team went down by two goals at last in the third period after bravely killing off penalty after penalty, they held true to their character not giving up and came back to score an empty netter, nearly tying the game after that.

I’d rather take this final blog of 2017-18 to salute a team that deserves thanks and appreciation for bringing pride back to the crest, not to mention the enjoyment back of watching Devils hockey after years of offensively challenged teams who had more drama off the ice than on it.  Pretty much every member of the organization deserves a stick tap starting with Shero himself, who has tirelessly worked over the last three years to rebuild an organization that hit rock bottom and is the person singularly most responsible for the turnaround.  From trading for guys like Taylor Hall, Kyle Palmieri and Vatanen to improved drafting that brought in guys like Jesper Bratt (not to mention Nico over Nolan) and signing guys from college FA Will Butcher to Masterson nominee Brian Boyle, Shero’s fingerprints are all over this team.  Starting with his hire at head coach Hynes, who was the leader this organization needed this season – holding guys accountable while at the same time showing patience and developing a younger core of players.

Of course the players themselves also deserve their just due.  In goal it was a tale of two seasons for Cory Schneider and Keith Kinkaid.  Without the latter’s 16-3-1 stretch drive run the Devils don’t make the playoffs.  Without the former’s early season play they might not have had the cushion that sustained them through a long period of up and down play, before the season-saving stretch drive.  If Kinkaid showed during the drive to the playoffs he can be a legitimate NHL goalie, then Cory got his chance to prove during the playoffs that he can still be the starter this team will need going forward.

Among the defensemen, it wasn’t always the easiest season for Andy Greene but he perservered through another campaign of handling tough matchups at age 35 and as one of the few Devils who had previously made the playoffs with this organization, this season had to give the captain a tremendous amount of satisfaction and pride.  For Vatanen, many including me viewed him curiously when he arrived in the much-discussed trade for fan favorite Adam Henrique, but he won everyone’s respect by becoming a legit top-pairing D on both sides of the ice this franchise needed.  Butcher had a tremendous season as a rookie and (like the organization as a whole) showed potential for still better things ahead.  Though not always popular with fans given his stay-at-home style, Ben Lovejoy provided more vet leadership that a young D needed.  For Mirco Mueller to come in cold down the stretch and play as well as he did in crucial games was vital.

Up front, it starts with Hall whose ascension from good player to star and Hart candidate this season was a joy to watch and he more than anyone on the ice deserved to feel a moment of accomplishment when he finally made the playoffs for the first time in his career.  Hall’s 2017-18 season will go down among the great seasons in franchise history and the most fun I’ve had watching any single Devil since 2006 Patrik Elias in his spectacular comeback from hepatitis.  Top overall pick Nico Hischier exceeded all reasonable expectations in his first NHL season as an 18-year old, playing every game and more than holding his own against the world’s best hockey players.  Not just that but his demeanor and character show he’s a young man worth eventually being dubbed a franchise player.  Palmieri fought through injuries all year and put up another solid season, showing once again he’s a legitimate first-line wing and character player whose recent long-term extension is well-deserved.  For Travis Zajac (like Greene) it also had to be a tremendous satisfaction in being around for the full cycle of the rebuild after going through all the dark seasons here – and in Zajac’s case personally satisfying to rebound after an offseason injury and a frighteningly slow start, back to being the Travis of old in the second half of the season through the playoffs.

Fellow vet centerman Boyle provided a first-half jolt that compensated for not having Travis return to full strength till later on in the season, and also provided locker room leadership and emotional toughness tested in more ways than one on and off the ice this season for the likely Masterson winner.  Also deserving of praise were role players like Brian Gibbons whose first half showed he can play in the NHL and gave us an early lift,  Stefan Noesen who blossomed into a legit NHL contributor this season, and same thing for his fellow Plato, Texas native Blake Coleman who was one of the biggest surprises on a team full of them this year.  Younger than any of them was Jesper Bratt, who dazzled in the fall – but like most 19-year olds eventually ran out of gas, though he saved one of his best games for his playoff debut this afternoon.  Miles Wood also showed promise in his second year, though he became too tentative after his suspension he still clearly has the tools to be a part of the team’s future.  Deadline arrival Patrick Maroon acclimated to the team surprisingly well and might be offered a deal to stay, depending on what both player and team want this summer.  Finally, Marcus Johansson rebounded from a tough year physically and on the ice to return and showed flashes of being the player Shero traded for this offseason.

Even if today the season didn’t end the way many of us hoped for as a Devils fan, there are still a ton of happy memories that can be looked back on fondly this season (not even counting Elias retirement night which was spectacular on its own).  Just to name a few:

  1. Opening afternoon against Colorado, where the team’s high-octane 4-1 win at the Rock was a harbinger for better things to come and helped power the 9-2 start to the season
  2. Hischier scoring his first two NHL goals in Ottawa, and against former juniors coach Guy Boucher in a wild 5-4 OT win
  3. New Jersey’s wild pre-Thanksgiving 7-5 comeback win over the Blackhawks in Chicago that portended two franchises going in vastly different directions this year
  4. Boyle scoring a poignant, key goal on Hockey Fights Cancer night the day after Thanksgiving in a 3-2 win over the Canucks
  5. Henrique’s return to the Rock which turned out right for everyone involved with the fan favorite getting a well-deserved standing ovation on his return (and a not-so-welcomed breakaway goal) while the home team got a 5-3 win
  6. Boyle again doing a star turn just before Christmas, scoring both the tying goal and shootout winner against the hated Rangers (and one of his former teams) in the middle of a five-game winning streak
  7. Hall being Hall, with one of his first big moments coming from an electric OT winner against the Caps in January that started momentum toward the MVP chants which beame a staple down the stretch at the Rock
  8. Kinkaid coming up big in a mid-February comeback win in a shootout at Philly to stop a four-game losing streak and begin a memorable trek from zero to hero
  9. Most importantly, our 10-2-1 stretch drive starting with that six-game do-or-die West Coast trip that might as well have been called a playoff month since just one more point dropped would have written a very different end for this Devils team
  10. Finally, winning a playoff game at the Rock in front of a raucous, sellout crowd which gave fans and players alike both a taste of what went on here in the past and what can happen here again in the future

In short, there are many things to be thankful for as a Devils fan and many reasons to be hopeful for better times ahead.  For now I’ll just salute one and all, the 2017-18 Devils, a team to be proud of.

Posted in Devils, NHL Playoffs | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Devils must overcome devastating loss on controversial hit to keep season alive

Posted on April 21, 2018 by Derek

Coming off a epic Game Three highlighted by MVP candidate Taylor Hall’s three points in a huge 5-2 victory before a raucous environment at The Prudential Center, the Devils suffered a devastating loss in Game Four to the Lightning on Wednesday in Newark. They fought hard and had plenty of chances but ultimately couldn’t beat Andrei Vasilevskiy when it mattered most in a 3-1 home defeat.

They now find themselves in the unenviable position of trailing the top seeded Lightning three games to one with Game Five today in Tampa. The game is on NBC at 3 PM. For some perplexing reason, the NHL partner scheduled two games at the same time. On the other channel, the Caps will take on the Blue Jackets. The second straight week NBC did this. Why I have no idea.

A feel good story this season, these scrappy Devils who have more than proven they can play with the Bolts, will face playoff elimination in enemy territory. We’re about to find out again if they have the heart and resolve to keep it alive for one more home game. If they can extend the series, anything’s possible.

Right now, it’s going to be a uphill battle. Especially without top defenseman Sami Vatanen, who will not be available due to a controversial hit from Tampa top scorer Nikita Kucherov. There was no penalty on the play. I’ve seen the replay enough times and heard different vantage points. There’s no question Kucherov caught Vatanen in a vulnerable position with the puck in the vicinity. He was turning when Kucherov leveled him with a shoulder hit to upper chest that contacted the head.

Obviously, there’s a lot of variables here. The whole debate on big hits where head contact is made is one of big discussion. Should every hit be viewed the same way? In my humble opinion, absolutely not. Each must be judged carefully and differently. Let’s take a look at the hit in question which didn’t lead to any supplemental discipline:

As former Devils legend and Hall of Fame defenseman Scott Stevens noted on NHL Network, Kucherov caught a turning Vatanen with a shoulder to chest hit knocking him down. You can see that the full extension also caught his jaw and side of the head.

Was it dirty? I don’t believe so. I would say it was borderline. Not all hits are. Some have compared it to the Drew Doughty hit on William Carrier which drew a one game suspension. He was penalized on the play. At the time, I didn’t agree with the one game suspension and still don’t. Both hits are similar. So, I’ll leave that where it is. Why did Doughty get a game and Kucherov nothing? The NHL Department of Player Safety can be very sketchy. How do they determine if there should be supplemental discipline? They didn’t even fine Tampa defenseman Victor Hedman for his spear to Devils rookie Nico Hischier’s crown jewels. Hedman later apologized to Hischier for the dirty play.

It’s almost as if everything has been put under a magnifying glass when it comes to hitting. Open ice hits happen due to the speed of the game. The league is working on eliminating head shots. It’s not a easy job for former pugilist George Parros. It doesn’t seem to matter who’s in charge of league discipline. It remains a thankless position that will leave teams and fans scratching their heads.

Since we’re being objective, let’s take a look at Stevens’ Herculean hit that destroyed Eric Lindros from 2000 in Game Seven of the Eastern Conference Final won by the Devils:

I haven changed my mind on that one either. Lindros had his head down while stick handling through the middle of the ice. Stevens lowered the boom with a wicked shoulder that KO’d Lindros for over a year. When he came back as a Ranger, he was still a point-per-game player until he got his bell rung in a ugly loss at San Jose in late December 2001 when I was moving to Bristol, Connecticut to work for ESPN. Number 88 was never the same afterwards.

One thing that has been brought up by BONY’s own Hasan is intent to injure. He felt strongly that Kucherov was trying to hurt Vatanen, who likely has a concussion. It’s hard to say. Hockey is a full contact sport. So, there are gonna continue to be huge collisions that can cause serious injury. Would any Devils fan who loved Stevens agree that his open ice hits were among the most vicious in the dead puck era? Just ask Ron Francis. A well respected tough in your face, old school defenseman, Stevens put a hurting on prone opponents. He never left his feet on any big hit. They were always clean even if you disagreed. Was he trying to injure players? I can’t definitively answer that. It was a totally different game.

Did Kucherov leave his feet to deliver the blow to Vatanen? It was minimal at best. I wouldn’t say he launched himself. Could it have been a charging minor? Possibly. It wasn’t interference because of where the puck was. Something former Devil turned MSG analyst Ken Daneyko confirmed after looking at a couple of replays. I don’t think it warranted more than a two minute penalty.

Unsuspecting players can get crushed. That’s where the huge debate rages on. When it’s a shoulder or elbow directly to the head, that’s as bad as it gets. If it’s a hit from behind in which the player doesn’t let up such as Toronto’s Nazem Kadri, who’ll be back finally for Game Five tonight in Boston after serving a three game suspension, that’s dangerous.

Hitting has always been part of the game. We saw plenty of it from the Golden Knights in their sweep of the Kings. When even the skilled Lightning are using physicality against the Devils, it explains why the playoffs are way different from the regular season. In order to be successful, you have to have a aggressive mindset. Players are taught to finish checks.

The speed of the game doesn’t help. It’s why there are so many more incidents. Players are bigger and faster. Whether you agree with Hasan’s strong post which is understandable or mine, hitting isn’t going away. Not unless they turn it into the No Hitting League.

I like hitting. The Rangers the last couple of years under recently fired coach Alain Vigneault were a dull, unemotional vanilla team that fans didn’t like. I’m not advocating for the soon to be extinct enforcer or one dimensional fourth liner. Just a tougher team where the skill guys don’t back down.

I don’t have the answer to the league issue. What I do know is the Devils must respond in Game Five today. If that means ratcheting up the intensity, I’m all for it. If they’re to win and save the season, they’ll have to remain disciplined and poised. That means avoiding bad penalties and being the aggressor.

To quote Apollo Creed played by Carl Weathers in Rocky III while training Rocky played by Sylvester Stallone for a championship rematch with Mr. T’s Clubber Lang:

“There is no tomorrow!”

So, it’s up to Cory Schneider, Taylor Hall, Hischier, Kyle Palmieri, Travis Zajac, Andy Greene, Will Butcher and the rest of the Devils to put Game Four behind. They’ll have to be at their best to get the win. We’ll see if they’re up to the challenge.

Posted in Column, Devils | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Devils season on the brink after costly 3-1 loss

Posted on April 20, 2018 by hasan4978

Still a day and a half after the Devils’ critical loss in Game 4, I’m angry. Not angry at the team per se but angry at this joke of a league, and angry at this faux tough guy Lightning team who’ve lost all the respect I had for them as a franchise between the end of Game 3 and the first period of Game 4 with their Flyer-like shenanigans that had very real consequences for the Devils. I still don’t feel like recapping the 3-1 loss that put the Devils season on the brink of ending tomorrow to be honest. What’s the point? I feel like coach John Hynes who was…not exactly vociferous in the postgame Wednesday night.

There isn’t much to recap anyway, the difference in the game was the first period and in more ways than one. I know it’s strange to say in a 2-1 plus empty net goal game but both goalies made a difference – obviously Andrei Vasilevskiy in a positive manner holding the Devils to just one five-on-three goal during their initial surge and Cory Schneider once again in a negative sense. Just minutes after the Devils took the early lead Cory again allowed a short side special that flushed the goodwill he earned Monday back down the toilet along with with the other two goals allowed in the first. Granted, the most egregious goal Cory allowed was actually taken off the board due to the world’s most obvious offsides miss. Which also should have been a harbinger over how poorly an officiated game it was going to be when it takes barely a few seconds to disallow a goal on offsides.

It’s not as if the officials were only messing up one way either, an insanely quick whistle on a bad rebound in the third period prevented another hideous goal off Cory. However the refs were too invested in making the ticky tack call while missing obvious intent to injure penalties on the Lightning in that chippy first period. Culminating in the most controversial play of the night, Nikita Kucherov’s brutal takeout of the Devils’ best D in Sami Vatanen. I don’t care what anyone says about the ‘point of contact’, that was a dirty hit whether the league wants to admit it or not. For the simple reason being Kucherov left his feet before impact and launched himself at Vatanen. I thought he jumped at the time and still think so after replays. I don’t care where he actually hit him, that’s missing the point in this case. That hit was worse than the Drew Doughty play which did garner a one game suspension.

Of course this league being the joke it is there was no penalty called on Kucherov, and no supplemental discipline after the fact. Just like there wasn’t even a fine for Victor Hedman spearing Nico Hischier in the jewels toward the end of Game 3. For a league that professes concern over player safety they have a funny way of showing it. Usually on the NHL’s warped wheel of discipline the fact Vatanen was taken out of the game and probably the series with an obvious concussion would factor in the discipline but evidently not when a Devil is involved. Those Devils vs. the World T-shirts seemed more apt than ever after Game 4.

Predictably the Devils’ transition game and PP both became a tire fire without Vatanen for the game’s final two periods.  Sure we also missed several breakaways but there was a clear difference in the final two periods with both the team and a defeated crowd. A grinding, unhappy loss seemed inevitable after the opening twenty minutes and it came to pass. As much as anything I felt it was a bit unfair the game and the series both likely ended on the same highly questionable hit, it’d be one thing if Tampa outtalented us the way they did the first two games but to have quite possibly the final home game of the season end with a whimper and bitterness seems unfair to a team that rejuvenated interest in the Devils this season.

Yet I know life itself can be unfair at times. Sometimes you just have to shrug and say nothing can be done. Plus who knows, maybe this team which has pulled a number of rabbits out of its hat this year finds at least one more tomorrow afternoon in Tampa, setting up one more home game on Monday where in a worst case at least this team can get a send off it deserves. And in a best case keep the series going even longer and annoy these Slapshot wannabes.

 

Posted in Devils, NHL Playoffs | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Thanks for the memories John Amirante R.I.P.

Posted on April 18, 2018 by Derek

It’s funny the way things can be in life. It was just the other day that I was thinking about John Amirante. How much I missed him. Maybe it’s because there’s no Rangers playoffs this Spring. Or perhaps because of how little the True Blue fans saw him at games since 2015. Ironically enough, the last big run the old core had in them.

We all wanted Johnny to stick around forever. Since 1980, he’s been a fixture at Rangers games, also doubling for the Knicks when he first started at the more fun and less corporate Madison Square Garden.

When I first heard the news that the voice of MSG had passed away yesterday at the age of 83, it was by accident. I had just gotten back to the car from substituting at a nice middle school near Clove Lakes Park in Staten Island. I got a message from a good Twitter friend about her being sad. I wondered why because it’s not like I was on my phone during school hours. I stumbled upon a Facebook status from a loyal diehard fan my age who is as passionate as they come. He didn’t say it directly but the inference was enough to make me realize the wonderful voice who graced Seventh Avenue and 33rd Street was gone. 😢

It’s always sad when you lose someone who felt like part of your extended family. It happened to us last November when a great referee friend of my Dad passed suddenly. He truly was a good man with a keen sense of humor who cared about you if he knew you. Maybe many of us didn’t have that relationship with Mr. Amirante. However, reading some of the stories and tributes to the man are enough to know how great a person he was. A true family person who was professional and unbelievable at what he did before big Rangers games. Who could forget where they were for that memorable June summer night in 1994 when he belted out “Oh Canada” and the Star Spangled Banner with as much emotion as possible in front of the loudest atmosphere I’ve ever seen. That was just watching on TV. Sam Rosen was wowed by the energy of the building recalling how in all his years going to MSG, he’d never seen anything like it. Neither did we.

This was a remarkable performer who was as much part of that ’94 team as the players and coaches. Seeing Adam Graves pen a tribute in Tuesday’s New York Post said plenty about the true admiration and respect they had for Amirante. He still did big events and also some games for charity that Graves, Ron Duguay and other ex-Rangers played in.

The best for me live is Game 6 of the 2014 Eastern Conference Final against the Canadiens when the Rangers closed it out 1-0 to advance to their first Stanley Cup Final in 20 years. That along with a emotional anthem before Game 6 against the Penguins on Mother’s Day following the tragic passing of Martin St. Louis’ Mom France really energized the place.

We were there on that Sunday and the building went nuts, especially when St. Louis scored the game’s first goal. I knew right there there was no way they were losing.

I want to cry and shed tears for a man that was and always will be a true Garden icon. I knew his health was failing. Maybe that’s why I was thinking of him with no playoff hockey at a dim MSG. However, I can’t help but smile and be proud at the kind of a person Amirante was.

He’s in a better place. I’m sure he’s smiling down and belting out those two anthems with the same passion and enthusiasm he did on so many nights. The encouragement near the ending which pumped fans up along with the friendly wave of the playoff towel in recent years. No wonder we loved him. He was and still is one of us.

I’ve always said, “Legends Never Die.” Johnny is a legend who will forever and ever never die. When the 2018-19 season begins, they should do the right thing and play that rendition and hang up his jersey. If Billy Joel can have a banner, then so can our Johnny!

Thank you for all the wonderful years and amazing moments. I’m so glad we were able to see you perform one final time on Jean Ratelle Night. RIP John Amirante 💜😢⭐️

Posted in Battle News, NYRangers | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Devils strike back against Tampa in wild win

Posted on April 17, 2018 by hasan4978

In a Game 3 that had violent swings of momentum – and at the end a little violence on the ice – the Devils once again showed the mettle that powered their drive to the postseason, rallying from two deficits and scoring four unanswered third period goals to gain a vital 5-2 win in front of a sellout crowd at the Rock, getting back into their first-round series after two road losses in Tampa Bay.  While the game’s first star was no surprise (again Taylor Hall after another transcendent multi-point effort), there were plenty of other unexpected heroes last night as well.

It’s hard to know just where to start this recap since there were so many different aspects to last night’s game, so let’s just start at the beginning with some surprising returns to the lineup – one from injured Marcus Johansson, who was finally cleared to play after nearly three months on the shelf following his latest concussion, and another from Cory Schneider who got a shot for redemption after a poor 2018 which led to him only starting two games since March 8 (one of them being the meaningless season finale in Washington).  Keeping true to his word after a dissapointing Game 2, coach John Hynes made multiple changes to the lineup, not only sitting stretch run hero Keith Kinkaid after two games in Tampa where the puck stopped hitting him, but also benching defenseman Mirco Mueller and the dissapointing Michael Grabner – who’s officially a trade deadline bust now and no doubt one of the players Hynes was talking about when he said some guys didn’t deserve to be in the lineup after Game 2.

I wasn’t exactly overjoyed over keeping Ben Lovejoy in the lineup but it’s obvious Hynes feels he can’t do without his veteran presence on the blueline in the postseason, and I already stated my reservations about going with Cory in a must-win game in my last blog.  Beyond those choices, I was even more mystified over inserting Drew Stafford as the twelfth forward.  Not only has Stafford been totally unproductive since the season’s first two weeks but having him in over guys like Brian Gibbons and Jesper Bratt weakened both the penalty kill and overall team speed.  I didn’t exactly have a lot of confidence in those moves after the game’s first 20:42, where the Devils essentially tried to play a road first period instead of trying to take it to the Lightning early and get some momentum with the home crowd ready to rock.  Instead they seemingly played a very cautious game, and their lack of footspeed seemed to be a hinderance early.  After an overall meh first period where they did pick up their play later on, an ill-timed penalty from Andy Greene doomed the Devils to an early second-period deficit when once again the PK was victimized, this time from an Alex Killorn deflection.

Despite this team’s resilience all year I really thought they bought the farm after Killorn’s goal, the Lightning had completely taken the crowd out of the game and a veteran team with playoff experience looked like they were squeezing the life out of the Devils as well.  Ironically enough, it was one of our few good penalty kills of the series that finally turned the tide midway through the period after John Moore again was a total rockhead, committing a high-stick penalty following a turnover.  An inspired kill led by Blake Coleman (who had a goal disallowed after checking a Lightning defender into goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy) got some needed momentum back and it was – who else? – Hall that capitalized on the next even strength shift, one-timing a deflected Brian Boyle pass past Vasilevskiy and looking to the sky with the same sense of relief that most Devil fans were no doubt feeling all while celebrating the goal.

Of course there was still a long way to go before the Devils got out of the woods completely.  In a game dominated by special teams (with a total of twelve power plays and one four-on-four nearly taking up half the sixty minutes) it was yet another late penalty in a period, this time from Coleman which once again proved costly early in the third after Steven Stamkos got open for a patented wrister from the faceoff circle.  Despite being in position for it, the puck squirted through Cory for what again looked like a killer third period goal.  It does need to be said that Cory’s 27 saves in the first two periods held the team in the game during those tense moments, it was perhaps unfair that I was annoyed with him after not getting that one but also indiciative of the tenseness of the situation and the lack of equity Cory had after his poor play could have kept us out of the playoffs.  I was envisioning another hard-luck 2-1 or 3-1 loss that would confirm the black cloud that’s hung over Cory as a Devil.

If our own PK has been awful throughout the series, our power play has been nearly as bad and the insertion into the lineup of Stafford (who played over five minutes on the man advantage) didn’t help one iota as the Devils failed to convert on their six normal power plays.  However, back to back penalties on the Lightning early in the third gave the Devils a golden opportunity to take momentum back on a minute-long 5-on-3, which they did with a Will Butcher blast from the blueline tying the game and getting the crowd rocking again.  Then midway through the third period came a potentially decisive moment when Schneider cramped up during a seemingly innocuous rush but despite being down and nearly out, he still made a pair of critical saves during that sequence as the Lightning’s failure to put the puck in the net there would prove costly to them later on.  As did their inability to put pressure on Cory afterward, when the goalie stayed in despite clearly being in pain from the cramps.

New Jersey played its best single period of the series in the third, outshooting the Lightning 20-8 and got Cory’s back after he had theirs for much of the night.  Still needing a goal to get out in front, it was once again Hall with the big play, this time feeding Stefan Noesen whose one-timer somehow beat Vasilevskiy from beyond the faceoff circle on a sharp angle.  My thought was it looked like one of those one-timers you would score on in NHL94 (the video game).  However it went in, Noesen’s goal at 12:55 proved to be the game-winner and yet another crucial goal the unheralded third-liner’s scored this season.  Despite playing a solid, emotional third period there was bound to be late drama and a rare bad penalty from Hall gave the Lightning one last power play chance to potentially stick it to us.

I was surprised Bolts coach Jon Cooper didn’t pull Vasilevsky and try to set up a 6-on-4 sooner than he did.  Despite the risk of having an empty net without icing coming into play I figured they’d try to put pressure on our normally laughable empty net defense.  Still, maybe the Devils just weren’t going to be denied in the third period last night no matter what Cooper did, and fittingly it was Coleman – one of the four best Devils on the night – whose clear had eyes and was just hard enough to get to the empty net for the clincher with fifty-eight seconds remaining.  Cooper left the net empty long enough for us to get an even more improbable goal, from Lovejoy nearly 200 feet away from the net, when his clear somehow stayed true and made the score a flattering 5-2.

Even that goal didn’t end the action on the night though, as a melee broke out mostly from the Lightning acting like faux tough guys the way they did for much of the third period when they committed a string of chippy penalties and one more egregious one that wasn’t even called – when defenseman Victor Hedman speared prized rookie Nico Hischier in the…jewels.  All the general chippiness and typical postseason sore loser goonery culminated in no fewer than ten misconduct penalties – five for each team – and an epic verbal punking from Boyle of Lightning defenseman Mikhail Sergachev as both were being escorted off the premises.  It was all over but the shouting at that point, and a celebration six years in the waiting – as the Devils’ last playoff win came in Game 5 of the 2012 Stanley Cup Finals against the Kings, seemingly another lifetime ago.

Yet it wasn’t another lifetime ago for Travis Zajac, one of the two remaining holdovers from that team, who deserves special notice for his game last night.  In a must-win situation, Zajac played a team-high 24:23, including a whopping 12:50 in special teams time (playing nearly eight of those minutes on the power play and the rest shorthanded).  Not only did his line shut down the formidable Lightning contingent at even strength but Zajac also wound up a +2 and did exceptional work in the faceoff dot, winning 23 of 34 faceoffs.  Both numbers are astonishing for any game, much less an NHL playoff regulation game.  When I referred to the four best Devils last night, I was referring to Hall, Schneider, Zajac and Coleman – though the latter two weren’t named stars (Noesen got the third star for scoring the winner), all four were vital to the team’s success in Game 3, and you need those kind of contributions come postseason, both from your veteran leaders and from gritty role players like Coleman.

While some of the pressure’s off now after avoiding the first sweep in franchise history,  things will only go from tense to intense in Game 4.  If the Devils are to even this series up heading back to Tampa they’re going to need Cory to be healthy and just as on point as he was in Game 3.  Ideally the Devils are going to have to shut down the deadly Tampa power play at some point if they want to stay in the series.  Giving up five PP goals in three games is a recipe for disaster against an offense that can turn it on at any moment, but at least we improved at even strength in Game 3, giving up zero 5-on-5 goals after giving up three in Games 1 and 2 each.  While I doubt Hynes makes any lineup changes off a win, he’s really going to have to figure out how to solve the Lightning PP – if that means taking Stafford or one of the other fourth liners out (Stafford, Boyle and Miles Wood each played less than six minutes at even strength) for someone that can help the PK or just making tactical changes.

Posted in Devils, NHL Playoffs | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Hard Hits: Golden Knights are for real

Posted on April 15, 2018 by Derek

In its amazing inaugural season that included a Pacific Division crown and 109 points, the Vegas Golden Knights are continuing to prove they’re for real in the NHL Playoffs.

Playing a experienced and tough opponent with a championship pedigree in the Kings, they have been up to the challenge so far. In winning the first two postseason games on a electric home ice unlike no other at T-Mobile Arena, these Knights don’t back down from anything.

Nothing seems to intimidate Jack Adams lock Gerard Gallant’s cohesive team that plays like one functioning unit. All year, they’ve played a aggressive style utilizing speed, skill with grit to put opponents on the defensive. Their transition makes teams uncomfortable.

That’s been the case so far against natural rival Los Angeles. While the Kings boast the best player up front and on the blueline in the best-of-seven first round series, they’ve been unable to match the Golden Knights. They can’t keep up.

It hasn’t even mattered that former Conn Smythe winner Jonathan Quick has played remarkably. In the two games, he’s allowed only three goals on 84 shots. In Game 2, he was sensational throughout stopping 54 of 56 shots in a gut wrenching 2-1 loss in double overtime. He was beaten once in regulation by Alexander Tuch on a unlucky bounce off the back boards for a rebound.

Sudden death was just as lopsided with the Knights outshooting the Kings 23-10. LA’s chances were minimal with a couple of near misses from Anze Kopitar. The star centerman who doesn’t have a point with Game 3 critical Sunday night when the series shifts to Hollywood. Along with Jeff Carter, Dustin Brown, Tyler Toffoli and Tanner Pearson, the Kings’ best players have to get going. They will get perennial former Norris winning defenseman Drew Doughty back after a bogus suspension for a hit on Knights’ spark plug William Carrier. It wasn’t a direct headshot with Doughty going shoulder to shoulder on a tough hit that cut Carrier, who was his rugged self finishing checks for a game high 11 hits in Game 2.

When one looks at the speed and tenacity these Golden Knights play with on both sides of the puck, they don’t give you much room to breathe. It helps explain why the Kings have had a tough time establishing a consistent forecheck. Their best period was the third the other night following defenseman Paul LaDue’s first career postseason goal late in the second that tied it.

They had eight shots on Marc-Andre Fleury, who has shown his own championship big game experience. The former Pen who’s won three Stanley Cups has just given up one goal on 60 shots in eight periods to the Kings. He hasn’t faced the same volume or degree of difficulty as Quick. In fact, the Knights out-attempted the Kings 111-68 on Friday. They outshot them 56-30. Vegas had 55 attempts that never reached the net with LA selling out to block 35 shots. They also missed on another 20.

The overtime winner from Golden Knight hero Erik Haula was a perfectly executed play by veteran James Neal. A former teammate with Fleury on the Pens, Neal took a Shea Theodore pass and drew three Kings before moving the puck to a trailing Haula, who broke in one on one against Quick. He was able to make a nice fake going with a deke before just tucking the puck around Quick’s aggressive poke check at 95:23 of the second overtime.

That’s the kind of year it’s been for those fancy Knights in those cool dark jerseys with the ultra cool Knight logo. Even though I picked the more proven Kings in this series, I knew Vegas had a good chance. They’re a very good team with excellent chemistry. Well coached by Gallant, they suffocate opponents by limiting their time and space.

There’s nothing fake about them. They execute it to perfection. Even in tight checking, low scoring games, they’ve prevailed 1-0 and 2-1 to put themselves in good position to advance to the second round. It’ll take a Herculean effort from the Kings, who are without D Jake Muzzin and Derek Forbort. The Knights don’t have leading assist man David Perron.

Vegas will continue to play aggressively using their greatest asset. Their speed to make things difficult on LA. They will continue to hit whenever they get a chance. After the teams combined for 127 in Game One favoring the Kings 68-59, they totaled 136 with LA holding a 80-56 edge in Game Two.

Basically, that means the Knights had more puck possession which would explain the lopsided shot totals and attempts. They were far more dangerous forcing Quick into difficult saves. He played as well as he could, eerily reminding of 2012 and ’14 when he helped lead the Kings to two Cups. He’s a big game goalie like Fleury, who’s won 404 games on his way to the Hockey Hall Of Fame. Quick leads the Kings franchise in wins (293), games played (556), shutouts (49) and losses (195). He’s also first in shots against (14,759), saves (13,526), save percentage (.916) and goals-against-average (2.28).

None of this is a revelation. It’s a tribute to two great netminders who are in a epic battle where goals are hard to come by. Unless the Kings figure out a way to find the offense needed to get to Fleury, they can’t win. Not even with Quick.

The scary aspect is William Karlsson doesn’t have a point either for the Golden Knights. Who will hit the score sheet first? Him or Kopitar. It might not matter due to the Knights’ superior depth.

BODY CHECKS

-The NHL Department of Player Safety is batting .500 so far. They were wrong to suspend Doughty for a game. However, they made Leafs center Nazem Kadri pay for this reckless hit from behind in Game One against the Bruins.

He got three games which hasn’t helped Toronto one bit. They find themselves in a 0-2 hole.

-I’ve said how much I love that Bruins top line of the rat Brad Marchand, Patrice Bergeron and emerging star David “Pasta” Pastrnak. After doing a good number in a 5-1 win in Game One, they absolutely destroyed the Leafs in a 7-3 Game Two humiliation at TD Garden. How impressive was the best line in hockey? They combined for 14 points (3-11-14) highlighted by a Pastrnak six-point effort that included a hat trick with the pasta 🍝 man finishing it in style.

-Pastrnak’s nine points through two games tied former Bruin and Hall of Famer Phil Esposito for the most points in NHL history.

-If you could choose one goal of these playoffs only four days in, which is it?

A.Sidney Crosby’s baseball bat backhand connection on a knuckle puck en route to a natural hat trick in the Pens’ 7-0 win in Game One over the Flyers.

B.Filip Forsberg’s between the legs of Samuel Girard and ridiculous finish in Nashville’s 5-2 win in Game One over the Avalanche.

C.Artemi “The Magician” Panarin’s unreal toe drag around Dmitry Orlov for a sweet finish top shelf to beat the Capitals in sudden death for the Blue Jackets’ come from behind 4-3 win in Game One.

D.Avalanche superstar Nathan MacKinnon’s filthy backhand goal during a brilliant rush past Pekka Rinne Saturday in a tough 5-4 loss in Game Two at Nashville.

E.Evgeni Malkin’s one on three blow by out of the penalty box beating Flyers goalie Brian Elliott with a sick backhand in Game One for the Pens.

Honorable Mentions:

-Pastrnak’s sweet finish to the backhand from Marchand to complete his hat trick on Saturday.

-Sean Couturier’s no look behind the back feed for a Claude Giroux power play goal in the Flyers’ 5-1 win in Game Two over the Pens.

-Patrik Laine’s rocket 🚀 one-time slap shot top shelf by Devan Dubnyk in Winnipeg’s 4-1 win in Game Two over the Wild.

-Evander Kane’s backhand deke and tuck past John Gibson for his second goal in the Sharks’ 3-0 Game One shutout of the Ducks.

-Travis Konecny’s strong power move and finish upstairs on a mini break past Matt Murray in Game Two for the Flyers.

-There’s probably more. That’s the great part about the hockey playoffs. Players raise their level.

-Winnipeg has so dominated Minnesota that they look like the best West team. While Nashville has struggled so far to put together a complete 60 minutes against the surprising Avalanche, the Jets are busy attacking the Wild all over the ice with physicality, puck possession, shots and a overlooked defense that’s made life easy so far on Vezina candidate Connor Hellebuyck.

-The Jets possess elite scorers Blake Wheeler, Laine, Nikolaj Ehlers, Mark Scheifele, Paul Stastny and 31-goal rookie Kyle Connor. They’re a very scary team who also features twin towers Dustin Byfuglien and Tyler Myers on the back end. Both of who can contribute on offense with top heavy shots and bang around opponents with physicality.

-If form holds with both the Predators and Jets up 2-0 in their first round series, they’ll face each other in a electrifying second round that would be similar to Caps vs Pens in past years. That’s the one downfall of the divisional playoff format because sometimes, fans get the best match up in Round 2 instead of the Conference Finals. Three points is all that separated the bitter rivals during the season.

-As much as I enjoy natural rivalries, I believe they should reseed. That would reward the best teams for the regular season.

-From the non-PR department. How can NBC explain having two games at 3 PM on a Saturday? It makes no sense. While you had the Devils and Lightning on NBC, the Avalanche and Predators were playing on CNBC at the same time. So much for logic prevailing. This is the NHL’s partner. At least ABC/ESPN gets it right in the NBA scheduling four games in a row at different time slots. Are you listening Gary?

-I also didn’t understand the Flyers and Pens at the same time as the Wild and Jets during the week. Is it so difficult to move the other game to half an hour later? At least that way fans aren’t channel flipping back and forth. It’s hard to keep track of two games when they’re both scheduled at identical times.

-I know it’s not the way they envisioned starting their first round series against the Lightning. But if the Devils can avoid the penalty box and stay disciplined, they have a chance to come back and win Game 3 in Newark. That requires playing the lethal Bolts at five-on-five and not having any brain cramps. They don’t need many chances to score.

-I didn’t realize the Devils defense had suddenly morphed into the Rangers under former coach Alain Vigneault. Where the motto was vacate the front of the net and let Henrik Lundqvist fend for himself. Could anyone really blame folk hero Keith Kinkaid for the mess his team left him?

-I also don’t advocate playing only 11 forwards and seven defensemen in any playoff game. See how well that worked for AV against the same Lightning in 2015. You need to roll four lines and believe in your best six guys on D. Hasan is 100 percent right in his post.

-For as much as they made the Flyers look like amateurs in Game One, the Pens didn’t play as good as they would have you believe in the 5-1 loss in Game Two. They may have outshot the Flyers 35-20 and out-attempted them by a significant margin but Philadelphia showed up ready to play. Not only getting big stops from Elliott but taking advantage of a loss of discipline from Pittsburgh. You betcha Game Three at 3 EST today is a huge game for the two-time defending champs. They’ll be in enemy territory. They’re still heavy favorites to win this series. They don’t want to make it harder than it has to be. Especially with a shot at history.

-There’s never been a better player than Crosby when it comes to hand eye coordination. You can take whoever you want. Nobody has ever done it better than the supremely skilled Sid The Kid on deflecting pucks for goals. He’s amazing.

-It was brought to my attention that former Rangers coach and current Columbus bench boss John Tortorella looks like a rat man by buddy John “JPG” Giagnorio. He might have a point.

https://twitter.com/barsouthncelly/status/980229423789043713?s=21

Is that you Splinter?!?! I’ve never seen him smile like that ever at a fan during a game. Maybe he has lightened up. His team has a chance to make franchise history. The Blue Jackets have never advanced out of the first round.

-There’s a lot of pressure on the Caps in that series. Lose tonight and they go down two games to a much improved Columbus team that’s been very different since adding Thomas Vanek and Ian Cole at the deadline.

-I’m still trying to locate Alexander Ovechkin and Nicklas Backstrom.

-The Blackhawks had to dump salary and gave up Panarin for former Cup hero Brandon Saad in a four player deal last summer involving picks. How did that work out?

-Congrats to longtime Bruins national anthem singer Rene Rancourt on his retirement after 40 years. There’s still some games left if the B’s make a run. The king of the fist pump!

-I know I’m not alone. I sure am gonna miss Stan Fischler. I was so privileged to intern and get to know The Maven. What a character. He’s still telling jokes making us laugh. Congrats on your retirement!

-If I’m the Rangers and it largely depends on GM Jeff Gorton’s summer plans, I would consider going after Evander Kane. He brings all the missing ingredients they need. Imagine him and future captain Chris Kreider on the same roster. If they have the cap space, would they consider it? The goal is to be competitive as long as Henrik Lundqvist is still around. First, they must choose a coach. Take your time.

-I never understood why the Islanders weren’t open to trading John Tavares. Mathew Barzal is a better player to build around. Don’t forget. Kieffer Bellows is on the way. They really are betting on the dynamic duo of Garth Snow and Doug Weight this July. Their bigger need is a top flight defenseman. Sure makes sense to tie up Tavares for another eight years while failing to address the real weakness.

-I really enjoyed playoff hockey without every game on NBC or NBCSN.

-If you haven’t already, please contribute whatever you can to the Humboldt Broncos. A heartbreaking tragedy that’s brought the hockey community together. I donated. Stick taps for all the families with a heavy heart. Over $11 million has been raised. That’s amazing! 🏒💜😢

Posted in Column, Hard Hits, NHL Playoffs | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment