Run and gun Devils make another statement in Toronto

Posted on October 12, 2017 by hasan4978

I’m at a loss for words over the Devils’ 3-0 start, where they’ve scored a whopping sixteen goals in those three games and just outgunned one of the top offensive teams in the league at their building.  For a team that’s been in the bottom three-five in scoring the last several years, to say it’s been an eye-opening start to 2017-18 is an understatement.  My football Jets tied for first place on a three-game winning streak and my Devils the only unbeaten team in the Eastern Conference, is this 2009 or 2017?  It would be one thing if the Devils were winning games 2-1 and 3-2 leaning on Cory Schneider like they did two years ago when they stayed in the playoff race through February, but this team is winning the way GM Ray Shero envisioned when he took over.

It was a laughable mantra the past two seasons, especially last year.  An empty slogan meant to sell a bad team off the ice more than actually describe an attainable state of being on the ice.  Obviously it was going to take time to make the team over from the old, slow, hopeless outfit they were in 2015 when Shero took over.  Our hot 2/3 of a season in 2015-16 was more illusory than anything else, attained by good goaltending from Cory Schneider and a bunch of gritty role players playing above their heads.  When the bottom fell out at the end of that season and after a good first month last year, it seemed as if the turnaround was still a long way off, if it was possible at all.

Perhaps the turnaround was just around the corner though.

Certainly there was tangible change this offseason after a dissapointing year two of the Shero regime.  While getting the #1 overall pick was a matter of good fortune, Shero still had a hard decision in picking Nico Hischier over Nolan Patrick.  It’s obviously too early to suggest he and scouting director Paul Castron made the right choice but certainly it seems a guy like Hischier with his creativity and speed was just what the doctor ordered for this group of forwards.  There was no luck involved with Shero’s trade for Marcus Johansson however, as for a third straight offseason he managed to add a top six forward (Taylor Hall, Kyle Palmieri) at arguably below market value.  In one way or another, the Devils’ entire top six last night was acquired or drafted by Shero in the span of just two years, starting with drafting Pavel Zacha at #6 overall in 2015.  Our top six last night was unfathomable two years ago – Hischier, Zacha, Johansson, Hall, Palmieri…and Jesper Bratt, your current 2017 Calder trophy leader.

Who?!

Just nineteen years old and a sixth-round draft pick in 2016, Bratt was expected to be in the OHL this year and not even get the token nine-game callup.  However, the winger dazzled in development camp, during the prospects challenge and in training camp earning not only a shot with the NHL Devils but an opportunity to play in all situations.  Bratt’s defying all expectations, averaging just under 17 minutes a night and playing in all situations – on the power play, penalty kill, 5-on-5 – and excelling at all of them.  Through three games Bratt has three goals and three assists, spread out evenly with a goal and and assist on the PP, shorthanded and 5-on-5 and is one of the biggest reasons why the hopeless, plodding group of forwards last year looks like a dynamic force.

While the forwards have shown improvement with the flash and skill up front, there’s also been a surprising amount of grit and effectiveness from the back six and role players on the penalty kill.  Castoffs like Brian Gibbons and forgotten middling prospects like Blake Coleman have actually filled the void of having no Travis Zajac or Brian Boyle on the PK.  Killing off 15-18 penalties on paper is okay, nothing spectatular but the PK has also scored three shorthanded goals and did beastly work going 6-6 against Colorado and again last night, contending with eight penalties including two extended 3-on-5’s.  Up just 3-2 in the second period, the first of those 3-on-5’s was certainly a turning point – for the Devils.

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Gibbons’ goal was apparently the first ever 3-on-5 scored by the Devils in the regular season.  I’ve always remembered the 3-on-5 shorthanded goal Scott Niedermayer scored against the Panthers in the first round of the 2000 playoffs but didn’t actually think that was the last time it happened in franchise history.

New Jersey eventually killed off that entire five-on-three to boot though they couldn’t kill off the second extended five-on-three late in the third period.  Fortunately Schneider had a terrific game, making 47 saves, and the Devils’ offense gave them enough of a cushion where they weren’t seriously challenged in the third period after another of the aformentioned grinder fourth-liners (Coleman) scored early in the third to make it a 5-2 lead.  For one night the three-goal lead was not the worst lead in hockey.

Another back six forward had a big impact last night too – Miles Wood, after being a healthy scratch for the opener came out inspired during these two road games and not only scored twice last night but nearly had the hat trick goal late in the third period.  Wonder what Lou Lamoriello must have been thinking seeing two of his former picks in Wood and Coleman burn the Leafs last night sitting in the home GM’s suite at the ACC or whatever their building’s called now watching a completely different team than the one he left two years ago.

I’ve probably been remiss not giving enough love to the D but let’s face it – 40+ shots allowed for the home opener and 50 allowed last night isn’t sustainable although taking fewer penalties would help too.  I will say this about the D…the surprising scratch of veteran Ben Lovejoy in two of the first three games shows the team’s not only serious about accountability after an offseason with multiple players being shown the door, but also serious about giving younger defensemen Mirco Mueller and Will Butcher a shot in the early going.  While I haven’t been that impressed with Mueller yet he’ll get a longer rope given the team gave up a second-round pick for him and he’s not waiver-exempt like Butcher.  Butcher on the other hand has dazzled offensively with five assists in the first three games and has provided the PP (and the blueline as a whole) a jolt it needed after a poor 2016-17.  Sophomore Steven Santini did well enough on the first pairing with captain Andy Greene last night.

Perhaps most of the changes on D have been more subtle to this point than the forwards but even there you can see the Shero blueprint of getting quicker and younger starting to bear a little fruit.  It also will help the D if Cory can maintain his 2013-16 level of play rather than the ‘WTF, dude?!’ version who hit the ice last year, not to mention backup Keith Kinkaid maintaining his level of play last year where he actually outplayed Cory for the most part.  Kinkaid will get his first action of the season this weekend, either against the Caps tomorrow or the Rangers Saturday.

My brain’s telling me to pump the brakes on the hype a little, but let’s face it – this season was going to be about whether you saw hope for the future.  Clearly through three games we’ve seen that in many different ways.  Whether the future is in fact actually now, that’s going to take longer to answer.  Of course the fact we’re even asking the latter is a sign of real progress.

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Game 4: Disturbing trends, questionable deployment in 3-1 loss to Blues, Chytil to Hartford

Posted on October 11, 2017 by Derek

In falling to 1-3-0, the Rangers continue to play uneven. They lost 3-1 to the Blues at MSG last night. A winnable game with St. Louis playing a second straight day after a Columbus Day win in Brooklyn.

The Rangers didn’t take advantage. Instead, they were again stoned by Carter “E.F.” Hutton, who made 16 of his 32 saves in a lopsided third period that saw a tired Blues hang on. Hutton did this to them before the past couple of years. They’ve never beaten him. He’s a backup. It doesn’t matter.

It’s only four games. Already, there are disturbing trends. The lackadaisical starts are a concern. For a fourth straight game, they weren’t ready to play. It only took St. Louis 15 seconds to score. A awful Brady Skjei turnover allowed Jaden Schwartz to set up Carl Gunnarson for a goal with all five Rangers skaters standing around.

Even in their one win over Montreal Sunday, they were flat and were fortunate to have two goals disallowed. Otherwise, who knows. They could be 0-4. Ryan McDonagh mentioned that it’s up to the veteran leaders on the team to get off to better starts and pick up their play.

Even though Mika Zibanejad scored for a fourth straight game with his power play goal coming in direct response, there needs to be more consistency from all 18 skaters. Zibanejad’s fourth power play goal and team-leading fifth of the season came off another good play started by Kevin Shattenkirk. After a good keep, he took a good low shot that caromed to Pavel Buchnevich, who quickly made a beautiful backhand feed across that Zibanejad slammed home at 2:22.

The trouble right now is no one else is scoring. Kevin Hayes is off to a slow start. He only had 10:18 of ice time through two periods while not getting one power play shift. Hardly enough to find a rhythm with linemates Mats Zuccarello and Jimmy Vesey. Hayes is a top penalty killer who isn’t used on the man advantage. He played 16:04 in 21 shifts receiving 14:20 at even strength and 1:44 shorthanded.

Vesey had his best game so far after being elevated to the second line. He was twice thwarted by Hutton. But remains without a goal. Chris Kreider had a quiet game and remains without a goal despite three helpers. They need him to finish.

Rick Nash played a physical game delivering a huge hit following a successful penalty kill of a five on three created by a ill advised Steven Kampfer high stick. Nash did a lot of good things but again was kept off the scoresheet. He needs to get going. He played with J.T. Miller and Michael Grabner. It was a tough night for Miller, who turned over a couple of pucks and didn’t register a shot going minus-one in 14:56.

Grabner has yet to score. As usual, his gamebreaking speed is generating quality chances. He had a shorthanded breakaway Tuesday but couldn’t beat Hutton. Hutton also robbed Buchnevich in a busy third period where he was under siege. One stop left Buchnevich frustrated slamming his stick.

So much for playing the fourth line. David Desharnais hardly saw the ice in the third getting only 8:07 in 12 ineffective shifts. Paul Carey played even less. Adam Cracknell wore number 25 in his Rangers debut. He was noticeable getting a couple of shots and delivering six hits in 8:01. Until Jesper Fast gets back, they’re a three line team.

The most disturbing aspect is Alain Vigneault’s usage of the defense. A Kampfer turnover on a failed clearing attempt allowed Paul Stastny to keep the puck in and get it to Brayden Schenn. The ex-Flyer was able to somehow bank the puck in off Henrik Lundqvist’s pad for a power play goal at 13:30 of the first. Lundqvist wasn’t sure how it went in.

Despite Kampfer struggling in his second consecutive appearance, Vigneault somehow gave him and Nick Holden more minutes than Skjei through two periods. Granted. Skjei struggled the first two. But he played less than nine minutes until being used a lot more in the third with the team trailing. Why?

It also made no sense that Kampfer and Holden got more time against the Blues’ dangerous finisher Vladimir Tarasenko than any other tandem including McDonagh, who received over four minutes against Tarasenko’s line. Skjei and Shattenkirk hardly got any shifts against the St. Louis top scoring unit. Very perplexing.

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Marc Staal had another solid game playing with McDonagh. The question is how long can it last. Brendan Smith practiced with the top six this morning in place of Kampfer. So, he’ll be back in for Friday’s match at Columbus. Tony DeAngelo apparently is in Vigneault’s doghouse for his giveaway that led to a Toronto goal in a embarrassing 8-5 loss on Saturday. He’s far from alone.

Why does Vigneault hold young players to a different standard than vets? There were plenty of sloppy turnovers Tuesday night. They may as well send DeAngelo down to Hartford and get him some real time. What’s the point keeping him up?

It took until the third for the Blueshirts to turn it up following a sleep inducing second. Unlike tonight when I attend the Guns N’ Roses concert, MSG sounded like a morgue.

At least Vigneault used  Skjei more. He got nearly eight minutes. He was by far the best skater in the period using his speed to jump into plays and create opportunities. He also drew a penalty. Of course, he didn’t see any power play time with in particular the second unit failing miserably with a Miller miscue forcing McDonagh to take a penalty.

On a abbreviated St. Louis power play, Stastny came very close but Lundqvist got his glove on the puck in the nick of time. They reviewed the play to see if it crossed the goal line. But replays were inconclusive.

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Vigneault leaned heavily on Shattenkirk, McDonagh and Skjei when trailing in the final stanza with each all over seven minutes. If only he did it earlier. They were unable to beat Hutton, who has their number. His goaltending saved the Blues, who were content to sit back due to being out of gas. They got a Schwartz empty netter after Shattenkirk fell.

Chalk it all up and it was another disappointing loss. In a improved division, this isn’t the start the Rangers needed. With the Blue Jackets on Friday and the much more offensive minded Devils led by a trio of rookies Saturday, it won’t get any easier.

NYR 3 Stars:

Pavel Buchnevich-assisted on Zibanejad PPG, 7 attempts, very involved in 23 shifts (19:20) including 4:51 PP

Jimmy Vesey-very active, physical with 6 hits including one that bloodied Blues rookie Tage Thompson, 3 shots in 6 attempts, 18 shifts (15:25)

Mika Zibanejad-scored 4th PPG and 5th overall, 5 shots, 15-and-10 on draws, becoming a leader, 24 shifts (20:32) including 5:17 PP

NYR out-shot Blues 33-23 and out-attempted them 63-42.

Hits were 34-24 NYR led by Vesey’s 6.

Face-offs were 32-26 NYR paced by Zibanejad (15-for-25) with Desharnais 5 and 0. Stastny went 11-and-4 for St. Louis.

Blues blocked 20 shots led by Joel Edmundson (5).

Giveaways NYR 16 (Shattenkirk 4) Blues 9

2017 first round pick Filip Chytil convinced Jeff Gorton he wanted to get more experience in North America. So he will play for Hartford after being sent down. It’s encouraging that the Czech wants to learn.

Lias Andersson scored a goal yesterday for Frolunda.

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Rangers claim Adam Cracknell, get ready for Blues tonight

Posted on October 10, 2017 by Derek

With a day off on Columbus Day, the Rangers made a move claiming forward Adam Cracknell off waivers.

The 32-year old from Saskatoon spent last year with the Stars setting career highs in games (69), goals (10), assists (6), points (16) and plus/minus (9).

What it likely means is he’ll become the extra forward on the roster. 2017 first round pick Filip Chytil has only gotten into two games with Alain Vigneault barely playing him. It doesn’t look like the 18-year old center will reach nine games. Figure the Rangers to send him back to Zlin ZPS HC in the Czech Republic where he can further develop. There’s no point in keeping him here.

With the team still carrying eight defensemen, that means they can keep 13 forwards. It doesn’t make sense to continue playing 11 forwards with seven D.

The Rangers host the Blues tonight. They were 3-2 winners over the Islanders in a shootout won by lethal sniper Vladimir Tarasenko. He also scored twice giving him three goals. He should be a handful for the Ranger blueline tonight.

We’ll see if Ryan McDonagh stays on the right side with Marc Staal. They’ve been good so far. We’ll see how long it lasts. Brady Skjei and Kevin Shattenkirk seem like a good fit. As for the third pair, it’s anyone’s guess. Figure Brendan Smith to get back in. Either Nick Holden or Steven Kampfer will sit. Does Tony DeAngelo play or sit?

All good questions. The Rangers look to even their record later.

 

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All hail the King: Lundqvist’s 62nd career shutout highlights 2-0 win

Posted on October 9, 2017 by Derek

We’ve seen this script before. Henrik Lundqvist gets pulled in a bad loss and then comes back with a vengeance the next game. It was a no brainer for Alain Vigneault to go back to the 35-year old Swedish King following an early exit in Toronto.

Facing another struggling opponent who they’re quite familiar with, the Rangers got 34 saves from a laser focused Lundqvist to pitch a 2-0 shutout over Carey Price and the Canadiens at MSG. It was Lundqvist’s 62nd career shutout moving him past Turk Broda into 16th on the all-time list. He only had two all last year.

A rematch of last Spring’s first round pitting two elite goalies against each other was just what the doctor ordered for the Rangers. Particularly Lundqvist, who bested Price in a well goaltended six-game series.

Coming off a disjointed match that saw his team allow five goals in the first period in a 8-5 loss to the Leafs, Vigneault made some lineup changes. He benched Brendan Smith for Nick Holden and dressed Steven Kampfer as a seventh defenseman which meant rookie Filip Chytil was a healthy scratch.

What it likely means is the 21st overall pick will be sent back to the Czech Republic. He’s hardly played which isn’t beneficial for his development. The coach is to blame. Vigneault mentioned that he would discuss Chytil further with Jeff Gorton.

As for sitting Smith, he earned it with some unsteady play the first two games. This is a guy who just re-signed over three years. Imagine if that standard applied to other vets with bigger contracts. It was the right move. Kampfer played physical and gave the team a lift. Holden was okay too.

I’m not fond of going with seven D and 11 forwards. Don’t expect it to continue. At some point, Holden will be traded. Whenever that is, they’ll be down to seven D and will be able to call up a forward. Vinny Lettieri would be the most likely candidate.

In terms of the game, the Rangers were flat at the outset. Montreal came out aggressively using their speed to create scoring chances off the cycle. They were unable to score legally on Lundqvist, who got some help from a successful coach’s challenge that negated a Andrew Shaw goal due to an intentional kick.

The Habs also had another goal wiped out due to video review. Max Pacioretty contacted Lundqvist before scoring. It was a reversal of the call on the ice. It was one of those that could’ve gone either way. Ryan McDonagh was there and gave a slight shove. But Pacioretty banged into Lundqvist knocking him to the seat of his pants. It was probably the right call even though Habs Twitter didn’t agree.

After giving up a lot of shots early, the Rangers settled in and played a better second half. Eventually, they got their offensive game going. Price made a couple of sparkling saves denying Rick Nash twice including a fancy toe save to deny him in tight.

With only 11 forwards, Nash played with J.T. Miller and Michael Grabner. They were really good. Miller shifted to center with Chytil watching from the press box. The versatile forward assisted on a Brady Skjei goal with under three minutes left to break a scoreless tie. Grabner drew the primary. Skjei had his centering pass for Grabner deflect off a Hab past Price.

Unlike Saturday, there weren’t many penalties. The Habs had only one power play while the Rangers got three. They had seven shots on Price, who was good despite the lack of support from a anemic offense. How a team with Pacioretty, Jonathan Drouin, Alex Galchenyuk, Brendan Gallagher, Phillip Danault and Shea Weber can’t score is beyond comprehension. Claude Julien isn’t a offensive coach. The blueline is suffering minus Andrei Markov. Not good on GM Marc Bergevin. Habs fans hate him.

If there was a constant from the final two periods at Toronto, it was Lindy Ruff’s new first and second pairings. McDonagh again played the right side with Marc Staal on the left. Skjei was with Kevin Shattenkirk, who has looked better since teaming with the second-year defenseman. They look like they should be a thing. Not sure how long Staal stays with McDonagh. His minutes must be managed. He was strong in 19:08 with McDonagh getting 20:25.

The third pair was Holden and Kampfer with Tony DeAngelo the odd man out. Something I called. His giveaway that led to a Toronto goal and minus-two must’ve soured Vigneault. He can have a short leash with young players. DeAngelo only took six shifts getting a grand total of 3:45. Half came on the power play (1:37). That bares watching.

With Lundqvist benefiting from two no goals and turning back the clock with some King saves including a quick glove on a high tester from Artturi Lehkonen, the only question was would he get the shutout. Was there ever any doubt?

Mika Zibanejad scored for a third straight game in the third. Pavel Buchnevich made a great pass from behind the net to Zibanejad, whose quick release caught Price leaning for his team best fourth with 10:50 remaining. It was his first even strength goal. Chris Kreider picked up a assist. He has no goals but three helpers thus far.

Montreal emptied the net with over two minutes to go. It didn’t matter. It was a happy Henrik and a bunch of happier Blueshirts who celebrated their first win. Badly needed.

Three NYR Stars:

Henrik Lundqvist-34 saves for first shutout of season-62nd career, King Henrik has so much character

Brady Skjei-1st of season for GWG, 3 blocks, +1 in 21 shifts-16:33, looks poised with ShattDeuces

Steven Kampfer-took 20 shifts pairing up with Holden and provided steadiness, a good extra D

Oddity: How did Skjei receive less ice-time than Holden or Kampfer? It was the third in four.

NYR controlled face-offs 29-22 led by Miller (10-and-3). A marked improvement from the Leafs loss where they were dominated 46-31. Drouin led the Habs going 9-and-6.

Rangers blocked 17 shots paced by Skjei (3). Four skaters had at least two. Canadiens totaled 9 (Weber/Jordie Benn-2 each).

Shots were 34-25 Montreal. They also led in attempts 63-43. So, the Rangers were out-Corsied. I don’t think they cared.

Columbus Day features 7 games including 3 matinees. The Islanders host the Blues, who will also visit the Rangers on Tuesday. The Devils are at the Sabres at 3 PM. Start time for the Isles is 1. The Bruins host the Avalanche at 1 too.

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Game 3: Vigneault at it already benching Chytil, 11 F 7 D vs Habs, Lundqvist vs Price

Posted on October 8, 2017 by Derek

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Well, it sure didn’t take Alain Vigneault long to sour on number one pick Filip Chytil. Having only played the talented 18-year old center less than 13 total minutes in two games, the stubborn coach will healthy scratch the kid for tonight’s home match against the Canadiens.

Vigneault has decided to dress 11 forwards and seven defensemen. So, you can forget about having four balanced lines. He’ll mix and match by shifting J.T. Miller back to center. He was used there in the third period of last night’s 8-5 loss at Toronto.

With the D struggling, Nick Holden gets into his first game. How he’ll be used I have no idea. Both Tony DeAngelo and Brendan Smith struggled mightily Saturday. Each were victimized badly on a couple of goals.

What is the plan regarding the top four? New assistant Lindy Ruff tried Marc Staal with Ryan McDonagh and had Brady Skjei teamed with Kevin Shattenkirk by the second period. Both pairings were successful.

Holden is better suited for a offensive role due to his skating and shot. Staal and Smith must be in defensive roles with the latter needing a dramatic improvement to justify his three-year contract. DeAngelo has the big shot and should continue to see power play time.

As for the lines, figure Mika Zibanejad to stay together with Pavel Buchnevich. Does Chris Kreider stay put or work with Miller? We’ll see. Kevin Hayes now will center the second line. He could theoretically still play with Michael Grabner but with Miller at center, that combo won’t be together.

Who does Rick Nash and Jimmy Vesey play with? Vesey should be higher than the fourth line. He should receive more shifts. Similar to yesterday once Vigneault sat Chytil, who did nothing wrong in nine shifts (4:59). Nothing this coach does makes sense.

After getting chased for five goals in the first period, Henrik Lundqvist gets his third start. It’s a chance to redeem himself. He faces Carey Price who had his own bad start with the red hot Alex Ovechkin sniping four goals in a 6-1 drubbing.

So, it pits two star goalies against each other who both have something to prove.

Montreal also is making two changes. Mark Streit and Ales Hemsky come out. Brandon Davidson and Torrey Mitchell come in.

I’ll bet newest Hab Jonathan Drouin can’t wait to face our defense. He should have a field day. Alex Galchenyuk and Max Pacioretty are also keys to the Montreal offense along with pest Brendan Gallagher. No more Alex Radulov. He’s in Dallas. But Drouin should be a tough assignment.

It goes without saying that this is a game the Rangers should win. They need it. Whether or not they’re up to the task remains to be seen.

Shattenkirk and Mika Zibanejad have led an improved power play so far with them combining for four power play goals. That’s what ShattDeuces gives you.

This is the third game in four nights. Full review later.

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UnbeLeafable: Lundqvist chased as defenseless Rangers give up eight in 8-5 loss to Maple Leafs

Posted on October 8, 2017 by Derek

So much for getting off to a quick start. In Game 2 of 82, the Rangers didn’t show much resistance to start the first period. It resulted in the very dangerous Maple Leafs scoring five goals on Henrik Lundqvist chasing him en route to a 8-5 win in Toronto.

That makes the Rangers two for two so far. In losing their first two games, they’ve allowed 12 goals. At least the home opener was competitive. In Lundqvist’s words, it was embarrassing. They didn’t backcheck and allowed the supremely skilled Leafs to do whatever they wanted.

Following a Dominic Moore deflection for the first goal, J.T. Miller got his first by deflecting home a Chris Kreider shot in front to even the score. Miller was one of the few bright spots notching a goal and assist. But that was only offensively.

The Leafs responded by scoring the next four. It started when Zach Hyman took full advantage of a bad turnover from Tony DeAngelo. He tried a pass that didn’t work landing right on the stick of William Nylander. He quickly got the puck over to Hyman, who tucked it in past a sprawling Lundqvist.

Jake Gardiner then proceeded to skate through Brendan Smith, Mats Zuccarello and Brady Skjei to go short side top for a power play goal increasing to 3-1. Lundqvist completely missed Nikita Zaitsev’s point shot with Smith partially screening him by going for a block. It was still stoppable.

It was pretty obvious that the Rangers couldn’t handle the Leafs’ speed. The crazy part is Auston Matthews didn’t score a goal. That’s how talented they are. He had a primary assist on a back breaking goal later. Thirteen different Leafs hit the scoresheet.

As if Lundqvist’s night couldn’t get any worse, he had his own teammate Michael Grabner put a puck past him to make it 5-1. He went to cover the puck when Grabner accidentally put it in his own net. A goal credited to Hyman.

Before the period let out, Kevin Shattenkirk scored a power play goal to give the team some hope. With 23 seconds remaining, his wrist shot from the right point got past Frederik Andersen thanks to a double screen from Kreider and Pavel Buchnevich. Mats Zuccarello and Kreider drew assists.

Trailing 5-2, coach Alain Vigneault gave Lundqvist the rest of the night off. Ondrej Pavelec made his first appearance. To his credit, he was good. The former Winnipeg Jet made some key saves giving his team a chance for a comeback.

They certainly didn’t quit. It might not have been the result they wanted. But the Blueshirts showed a lot of heart rallying from a four goal deficit to tie the score in a dominant second stanza.

Mika Zibanejad stayed hot to start the season by notching his team-leading third goal. All three have come on the power play. Shattenkirk once again set him up for his big shot that found twine. Zuccarello assisted. He had a big night recording a career high four points.

With the defense struggling, new assistant Lindy Ruff changed all three pairs. He shifted Shattenkirk to the second unit with Skjei while surprisingly moving up Marc Staal to pair with Ryan McDonagh. He and Shattenkirk have struggled so far together caught on for too many goals against.

Staal stayed on the left side while the versatile McDonagh switched to the right. Astonishingly, the move worked. Staal played a very good game even factoring in on the next two Ranger goals. Not known for his offense, the proud veteran went to the front of the net on a delayed penalty and redirected a Zuccarello shot pass to cut it to 5-4. He showed some emotion afterwards.

Less than two minutes later, Paul Carey dug out a puck in the corner getting it to Miller. He dished across for a Staal one-timer which Zuccarello got a stick on to beat Andersen at 14:06 to tie the score. The league checked to make sure it wasn’t a high stick. Conclusive replays showed that the crafty Zuccarello got his stick below crossbar height making it a good goal. That gave him his first ever four point NHL game. Fitting for a team leader who finally gets to wear an ‘A.’

The comeback wouldn’t have been possible without a couple of huge stops from a sharp Pavelec. He played well. In relief of Lundqvist, he stopped 21 of 24 shots. Lundqvist allowed five on 17.

The third could’ve gone either way. But controversy impacted the game. Mitch Marner had a puck caught in his uniform as he gained the Rangers blueline. The play continued. Eventually, the Leafs spent a extended shift in the Ranger zone tiring them out. Finally, Marner fed a wide open Tyler Bozak in front for a one-timer past a helpless Pavelec. The entire five man unit got caught standing still including Miller and Shattenkirk, who were the closest.

Vigneault saw something. He went for a offsides challenge to try to negate the goal. Considering the replays showed Marner with a puck in his paraphernalia, it’s hard to conclude that he had clear possession. Joe Micheletti didn’t think so. Neither did my friends as we watched it in my buddy’s house in South River. It really should’ve been reversed. Interestingly, Vigneault agreed with the ruling.

Instead, they held it up giving the Leafs a 6-5 lead. Typical Toronto. Even in a game the Rangers had no business being in, they got screwed. All due to the Toronto bias. Not only did it put the Rangers behind, but due to the new rule on a failed offsides challenge, they were penalized. Exasperating is one way to describe the NHL.

Kevin Hayes made it worse by taking a slashing minor handing Toronto a goal. You can’t give them that many opportunities. Matthews got his one assist when he made a brilliant one touch feed leading Nylander in on Pavelec, who had no chance on a brilliant backhand that caromed off the crossbar right to Leo Komarov which made it a two goal swing. That was it.

Nazem Kadri added another PPG for final bookkeeping. In total, there were nine power plays. The Rangers went 2 for 3 while the Leafs were 3 for 6. So of the 13 total goals, five were scored on the power play.

It would be very easy for me to kill the Rangers for last night. They weren’t ready and didn’t compete. The lack of backchecking was disturbing. So was the defense. In particular, Smith who was caught out for three goals against. He didn’t have a good preseason. I wouldn’t worry. He’s only signed for three years.

They can’t expect Staal to have good games consistently. He was by far their best defenseman. Not good. I think they should keep Shattenkirk with Skjei, who at this point is a better defensive defenseman than McDonagh. Skjei keeps opponents honest. Use McDonagh and Shattenkirk for offensive zone starts.

What will they do against Montreal tonight? Would you really keep Staal with McDonagh? Smith and DeAngelo can be a third pair. So can Staal and DeAngelo, who could be in the press box for Nick Holden.

My only gripe is the lack of confidence Vigneault has in Filip Chytil. He didn’t even play five minutes last night not taking one shift in the third. How is he supposed to learn? It’s on the coach to play the kid more. He’s got unique skill that the team lacks. Before it gets to nine games, let’s see what he can do.

Three NYR Stars:

Marc Staal-goal, assist in 32 shifts-18:51, played well

Ondrej Pavelec-3 GA on 24 shots, made some timely stops unlike Lundqvist to give the team a chance

Mats Zuccarello-career high 4 points-1-3-4 in 27 shifts-17:26, terrific competitor

Honorable Mentions: Paul Carey, Kevin Shattenkirk, J.T. Miller

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Devils win entertaining home opener marred by injuries

Posted on October 7, 2017 by hasan4978

In an unusual Saturday afternoon season-opener, the Devils entertained the fans in the present and showed plenty of promise for the future in a wild 4-1 win over the Avalanche where Cory Schneider returned to pre 2016-17 form with a 40-save performance that still only merited a third star as rookies dominated the day for the red and black, earning the first and second stars of the afternoon.  Surprisingly, neither rookie was named Nico.

Even though he didn’t score any points, 18-year old #1 overall Nico Hischier still dazzled offensively and defensively, showing the hockey sense beyond his years that propelled him up to the top of the draft board in June.  Ironically, Hischier was overshadowed to a degree by fellow rookies Jesper Bratt and Will Butcher on this day, with 2016 sixth-round pick Bratt – still just 19 years old himself – scoring his first NHL goal on a beautiful snipe late in the second period that snatched momentum back after an unsettling few minutes (more on that later).  Amazingly enough, Bratt’s already gained enough trust from the staff to play nearly five minutes on the penalty kill in his NHL debut, logging 16:49 of icetime in all situations, finishing with two points and earning the second star on the night.  And Butcher, despite playing barely over twelve minutes still made his presence known, showing the potential to be the best power play QB the Devils have had since Marek Zidlicky.  His three assists earned him the game’s first star against the organization who once drafted him.

Butcher facing the Avs and one-time Devil draft pick Alex Kerfoot going up against us after the offseason each signed with the other organization was one of the interesting side stories headed into this afternoon’s season opener for the Devils.  While Kerfoot did get a point in his first NHL game the other night, Butcher’s three assists tonight one-upped that for a debut performance.  Speaking of debut performances, five other Devils made their team debut with mixed results.  PTO camp invite Jimmy Hayes did well in his first game after signing a one-year deal, scoring the second goal and registering four hits and seven SOG in 13:40 of action.    Unheralded Brian Gibbons played 5:05 shorthanded among his 14:36 of icetime and did a solid job on the PK as did most of the team, killing off all six Av penalties, albeit the Avs’ lone goal came just a second or two after one of those penalties expired late in the second period.  It wasn’t neccesarily the best afternoon for more heralded acquisitions Marcus Johansson or Mirco Mueller but better days should be ahead for both.

Then there was Drew Stafford, who had a solid camp but didn’t make it through his first period of the season before leaving with a lower-body injury.  If rookies were the lead story for the Devils today, injuires were unfortunately 1A.  Even captain Andy Greene had to miss most of the second period due to an unspecified injury, and his absence showed as the Avs had their most dominant stretch of the game during that time.  With Greene in the locker room and Butcher not getting much 5-on-5 time, most of the second period the Devils were just rolling four defensemen and that seemingly caught up with some guys.  Perhaps the most damaging injury however, was to Kyle Palmieri – who took a knee-on-knee hit from Av defenseman Erik Johnson late in the second period.  Surprisingly, Johnson only got two minutes in the box while Palmieri was forced out of the game.  Coach John Hynes had no update on either player, indicating more would be known tomorrow.  Needless to say our already thin RW depth chart can’t afford to lose one or both top six wingers for an extended period of time.

Apart from the injuries, it was an otherwise satisfying afternoon on an unusually warm day for October hockey.  Adam Henrique scored the season’s first goal at 4:04 off a feed from Butcher on the power play.  For most of the first period and a half the Devils dominated on the shot counter and eventually extended their lead with yet another power play goal, when Hayes showed some good hand-eye coordination stuffing in the rebound from a Butcher shot that missed the net, again on the power play.  However when the Avs morphed into the Flyers started gooning it up without two of our more physical players in the lineup (Miles Wood and Dalton Prout) the team had no answer for it.  Johnson’s hit on Palmieri was the nadir of what was a chippy ten-fifteen minutes that briefly turned the tide after Carl Soderberg scored to make it 2-1 and Palmieri’s injury gave the Devils a costly power play.

Thankfully the team was able to at least make the Avs pay on the scoreboard one more time, with a Taylor Hall feed finding a wide open Bratt, who sniped it past Johnathan Bernier shortside for a huge goal in the final thirty seconds of the period, restoring the Devils’ two-goal lead.  In the third period the Devils looked for the kill but Bernier held the tide off with a pair of unbelievable saves on Hall and Damon Severson, the latter who was robbed with a diving post-to-post midair save that barely missed going over the line.  A critical double-minor penalty on Johansson proved to be the pivotal point in the game, just not in the way I feared as the penalty happened.  Somehow wave after wave of penalty killers – including the thirty seconds on a delayed penalty before the puck was finally touched – did the job keeping the Avs off the board.  Guys like Gibbons, Blake Coleman and kids like Bratt, Hischier and Pavel Zacha all contributed to the team’s enormous special teams advantage.

Not only did they kill off all six penalties and score on three of four power plays, they also administered the coup de grace to the Avs shorthanded with six minutes left thanks to John Moore, who has a habit of scoring big goals.  For one night at least, the Devils could feel good that their work in training camp and at the draft table over the past few summers is starting to show some tangible results.

 

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NHL Preview and Predictions

Posted on October 7, 2017 by Derek
Nick Bonino, Kris Letang, Carl Hagelin, Evgeni Malkin, Chris Kunitz, Sidney Crosby

Pittsburgh Penguins’ Nick Bonino, facing camera at top, is mobbed by teammates after scoring against the Washington Capitals during overtime of Game 6 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Eastern Conference semifinals, Tuesday, May 10, 2016 in Pittsburgh. The Penguins won 4-3 to advance to the next round. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

The new season has already gotten going. Due to my taxing schedule along with a hockey draft, I’ve been unable to put up a preview with predictions. Here’s a quick outlook on a new year.

The Pens are trying to three peat. It hasn’t happened since the great Islanders dynasty when they won their third of four straight Stanley Cups from 1980-82. The Oilers dynasty nearly won three in a row but for a Steve Smith own goal that prevented them from having the chance in ’86. They would win the next two totaling four Cups with Gretzky. Messier led them to number five in ’90.

In ’91 and ’92, the Lemieux/Jagr Pens repeated. Astonishingly, the 45-year old legendary Jagr will play what could be his final NHL season after signing in Calgary. What can one of the all-time greats add to a good Flames roster that’ll again compete with Edmonton, who are led by rating Art Ross and Hart winner Conn Smythe?  It’s like old times.

Once, Number 68 looked like he’d be a Pittsburgh Penguin for life. He even was team captain when he led them to a first round upset of the Devils on one leg. Then Mario returned for one more crack in ’00-01 helping Jagr capture the scoring title. A talented roster that reached the Conference Final before falling to defending champ New Jersey.

Here we are all this time later end it’s again the Pens featuring the game’s best player. Sidney Crosby is a three-time Cup champion and two-time Conn Smythe winner having won everything in a illustrious career including Olympic gold, the Hart, Art Ross and the Rocket Richard. He’s already in that category of elite at 30. Like Lemieux, he’s had a super sidekick in Evgeni Malkin to help win three Cups.

It’s still insane that a Canadian bias exists that omitted Malkin from last year’s top 100. The skillful Russian has done it all like his more popular Canadian teammate. Even with his own injuries similar to Crosby, he’s way over a point-per-game for his career with the three Cups, a Conn Smythe, league MVP and Art Ross. If he ever stayed healthy for a full 82, he could get back to the century mark.

Can the Pens three-peat? It’s Matt Murray’s team. He’s already won in his first two years and can reach elite status. Without Marc-Andre Fleury (44 saves in Las Vegas’ first ever win Friday), there is more pressure. Antti Niemi backs up. He was already chased in a lopsided 10-1 humiliation at Chicago. The Pens are off to a poor start having allowed 15 goals in a overtime loss on banner night and the forgettable game against the Blackhawks last night. Will all the games played and miles catch up? Kris Letang can help if he stays healthy on the back end.

The Lightning could pose the biggest threat. A healthy Steven Stamkos returns along with Ryan Callahan. They also added former Pens hero Chris Kunitz. A four-time Cup winner who knows what it takes to win. Dan Girardi still looks odd in a Bolts jersey. Young 19-year old Mikhail Sergachev made the roster. Acquired from Montreal for Jonathan Drouin, he’s expected to bolster the Tampa blueline which features Norris candidate Victor Hedman and Anton Stralman. Nikita Kucherov could be in line for a MVP season. He nearly carried the Lightning to the playoffs last season. Tyler Johnson and Ondre Palat make them dangerous. It falls on Andrei Vasilevskiy to assume the mantle in net. If he can, watch out.

Columbus should be a handful with Artemi Panarin added to a core of Alex Wennberg, Cam Atkinson, Brandon Dubinsky, Boone Jenner. Seth Jones and Zach Werenski lead the blueline. Sergei Bobrovsky is the last line of defense. The rating Vezina winner is a difference maker. Keep a eye on former 2016 first round pick Pierre-Luc Dubois, who already scored in his NHL debut. A 5-0 shutout of the Islanders.

Toronto is expected to be even better. Auston Matthews could hit 50 goals in Year 2. William Nylander and Mitch Marner should improve. Toronto added Patrick Marleau, who even at his advanced age can still motor notching two goals in his Leaf debut. There’s also James van Riemsedyk, Tyler Bozak, Leo Komarov and Nazem Kadri. Honestly, the Leafs’ scoring depth is scary. A defense led by Morgan Rielly and Jake Gardiner remains a question. Nikita Zaitsev is solid but basically swapping Matt Hunwick for Ron Hainsey makes no sense. At least top goalie Frederik Andersen knows what to expect in Year 2.

Do the Caps have anything left following another second round flop? Alex Ovechkin already recorded a hat trick in a win. He must score more with Marcus Johansson and Justin Williams gone. Nick Backstrom and Evgeni Kuznetsov form a dynamic center duo. Washington is counting on Andre Burakovsky and Jakub Vrana (2 assists) to pick it up. T.J. Oshie stayed. He will be a huge player. I’m not liking the blueline. John Carlson will produce offense but at what cost? Matt Niskanen is their best overall. Dmitry Orlov the most underrated. After that, it hinges on unproven guys like Taylor Chorney and Christian Djoos. What does Brooks Orpik have left? Braden Holtby is one of the game’s best goalies. But he’ll be under siege.

Which one of the Hurricanes, Devils or Flyers will become a wildcard contender. The short money is on the candy Canes as long as Scott Darling solves their goaltending issue with Cam Ward backing up. Jeff Skinner and Sebastian Aho will torch opposing goalies. Williams is back to where his Mr. Game 7 status really began. Martin Necas is a new face to watch. Teuvo Teravainen and Elias Lindholm must perform more consistently. Justin Faulk and Jacob Slavin lead a mobile defense that could make strides with Noah Hanifin in Year 3.

What to make of the Islander situation? They’re leaving Brooklyn after this year. A failed experiment that was never gonna work. It’s Belmont or they’re gone. It would be a death knell on Gary Bettman’s watch if the Islanders are forced to leave. John Tavares remains without a contract past this year. He doesn’t want to have open discussions now. With so much uncertainty surrounding the franchise, will he go to July 1 and leave? How much will Eberle help? Anders Lee is a legit 30-goal man who could Post even bigger numbers. Is this the year Brock Nelson breaks out? With Thomas Greiss allowing five on Friday and Jaro Halak likely in against the Sabres for the home opener tonight, can they coexist? What are the Islanders? A playoff team or a team that remains incomplete with their captain possibly gone.

Out west, the Oilers are expected to be strong contenders to make it through. McDavid is only getting better. Already with an Opening Night hat trick, he’s a locomotive. After reaching 100 points in Year 2, he could be in line for a 40-goal, 120 point campaign. The speed at which he does things is amazing. Sidekick Leon Draisaitl makes the Oilers a similar problem that Crosby and Malkin do out east. Cam Talbot could win the Vezina. Milan Lucic and Patrick Maroon provide the beef. How will former Islander Ryan Strome fit in? He was acquired for Jordan Eberle. Is the defense good enough? Oscar Klefbom, Adam Larsson and Darnell Nurse lead it.

They’ll face strong challenges with Stanley Cup runner up Nashville remaining a big favorite as long as Pekka Rinne holds up. Juuse Saros was first off for tonight. Ryan Johansen, Filip Forsberg and Viktor Arvidsson lead a talented group up front with potential breakout candidate Kevin Fiala fully recovered from a horrific leg injury that ended his postseason. The blueline remains the best in hockey led by Roman Josi and P.K. Subban. Mattias Ekholm and ex-Hab Alexei Emelin will be crucial until Ryan Ellis gets back in January.

Anaheim should again challenge. They fell short against Nashville, who prevailed in a good Conference Final even after Johansen went down. Ryan Getzlaf and Ryan Kesler lead the way at center. Corey Perry will look for a bounce back. Richard Rakell could hit the 40-goal mark. Jakob Silfverberg remains underrated. Cam Fowler leads a balanced back end that includes Sami Vatanen, Hampus Lindholm along with up and comers Josh Manson and Brandon Montour. John Gibson could become one of the game’s best netminders by year’s end. Ryan Miller backs up.

Many expect the Stars to improve along with Winnipeg. Both can score in bunches but their wide open styles could be a detriment due to questionable defenses. Dallas added Marc Methot via a trade with expansion club Las Vegas. He can help a D corps that features offensive minded John Klingberg. Alex Radulov is a good fit up front with Jamie Benn, Tyler Seguin and Jason Spezza. It hinges on Ben Bishop.

The Jets can score with anyone. Mark Scheifele, Blake Wheeler and uh lethal finisher Patrik Laine will be a nightmare for opponents. Bryan Little and newly re-signed Nikolaj Ehlers can fly. Looming from the point is Dustin Byfuglien. Jacob Trouba is their best defenseman. He is tough one on one and can leave a mark. Toby Enstrom and Tyler Myers form the top four. Goaltending depends largely on Steve Mason. A streaky netminder who can be inconsistent. Connor Hellebuyck is the understudy. Don’t be surprised if he pushed Mason.

The Blues and Wild remain good teams who are being overlooked. The Wild boast one of the game’s best goalies in Devan Dubnyk along with Ryan Suter anchoring a solid D which includes Jared Spurgeon and Matt Dumba. Scoring is by committee with Mikael Granlund, Nino Niederreiter, Eric Staal, Mikko Koivu, Charlie Coyle leading the way. How much does a broken down Zach Parise have left to give?

St. Louis has electrifying Vladimir Tarasenko along with Alex Steen, Jaden Schwartz and ex-Flyer Brayden Schenn. Injuries to Steen and unlucky Robby Fabbri (done for season) have led to some not even picking a good team for the playoffs. Alex Pietrangelo and Colton Parayko headline the D. Jay Bouwmeester starts on IR. Jake Allen regained his form after some work with legend Martin Brodeur. He remains a goalie who’s capable of bigger goals.

San Jose and Los Angeles are on the way down with aging rosters. They’ll need their goalies to perform. Both Martin Jones and Jonathan Quick are excellent. But there are question marks surrounding each team.

Keep an eye on Arizona. They should be exciting with young rookies Clayton Keller and Dylan Strome. Derek Stepan centers Keller and Max Domi. A line which could become a hallmark. Christian Dvorak is in Year 2. So is Lawson Crouse. Anthony Duclair needs a good year. Niklas Hjalmarsson was added to the D with Oliver Ekman-Larsson. Jason Demers was also acquired. He and Alex Goligoski form the top four. How will Antti Raanta do as a starter? He missed the first game. They blew a 4-1 lead with Louis Domingue in. Raanta has his big chance.

There are many good rookies to watch. Keller and Strome from Arizona. Devils first overall pick Nico Hischier, who looks ready for the show. Charlie McAvoy is a headliner on the Boston back end to watch. Mathew Barzal could have a impact with the Islanders. Where does Alex DeBrincat fit on Chicago? Second overall pick Nolan Patrick is centering the Flyers’ second line. Hopefully, he stays on the ice.

Even the Rangers are looking at first round pick Filip Chytil. A talented Czech who is the youngest player in the league. He will get at least nine games to prove himself. Hopefully more minutes than the home opener.

Now it’s time for some division rankings and predictions.

METRO DIVISION

+1.Blue Jackets

*2.Penguins

*3.Capitals

*4.Rangers

5.Hurricanes

6.Islanders

7.Devils

8.Flyers

ATLANTIC DIVISION

+1.Lightning

*2.Maple Leafs

*3.Bruins

*4.Senators

5.Canadiens

6.Panthers

7.Sabres

8.Red Wings

CENTRAL DIVISION

+1.Predators

*2.Blackhawks

*3.Blues

*4.Wild

*5.Stars

6.Jets

7.Avalanche

PACIFIC DIVISION

+1.Oilers

*2.Ducks

*3.Flames

4.Kings

5.Sharks

6.Coyotes

7.Golden Knights

8.Canucks

EASTERN CONFERENCE PLAYOFFS

First Round

M1 Blue Jackets over WC1 Rangers

M2 Penguins over M3 Capitals

A1 Lightning over WC Senators

A2 Maple Leafs over A3 Bruins

Second Round

M2 Penguins over M1 Blue Jackets

A1 Lightning over A2 Maple Leafs

Conference Final

A1 Lightning over M2 Penguins

WESTERN CONFERENCE PLAYOFFS

First Round

C1 Predators over WC1 Stars

C3 Blues over C2 Blackhawks

P1 Oilers over WC2 Wild

P2 Ducks over P3 Flames

Second Round

C1 Predators over C3 Blues

P1 Oilers over P2 Ducks

Conference Final

C1 Predators over P1 Oilers

STANLEY CUP FINAL

A1 Lightning over C1 Predators

 

NHL FUN PREDICTIONS

Hart-Nikita Kucherov

Art Ross-Connor McDavid

Conn Smythe-Victor Hedman

Norris-Victor Hedman

Vezina-Cam Talbot

Selke-Nick Backstrom

Calder-Clayton Keller

Lady Byng-Jaromir Jagr

Rocket Richard-Patrick Laine

Jack Adams-Rick Tocchet

First Coach Fired-Paul Maurice

Most Goals-Laine 60

McDavid Points 45-80-125

Matthews 51 goals 42 assists

Breakout Player-Anthony Rantha

Best FA Signing-Stars Alex Radulov

Best Rookie Signing-Devils Will Butcher

Best Trade-CBJ/CHI-Panarin/Saad

 

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Rangers Preview: New look roster faces challenges

Posted on October 6, 2017 by Derek

Henrik Lundqvist

The waiting is over. Let the 2017-18 season begin. It already did for some teams Wednesday night. A new season got going at MSG for the Rangers who hosted the Avalanche Thursday.

It’ll be Year 5 for coach Alain Vigneault. He’s lasted the original five year contract he signed back in 2013 replacing John Tortorella. Over that time, he’s guided the club to a Stanley Cup Final, two Conference Finals and four postseasons. In fact, they’ll look to extend their consecutive playoff streak to nine.

That’s if everything goes according to plan. Gone ar former core pieces Dan Girardi and Derek Stepan. The Blueshirts are counting on a select number of younger players retained along with key addition Kevin Shattenkirk to replace them. Shattenkirk will be a big factor on the blueline and power play.

GM Jeff Gorton also added Tony DeAngelo in a trade that sent Stepan and Antti Raanta to the Coyotes which also netted seventh overall pick Lias Andersson. Despite a solid preseason, management decided he was better off being loaned back to HV71 Jonkoping in Sweden to help further his development.

However, 21st overall selection Filip Chytil made the roster as a 18-year old. A gifted Czech pivot who will start on the second line with Rick Nash and new alternate captain Mats Zuccarello, the still growing Chytil will get the chance to prove he belongs. If he is worthy, the Rangers could keep him past the nine-game minimum and let his first year of a entry level deal kick in. So, there’s palpable excitement.

Along with camp surprise Paul Carey and Andrew Desjardins, the Rangers will have a different look. David Desharnais gets the opportunity to replace Oscar Lindberg, who was lost in expansion to the Golden Knights.

Henrik Lundqvist remains the most important player. Coming off his worst statistical year, the proud 35-year old veteran has something to prove. With capable backup Raanta gone, look for Lundqvist to shoulder the load. He’ll be asked to play more than last year. As the Swedish King goes, so do the Rangers.

Let’s delve further into this year’s roster which will eventually include versatile checking forward Jesper Fast. He’s not expected back until the end of the month.

FORWARDS: It’ll be up to Mika Zibanejad  (2 goals in opener) and Kevin Hayes to lead the way. They’re the top two centers with old reliable Stepan in Arizona. Zibanejad got out quickly with a pair of power play goals in a 4-2 home loss to Colorado. The chemistry between him, Chris Kreider and key second year Russian Pavel Buchnevich is still there. Buchnevich will try to stay healthy and improve while Kreider is being counted on to lead the team in goals. Hayes is anchoring J.T. Miller and Michael Grabner. A cohesive trio that can do damage in transition.

It’ll be interesting to see if Chytil sticks. He’ll need more trust from Vigneault, who didn’t play him enough in the first game. Zuccarello is like an extra captain. A tremendous playmaker who always sticks his nose in, he plays much larger and is wiling to win the battles. Nash has gone to the net a lot. It’s a contract year for the injury prone power forward. He still possesses the wheels and skills to make things happen.

Until Jesper Fast returns around Halloween, Desharnais will start with Jimmy Vesey and either Carey or Desjardins. The former Hab center still has good speed and skill. But he was used on the second power play over Chytil in a special team’s game. Once Fast is back, that’ll strengthen that line. Vesey shouldn’t be on the fourth line. It says here he’ll earn a promotion into the top nine and be a key contributor.

DEFENSE-Obviously, Shattenkirk is home to help the back end. A terrific power play quarterback, he already paid dividends with a no look pass for a Zibanejad rocket. His skating should fit in well with the speed and transition game Vigneault emphasizes. He is being paid to make it work with McDonagh as a top pair. Their first game was forgettable with each victimized on Avalanche goals. They’ll need to be more defensively responsible. Much hinges on the top pair.

Brady Skjei is in line for a big second year. A smooth skater who can contribute offensively while throwing his weight around, he beefed up while working out with McDonagh in the summer. At the moment, he isn’t being used on the power play. Rather the penalty kill where he’ll no doubt have a bigger defensive role on the second pair with Brendan Smith. Smith isn’t shy about the rough stuff. So, they should be tough to play against. We’ll see how Skjei fares against better match ups. He was sheltered in his rookie year.

Marc Staal remains despite all the wear and tear. His minutes will be managed now that he’s on the third pair. Right now, he is with DeAngelo, who showed a willingness to mix it up in a good camp. DeAngelo is the younger and faster skater with a big shot. He’s been focused on playing better in his end. If that happens and his offense comes, the Rangers could have another young D with lots of upside. It remains to be seen what the plan is for Nick Holden. In his last year with a very affordable contract , he could be moved. Especially if Neal Pionk and Ryan Graves continue their progression.

GOALIE-It starts and ends with Lundqvist. He must bounce back from the most disappointing season of a brilliant career. The franchise all-time leader in games, wins, shutouts and minutes played knows there’s more pressure. No one knows what to expect from Ondrej Pavelec. He won’t match what Raanta did. That means Lundqvist has to perform at the level he demonstrated before. If he can’t, the playoffs become a uncertainty.

COACH-Vigneault is in Year 5 having signed an extension. He gets results. But some of his personnel decisions remain puzzling. The pressure is mounting with veteran coach Lindy Ruff taking over the defense as a assistant. Scott Arniel remains as does Benoit Allaire.

Prediction: The playoffs aren’t guaranteed in a tough division. But there are still enough quality players to make the cut. Pencil them in for a wildcard.

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Brian the Buffalo Psychic! Sabres blogger accurately calls the Eichel extension

Posted on October 3, 2017 by Derek

Jack Eichel

Occasionally, we bloggers get something right. Even if we’re joking. Earlier this morning, loyal Buffalo fan Brian said that Jack Eichel signed a contract extension worth an average of $10 million over eight years.

When he said it in our friendly and sarcastic Facebook chat, I played along figuring it was another joke by the master. Who can blame Brian for taking a gallows humor approach? He roots for the Sabres and Bills. So far, so good.

IMG_0169.JPG

Keep in mind this was in the morning before 10 Pacific. Brian lives in Southern California. So, I didn’t know how to react. Of course, he had been saying Eichel will leave and reference the Bettman conspiracy which favored Toronto and Edmonton over Buffalo in recent drafts involving Eichel/Connor McDavid and current Leaf super soph Auston Matthews. 😱

So imagine hours later, I get a call from a stunned Brian, who reveals that the proposed deal he proclaimed actually turned out to be true. I had no clue since I wasn’t on Twitter. Instead, preparing for a wild and crazy Yankees/Twins wildcard game. I’ll probably be in bed by the time this ends. I got my second subbing assignment tomorrow.

The words were all too real. “I can’t believe it. Eichel signed for what I said,” while noting that he had no prior knowledge. “Jeremy Roenick just tweeted it. He’s staying.”

In what’s been a emotional year for my best friend’s family, I couldn’t be happier for him. He deserves it. So do the loyal and passionate Sabres fans. It may as well include the Bills with them being a surprising 3-1 leading the AFC East with Hasan’s Jets 2-2 in a tie with the bumbling Patriots.

Eichel is entering his final year of a entry level contract. With McDavid getting paid, the pressure was on Buffalo to get it done. Now that they have, it’s time to focus on a new season with a fully healthy 20-year old franchise center ready to assume the mantle and lead them back to relevancy.

The former 2015 second overall pick out of Boston University missed 21 games in Year 2 due to a ankle sprain sustained in practice prior to the start of ’16-17. He still managed a career high 57 points going 24-33-57 over 61 contests. Basically, a point-per-game clip despite the time off from a tough injury.

They’ll look to improve upon a 78-point season that ranked last in the Atlantic Division. In a competitive division that’ll feature the healthier Lightning along with the Leafs, Canadiens, Senators and improved Panthers and Bruins, it will be challenging.

Can Eichel lead Buffalo into playoff contention? He should have help from a recovered Kyle Okposo along with key additions Benoit Pouliot and returning Buffalo playoff hero Jason Pominville. Nathan Beaulieu and Marco Scandella have been added to a blueline anchored by Rasmus Ristolainen. Jake McCabe and Zach Bogosian will be key factors.

Much still depends on number one goalie Robin Lehner, who while talented has been inconsistent and injury prone. They’ll need him to be better than 23 wins in 59 games. Chad Johnson is a capable experienced backup who can be counted on to fill in.

With a new GM and new coach in former Nashville assistant Phil Housley comes a new system. It should be interesting to see how quickly the Sabres adjust.

If they surprise, Captain Jack will lead the way. Now, Western New York can breathe easier knowing their franchise player is locked up. A great day for Buffalo. An even better one for my forever best buddy Brian. 😀

 

 

 

 

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