Rangers Miserable Road Tour Almost Complete

Posted on January 24, 2018 by Derek
rangersweb24s-8ia-web

Rick Nash did his part scoring twice but the Rangers continue to struggle on the road. AP Photo via Getty Images courtesy NY Daily News. 

After losing to the Avalanche and Kings with the latter leaving a all too familiar bad taste, the Rangers continued their miserable road tour last night with a third straight loss. This time, shots weren’t a problem. They had over 40 but Henrik Lundqvist was off from the beginning. It resulted in a ugly 6-3 defeat to the Ducks.

While the effort was better than the incomplete Groundhog Day at Staples Center, they couldn’t stop Anaheim from scoring. They took advantage of every mistake while also catching Lundqvist on a rare off night. He was chased for three goals on seven shots before Ondrej Pavelec relieved him before the end of the first period. Excuse Lundqvist. He’s played a lot of hockey.

Maybe we should’ve seen it coming. It was his 41st start of the season. He’s appeared in 42 of the Rangers’ 49 games. Occasionally, the 35-year old’s workload can be overwhelming. A look at how the team plays defensively is reason enough for him to finally cave in.

The crazy part is the Rangers actually played a good first period. They controlled much of the action outshooting the Ducks 18-8 and outchancing them. It didn’t matter. They play so loose that fundamental mistakes are common. Four led to Ducks goals. A wide shot allowed Anaheim to get a odd man rush. On it, Ryan McDonagh took the pass away giving Lundqvist a clear path shot. He was unable to stop J.T. Brown from the circle. He went high glove for the game’s first goal.

Rick Nash scored the first of two when he beat John Gibson in front for a power play goal. But before you could breathe, another breakdown allowed Anaheim to regain the lead when Corey Perry got behind Nick Holden and beat Lundqvist for a power play goal. It wasn’t the best shot. His change up went through Lundqvist. A save he normally comes up with. It was obvious that he didn’t have it.

After Nash got his second of the period to tie it at two, then came another Ducks reply. Some more careless defense resulted in Andrew Cogliano using Brady Skjei as a screen to beat Lundqvist short side top. He was off his angle and looked visibly frustrated. At that point, Alain Vigneault went to Pavelec. In hindsight, maybe he would’ve been better off starting him. But it’s a desperate situation. Especially when they keep losing while teams around them for the most part, don’t take advantage.

It took this long for the Pens to leapfrog them for the second wildcard. They posted a win against Carolina for points 54 and 55. Two more than the Blueshirts and confusing Islanders. The Flyers won again and are now up to third in the Metro Division with 56 points. A identical amount to the fading Devils, who remain second despite their issues and the Boston Screw Job (see Hasan’s post). The puzzling Blue Jackets are in the first wildcard with 55 points. They’ve played two fewer games than Pittsburgh, who have four more ROW. Got all that?

Late in the first on a power play, a huge mistake by J.T. Miller proved costly. Adam Henrique scored a shorthanded goal with 1:22 left. The former Devil and noted Ranger killer did it again. Miller made a absolutely awful play. While in the neutral zone, he tried a back pass to no one except for the dangerous Ryan Getzlaf. If I didn’t know any better, he thought the Ducks captain was on his side. It was brutal. Getzlaf got the puck to Henrique for a one-on-one with Pavelec. Henrique patiently outwaited Pavelec tucking in a forehand for what proved to be the game-deciding goal.

I knew Miller would be benched. It was such a boneheaded play by a player who’s in his sixth year already. It’s his fourth full season. Still just 24 (turns 25 on 3/14), it’s no excuse. Simply put, he should know better. After a breakthrough ‘16-17 in which he matched  career best in goals (22) and established new career highs in assists (34) and points (56), he’s been a enigma much like the team. He commits too many turnovers. The problem is he doesn’t shoot the puck enough and overpasses. That style is indicative of how the Rangers play. Refusing to take open shots. Too many passes can result in sloppy turnovers which fuel the opposition’s transition. There’s a reason this team ranks dead last in Corsi shot differential.

Miller’s miscue drew the ire of Vigneault. A player who’s always been jerked around by the much maligned coach whose time could be running out, he never took another shift. That’s less than five minutes of ice-time for what was their second center minus Kevin Hayes. In making a example out of Miller, Vigneault cut down his forwards to 11 for the remaining two periods. If that wasn’t enough, for reasons only known to him, he also sat Jimmy Vesey for almost the entire third except for a power play. The second-year forward who brings a strong work ethic got the Pavel Buchnevich treatment. Why? I have no clue. But basically cutting down to 10 forwards in a game you needed made no sense.

That’s Vigneault. A coach who plays favorites. Even though he’s coached differently by making a prime example of Brendan Smith for his inconsistent play and shortened the bench for third periods by double shifting his top players, this was mind numbing. When Peter Holland is getting major minutes along with David Desharnais as your other center options aside from Mika Zibanejad, who had a good night, it is not complementary.

I am not understanding how Michael Grabner wound up with less ice-time than Holland. Grabner is only their top goalscorer. He scored the team’s second shorthanded goal of the year when he took a Zibanejad pass and beat Gibson for his 21st. He has been the team’s best skater. It’s not even close. Nobody puts out more effort each shift than the two-way dependable, speedy Austrian who is going to make it a hard decision for GM Jeff Gorton at the February 26 trade deadline. I don’t see why he continues to be underutilized on the fourth line. How is he not a top nine forward? With Hayes and Chris Kreider out, it’s a joke. He is one of the few finishers they got. With Nash getting it together with a third two-goal game this month raising his total to 15, he and Grabner are the only wingers who think shot. Zibanejad has 14 in 40 games as the number one center. He also shoots the puck.

Most of their players are playmakers. That includes the gifted Buchnevich, who’s definitely picked it up with five points (2-3-5) over his last five games. Not coincidentally, it’s come with the 22-year old Russian back on the top line with Zibanejad, who he has chemistry with. He is a superb skater who likes to hold onto the puck and use his speed to find open ice. As evidenced by his 13 goals and 18 assists, he is more passer than shooter. His offensive skill makes him a good power play threat where he gets plenty of time on the top unit. While much has been made of his even strength time, Buchnevich is getting close to 15 minutes on average while continuing to improve.

I wish I could understand Vigneault’s mishandling of Vesey. While not as talented, the former Harvard star is a north/south player who goes to the dirty areas in front of the net. He is stronger than Buchnevich and is willing to battle players. Take the chaos that ensued with the Kings. He was right in the middle of it. The 10 goals and seven helpers don’t tell the whole story. He hasn’t had a defined role. It’s hard for a young player to develop properly when they’re bounced around. He can’t be on the fourth line or benched with two of the club’s top nine out. It’s inexplicable.

That is the season in a nutshell. One that’s angered a loyal fan base who don’t like the way this roster plays. Very few players are consistent including leading scorer Mats Zuccarello. A terrific Blueshirt who never backs down having led the team in scoring two years running. But his eight goals at this juncture aren’t enough. The 27 assists and 35 points are right in line with what he’s produced. It’s just that he’s become one dimensional. If he thought shot more, it would help change the mentality. A locker room leader, he is signed through 2019. If they continue to go in the wrong direction, the Rangers could consider trading him. Just don’t expect it until the summer at the soonest. Ditto McDonagh, who will command a lot on the open market when his deal expires the following year.

Even though they didn’t play as badly as the final score indicated, the Rangers did enough to lose. In the past, they were the opposite. A team who found a way. But a more flawed roster minus key players including Kevin Shattenkirk is finding it hard to put together consistent efforts.

On most nights, it’s the grinders who are noticeable. Guys like Paul Carey, Jesper Fast and Marc Staal. Along with a few notable exceptions, these are the skaters who bring it. You know what you’re going to get from Lundqvist. McDonagh certainly lays it out there too even though he’s definitely not the same player before the injuries. Brady Skjei remains a work in progress who hasn’t taken that next step. Why is that when there are there are three experienced NHL coaches on the bench?

These lingering questions along with the lineup tinkering now out of necessity make it seem like a easy decision. The organization must be sellers next month. Even if that means asking Nash to make a list of teams he’d accept a trade to. The same for Nick Holden, who remains miscast on the top pair. As for Grabner, I would love to keep him. But they’d be crazy not to explore the market. He can always come back if he likes playing here. But will it be a different coaching staff by July? Only time shall tell. Desharnais can also fetch something back even if it’s a late round pick.

With 2017 first round picks Lias Andersson and Filip Chytil developing in Hartford along with Ryan Graves and Neal Pionk, the future is in focus. If they fall out of the race, then maybe you give one of those kids a look. They should remain patient until then.

Encouraging has been the improvement from Tony DeAngelo. He recorded his second assist since returning on Tuesday. Now receiving around 16 minutes including power play time, he’s looked more comfortable skating the puck out and moving it. His defense also has been solid thus far. An area that will be essential to his development. When Gorton dealt Derek Stepan and Antti Raanta at last year’s NHL Draft for DeAngelo and the seventh overall pick which became Andersson, it was with the future in mind.

Keeping perspective during this tough time as a fan is key. Losses like yesterday and Sunday serve as a reminder. They’re not good. Just like many around them. It’s not about this year.

When they visit San Jose tomorrow, they can go 0-for-4 before the All-Star break. As ugly as it would be, is it really the worst thing? Not when the writing is on the wall and has been for a while.

 

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Devils’ season on the verge of disintegrating

Posted on January 23, 2018 by hasan4978

Life is like sports in a lot of ways.  Sometimes life just sucks.  Sometimes sports just suck.  This last month has been the latter as a Devil fan (and really most of the last year adding in the Mets and Jets).  Everything about this month has sucked, between the mounting injuries, the unprofessionalism of the refs and the league against us, overrated goaltending, horrible defense and the return of the 2014-ish Devils that could do everything BUT put the puck in the net.  Guess longtime readers can tell from the YT clip that now this is a time to panic as a Devil fan.  Loved WARGAMES the movie and this is DEFCON 1 territory right here.  Everything that can go wrong has as the team’s in full collapse mode and now back on the bubble of a playoff spot.

I don’t even really want to write anything, I’m that disillusioned over the last three games in particular, although this bad streak of the Devils goes back before that.  Ironically enough, with the first hideous out of nowhere goal reversal against the Devils against the Sabres way back in late December that helped torpedo our five-game winning streak and started this 2-6-3 cycle of death.  I don’t want to continually harp on the refs and the league cause god knows this team’s done enough to shoot itself in the foot during this stretch too.  Our no-shows against the Flyers and Wings haven’t helped matters at all and I was ticked off leaving the Rock last night for the first time in weeks since the aformentioned Sabres game which started this all.  But let’s be honest, leaving sore loserdom out of it, this eleven game stretch should be a mediocre slump that’s been artificially turned into a death spiral.

I don’t want to re-adjudicate the offside calls early in this streak, the missed too many men on the ice against the Caps or anything else before tonight cause tonight threw more than enough material to send me to the loony bin.  Going to Boston who’s only the hottest team in the NHL at 12-0-4 in its last sixteen games was gonna be a tall order under the best of circumstances, but with the team fighting a horrible slump and Taylor Hall being out for the second straight game with a hand injury?  It would almost have been a bonus to get anything out of tonight’s game, except for the fact the team already blew up what little momentum it got from winning two in a row against the Isles and Caps with less than stellar efforts against the Flyers and Wings.  Yet, it was the Devils who came out strong in this one – buoyed by an impromptu team meeting after the hideous 3-0 loss against Petr Mrazek and his goalposts.  Even after dominating the first period though, they still couldn’t dent the impentrable wall that is the scoreboard.

Until finally in the second period, Miles Wood struck and seemingly relieved a ton of pressure on the team.  Despite a laughingly fluky deflection from Riley Nash that took an evil swerve and tied the game, the Devils still kept coming and took the lead a couple minutes later with a Damon Severson one-timer.  At 2-1 and playing well things looked pretty decent for once.   Then…IT happened, a double-barreled ref punch of missing an obvious boarding that could have injured Nico Hischier, and to make a bad situation worse dinged Miles Wood for retaliating and also giving him a SECOND penalty on the same play, making it a phantom double minor.  It almost made it worse that the refs actually admitted their mistake to Wood later on.

Yeah you guys can take your apology and shove it.  That double minor (and a subsequent penalty on Marcus Johansson) completely changed the game, giving the Bruins an extended 5-on-3 where they not only scored but also caused goaltender Cory Schnieder to get injured stretching out to try to make a desperation stop.  Things went from maddening to comical when there was an extended delay after the tying goal, both because the supposed best refs in the world couldn’t figure out what penalty to take off the board after the goal, and because the clock at TD Garden somehow kept going up on the penalty clock instead of down.  A mechanical mistake is one thing but NHL refs should know how to allocate penalty time.  It shouldn’t be too much to expect a competent, fairly officiated game but this is par for the course in the NHL.

Cory’s injury had far reaching effects, for even after the Devils somehow stabilized the game and looked like they were going into the locker room tied, stupidity took over in the final minute of the second with a Sami Vatanen shot that went fifty feet wide, a horrendous Ben Lovejoy pinch leading to a two-on-one, and Cory getting abused by Brad Marchand who deked our great goalie out of his skates despite only having the near part of the net to work with.  Finally after that goal Cory was taken out, seemingly a shot too late as it turned out.  I was so disillusioned by this point I barely paid attention in the third period, knowing what was going to happen once we went behind, with everything else going on.

Once again Ken Appelby did a fine job in relief and kept the team in the game (what a novel concept, goalies keeping the team in the game as opposed to costing them the game), but you just knew the Devils weren’t scoring.  Not when Severson of all people got a breakaway chance and took a pathetically weak wrist shot from far out.  Not when the refs finally deigned to give the Devils a power play late in the third period and they failed to convert.  Not when the ghost of Kyle Palmieri got stoned one last time with under twenty seconds left by Tuukka Rask.  And certainly not when the refs conveniently missed a post-whistle elbow from Marchand on Johansson directly in front of them during the aformentioned power play that not only injured the Devils forward but should have been a late 5-on-3.

But that’s okay cause the refs were sorry they called a phantom penalty on Wood.  Yeah they sure looked sorry conveniently missing that one and completely changing yet another hockey game.  It’s one thing to be incompetent but this continual one-sided reffing is smelling unprofessional and I’ve flat had it with everything – with the team, the refs, the hockey gods.  A once great season is now threatening to disintegrate, and once again the Devils look like pretenders – just like 2013 and 2015 when they had unexpected strong starts and died down the stretch.  Even last year they got off 9-3-3 and died.  With one more game before the All-Star break I’m now in a faux Jim Mora type mood.  Only instead of hoping for one lousy win I’m hoping for one lousy game where our key players can avoid the injury bug, and one lousy game where I’m not cursing out the unprofessionalism of this clown show of a league.

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Rangers Week In Review: Inconsistency and Mediocrity leads to one conclusion

Posted on January 22, 2018 by Derek
Jimmy Vesey

Jimmy Vesey celebrates a goal in a 4-2 loss to the Kings. Another game that reminded of Groundhog Day for the Rangers in LA. The time is right for them to sell. AP Photo via Getty Images

Since my last post, the Rangers have played four games winning the first two and losing the last two. That included tonight’s latest fiasco at Staples Center against their kryptonite the LA Kings. A all too predictable and typical incomplete effort in a 4-2 loss in Hollywood.

The script was the same old one we’ve seen in our nightmares like those three games in the 2014 Stanley Cup Final. Was that only four years ago? It feels like 40 since that first Alain Vigneault coached team made that run taking us on a wild roller coaster ride which left us wanting more. If only the 2015 roster had remembered to score on home ice against the Lightning in Games 5 and 7. Ouch. It still hurts. Maybe because it was at that point that I knew the run was over. I wish I could say the same for management.

When it comes down to it, coming that close with Henrik Lundqvist twice is reason enough for why they kept going for it. Even if some of former architect Glen Sather’s chess moves weren’t the best over the long haul. He overpaid for Martin St. Louis with Ryan Callahan and those draft picks going to Tampa. But without St. Louis, there’s no Stanley Cup Final or dramatic comeback from 3-1 down to finally beat the Pens. Ask Marty’s teammates about his impact. It’s a shame it didn’t result in the franchise’s first Cup since 1994.

The same way it stinks that Slats again went all in for Keith Yandle at the 2015 trade deadline by giving up Anthony Duclair and more high draft picks but didn’t get the end result. I can’t kill the move because at the time, it was the right one. They were a win now team and Yandle nearly helped them get back. It didn’t end well with the disappointing conclusion to eventual champ Pittsburgh in the 2016 first round.

So much has changed in today’s NHL. The more successful you are in the salary cap era, the more challenging it is to keep rosters together. It’s impossible. That’s why what the Blackhawks have accomplished and now the Penguins is pretty remarkable. Throw in the bleeping Kings. A team loathed by both Devils and Rangers fans for the obvious reason.

When you get there, you gotta win. The post lockout Lundqvist Era has been one of the most successful in Rangers history. They’ve made the postseason every year except one and that came down to a stinking shootout. Let’s just say Olli Jokinen will always invoke hatred.

It’s frustrating that at the ripe old age of 35 and soon to be 36 playing some of his finest hockey on a flawed team, Lundqvist is further away than he’s ever been from winning that Cup. A look at the affable Swede following losses during the MSG postgame is always painful and leaving me numb. The man wants to win so badly. Even a .924 save percentage in a unbelievable bounce back season where he’s started so many games and faced so many shots isn’t enough to guarantee anything. If I were Lundqvist after that awful second period in which undisciplined penalties led to three straight Kings power play goals, I would’ve slammed my stick and skated off the ice.

That’s how some of his teammates played. Where was Mika Zibanejad? He was invisible against a hard nosed physical opponent that doesn’t give you much. Zibanejad is the top center and if he is not giving them anything, the first line is a total waste. Pavel Buchnevich tried because he always skates hard but he lost some battles that led to easy LA clears which hurt Rangers power plays. He’s a unique talent who needs to get stronger. Tonight wasn’t one of his better ones. He’s been better lately with a three-game point streak ending. Rick Nash was skating hard but at one point, he went one on four right into the teeth of the Kings who were waiting at their blueline for a easy turnover. Frustrating. It’s hard to kill Nash when he finally got going with a pair of two-goal games this past week. That will boost his value for the upcoming Feb. 26 trade deadline.

How to summarize this team? Annoying. They leave you scratching your head. The lack of consistency and lack of shots along with the lapses in concentration. From game to game to period to period, you don’t know what you’re gonna get. And that is a mediocre team that is like many in the Metro Division and weak Eastern Conference. Outside of the Lightning, Caps and Bruins, no one has impressed me. All the other teams still in it which basically is the rest of the Metro and the Maple Leafs are flawed. Never has there been so much parity. I’m sure Gary Bettman loves it. Those three point games only serve to remind fans how backwards things have become.

The Rangers went from easily handling the Flyers in a rare laugher 5-1 at home to edging the abysmal Sabres 4-3 to start the week with promise. But those are beatable teams who aren’t as good. I could care less if the Flyers continue their Jekyll & Hyde act beating the Devils and surprising the Caps to move into the first wildcard a point ahead of the Rangers, who remain in the second position due to less games played than the Pens. They don’t have consistent goaltending or defense. Neither do the high scoring Islanders.

So, when they left for a four-game road trip that started in Colorado with the trio of California teams afterwards with the stop in Tinsel Town Sunday night, it reaffirmed what I’ve thought for a while. The Avalanche won for the ninth straight time Saturday afternoon by a count of 3-1.  They did it with the amazing talent of Nate MacKinnon sniping one past Lundqvist and Erik Johnson tipping one home in front on a blown Rangers coverage and then defended well while making it easy for Jonathan Bernier to win again. The Blueshirts only scored once with Buchnevich converting a power play goal on a nice set piece from Mats Zuccarello. They did nothing five-on-five. Seeing J.T. Miller try a low percentage pass across to nobody with time winding down that resulted in Mikko Rantanen’s empty netter with less than a second left was exasperating. What was he thinking?

And that’s the thing that hits home. This is how they play under Vigneault. The East/West style is pretty to watch when it works. But it’s downright ugly when opponents are dialed in and ready for the all too predictable pass, pass, pass. That thought process is why they can’t consistently score goals anymore or win daily. When you face better competition, they figure it out.

Look how much Colorado improved since getting rid of Matt Duchene. MacKinnon is dominating. He’s second in scoring centering a lethal line with Gabriel Landeskog and Rantanen. They have a much improved defense led by a healthy Johnson, who is paired with former Sabre Nikita Zadorov. Johnson is having a good year while Zadorov has improved. He hits everyone and has steadied the blueline that’s missing Tyson Barrie. Samuel Girard came over from Nashville in the three team deal for Duchene also involving Kyle Turris. With young forwards such as Alexander Kerfoot, J.T. Compher and Tyson Jost, the Avs are set up well. They’re ahead of schedule in a wildcard with the best division in hockey all in the mix.

Here’s the point I’m driving home. If the Rangers organization are smart and I have no idea what the the thinking is, they’ll do the right thing and sell. Given the current state of the team with Chris Kreider out along with Kevin Shattenkirk, who somehow played with a meniscus tear in his right knee in Year 1, it makes plenty of sense. Kevin Hayes remained out while Marc Staal and Michael Grabner returned last night.

As hard as it is to give up on the season when Lundqvist deserves better, it’s the better for the long term. With them deciding to bring Lias Andersson over to play for Hartford and learn the North American style of pro hockey like Filip Chytil, the future is essential to the franchise. Like the classic Bob Dylan folk song at the end of The Wanderers, “Times, They Are A Changin’.”

When you have veterans such as Brendan Smith continuing to baffle with a combination of inconsistent and undisciplined play like his foolish extra roughing minor for a fight at the Wild conclusion of the first period with Adrian Kempe, it’s hard to be enthusiastic. Smith may have hated the hit he took but his penalty only provided the spark a fired up Kings team needed after a mostly lethargic first that saw Desharnais and Jimmy Vesey put the Rangers up two. They did what they do best scoring three on the power play with traffic in front of Lundqvist, who must’ve felt helpless. It was awful. Then the Kings closed off the middle making life easier on Jonathan Quick.

When your top line no shows and your best players are Vesey, Vinni Lettieri, Paul Carey and Desharnais along with Tony DeAngelo, it’s hard to win. There were far too many passengers in a game Miller said was important. He gave a better effort too but there wasn’t enough want from the guys in the white with red and blue. They didn’t battle hard enough. So, they get another incomplete.

With stops in Anaheim and San Jose this week, it won’t get any easier. Lose those and it should really sink in about what direction they need to go.

There are players who can help other contenders if they choose to go that route. Nash’s contract expires along with leading goalscorer Michael Grabner with the latter being a guy I’d like to keep in the right situation. He’s put together consecutive 20-goal seasons fitting Vigneault’s transition system perfectly. Grabner does so much well. He’s got great defensive instincts and lightning speed and is finishing. He will get more than double his current salary ($1.3 million). If I’m the GM, I inform him about possibly trading him and then ask if he wants to come back July 1. Look no further than the Yankees, who got a unreal return for Aroldis Chapman. He helped the Cubs finally win a World Series and then re-signed with the Yanks.

Nick Holden is also cheap and will be gone this summer. While he maybe miscast on the top pair, he can be more serviceable as a second or third pair D on another team. For all the criticism he takes, he gave the Rangers a good season last year providing offense. He isn’t good defensively and is used too much. But effort is never a question. I wish I could say the same for Smith, who after signing his four-year contract came into camp out of shape and stopped skating following a giveaway that led to a Avalanche breakaway. A hustling Holden forced a miss.

The real dilemma is what to do with Zuccarello and Ryan McDonagh. With recent talk on Hockey Night In Canada from Elliotte Friedman mentioning that the Rangers would listen to offers on both key players whose deals expire next year, I’m most curious to see how serious they are about a rebuild.

Do they want to give McDonagh a huge contract when his play has clearly gone down from the high level he was at in 2014? Injuries have played a role. He played on one foot against Tampa in 2015. If they trade him, what kind of package could they get? He certainly would attract a lot of interest. Even if he’s not that shutdown guy anymore, you can’t deny his skating and the passing which has still produced 22 assists. He hasn’t had a top partner. Had Sather not erred letting Anton Stralman go and replacing him with Dan Boyle, that could’ve been a formidable top pair. He chose poorly.

As for Zuccarello, nobody plays with more passion than the pint sized Norwegian with the enormous heart. He’s led them in scoring two years running and leads them again. At a $4.5 million AAV, he’s a bargain. If only he shot more. Zuccarello never backs down from anyone. It’s why he’s such a fan favorite and has won the Steven McDonald Award. He’s loved for his effort and honesty. When he’s bad, he lets you know.

The thing is Zuccarello is going to command a lot on the open market in a year. It could be around $7 million. Yikes. As much as I love him, I think the time is right to make a change. It would be heartbreaking to see him go. The same way I felt about Callahan and more recently, Derek Stepan.

Unfortunately, these are the hard decisions that must be made. The Rangers are at a crossroads. It’s time for a change in philosophy.

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Two steps forward, one step back

Posted on January 20, 2018 by hasan4978

After finally ending a six-game skid with a pair of big division wins earlier this week, the Devils regressed in another weekend beatdown at the hands of the Flyers, who are now 2-0 against their NJ rivals inside of a week.  Worse, neither game was really close as the Flyers outscored the Devils by a combined 8-3 in the two losses (not including Drew Stafford’s laughable consolation goal down 5-2 with under a minute remaining at the Rock last Sunday).  I was going to watch today’s afternoon matinee against the Flyers on tape delay this evening, but peeked at the score early and saw it was 3-0 in the first period and Keith Kinkaid was already pulled – due to injury as it turned out though ironically after a poor outing Kinkaid might have been given the hook anyway when he got hurt on the third goal allowed.  Needless to say I’m not going to bother watching this one over.

Allegedly the Devils played better over the final two periods without the goals to show for it, and Appelby even showed a little something in what literally turned out to be an emergency appearance with Cory Schneider laid up for a week and counting due to illness, and now Kinkaid on the shelf.  Even third-stringer Eddie Lack is on the shelf for Binghamton, so Appelby may very well draw a critical start at home Monday against the Red Wings, before the team winds up making a tough trip to Boston on a back-to-back, then comes back home Thursday to play a good Predators team.

Honestly I haven’t watched any game this week – Saturday and Thursday I was busy, while Tuesday I was too teed off at the beatdown against the Flyers Saturday extending our losing streak to six games and vowed not to watch till they got off the schneid.  And well today, what’s the point?  I will be at Monday’s game, sadly I almost forgot they had a home game since it’s the only one I’ll be able to go to this month.  I still haven’t completely got the sour taste of my last trip to the Rock out of my mouth yet (the terrible Sabre loss that commenced the losing streak).

I can’t even complain after the two wins this week as much as I’m puzzled as to why today happened.  After all on Thursday they played very well against a fine Caps team – granted one that was coming off their bye week and didn’t get a practice in – getting a 3-1 lead, then after blowing yet another two-goal lead late they still managed to win in OT in electrifying fashion when Taylor Hall caused a turnover and scored on a breakaway.  In fact three of our goals – Stafford, Hall and Miles Wood – all came on breakaways against a Caps team clearly out of sync.  Still, wins are wins and getting revenge on the Isles in Brooklyn followed by beating the division leaders at home should have been enough to power another surge.

Instead the team came out flat for the second time in a week against the Flyers, while Kinkaid after one good game and one game where the team survived him showed why he’s been a poor backup this season in spite of his W-L record allowing another poor early goal that set the tone.  He’s a good kid, his emoji recaps are fun but he just has not been a good goaltender this year.  If Lack weren’t hurt I’d be advocating giving him some games but we might literally be down to our fourth string goalie on Monday.  Appelby did actually play well by all accounts today in his NHL debut but there’s also something to be said for coming in with no pressure and knowing beforehand you’re getting your first NHL start.

In summation things aren’t great right now but they’re better than they could be all things considered given our recent struggles (2-4-3 in the last nine games), given some of the other Metro bubble teams are falling off too.  True, our eight or nine point lead on a playoff spot is down to three, but after the bye we still have multiple games in hand on our competition.  So maybe it’s closer to a six-point lead, but still this team needs to keep its foot on the gas pedal and not have letdown games like this afternoon or objects in the mirror really will be closer than they appear.

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With losing streak at three, desperate Blueshirts recall Peter Holland and send down Boo Nieves

Posted on January 16, 2018 by Derek

Much has been made of Alain Vigneault’s lineups during a up and down season. With the Rangers in a slump having dropped three in a row in bad fashion, he’s now desperate enough to turn to Peter Holland.

Acquired from Montreal for Adam Cracknell, Holland is on his fifth organization. A former Anaheim first round pick in 2009, the 27-year old center was recalled from Hartford. In 16 games, he totaled five goals and nine assists. With him up, Boo Nieves was sent down. Nieves has a goal and eight assists in 29 games for the Blueshirts. He was used primarily as the fourth line center playing mostly with Paul Carey and whoever Vigneault stuck with them.

You never know what he’s thinking. Conventional wisdom went out a long time ago. In 44 games which feels like double due to all of his different line combinations and D pairs, we’ve seen everything. Pavel Buchnevich has gone from top line status to the fourth and third line. Jesper Fast went from secondary player to the first line. I can’t follow what Vigneault does anymore. Confusing isn’t even the word.

Make no mistake. This isn’t all on the coach. The players deserve plenty of blame along with the general manager. With a couple of notable exceptions including Fast, Michael Grabner, Marc Staal and both Henrik Lundqvist and Ondrej Pavelec, most of the roster has underperformed. So, it’s left a desperate coach with no choice.

When they host old nemesis Philadelphia tonight, they’ll do so minus Kevin Hayes and probably Ryan McDonagh, who each could will miss their second straight game with injuries. At 22-17-5 with 49 points, they find themselves one point behind the Islanders for the second wildcard. Having not won in regulation since Dec. 19 against Anaheim, they have to get out of this with a more consistent effort. If not, heads will roll and the Rangers will become sellers at the February 26 trade deadline.

All one has to do is listen to Lundqvist after each loss in the Rangers locker room. He’s running out of explanations. They all say the right thing but actions speak louder than words. Let their play do the talking.

What should be expected from a team that can’t put together a full 60 minutes and continues to allow 37 shots leaving most of the work on the goalies? They’re facing a team that’s scoring. Sean Couturier now is a breakout star with 25 goals and 45 points while linemates Claude Giroux (14-40-54) and Jake Voracek (8-45-53) have been rejuvenated. They’ll also have to account for defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere. His 32 points (9-23-32) are among the league leaders for D. He is expected to return and pair up with good second-year Russian Ivan Provorov. That gives the Flyers a unique tandem. Something the Rangers lack. Don’t forget pest Wayne Simmonds, who usually scores against us in front.

Here are the Rangers lines. Subject to change at any moment.

https://twitter.com/mattcalamia/status/953288693590130690

So, J.T. Miller moves to center to fill the Hayes void. Maybe it’ll get him going. He’s been invisible lately. Interesting that Vinni Lettieri gets to play with Miller and Mats Zuccarello. Lettieri has a goal and two assists since his recall and has hit at least three goalposts. He could easily have more points. Buchnevich is back with Zibanejad while stone hands Rick Nash gets first dibs. Remember when Nash was brought in as a 40-goal man? I miss those days.

This insistence on using David Desharnais as a third line center is insane. They have no choice. I don’t like Jimmy Vesey on the third unit either. God forbid they reward him and give the kid a look with Zibanejad and Buchnevich. He won’t play enough. Carey has done what’s been asked. But that’s a weak third line. How is our leading goalscorer on the fourth line? Grabner has 19 goals and should be higher. I don’t get it. Holland gets two good players who never take shifts off in Grabner and Fast. Lucky him. But for how long?

It indicates that McDonagh was on the ice. With back spasms, you never know. He’s a game time decision. If he plays, scratch Steven Kampfer. Brendan Smith has to play and they’re not benching Kevin Shattenkirk. At some point, he’ll snap out of it. I’m most curious to see how he performs along with Brady Skjei. They were good earlier this season but have struggled mightily since being reunited. Are they together or apart? I have no idea.

That’s it in a nutshell. The Flyers are hot winning four straight. They’re scoring on the power play and playing well. They’re one point behind the Rangers with 48 having played one less game. Like every other Metro team, it’s right there for them.

How will the Rangers respond to getting outscored 12-4 over the weekend? If they don’t, MSG could get very ugly. I’m sure the “Fire AV” chants are getting warmed up. We’ll see.

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Greiss makes 52 saves to lift Islanders over Canadiens into second wildcard

Posted on January 16, 2018 by Derek
image

John Tavares puts in his own rebound past Carey Price to give the Islanders a 5-4 overtime win at Montreal. AP Photo via Getty Images courtesy CTV News Montreal. 

Great goaltending can sometimes be enough to steal games. The Islanders can thank backup goalie Thomas Greiss for their 5-4 overtime win over the Canadiens at Bell Centre on Martin Luther King Day. His 52 saves were enough along with John Tavares’ second goal of the night to move the Isles ahead of the idle Rangers into the second wildcard. They’re up to 50 points in 45 games after winning a third straight time.

The Islanders were able to beat Carey Price five times on only 24 shots to get a wild road win up north. Tavares scored twice and red hot rookie Mathew Barzal continued his torrid pace with three more points (16th goal, two assists) to give him eight in the last two games. He recorded five in a blowout 7-2 win at New York.

They won due to Greiss, who stood on his head throughout to give the Isles a chance. Twice, they blew two-goal leads in the game. But were able to overcome a dominant Habs attack which fired shots from everywhere on Greiss. For the little used backup, he did a great job given the circumstances. With it being the second game in three days with a third in four Tuesday night at home against the Devils, Greiss was needed to rest starter Jaro Halak.

Before the game was seven minutes old, Barzal had set up Anthony Beauvillier for a goal 1:24 in and beat Price high glove at 6:29 for a 2-0 lead. The emerging leading candidate for the Calder is up to 47 points in 45 games. He is ahead of Canucks sniper Brock Boeser and Boston defenseman Charlie McAvoy.

But before the first period was out, the Habs came back to tie it on goals from Nicolas Deslauriers and Paul Byron 4:09 apart. The Habs outshot the Isles 13-7 in the period.

The second saw the Islanders get only six shots. However, they made the most of their opportunities thanks to goals from Adam Pelech and a shorthanded one from Tavares to once again take a two goal lead.

However, the Canadiens dominated the rest of the period. Using their speed in the neutral zone, they feasted on Islander turnovers to quickly transition. They peppered Greiss with 22 shots in a lopsided stanza except on the scoreboard. It took some extra effort from struggling center Jonathan Drouin to beat Greiss when he put home a rebound at 19:16 from Alex Galchenyuk and Jakub Jerabek. That made it a one goal deficit after two.

With injuries hurting them, the Isles were down to five defensemen in the third with Scott Mayfield exiting the game. Already without regulars Josh Bailey, Johnny Boychuk and Casey Cizikas, a exhausted Islanders team held on in the third as best they can.

Montreal continued to dictate play by outshooting the Isles 19-7. A Pelech holding minor allowed the Canadiens to tie the game up. A failed clear from Tavares led directly to some nice passing from Montreal. Finally, Galchenyuk fed Jeff Petry for a one-timer that went through a Brendan Gallagher screen for a power play goal that made it 4-4 with 6:59 left in regulation. The goal was later credited to Max Pacioretty. The much maligned Montreal captain drew another penalty when Ryan Puloch tripped him up . But the Isles were able to kill the crucial penalty with under three minutes remaining.

In the final minute, Barzal nearly set up the winner with Beauvillier and Jordan Eberle coming close. That line has been one of the hottest since it was put together by coach Doug Weight.

The game went to overtime. In it, it was some determination by Tavares that got it done. After being robbed by Price, he took a Thomas Hickey feed in front and put home his own rebound for his team-leading 24th at 1:51. A great play by a top player.

The Islanders now are streaking at the right time. With three wins in a row, they can keep it going against the Devils at Barclays Center tonight. The Devs have cooled considerably. They’re locked into third place in the Metro Division with 52 points in just 42 games. The games in hand could be a factor. It should be a interesting match.

In another game of curiosity, the slumping Rangers are hosting the Flyers. Four total points separate third place New Jersey from sixth in the division.

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The Rangers are a lost cause

Posted on January 15, 2018 by Derek
rangers-penguins-hockey

Henrik Lundqvist is all by himself way too often following another Rangers loss. He faced 46 shots and stopped 42 in a 5-2 defeat to the Penguins. It’s time for the organization to consider radical changes putting the future first ahead of the middling present. AP Photo via Getty Images courtesy Daily News.

It took a lot of games to reach this point. Since a poor start, the Rangers picked themselves up and played their way back into playoff contention. Even without Mika Zibanejad for a period, they did well enough to make one believe the season could be a good one when you consider how much parity there is.

However, the most recent stretch in which they’ve failed to win a game in regulation since Dec. 19 has changed my mind. When the 18 skaters Alain Vigneault puts out there along with tinkered lineups due to what he’s been given to work with give less than their best effort on a consistent basis, it begs the question what the organization is doing.

Henrik Lundqvist has played his best hockey since winning the Vezina under the better defensive oriented ‘11-12 roster coached by former taskmaster John Tortorella. At 35, he’s given everything while facing a heavier workload with backup Ondrej Pavelec not playing as much. When he has, he’s also been under siege. Until a 7-2 drubbing in which the poor backup was chased by the arch rival Islanders for five goals in a Mathew Barzal Calder showcase, Pavelec had played extremely well over the previous five starts.

When you are allowing between 37 to 38 shots since the second week of November, you’re asking a lot of your netminders. They’ve more than made up for inconsistent defense and awful coverage that have put both Lundqvist and Pavelec as the last line of defense. How many breakaways and odd man rushes can they ask them to stop? It’s ridiculous.

Embarrassing was how we’d describe their performance or lack there of against the blood rival Islanders, who humiliated them at angry MSG where deserved boos rained down. This wasn’t Pavelec’s fault that Barzal’s line with Anthony Beauvillier and Jordan Eberle skated circles around them combining for a jaw dropping 13 points while matched against Vigneault’s top line of J.T. Miller, Zibanejad and Mats Zuccarello. Barzal did whatever he wanted putting up two goals and three assists for his second five-point game to take the lead in rookie scoring over Brock Boeser. Eberle had four helpers and Beauvillier added two goals and two assists.

It wasn’t only the forwards who couldn’t be bothered to cover. But the struggling pair of Brady Skjei and Kevin Shattenkirk. Both were minus-four and badly victimized. Skjei has been a disappointment in his second year. At times, he shows the potential with bursts of speed shifting from defense to offense. During others, he gets undressed like partner Shattenkirk, who wasn’t brought in for his defense. His offense has been underwhelming since mid-November. No wonder the power play has gone from one of the league’s best to a middling puzzling unit that at last check was ranked a disappointing 18th.

Puzzling are these Blueshirts. Rick Nash with only nine goals and none in way too long entering Sunday’s match at Pittsburgh. Even Zuccarello with eight who leads the team with 32 points, hasn’t been consistent enough. We’ll excuse Zibanejad, whose 14 markers and 25 points are good considering the chunk of time he missed due to a concussion. The minus-11 not withstanding.

Since Chris Kreider went down with a blood clot in which he had part of his rib removed that should keep him out the remainder of the season, the offense has struggled big time. It’s only been six games with yet another lopsided defeat- this time 5-2 to the Pens that made it three consecutive losses since struggling to beat the Coyotes in a shootout. Minus the imposing Kreider, who adds the size and net front presence to his dynamic speed and skill that aids the Rangers transition, they’re finding it tough to generate a consistent forecheck at five-on-five. Seemingly outshot every game with the world class Pens recording a jaw dropping 47 with four of the first 46 beating a poor Lundqvist, the team has no answer.

At one point, they led the game 2-1 after a period of action on goals from Michael Grabner (team best 19th) and Brendan Smith. Following the first period, shots were dead even at 13 apiece. The problem isn’t always the starts even though they usually fall behind early before recovering. Pittsburgh struck first.

The bigger issue is the lack of sustainability. A dismal second period followed with the Pens scoring twice while outshooting the Rangers 18-7. It was every bit as bad as Saturday’s atrocity against the Islanders. They took two early penalties to give Pittsburgh momentum. Even though they didn’t score on them, they took control with Dominik Simon getting his first career NHL goal and Phil Kessel sniping his 20th as Rangers just stood around. A common theme throughout the first 44 games.

Think about this. After playing the Pens to a stand-off in shots at 13-13, the Rangers were outshot 34-15 the rest of the match. Not coincidentally, the Pens outscored them 4-zip including Sidney Crosby being given too much room by four stationary players in white to beat Lundqvist with a good shot stickside. The four all on one side. Another issue plaguing this team. Adding further insult, Carl Hagelin scored the empty netter as soon as former teammate Lundqvist was pulled for his first goal in 18 games. It was also his first two-point game of the season.

How bad is it? Not only have they dropped three straight in regulation. They’ve been outscored 14-5 including 13-5 over a lost weekend. Astonishingly, they’re still clinging onto the second wildcard stuck on 49 points. The Pens are up to 51 having won four in a row to move into the first wildcard. Even in a overrated division where teams continue to alternate wins and losses, the stumbling Blueshirts are still in playoff position. One ahead of the Isles with the suddenly slumping Hurricanes at 48 and confusing Flyers also at 48.

One could argue that with both the Blue Jackets and Devils coming back to the pack, it’s right there for the Rangers. But if you’re watching these games, they’re not close. The 2-1 loss at Vegas last week wasn’t that competitive. While entertaining, it was a matter of time before the Golden Knights found the one goal they needed to win in a game they controlled most of before a late Rangers push.

The bottom line is the roster GM Jeff Gorton put together isn’t good enough. Forget the fact Kevin Hayes and Ryan McDonagh (back spasms) were out last night. You can’t rely on David Desharnais to be a third line player with rookie Boo Nieves learning as the fourth line center. Hayes has done admirably as the new match-up second line pivot in place of Derek Stepan but his overall production has suffered. With 10 goals and eight assists in 43 games, that’s not enough from a skilled player who’s admitted he must shoot more rather than pass in Year 4. It would be nice if he got rewarded more for his hard work.

J.T. Miller has been underwhelming. Sure. The 27 points rank second on the team trailing only Zuccarello. But just eight goals on 68 shots is pathetic for a player with a good shot capable of much more. Along with puzzling turnovers on the Rangers overpassing syndrome and even some defensive deficiencies showing, what is Miller at this point? Is he worth investing in as a RFA this summer with Hayes? Don’t forget Skjei is due for a raise off his ELC.

There aren’t many Rangers earning their keep. Say for Pavel Buchnevich, whose 11-15-26 in 43 contests is a nice improvement in Year 2. As far as how he’s been handled, I don’t agree with Vigneault. While I understand part of why he goes from using the gifted Russian on the top line to either the third or fourth line, the Miller treatment might not be the best approach with the club’s most talented skater with a language barrier. Whether he’s playing with Kreider and Zibanejad or Desharnais, Nieves or Jimmy Vesey- another young player who isn’t used enough despite a strong work ethic- credit Buchnevich for continuing to play the same way driving possession and generating scoring chances. If there is a area he must improve, it’s hitting the net more. He’s missed on a number of open one-timers and hasn’t thought shot enough. He’s totaled 11 goals on 88 shots with plenty of power play time to do more damage. His passing is top notch as is his skating. He has a Alexei Kovalev quality to him. It’s the subtleties which includes failing to clear the zone. He’s far from alone in this area.

If there’s a legit gripe from the Rangers community, it’s a double standard with a coach who can be stubborn when it comes to young players. Just ask Miller, who’s been moved around like a volleyball from wing to center back to wing along with duties on each line. Is it a recipe for success? At some point, there needs to be line familiarity.

Vigneault prefers checkers Grabner and Jesper Fast, who both give honest efforts on both sides of the puck. He’s rewarded both with increased roles. Grabner continuing to be one of the team’s best signings. His 19 goals this year following 27 last season give him a combined 46 which leads all Rangers over a two-year stretch. Kreider paced them with 28 in ‘16-17 and his 11 gives him 39 before the blood clot was discovered.

Fast has done a great job with seven goals and 10 assists in 35 contests. You can’t argue his contribution with underperforming players such as Nash (9 goals on 135 shots). However, this business with having Fast on the first line with Zibanejad is puzzling. He’s better suited in a secondary role. Move Buchnevich back up with Zibanejad and try Vesey, who has been one of the better performers recently. Nash hasn’t done enough to merit top line status. Zuccarello doesn’t fit either. He’s a minus-nine in the last five games. Let’s see what the kids can do.

The defense remains in limbo. With McDonagh’s game slipping despite not having a adequate partner (Nick Holden), it’s hard for there to be any chemistry. When Marc Staal has rebounded to be your most consistent defenseman, that’s a problem. Staal deserves tons of credit for how he’s played. But it underlines the point that McDonagh, Skjei and especially Shattenkirk haven’t been good enough. Smith has been a huge disappointment following re-upping for four years at over $4 million AAV.

What’s the solution? Call up reinforcements. Tony DeAngelo has been in Hartford all winter since failing to establish himself as a regular. The jury is out on the Stepan deal that also sent Antti Raanta to Arizona with Lias Andersson drafted seventh overall. After his recent showing in Buffalo at the World Junior Championship where he scored six times for runner-up Sweden while showing frustration at losing to Canada by tossing his silver medal to a lucky fan before getting it back, the future is bright. The Rangers need more players who hate losing as much as this kid. Way too critiqued by hypocritical Canadians with Ray Ferraro starting the whole thing. Like Canada enjoyed being second fiddle to Team USA last year. Holy moly!

As long as the organization remains patient with centers Andersson (Frolunda) and 2017 first round pick Filip Chytil (Hartford), they should have a good plan moving forward.

They have some difficult choices ahead with the Feb. 26 trade deadline getting closer by the day. With the current roster allowing almost 40 shots regularly and having not won in regulation since a 4-1 win on 12/19 over Anaheim, it’s hard to justify keeping the team intact. The very thought that they’re listening to offers for prospective unrestricted’s Nash, Grabner, Holden while possibly deciding on future 2019 UFA’s McDonagh and Zuccarello is the right thing to explore. They must find out what they can get. While Nash’s value has to be down, he could still bring back a second or third round pick while needing a scenery change. Grabner has increased his value so much. He’s a great fit under Vigneault with his game breaking speed and defensive acumen perfect for the transition game the vet coach likes. But if they can get a second back for him, you do it. Grabner could always re-sign if Vigneault survives. There’s no guarantee.

As hard as it is to admit with Lundqvist getting older, this isn’t a good team. It’s mediocre at best and has benefited from teams losing. If the Atlantic wasn’t so bad, the decision would be easy. As Mortimer would say from Trading Places, “Sell! Sell!!! Sell!!!!!”

Is it really worth it to hang onto some distant hope that’s there’s still a chance? I don’t think so. We’ve seen enough now to know better. With 38 games left, they can either stand pat and do nothing or make the necessary changes moving forward which can benefit them long-term.

Not only blaming the coach. But the players as well. Who do you think put it together? It’s time for radical change in thinking and philosophy.

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Devils facing first crisis of the season

Posted on January 14, 2018 by hasan4978

So far things have been the good ship lollipop for the most part in Newark with the Devils surprising the league through their first 35 games, younger players producing and everyone getting along (except fans with each other, but what do you expect from the internet?).  However the last two games have revealed a team that’s in crisis mode for the first time, as the Devils dropped their sixth straight game last night in Newark, losing to the lowly – albeit only by Metro standards – Flyers 5-3 coming out of the long bye week.  While you could fairly say at the start of the losing streak the Devils were playing well and not catching breaks, the last two games they flat out blew against division rivals that if you’re a legit playoff team you need to win.  Especially with the schedule not getting any easier now that we’re finally starting to play other Metro teams more consistently.

I almost – almost – felt bad for Derek last night because it’s really our fault that the Isles got going last weekend when we blew a 4-2 third period lead to a reeling rival from Brooklyn and eventually lost in a shootout.  As I feared, that game let them off the hook in the middle of their own losing streak and did get them going again. Ironically, the Rangers were the carnage in the storm yesterday in their brutal Saturday afternoon loss to the Brooklyn team.  Of course with six straight losses I don’t have room to feel bad for anyone else right now.  Granted, the Devils are still in good playoff position but there’s still too much season left, this team’s gotta snap out of it soon and not return to its recent losing ways.  Another of my fears all season was that the team had thrived on the scrappy underdog role but once there started to be expectations, that’s when the team would get tight.  To a degree that might be happening now.

Aside from that, this losing streak has brought to light even more the problems we’ve had on defense all season.  With the offense and goalie Cory Schneider playing well they were able to gloss over the defensive woes in the first thirty-five games, but once both started to sag even a little bit, the defensive woes have been that much more magnified.  For a team that supposedly has defensive depth now, and will have to make more ‘tough’ lineup decisions when Mirco Mueller comes back – they really don’t have any true top pairing defensemen, and forcefeeding guys like Steven Santini and skitzo Sami Vatanen into top-pairing roles has had a negative trickle down effect.  For at least two of the three years under John Hynes, the answer to the defensive issues seems to be have Andy Greene and someone else play the rope-a-dope mode (this year Santini, two years ago Adam Larsson) and just absorb shot after shot providing no offensive threat of their own while hopefully keeping those shots out of the high-danger areas.  However that only works if your top pairing is semi-competent defensively like Greene and Larsson were as a pairing back in 2015-16.

Greene has aged too quickly for this defense to absorb the blow, Santini as an essential rookie really isn’t ready for the role he’s been thrust into, and Vatanen – well goodness gracious, sometimes he’s been a force offensively and a trainwreck defensively, other times he’s been decent defensively and invisible-bad offensively.  Although he’s shown flashes at both ends of the player he used to be in Anaheim a couple years ago, he’s been way too inconsistent at both ends to have a true positive impact.  And those are our ‘best’ defensemen although if you believe the Corsi darlings it’s Damon Severson – who’s again found himself in Hynes’ chateau bow wow after a series of recent scratches, and for all the talk around shot-based stats he hasn’t actually produced enough offensively to offset his defensive airhead moments.

At the moment, it’s hard to see where any answers are coming from within.  While John Moore and Ben Lovejoy have actually been better in bottom-pairing roles this season, we’ve seen them get more minutes and it isn’t pretty.  Will Butcher isn’t ready physically to take on more of a role than the quasi-one dimensional back pairing guy he is.  And Mueller, while he was playing well the few games before he got hurt, his collarbone injury really set his progress back and it’ll be harder finding playing time for him now that we again have eight bodies on D.  It’s especially hard to see how this D gets better if Cory continues making more mistakes of his own and regressing to last year’s rotted corpse version of goaltending, rather than the version of previous years who resembeled a top ten goalie in the NHL.  Never mind backup Keith Kinkaid who’s been mostly awful this year, save a pair of decent-good games against the Rangers and Stars.

I wish I could offer even more of a recap on last night but as luck would have it I had other commitments (going to a friend’s dinner party).  I joked to another friend that I wasn’t sure what would be more contentious, the dinner party or the game.  Turned out the drama stayed under the surface at the party but is only starting to multiply now with the team.  On the other hand at least the party saved me from going to what turned out to be a trainwreck last night.  Our bye week was supposed to be a chance to reset after five straight losses including the brutal blown game Sunday at Brooklyn but losing to the Flyers at home – and losing two leads in the process – only multiplied the inner doubts that have to be creeping in to a team that’s mostly too young to have ever played a real role on winning teams save Greene, Travis Zajac and Brian Boyle.

Of course you can look at our spot in the standings and say we’re still in good position given our games in hand despite the losing streak but between our defensive woes, our headcase goaltending and having an offense built around rookies who probably have to hit the proverbial rookie wall eventually, this team can’t afford to bleep around with games like last night if they want to actually make a mark this year.  Amazingly enough, last night was the first meeting between top two overall picks Nico Hischier and Nolan Patrick (above).  So far Hischier’s had the better year both in terms of individual play and team success but it was Patrick’s team who laughed last at the final buzzer.  With another meeting in Brooklyn looming on Tuesday and facing the Caps at home next Thursday things aren’t going to get any easier, and this team needs to buck up and buckle down.

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Duclair dealt to Blackhawks

Posted on January 10, 2018 by Derek
Anthony Duclair

Anthony Duclair is on the move again headed to Chicago. 

File this one under former Blueshirts. Anthony Duclair finally got his wish. He was dealt to the Blackhawks earlier in a four player deal involving another one time Ranger Adam Clendening. Going to the Coyotes are Richard Panik and Laurent Dauphin.

The story here is simple. Chicago needed to unload some salary. So, they save $1.6 million for now by acquiring former Rangers top prospect Duclair, who earns $1.2 million until he turns restricted this summer.

Origjnally a 2013 third round pick taken 80th overall in the same NHL Draft the Rangers selected Russian Pavel Buchnevich at number 75, Duke made a good debut as a 19-year old making the club in ‘14-15. He picked up his first career NHL goal with six assists over 18 games. But Alain Vigneault soured on him.

Eventually, Duclair was packaged to the Coyotes with John Moore, a 2015 second round pick and 2016 first for Keith Yandle, Chris Summers and a 2016 fourth round pick on March 1, 2015.

It was a rental for the Rangers, who got the superb passing offensive defenseman in Yandle for a year and a half. Even though he was misused on the third pair, he performed well helping the team to within a game of returning to the Stanley Cup. Yandle spent the entire ‘15-16 season on Broadway leading all Blueshirts in assists (42) while his 47 points paced all their defensemen. But after a first round disappointment, GM Jeff Gorton couldn’t re-sign him. He traded Yandle’s negotiating rights to the Panthers acquiring two picks. Yandle stayed in Florida where he currently is on the top pair on a underachieving team out of the playoffs.

Many fans and bloggers were divided on that trade. In one sense, the Rangers went for it. Glen Sather rolled the dice one last time before turning over general manager duties to Gorton. They came so close. Who knows if Mats Zuccarello would’ve made the difference against Tampa Bay. We’ll never know.

On the other hand, Slats parted with another young prospect with a bright future and overpaid for a rental. But it was the right move. They didn’t win the Cup. It happens. I would’ve done the same thing.

As it turned out, Duclair hasn’t been as good as advertised. After recording 20 goals and 24 assists in his first full season during ‘15-16, he struggled last year producing only five goals and 10 helpers in 58 contests before being sent down. His third season has been inconsistent. Losing ice time to Calder hopeful Clayton Keller and a impressive young nucleus that includes Christian Fischer, Christian Dvorak and Brendan Perlini with Dylan Strome and Lawson Crouse rated ahead of him, Duclair requested a trade.

It made sense for him to move on. He was never gonna get ideal playing time in Arizona. He did return to the lineup and scored a goal versus his former team in a shootout loss last week. A game Duclair was superb in creating chances. In 33 games, he has nine goals and six assists for 15 points.

Now, at age 22, the Duke gets a fresh start in Chicago with a much better team. The Hawks are fighting to make the playoffs in a very deep Central Division. They’ve been playing better hockey recently having blown the doors off the disappointing Senators 7-2 on Tuesday. A game Patrick Kane recorded a career high five points in with Nick Schmaltz and Jonathan Toews each scoring twice.

It’s a good opportunity for a talented young player to make his mark. If anyone can turn him into a better player, it’s the Hawks. Their championship pedigree should rub off on Duclair, who probably needs a kick in the ass from fiery coach John Quenneville. He healthy scratched veteran Brent Seabrook for the first time in his career. That’s how desperate the situation is.

It’ll be interesting to see how Duclair does. We’ll see if he fits in.

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Rangers lose big in Vegas

Posted on January 8, 2018 by Derek
Rangers Golden Knights Hockey

David Desharnais goes for a loose puck in front of Marc-Andre Fleury during the Rangers’ 2-1 loss to the Golden Knights. AP Photo via Getty Images 

Plenty of fans made the trip to the sunset strip to cheer on their favorite team in Vegas. A destination I could be soon visiting in a month. The Rangers let down a lot of fans with another disjointed performance in a 2-1 loss that wasn’t as close as the score indicated to the astonishing expansion best in the West Golden Knights.

If they were looking to hit the five day bye week in style, they lost big in Vegas. I’m not referring to the scoreboard. Rather center Kevin Hayes, who left the contest in the first period with a “lower body” injury stemming from a heavy hit he took. The week off comes at a good time for a team clearly struggling to string together consistent efforts. They aren’t scoring much since losing Chris Kreider, who appears to be the glue that held together the KZB line that’s now divided.

Pavel Buchnevich was a healthy scratch for the first time all season. The gifted 22-year old Russian having cooled off considerably. Since a hot start that saw him tally 20 points (9-11-20) in the first 25 games including a big November, he’s been out of sync. In 16 games since Dec. 1, he’s totaled six points (2-4-6). Despite creating offensive chances, the production is down. So, Alain Vigneault played his card which I predicted when Mats Zuccarello dressed. He wouldn’t give a straight answer as to why he benched the team’s third leading scorer.

Many complained over it. Maybe so. But I can’t tell why Buchnevich sat. I’m not a mind reader. However, Vinni Lettieri stayed in the lineup a second straight game. I think Vigneault likes Lettieri’s straight ahead North American style. He plays a simpler effective game with a shoot first mentality while being defensively responsible. He always looked like he belonged in camp. I believe he’s here to stay. Especially if Hayes is out for a extended period.

Lettieri was one of the few skaters who was effective throughout against a superior Vegas team that looks like it could contend in its inaugural year. They play so well under coach Gerard Gallant that it’s not far fetched to see a cohesive roster making a deep run this Spring. A smart attacking and defensively sound club, they come at you with tons of speed in transition and shoot whenever there’s a opening. The polar opposite of what’s going on with the Rangers.

It’s a sharp contrast. The Golden Knights held a 34-29 edge in shots and out-attempted the Blueshirt 64-51. It was more lopsided until they fell behind on William Karlsson’s game-winning goal that came with 11:02 remaining in regulation. A play indicative of what plagues the Rangers. They quickly moved the puck up ice with no resistance. A Jonathan Marchesseault touch pass to Reilly Smith saw the former Panther catch four Rangers napping before dishing across for Karlsson’s 22nd past a blameless Ondrej Pavelec.

It was humiliating. You had four guys in white sweaters on one side watching Smith as the trailer Karlsson snuck in for a easy one-timer. Brady Skjei was lost in no man’s land and rookie Boo Nieves also was out of position. That one was really on Skjei, who along with a self-critical Ryan McDonagh, had a miserable night.

When asked about it afterwards in the locker room, the Rangers captain pointed directly at himself indicating that the team’s best players weren’t and it started with him. He said he needs to lead by example and will try to when play resumes with a whale of a rivalry game against the Islanders at MSG this Saturday at 1 PM.

To a man, they knew they let each other down. Particularly Pavelec, who Vigneault told last Monday he would be getting the second end of a back to back. He was fantastic making 32 saves with several sparklers. Without him and his team blocking 22 shots, they would’ve been blown out of the building in craps style. He couldn’t have done more if he tried.

Brendan Smith also took a seat upstairs following some more poor play. Steven Kampfer made his first appearance in a while. Paired with Marc Staal, he was fine. More than I can say for the top two pairs with McDonagh and Skjei having nightmares with the relentless Golden Knights. McDonagh blew his assignment on James Neal’s tying goal late in the first. It was too bad because Vigneault’s odd reconstructed lines were working before Hayes went down.

Mika Zibanejad sniped his 13th past Marc-Andre Fleury on a well executed play where all five Ranger skaters touched the puck. Skjei and Kevin Shattenkirk started it in their end making a seamless transition to Lettieri, who fed Michael Grabner. Grabner then passed across for Zibanejad, who used a Vegas defenseman as a screen to surprise Fleury with a accurate shot high glove for a 1-0 lead.

But in a period where they actually led in shots 11-10 forcing Fleury into some difficult saves, they couldn’t hold it. A Paul Carey turnover and McDonagh being caught out of position allowed Neal to get free in the slot and fire home his 18th from David Perron at 17:23.

Once the goal was scored, the Golden Knights turned up the heat. They had 12 attempts blocked speaking to the volume and pace they play with.

The second was uncompetitive. Pavelec bailed out his teammates a lot. He stopped all 13 Vegas shots to keep the game tied despite the Golden Knights spending plenty of time buzzing around his net. It was mind numbing. Not having Hayes hurt. It forced Vigneault to mix and match.

Most frustrating was their refusal to shoot the puck. While Vegas came at Pavelec in waves getting four odd-man rushes with McDonagh guilty of bad pinches twice on the same shift, it was amazing that the score didn’t change. Nick Holden at least got back and took the pass away allowing Pavelec to take the shooter and come up large. There was another ugly turnover where Skjei didn’t prevent the pass but Pavelec made a miraculous save. It was that bad.

Playing for a second consecutive night, the Rangers ran out of gas in the third. Following a encouraging start that saw them get five of the first seven shots, they got tired. The most effective players were their grinders. While Zibanejad made low percentage plays by failing to shoot when open for poor passes that had no chance, the fourth line of Nieves, Grabner and Lettieri nearly scored. But Grabner was denied by a sliding Fleury, who played well. When Lettieri is out there, he makes things happen. He has to play.

Then the David Desharnais unit followed up with a strong shift. They cycled well and forced Fleury into another big save robbing Carey. The thing is it can’t always be the supporting cast generating the best chances. At some point, your best players have to be your best. When you have J.T. Miller giving up completely on a two on one by not bothering to backcheck, that’s inexcusable. It was embarrassing. He didn’t even hide it. I would’ve benched him. But he never missed a shift getting over 20 minutes.

I know they were short a man. That’s understood. But Miller should know better. That’s why he gets the treatment from Vigneault. So when I see our fans say it’s only Buchnevich, it’s not true. It’ll be interesting to see what develops when they return.

Regarding Zuccarello, he was completely ineffective. It was painfully obvious he wasn’t 100 percent. No way should he have played over Buchnevich. That is undeniable.

Now, it’s a five day break. Probably the best thing for this team. They need to refuel and get ready for the retaining 40 games.

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