The Rangers have no backup goalie

Posted on December 1, 2017 by Derek

By now, it’s fairly obvious that the Rangers are a one goalie team. Based on the current situation, they’ll go as far as Henrik Lundqvist takes them.

Thus far, he’s started 22 of 25 games including 13 straight. The recent good stretch since Halloween got the team back in the Metro Division. A tight race where no one has really separated themselves from the pack. Ten total points separates first place Columbus from last place Philadelphia.

Until Tuesday’s tough 5-4 loss to Florida, the Rangers had been playing better winning 10 of 12 on the back of Lundqvist. But a couple of breakdowns in a disjointed first period saw him allow three goals on six shots to be replaced by Ondrej Pavelec. The backup made a rare appearance. He’s only started three games.

If there was a area that was a cause of concern entering the season, it was the lack of a quality backup. Let’s face it. Pavelec doesn’t come close to Lundqvist’s last two. In Antti Raanta and Cam Talbot, the Rangers knew they could trust each to come in and give Lundqvist some much needed rest. That came in handy when injuries and struggles resulted in Talbot and Raanta holding down the forte.

There isn’t that same confidence in Pavelec, who once was Winnipeg’s number one before falling from grace. He spent part of last year in the AHL. That’s why there was a roll of the eyes at GM Jeff Gorton’s signing. Goalie coach Benoit Allaire has been a miracle worker with even current MSG analyst Steve Valiquette crediting him for extending his career. But sometimes, you can push the envelope too far.

While a easy schedule has allowed coach Alain Vigneault to ride Lundqvist, it will pick up. Of course, the King always wants to play because it allows him to find a rhythm. He had his save percentage up to .918 recently. But it went back down to .914. Three goals allowed on six shots in less than 20 minutes of action will do that.

At 35, Lundqvist can’t be everything to the team every night. Or as Sam Rosen proclaimed in a recent win, “It’s all Henrik Lundqvist!” That followed a series of big saves.

With him older and the game opening up, he can’t be as consistent anymore. The odd goals are more frequent. When they come, we shouldn’t be surprised. Without Lundqvist, there is no Rangers renaissance post lockout. There are no three trips to the Conference Final and the franchise’s only Stanley Cup appearance since I was still in high school.

We have been lucky and privileged to have such a classy star athlete to root for. A prideful man who understands how hard it is to win a Cup. Will he ever get another opportunity? 2014 came and went. He can’t do it all alone. The team must play well.

That includes the rarely used Pavelec, who stopped 19 of 21 shots in relief the other night. But he couldn’t prevent the game-winner with 1:09 left. More the product of awful defense from Brendan Smith and Nick Holden.

Do they have full confidence in Pavelec? There isn’t anyone in Hartford coming. Gorton needs to consider making a trade for a better backup. It can’t be a one man show in net. They won’t survive.

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Devils trade Henrique, Blandisi and pick for Vatanen and conditional pick

Posted on November 30, 2017 by hasan4978

Despite being off for the last couple days, things are still never dull for the 2017-18 Devils, as they pulled off a major trade this morning, dealing popular forward Adam Henrique, AHL forward Joseph Blandisi and a third-rounder to the Ducks for defenseman Sami Vatanen and a conditional third-rounder (basically based on whether Henrique re-signs in Anaheim after next year, and when he does).  Whatever you may think of the trade as a Devils fan – and I’ll get into that in a bit – emotions have to be mixed at best based on Henrique’s six plus seasons of service on and off the ice, not to mention being responsible for one of the best non-Cup moments in the history of the franchise, with his OT dagger against the Rangers in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals in 2012.  Figured I’d have a little mercy on Derek and post the clip of Adam Henrique’s OTHER big overtime goal in the 2012 Stanley Cup playoffs.  After all if not for that goal in double OT of Game 7 in the first round against the Panthers, there is no ‘Henrique, it’s over!’ moment later on – which could have made a decent title for this post.  After all…

Even Adam couldn’t resist harkening back to that famous call of the ECF winning goal from longtime Devils legend Doc Emrick when saying goodbye on Twitter.

Usually these days you find out about a big trade through Twitter and one of the many writers (or the team itself) that post it, but I happened to not check Twitter for at least a half hour this morning – oh the horror! – when I got a text from a friend that said simply:

HOLY ****

Henrique and Blandisi to the Ducks for Sami Vatanen

That was pretty much my reaction too upon reading it.  Not that I was really all that stunned Henrique was traded at ‘some’ point.  After all it seemed as if once we traded for Marcus Johansson this offseason and drafted Nico Hischier, Henrique’s days were pretty much numbered here long-term with Hall and Johansson having top six slots at left wing, and Hischier doing more than enough to stick with the big team as an eighteen-year old, it really made little sense to commit big money and years to Adam after next season when he (along with Johansson) was due to be a free agent.  With Johansson set to return from a concussion on the upcoming road trip, the timing fit for this move in-season.  Especially after the end of Movember, which ironically enough was a charitable campaign Henrique had become the face of the last few years.

Still, trading one of the last links to our last playoff run, and a guy who had some productive years including a 30-goal season in 2015-16, and had become a good-will ambassador for the franchise on and off the ice during some lean years is going to sting on a personal level for many fans.  In that vein I’m glad the GM and coach were both available to speak about the trade and talked of and to Henrique respectfully.  That’ll go a long way I believe, to appeasing the fans who are upset on a personal level (a mistake another area team made this week botching the Eli Manning benching).  Yes we root for the crest first but sports is still entertainment.  Sometimes, you like the guys wearing the crest too – even if I’ve had my issues with Adam’s consistency and effort level on the ice at times, he never truly embarrased the franchise on or off the ice, and today’s not the day to get into criticism of him as a player anyway.  Not to mention it’s been a while since the franchise made a huge in-season trade like this.  You probably have to go back to Ilya Kovalchuk to find a bigger one during the season, and even that was ostensibly a rental trade since nobody dreamed we would re-sign him or be in for all the drama that ensued after 2009-10.  I digress though.

Yet, as a sports fan I also know all too well you have to give to get and top four defensemen in the NHL are the most valuable trading commodities for GM’s.  You’re just not finding top four defensemen in Woolworth’s or Dollar General.  We didn’t exactly give up chopped liver, but Blandisi also didn’t seem to fit in the future plans of the team and had already been passed on the depth chart by several other younger wingers.  So even though Adam’s a top six winger who can play center and Blandisi is a young winger with talent – for his dissapointing camp this year and inconsistencies so far in his career is still 23 years old himself – Vatanen fills a big need for the team at a less than a prohibitive cost, adding another top four defenseman to the starting lineup, and allowing guys like Damon Severson and Steven Santini to slot in on more reasonable pairings with reduced expectations.

I’m not going to give too much more analysis of Vatanen than that cause let’s face it, I hardly ever see him play being on the West Coast, although he was one of the names the internet GM’s would constantly kick around as a possibility to trade for with the Ducks’ alleged surplus on D and need at forward.  From what little I’ve been able to ascertain he’s struggled last year and this, in part due to injury (last year) and recovering from it (early this year) but given he’s signed for the next 2.5 years hopefully we’re getting him just as he finds his game again.  Vatanen also adds another option for the power play and provides more help on the blueline at breaking out of the zone which is a neccesity for the ‘fast, attacking, supportive’ system.  I’ll let the GM and the coach speak about Vatanen (via Chris Ryan of NJ.com):

“At 26, he’s not old, he’s not young,” Shero said. “He’s good experience, he’s played with good players and has played very well in the playoffs for a good team in Anaheim and won a bronze medal at the Sochi Olympics in 2014 with Finland — over the United States unfortunately.”

Vatanen will meet the Devils in Denver, where they will play the Colorado Avalanche on Friday. Assuming Vatanen arrives without any hiccups, Devils coach John Hynes plans on getting him right into the lineup.

“One of the things we really like about him is he’s a high hockey IQ guy,” Hynes said. “So lots of times when you get a player like that that’s got a lot of experience, maybe we’ll have some quick pointers that we want to do defensively, but other than that, it’s letting him play his game and we’ll work with him as we go forward. But we want him to not overthink. We want him to play and compete.”

With Johansson returning and Vatanen arriving, it’ll be a very different Devils team in Denver tomorrow night than the one that left New Jersey on Monday.

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Frustration, Elation and Damnation: Rangers waste comeback in frustrating 5-4 loss to Panthers

Posted on November 29, 2017 by Derek
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Chris Kreider stands over James Reimer. He scored twice and had a asssist in a dominant performance despite the Rangers falling short to the Panthers 5-4 at MSG. AP Photo via Getty Images courtesy The Herald 

This is one they may look back on if the playoff race does go down to the final week. In all likelihood, it’s gonna. With the Metro Division very tight, the Rangers hope a gut wrenching 5-4 loss to the Panthers on home ice won’t cost them.

Ultimately, it was a disappointing result considering how much they exhausted coming back from two three-goal deficits. Especially against a bad opponent who was clearly on fumes in the second game of a back to back. It should’ve been a win. Case closed.

Instead, the Rangers had their eight-game home winning streak end due to too many breakdowns. They outshot and outattempted the Panthers and outplayed them. But it didn’t matter. They were their own worst enemy. Done in by glaring mistakes that finally caught up following a few imperfect wins where Henrik Lundqvist bailed them out.

Another slow start put them behind by three after a bad first period. The Panthers scored three times on six shots chasing Lundqvist before the period was out. Yes. Ondrej Pavelec made a rare appearance. He was fine but couldn’t make that final stop on Denis Malgin with 1:09 left in regulation. Another household name who victimized the Rangers.

In a bizarre game where Michael Haley scored a goal and not a knockout, the Blueshirts dug themselves a hole with inconsistent play. They allowed a power play goal to Aleksander Barkov on a odd tip of a Jonathan Huberdeau shot that took a funny hop over Lundqvist.

After a big saves from James Reimer, Jamie McGinn went high glove on Lundqvist from Nick Bjugstad. It came off a sloppy turnover. One of many in a brutal first.

The Rangers had stretches where they controlled play in the Florida end but Reimer made a couple of more huge stops including getting a piece of a point blank opportunity with his glove. It was Haley who was allowed to skate in like he was a skill guy before he beat Lundqvist at 16:47 to end his night. He’s been so great lately that it’s hard to fault him. Maybe he could’ve had one of the three. He’s been starting every game due to the schedule and Alain Vigneault reluctant to use the backup.

Anyone with a pulse knew the game wasn’t over. The Panthers are a bad hockey team. They pulled the same dog and pony act at Newark Monday. They’re not good at protecting leads and poor defensively. Roberto Luongo wasn’t in net. Reimer played well. He had to.

J.T. Miller got the Rangers on the board early in the second when he was able to get to a deflected Mats Zuccarello shot and fire his fourth past Reimer at 4:04. His play at center is continuing to improve. There’s no reason to switch him back to wing. He’s found chemistry with Zuccarello and Michael Grabner.

Before they made the full comeback, a bad shift from Nick Holden resulted in Huberdeau getting two whacks at a Mike Matheson rebound past a outstretched Pavelec to restore a three goal lead for Florida.

On the next shift, Chris Kreider started his big night by holding the puck behind the net, skating out and finding  cutting Pavel Buchnevich for a slam dunk that cut it to 4-2 at 9:26 from David Desharnais. To his credit, he played well recording three assists centering the top line in place of injured center Mika Zibanejad. He suffered a upper body injury in warmups. Vigneault said he would have a update tomorrow.

A couple of minutes later, it was that trio which combined for another beauty with Desharnais working the puck to Buchnevich, who made a bullet pass across for a Kreider tip in at 11:16 which cut the deficit to one. Every shift Kreider took was exciting with the power forward using all his tools. He played arguably the best game of his career recording two goals and a assist while playing defensively responsible. He was terrific.

The line of Jimmy Vesey, Kevin Hayes and Rick Nash were a force. They controlled long shifts and forced Reimer into some difficult stops. All three skated with purpose while getting good shots through and dangerous chances. Hayes had a apparent tying goal offset by a goalie interference call on Nash for bumping into Reimer. It was controversial with Nash bumped. There wasn’t much room. His skate contacted Reimer as Hayes skated circles around the Florida D and beat the Panthers goalie. But it was waived off. Vigneault did the right thing challenging but of course it was not overturned. Gotta love Toronto. Where nobody knows what is goalie interference anymore. Similar to what’s a catch in the NFL.

With it being my third game, the crowd booed the decision and chanted, “These refs suck!” This was a more lively crowd than most games at MSG. They didn’t sell it out. But the fans were into it. It was a good atmosphere.

Even though Florida was clinging to a 4-3 lead after two, you knew it was a matter of time before the Rangers tied it. The Panthers were in a conservative defensive shell. It’s no wonder they’re struggling to win under Bob Boughner.

The play of Vesey with Hayes and Nash in the third was dominant. He skated circles around Florida on some extended shifts. They just didn’t have any puck luck. They were splendid 5 on 5. Vesey was so good, he drew a penalty. He looks on the verge of breaking out. Keep him with Hayes and Nash.

After a bogus interference call on Kreider for being bigger and stronger, they missed one call on Florida but got them for tripping making it even up. There were Bronx cheers.

They still hadn’t beaten Reimer, who did his best Houdini act to keep his team in front. Eventually, another jaw dropping moment from Buchnevich and Kreider tied the game. On a rush, Buchnevich centered for Kreider, who buried his second of the game to tie the score at four with 6:32 left. Kreider is suddenly up to 10 goals. He gets them in bunches. This is the most confident he’s ever looked. Maybe 30 goals and 60 points finally happen.

As well as they played offensively and with puck possession, the Rangers couldn’t avoid the crucial mistake. Pavelec fought the puck when it was tied struggling to cover up a couple of routine saves. That was worrisome.

With 90 seconds left, Vigneault had the top line out. For some reason, Holden and Brendan Smith were the D pair. It made no sense. Granted. Brady Skjei and Kevin Shattenkirk played a lot. But that late in a tie game with a lot riding, you better have your best pair out. They didn’t and got burned.

Smith fumbled a puck failing to keep it in. He also fell down. This indirectly caused the Florida goal. A Holden giveaway cost them with Malgin left alone on the off wing to bury a Mark Pysyk pass across for the game-winner at 18:51 to collective groans.

Even with Pavelec pulled for a extra attacker, the Rangers had trouble getting out of their zone and teased us by making a couple of saves to keep the game alive. They didn’t get it done.

It was a missed opportunity.

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Boyle Strong, Kids and Gibbons underdog story make Devils fun again

Posted on November 28, 2017 by Derek
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Boyle Strong: Brian Boyle is a courageous story in a exciting year for the improved rebuilding Devils. AP Photo via Getty Images

It’s been quite some time since the Devils were good. Most of the names on the backs of the jerseys have changed since the ‘11-12 run to the Stanley Cup Final. Only captain Andy Greene remains. Long gone are Ilya Kovalchuk and Zach Parise along with David Clarkson’s NHL career. Former coach Pete DeBoer has since guided the Sharks to a Stanley Cup appearance also losing. He’s still in San Jose.

These days, the Devils are coached by third-year man John Hynes. Martin Brodeur has since had his Number 30 retired and moved onto a management role with the Blues. Patrik Elias will have his number 26 retired in what’s turning out to be a promising season.

As Hasan has documented, every time it looks like the Devils are about to go into a slump, they respond. They have something special going. With a hard fought 4-3 overtime win at Detroit, they won their second straight to move back into first place in the Metro Division. Sure. They blew a 3-1 lead. But once again, their resilience paid off. Unsung hero Brian Gibbons scored his team-leading 11th at 2:32 of OT to improve New Jersey to 14-5-4 through the first 23 games. They lead a crowded division with 32 points. One up on idle Columbus with the Islanders and Capitals also winning to stay right behind. The Pens leapfrogged the idle Rangers with a badly needed win over NHL leader Tampa. Updating the story, the Devils remain in first due to Columbus losing Monday night despite a home loss to the Panthers.

The race should be fun to follow all year long. The Devils are proof that anything can happen. Written off by many due to a rebuild featuring first overall pick Nico Hischier along with first-year players Jesper Bratt and Will Butcher, they’ve proven to be much better than expected. The dynamic rookie trio advantage a big part of the Devils revival.

Butcher tops all freshmen defensemen with eighteen points (2-16-18) to rank fourth in rookie scoring. A smooth skater who is dangerous in transition, The Butcher has been especially good on the man-advantage putting up 10 power play points for over half his production. He plays on the third pair with Ben Lovejoy posting a solid plus-7 rating.

Hischier hasn’t finished as much as expected. But he’s quietly gaining steam. With a goal in a recent win, he’s up to four goals and 13 assists with his 17 points ranking fifth among rookies. As he continues to adjust, look for more progression from the gifted 18-year old playmaking pivot. Update: He scored his fifth on Monday in a 3-2 loss to Florida. That gives him 18 points.

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Bratt was the biggest surprise in the first month. A former 2016 sixth round pick selected 162nd overall, the 19-year old Swede impressed in preseason enough to make the roster. He then got off to a hot start scoring big goals and proving to be a dependable penalty killer with a knack for scoring shorthanded. Though he’s cooled down, his 14 points (6-8-14) rank ninth among rookies. He notched his seventh goal last night. That gives New Jersey three young talented players who have a bright future.

With team speed improved along with depth, it’s allowed Hynes to balance out his lineup. They’ve gone from a anemic offense to one of the game’s best averaging 3.22 goals-per-game which ranks seventh.

https://twitter.com/njdevils/status/934617920700862464

Perhaps the biggest surprise is 29-year old veteran Gibbons. A player who’s bounced around having spent much time in the AHL, he made the team out of camp and has been clutch. His 11 goals lead the Devs. That included his overtime winner against the Red Wings. With 15 points and a team best plus-12 and two shorthanded goals, Gibbons has been a godsend. It’s a great story.

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The story of proud vet Brian Boyle is one of perseverance. Diagnosed with Leukemia prior to the season, Boyle has returned with a vengeance. Always well respected by his peers and fans for his tenacious work, he now is the most popular player everyone is rooting for. Devils fans gave him a loud ovation for his first game back. There was a special moment where he scored and shed some tears as he celebrated with teammates along the boards.

It’s obviously been a whirlwind of emotions for the 32-year old big checking center. He’s scored three goals including a huge one on the Devils’ Hockey Fights Cancer night. The goal brought more cheers and a “Brian Boyle,” chant from supportive admirers who understand the ordeal he’s going through. He again was emotional talking to MSG’s Deb Placey about how much the overwhelming support meant. It really is touching. He’s a likable guy who I still root for even if he wears the Hudson rival jersey. I love him. The Rangers don’t advance to the Stanley Cup Final without him in 2014. It was his pass to Dominic Moore for the only goal in the clincher over Montreal. Still the best game I ever attended. We are all #BoyleStrong.

In order to be successful, your best players must be your best. For they Devils, Taylor Hall has rebounded with a much improved second year after coming over from the Oilers for Adam Larsson. While it’s been a struggle for Edmonton unlike last season, it’s been a role reversal with Hall leading the way with 26 points (8-18-26). In particular, his passing has been on full display with some excellent set ups for open teammates including Boyle for his third goal over the holiday weekend. Hall is scoring too. His eight goals place second on the club behind Gibbons. The 18 helpers pace all skaters. With Hall performing, it’s made everyone better.

They’ve gotten good contributions throughout the lineup with Miles Wood supplying six markers including his first career hat trick. He’s similar to David Clarkson in that he’s not the best skater, but is always around the net. That grit and hustle has paid off.

Hynes deserves credit for not being afraid to send messages. Henrique was in a November funk. So, the third-year coach put him on the fourth line. He responded well posting a goal and assist while earning a promotion in a win. The four goals is low but 14 points is alright in more of a supporting role. He kills penalties and is a shorthanded threat.

That the Devs have done this without Kyle Palmieri (4-5-9 in 13 GP) and Marcus Johansson (concussion) speaks volumes about the job Hynes has done along with the players. Every time they’re doubted, someone steps up.

They have also gotten solid goaltending from Cory Schneider. At times, he can still give up the odd goal but for the most part, has bounced back. There have been moments where he’s had to stand on his head. He’s come through with clutch saves to the tune of nine wins, a 2.76 GAA and .918 save percentage. Keith Kinkaid has won six games but in many cases, he’s gotten offensive support. He can play better.

Steven Santini has formed a solid top pair with Greene going up against quality competition. While Greene logs the tough minutes, Santini is the physical element the team has lacked in recent years. He delivers big hits and blocks shots. That’s taken some pressure off of Damon Severson, who is a better fit on the second pair with Moore.

Hynes has Zajac back. He hasn’t gotten on track offensively with no points in seven. But he remains a important cog due to his checking ability and face-offs. He also plays penalty kill. The elder statesman of the group, the younger Devs can look to him for leadership.

GM Ray Shero added vets Drew Stafford and Jimmy Hayes. Stafford still brings some scoring touch and skill. He plays in the top nine. After a good start, Hayes has fallen out of favor. He’s been a healthy scratch lately. He’ll have to earn his keep. Blake Coleman’s been a surprise as a solid fourth liner along with Stefan Noesen.

They’re still waiting on second-year center Pavel Zacha to find consistency. His assist of Hischier’s goal yesterday was only his sixth point. It’s about untapping his potential. Hynes has scratched him four tunes making the kid accountable. He knows he must be better.

Overall at 14-6-4, the Devils remain a great story. They play a exciting style and have good chemistry. It’ll be interesting to see if they can sustain it. They haven’t always been effective at even strength with the power play ranked in the top eight. But there’s no doubting the improvement. We’ll see if it continues.

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Devils have a post-Thanksgiving feast with two more wins

Posted on November 26, 2017 by hasan4978

If you could only use one word to describe this Devils season so far, you’d have to go with thrilling.  Not only is the team incredibly entertaining to watch, but seemingly every game (and certainly every win) comes down to the wire.  This week alone in four games, the Devils have had two overtime wins, one shootout of doom loss and another tight one-goal win against Vancouver on Friday.  In a macro sense you could say this week has been a good microcosm of the Devils’ shocking 14-5-4 start.  You could even go more micro and say one play this week perfectly encapsulated all of the characteristics of this Devils team in a nutshell – spoiler alert, see YouTube clip.

Playing Vancouver at the Rock on Friday night, despite the fact the Nucks have had their own surprising start, I was still fairly confident the Devils were not losing on Hockey Fights Cancer night.  Not with Brian Boyle and his family participating in the opening puck drop, getting the first of what would prove to be multiple standing ovations of the evening, in large part acknowledging his own brave fight against leukemia.  After the two teams traded goals early in the second came a dazzling sequence of skill started by Nico Hischier, who drew a power play with a ridiculous fake out of whatever hapless Nuck defenseman was playing him.  On said power play, Will Butcher made an even more astonishing move through the Vancouver defense and around Ben Hutton to gain a step, afterward finding an open Boyle in front with a sharp pass and Boyle did the rest – putting it home for the lead goal in a script that had to have been written by Hollywood.

Okay it wasn’t written by Hollywood, but it might as well have been.  And that goal was also a perfect microcosm of everything that has defined this Devils season – the youth and skill of Butcher, the determination and heart of Boyle.  Really the whole second period was an exhibition of the speed and skill GM Ray Shero’s brought to the club, led (and that is the right word) by Taylor Hall, who had a goal and two assists in the middle frame, helping the Devils out to a 3-1 lead and continuing his own resurgence into being a top player again.  Would this finally prove to be an easy, stress-free win?

Of course not since nothing’s ever easy with this Devils team, and the refs were as usual more than happy to try to screw us over, missing an obvious double minor high-sticking of Miles Wood during the third period (after missing an obvious boarding of Nico in the first period, and failing to wave off an icing that was touched by one of the Vancouver players in the second period just before their first goal).  Predictably it was on a power play where Vancouver scored midway through the third period to cut the deficit to one, and after dictating play most of the night the Devils fell back into their usual chickens with heads cut off defense holding a multiple-goal lead in the third period – more on that later.  At least this time the Devils didn’t blow the lead and have to go to OT, with Stefan Noesen of all people having a dominant final shift with two clears and a block to help seal it.

While Hall was the obvious player of the game and Cory Schneider again made some big saves against his former team, there was only gonna be one first star on this night and Boyle getting a third and final standing ovation of the night during the post-game interview on the ice was a fitting coda to the evening.

https://twitter.com/NJDevils/status/934417369140785152

What could the Devils possibly do for an encore in Detroit last night?  How about give up the opening goal, get out to a 3-1 lead in the third period (again with Hall having a multi-point night and Boyle getting a goal, this time a masterful tip-in to tie the game midway through the first period), blow that lead but rally again to win the game in OT?  Just another day in Cardiac City.  Although technically the game was in Detroit in one of the dopey little quirks of the NHL schedule where both teams played in the tri-state area on Friday then flew to Detroit Saturday.  Would have made just a little more sense to have them play here and save the trip on the back-to-back for both teams, but this is the NHL after all.

As if mastering the art of the tease, the Devils for the second straight night had a 3-1 lead early in the third period and the game looked over.  However to tweak an old Stan Fischler phrase, it’s actually a two-goal lead that’s become the worst in hockey for us this season, and literally almost within two minutes the Wings had tied the game off a sloppy turnover from Wood and eeeh goaltending from backup Keith Kinkaid.  Noticing David Booth scored two of the goals for the Wings, I couldn’t help but think didn’t the Panthers used to have a good little player with a similar name?  Turns out it was that David Booth after all, back in the NHL this season after two years away at age 33.

Going into OT I was hoping John Moore – or someone – would score for us, I wasn’t in the mood for another shootout after the skills competition of doom on Wednesday gave me PTSD flashbacks to 2014.  Enter the amazing Brian Gibbons…again.  Gibbons made a sweet recovery from losing the puck, intercepting it back and scoring after making a goalscorers’ move in front for his eleventh goal of the season to date.  Bear in mind Gibbons had six goals in 66 NHL games before this season – and 16 all year in the AHL last season.  Now he’s leading the NHL Devils in goalscoring in another astounding reclamation/breakout in the mold of guys like Lee Stempniak, David Schlemko and Bobby Farnham two years ago.

Coming out of a four games in six night stretch with the holiday day jammed in there, you would hope there’d be some rest for the weary but they’re back at it tomorrow night before finally getting some time off before a road back to back in Colorado and Arizona next weekend.  All are winnable games where hopefully the Devils will continue to build on this momentum and bank more points before the schedule gets tougher later in the month.  At least there’s some good news on the injury front with Marcus Johansson returning to practice but ultimately this month will be about keeping as much of their cushion intact as possible till the cavalry (Johansson and Kyle Palmieri) arrive.

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Game 23: Lundqvist outduels Howard in epic showdown, Zuccarello wins it in overtime

Posted on November 25, 2017 by Derek
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King of His Domain: Henrik Lundqvist was on fire stopping 40 of 41 shots to outduel Jimmy Howard in a thrilling Rangers 2-1 overtime win over the Red Wings. AP Photo via Getty Images courtesy USA Today. 

These days, low scoring games are a rarity. With scoring up, you don’t get many well played old fashioned goalie duels. Jimmy Howard and Henrik Lundqvist gave a great show with the King’s 40 saves and Mats Zuccarello’s overtime goal giving the Rangers a exciting 2-1 win over the Red Wings. It was their seventh consecutive home win and put them up to a season high three games over .500 (12-9-2).

It wasn’t the first time these two netminders put on a clinic in unbelievable saves. Howard always saves his best for the Rangers. He idolized Mike Richter, which explains why he wears number 35 for the Winged Wheel. It’s nice to see him reestablish himself as a number one without Detroit. Lundqvist has been the backbone of the Blueshirts since he entered the league in ‘05-06. When he smiles and laughs after a win, you know it’s a good night.

There’s been a lot more to be happy about. For the popular 35-year old franchise goaltender, he’s posted a miniscule 1.02 GAA with a ridiculous .971 save percentage. That kind of brilliant play has the Rangers on a good stretch. They’ve won three in a row and nine of the last eleven to roll back into the Metro Division race. Up to 26 points, they’ve had to keep pace with the teams ahead of them. The Blue Jackets, Devils, Islanders and Capitals all won. Columbus has 31 points with the Devils at 30 while the Islanders are up to 28 and the Caps at 27. The Rangers passed the Penguins, who lost again in regulation.

Every win and point earned right now is huge. Even if it wasnt perfect by any stretch, the Blueshirts are glad their goalie is red hot. Without him, they’d be toast.

Playing for the second time without Ryan McDonagh, they got themselves in trouble due to a couple of Brendan Smith minor penalties. The Red Wings may not have scored but got a lot of momentum off it. They forced the Rangers into neutral zone turnovers. Five on five was dominated by Detroit in the first period. By far the superior team, they outshot the Rangers 17-6.

If not for some super stops by Lundqvist, it could’ve been 2 or 3-nothing. He made some gigantic ones to deny point blank chances including a breakaway on Dylan Larkin and a glove save on Gustav Nyqvist. He also got a piece of a tough Mike Green shot that was redirected with the puck going just off the outside of the post.

Howard only saw six shots but denied Pavel Buchnevich twice. He was just getting warmed up. The second stanza was a complete role reversal. It was a much sharper Blueshirts who turned up the heat with a better sustained forecheck. The Detroit backstop made half a dozen jaw dropping saves that had the Garden murmuring.

He robbed Kevin Shattenkirk with a great slide across on a one-time try from point blank range. There were other stops that made you wonder if they would ever get one past him. Howard was in Richter beast mode much as he’s been when playing the Rangers throughout his career. He had players shaking their heads.

A great leg save thwarted Rick Nash off a superb Kevin Hayes centering pass on the doorstep. He also denied Jimmy Vesey, Chris Kreider and Mika Zibanejad in tight.

Nothing was getting by the goalies. You had Lundqvist locked in. In a period Howard stood on his head making 16 saves, Lundqvist still came up with 10 himself to send a exciting scoreless game to the third without any scoring.

It was the Red Wings who broke through first. Following a ill advised Michael Grabner tripping minor in the offensive zone, they went to work on the power play. It took a while but following some more Lundqvist acrobatics, Niklas Kronwall threaded the needle across to Tomas Tatar for a quick one-timer past Lundqvist to the glove side upstairs just before the power play expired. Henrik Zetterberg set the whole thing up with a keep in following a Marc Staal clear attempt that didn’t quite make it out due to back pressure from Justin Abdelkader. The point was Zetterberg’s 918th tying him with former teammate Pavel Datsyuk. How I miss him. Zetterberg is now seventh among active players for most points. The guys ahead of him include Jaromir Jagr, Joe Thornton, Marian Hossa, Patrick Marleau, Sidney Crosby and Alexander Ovechkin.

But the Rangers replied back 6:12 later on a gritty goal by Kreider in front. Off a broken play in which Buchnevich had his shot deflected, it came right to Kreider at the side. He was able to throw a quick backhand off Howard’s five-hole banking the puck in for his third in two games. After going five without one, Kreider has sprung to life. He celebrated by jumping deliberately into the boards. He’s always been streaky. Maybe he can keep going. Skjei drew the secondary assist.

Neither team sat back. Detroit applied pressure by firing 14 more shots on Lundqvist. But he wasn’t budging. He’s been on a roll at five on five. Not much is getting by him these days. Over the last four games, he’s stopped 132 of 136 shots. Even his best friend the goalpost had his back on a Green attempt. The Rangers also hit one against Howard.

It was fitting that such a great duel needed overtime. They’ve gone there before with Lundqvist prevailing last year on a J.T. Miller goal. He was good tonight centering Zuccarello and Grabner. He seems to be gaining confidence. Alain Vigneault has to be pleased with Miller’s progress since moving him over to center the third line.

It was a defensive play by Miller following a close call that led to the winner. With Green driving hard to the net for a backhand stuff attempt, an aggressive Lundqvist challenged him. He made the save but lost his goalstick. How many times has that happened recently? He’s definitely become more adventurous. With Lundqvist scrambling back into position, Detroit had a shot blocked in front.

Then Miller was able to get the puck to Skjei to escape trouble. Skjei then turned on the jets and made a great play. He skated down low and drew two Red Wings. That left Zuccarello all alone in front. Skjei was able to get the pass there for the patient Zuccarello, who had all night to decide what he’d do. He chose wisely firing a laser upstairs for the OT winner at 37 seconds.

It was a great conclusion to a heck of a game. One that Lundqvist sure deserved. He was the game’s first star with Howard second and Zuccarello third. Exactly the right order. Now, they get a day off to prepare for the Canucks on Sunday. Well earned.

Notes: The Rangers were down a skater with a injury to Boo Nieves limiting them to 11 forwards and 6 D. The Red Wings also lost a player with Trevor Daley holding his arm following a shot block. Nieves only played 3:10 while Daley logged 4:16 before exiting. Vigneault said Nieves suffered a hip pointer. He doesn’t expect him to miss much time. Does that mean David Desharnais Sunday? … Howard made 29 saves in a losing effort. The Rangers won the faceoff battle 42-35. They got great efforts from Zibanejad (14-and-15), Miller (12-and-10) and Hayes (13-and-7). Larkin was the Red Wings’ best going 9-For-15. He also was stopped by Lundqvist on a power play where he drove to the net and crashed into him getting a goaltender interference minor. … Shots were 41-31 Detroit with shot attempts 76-65 Red Wings. Key Stats: Missed Shots Detroit 20 Rangers 11. Giveaways Rangers 19 (4 with 2) Red Wings 15 (Green 3). … Red Wings blocked 23 shots paced by Luke Glendening (4). The Rangers blocked 15 led by Steven Kampfer (5). … Skjei registered two assists with four shots in 10 attempts going plus-two in 33 big shifts-22:16.

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Happy Turkey Day! Rangers Thankful For Stuffing Their Way Back Into Division Race

Posted on November 23, 2017 by Derek
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Jesper Fast celebrates one of his two goals with a pumped up bench in a 6-1 win over the Hurricanes. The Rangers have won eight of ten to get back in a competitive division. They have plenty to be thankful for. AP Photo via Getty Images courtesy SNY.TV 

Happy Turkey 🦃 Day everyone! We hope you’re enjoying your Thanksgiving with loved ones. It truly is a day to be thankful for what we have because not everyone is so fortunate. I’m thankful for my family, friends and a job I love. I’m also thankful for the hockey we got on Turkey Eve.

The Rangers should be thankful they’ve been able to recover from a bad start to get back in the division race. They reeled off six in a row before dropping two in succession which made us skeptical. But have since won two straight to make it eight of the last ten.

What could’ve been a disastrous start hasn’t been due to their resolve. Just when it looked like the end for Alain Vigneault, his team showed the tremendous character and resiliency the Garden Faithful have come to love. With a 6-1 trouncing of the Hurricanes in Raleigh last night before many Ranger fans, they improved to 11-9-2 through 22 games.

With 24 points, they still sit sixth in the Metro but are only five behind first place Columbus. The Devils follow with 28. Then the explosive Islanders with 26, followed by the struggling Pens and Caps. Each tied with 25. With the Canes at 22 and the Flyers at 21, eight total points separate the whole division.

It speaks to how competitive it is. With Pittsburgh and Washington not as good, it’s allowed the rest of the pack to catch up. Maybe the Pens go on a run but they’re clearly weaker at center and at backup goalie as well as defensively. Have you seen Sidney Crosby’s plus/minus rating lately? Hard to fathom. The Caps could get hot but they’re not as consistent.

Indeed, it’s wide open. The Blue Jackets just went ahead of the Devils due to yet another shutout from Sergei Bobrovsky. The best goalie in the league. If only they scored more consistently. The Devils are hanging in there with resiliency as shown in last night’s 3-2 shootout loss to the Bruins. Plus the overtime win over Minnesota with Mr. Overtime, John Moore scoring the winner. They score at a high rate and rely on Cory Schneider and the kids along with underdog story Brian Gibbons. You have the Islanders scoring tons thanks to Calder hopeful Mathew Barzal added to John Tavares and Josh Bailey. The D and goalies are still a question.

Basically, it’s anyone’s guess as to who the top three teams will be at just past the quarter mark. The Rangers have to feel good about where they are. They’ve made up a lot of ground. Full credit to the players and coaches for sticking with it. So what changed?

1.They’re scoring more. With 72 goals, they rank seventh averaging 3.27 goals-per-game. With offense up league wide, that favors high tempo transition offenses like the Blueshirts.

2.The power play is a weapon. With the key addition of Kevin Shattenkirk, the Rangers no longer put fans to sleep on the man-advantage. At any moment, they can strike. Shattenkirk runs the power play with precision passing and accurate shots that make him the most lethal right point since Sergei Zubov. It’s turned Mika Zibanejad and Pavel Buchnevich into top threats. Along with Chris Kreider, who combines blazing speed with net presence, the power play is fifth clicking at 23.4 percent. That boost has offset inconsistent five on five play.

3.Mika’s A Number 1C. When they traded Derek Stepan to Arizona, it was for two reasons. To free up space to sign Shattenkirk and to invest in Zibanejad. So far, so good. The new top center is a point-per-game thanks to this gift 🎁 from Scott Darling with 22 points in 22 games.

My only reaction is Darling lost his concentration and had a look of bewilderment. I felt bad for him. But Zibanejad and #NYR will take it. He’s raised his level by leading the team in goals (11), points (22), power play goals (5) and power play points (11).

4.The King Is Back. In a year without a legit backup, they need Henrik Lundqvist much more than in years past when they had Cam Talbot and Antti Raanta. When Jeff Gorton signed Ondrej Pavelec, we knew he wouldn’t play much. So far, the schedule has allowed Vigneault to start Lundqvist most nights. He’s made 19 thus far and finally begun to find a rhythm. He’s back to making the electrifying save which has defined a brilliant career. King Henrik is up to a .914 save percentage with his goals-against-average down to 2.71 and 10 victories including a shutout at home over Ottawa. He’s only allowed three goals in the last three starts. Hank has 10 of the team’s 11 wins.

5.The D-Fence Has Been Better. It’s no secret the blueline remains sketchy. However, it’s made strides. The Brady Skjei-Shattenkirk partnership has been a great move by Vigneault and Lindy Ruff. One I suggested. Skjei has the skating and defensive awareness to help offset Shattenkirk’s one flaw. They work well off each other. Ryan McDonagh remains the backbone. He isn’t as consistent due to the workload and wear and tear. But the 12 assists show that he’s still able to contribute offense while taking on the toughest assignments. It hasn’t been easy rotating from partner to partner. But Nick Holden has surprised many with his strong play at even strength, going from healthy scratch to top pair. Marc Staal is perfectly suited for the third pair and remains a penalty killing asset. He no longer has to be overworked. When he struggled, Brendan Smith sat in favor of Steven Kampfer, who gives a honest effort. Smith has been better since returning and had his best game Wednesday getting a primary assist on Kreider’s goal a minute in and finishing plus-four. It’ll be interesting to see how long McDonagh’s out with a abdominal strain. He will not play tomorrow and is doubtful for Sunday.

6.Buchnevich Emergence. Entering his second season, Pavel Buchnevich needed to get stronger to hold up over a full 82. His back was a issue last year. The talent was there but he couldn’t be relied on. A more mature and better player has emerged. He’s easily one of the team’s best forwards five on five using his dynamic speed and playmaking to create problems for opponents. Even when he was demoted to the fourth line, he didn’t let it affect him. Buchnevich reminds me of Alexei Kovalev. A comparison I made last year. The skating and style is similar. Kovy was a beast. Buchnevich has the potential to be. His eight goals and eight helpers are proof that he’s a different player. Watch how he moves to open spots without the puck. Everything is better. Will he remain consistent? He’s on the top line and first PP unit for a reason.

7.The Supporting Cast. While the team still has a glaring weakness at center, the supporting cast remains strong. Vigneault deserves full credit for Kevin Hayes’ evolvement into a two-way center. His offense suffered early and he still does have the occasional brain cramp. But he’s being challenged and excelling in a role Stepan once had. The offense is coming. How about that pass he made on the Jesper Fast goal? No wonder Mats Zuccarello was practicing his dance moves before the third period explosion.

Speaking of which, Zuccarello is up to 17 points. He still has to do better than three goals. But his play is picking up. Vigneault has moved him around. Zucc currently is with J.T. Miller and Michael Grabner. With David Desharnais not working out, AV’s had to shift Miller around. So, he’s back at center for the time being. He’s more effective on the wing due to his forecheck. But remains a good playmaker with great vision. His 13 assists rank second behind Zuccarello (14). He needs to finish more. Three goals won’t cut it. That means shooting more. He is starting to. I can’t say enough complementary things about Grabner and Fast. They’re terrific five on five and splendid on the PK. Grabner is up to nine goals and Fast recorded his first career two-goal game. No more deserving player. Rick Nash is a constant on the forecheck and overall. But he still has only seven goals and two assists. It’s nice to see Kreider use all his tools scoring twice to get up to seven markers. What if he did it more often? Jimmy Vesey works hard enough but needs some breaks. He won’t produce on the fourth line.

8.The Coach. Sure. He makes mistakes that can really get on our nerves. But there’s not much panic from him. When they were losing, you saw a bit more edge from AV. He knew they had to turn it around or he may have been gone. The one thing I see is better adjustments. He’s not afraid to shorten the bench and double shift his best guys. Something Torts did effectively. I do think he can loosen up and play Boo Nieves more in the third. He’s responsible defensively and looks like a classic 4C. I did critique him over demoting Buchnevich in a loss and him not seeing the ice until the final minute was insane. It’s okay to put McDonagh and Shattenkirk together when it’s needed if they’re trailing by a goal in crunch time. But overall, I don’t have many complaints. Especially given the roster which will need upgrades.

Not quite 10 reasons. But all things considered, the eight I came up with are all positive developments. It’s up to the roster to continue to build on the recent improvement. With a winnable game at home against Detroit on Black Friday and then the surprising Canucks visiting Sunday, they can keep a six-game home winning streak alive. Come to think of it, that’s a good sign. Building a home ice advantage is important. The 6-1 rout of the Canes was only their third win away from MSG. An area they have to get better at. After Florida visits Tuesday, they’ll have played 17 home games compared with just eight on the road. So, it’s imperative to keep winning at The Garden.

Making the playoffs won’t be easy. Winning the games they’re supposed to win can help the cause.

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First quarter of Devils season a success, but many obstacles still ahead

Posted on November 23, 2017 by hasan4978

On the morning of Thanksgiving, it’s probably a good time to take a snapshot of the Devils’ season as a whole to this point.  Especially since with 21 games played, more than a quarter of the regular season’s in the books.  In a micro sense, the Devils’ play has been up and down since my last blog and not entirely commensurate with the results.  In Toronto, the team played better but Freddy Andersen got well against us after a bad start to the season, making 42 saves in a 1-0 OT shutout loss.  While in Winnipeg and Minnesota the team didn’t play very well, but still managed to win against the Wild thanks to some timely goal scoring early and another John Moore OT special (see his sixth OT winner as a Devil in barely over two seasons in the YT above), despite blowing a two-goal lead in the third period.  Last night against the Bruins the team played reasonably well but a couple of mistakes early and shootout futility after Taylor Hall – to the tune of ten straight misses – led to a defeat in the skills competition.

At least enough positive results have been there to keep the Devils at or near the top of a competitive Metro division (last night they finally dipped a point below the Blue Jackets but still have a game in hand), but there’s been a little slippage lately – going 3-3-4 in the last ten games.  Not to mention the worst news out of yesterday wasn’t even the stupid shootout or the first-period mistakes against the Bruins, but rather the revelation that Kyle Palmieri broke his foot in Minnesota and was gonna be out another 4-6 weeks after already missing eight games earlier in the season with various lower-body ailments.  Honestly this came as a little bit of a shock because well, he finished the game without missing a shift after the shot block that broke his foot.  For a team where depth is still an issue, this extended absence to their best player threatens to derail the good feeling of the first quarter of the season.

Granted, there is a lot of good to build on so far.  In his second season as a Devil, Taylor Hall’s all-around game has gotten better and he’s acting more like a leader on the team.  During the offseason apparently GM Ray Shero gave Hall a bit of a motivational talk, among other things discussed in this Sporting News piece on Shero which served as both a pep talk after Hall had another season of missing the playoffs (while his former team finally made it, and into the second round), and a ‘we need more out of you now’ speech.  As a former #1 overall pick, Hall’s also uniquely qualified to mentor current #1 overall Nico Hischier about handling the expectations and demands.  So far Nico’s been a bit ahead of the curve in almost every way possible as an eighteen-year old, with 15 points in 21 games and only taking three minor penalties, although in two straight games recently he took one in the opening minutes leading to this astonishing exchange with coach John Hynes:

For an eighteen-year old to have that kind of drive and accountability is mind-boggling.  That can only help change the culture.  And for his part, coach Hynes has done a good job in enforcing that culture, benching or demoting guys (sometimes both) who don’t live up to the higher standards that are being strived for this season.  Perhaps my main complaint is he’s left Pavel Zacha too deeply in the doghouse for too long – especially as talented players like Palmieri and Marcus Johansson are still on the shelf – but even Zacha himself acknowledged that he needs to be better in this comment before he returned to the lineup on Tuesday.

“I hope everyone is going to be able to see it, because I know exactly what to do,” Zacha said. “Even coming to the practices, talking to my agent and the coaches, I know exactly what to do. It’s much different in juniors. You can do basically whatever you want there. I was a top player there. If I had a bad practice, no one really cared. Here, you have to do it every practice, every game has to be great. Knowing what you have to do is a much bigger factor than a lower level of hockey, and I hope I’m going to be able to show it as soon as I can.”

Another example of how accountability is helping is Adam Henrique, who was in one of his usual funks through most of November – not only not scoring but going into full invisible man coasting mode.  While he got a bit more rope than the young Zacha (much to the consternation of the Internet complainers), coach Hynes did drop Henrique down a couple lines in practice last week, and finally the intensity switch got activated with four points in his last two games, also playing with the jam you need out of one of your supposed team leaders.

While he’s done a good job with the locker room, coach Hynes still makes some head-scratching personnel decisions that make you wonder why he tries to get too cute or too conservative for his own good – playing Zacha barely ten minutes with an injury-compromised lineup is one, throwing out various seven-D lineups before Mirco Mueller’s injury being another.  To add in an oddity although it didn’t matter last night with the way the shootout went, sending out Brian Boyle fourth was a weird choice and could have been costly if Cory Schneider wasn’t near heroic in the shootout making nine saves, before young defenseman Charlie McAvoy finally ended that water torture of a skills competition that gave me 2013-14 bad acid flashbacks.

Perhaps the dirty little secret on the team so far is they haven’t been as effective offensively since Boyle and Travis Zajac returned to the lineup.  Some of that’s coincidence, some is inevitable rust on both their games, a little is the inevitable team shooting percentage downturn that was bound to take place, but you do have to wonder how coach Hynes will balance out needing to play to the team’s strength (youth and speed), which they did during their 9-2 start – while still integrating these vets who can be important in a potential playoff push.  Of course even with the team’s great start it’s still premature to talk about a playoff push.  The next 20-30 games can change the equation and start to make you wonder again what we can get for guys like Moore, Drew Stafford and Brian Gibbons in a worst-case where we’re selling off at the deadline again.

Brian Gibbons?!  In a season of pleasant surprises, he’s been one of the biggest – going from AHL/NHL tweener and afterthought to an indispensable part of the team’s early play, scoring ten goals and posting a team-leading +13 despite mostly playing on the back six, though with the recent injuries he finally earned a promotion into the top six last night.  True to his early form, Gibbons would take advantage, tipping home a Damon Severson shot for his tenth goal of the season with just five minutes left in regulation to tie the game at two.  Is it possible Gibbons and fellow breakout Blake Coleman can be our new Madden and Pandolfo in the bottom six?  Ironically it’s Coleman who brings the Madden-type grit and intensity down the middle but with a Pandolfo scoring touch (ergo none), while Gibbons is like Madden in terms of being able to chip in offensively to this point.

While Gibbons and Coleman have come out of nowhere to make a name for themselves at age 29 and 25 respectively, it’s still the kids that have been the story of the season.  If Gibbons hasn’t been the biggest surprise of the season, 19-year old Jesper Bratt has been, going from sixth-round afterthought last year to an indispensable two-way player on the team this year, playing in all situations.  After a hot start, his production inevitably cooled for a bit, but last night his power play goal got the Devils on the board after an early 2-0 deficit threatened to derail the pre-Turkey Day return home.  Also making a name for himself as a rookie is Will Butcher, whose point production continues to be outstanding – 16 in 21 games, to be exact.  Butcher even scored his first NHL goal on the most recent road trip – then followed it up with another the next game, but his strength so far has been distributing the puck and quarterbacking the power play, as the fourteen assists show.  Other young defensemen like Mirco Mueller (before his horrific collarbone injury that’s laid him out for at least a couple months) and Steven Santini have also been improving through the course of the season.

Although the young d-men have improved they all still have a ways to go – Butcher being stranded in South Dakota last night while not taking his man or the pass in what turned into a two-on-one last night is one example – and the ‘vets’ (including Damon Severson at this point) still make too many WTF mistakes at this point themselves, but at least as whole the team D’s been a bit better since their run-and-gun shaky start to the season.  Goaltending is the only aspect of the team I haven’t really touched on yet, in part I really don’t know what to make of Cory Schneider right now.  He’s had his share of good games like last night, the shutout in Vancouver, holding the fort early in Minnesota – but he also has a knack for giving up soft or untimely goals (the game in Minnesota also being an example of this too, in the ultimate Jekyll-Hyde moment).  Despite a high GAA, his save percentage is slowly creeping back up towards .920 and this team’s gonna need Cory more than ever now with two key offensive cogs out of the lineup.  Backup Keith Kinkaid has also been shaky at times too, not as solid as he was last year.

In short as I close this Thanksgiving Day post, there is a lot to be thankful for as a Devils fan through these first two months.  I don’t want to focus on the ‘but, look at the challenges ahead’ part today.  That’ll come soon enough with a back-to-back the next two nights, at home against Vancouver tomorrow and at Detroit Saturday night.  Coupled with a home game against the Panthers on Monday there are still winnable games in the immediate future that this team needs to take advantage of before the schedule toughens up in December.

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Fit For A King: Lundqvist pitches 63rd career shutout in 3-0 win over Senators

Posted on November 20, 2017 by Derek
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Kevin Hayes celebrates his goal with happy teammates during a 3-0 shutout win over the Senators. AP Photo via Getty Images

Two days after wasting a great performance from Henrik Lundqvist, the Rangers rebounded by winning their sixth straight home game. A straight forward 3-0 domination of the Senators before a happy crowd at MSG. They played well in front of the King, who pitched his 63rd career shutout by making 20 saves.

The two-game losing streak is history. Coach Alain Vigneault gets credit for putting together a good game plan. Healthy scratching a ineffective David Desharnais and tweaking the third and fourth lines with one of my suggestions, he was able to roll all four while using three effective D pairs. For once, everything was in sync. Partially due to a tired Sens playing a back to back with travel. But that doesn’t excuse them for a lethargic showing that drew the ire of captain Erik Karlsson.

Vigneault reconstructed the lines. The top unit of KZB stayed intact. Kevin Hayes centered Rick Nash and Jesper Fast. J.T. Miller shifted to center while Michael Grabner moved up to the third line with Mats Zuccarello. Rookie Boo Nieves was on the checking line with Paul Carey and Jimmy Vesey, who still played a pivotal role on one of the goals while getting 3:14 of his 12:17 of ice time on the power play.

For a second straight game, the D stayed the same. Ryan McDonagh and Nick Holden paired up while Brady Skjei and Kevin Shattenkirk remain a thing. Marc Staal and Brendan Smith were the third tandem until Smith’s ejection on a controversial interference major on a huge hit that injured Senators’ defenseman Mark Borowiecki in the third period.

As expected, goals were hard to come by in a tight checking first where the Rangers had the edge in play outshooting Ottawa 10-7. Craig Anderson made some key saves early including a flat out denial on Nieves, who Vesey set perfectly up off a strong cycle. Anderson had won three in a row at MSG in the regular season. He also bested Lundqvist in last Spring’s Eastern Conference Semifinal showdown.

So, it wasn’t too surprising that the action was dull. Ottawa plays that defensive system under evil comic book character Guy Boucher. It stifles creativity. How soon before Matt Duchene realizes it’s a bad fit. He failed to register a point again. Since being acquired, he has no points and is minus-six. Hardly a upgrade over Kyle Turris thus far.

The second was the tell tale sign that the Rangers were clearly superior. That extra day off to prepare helped. They were strong defensively at limiting the Sens to the perimeter. They also were strong in the neutral zone and generated a consistent forecheck in the Ottawa end.

Eventually, it resulted in the game’s first goal. It’s funny how Sam Rosen mentioned to Joe Micheletti how he thought the first goal might be important. That’s what makes him so great. He has been around long enough to give a good insight on how the game’s being played.

Sure enough, some good work down low by Vesey and Fast resulted in Hayes sniping his fifth past Anderson top shelf at 4:46. Vesey threw a shot that deflected off a Senator right to Fast who centered for Hayes, who made no mistake. Just think if he used that shot more. He’s coming around. The increased defensive role is making him a better player. His penalty killing was vital later.

The Senators played a bad game hardly attacking enough to make Lundqvist sweat. When they did get shots through, he saw them. They also were lazy handing the Rangers a couple of power play chances to break it open. But they were unable to cash in for a third game in a row. It could’ve come back to bite them. But they played a complete 200 foot game.

The kind that produced sustained attacks which led to a Grabner tip of a Staal point shot from Zuccarello for a 2-0 lead at 4:52 of the third. Staal did a good job on that shift keeping the play alive. Zuccarello got the puck to him for the shot which Grabner redirected for his ninth. A splendid bit of a teamwork.

Prior to his goal, Lundqvist came up big when he denied Derick Brassard on the doorstep with a stack of the pads to kick out a rebound. The kind of save that’s made him a future Hall of Famer and one of the greatest Rangers.

Even when the Sens were handed a golden opportunity to get back in it, they couldn’t muster anything. In a race for a puck behind Lundqvist’s net, Smith came together with Borowiecki. At first glance live, it looked like Smith’s intention was to hit the attacking Senator defenseman and not play the puck. That’s probably what Tim Peel saw. Borowiecki didn’t anticipate getting crushed. He wound up on his back for a few minutes.

Smith was given the gate for a interference major with 12:28 remaining. The crowd booed showing their displeasure. They probably saw the replay before MSG showed it. Once it was shown, it was painfully obvious that both players were going for hits with the puck in the vicinity. Smith just beat Borowiecki to it with a clean shoulder. It was sad to see. But that’s hockey sometimes.

They made the wrong call. At most, it was a minor penalty for interference. It didn’t matter. The Rangers had to pick up a teammate for five minutes and did so in such a assertive fashion that it made you proud. The work of Hayes, Nash, Grabner, Fast, Staal, McDonagh, Skjei, Holden, Zibanejad and Zuccarello was masterful. They played with the kind of snarl that has often been missing. It was nice to see.

Zibanejad added a empty netter for his team best 10th with 2:29 left from Zuccarello and Chris Kreider. When the buzzer sounded, Lundqvist had his shutout to chants of “Hen-rik! Hen-rik!”

BONY 3 Stars ✨

3rd Star ⭐️ Brady Skjei 2 shots in 4 attempts, 2 takeaways, 2 hits, 6 blocks, +1 in 27 shifts-23:01 including 3:18 SH

2nd Star ⭐️ Kevin Hayes 5th of season, 2 shots, +1 in 21 shifts-15:24 including 3:22 SH

1st Star ⭐️ Henrik Lundqvist 20 saves for shutout number 63

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Rangers waste great performance from Lundqvist in 2-0 shutout loss to Blue Jackets

Posted on November 18, 2017 by Derek
ap-bluejackets-sergei-bobrovsky

Nothing got by Sergei Bobrovsky who pitched his first career shutout versus the Rangers with 36 saves in a 2-0 Blue Jackets win that sent the Rangers to a second straight loss. They’re 9-9-2 at the quarter mark with plenty of questions. AP Photo via Getty Images courtesy NBC Sports

This was one they’ll regret later. Game 20 was a old fashioned goalie duel between Henrik Lundqvist and Sergei Bobrovsky. Each took turns making gigantic stops. Both former Vezina winners showed why at Nationwide Arena in Columbus.

Ultimately, the Rangers blinked in the second period. After playing the Blue Jackets on even terms in a fast moving first where both Lundqvist and Bobrovsky were called upon to make tough saves with the latter remarkable, they got severely outskated and outplayed- giving up 19 shots to only nine.

Zach Werenski’s goal was enough as Bobrovsky stopped all 36 shots in a 2-0 shutout to send the Rangers to a second consecutive loss. So after working hard to get back in it by winning six in a row, they’ve now dropped two in succession on the road getting outscored 8-3. At 9-9-2, there remain more questions than answers.

At the quarter mark, what are the 2017-18 New York Rangers? In the previous post, I documented the lack of center depth following top pivot Mika Zibanejad and second line center Kevin Hayes. It’s starting to become problematic. David Desharnais had a nightmare game with his line caught out for the Werenski winner. They were pinned in often. Eventually, Alain Vigneault broke it up by moving J.T. Miller around with Jimmy Vesey elevated to the Hayes line.

I didn’t agree with every change. Consider they trailed by a goal when Vigneault broke up the KZB line. They’ve carried them thus far. So why did Pavel Buchnevich get the short end of the stick after being one of the few bright spots? How did he go from Zibanejad and the underwhelming Chris Kreider to total obscurity? It makes no sense. Somehow, the evolving 22-Year old Russian with 16 points took only two shifts in a exasperating third period.

The first proved costly with Buchnevich taking a unnecessary interference minor in the offensive zone on a pick play. Even though the bench protested, it was the right call. It didn’t help that the Blue Jackets scored on the power play with new Ranger killer Artemi Panarin scoring for the third time in three games against them. He took advantage of a Hayes miscue. Rather than take the easy clear, he tried to pass the puck to Rick Nash. Disaster struck when Oliver Bjorkstrand intercepted it and got it over for Panarin who ripped a high hard one past Lundqvist for a crucial insurance marker with 12:46 left.

Astonishingly, Panarin has scored all three of his goals this season against the Rangers. Hard to believe. He still hasn’t found chemistry without Patrick Kane. That trade has not been good for the Blackhawks either with Brandon Saad ice cold following a hot start. It says here that Panarin will figure it out. He’s too good not to.

The thing that really irked me is the sad but basically accurate sarcastic prediction I made prior to the Panarin power play goal.

https://twitter.com/newyorkpuck/status/931705634030047232

He didn’t see the ice again until the final minute when the game was over. He made a save on a empty net try by getting a piece of it with his body. What I fail to comprehend is why he gets penalized by the coach while Kreider (no shots in 18:00) never misses a shift. This is what drives fans crazy. Vigneault punished Brendan Smith, who finally returned after sitting out the last six games. Steven Kampfer was a healthy scratch. Smith was a minus-one in 14:25 while paired with Marc Staal. It’s going to take a while for him to get into a rhythm.

Vigneault tried Nash with Zibanejad and Kreider while Hayes worked between Vesey and the comatose Mats Zuccarello, who had one of those games where you barely noticed him. They’ve been more common. They really need him to get going. Three goals in the first 20 isn’t enough from one of the veteran leaders. I know he brings a lot to the table. But he should be more consistent. Hayes and Vesey each had good games five on five.

It looked like Miller saw time with Buchnevich and Desharnais for one shift. You also had Michael Grabner and Jesper Fast moved up. Grabner had four shots including a great opportunity which of course was swallowed up by the brick wall known as Bob in ‘Lumbus. There’s a reason he won his second Vezina. He makes the kind of acrobatic saves Dominik Hasek made a art form. It’s still a bit poetic that the Flyers gave up on him for Steve Mason, who now is the Winnipeg number one goalie. Straight up. It might go down as one of the worst trades. Especially if Bobrovsky can ever carry his anemic team to a deep run or Stanley Cup. John Tortorella has done a good job but they have yet to take that next step.

In a losing effort, Lundqvist made 40 saves. He really deserved better. This was vintage King Henrik. He faced a number of odd man rushes in a ugly second and made his own acrobatic saves that would’ve made The Dominator proud. But Werenski’s sixth from Brandon Dubinsky and Boone Jenner at the 13:34 mark was enough to deal him a hard luck loss. The Panarin tally self inflicted by a poor decision from Hayes.

I’ll be curious to see what Vigneault does for Sunday’s match against the Senators, who are leading the Coyotes in the third at home currently. How will the team respond to back-to-back disappointing performances? It’s the same Ottawa that eliminated them. They will have a different look with Matt Duchene recently acquired in a blockbuster three team trade from Colorado. Kyle Turris is now in Nashville. That might be a good thing considering how he killed them last Spring. They certainly gave up a lot. We’ll see if they can slow down the red hot Mark Stone.

They’ll need better games from Ryan McDonagh and Kevin Shattenkirk. Neither distinguished themselves on Friday with in particular, the captain reverting to his early poor start the last two losses. When partner Nick Holden has been better in those games, that’s bad news for the team.

As far as the center issue, you cannot be serious. Boo Nieves deserves more trust than not being used in the third while Desharnais has his ice time cut. Deservedly so yesterday. This was the total number of shifts and ice time for each.

https://twitter.com/newyorkpuck/status/931714881975406592

You cannot be successful in this league with only two centers you trust. If this continues, Vigneault will have no choice but to shift Miller to center. I would consider flipping Nieves and Desharnais due to the rookie’s size and two-way ability. I didn’t like the Desharnais signing. Now you’re seeing why. It’s almost as if Vigneault is begging Jeff Gorton to do something. Filip Chytil is currently injured. Vinni Lettieri could be a option if they eventually go that route. He has seven goals and three assists so far.

The Rangers can’t afford to go too much longer with this center situation. It’s hurting them.

BONY 3 Stars ✨

3rd Star ⭐️ Zach Werenski #CBJ GWG-6th, 6 attempts, 2 blocks, +1 in 27 shifts-18:47

2nd Star ⭐️ Henrik Lundqvist #NYR 40 saves including 18 of 19 in 2nd

1st Star ⭐️ Sergei Bobrovsky #CBJ 36 saves for 1st career shutout vs NYR

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