Devils on the brink of postseason after rare demolition of Rangers

Posted on April 4, 2018 by hasan4978

If this Devils season has been a refreshing change from recent years of hopeless ineptitude and boring hockey, last night at the Rock was even a step above that – it was reminiscent of the glory days with a playoff atmosphere on the ice and in the stands.  Arguably the Devils played their biggest game at the Prudential Center since the 2012 playoffs, and came up with their biggest win since Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals – also against the Rangers.  Of course, much has changed since May 25 almost six years ago…specifically 90% of the roster and 100% of management/ownership.  Six years is a longer time in life than in hockey but with all the off-ice drama and angst it seems like it’s taken longer than six years to get back to the brink of the promised land of the postseason.

Amazingly enough, the only drama at the arena yesterday was focused on the out-of-town scoreboard where the Islanders bumped off the Flyers in a wild game that put the Devils ahead of Philly for the moment, while the Blue Jackets came from 4-1 back to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat and prevent us from passing them in the standings too.  Of course the big game everyone was primarily focused on did not go our way as pro’s pro Roberto Luongo revived the Panthers’ season with a big-time 40+ save performance against the Predators and prevented a Devils clinch for at least two more nights.  Thankfully, the Devils’ easy 5-2 win on Tuesday ensured that they no longer should need to concern themselves with the OOT board.  One win of any kind in their last two games and the Devils are in the postseason at last, no questions asked.

If clinching yesterday against the Rangers after the nadir of Fan Depreciation Day against them three years ago would have been a sweet 180 degree turn of fortune, clinching tomorrow against Lou Lamoriello’s Leafs would be the height of irony.  Predictably, the Leafs plan to run out their first-string lineup tomorrow despite the fact the game means zero to them in the standings, being locked into the #3 seed in the Atlantic and a road matchup with either Boston or Tampa Bay in the first round.  As much as I hoped maybe the Leafs would rest a few guys, deep down I knew Lou and team president Brendan Shanahan didn’t exactly want to make it easy for us.  Say what you want about Lou’s departure from the Devils three years ago but he was basically fired, and in some ways probably feels like he got the last laugh landing in Toronto and making the playoffs for a second straight year with a young, up-and-coming team while the Devils are still – for the moment – on the outside looking in of the postseason.

Still you could sense at least the beginnings of a change at the Rock last night.  Not a change back into being relevant – that’s already happened, but rather a realization that maybe, just maybe this year is only the start of something special building and not just some fluke one-off year or even an elaborate setup for a dramatic last-minute rug pull out from under us (like say, the 2016 Jets who won a string of wild games down the stretch in the most un-Jet like clutch fashion only to come a cropper in the season finale once again).  Sure part of me’s still paranoid over that worst-case scenario especially the longer the Panthers refuse to die, but really last night the Devils looked like a team that wasn’t going to be denied.  And more strikingly, Taylor Hall looked like he wasn’t going to be denied a chance to finally shine in the postseason.  His already strong Hart credentials seemingly get better by the game with his best performance as a Devil last night, electrifying the crowd with two goals and two assists including a sensational penalty shot that salted the game away at 5-1 late in the second period and blew the roof off the Rock with more, and louder MVP chants than before.

There’s nothing left to say about Hall that hasn’t already been said.  Sure, there are other strong candidates for the Hart but if the voters don’t recognize his impact on this Devils team it’ll go down in team history alongside Scott Stevens being denied the ’93-94 Norris trophy despite an eye-popping season of 78 points and a +53 and Martin Brodeur being stiffed out of the 2003 Conn Smythe trophy as just another memorable individual award diss of a Devil by a biased hockey establishment.  Guess that would also be a reminder of the glory days too.  Despite missing five games, Hall has a very real chance now to set a Devils team record for points in a season, sitting at 93 just three points behind Patrik Elias’s outstanding 2000-01 season total of 96.

Despite Hall’s virtuouso performance, credit needs to go to a lot of different places assuming the Devils finish this 2017-18 regular season off the way it needs to be finished off.  Around the NHL, Nico Hischier is starting to get more attention for his stellar rookie season with 51 points and his two-way game, with coach John Hynes offering high praise saying his defensive play was as good as Travis Zajac’s.  If it wasn’t for the sensational Matt Barzal (who’s in his second post-draft year unlike Nico), the precocious Devil would be a front-runner for the Calder.  Drafting in under the steady Nico and the fast-starting Jesper Bratt, defenseman Will Butcher has been underrated for most of the season but having 44 points as a rookie defenseman in the NHL is nothing to sneeze at either and his two goals last night was a welcome sight.  Nor has he been the anticipated trainwreck defensively that guys who’ve had more experience than him have been at times (coughSeversonMoorecough).

I could go on and on about other guys like Kyle Palmieri – who clearly saved the season with his own virtuoso game last Tuesday, and also went full warrior mode by getting his own flight to Montreal for the game on Sunday after sustaining a scary cut just below his eye, refusing to miss a game even after the team initially left him back in Newark.  If you want to talk about veteran leadership there’s Brian Boyle and Ben Lovejoy, among others.  Sami Vatanen’s been a revelation as a first-pairing defenseman since being traded here from Anaheim, Mirco Mueller’s had a career revival since getting back into the lineup.  Others like Blake Coleman, Brian Gibbons and Stefan Noesen have provided grit and a surprising amount of scoring from the back lines.  You could say the same about Miles Wood too except that his game’s fallen off a bit since his suspension and last night both he and Pavel Zacha had scary bad turnovers that led to the only Ranger goals of the night.  Clearly guys like Zajac and captain Andy Greene deserve credit for being the lone stablizing forces in these last few years of tumult.  Even a guy like Patrick Maroon’s chipped in since his deadline-day trade from Edmonton.

Among the non-Hall players though, one has stood out the last two months – a most unlikely hero in goalie Keith Kinkaid.  His contribution can’t be overstated, especially coming as it has after the complete implosion of starting goalie Cory Schneider, and with Kinkaid getting off to his own scary bad start to the season.  Despite getting some fortunate wins Kinkaid really wasn’t playing all that well till early February.  Since then however, he’s been a new and improved goaltender – giving us the stabilazation in net we were supposed to have gotten from Cory and saving a season that could well have tettered on the brink of collapse even with Hall and company.  His numbers over the last two months in crunchtime are astonishing for anyone much less an undrafted career backup:

Kinkaid since February 3: 15-3-1 2.39 GAA .927 Spct

Consider that the Devils have a five-point lead on a playoff spot as of now…Kinkaid even going a decent 12-6-1 would have put us in an extremely precarious spot leaving us a point behind with one less game to play than the Panthers.  While Cory’s lost every game in 2018, Keith’s picked up the slack by winning darn near every game and has provided one of the most unlikely late-season goalie success stories this side of the Hamburglar’s run in Ottawa a couple seasons ago.  Unlike Andrew Hammond though, Kinkaid at least had somewhat established himself as a run of the mill backup before suddenly turning into Patrik Roy, Dominik Hasek and Brodeur all into one for a magical two-month stretch.  Still, given Kinkaid’s unsightly splits for the first three months of the season nobody could say they saw this coming.

There’s no more question over who the starting goalie for the rest of the season is or should be.  Keith’s earned the net.  Questions over what happens next year after the dust settles and you still have Cory inked to four more years at $6 million per are left for another day.  Right now we can just be thankful we have Keith, Hall, Nico and everyone else that’s made the first 80 games of 2017-18 a special ride.  But for its place to be cemented in Devil history as one of the most fun and meaningful regular seasons ever, the team needs to finish it off – preferably Thursday at home in front of another sellout crowd who’ll be amped to see a potential playoff clincher.  Clearly 2018 isn’t 2008 where playoff clinchers were met with a collective yawn and hibernation till April.

Perhaps the only regular seasons more meaningful than this one – should it finish in a playoff berth – in Devils history are 1987-88 (the Cinderella run to respectability) and 1993-94 (the beginnings of a dominant team).  As a fan and season ticket holder, 2008-09 was also a lot of fun with the unexpected success of AHL goaltender Scott Clemmensen keeping the team afloat and thriving while the previously indestructible Brodeur was on the shelf for four months.  Not to mention Brodeur returning and setting the all-time record for wins on the same transcendent night Patrik Elias set the team record for points.  In the end though, I don’t look on that season back nearly as fondly as I should, because of the ghastly playoff end that overshadowed it.  Much like missing the postseason somehow would overshadow what’s been a fun – albeit at times exacerbating – regular season.

To truly make this a special season, this team needs to finish the job and drop the hammer.  Don’t wait for the Panthers to lose…get it done yourselves tomorrow night on Fan Appreciation Day with a crowd ready to explode against a team that while talented still won’t have much to play for.  GET IT DONE.

Posted in Battle Of Hudson, Devils, NY Rangers | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

A Telling Quote from Kreider on Devils

Posted on April 4, 2018 by Derek

It’s always interesting to hear what players say following losses. The Rangers are playing out the string with two games left at the Islanders tomorrow and at the Flyers Saturday.

After yesterday’s 5-2 embarrassment at the hands of MVP candidate Taylor Hall and the playoff bound Devils, Chris Kreider had a telling quote on the close Hudson rival that’s turned the tables. One which should sink in.

When you have one of your emerging team leaders praising the Devils by indicating how well coached they are, that speaks volumes about the current situation on Broadway. He’s far from alone.

If they don’t fire Alain Vigneault a day after it ends, something is very wrong.

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Way to kick us while we’re down

Posted on April 4, 2018 by Derek

I didn’t watch tonight’s game. I didn’t have to. Anyone with a brain knew the Wolf Pack had no chance against the Devils who are going to the playoffs no matter how inept Toronto is. If you don’t know what I’m talking about, so yeah. You’re better off. The NHL is a total embarrassment.

As big a fan as I am, I can decide when enough’s enough. The Rangers are fielding a AHL team with Jesper Fast done for the remainder and Mats Zuccarello likely too. So, they’re even worse than the outfit that got annihilated by the Tampa Blueshirts last Friday.

Since it is my week off and I haven’t been feeling well which doesn’t have much to do with the weather, I didn’t bother to put on the game. Why would any Ranger fan watch that crap? I believe in torment to a point but not in Game 80 against the arrogant Hudson rival that’s been waiting to kick us while we’re down.

This has nothing to do with the players on the Devils. I like and respect them. They’ve done the same thing we did in ’05-06 when the same biased media wrote our team off. Driven teams who are together feed off that and use it as a tool. Kudos to Jersey on accomplishing what they have. They kicked the Rangers’ ass all over Newark. The final score read Devils 5, Rangers 2. But it was never competitive. They could easily have ran it up and really humiliated them if they wanted to. A tip of the cap to John Hynes.

There’s something to be said for professionalism when you represent a organization. I don’t care who you are. If you’re employed by one, you should handle yourself a certain way. That certainly applies to the National Hockey League. In all my years on social media, I’ve seen plenty of things that went over the top. There have been worse instances.

Whoever runs the New Jersey Devils Twitter account should lose their job. Funny enough, I’ve taken some good natured ribbing by my Devil friends Online. They’ve coined the phrase that the official Devils account used after MVP Taylor Hart Hall whipped a penalty shot past a frozen Henrik Lundqvist. It was his second of the game (39th overall) and fourth point of the game. I was following the action on Twitter. So, after the friendly banter of, “What Time Is It?,” from both Rob and Chris in our Facebook chat, I made a startling discovery in a Tweet that was a lot more low class from a professional team who obviously may as well be run by a troll with no regard for anything.

https://twitter.com/njdevils/status/981330006738657281?s=21

The whole joke is something I’ve heard from Rob and Chris plenty of times. Especially the last couple of years when it comes to our egomaniac of a goalie. He can be but MSG will never go there. Lundqvist is more professional off the ice. He sits at his locker after every win or loss. There have been a lot more humiliating losses this year. He’s not the same goalie. How can he be? So, the Devils went there adding fuel to the fire that is the rivalry. Only they poured gasoline on it with more.

https://twitter.com/njdevils/status/981341730611105792?s=21

I don’t know what they were going for other than the obvious button push. I know plenty of Devils fans here and through Twitter. They’re nice. I will lend support to their team in the first round. Especially if they get the Pens and the crier. They have a likable team that’s easy to root for. Hall is up to 93 points. I predicted he would go for five points in a 6-1 rout. I was not far off. He needs four points to pass Patrik Elias’ single season record of 96 points set in ’00-01. I hope he gets it.

https://twitter.com/njdevils/status/981333645133836290?s=21

I don’t know if it’s good to be so self absorbed with our team. Do we matter that much? Are we really that important? It’s a rivalry. I get it. I don’t remember our social media account making any controversial tweets the last six years to tweak the Devil side. That’s because the Rangers don’t do it. I’ll admit their account can be a little boring. They don’t interact with fans much. I don’t know if it’s a Dolan mandate. But their reporters are very buttoned up.

My favorite MSG reporter is Steve Valiquette because he actually will respond occasionally to tweets and like ones. He even followed me. He also doesn’t pull any punches. He has a personality. I wish more did. Amanda Borges does too but she’s not going to show it on Twitter. Maybe she’s being watched or is careful. She’s very good at her job. I hope she’s back for a third year.

The Devils employees are more interactive. Maybe it’s a Jersey thing as one of my followers told me tongue in cheek. I have a very good relationship with our followers probably because I’m level headed and don’t lack humor or decency. I recognize that it’s a good thing the Devils will be in the playoffs. Even with the Rangers at the other end of the spectrum.

I find it strange that it was the other way around last year and for five others. But not a peep out of the Devils Twitter. I believe when you’re good, you win with class. Not act like a asshole. Maybe it’s me.

https://twitter.com/newyorkpuck/status/981332857728720897?s=21

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Post Wrap: Derek talks Devils latest win and Hall

Posted on April 3, 2018 by Derek

At 10 EST tonight, I will be doing a show on BlogTalk Radio on Hard Hits Network. We’ll cover the latest Devils win. A easy one as Taylor Hart Hall strengthens his case for MVP with a four point effort including a penalty shot goal. He goes 2-2-4 highlighting a 5-2 win over the Rangers.

Hall is up to 18 points in the last nine games. The first time he’s over 90 for his career. One away from 40 goals. He now has a shot at Patrik Elias’ franchise record 96 points for a single season established in ’00-01.

Join us live from 10-11 PM. Or catch our podcast tomorrow.

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/hardhits21/2018/04/04/what-time-is-it-devils-destroy-rangers-didi-8-rbi-in-yankees-win

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As Rangers get ready to end, Hall leading Devils to more big games

Posted on April 3, 2018 by Derek

When the two sides of the Hudson rivalry collide tonight in Newark, they will be taking opposite paths. For while the Wolf Pack Rangers play out the string with three games left, Taylor Hall is leading the Devils to more big games as they chase the playoffs. It could happen later if they beat the Rangers on home ice and the Predators defeat the Panthers in regulation.

Given how well he’s played, Hall is intent on finishing it off now. He continues to score clutch goals like the one he did against Montreal for a shorthanded game-winner in a hard fought Devils 2-1 victory. One that wouldn’t have been possible without Keith Kinkaid. The other part of the story which makes these Devils a great Hollywood script.

To hear most experts tell it, they weren’t supposed to be here. After their good start, they were supposed to fall off. There were moments when it looked possible. But the brilliant play of emerging Hart front runner Hall and the surprising play of Kinkaid wouldn’t allow them to fade.

It’s more than that though. These Devils are scrappy and resilient with no quit in them. While Hall does the heavy lifting with 37 goals and 89 points entering tonight and Kinkaid makes the timely saves, there have been unsung heroes such as checkers Stefan Noessen and Blake Coleman. Their hustle and heart have paid off with each scoring double digits in goals along with inspiration Brian Boyle. Brian Gibbons has contributed similar. Don’t think for a second him finally returning didn’t help this final push that has New Jersey 5-0-1 in the last six knocking on the door.

The Jersey Rocket as colorful Chico Resch likes to call him on the radio, Kyle Palmieri has been scoring big goals too. Even in a injury riddled season, he has 24 which ranks second behind Hall on the club. Without Palmieri heating up, who’s to say the Devils are here? Hall can’t do it by himself. He and improving rookie Nico Hischier have become a dynamic duo. Hischier, who plays both ends and is a puck hawk with terrific hands around the net, has developed into the player they thought they had taking him number one overall in last year’s NHL Draft. How about that nifty redirect goal to tie Montreal the other night in the third before Hall’s latest heroics?

Without Devils GM Ray Shero wisely trading former playoff hero Adam Henrique to Anaheim for defenseman Sami Vatanen, they’re not in this position either. He realized the need to improve the back end and made the move which has worked out quite well for both sides. The Ducks getting good production out of Henrique including a huge third period goal in a overtime win over Colorado. The Devils getting steady play and production from Vatanen, who is their best defenseman.

Coach John Hynes hasn’t pushed many wrong buttons. Although I don’t agree with sitting out Jesper Bratt that much for vet Drew Stafford, he’s gotten the results in his third year behind the bench. He made the tough decision to ride Kinkaid down the stretch over starter Cory Schneider, who hasn’t been right since returning from a groin injury. It’s gotta be hard on Schneider watching but all Kinkaid does is win and you can’t tell me that doesn’t make sense. If he was truly 100 percent, my guess is Schneider would’ve gotten back in.

Though he isn’t what he once was, Travis Zajac remains a team leader who takes the tough assignments daily. Who didn’t love him mocking Sidney Crosby in a emotional game the Devils lost to the Pens in overtime on what else but a Crosby great hand eye coordination with a baseball bat swing on Opening Day? Sure. He got the last laugh. But Zajac gave him nothing during regulation at five-on-five while dishing it out. His diligent checking and penalty killing could come in handy if the Devils are in their first postseason since 2012.

Michael Grabner hasn’t lit the world on fire. Since coming over from the Rangers, he has only two goals and three assists. He could still be a factor in a seven-game series. His game breaking speed and shorthanded play make him a threat.

Will Butcher is finishing better with his offense coming back from the blue line. He sure makes things happen on the power play and on the attack with his skating and passing. He’s another young player Jersey fans can get excited about.

Pavel Zacha remains a good question. At times, he shows promise. It’s about finding consistency for the high former first round pick who’s still learning.

Even little used Mirco Mueller has suddenly found a place in Hynes’ lineup making key defensive plays on the penalty kill. It’s been a great year so far for Jersey’s Team. They still have a little work left to achieve their first dream.

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Sedins announce retirement after season

Posted on April 3, 2018 by Derek

They entered the NHL together two decades ago with the Canucks thanks to some wise dealing by GM Brian Burke. The Sedins have spent their entire brilliant careers playing for one franchise in Vancouver. Now, the Swedish Twins Daniel and Henrik Sedin will go out together when the season ends.

Taken second and third overall in the 1999 NHL Draft, they’ve been inseparable since becoming Vancouver Canucks. With three games left to play, they made the announcement yesterday on Twitter via NHL.com. Fans and media showed their overwhelming support for two of the classiest players to ever play the sport. They have always been so well liked due to their amazing chemistry, unique style and artistry in which they played. It truly has been a pleasure to watch both Sedins turn hockey into a Picasso painting.

Both are almost identical in career numbers as they pass the torch to Brock Boeser and Bo Horvat. It’s truly amazing when you take a look at the numbers. Henrik has played in 1,327 games registering 240 goals and 829 assists for 1,069 points. Daniel has played in 1,303 games tallying 391 goals with 647 assists for 1,038 points. Each have an Art Ross with Henrik winning the Hart Trophy in ’09-10 along with the scoring title. Daniel followed it up by leading the league in points in ’10-11. Even though he didn’t win the Hart, he was voted by his peers for the Ted Lindsay Award.

That was also the season they came so close to delivering the franchise’s first Stanley Cup. They won the President’s Trophy and reached their first Stanley Cup Final since 1994. In a seven-game series with home ice advantage, they led two games to none and three to two before the Bruins stormed back to stun the Canucks in Game 7. Despite some more big regular seasons, they fizzled out in back to back first rounds leading to coach Alain Vigneault’s departure. Ironically, he guided the Rangers to similar results but looks to be on the way out.

When I think of the Sedins, I am reminded of the short soccer style passes they’ve successfully used as if they were playing catch before turning the puck into the Harlem Globetrotters in a nifty game of keep away. Eventually, the puck possession wizards would wear opponents out by making them dizzy and setting up goals for either each other or happy teammates. They used every bit of the ice so well including the back of the net. It’s a brilliant style that probably will never be matched.

Of course, it’s sad that they’re leaving the game. But it’s better to go out now than hang on. I’ll definitely miss them.

#ThankYouSedins 🏒

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Devils refuse to be snowed out of the playoff race

Posted on April 2, 2018 by hasan4978

It’s the morning after Easter in April and there’s a snowstorm outside…one of these things isn’t like the others.  Shockingly I have a snow off day in the spring, so guess now’s as good a time as any to write about the Devils’ weekend sweep that put them just a couple of games away from the postseason for the first time in six years.  For most of March things looked sketchy at best, although the Devils never officially lost their grip on the final playoff spot – a combination of a six-game road trip and multiple games in hand for a hot Panthers team meant the Devils had to find another gear to get to the postseason.  Things really looked bad after a once-formidable nine-point lead with nineteen games left was drained to a one-point lead with nine games left (with two games in hand for the Panthers).

Although they’re not there yet, the Devils have certainly found that other gear, taking command down the stretch, going 8-2-1 in their last eleven including the aformentioned make-or-break six-game trip and many other tough games.  In fact over the previous ten days, the Devils have played six straight one-goal games.  Under immense pressure, the team went 5-0-1 in those nailbiters, with the only blemish being a Sidney Crosby OT goal on Thursday that spoiled our chance at a season sweep of the two-time Cup champs.  Still, this team deserves enormous credit for bending, but not breaking during most other games while finally the Panthers have started to sag a little going 2-3-1 over that stretch including three straight losses.  Florida’s latest lost to the Bruins on Saturday afternoon led to this cute (and timely) moment at night when a bunch of mascots were at the Rock for god only knows what reason:

https://twitter.com/NJDevils/status/980227154716905472

Both the mascot’s sign on the jumbotron and the OOT score displaying Bruins 5, Panthers 1 got huge roars from the Saturday night sellout crowd there to see the Devils get another two points against the Islanders and get closer to their first postseason in six years.  Which they did, but as usual against that team it’s never easy.  Quickly, the Devils fell behind as Tanner Fritz scored just 75 seconds into the contest off a rebound.  That wake-up call sparked the Devils for the rest of the first period and beginning of the second as they scored three straight times – first off a rebound from Stefan Noesen several minutes later, then with two goals from should-be Hart candidate Taylor Hall in the first 9:08 of the second period.  Even with a 3-1 lead though, things weren’t safe just yet.  To play off a Stan Fischler saying of a three-goal lead being the worst lead in hockey, for this team it’s actually been a two-goal lead that’s the worst as we already found out in Brooklyn earlier this year, losing a 4-2 third period lead and a shootout to these same Islanders.

Speaking of Stan – and digressing for a little bit, he was honored at that game for his 86th birthday(!!!) and the fact he’s retiring after this season.  This both makes me happy for Stan and selfishly depresses me.  Though he’d been on Devil broadcasts less in recent years, he was still a big part of my youth between his serious chops as a hockey journalist and his goofball side that came out during Matt and the Maven intermissions with Matt Loughlin way back when SportsChannel and Metro TV were the home of the Devils.  Especially when Chuck the Duck dropped in, and Stanta Claus made his annual holiday appearances.

Stan always seemed to be omnipresent between being on TV, an author of many hockey books, and more recently with blogging and Twitter.  During the first period Stan got a well-deserved standing ovation from the home crowd when a small montage of his life and career was shown on the jumbotron, and I listened to him talking with Steve Cangialosi and Ken Daneyko on the broadcast on replay afterward for the rest of the first period.  As usual he was a hoot, and sharp over his recall of things that happened long ago.  This bears reposting, but BONY’s own Derek had many personal experiences with Stan and his own tribute to a true original.

Back to the Devils, they were up 3-1 in the second period on Saturday and for a brief moment I had hope that for once, just once they would be able to drop the hammer on the Isles and have a nice easy win.  Of course this team is allergic to ever making things easy, and got put back on the griddle when Anthony Beauvillier scored with just seconds left on a power play to cut the lead in half, and another late Islanders power play in the second period after a dumb holding penalty on Damon Severson (that could well have been the last straw before his benching yesterday) could have been disasterous.  Instead, it led to the turning point of the game when Mirco Mueller – only recently found after being on a milk carton for six weeks – sprang Blake Coleman for a huge shorthanded goal that restored the Devils’ two-goal lead and stole momentum back.

Although they once again had the dreaded two-goal lead, the Devils actually played well for most of the third period until a bad break on a Chris Wagner deflection pulled the Isles to within 4-3 with just over three and a half minutes remaining.  If a two-goal lead isn’t the most dangerous one for the Devils, it’s any lead with an empty-net situation but despite some more hair-raising attempts on their goal and annoying near misses on the Islander one, the Devils did manage to preserve their slender lead and two vital points with Hall’s two goals ensuring him the first star and even more MVP! chants after the game when interviewed on the ice by Deb Placey.

If Saturday was the main course in his late-season case for the Hart trophy, Sunday was a nice, delicious dessert for Hall as again the team struggled against a non-playoff contender (this time the Canadiens) and trailed 1-0 after 40 minutes in Montreal before super prodigy Nico Hischier took over early in the third period, scoring the tying goal going to the dirty area in front of the net on the very first shift of the period.  Hischier could easily have had a natural hat trick after hitting two posts later in the period, but ironically enough it was another center in Travis Zajac who would spring Hall for a decisive goal at a critical juncture.  Things looked bad again when two straight penalties including a too many men on the ice led to a three-on-five situation.  With Ben Lovejoy in the box on the second penalty, the iron three that was dispatched to kill off the 3-on-5 was Zajac, captain Andy Greene and…Mueller, who’s gone from outhouse to trusted defenseman in record time.  And if you look at the penalty kill Mueller did some nice subtle work, using good body position to shield off the screener in front and good stickwork to prevent the backdoor play.

A subtle move by coach John Hynes would soon pay huge dividends, for after killing off the first penalty it was Hall who came out of the box (chosen to serve the too many men penalty cause he doesn’t often play penalty kill).  As if scripted, Zajac was able to flip the puck right to Hall past center ice just as he was getting out of the box and Hall scored an electric breakaway goal to give the Devils a 2-1 lead, while still shorthanded.  If you want to get a case of goosebumps listen to the Steve Cangialosi call, or some of his others on big goals late in the season.  He wants the playoffs just as much as we do.  After killing off the rest of the penalty the Devils would hold on this time too, aided by a late Habs penalty that essentially killed off most of the final two minutes.  In a ‘normal’ (re: non-Vegas expansion on steroids) season Hynes would be a serious candidate for the Jack Adams trophy and moves like putting Hall in the box, restoring Mueller to the lineup on his off side or starting Keith Kinkaid on both ends of a back-to-back show why.

Credit should go to a lot of places for the Devils’ big-time run that has put them on the brink of finally getting back to the postseason starting with guys like Kinkaid, Hynes and Nico but clearly you could do worse than show highlights from these two games to make the case for Hall being not only the team’s MVP but a legitimate Hart candidate.  Honestly this weekend was the first time I actually believed there was a chance Hall could win this award now, as all along I figured he’d get overlooked being a Devil (plus not having the raw stats of some of the other forwards that are in the running for the award) and he hadn’t done as spectacularly on the West Coast swing that turned around our season but through the entire season he’s scored one big goal after another.  He hasn’t exactly piled up his points in 5-1 games.

Of course even Hall himself would say his Hart candidacy is secondary right now to the team’s march to the playoffs.  No longer do we need to parse schedules or games in hand, the math is simple with one week to go – just two wins out of three for the Devils and it won’t matter what the Panthers do in their final five games.  I refuse to talk about seeding implications until we clinch though plenty of those still exist.  All I care about is that our magic number is down to four, meaning either four points gained by us or lost by them clinches a playoff berth.  Dramatically, our next game is against the Rangers tomorrow night and with Florida playing both tonight and tomorrow night (home against Carolina and Nashville on a back-to-back) there’s every chance that tomorrow’s game could be a clincher for the Devils which would be a delicious irony.

After all, it was a late-season April game against the Rangers three years ago that represented the nadir of the Lou Lamoriello era as they used us for clown props while clinching the President’s Trophy, while their fans booed our players off the ice on Fan Appreciation Night.  It was more like Fan Depreciation Night as the team poster was an empty locker with an empty jersey, though somehow fitting in that it represented the empty future looming just months before Lou left the organization for good.  However, this team’s come a long way in its three years under Ray Shero, with only Greene and Zajac remaining from the team’s last playoff appearance in 2012.  Having our rebirth also be fully consummated over the Rangers as they’re now going through an uncertain future would be a complete 180 degree turn from three years ago.

Of course the storybook finish would be nice but clinching a berth (particularly at home) against any team would be sweet, especially in a season not neccesarily expected to be the one where the team would find its way out of the wilderness of the past few seasons.  It’s hard for even me not to have feelings of anticipation.  At this point it looks like when and how, not if the Devils clinch a spot but no corks will be popped or champagne drunk until that happens.

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Focused Kreider should be considered for Rangers’ next captain

Posted on March 31, 2018 by Derek

The final home game was full of mixed emotions like the classic Rolling Stones hit. Following a unbelievable pregame ceremony in which NYPD Officer Conor McDonald presented Henrik Lundqvist with the Steven McDonald Extra Effort Award, the Rangers organization paid tribute to former core members Dan Girardi, Ryan McDonagh and J.T. Miller in their return to MSG as members of the Lightning.

Then came the game. It started out well with Brady Skjei scoring the first goal but quickly turned around. Spurred on by a McDonagh clean hit on Pavel Buchnevich that saw the second-year Russian forward seek retribution by decking Nikita Kucherov at the end of the first period, the Bolts got momentum from captain Steven Stamkos going after Buchnevich to earn a instigator in a odd fight that didn’t amount to much.

Following second period tallies from Cedric Paquette and Alex Killorn, they took advantage of a puzzling extra minor penalty on Chris Kreider to connect on the power play with Miller rebounding home his 22nd at 35 seconds of the third. Three quickly became five straight goals when Paquette and Brayden Point whizzed shots past a helpless Ondrej Pavelec to make it three goals in a 2:03 span to go from 2-1 up to 5-1.

To their credit, the younger Blueshirts didn’t give up. Instead, a much more confident and stronger Filip Chytil finally got just reward by scoring his first NHL goal parked in front on a carom into a empty net. He deserved it. On one dominant shift earlier, he carried the puck from center ice and flew in with McDonagh defending to get a backhand stuff try on Louis Domingue, who stopped it. It was a great solo effort by a powerful skater who has improved following spending most of the year in Hartford.

Kreider scored his 16th off a rush when he took a pass from Mika Zibanejad and fired a bullet from the left circle by Domingue to make things interesting. It was his 11th point (4-7-11) in the last eight games. He’s been a different player since returning from rib resection surgery to repair a blood clot. Lighter, more consistent and effective, a happier Kreider is coming into his own. One listen to his commentary during the postgame in the locker room said plenty about his mindset.

There’s no doubt that the evolving power forward has emerged as one of the team leaders since the departure of former teammates Derek Stepan, Rick Nash, Girardi, McDonagh and Miller. A more mature player, Kreider emphasized the positives from teenagers Chytil and Lias Andersson in a game they can learn from. He talked about how they let it get away against a good team who took full advantage, calling it a “microcosm of our season.”

It was a perfect quote from a cerebral player. Ever since Kreider came back, he’s looked happier. More focused and relaxed, he’s playing his best hockey. Now 26, it might be time to consider him for the Rangers’ next captain. He certainly has the look of a leader for this wave of the future.

With two years remaining on a team friendly deal that pays him an average of $4.625 million through 2020, he has good peak years ahead. A more complete player who can not only dazzle with his speed and shot but be that net front presence that’s a nuisance to opposing goalies, this version of Kreider is the best we’ve seen. He’s one of the players you build around. Investing long-term on him before he hits the open market in 27 months makes sense.

There is no need for the organization to rush on a decision regarding the next captain. Thus far, they’re handling the situation well by delegating the A’s on different players. Marc Staal remains a strong veteran presence along with fan favorite Mats Zuccarello. It’s hard to predict the future for both. However, each likes it here with Zuccarello expressing his love for being a Ranger prior to last night’s game a year away from unrestricted free agency. If he stays, he will be considered for the captaincy.

The only question is is it worth the risk to put the ‘C’ on a proven vet who could be gone in a year? I can’t answer that. Only the Rangers can. How they handle the offseason and next training camp will determine what they decide.

If they think it’s better to rotate three A’s at home and on the road like they did during the first rebuild in ’05-06, that works fine. There are enough players who have been Blueshirts for a good period. Kevin Hayes and Jesper Fast also can wear A’s. Both have taken good steps in their development earning added responsibility. Zibanejad got an ‘A’ on Friday. He showed disappointment following the loss admitting he wanted to give the fans a win at home and saying, “It sucks.”

Even though they lost 7-3 with both Miller and Girardi scoring to remind fans of the glory days, the Rangers are headed in the right direction. Kreider is a big reason why. The kids are alright.

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Lundqvist wins the Steven McDonald Award

Posted on March 30, 2018 by Derek

On what was a very emotional scene before the Rangers hosted the Lightning at MSG, the son of Steven McDonald came out with Mom Patti to present his father’s prestigious award that commemorated the 30 Year Anniversary.

Conor McDonald’s speech lasted about five minutes. He sure was terrific letting Garden Faithful know how much the award meant to his Dad. It kept him going and he lasted much longer than doctors ever anticipated. A former NYPD detective who was shot in the line of duty becoming a quadriplegic, he loved the Rangers so much that his speeches were legendary. Conor made him proud up in heaven. The positive message sent definitely resonated with fans who cheered loudly during the presentation.

Before presenting the award to this year’s winner Henrik Lundqvist, Conor made sure to thank ex-Rangers Dan Girardi, Ryan McDonagh and J.T. Miller for giving his Dad some memorable times the past few seasons. They were a huge part of those teams that went as far as they could. It’s funny to see that trio wearing Lightning jerseys since it was that team with Ryan Callahan and Anton Stralman that ended their run as one of the NHL’s elite teams.

When Lundqvist was officially announced, the King got a huge ovation from appreciative fans who know how much he’s meant to the franchise. I think Conor put it best when he said, “He’s given his entire heart to the franchise for 13 years.”

A fitting tribute for a passionate man who bleeds blue forever and ever. Even though he didn’t start, that was okay. While some made a big deal out of it, it isn’t. Lundqvist was played so much when the team was still in it. He got more starts than anyone envisioned which is why Rangers braintrust made the wise decision to rebuild. That way the all-time winningest goalie in franchise history who also owns the team mark for shutouts and minutes played could finally rest.

They’ve gotten good play out of rookie Alexandar Georgiev and backup Ondrej Pavelec, who is in goal for tonight’s game and has so far been sharp. Besides, it’s more important for the proud 36-year old Lundqvist to rest and prepare for next season. I get the sentimentality to this man. He loves being a Ranger as much as anyone. Most likely, he’ll be a Ranger his entire career. A rarity.

I think the thing that I wondered about was how would MSG handle the returns of Girardi, McDonagh and Miller. Would they wait to do each during stoppages? We got our answer following the unbelievable Steven McDonald Award ceremony.

Rather than wait, the Rangers organization outdid themselves by doing it before the start of the game. They paid tribute to each player by showing highlights of their memorable Rangers careers. The video certainly measured up with Girardi shown scoring his first goal while laying out for big blocks and delivering huge hits including the one that broke Andrew Shaw, who unfortunately might retire due to all the punishment. There was the 27th captain in club history scoring big goals with none bigger than McDonagh’s clutch overtime winner in Game 5 of a heartwarming 3-1 second round comeback over the Capitals in 2015. I can still remember the jubilation in our seats. They showed some of Miller’s best goals. He really is a talented player who so far is a good fit for Tampa. Good luck to him and all three.

To be honest, seeing that tribute before puck drop was too much for me. My hands started shaking. It really affected me. I know many of us are at a crossroads with how season ticket holders are being treated with even some of my favorites on Twitter giving their seats up. If we sat lower than the second to last row in Section 419, I know we would’ve given them up. The price increase for most STH’s is too much. Even with the team missing the postseason, they’re not giving back anything.

But when it comes to how the organization handles these special moments like tonight, nobody does it better than the Rangers and the Garden. It was 100 percent first class. It’s definitely one I’ll remember for a long time.

Congratulations to Lundqvist. Even if I didn’t vote for you and went for Kevin Hayes, I know what you mean to this team. No big runs or amazing playoff streak without number 30. A all-timer.

Kudos to everyone for such a wonderful job. My heart goes out to the McDonald family. They are awesome people with gigantic hearts. Stick tap. 🏒💜

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A emotional return for three former Blueshirts

Posted on March 30, 2018 by Derek

Before the puck drops for tonight’s match between the Lightning and Rangers at The Garden, there’s sure to be plenty of emotion for three former Blueshirts. Dan Girardi, Ryan McDonagh and J.T. Miller will take the ice as a visitor for the first time at MSG. Something current Tampa teammates Ryan Callahan and Anton Stralman are very familiar with.

That it’s the Rangers’ 41st and final home game of a emotional season without the playoffs for the first time since 2010 makes it more significant for both players and fans of the team. I only wish I could be there with my family. But they have three seats for it. Not four. So I told my Dad to go. I can watch the entire thing on TV and have the same reaction at home.

It’s already been odd to see McDonagh and Miller wearing Bolts colors with Girardi instead of Rangers blue. Now they’ll all have their first return to MSG on the same night the team will honor a current member with the Steven McDonald Extra Effort Award. One which embodies what being a Ranger is all about. Mats Zuccarello has won it three times including the past two seasons.

The top candidates are Henrik Lundqvist, Kevin Hayes, Jesper Fast and Marc Staal. I voted for Hayes because I feel he’s given a great effort all season while adjusting to a new checking role facing opponents’ top scoring lines. All this and he’s improved overall with a new personal best 22 goals including five on the power play while doing better on face offs (50.0 percent) and continuing to excel on the penalty kill. He enters the match with 40 points and is a plus-one which speaks to how well he’s played against tougher quality of competition.

I chose Hayes because he’s a skater and I believe the award should go to one over a goalie. Lundqvist is the Team MVP every year. He really hasn’t been that good since early January. If you want to argue that the team in front of him wasn’t good, fine. Rookie Alexandar Georgiev had the same defense and showed enough in his cameo to possibly become the backup next season. It won’t be Lundqvist in net tonight. Rather Ondrej Pavelec, who was tremendous in his return in relief of Georgiev.

As for McDonagh, he gave a lot of input in a long seven-minute interview on what tonight means for him, his D partner Girardi and Miller, who has played very well supplying physicality and scoring on their new team. There’s a lot of emotion.

It’ll be interesting to see how the Rangers handle the returns of their former captain, Girardi and Miller. Will they each get video tributes during separate stoppages? It’s pretty crazy to think all this will be going on along with the big Steven McDonald Award presented by son Conor.

Indeed, it won’t be just another game. One that we’ll remember for a while.

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