Good Guy Rick Nash delivers clutch goal in key win for Blueshirts over Kings

Posted on December 16, 2017 by Derek
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Good Guy Nash Scores: Rick Nash celebrates his clutch game-winning goal with 3:33 left in regulation that made the Rangers 4-2 winners over the Kings. Nash deserved it. AP Photo via Getty Images courtesy The Washington Post 

We’ve gotten to know him for a while. Ever since Rick Nash was acquired from the Blue Jackets in the summer of 2012, he’s been a exceptional Ranger.

The admirable 33-year old veteran forward isn’t the scorer he once was. Injuries and age have caught up. However, you’ll never see Nash take a shift off. This is a prideful man who has been a 40 goalscorer three times including ‘14-15 in Year 3 as a Blueshirt. In that season, he scored a career high 42 while adding 27 assists for a team best 69 points in 79 contests. He was better that postseason totaling 14 points (5-9-14) in a deep run that fell just short of a second consecutive Stanley Cup Final.

Sometimes, it’s easy to forget how valuable Nash is. Sure. Many critics look at his hefty $8.2 million salary with a $7.8 million cap hit and conclude that he should have more goals. What gets lost in translation is his solid two-way play. He isn’t just a player who contributes offensively. This is a guy who can be relied on by coach Alain Vigneault to give a honest effort defensively. It’s why Nash is trusted in all situations including five on five when it’s tied along with power play and penalty kill. He excels in all facets.

He’s taken his lumps. Since becoming a Blueshirt, Nash has missed 61 games. Health has been a factor in his scoring decrease. He still leads the team in shots and has to be tops in scoring chances. Nobody gets more quality ones than a player who now has 425 career goals in 1,025 games after getting the clutch winner unassisted with 3:27 left in regulation to help lead the Rangers to a key 4-2 home win over one of the West’s best in the Kings. J.T. Miller added the empty netter for window dressing which allowed the team to end a two-game winless streak (0-1-1).

There are moments where Nash gets a step on a defender and the crowd gets excited in anticipation. He’s still a fun player who can get you up out of your seat. These days, it’s harder for him to finish these plays he creates out of hard work. There was one such opportunity in the first period where he was in on Jonathan Quick only to be denied while taking a slash. Of course, there was no call. Why would there be? Nash didn’t embellish it like so many other players. He’s too big a man for that. We saw it once with the ageless Jaromir Jagr.

Nash won’t go down. He takes the hits, illegal checks, bumps and bruises. That is to be respected. If only we appreciated him more. It took a while for me to see it. I was one of those critics. After seeing him enough, I understand what kind of caliber player he is. He plays all three zones. He’s defensively responsible while still blowing past the opposition for chances like the one he had point blank but missed the net. It’s always painful to see him miss.

During a interview with Al Trautwig, you could see the frustration on his face. He observed that he was held. And well, LA got away with one. But Nash also observed how you always feel bad when you don’t bury your chances. He’s as honest as they come.

In six seasons, he’s totaled 136 goals with 105 assists for 241 points over 347 games as a Ranger. Nash has added 38 points (14-24-38) in 73 postseason games. That’s always been the sore spot. It isn’t like he didn’t try. The effort has been unquestioned. I’ve never seen such a skilled player have so much bad luck.

On a night where former Ranger Marian Gaborik was recognized for playing his 1,000th game and did his part scoring his 401st career goal and tallying his 401st assist for the Kings, Nash stole the show literally. He made a clean strip of the puck and broke in again. This time, he had the answer sending happy fans out of their seats by beating nemesis Jonathan Quick with a perfect wrist shot shortside top for his ninth of the season. A wonderful defensive play that he turned into offense with his dynamic skating. Transition hockey. The kind Vigneault likes.

It resulted in a win improving the Blueshirts to 17-12-3. With points number 36 and 37, they moved past idle Pittsburgh into fifth place in the wild and wacky Metro. With one extra regulation/overtime win, they’re in fourth over the idle Islanders. A division so insane that a few wins in a row by the Flyers got them back in it. Carolina also won tonight 5-4 in overtime over Buffalo to get to 33 points. Imagine a division so deep that eight total points separates the Blue Jackets, Devils, idle Caps each with 41 from eighth place Carolina and idle Philadelphia.

That’s why it was so imperative that the Rangers get back in the win column. They led twice on goals from Chris Kreider (No. 100) and Kevin Hayes. But Gaborik beat former pal Henrik Lundqvist with a quick snapshot through the five-hole and then later turned Kevin Shattenkirk into a traffic cone to force Lundqvist into a difficult stop on a backhand which caromed right to Torrey Mitchell for a put back.

In a game that both Quick and Lundqvist took turns making big saves, Nash gave the King the win with his terrific play in the neutral zone and perfect laser that beat Quick. Nobody deserved that goal more. I felt good for him.

The Kings would pull Quick with under two minutes remaining. But they were unable to tie it. Instead, Jimmy Vesey sacrificed by blocking a Drew Doughty point shot. He recovered the puck and sent Mats Zuccarello away with Miller on a two on one. Zuccarello got the puck to Miller, who put it into the vacated net with 54 seconds left.

When the game’s three stars were announced, Lundqvist got number three while Gaborik justifiably got number two. Nash came out for the first star to cheers from an appreciative crowd. We know more about him now. That he’s a winning hockey player who does what it takes.

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Rant: Paging the Rangers

Posted on December 14, 2017 by Derek

This is going to be different. Rather than recap a disturbing loss to the lowly Senators, I’m just gonna rant instead.

If you can’t be bothered to play a complete game against the freaking Senators, you deserve what you get. It may have been Game 31. But these are the ones you have to win because if you don’t, those lost points could be the difference between making the playoffs and missing entirely.

Coming off a horrid performance in which they barely competed for two periods with backup Ondrej Pavelec earning them a brownie point in a ugly shootout loss to the Stars, this was unacceptable. You can’t allow a struggling team like Ottawa think they have a chance. The Rangers allowed the Sens to gain confidence and of course helped Bobby Ryan snap out of a huge scoring slump to fall behind.

Right there, I concluded it’s going to be one of those games. With Kevin Hayes somehow failing to get a shot on a breakaway, you could only shake your head in disbelief. When asked about it during intermission by MSG’s John Giannone, Hayes said he felt that Erik Karlsson would catch him from behind due to the moves he was making. I can get that part but there’s no reason not to get a shot on Craig Anderson and test him. Of course, Anderson turned back the clock to last May and played well.

Sometimes, this team just needs to have a different mentality. It can’t always be pass, pass, pass. Unless you make a terrific pass like Mats Zuccarello did to set up Michael Grabner’s 15th in the second period. Zuccarello is turning around his season and again proving why he’s one of the team leaders. There aren’t enough words to describe what he means.

If only they didn’t have lapses in concentration. It’s been happening a lot lately. They’ve been giving up way too many shots and attempts while turning over pucks all over the ice. Eventually, it catches up.

Kevin Shattenkirk had a nightmare game with partner Brady Skjei. Shattenkirk is a high risk, reward player. At times, he can make bad reads like the awful pass right to Ottawa that led to Ryan’s goal. He also is scary in his own end when shifts are extended. If he’s not contributing offensively, it’s a negative.

Ever since Mika Zibanejad went down with a concussion, the Rangers have slumped badly on the power play. They entered yesterday three for the last 33. Nothing changed Wednesday. Zibanejad continues to skate on his own without contact. They miss him. You can only go so long without your top center. David Desharnais deserves credit for doing a admirable job slotting in.

Brendan Smith continues to puzzle. He has good games and bad where you wonder how he got a contract that pays him $4 million. He had a horrific shift where he fell down leading directly to Matt Duchene skating around like it was pond hockey before calmly passing for a wide open Cody Ceci, who beat Henrik Lundqvist.

The Rangers didn’t tie the game again. Instead, they gave up one of those despicable goals in the first minute of a period. It happened to be the third. Skjei and Shattenkirk got caught napping. At that point, I had it. I turned the game off deciding I didn’t need to watch this crap.

Of course, Pavel Buchnevich scored to make it a one goal game on a great rush and pass from Chris Kreider. Maybe that will get Kreider going. He is now six straight games without a goal. The next will be his 100th. At times he dominates shifts showing the capability while at others, you hardly notice him. If only he could find consistency.

Of course, they sucked me back into watching the final tiresome six minutes. A boring display where Ottawa trapped them to death. Just awful.

That’s all there’s is to say. I’m disgusted. You should be too.

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Game 30: Pavelec brilliant to help Rangers steal a undeserved point in 2-1 shootout loss to Stars

Posted on December 12, 2017 by Derek
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Ondrej Pavelec was sensational making 44 saves to steal the Rangers a undeserved point in a 2-1 shootout loss to the Stars. AP Photo via Getty Images courtesy newsday.com

The Rangers were abysmal tonight. I didn’t see the entirety due to catching up with a close buddy but didn’t need to. I could tell very early that they didn’t have it against a Stars team that skated circles around them to earn a 2-1 shootout win at MSG.

Ondrej Pavelec is the only reason it was competitive. Honestly, it was so uncompetitive the first two periods that it was appalling. Granted. It was their third game in four nights. They have had a pretty easy schedule to this point. But there’s no excuse for getting outshot by a combined 33-10 the first 40 minutes.

They owe Pavelec a steak dinner with all the trimmings for a stolen point. They’ll certainly take it. The backup had his second straight strong start. A week after making 41 saves in a 4-3 regulation win over the Pens, the former Winnipeg goalie was brilliant in making 44 saves. That’s a combined 85 stops in his last two starts while facing 89 shots. Full credit to the veteran for getting it together. He will need to be good as the schedule continues to increase. I’ll take my crow darkened.

There really isn’t much to say about this one. The Stars were ready. The Rangers weren’t. They spent way too many shifts in their own zone. Part of that was Dallas who used their speed to forecheck vigorously. Pavelec must’ve had half a dozen unreal saves on top sniper Tyler Seguin. He was stopping everything including breakaways and a amazing three save sequence with great kick outs on two rebounds. It reminded of Henrik Lundqvist and what he does nightly.

If there’s a concern, it’s this team’s propensity for slow starts. Sooner or later, it’s gonna catch up. They’re lucky to get a point out of such a awful effort. They can thank Pavelec. He made every critical stop to keep Dallas at one. That allowed the Rangers to play one good period and get a big tying goal from Rick Nash with 3:41 left in regulation.

The Stars only tally came from Julius Honka in the second period. A nice finish from Esa Lindell and captain Jamie Benn which came off some sloppy defensive play.

Dallas didn’t take advantage of their chances. The game should’ve been 6 or 7-0. Pavelec stood on his head. He got a few standing ovations from the knowledgeable fans who normally reserve it for Lundqvist. They knew how bad the team was in front of him. It was a sensational effort that should build even more confidence.

With his team doing nothing, Alain Vigneault adjusted his lines and D pairs for the third. Sensing they needed a spark, he moved Pavel Buchnevich off the top line and onto the Kevin Hayes line with Nash. The move paid off with Nash getting his eighth from Brady Skjei and Buchnevich.

Mats Zuccarello was moved onto the first line with David Desharnais and the suddenly slumping Chris Kreider. He’s without a goal in five straight and hasn’t been as noticeable. He’s stuck on 99 career goals. He needs to get number 100 and snap out of it. With games at Ottawa Wednesday and back home vs the sizzling Kings Friday, he’ll have chances to get it going. That’s the frustrating thing about Kreider who can dominate games but still struggles with consistency.

The Rangers had enough to tie the game by outshooting the Stars 9-8 in the third. They also had six more shots on Kari Lehtonen in a entertaining three on three overtime. Too bad they didn’t win it there.

Pavelec deserved better. But lost to Lehtonen in the shootout. Zuccarello outwaited Lehtonen to beat him high glove in around 1 but Alex Radulov recovered from falling down to then go forehand deke opening up Pavelec’s five-hole. Following a Desharnais backhand that Lehtonen gloved, Pavelec got a piece of a high Seguin shot to send it to Round 3. In it, Kevin Shattenkirk’s backhand try was denied allowing the Stars to win it on Jason Spezza’s beauty upstairs.

Theres no more insight. They should burn the tape or whatever they use these days. This was awful. Take the point because they’re all important. They are now ahead of the Pens into a wildcard due to Pittsburgh losing 2-1 in regulation. So, there’s that.

Give Pavelec all three stars for what he did. The end.

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Rangers host Stars with Pavelec starting

Posted on December 11, 2017 by Derek

The Rangers play host to the Stars tonight. The game starts at 7 PM and can be seen on MSG. It’s a busy schedule with this being the club’s third game in four days.

So, Ondrej Pavelec gets the nod in goal. It’ll be his first home start since 10/26. The backup fared well in place of a flu ridden Henrik Lundqvist last week making 41 saves in a 4-3 win at the Penguins. If he can duplicate that, the Rangers have a good chance of winning.

Dallas plays in the competitive Central Division. They’re tied with the Blackhawks and Jets in points (33) sitting just outside a wildcard. They’ve played 30 games and enter with a 16-13-1 record. Ten of those wins have come at home. On the road, they’ve struggled with a 6-9-1 record.

The Stars are led by dynamic duo Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin. Seguin leads them in scoring with 14 goals and 28 points with five power play goals and three game winners. Benn is 12-13-25 with nine power play points. The addition of Alexander Radulov has given them another potent weapon. A feisty player, Radulov leads Dallas forwards with 16 assists and has 25 points. He’s not afraid to mix it up as the Rangers know from last Spring’s nasty first round series against Montreal.

John Klingberg is the leading Dallas defenseman with a team high 21 assists. At 4-21-25, the right shooting D must be accounted for. He is like a extra forward on the forecheck. Great at keeping the puck in, he can get his shot through and is a great passer.

If there’s a underrated player, it’s Radek Faksa. His 10 goals aren’t a accident. He’s a good secondary scorer who has one of their three shorthanded goals and tops them in plus/minus (11).

Jason Spezza isn’t as productive anymore but is still a threat due to his speed in transition. Number 90 can still fly. He’s only got five goals and six helpers. But can’t be forgotten.

Antoine Roussel is one of those royal pain in the asses. A tough hard nosed forward who likes physicality, he goes to the hard areas and makes life difficult. With three goals and six assists along with 47 penalty minutes, he is a effective player on the forecheck. The kind the Rangers lack.

Under Ken Hitchcock, Dallas isn’t scoring as consistently. They are in the middle of the pack averaging 2.93 goals per game compared with the Rangers’ 3.34 goals per game.

But the Stars can get into shootouts. Ben Bishop gets most of the starts. He’s won 13 games with a 2.74 GAA and .909 save percentage. A big goalie, he can be moved side to side. Kari Lehtonen backs up. He’s 3-4-0 with a 2.70 GAA and .903 save percentage. No stranger to MSG, he’s played the Rangers plenty throughout a solid career that began with the Thrashers.

The Rangers want to keep it going after a big 5-2 win over the Devils. It’ll be interesting to see how they play in front of Pavelec. He will get into some games now that the schedule is busier.

Mats Zuccarello comes off a two goal game and is starting to pick it up. The fourth line centered by Boo Nieves has been hit. Whether it’s Jesper Fast or Jimmy Vesey with Nieves and Paul Carey, Alain Vigneault now has the luxury of rolling four lines. He hasn’t been afraid to shorten up in the third period going with the best three lines.

J.T. Miller has settled in as a center and continues to rack up assists while playing with Zuccarello and Michael Grabner.

Mika Zibanejad will miss his seventh straight game due to a concussion. He’s getting closer to being cleared for contact. Once he is, he will be back. For now, David Desharnais will center the cohesive Chris Kreider and Pavel Buchnevich.

Kevin Hayes will continue to be matched against the best lines. So, figure him to see plenty of Benn and Seguin.

On Garden Of Dreams night, it should be prett special. Hopefully, the team delivers another win on home ice. They’ve won 10 of their last 11 at The Garden.

 

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Zuccarello leads the Rangers to important 5-2 win over listless Devils

Posted on December 9, 2017 by Derek
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Mats Zuccarello celebrates one of his two goals in a satisfying 5-2 Rangers win over the Devils at MSG on Saturday night. AP Photo via Getty Images

Maybe I should call out more players. In one of their better efforts, the Rangers rebounded from a tough loss Friday by soundly defeating the listless Devils 5-2 at The Garden.

The win allowed them to improve to 16-11-2 with 34 points in the chaotic Metro Division. With the Pens falling short in a comeback attempt against the Leafs and the Islanders losing to the Bruins, this is a good night. They gained ground by closing within a point of Pittsburgh and the Islanders while pulling within two of the suddenly slumping Devils. Columbus won again via a 1-0 shutout of lowly Arizona to move into sole possession of first place with 39 points.

It was vital for them to bounce back and do it in regulation over their close Hudson rival. It’s the first time the Devils have lost back to back games in regulation all season. They’ve lost three of four and fell to 16-9-4 with 36 points.

The Rangers know how crucial every game is. Especially inside the division. Ryan McDonagh emphasized that point to MSG’s Dave Maloney in a pregame interview. To win a four point game in such a tight race already means plenty. If it’s going to be a battle all the way to Game 82, they have to take advantage of these opportunities.

In the second game of five against the Devils, they largely dominated with superior five on five play. Taking advantage of some lackadaisical mistakes by a opponent also playing a back to back, the Rangers were sharper throughout than Friday’s incomplete loss in Washington.

They got goals from some of the players I called out in my game preview. In particular, Mats Zuccarello keyed the victory by scoring twice. He was splendid in all facets including defensively. There was a big moment where he saved a goal with the puck heading towards the goal line before a hustling Zuccarello saved Henrik Lundqvist. There was another funny moment where he almost beat his own goalkeeper, who rescued him. They shared a chuckle during a stoppage.

Alain Vigneault made one change to the lines. Let’s call it a good adjustment that impacted the match up he wanted. Sensing that the hard working two-way ability of Jesper Fast could help win the game, he moved Fast up to the checking line with Kevin Hayes and Rick Nash. That’s the line he feels most comfortable with matching against top scoring lines. It was a brilliant move which worked with the new Hayes unit shutting down the Devils top line of Nico Hischier, Jesper Bratt and Taylor Hall. They went a combined minus-eight with five shots.

Meanwhile, Jimmy Vesey was moved down to the fourth line with Boo Nieves and Paul Carey. That worked out well too with Carey and Nieves perfectly setting up Vesey for a nice finish at the side past Keith Kinkaid for the game’s first goal at 6:14 of the opening stanza. That line has been working hard and finally is getting rewarded. Nieves scored his first NHL goal in a win at the Pens. Carey also scored recently. They just click. Carey is proving critics wrong with his grit. He fits in since returning to the lineup with Nieves.

The Rangers controlled most of the first with their forecheck. When the puck wasn’t bouncing around due to college basketball played earlier in the day, they were forcing turnovers and forcing Kinkaid into tough saves. They outshot the Devils 13-7.

New Jersey came out better in the second as expected. They started to generate a few scoring chances and finally make Lundqvist get into the game. He did just that turning aside Jimmy Hayes on a tough deflection and not allowing a rebound.

With the score still 1-0 due to the Rangers unable to do anything on the power play (0-for-3), they capitalized on some awful coverage by the Devils to go up two. Nash passed for a wide open Fast, who took his time before wristing one past Kinkaid at 9:42. It was a terrific play by Nash. For Fast, that’s three straight games with a goal and he’s up to seven. His career high is 10 established in ‘15-16. That same year, he tallied a career best 20 assists and 30 points. With a goal and assist tonight, he’s already up to 15 points in 24 games. Don’t forget he missed the first four recovering from offseason surgery.

The two-goal lead lasted 4:03. A mistake by Fast led to Damon Severson cutting it in half. After he failed to clear the puck, Stefan Noesen and Blake Coleman got the puck over to a open Severson. He fired a quick wrist shot through a McDonagh screen past Lundqvist to get the Devils back in it. McDonagh went for the shot block and instead hurt his own goalie from seeing it.

A bad Brendan Smith delay of game minor nearly cost them. But Marcus Johansson had his try go off the goalpost. It was that close to being tied. Instead, as often happens, the Rangers came back and scored the fateful next goal. Ironically, it was Severson who fell asleep at his own blueline. Handling the puck like a grenade, he had Zuccarello completely strip him and break in on Kinkaid going stick side on Kinkaid with not much real estate for a 3-1 lead with 3:57 left in the second. A splendid play by a dedicated guy who just finds a way to impact these games out of his pure hustle and heart. That was a huge goal.

The Devils trailed by two instead of being tied with one period left. Pavel Zacha had some near misses. He came in for Drew Stafford and probably should stay in their lineup. He was effective and later had a assist on the Devils’ second tally. He also played over 16 minutes which is about the only positive I would take from this game if I were Hasan.

As the third began, I wondered why Devils coach John Hynes didn’t give Cory Schneider another start in the second game of a back to back. I get that he was bad Friday. But at what point do they let their top guy try to come back and see if he can play better. That’s the odd part of the Devils. Kinkaid played well making several outstanding saves including robbing Nash on a two on one with a quick glove.

What doomed the Devils were their defensive breakdowns. Never was that more evident than on Zuccarello’s second of the game. On a great rush with little resistance, J.T. Miller made a bullet pass across for a unchecked Zuccarello, who beat Kinkaid for the second time to make it 4-1 at 6:21. McDonagh notched a assist on the well executed play.

But the three-goal lead lasted only 12 seconds. On a rare occasion where they weren’t going against the Hall line, the Hayes unit fell asleep. A sloppy turnover resulted in Zacha setting up Miles Wood at the doorstep for his seventh to make it 4-2 with 13:26 remaining. Will Butcher netted a assist for his first point in six games.

It almost got hairy. Hynes was able to get his dangerous top line out against the Rangers’ fourth line with Marc Staal and Smith caught out. Hischier, Bratt and Hall skated circles around them. They certainly had some quality chances but were unable to score. Instead, a desperate Staal sacrificed himself by making a crucial block. The kind of heart and soul defensive play he’s known for. He may not be the fleetest of foot anymore. But he makes up for it with determination and grit. That was the biggest play of the period.

Not long after, the Rangers got out of trouble and put the game away. It was Hayes who found the back of the net with a backhand from Nash and Fast at 11:59. That made it 5-2, erasing any thoughts of a Devils comeback.

Notes: Rangers held a 39-28 edge in shots. Attempts were much closer with the Rangers holding a slim 59-58 edge. The Devils missed 12 shots to the Rangers’ 4. Blocked shots were 18-16 Rangers with McDonagh pacing them with three. Andy Greene and Brian Gibbons each had four for the Devs. … New Jersey was stronger on face offs going 36-and-22. Brian Boyle dominated winning 9 of 10 while Hall went 10-and-5. Nieves went 4-and-6 for the Rangers while Hayes won 7 of 17. … Giveaways: Devils 14 (4 with 2) Rangers 13 (4 with 2). … Lundqvist made 26 saves while Kinkaid turned aside 34 of 39.

BONY 3 STARS ✨

3rd Star ⭐️ Rick Nash, NYR (2 assists, 5 shots in 16:21)

2nd Star ⭐️ Jesper Fast, NYR (7th of season, assist, 3 shots in 15:09)

1st Star ⭐️ Mats Zuccarello, NYR (2 goals-6, 7, 3 shots, +2 in 16:48)

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Big Saturday Showdown between Hudson rivals as Rangers/Devils look to rebound

Posted on December 9, 2017 by Derek

It’s been a great start for the rebuilding Devils. They enter tonight’s match against the Hudson rival Rangers with only eight losses in regulation. One coming last night to the first place Blue Jackets, who earned a split of a home and home series with a 5-3 win at The Rock. Artemi Panarin victimized the Devs for five assists. A rare off night for them. They’ll be ready later when the Rangers host the Devils.

The Devils bring a 16-8-4 record with 36 points into the second match against the Rangers. Astonishingly, they’re in third place due to one loss putting them a point behind Columbus and Washington, who prevailed over the Rangers 4-2 to deal them a brutal loss. After they rallied to tie it thanks to Jesper Fast, they allowed the Caps to score twice in the final 3:32. They enter at 15-11-2 in sixth place with 32 points.

That explains how crazy the Metropolitan Division is. One regulation loss and you fall down a couple of spots. It’s wild. I detailed in a recent piece how one of the crowded six in the best division in hockey could get screwed due to the current playoff system. They’ll be jockeying for position all year. The fun part is it’s not even Chanukah or Christmas. A day following my birthday, it’s snowing on December 9. These teams have barely played 30 games and already every one means so much. Especially when it’s a potential four point swing as was the case for both the Devils and Rangers yesterday and today if there’s no overtime.

Who rebounds at 33rd and 8th Avenue? It’s sure to be a good environment. The last meeting came early in the season with the Devils scoring three in a row and holding off a last second Rangers comeback prevailing 3-2 at MSG on Oct. 14. A game so bad it drove us to the exits before it became 3-2 as a tease. They were playing miserable hockey. It made them 1-5-0. A 5-4 overtime loss to the Pens didn’t help. Neither did a exasperating one goal loss to the despised Islanders. It got so bad in that first month that it looked like the end for coach Alain Vigneault. Had they not responded with a huge home third to defeat Vegas on Halloween, he was likely gone.

It never materialized. The prideful Rangers skaters wouldn’t let it happen. They played for their coach saving his job. A six-game win streak into November turned it around. They would win 10 of 12 to get back in it. The play of the KZB Line carried them for a stretch until top center Mika Zibanejad suffered a concussion. While Chris Kreider and Pavel Buchnevich have continued to produce, they are missing their center. David Desharnais has done a admirable job but it’s not sustainable.

Neither can playmaking pivots J.T. Miller and Kevin Hayes totaling a combined nine goals. Miller has 17 assists with four goals. Hayes has five markers and six assists in a two-way role. His line was benched in a big 4-3 road win at Pittsburgh. Buchnevich getting the winner with under minutes to play when his pass banked in off Kris Letang. The thing is the Rangers need more goalscoring from Miller and Hayes. Sure. The offense ranks seventh. But the centers can’t be predictable with Zibanejad out.

Boo Nieves scored his first career NHL goal in the win over the Pens. The rookie is improving but along the way come bumps and bruises like failing to absorb Kevin Shattenkirk’s pass that would’ve cleared the zone prior to Matt Niskanen’s game-winner. To be honest, Shattenkirk stunk in his return to D.C. He went minus-three and got victimized on the first shift leading to a Caps goal 14 seconds in from Jay Beagle. Maybe Shattenkirk tried too hard after Bruce Boudreau’s criticism that he wasn’t a 1-2 but a 3-4 referring to his defense as a rental for the Caps last Spring. Shattenkirk is worth his contract due to the offense he provides. Five goals, 15 assists, 20 points and nine power play points in 28 games is fine production. His D remains sketchy.

Ryan McDonagh also got badly beaten by Tom Wilson on the finisher. At times, the captain looks like his old self making the defensive plays and skating we’ve come to appreciate. However, there are other ugly moments mixed in like last night that are more common. He’s the workhorse of a still weak defense. Mac continues to work with the imperfect Nick Holden, who wasn’t supposed to be on the top pair. Shattenkirk works better with budding sophomore Brady Skjei, whose skating makes him a two-way threat. Marc Staal fits perfectly on the third pair in a defensive role playing shorthanded where he excels. He teams with Brendan Smith, who has been wildly inconsistent after signing his contract. You never know.

The Rangers are still competitive due to Henrik Lundqvist. He was disappointed with allowing four goals last night but made 36 saves. He can’t continue to be peppered by opponents. The 2.72 GAA, .916 save percentage are respectable in a higher scoring league. He’s been there when his team’s needed him.

They need more goals from Mats Zuccarello, who like Hayes and Miller is a playmaker who thinks pass first. His 17 assists and 22 points are tied for the team lead. Since being moved down to the third line with Miller and Michael Grabner’s, he’s fit in. With a goal again yesterday, Grabner is up to a team best 14. He’s more than done his part, making him a valuable asset. At this point, the Rangers need to find a way to keep him. He’s so effective with his deadly combo of speed and defensive acumen causing breakaways and odd man rushes.

Rick Nash only has seven goals on a team high 86 shots. He might be the most snake bitten player. Nobody creates more chances off their skating and forecheck. At some point, they have to go in. He plays with Hayes and Jimmy Vesey, who only has five goals himself. It’s all about finding more production from that line. Granted. They take on the tough assignment. But they need to bury some chances.

The fourth line is now trusted by Vigneault, who’s been more patient and more willing to make guys accountable. He wasn’t afraid to play the cohesive trio of Nieves, Fast and Paul Carey in the final minute at Pittsburgh. It’s nice to have four lines you can rely on.

As for the Devils, they are led by Taylor Hall. He’s had the bounce back needed to make them much improved. He leads them in scoring with 29 points including a team high 20 assists to go with nine tallies. His playmaking has been on display. He’s also been more aggressive looking for his shot. That’s the sign of a confident scorer who’s just over a point-per-game clip. Hall is playing with gifted rookies Nico Hischier and Jesper Bratt on the top line. Hischier was the first overall pick in the recent draft. He’s been more playmaker with 15 helpers along with five goals for 20 points. Not for lack of chances. He’s gotten plenty. The first-year teenager will continue to improve. Bratt is a great story making the Devils as a 2016 sixth round pick. A two-wavy threat who plays penalty kill, he has a shorthanded goal and shorthanded assist. A gritty player, he’s fun to watch unless you’re playing him. With nine goals and 10 assists, Bratt continues to impress.

With the emergence of Brian Gibbons, whose 11 goals and plus-11 lead the team, they moved Adam Henrique to Anaheim for defenseman Sami Vatanen. A good trade that should benefit them long term. Vatanen plays with captain Andy Greene. It allows for less pressure on Damon Severson, Steven Santini and offensive minded rookie Will Butcher, whose 18 points have been impressive. The former Hobey Baker winner is showing why he belongs. He’s cooled off lately. But must be accounted for on the rush and on the power play.

The Devils boast emotional inspiration Brian Boyle. Bravely battling Leukemia, #BoyleStrong has come back with a vengeance scoring five times including last night. Coach John Hynes has used him also on the power play with Boyle using his size in front to score twice. There’s no bigger fan of him than me. I will never forget what he did here in helping our team become a playoff contender. His primary assist on Dominic Moore’s series clincher near the end of the second period against Montreal to win the Wales Trophy will always be etched in my memory. I’m rooting for him as are all hockey fans, players and coaches. He’s easy to love. A glue player who does anything to win.

Marcus Johansson is finally healthy. After missing significant time with a concussion, he scored in yesterday’s 5-3 home loss. That will aid them without Kyle Palmieri. Miles Wood has been a solid fit on the secondary lines with six goals and six helpers. He isn’t the prettiest skater but somehow makes it work due to extra effort. Keep him away from the net.

The Devils also boast the reliable Travis Zajac. He doesn’t score much these days. But still is a solid all around center who can forecheck and kill penalties as well as play power play. They count on him for face offs along with Boyle.

Pavel Zacha has struggled mightily but gets a opportunity in place of slumping vet Drew Stafford. How much will he play?

Don’t forget John Moore, who has a penchant for scoring big goals in overtime. Without Cory Schneider, the Devils aren’t where they are in the standings. He faces a lot of rubber and has done well making critical stops. With 11 wins, a 2.72 GAA and .919 save percentage, he’s had the bounce back needed. It’s a good goalie match up between him and Lundqvist. Cancel that. It’ll be Keith Kinkaid.

It should be a good game. Round two starts now.

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Road warriors become home clowns

Posted on December 8, 2017 by hasan4978

Sometimes it’s hard to know what to expect from this Devils team period to period anymore let alone game to game.  Just this last week has been a prime example of that.  Start the mini-West Coast swing off strong with a 2-1 win in Colorado.  Follow that up with a frighteningly incompetent 5-0 loss against Arizona (who hadn’t had a home win all season).  Then go to Columbus and dominate a good Blue Jackets team in a 4-1 win that caused the always calm and reserved John Tortorella to cancel a day off and bag skate his players the next day.  Finally the team comes back home today, again looks dominant against the Jackets early and jump out to a 2-0 lead after one…before the roof fell in in the final forty minutes.  If I didn’t know better I’d swear I watched two different games tonight.  Not only did the Devils lose after jumping out to a lead, it really wasn’t even that close in a 5-3 meltdown that was worrisome for a number of reasons.

Going back to an old Lou Lamoriello saying (or maybe I just know the saying from Lou and it’s older than that) – your best players have to be your best players.  Tonight, our best players, or at least our veteran leaders were actually our worst players by far.  After a recent stretch where he’d played better and almost given me confidence back in him, again Cory Schneider gave up a game-changing soft goal in the second period that tied the game.  I wouldn’t say any of the other goals against were soft but I wouldn’t call a couple of them completely unstoppable either.  And Cory was only the third goat of the game.  Instead of stars of the game, I’m giving out goats of the game tonight.

Second goat of the game was Travis Zajac, who’s not only been clueless offensively since returning from injury – just one goal and no assists in eleven games – but has even been a shell of himself defensively and in puck possession, two areas where he normally excels blindfolded.  His perfect screen on goal #3 would have been laughable if it wasn’t sad and his hideously failed attempt(s) at a clear on the momentum-changing PK early in the third period led to a minute long shift in the Devils’ zone that finally resulted in the inevitable go-ahead goal that gave the Jackets a 4-3 lead they wouldn’t relinquish and took my level of worry over Travis to highly concerned.

Even with those wonderful performances the goat of the game was none other than the captain Andy Greene, who looked drunk or stoned giving the puck away left and right so badly it looked like he was one of Santa’s elfs tossing around Christmas presents.  You get a puck, and you get a puck…everyone gets a puck!  His giveaway on goal #2 made him every bit as culpable as Cory on that one, and his perfect screen on goal #4 probably should get him promoted to the power play, if Travis didn’t beat him to it earlier.  Too bad none of our players can screen the other goalie that well.

Of course getting guys in front to screen the goalie is the only justification for having Jimmy Hayes on the power play.  I sort of get that on one hand…if you have four skill guys and one screener in front, that’s understandable.  But why oh why oh why does John Hynes (or assistant Geoff Ward, whoever’s running the power play) insist on having BOTH Hayes and Brian Boyle on the top power play line?  If you want to throw out two cement-footed guys at even strength and slow the tempo down that’s one thing, but having both guys on the same power play just saps all the skill from it, and the power plays tonight – including a four-minute double minor in the third period – were horrifically bad, in no small part due to the lack of skill or speed up front.  I don’t want to slag on Boyle who frighteningly enough has been our best center not named Nico Hischier, and did score the first goal tonight at even strength.  Hayes almost at this point seems like the coach’s pet or the team mascot.  A guy who’s more or less in the lineup cause he’s a ‘good chemistry guy’.

That said I’d still rather see Hayes in the lineup over Drew Stafford at this point.  Talk about a one-week wonder, Stafford’s completely shut down and looked like the guy I always knew he was in Buffalo, streaky but whose bad streaks last a lot longer than the good ones, and he just doesn’t add anything to the team when he’s not scoring.  It would be nice to get Pavel Zacha in the lineup for Stafford next game but he’s still on the back of a milk carton somewhere.  If I have one issue with team management (whether it’s Hynes, GM Ray Shero or some combination) right now it’s the continued strange marginalization of Zacha.  If you don’t want him in the lineup because he isn’t playing well I can understand that, especially on a team that is still in a playoff position for the moment.  But sitting out three straight games is a bit excessive at this point.  Either he’s a part of your lineup or he’s not and send him down to the AHL.  Of the three options available to the Devils – play in the NHL, play in the AHL, sit in the NHL – the latter is the most undesirable but now the one management’s taking.  And when Zacha does play he rarely gets above twelve minutes anymore.

Funny thing is I’ve calmed down a bit since the game ended although I was so frustrated by this loss I actually left early which I never do in a competitive game.  But at 5-3 late in the third after the failed four-minute power play and after Columbus scored quickly on one of their own, you knew it was over and that was the final backbreaker.  It was the worst loss of the season from my standpoint, worse than even the stupid no-shows against the Panthers and Coyotes last week.  Worse cause of how they had the lead then completely shut off mentally after the first period, and worse cause now you have to seriously worry about vet leaders Greene and Zajac, who were both actually demoted late in the game – though it was too late by then at least it showed Hynes wasn’t blind to all the ills of the team tonight.  Just the ones on the power play.

In many ways it could either be the best thing or the worst thing to have the Rangers come up tomorrow night at MSG.  Either the Devils are able to flush this loss quickly or they lose another big division game and face the danger of enough of a losing streak to take them from first to on the playoff bubble entirely based on how tight the East is – and in particular the Metro.  One thing that worries me and has for a while is that we’re due for a market correction on the road.  10-3-2 away from the Prudential Center is just unsustainable even for elite teams, I’m sorry.  In contrast the team needs to improve on their 6-5-2 record at home if they’re going to maintain their current position or anything close to it in the standings.

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Islanders late comeback nets point in 4-3 overtime loss to Penguins

Posted on December 8, 2017 by Derek

Matt Hunwick celebrates his overtime winner much to Joshua Ho-Sang’s dismay as a Islanders rally fell short in a 4-3 overtime loss to the Penguins. AP Photo via Getty Images

In a wild and crazy game between old Patrick Division rivals, the Islanders rally fell just short. However, they were able to come back and score twice in a 3:43 span late in the third period to gain a point in a 4-3 overtime loss to the Penguins on the road.

They persisted and that paid off. It was a entertaining game between two high scoring teams who can ramp it up.  The Pens did half their damage on special teams scoring two power play goals. Jake Guentzel got the scoring started when he was able to redirect a Kris Letang point shot past Jaro Halak for the lone goal in a first controlled by Pittsburgh. Evgeni Malkin added a assist.

After being outshot 15-6, the Islanders picked it up in a much stronger second. They began to dictate the play with their forecheck. They generated quality chances and more shots (13-7) on rookie Tristan Jarry. However, the Pens 22-year old netminder made some key stops. The only goal he allowed was on a follow up by the red hot Jordan Eberle (12th) during a mad scramble in front. The former Oiler was able to steer in a Ryan Pulock rebound from Nick Leddy at 5:53.

But in a period where the Pens took the only three penalties, the Islanders weren’t able to capitalize enough. It almost cost them.

In the first part of the third, it was the Isles aggressive forecheck that kept the Pens pinned in for a couple of extended shifts. The John Tavares line with Anders Lee and Josh Bailey had some close calls along with the second line centered by rookie Mathew Barzal. At the end of a shift, Barzal blocked a shot and came in two on one with Joshua Ho-Sang. But Jarry shrugged off Barzal’s point blank shot to keep it tied at one.

With Scott Mayfield off for tripping, the Pens went to work. It took less than a minute for the sizzling Phil Kessel to take a Letang pass and rifle home a laser top shelf for his 14th at 7:29. Sidney Crosby helped set it up. Letang got the puck to Kessel and he stepped around and used his lethal wrist shot to beat Halak for a 2-1 lead.

Halak made things worse when his misplay behind the net led directly to Riley Sheahan beating him top shelf from Carl Hagelin to give Pittsburgh two goals in a 32-second span. They had a two-goal lead with less than 12 minutes to play.

But the Isles have been resilient all year. Just when it seemed they had nothing, Barzal threw a innocent backhand on net that fooled Jarry to cut it to 3-2 with 4:53 remaining. A smart play by a polished freshman who now leads all rookies with 27 points. His emergence is the biggest difference for why the Islanders are near the top of a crowded Metro Division. Mayfield and Casey Cizikas notched assists.

Trailing by one, the Isles put on a all out attack to find the equalizer. After a near miss from Kessel which would’ve sealed it, Brock Nelson banged one home from Andrew Ladd and Thomas Hickey with Halak pulled at 18:50. He got loose in front and put in his eighth to force extras. On a good shift by Tavares, Ho-Sang and Lee, Lee nearly won it with his backhand narrowly missing to send it to OT.

Not astonishingly, the three on three didn’t last long. After the teams traded chances, the Pens caught Ho-Sang out for a long shift. It was Matt Hunwick who played the unlikely hero putting in a Bryan Rust rebound at 1:29 to give the Pens the win.

The point earned gave the Isles 35 putting them in a four-way tie for second place with idle Columbus, the Capitals and Pens. They all trail the Devils by a point. New Jersey hosts the Blue Jackets Friday. The Rangers visit Washington and sit four back of the Devils with 32 points.

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Deeper Metro Division will likely get screwed by current playoff format

Posted on December 6, 2017 by Derek
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Buch Celebrates! Pavel Buchnevich enjoys his game-winning goal in a important 4-3 Rangers win over the Penguins. In a tight division where six teams are battling for position, one team could be left out in the cold due to the current NHL playoff format. AP Photo via Getty Images courtesy sny.tv

By show of hands, how many people like the current playoff format? You won’t find me as one who agrees with it.

The idea of reestablishing the old divisional playoffs for the first two rounds sounded good in theory. But it was always flawed. In guaranteeing the top three in each division automatic entry, it didn’t account for the awkward situation that this season could present. One look at the standings in the Eastern Conference is reason for concern.

In what’s now the best division in hockey, the Metro has six teams with over 30 points. First place New Jersey is separated by four total points from the sixth Rangers, who posted a 4-3 win in regulation Monday night at the Penguins. A game that wasn’t their best but they got the bounces with Pavel Buchnevich’s pass banking in off Kris Letang for the game-winner with 8:48 left in regulation. Ondrej Pavelec made it stand up with 41 saves including over half in a weird second period (22 of 23) that saw the Blueshirts get two of the three goals on Tristan Jarry despite being largely outplayed.

That’s hockey. What isn’t is the actual chance that one team in the loaded Metro Division will likely get screwed by the current playoff format. You have the surprising Devils first with 36 points followed by the Blue Jackets at 35. The Islanders behind John Tavares and emerging Calder front runner Mathew Barzal are third with 34. The Capitals are right behind in fourth with 33. Then come the defending champion Pens with 33 followed by the Rangers at 32.

It’s impossible for one division to get six teams into the NHL Playoffs. Not with the final two spots granting wildcards. At best, a division can get five in. Each is guaranteed three due to the top three automatically qualifying. A look at the thinner Atlantic is reason for perplexment. The Lightning lead the East with 40 points. A 6-2 win at home over the Islanders yesterday in which they scored four unanswered after Barzal and Jordan Eberle tied it is proof of how lethal the Bolts are. It’s not only Steven Stamkos and Nikita Kucherov but Brayden Point, Tyler Johnson, Ondre Palat, Yanni Gourde, Vladislav Namestnikov, Alex Killorn, Chris Kunitz, Ryan Callahan, Victor Hedman, Mikhail Sergachev who can beat you. They’ll be very tough to beat next Spring.

After the Lightning come the Maple Leafs with 35 points. They don’t have much D but are lethal offensively led by Auston Matthews, William Nylander, Mitch Marner, Nazem Kadri and James van Riemsdyk. They count on clutch saves from Freddy Andersen. Toronto will get in. The Canadiens have rallied since Carey Price returned to move up to third with 29 points. Even with how putrid they were, all they had to do was reel off five straight to move up. Brendan Gallagher is on pace for a career year with a dozen goals. Even with a lower body injury sidelining disappointing Jonathan Drouin, Montreal is getting clutch performances from Paul Byron and Andrew Shaw. Alex Galchenyuk has scored recently and Max Pacioretty is still doing okay in the goal department. With Price back to his old dominant self, they should be in contention. Shea Weber scored a pair with the first goal giving him 500 career points.

The thing is Montreal is only 13-13-3 with 12 ROW (regulation overtime wins). They’re one up on a talented but weird Boston team with the struggling Red Wings somehow only two out at 27 points. Last year’s story Ottawa continues to puzzle with poor play. Their 24 points are tied with the Panthers. Ever since they acquired Matt Duchene, they have lost a lot of games. Maybe he’s a jinx. I would expect the Senators to figure it out. They’re only five out due to the division they play in. Only lowly Buffalo with 18 points following a rare win over Colorado doesn’t look like they have a chance. They’ve struggled mightily under new coach Phil Housley.

If you counted the Hurricanes who have 27 points and the Flyers with 25, they’re better than Florida or Ottawa at this point. However, they’ll be hard pressed to make the playoffs in the loaded Metro. What if the sixth place team finishes with more points and ROW than the third place Atlantic participant? A distinct possibility. If you’re the Rangers, that’s gotta be in the back of your mind. Only the top five can qualify due to points and ROW. If the Devils are for real and there’s no reason to not think otherwise given the offensive improvement due to rookies Nico Hischier, Jesper Bratt, Will Butcher and the bounce back from Taylor Hall with Cory Schneider picking up his 100th career win as a Devil in last night’s impressive 4-1 road win at Columbus, then the margin for error is very little.

The Islanders score a lot of goals due to the Tavares line with Anders Lee and Josh Bailey along with the brilliance of Barzal along with steal Eberle (for Ryan Strome folks), Brock Nelson, Andrew Ladd, etc. Even with their unique platoon goalie situation between Jaro Halak and Thomas Greiss with a mediocre defense led by Nick Leddy and Johnny Boychuk, there’s enough talent and scoring depth to make it. Whether it’s as a top three seed or wildcard remains to be seen. But they’re a very exciting roster.

You have to think the Pens and Caps will improve. TMT. Too much talent! That leaves Columbus, who boast arguably the top goalie in Sergei Bobrovsky. They don’t score like the other teams but the Artemi Panarin addition is beginning to help. The blueline is strong with Norris caliber sophomore Zach Werenski and Seth Jones anchoring a corps that includes rough and tumble Jack Johnson and David Savard. With improvement from young forwards Josh Anderson and Oliver Bjorkstrand added to a nucleus featuring Cam Atkinson, Brandon Dubinsky, Nick Foligno, Boone Jenner and Alex Wennberg, they should be tough all year long.

What it boils down to is a flawed playoff system. The poor 3-7-1 start by the Rangers may come back to bite them. At 15-10-2 with 14 ROW and 32 points in 27 contests, they’ve recovered well. Even with flu ridden Henrik Lundqvist a scratch and Pavelec making a rare start, it worked out for the best.

Nothing surprises me with this team. If you’ve followed them intently through the years, they win when you least expect it while losing games they should win. They know by now how important the remaining 55 games will be. It’ll be the toughest challenge yet just to make the postseason.

If they don’t get in, don’t blame the messy playoff format. That’s been there and was before they made the switch in the 90’s under commissioner Gary Bettman. The divisional format emphasizes play in your division. The win over the Pens was the Rangers’ first of what need to be many against quality competition. With a visit to Washington coming up on birthday Friday and a quick turnaround in Newark Saturday, this is a early litmus test to see where they are before Christmas, They passed the first part.

As far as whether a Metro team finishes sixth with more total points or an identical amount and higher ROW than a third place Atlantic team who qualifies automatically, only time will tell. For now, it’ll be a huge battle till next Spring. With the cold weather and snow around the corner, there’s plenty of time for teams to jockey position.

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Despite frustration, going to games still fun for this Ranger fan who sits in the Blue Seats

Posted on December 2, 2017 by Derek

For those of you who enjoyed Friday night’s Rangers 5-1 win over hapless Carolina at MSG, it was fun to be at. It’s always nice to attend home games. These days, I don’t get out to as many as my family and brother’s friend.

So, my fourth Ranger game of the season evened my record at 2-2-0. I also went Tuesday. A frustrating 5-4 loss to a bad Florida team with a no name winning it with 1:09 left in regulation. That’s hockey.

The loss to the Panthers was more entertaining. The Rangers rallied twice from three goal deficits as I accurately predicted to my Dad and Tommy. Sometimes, you can just tell. Florida is poor defensively. By the cruel ending ruined it.

Truth be told, last night’s game wasn’t as entertaining. Sure. The Rangers won despite playing down to their opponent. They took advantage of Canes’ miscues. None bigger than fraud Scott Darling fanning on a pass which resulted in a easy David Desharnais power play goal that tied it at one. It was one of the worst plays I’ve ever seen from a goalie. The same one who flat out missed a Mika Zibanejad shot from center ice in a Rangers blowout win at Carolina.

The Canes had more shots and better chances. It didn’t matter due to Henrik Lundqvist recovering from allowing a soft goal to Justin Williams 56 seconds in. He finished with 32 saves in a much needed bounce back win.

Michael Grabner not only got the game-winner on a nice one timer in front off a brilliant Kevin Shattenkirk pass. But recorded the oddest hat trick by scoring not once but twice into a vacated net. One of our buddies remarked that it was the cheapest hat trick ever to which we chuckled. It was definitely bizarre.

Here’s a stat for you. Grabner has now scored seven empty net goals. He leads the team with 13, meaning over half his production has come with the opposing net vacated. Even crazier, the seven empties match Sabres third-year center Jack Eichel’s season total. That speaks to how much a struggle it’s been for Buffalo and Eichel.

But it’s also signifies how important Grabner has become. He’s so reliable defensively that Alain Vigneault trusts him on the penalty kill, five on five and at protecting leads. His game breaking speed and defensive acumen are factors when the Blueshirts win.

If you were the Rangers, how do you not bring Grabner back? His price tag has increased. He could ask for a significant raise going from a $1.65 million salary to possibky double next summer. Much depends on where they are in late February around the trade deadline.

As I noted earlier, live games are always fun. Hockey is a great spectator sport. I’ve been going to Ranger games for over 20 years. We’ve always sat in the famed Blue Seats. From the glory days of Section 411 in the old Garden to the current ones in Section 419 right beneath the Chase Bridge where beer costs at least 12 bucks and a hot dog will run you seven dollars.

Gone are the days of being able to spend decently at a game. Much has to do with the renovation. The World’s Most Renovated Arena isn’t as fan friendly for loyal blue seaters. A fan that is almost extinct in Jim Dolan’s new M$G. Many have already been priced out. But if you sit in the last two rows with a obstructed view due to the angle and overhang from above, you still get to attend games for less than 40 bucks. It’s 35 for season ticket holders. My father shares one with a friend and they split it up.

In the days where it costs more to go, we decide which games we’ll attend. Busy work schedules help determine it. You can take advantage of the Ticket Exchange and make your money back.

The Garden is still a main attraction for newer fans and tourists who love going to see a match. I always meet some of the nicest couples from other countries who are visiting New York City. On Tuesday, it was a couple with a young one from Switzerland. On Friday, they were from Australia. A place I would love to visit. But that can only happen when I am more secure financially and have enough saved up. It costs a lot. For now, I’m looking at a more affordable range for a possible winter vacation around Christmas.

Our section used to be pretty strong with regulars. Some familiar faces still exist. That’s part of the appeal of going. The fans we see become part of our extended family. There are plenty of jokes and fun banter exchanged during play. Not to mention some old fashioned dry wit usually aimed at the two refs (blind mice) for how bad they are at their jobs. The “interference” penalty on Desharnais wasn’t. I could tell live. The replay confirmed it and I had a few choice words from my perch above. To the NHL and their ridiculous rule book which only confuses the officials more. You can’t fool us.

The thing about change is it isn’t always good. Sure. I’ve had the pleasure of walking around the Chase Bridge and taken plenty of cool shots of the live action and the legendary banners that hang above. That is quite a attraction.

But when you have so many newbies who don’t understand that people who are already in their seats want to watch the live action, it frustrates us. There is a unwritten rule.

Wait for the whistle. Garden security used to enforce it before the renovation. They don’t anymore because they’re hardly around. If fans get there late while play is going on, they should have the common decency to wait for a stoppage. It’s the right thing to do. You can still see the action. It is downright rude to go to your seats when they’re in the middle below and block our view. This is a regular occurrence.

Unless you have an end seat or are at the top, it would be nice if you realized you’re not the only person in our section. It would be even better if MSG realized we still exist. I don’t mean for one of the cheesy Papa John’s promotions. I am from Staten Island. We have some of the best pizzerias around. I eat real pizza. Does anyone want this?

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I am nice enough to give it away to anyone who wants Papa John’s. They only want us to get excited for this promotion or the all too predictable tee shirt toss. No shirt is making it to Row 6 or 7 in Section 419 or the others adjacent to us. They used to actually hand out shirts for a home playoff game. That was cool.

There aren’t many free giveaways. It’s also become harder for fans who use the Chase Entrance to get upstairs. The set up they had before with metal detector checks was better. They did it when you came in and it went faster. Now, they moved it upstairs. So, it turns into a unnecessary traffic jam. You’re lucky to make your seats in time for puck drop. I like to get there for the anthem. Now, I’m lucky if I don’t miss a couple of minutes.

Sadly, I don’t care. I missed the Williams goal in the first minute. After asking my brother and he told me without much description, I guess I was better off. Hey. Look a the bright side. They outscored the Canes 5-zip once I watched!

The great thing about going to so many games is you pick up on things. Especially from the Blue Seats. I can see more action. I’m able to call goals before they happen. I’ve seen so many plays develop that it gets easier. You can tell. It’s the same with penalties or stuff behind the play that can lead to old time hockey.

The distractions are there. The long wait for beer now takes almost a whole intermission. I can’t believe they got rid of Molson Canadian. If not Guinness, that was my go to. I don’t drink much anymore due to being older and the cost. But occasionally, I want to have fun. A good cold one is still nice at a game with your classic hockey discussion which can range from the game to the old days.

One thing I never do is wait to use the restroom. You’ll never find me stuck on a ridiculous line after a period. The wiser fan uses it at a stoppage. You get three. That’s the best time to go. No wait. And back in time for the action. Once, I made the mistake of using too close to opening faceoff in the Spring of 2012. As soon as I heard the noise and excitement, I knew what happened. A fight had broken out between blood rivals, the Devils and Rangers. I rushed back in time to catch the line brawl.

It’s stuff like that that makes going to games so much fun. The crowd loves hockey fights. Even though the day is coming where it could be gone due to the long term effect due to health risks. We understand what brave warriors these guys are. Maybe that’s lost in translation. Sometimes, criticism can be too much on players from us. I realize that. We don’t play and aren’t in the locker room.

Games like last night still give me enjoyment with my hockey family. Even if the renovated Garden isn’t as accessible, we deal with it. Note to Dolan: Escalators should never break down. Not in your expensive arena. Inconveniencing paying customers can cause more problems.

The energy of the building isn’t the same because it’ll never be. That’s the harsh reality of the new stadium era. Games are still what makes it worthwhile for us. The hockey fan remains passionate and unique. We’ll always have that no matter what.

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