Devils’ Markstrom Expected Out Four to Six Weeks With MCL Sprain

Posted on January 25, 2025 by Derek

On Thursday, Jan. 23 during a 5-1 win over the Bruins, Devils’ starting netminder Jacob Markstrom left the game at 3:09 of the second period when Justin Brazeau lost his balance and fell into him to cause an injury. After struggling to leave the ice, he was replaced by backup Jake Allen, who made 16 saves in relief to earn the victory.

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Following the game, Markstrom was in good spirits despite the injury that occurred. Yesterday, an MRI revealed that he suffered an MCL sprain and is expected to miss four to six weeks. In addition to being out for at least a month, he also won’t be available to play in the 4 Nations Face-Off which takes place between Feb. 12-20. Originally, he was selected by Sweden on their official roster where he was slated to be the number one goalie. Instead, they’ll likely turn to the Wild’s Filip Gustavsson. Sweden also is expected to be without Senators’ starter Linus Ullmark.

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Markstrom’s Big Season Proves Fitzgerald Right

When Devils team president and general manager Tom Fitzgerald decided to acquire Markstrom from the Flames in exchange for Kevin Bahl and a top 10 lottery protected 2025 first round pick on Jun. 18, 2024, it was with one thing in mind. The Devils’ biggest downfall in 2023-24 was inconsistent goaltending.

With both Vitek Vanecek and Akira Schmid underperforming, they failed to make the postseason. By the trade deadline last year, Vanecek was dealt to the Sharks for Kaapo Kahkonen. Fitzgerald also acquired veteran Jake Allen from the Canadiens for a 2025 conditional third round pick. Both trades occured on Mar. 8. He wasn’t done making changes to the roster.

After dealing for Markstrom, Fitzgerald packaged Schmid and Alexander Holtz to the Golden Knights in exchange for Paul Cotter and a 2025 third round pick on Jun. 29. In what’s been a successful season at this point with the Devils sitting in third place in the Metropolitan Division with 60 points, Cotter’s been a solid contributor on an improved roster looking to contend this postseason.

The biggest reason for their success has been the outstanding play of Markstrom. After an up and down first two months, he earned the NHL’s third star of December thanks to posting an 8-1-1 record with a 1.30 goals-against-average (GAA), .937 save percentage, and two shutouts. Prior to the injury he suffered on Thursday night, he’d done his part in January by posting a 2-2-3 record with a 2.39 GAA and .910 save percentage. In most of his starts, with the Devils struggling more defensively, Markstrom’s made plenty of big saves to keep them ahead of opponents. There have been some highlight reel stops with a lunging glove save denying Brayden Point of a goal in a 3-2 overtime win over the Lightning on Jan. 11.

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A former finalist for the Vezina, Markstrom’s made a strong case to be considered as one of the league’s best goalies this season. He ranks amongst the league leaders in games played (36), wins (21), GAA (2.20), and shutouts (3). With reigning Vezina winner Connor Hellebuyck having another dominant year, Markstrom and surprising contender Logan Thompson are right behind.

Devils Turn to Allen

Without Markstrom, the Devils will turn to Allen. A former starter with the Blues and Canadiens, the 34-year-old brings plenty of experience to the net. Having recently won career game number 200, Allen’s 6-8-1 with a 2.66 GAA and .901 save percentage in 15 appearances.

His best season came with the when he won a career best 33 games and posted a 2.42 GAA, .915 save percentage, and four shutouts for the Blues in 2016-17. Now a backup, Allen will need to provide steady play to keep the Devils in a strong playoff position. They trail the Hurricanes by three points for second place in the division and remain seven up on the Blue Jackets and eight clear of the Rangers for third.

Poetically, Allen makes the start with the Devils visiting Bell Centre for a big game against the Canadiens on Hockey Night In Canada. With the team on the road for four of its next five, they’ll need Allen to be on top of his game.

Poulter Gets Call from Utica

Isaac Poulter got the call from Utica on Friday. In 19 games with Utica, he’s 8-7-3 with a 2.90 GAA and .897 save percentage. His eight victories lead the Comets. With former backup Nico Daws struggling, Poulter is the best option available for the Devils to be the backup.

With the Devils not having any back-to-backs, coach Sheldon Keefe will lean heavily on Allen over the next stretch. Starting tonight, they have seven games before the break for the 4 Nations Face-Off. Aside from a home match against the Golden Knights on Feb. 6, the other six are against teams with worse records. That includes a pair at the Canadiens, a home and home with the Flyers, and visits at the Sabres and Penguins.

From that standpoint, the schedule is reasonable. They should be able to hang in there without Markstrom. It’ll be up to a roster led by the trio of Jack Hughes, Nico Hischier, and Jesper Bratt to maintain their place in the standings.

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Resurgent Rangers Get Key Contributions in Latest Win over Flyers

Posted on January 24, 2025 by Derek

Things are starting to look up on Broadway. Since the turn of the calendar year, the Rangers have been playing a better brand of hockey. They continued their surge in the standings with a methodical 6-1 win over the Flyers at 33rd and 7th. Combined with the Blue Jackets losing to the Hurricanes and the Bruins defeating the Senators, they now sit just a point out of the second wild card.

The biggest reason for the turnaround has been the stellar play of Igor Shesterkin. He won his fourth straight start by turning aside 33 of 34 shots in another strong showing. He’s only permitted one goal on 81 shots over the last three games. Since he returned against the Devils on Jan. 9, Shesterkin is 6-0-1 with a 1.39 goals-against-average (GAA), .948 save percentage, and two shutouts. He was on his game in a busy second period stopping all 17 Flyers’ shots.

With Shesterkin holding up his end of the bargain, he got plenty of support from his teammates. In fact, all six defensemen registered a point in the win – making it the first time that’s happened for the Rangers in a game since Dec. 8, 2019. K’Andre Miller had his best game of the season, scoring a goal and picking up an assist to lead the way. He was strong defensively along with partner Will Borgen, who continues to provide a steady presence on the blue line.

Braden Schneider scored his first goal since Oct. 22. It came at a crucial time in the first period. With the Rangers already trailing the Flyers on the scoreboard due to Owen Tippett finishing off a three-on-one rush just 85 seconds in, Schneider answered by pinching down and having his pass for Reilly Smith bank in past Samuel Ersson to tie the game at the nine-minute mark. Arthur Kaliyev made a strong play on the wall to keep the play alive for Schneider, who has points in two straight games.

Following the goal, the fourth line made an impact again. On a strong forecheck from all three forwards, Adam Fox got the puck over for a Ryan Lindgren point shot that Adam Edstrom tipped in for a 2-1 lead at 10:24. Both he and Matt Rempe were camped out in front of Ersson, who never saw the shot. It’s been the play of that line that’s been at the center of the Rangers’ resurgence.

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Sam Carrick was again very effective at even strength finishing with four shots in 11:51 of ice time. The chemistry he has with Edstrom and Rempe has provided exactly what Rangers coach Peter Laviolette wanted. They get pucks in deep and make things happen. For that reason, they each have seen an increase in ice time, with Rempe logging 9:29 and Edstrom getting a lucky 11:11. What makes them so effective is that they are willing to do the dirty work. There aren’t many skaters on the roster that can bring that to the table. The Flyers had problems with that line all night.

Similar to the start, the Flyers looked to jump on the Rangers when the second period began. After a close call from Bobby Brink, Shesterkin aggressively came out to stop Cam York and then Travis Sanheim. In the process, his mask came off. With him out of the net and the Flyers still in possession, play continued until the Rangers got possession for a stoppage. The rule is that a play is allowed to continue if there’s a scoring chance. Once the opponent touches the puck, then they blow it dead. It was a dangerous moment for Shesterkin, who likes to gamble.

Kaliyev made a good read in his end to send Filip Chytil into the offensive zone. After he toe dragged a Flyers’ defender, he waited before sending the puck across for a Chris Kreider one-timer that just missed from a tough angle. They had Ersson dead to rights, but Kreider couldn’t finish it off. Since Kaliyev has started to get more comfortable, that line has become more of a threat offensively. Chytil’s game-breaking speed makes it tough on opponents. He’s by far the Rangers’ most explosive center. They tend to get favorable matchups, which they can exploit.

On a dominant shift from the top line, Artemi Panarin danced around the Flyers’ zone before threading a pass to Will Borgen. He then found Miller, who let go of a shot that beat a screened Ersson to increase the lead to 3-1 at 4:44. On the play, Vincent Trocheck went to the front of the net and battled legally without making any contact with Ersson, who never saw Miller’s shot. That’s exactly the kind of play the Rangers are now doing. There was a long stretch where they didn’t make it hard on goalies. That’s no longer the case.

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On the next shift, they nearly made it 4-1. But Ersson stopped Will Cuylle after making a save on Mika Zibanejad. The Flyers began to press the action. They had the puck in for an extended shift that produced a couple of scoring chances. But Shesterkin wasn’t about to allow the gritty Garnet Hathaway beat him from in close. He’d later come up with a big save on Brink. He continued to make timely stops to keep the Flyers from cutting the deficit to one.

Despite outplaying the Rangers and holding a 17-8 edge in shots, the Flyers still trailed 3-1 after two. The third was a different story completely.

Having come close earlier, Chytil finally got one when he deflected in an Urho Vaakanainen shot to make it 4-1 at 5:15. Miller helped set it up to pick up a secondary assist. It was his second two-point game of the season. Very quietly, he has a three-game point streak (1-3-4). If they ever needed a player to heat up, it’s Miller. He’s been more active on both sides of the puck. In what’s been a down season for him, there’s still some time left to finish strong and help the team make the playoffs.

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The top line had a dominant shift when they had the Flyers on fumes. The passing from Panarin was on point. Both Trocheck and Alexis Lafreniere were denied by Ersson. When an exhausted Hathaway finally got the puck out of the zone, Panarin took a bad interference minor. At times, he will take undisciplined penalties. Even though it didn’t matter, he has to avoid those in the future. With the Avalanche visiting on championship Sunday, that’s advisable. If they finally want to win three in a row for the first time in two months, they’ll need to stay out of the box. We’ll see if they can put together a winning streak.

With Flyers coach John Tortorella lifting Ersson for a six-on-four, Fox had his shot go into the empty net for a shorthanded goal with 3:07 remaining. Judging from his reaction, he had no interest in celebrating. It was his third goal of the season. Two of which have come into vacated cages. While he’s back to putting up points, it’s his defensive play that’s really picked up. Fox is coming back and making much better reads in his zone. When he’s on his game, that makes the Rangers a much better team.

On a late power play drawn by Trocheck, the second unit struck to turn this one into a laugher. Lafreniere had his wrist shot stopped by Ersson, who didn’t know where it was. The puck was still loose, allowing Reilly Smith to jam it home for his 10th. Both Lafreniere and Chytil picked up helpers.

For at least one night, the season looks back on track. There’s still a lot of work to be done. It will get harder when the Avalanche come in this weekend for one of those 1 PM matinees. Then, the Hurricanes pay a visit next Tuesday. If you want to use a measuring stick, those are two games to go by. Let’s see exactly where the Rangers are. The test starts in two days.

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Devils finally have a return of good form on Lemaire night

Posted on January 23, 2025 by hasan4978

Last time I blogged I termed the Devils’ slump a mini-crisis, it certainly became a major one since then – no doubt about it. After a troubling 1-4-1 road trip, the Devils did return home and put up a good enough performance against Tampa in a 3-2 win, but until last night that was pretty much the highlight of the last month as the team backslid into yet another four-game losing streak, each one more troubling than the last. Yes, the Devils have had and still had illnesses to speak of during this most recent part of the malaise, whether it’s norovirus or whatever I have no idea. That said, my patience for this team heading into last night’s game was at a season low given how poorly they were playing, don’t tell me this team’s automatically going to bounce back out of it when they’ve had plenty of seasons spiral out of control in recent memory.

Sure, gutting out a shootout loser point against a Florida team looking for revenge after we beat them twice down in the Sunshine State was fine. Even an OT point at Toronto was okay-ish though blowing a late lead certainly wasn’t ideal. Losing at home in regulation back to back against second-division Flyer and Senator teams however, that was alarming. I don’t want to hear about guys being sick at this point, not when you’ve been playing poorly for almost a month. And not when – let’s face it, we’re in January – it’s not like we’re the only team in the league with sick players! Seemed like Sheldon Keefe had enough of the excuses heading into yesterday’s game as well:

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From that perspective, last night’s ceremony honoring former coach Jacques Lemaire couldn’t have come at a better time, both for giving the players a little reminder of the standard which used to be the norm here and just for giving the fans a bit of an upper after watching, listening or just looking at highlights and scores have been a complete downer the last few weeks. Honestly, the only games I’ve watched are ones I’ve been at the last few weeks since the cable blackout on Optimum, I could bother to go to pirated sites, bars, whatever or listen to the radio but given the way this team’s played since the blackout ironically it’s been easier to just go cold turkey for the moment. But just from what I’ve watched and heard about, the effort and execution just hasn’t been there since Christmas, whatever you want to attribute it to within a specific time period.

Of course last night was one of the home games I went to (along with the Flyer disaster over the weekend), and I already gave my thoughts on Jacques and the ring of honor ceremony when it was announced. That said, it was about what you could have expected from a fifteen-minute ceremony – see above clip. Jacques was his usual charming self, doesn’t seem like he aged a day really…but a cynic could say well he always looked old as a coach at least haha. I was pleased to see Lou Lamoriello and Larry Robinson there, obviously no two men are more joined at the hip with Jacques’ tenure(s) here than his longtime boss/GM – though Jacques needled ‘buddy’ Lou during the speech saying he worked with him and not for him haha – and long-time assistant, along with players like Stevens, Niedermayer and Brodeur, all of whom were there too.

As good as I felt during the ceremony, the first ten minutes of the game were like a wet cloth as the Devils squandered a golden chance to score on their first shift, and eventually their first mistake defensively wound up in the net putting us behind at home yet again. Even as the team’s play improved throughout the period I was still a grumpy gus down 1-0 at intermission thinking here we go again and already thinking in terms of selling my Flyers ticket next week and trading in my Vegas home game ticket in two weeks to peace out of going to home games for the next month with the contrived Four Nations tournament interrupting the season Olympic-style. A break that actually seems somewhat well-timed for us now, but I’ll get to that in a moment.

Maybe the team also reached their ‘we’ve had enough’ stage as well in the second period last night as the goals and attacks came fast and furious. First, Dawson Mercer got a just reward for jumping on a turnover at the blueline and scored on a turnaround slapshot off a Nico Hischier feed to tie the game at 1:24. Yay, a goal finally….but more was to come. Dougie Hamilton dialed up the glory days of yesteryear (i.e. two years ago) with one of his patented power play bombs to give the Devils the lead less than three minutes after tying the game. Ironically the Devils’ best sequence actually came when they didn’t score a goal when back-to-back dominant shifts got the late-arriving crowd out of its seat and firmly back on the team’s side to an extent even the goals didn’t. Or at least it felt that way to me specifically.

Finally the Devils got rewarded (more) for a dominant second period in a twelve-second stretch that put the game away. Stefan Noesen scored a typical Noesen goal, a jam shot of a rebound in front at 16:01. Then on the very next shift, Mercer also channeled 2022-23 by scoring his second of the night, getting to the net to finish off a nice tic-tac-toe play from Timo Meier and Justin Dowling (really!) to make it 4-1 and conclude an almost perfect second period.

Of course, the downer was a potentially serious injury to goaltender Jacob Markstrom, a fluke play caused by Brendan Dillon and Justin Brazeau jostling for position in front, with the latter landing on top of the Devils goaltender and getting whistled for goaltender interference.

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As ominous as that sequence looked, apparently the outlook on Markstrom is somewhat improved as he was reportedly in good spirits after the game. I suppose at this point a best-case scenario would be him missing the next two weeks and coming back after the break, but until official word comes we’re not out of the woods yet. In the near term, the Devils probably go with Jake Allen but I’d be lying if I said I was confident in him considering his recent poor play (albeit his relief appearance last night was spotless). There isn’t much choice at the moment though, we’ve seen how hard it is to get goalies in-season, and you’d still rather give Allen the first crack at it than trust a kid like Isaac Poulter to take the puck and run with it.

At least last night was a good start in terms of the team finding its game from early in the season, hopefully they’ll be able to keep it up through the break and get back some of the cushion they lost through this stretch of shaky play.

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Rangers’ Dominant Win over Senators Comes at Right Time

Posted on January 22, 2025 by Derek

Entering play, the Rangers knew what was ahead of them. In what’s become a logjam for the wild card, they have to take care of business. Coming off a disappointing 5-4 overtime loss at Montreal, they posted a dominant 5-0 win over the Senators to keep pace with the Canadiens (3-2 winners over the Lightning).

Facing an opponent that’s currently in wild card position with 52 points – they made this one easy on themselves. Rather than get frustrated over having two goals reversed due to successful coach’s challenges by Senators coach Travis Green, they kept attacking. Along with playing a tight checking system that forced the Senators into turnovers, they methodically outplayed the Senators to get an important victory in regulation. Considering that they started Tuesday four points behind Ottawa, it came at the right time.

Alexis Lafreniere broke open a scoreless game when he put in a rebound of a Vincent Trocheck shot to score for a second straight game. The goal was a good response to having a Carrick goal wiped out due to Matt Rempe being offside with 2:31 left in the first period. Over a minute later, Lafreniere kept a play alive behind the net for Adam Fox. Eventually, Fox had a shot redirected by Trocheck off Senators goalie Leevi Merilainen right to Lafreniere, who sent a backhand into an open net for a 1-0 lead with 72 seconds remaining.

Less than two minutes into the second period, Arthur Kaliyev notched his second goal as a Ranger. Off a Filip Chytil faceoff win, Braden Schneider fed Urho Vaakanainen for a shot that deflected right to Kaliyev, whose turnaround shot beat Merilainen from a sharp angle to make it 2-0.

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The Rangers continued to dictate the terms by leading in shots 16-5 at one point. Igor Shesterkin wasn’t tested until Brady Tkachuk got to the rebound of his own shot only for it to be snapped up by Shesterkin. He continues to be dialed in this month. Although he didn’t face many tough chances, he stopped all 20 shots to pick up his second straight shutout. He also didn’t allow a goal in a 1-0 shootout win over the Blue Jackets on Jan. 18. He’s heating up at the right time.

Kaliyev nearly had his second of the game on his next shift. On some splendid work from Chytil, Kaliyev came off the wall and fired a pea by Merilainen. Green again challenged for offside. On the Rangers’ entry, Chris Kreider was just ahead of the play to negate the goal. Despite the score remaining 2-0, Green decided to pull Merilainen for Anton Forsberg. The rookie netminder had provided the Senators with good goaltending in a recent win over the Devils. However, he was way off on Tuesday night. That made it the right move from Green, who was hoping putting in Forsberg could spark his team.

After Tkachuk initiated the contact to draw a weak interference call on Will Borgen, the Rangers easily killed off the penalty. Back at even strength, Tkachuk finally got a good look, but his shot was gloved out of mid-air by a sharp Shesterkin, who heard the chants of “Ig-or, Ig-or” from the crowd.

Following serving a penalty, Chytil put on a couple of moves to get in on Forsberg, who made two superb saves including one with his stick on a rebound to keep it out. The great individual effort drew a penalty on Tim Stutzle. Peter Laviolette opted to go with his first power play unit. Outside of Forsberg stopping Panarin, they were brutal. There was too much passing and not enough shooting. The best chance came when Mika Zibanejad had a one-timer blocked by a diving Nick Jensen.

Entering the third period, it was still a two-goal game. Following a key Shesterkin save on Tkachuk, the Rangers got a big contribution from the fourth line. Humming throughout the night, they finally got rewarded. After Carrick made a good play in his own zone to Adam Edstrom, Edstrom passed the puck ahead to himself to break ahead and lead to a two-on-one. He then sent Rempe in on Forsberg for a breakaway. On it, Rempe scored a goal scorer’s goal by faking to the forehand and going to the backhand for a sweet finish that made it 3-0 at 3:34.

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After Will Cuylle had a goal wiped out for a high stick, things got juicy when Tkachuk bumped into Shesterkin after he made a save in tight to get a stoppage. Tkachuk knew what he was doing, but probably didn’t expect a furious Shesterkin to leave the crease and connect with his blocker behind the net. Tkachuk then went after Rempe, who was ready and willing. They’d had a run-in earlier in the game. The scrum resulted in the teams combining for 14 penalty minutes. Shesterkin got two for leaving the crease. Rempe received four minutes for roughing. Ryan Lindgren got a minor for roughing. Tkachuk earned six minutes with four for roughing and two for goaltender interference. Shane Pinto also received two for roughing.

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The refs got it right with Tkachuk getting the extra two for bowling over Shesterkin, who was okay after being in pain. That put the Rangers on the man-advantage. During it, Michael Amadio accidentally collided with Shesterkin behind the net. He also went to the penalty box for goaltender interference, which put the Rangers on a five-on-three.

On the two-man advantage, Panarin took a feed from Fox and rifled home his 20th past Forsberg to increase the lead to 4-0 at 9:01. Still on the power play, the Rangers connected again on the five-on-four thanks to the second unit. K’Andre Miller moved the puck over to Lafreniere, who got the puck down low for Cuylle, who came out and beat Forsberg for a power-play goal that made it 5-0 with 10:03 remaining. That gave Cuylle goals in consecutive games. If he can get going, it would really help the Rangers over this next stretch.

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Rempe nearly had a second goal but had his backhand stopped by Forsberg. In the final minute, Laviolette made certain to have his fourth line out to keep things calm. The Rangers skated away with their third win in their last four.

Up next come the Flyers. They defeated the Red Wings in overtime 2-1 on an Owen Tippett goal with less than 26 seconds left. The Flyers and Rangers are tied in the standings with 50 points. But the Rangers are ahead due to having more regulation wins (21-13) and playing one less game. They remain two points out of the wild card, with both the Senators and Canadiens each having 52 points. The Bruins also have 52 but have played one more game and have only 16 wins in regulation. The Blue Jackets have 51 and 17 regulation wins. The Penguins, Red Wings, and Islanders are hanging around.

Even the Lightning aren’t out of the woods after falling to the Canadiens in overtime. They’re in third place in the Atlantic Division with 53 points. It’s anybody’s guess what will happen.

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Rangers’ Recent Stretch Lacking Something

Posted on January 20, 2025 by Derek

If you’re an eternal optimist, things are looking up for the Rangers. They have picked up points in eight consecutive games. After coming back to defeat the Utah Hockey Club on Jan. 16, they took three out of a possible four points against the Blue Jackets and Canadiens over the past weekend.

In a 1-0 shootout win over the Jackets, Igor Shesterkin provided stellar goaltending by stopping all three Columbus shooters to preserve the victory against a team they’re chasing for the wild card. Vincent Trocheck scored the only goal when he beat Daniil Tarasov five-hole in the second round on Jan. 18. After Mika Zibanejad was denied by Tarasov, Shesterkin made a clutch stop to turn away Blue Jackets leading goal scorer Kirill Marchenko to give the Rangers a big extra point.

On Sunday night, the Rangers fell in overtime 5-4 to the Canadiens at Bell Centre. They blew four one-goal leads in the frustrating loss. However, it was the second game of a back-to-back on the road. They managed to earn a point against an explosive opponent. Most encouraging is that struggling forwards Alexis Lafreniere and Will Cuylle both scored their 12th goals in the first period. Neither has been playing well. If they can regain confidence, that would bode well over the remainder of the season. The Rangers need better production from each to make the playoffs.

Dating back to a 2-1 win over the Bruins on Jan. 2, the Rangers are 6-1-3 so far in the new calendar year. By getting points in almost every game this month, they’ve given themselves a chance to hang around in the wild card race. With 48 points, they trail the Senators by four for the first wild card and the Blue Jackets by three for the second wild card. The hard part is that they still must leapfrog other teams to qualify for the postseason. Entering play on Martin Luther King Day, both the Canadiens and Bruins each have 50 points. The Rangers are tied with the Flyers with 48. The Red Wings and Penguins each have 46. The Islanders are clinging onto hope with 43. With just 39 points, the Sabres probably can be counted out of the race.

Valuable Points Lost During Run

Despite playing better hockey, the Rangers have lost some valuable points during their run. In overtime losses to the Stars, Avalanche, and Canadiens, they were all games they blew leads in. On Jan. 7, they blew a 4-3 lead to the Stars late in regulation. After a Vincent Trocheck power-play goal put them ahead with 7:04 remaining, they allowed Thomas Harley to tie the game with 2:39 left. Jamie Benn won it in overtime on the power play.

Seven days later, they were in complete control with a one-goal lead on the Avalanche. Rookie Adam Edstrom had put them up 2-1 when he converted on a breakaway in the second period. For most of the third period, they limited the Avs’ chances to the outside. However, with the goalie pulled, Artturi Lehkonen took advantage of a bad rebound left by Shesterkin to force overtime with 1:13 left in regulation. After they blew several chances to win it, Devon Toews buried a one-timer in the final minute to give the Avalanche a 3-2 comeback win.

It was a similar script last night. In an eventful second period that featured a heavyweight tilt between Matt Rempe and Arber Xhekaj, the Rangers and Canadiens combined for four goals and 24 shots. After Zibanejad scored on the power play to put them ahead, Nick Suzuki tied the game with 4:55 remaining. Over a minute later, Chris Kreider buried an Adam Fox feed to put the Rangers back in front 4-3. They were unable to hang on in the third period. A breakdown in coverage allowed Juraj Slafkovsky to put in a rebound to tie the score with 7:08 left in regulation. Despite Jonathan Quick’s best efforts in another failed attempt to win number 400 in his illustrious career, it was Patrik Laine who got the winner at 3:20 of overtime.

While it’s easy to blame the schedule due to traveling up north for the second game of a back-to-back, the Canadiens also played for the second straight day. Even if they remained on home ice, they bounced back from blowing a 3-0 lead in a disappointing 7-3 loss to the Maple Leafs. They showed character by rallying to defeat the Rangers, who really needed to come away with two points against a team they’re chasing in the standings. Had they played a better third, they could’ve gotten the win in regulation and passed the Canadiens.

Big Games Coming Up

As the schedule continues to pick up before the two-week break for the 4 Nations Face-Off in mid-February, there are big games coming up this week. When they return to action on Tuesday, the Rangers will host the Senators at Madison Square Garden. The Senators are coming off back-to-back wins over the Bruins and Devils. Currently locked into the first wild card due to having more regulation wins and fewer games played than the Bruins (6-3 winners over the Sharks on Monday), the Senators are one of the teams the Rangers must beat out for the playoffs.

The recent trend has seen them require extras in three of their last five games. A three-point game against the Senators wouldn’t help as much as being able to get a victory in regulation. Every point matters. The league has encouraged parity with a flawed point system. In a season when there isn’t one clearcut Stanley Cup favorite, anything can happen. Even the East’s best teams like the Capitals, Maple Leafs, Panthers, Devils, and Hurricanes are all flawed. Out West, the Jets, Golden Knights, Oilers, Stars, and Avalanche are front and center. There isn’t a single great team.

For the Rangers, the job is simple. Take care of business at home, which is where they’ll be for most of the next two weeks. The Flyers visit 33rd and 7th on Thursday. The last game against them was a dismal 3-1 loss on Nov. 29, which made it five straight losses in regulation. It took them over a month to recover. If they plan on making the playoffs, the next two games are must wins. They conclude a four-game homestand with tougher tests against the Avalanche on Jan. 26 and the Hurricanes on Jan. 28.

Offense Still Inconsistent

In the 5-4 overtime loss to the Canadiens, it marked the second time over the last three games that the Rangers scored at least four times. However, the offense remains inconsistent.

With even Artemi Panarin having a down year, it’s hard to predict the Rangers from game to game. Sometimes, even their best players disappear for stretches. Zibanejad scored for just the ninth time in 46 games this season. He’s on pace for the fewest goals since getting 14 in 56 games during 2016-17, which ironically was his first season as a Blueshirt. Injuries have limited Kreider to 15 goals and only two assists in 38 games.

Since recording his eighth goal on Nov. 21, Lafreniere only has four goals over the last 28 games. Unless he can heat up, it’s highly unlikely that the Rangers can survive without Lafreniere turning his season around. He still plays with Panarin and Trocheck on the top line. After picking up his game with six points during a four-game point streak, Trocheck is without a point over the last four. Peter Laviolette relies on that line for more consistency. There’s been too many instances when they haven’t buried their chances.

At least for the time being, Laviolette’s sticking with Cuylle on the second line. He’s replaced Kreider with Zibanejad and Reilly Smith. Kreider has continued to play on the third line with Filip Chytil and Arthur Kaliyev, who continues to get an extended look in the top nine. Due to the returns of Chytil and Kreider last week, Brett Berard was sent down to the Wolf Pack. He’ll continue to develop in Hartford where he can play top minutes.

Carrick’s Strong Work Gets Rewarded

Meanwhile, Sam Carrick continues to provide the fourth line with a combination of grit and energy. Laviolette has continued to find more minutes for Carrick, whose strong work ethic and character have made him an effective player. Brought in by Chris Drury to replace Barclay Goodrow, he’s done a good job doing what the coaching staff wants. Since Rempe rejoined the line with Carrick and Edstrom, they’ve established themselves on the forecheck.

Carrick’s best moment of the season came when he scored the overtime winner against the Devils on Jan. 9. His takeaway on Jack Hughes led directly to him burying a Smith pass for the winner. In an overtime loss at Colorado, he scored a shorthanded goal and assisted on an Edstrom goal. Carrick picked up two assists in a 5-3 win over the Utah Hockey Club on Jan. 16.

With four goals and nine helpers and a plus-1 rating in 46 games, Carrick’s been a pleasant surprise. Drury deserves some kudos for that signing.

Lack of Offense from Blue Line

If there’s been a sore spot for the Rangers, it’s been the lack of offense from the blue line. Aside from Fox, who leads all Rangers’ defensemen with 36 points (2-34-36), offense has been hard to come by.

Since Laviolette decided to make Zac Jones a healthy scratch, it’s limited the offense from the back end. After Fox, Braden Schneider is second in scoring among Rangers’ defensemen with 11 points (2-9-11). A third pair defenseman who gets no power play time, Schneider isn’t going to contribute regularly. His main job is to play well defensively while paired with Urho Vaakanainen, who came over from the Ducks for Jacob Trouba. Vaakanainen has two assists in 16 games since joining the Rangers.

With a secondary assist on Sunday, Ryan Lindgren tied Schneider in points with his 11th of the season. Lindgren remains a defensive defenseman who provides the nuts and bolts. His physical style has started to show some signs of decline. An unrestricted free agent after the season, Lindgren’s future remains uncertain.

If there’s been a colossal disappointment this season, it’s been the play of K’Andre Miller. Once considered an untouchable in the organization, that might no longer be the case. After struggling mightily in the first half, his play has been a bit steadier since being partnered with Will Borgen, who was acquired for Kaapo Kakko. However, Miller’s offense has plummeted under Laviolette.

It was only two years ago that he posted career highs in goals (9), assists (34), and points (43). That came while playing for Gerard Gallant. Following an eight-goal, 22-assist, 30-point season, Miller has only two goals and six assists in 40 contests. With Laviolette even giving Miller some time on the second power play unit, it’s hard to fathom what’s happened to him. He still averages 21:41-per-game being used mostly in a shutdown role with Borgen. However, his inconsistency has been puzzling. When he isn’t making defensive mistakes that cost the team, his lack of offense hasn’t helped, either.

It’s hard to find many teams with a worse blue line from an offensive standpoint. If Fox isn’t getting involved, they have nobody else who can contribute consistently. It’s all but made the Rangers’ offense one-dimensional.

Jones continues to sit out until he’s dealt. In 26 games, he has a goal and seven assists for eight points, which is the same amount as Miller. Jones last played on Dec. 23 against the Devils.

Igor Back in Form

The biggest reason for the recent turnaround has been the play of Shesterkin. After a forgettable December that saw him post a 3.43 goals-against-average (GAA) with an .892 save percentage, Igor’s back in form. In five starts in January, he’s 4-0-1 with a 1.73 GAA and .934 save percentage.

That was highlighted by stopping all 27 shots and three shootout attempts in a 1-0 shutout over the Blue Jackets on Jan. 18. Aside from a slipup against the Avalanche, Shesterkin’s been on top of his game. He bounced back from a tough first period to make 28 saves against Utah HC in a 5-3 win on Jan. 16. He was at his best when he stopped 29 of 30 shots in a 2-1 victory over the Golden Knights on Jan. 11.

When he’s right, it gives the Rangers a chance of winning.

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Early Returns on Kakko with Kraken are Good

Posted on January 18, 2025 by Derek

Out West in Seattle, a familiar face now plays for the Kraken. For the first five and a half years of his career, Kaapo Kakko played for the Rangers after they selected him second overall in 2019. After having some ups and downs in New York City, Kakko got his wish when he was traded to the Kraken on Dec. 18, 2024.

The 23-year-old right wing reached the breaking point after he was scratched by coach Peter Laviolette on Dec. 15 against the Blues. His reaction to the benching was predictable. When the Rangers were struggling, why was he the one singled out by Laviolette? There were higher salaried veterans who weren’t pulling their weight. Instead, it was Kakko who sat out over Mika Zibanejad, whose fragile psyche made it difficult for Laviolette to scratch his underperforming star center.

When Kakko was vocal about his displeasure with being made an example of for the team’s losing, he was as good as gone. In his final game for the Rangers, he played a team-low 10:14 despite having three shots against the Predators on Dec. 17. The next day, he was dealt to the Kraken in exchange for Will Borgen, a 2025 third round pick and a 2025 sixth round pick.

Earlier in the season, Kakko had demonstrated success with Filip Chytil and Will Cuylle on an effective third line that outscored opponents 13-2 in 19 games together. Following an upper-body injury to Chytil that kept him out seven games in late November, the line never regained the same traction. After scoring a goal against the Canadiens on Nov. 30, he had just one assist in his last seven games. Ironically, that assist came against the Kraken on Dec. 8.

It was a disappointing end to his time on Broadway. While he could never live up to the draft hype, Kakko became a responsible two-way forward with the Blueshirts. On a roster that struggled at five-on-five, he was one of the better performers. Although he only had four goals and 10 assists for 14 points in 30 games, 13 of those points came at even strength. Kakko finished with a plus-9 rating.

For his Rangers’ career, he had 65 goals and 76 assists for a total of 141 points over 343 games. Kakko’s best season came in 2022-23 when set personal bests in goals (18), assists (22), and points (40). During the team’s run to the Eastern Conference Finals in 2022, he played a role along with Chytil and Alexis Lafreniere on the Kid Line. They had good chemistry together and were involved offensively highlighted by their ability to create scoring chances off the forecheck. The cohesive trio combined for some nice goals to help the Rangers take a 2-1 series lead on the Lightning. Eventually, the Lightning came back to take the series in six games.

Release the Kakko

Since joining the Kraken, Kakko has been a different player. Given a more defined role by coach Dan Bylsma, he now plays on the top line with Matty Beniers and Jaden Schwartz. Following a slow start with his new team, Kakko has started to produce more consistently.

In fact, he’s had his best stretch by recording four goals and six assists for 10 points over the last 13 games. That was highlighted by a two-goal game in a come from behind win over the Sabres on Jan. 11. In a four-goal third period that broke open a tie game, Kakko scored twice in a 1:40 span, which set a new franchise record for the quickest two goals scored by a Kraken player.

During the Kraken’s recent 2-1 loss to the Jets on Jan. 16, Kakko set up Beniers for a highlight reel goal. He showed off his playmaking skills by making a nifty backhand feed in front that Beniers finished.

https://twitter.com/NathanGraviteh/status/1880065533837734110

A noticeable difference has been the increase in ice time Kakko’s received. By being featured on the number one line for the Kraken, he’s getting more shifts than he ever did with the Rangers. In 13 games, he’s averaging 16:34. By comparison, he only averaged 13:17 with the Rangers before the trade.

Kakko also has been given more of a chance on the power play. While in the Big Apple, he didn’t always receive consistent time on the man-advantage. That was always an issue due to the overreliance on the top unit that featured Adam Fox, Chris Kreider, Artemi Panarin, Vincent Trocheck, and Zibanejad. With the first unit often overstaying shifts, that means little ice time for the second unit, which is a problem that still exists.

Instead, he’s found himself on the top unit for the Kraken. Kakko has recorded two power-play points. The first was a nice pass in front for a Shane Wright power-play goal. The second came when he was set up by Jared McCann for an easy finish.

Aside from the hike in offense, he’s also shown more of an edgy side. He’s been more physically involved during shifts. He has 19 hits with the Kraken. Kakko’s been more willing to battle opponents during scrums. While he’s never been the most emotional player, he’s brought a different mindset to his new team. It’s a welcome change for a player who’s fitting in well with the Kraken.

It didn’t work out for Kakko in the Big Apple. He mostly played in a secondary role for the Rangers. When Laviolette tried Kakko with Zibanejad and Kreider, the results weren’t good enough to keep it together. Kakko openly admitted that they didn’t produce enough following last season.

In Seattle, he can play his game and know that he won’t have to look over his shoulder. He’ll be sent out for his next shift. There no longer is as much pressure, either. Having a more defined role has helped Kakko regain his confidence. With his contract up after the season, he’ll be a restricted free agent this summer. If he continues to excel in Seattle, it shouldn’t take long for the Kraken to re-sign him.

Sometimes, a change of scenery is what’s best for a young player. Kakko will turn 24 on Feb. 13. Maybe he’s found a real home in Seattle. The Kraken must be pleased with the early returns.

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Carrick Deserved to Be Rewarded in Rangers’ Frustrating Overtime Loss to Avalanche

Posted on January 15, 2025 by Derek

They fell a little short of winning a third straight game. Instead, the Rangers suffered a frustrating 3-2 overtime loss to the Avalanche last night. They blew a one-goal lead late in regulation when Artturi Lehkonen took advantage of a bad rebound Igor Shesterkin left to tie the score with 1:13 left in regulation. After having some chances to win it, the Rangers lost on a Devon Toews goal with less than 37 seconds remaining in overtime.

By failing to pick up the extra point, they fell to five behind the Blue Jackets for the second wild card. The Blue Jackets came back to defeat the Flyers in a shootout. They have 48 points in 44 games. The Rangers have 43 points in 43 games. They still are behind five teams in the wild card race. Unless they can put together a winning streak, it’s hard to picture them making the playoffs. A lot would have to break right in order for that to happen. It isn’t insurmountable, but they can’t afford to blow games like Tuesday night.

In a game where they were the better team, it was the role players who came through. With the Rangers behind 1-0, Sam Carrick continued his good run by stealing the puck from Cale Makar and scoring a shorthanded goal to tie the score at 11:55 of the first period. With the Avs on a power play, Makar fumbled the puck at the point, which allowed Carrick to turn it into a breakaway and then pull off a forehand deke on Mackenzie Blackwood for his second goal in the last three games. Carrick would also be involved later when he sent Adam Edstrom in for a breakaway goal that put the Rangers up 2-1 at the halfway mark of the second period.

That kind of effort deserved to be rewarded. To his credit, Rangers coach Peter Laviolette has been giving Carrick more ice time. For the second straight game, the fourth line made a difference. Unlike the 2-1 win over the Golden Knights on Jan. 11, Carrick moved back down to center Edstrom and Matt Rempe on the fourth line due to the returns of Filip Chytil and Chris Kreider. It was the effective play of Carrick, Edstrom and Rempe that stood out against the Avalanche, who struggled defensively. If not for Blackwood making 27 saves, including robbing Mika Zibanejad on a breakaway in overtime, they don’t come back to win the game.

After starting slowly, the Rangers fell behind on a Parker Kelly goal less than five minutes in. Kelly was left all alone in front to take a Ross Colton feed and beat Shesterkin. Both Kreider and Arthur Kaliyev vacated the slot on the goal. The Avs could’ve gotten more, but Shesterkin shut the door on Nathan MacKinnon to keep the deficit at one.

Despite a frantic pace that favored the Avalanche, the Rangers settled in and played a good road period. With Kreider off for taking down Makar, Carrick tied the game by scoring the Rangers’ sixth shorthanded goal of the season. The unassisted tally came at 11:55.

The Rangers had some looks to go ahead late in the period. But Blackwood denied Reilly Smith by kicking out a low shot to keep the game deadlocked after one. It remained that way until Carrick sent in Edstrom on a breakaway. He made no mistake by beating Blackwood with a quick shot for his fourth of the season. That gave him goals in two straight for the first time in his career.

If there was a disappointment, it was the lack of finish from the team’s best players. Artemi Panarin and Alexis Lafreniere were unable to bury chances on Blackwood, who had a strong game. That also included both Lafreniere and Vincent Trocheck missing wide on good opportunities.

Even in a more defensive-minded third period, the Rangers looked like they were in control. The Avalanche didn’t really generate a whole lot on Shesterkin. Following a successful penalty kill late in regulation, it looked like they would earn their third consecutive win. Instead, with Blackwood off for an extra attacker, MacKinnon fed Mikko Rantanen for a one-timer that Shesterkin couldn’t handle. That allowed Lehkonen to slam home the rebound with 73 seconds left to force overtime.

In it, Rantanen took an interference minor on Adam Fox to put the Rangers on the power play. Laviolette went exclusively with a four-man unit of Fox, Panarin, Zibanejad, and Kreider. They moved the puck around to set up shots, but most missed the mark, with both Kreider and Panarin unable to find the net. It was an embarrassment. For as good as Blackwood was, none of the Rangers’ stars made Rantanen pay for a bad penalty.

When Zibanejad got behind the Avalanche for a clean breakaway, Blackwood beat him by flashing his glove to deny a forehand. With it apparent that the top guns were running on fumes, Laviolette doubled up by sending out Fox, Panarin, and Zibanejad. They got victimized on Toews’ overtime winner.

If there’s a gripe with the defeat, it’s how Laviolette overused his veterans in OT. None of them proved capable of beating Blackwood. It wouldn’t have hurt to put out Carrick and Edstrom for a shift. Granted, it would’ve been a tough assignment against the star-laded Avs. In a recent 3-2 win over the Devils on Jan. 9, it was Carrick who made a key defensive play on Jack Hughes that led to him converting a Smith pass on a two-on-one in overtime.

That game was a little different. Neither Chytil nor Kreider were available. So, Laviolette had Carrick and Smith take a shift together. Usually, coaches tend to cut down on their bench for three-on-three. While that’s true, it was the play of Carrick and Edstrom that was noticeable against the Avalanche. Maybe Laviolette should’ve gone with more instinct. The Rangers’ best players weren’t their best on Tuesday night. Undoubtedly, they’ll need more from Panarin and company the rest of the way.

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Role Players Stepping Up for Rangers

Posted on January 12, 2025 by Derek

Occasionally, successful teams need role players to contribute to victories. In the Rangers last two games, which were both wins over quality teams, it’s been the role guys who have stepped up to make a difference.

In Thursday’s 3-2 overtime win over the Devils, it was Sam Carrick who played the hero by scoring the game-winner on a set up from Reilly Smith. That was after he took the puck away from Jack Hughes in the defensive zone to start the clinching sequence. In Saturday’s 2-1 victory over the Golden Knights, Carrick continued to play well in a more defined role by centering Arthur Kaliyev and Jimmy Vesey on the third line. His biggest contribution was a hard backcheck that broke up a two-on-one.

That kind of hustle has stood out during the Rangers’ recent turnaround that’s seen them go 4-1-1 over their last six. After a seven-week malaise that saw them sink to last place in the Metropolitan Division, they’ve started to play a more complete game. For the first time since mid-November, they won for the second time in a row. Being more committed defensively, they blocked 21 shots and kept most of the Golden Knights’ chances to the outside – allowing Igor Shesterkin to do his job by making 29 saves. That included a dozen in the third period when Vegas turned up the heat after falling behind on Adam Edstrom’s goal with just over 14 minutes left.

With the game tied at one, it was the fourth line that delivered the go-ahead goal. After Matt Rempe made a good pass out of his zone across to Jonny Brodzinski, he moved in and threw the puck in front for Edstrom, who managed to get his stick down to deflect it past Ilya Samsonov to make it 2-1 at 5:57. It was his first goal in 21 games. For a rookie who’s played in every game this season, Edstrom does a lot of the little things well. Back in the first period, he made a diving block to break up a Knights’ chance. He didn’t return until the second period. A good skater for his size, Edstrom’s used his speed to outhustle opponents. That consistent effort is why Rangers coach Peter Laviolette trusts him.

For two periods, the Rangers outplayed the Knights. They outshot them 12-6 in a strong first period that was played entirely at five-on-five. In particular, Mika Zibanejad had another strong showing. His line spent a lot of time in the Knights’ defensive zone. Zibanejad seems to have rediscovered his game lately. He’s been skating with more purpose and making better plays in the offensive zone. The line with Cuylle and Smith had good chemistry last night which led to some opportunities. In his return to Vegas where he helped them win a Stanley Cup, Smith had five shots on goal. Samsonov made a few good saves to deny him.

The top line also had some shifts where they threatened to get on the scoreboard. Even though they haven’t dominated like last season, the trio of Artemi Panarin, Vincent Trocheck, and Alexis Lafreniere are starting to generate more at even strength. There are some positive signs that they’re close to breaking out. Trocheck had a good night, converting a Zibanejad rebound for a critical game-tying power-play goal and tied with Smith for the team lead with five shots. He has six points (4-2-6) over the last four games. During the same stretch, Panarin has a goal and five assists. He has continued to shoot the puck. With the Rangers leading 2-1 in the third, he hit the goalpost, which has been a theme for Panarin this season. It helps explain why he has 17 goals instead of 24 or 25.

If they’re going to make a run in the second half and leapfrog teams ahead of them in the wild card chase, Panarin must lead the way. With Shesterkin delivering a second straight quality game in net, he’s done his part to show teammates that he’s ready to carry them to the playoffs. It’s the pair of Russian stars that can make a difference. Of course, they’ll need help from the supporting cast.

If there’s cause for optimism in the modest two-game winning streak, Adam Fox and Ryan Lindgren look more like themselves. Fox has been making better reads offensively and defensively to keep plays alive. Lindgren is back to leveling opponents and delivering key blocks when his team needs it most. When the top pair is in sync, that bodes well.

The same can be echoed for K’Andre Miller, who has taken some steps in the right direction since being partnered with Will Borgen. Miller’s been more aggressive in both the offensive zone and neutral zone. Borgen has been steady while handling the nuts and bolts in his end. His reverse hit allowed him to move the puck up for Rempe, who sent Brodzinski and Edstrom in for the winner. With Kaapo Kakko having more success in Seattle, the player the Rangers got back has quietly had a positive impact on the blue line. With Borgen turning unrestricted this summer, it remains to be seen if he’ll stay. That largely depends on how the next six weeks will go. But he’s certainly boosted his value by providing consistent minutes.

In his second game, Arthur Kaliyev was more noticeable in all facets. In 15 shifts, he had three shots and played responsibly defensively. His best chance came when he made a nice move to get around the Vegas defense and in on Samsonov. But he was bit too patient with the puck. He played on the third line with Carrick and Jimmy Vesey, who was reinserted after sitting out the last game. Brett Berard was sent down to Hartford for the weekend. Bo Groulx was recalled but didn’t play. Laviolette opted to stick with Carrick and Brodzinski as his third and fourth line centers. It didn’t make sense to call up Groulx in the first place. Filip Chytil skated but wasn’t deemed ready to return.

Despite largely outplaying the Knights, the Rangers fell behind on a Mark Stone power-play goal at 6:16 of the second period. On what was a ridiculous call on Trocheck for holding the stick on Vegas actor Tomas Hertl, the Knights took advantage quickly. After a faceoff win, Jack Eichel moved the puck down low for Stone, who came out and had his shot go off Braden Schneider’s stick past Shesterkin to put Vegas in front.

Trocheck would get some revenge thanks to striking back on the power play at 9:54 to tie the score. Keegan Kolesar took an ill-advised tripping minor on Miller in the offensive zone. Following a couple of misses, Zibanejad took a Panarin feed and had his one-timer hit Trocheck in the midsection. He was still able to backhand home the rebound for his 14th. Afterwards, a hurting Trocheck went to the locker room before returning to the bench.

Late in the period, Shesterkin prevented the Knights from taking the lead. He was able to recover in time to deny Kolesar on a wrap-around and later stopped Ivan Barbashev. He also had some luck when Eichel hit the goalpost with the Rangers’ fourth line caught out for a late shift. On the opposite end, Carrick was stopped by Samsonov.

The refs again messed up with time winding down in the period. Somehow, they allowed the Knights to get away with an obvious pick play in the offensive zone that nearly led to them taking the lead. However, the puck didn’t cross the goal line until after time had expired. What is it about Vegas that they need help from the league? Whether it’s taking advantage of LTIR with questionable moves to free up more space to acquire players at the deadline, or getting favorable calls in games, it’s puzzling. They already have a good team. Their fans act like spoiled children when a call goes against them. I’m sure Hasan can relate when it comes to the Devils facing the Hurricanes.

The third was awfully quiet until the fourth line delivered a critical goal. At the time, neither side had registered a shot. Borgen made a good defensive play behind his net due to a reverse hit. After Rempe received the puck on the wall, he saw Brodzinski open at the Vegas blue line. His pass across sent Brodzinski in on the left wing. It looked like he was going to shoot but instead made a smart pass that Edstrom tipped in for the first game-winner of his career.

After Panarin’s close call, the rest of the period was all Knights. They turned up the heat literally. Even with the Rangers easily killing off a Smith tripping minor following Edstrom’s goal, it didn’t create any momentum. They decided to sit back and play a neutral zone trap. While it worked, they went into a shell in crunch time. It was too close for comfort.

Shesterkin came up large by stopping Noah Hanifin. Urho Vaakanainen went off for hooking William Karlsson with 2:55 remaining. At first, the Knights went with a traditional five-on-four. But after Shesterkin made a couple of saves on Stone and Victor Olofsson, they pulled Samsonov for a six-on-four. Eichel just missed tying it. Shesterkin then stopped Hertl.

With exactly one minute left, Shea Theodore sent a shot wide. He didn’t keep a puck in which helped the Rangers. Two Vegas mishaps allowed them to kill precious time off the clock. After Vaakanainen’s penalty expired, the Rangers continued to play outstanding defense to prevail for their second straight win. Just like their performance against the Devils, they showed a lot of character.

Now, it’s onto Colorado on Tuesday to take on the high-powered Avalanche. That should be more challenging due to mega stars Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar, and Mikko Rantanen. If they can win that game, then we can start to think about a run.

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Carrick Plays Unlikely Overtime Hero for Rangers in Stronger Effort

Posted on January 9, 2025 by Derek

Sometimes, hard work pays off. It did for the Rangers in a well-deserved 3-2 overtime win over the Devils at 33rd and 7th on Thursday night. It was their second victory over the last three in what’s a more optimistic mini stretch that’s seen them go 2-0-1. Considering how challenging the first half’s been, they’ll take it.

By winning over the Devils for the first time this season, the Rangers stayed within four points of both the Blue Jackets and Penguins. Each were winners with the Jackets holding onto the second wildcard due to more regulation wins and one less game played.

At exactly the halfway mark, the Rangers have 40 points with 41 games remaining on the schedule. They will have to jump over a lot of teams to seriously challenge for the playoffs. If they intend to, that means faring better against even tougher opponents than the Devils. When they hit the road for a three-game trip, they’ll face the Golden Knights and Avalanche before concluding with the Utah Hockey Club next Thursday. We’ll see if they’re up to the challenge on Saturday when they face the league-leading Golden Knights in Vegas.

For now, they can enjoy a hard-fought victory over their close Hudson rivals. Special teams and a stronger commitment defensively helped them get a much-needed win to bounce back from a disappointing 5-4 loss in overtime to the Stars. The Rangers went 2-for-3 on the power play and successfully killed off four Devils’ power plays in regulation. They also outplayed the Devils in a more aggressive third period by outshooting them 12-6.

After Jacob Markstrom thwarted both Artemi Panarin (glove save) and Mika Zibanejad (pad save) on breakaways, an unlikely overtime hero emerged. Without Filip Chytil and Chris Kreider, Peter Laviolette rolled the dice and sent out Sam Carrick with Reilly Smith against Jack Hughes. Carrick’s takeaway on Hughes led to a two-on-one rush with Smith setting up Carrick for the overtime winner at 2:48. It was a nice reward for a gritty player who saw some extended ice time from Laviolette. Carrick’s third goal from Smith in overtime isn’t what you’d expect at this time of year. But that’s exactly what the Rangers needed to earn the valuable extra point.

Igor Shesterkin returned from the injured reserve to make his first start since Dec. 30. He was sharp early on making 11 saves in a busy first period. Unlike a previous outing on Dec. 2, he wasn’t peppered throughout with the defense holding the Devils to 23 shots. When they needed the timely stop, Shesterkin provided it to finish with 21 saves to pick up his first win since Dec. 20. It must’ve felt like a vacation compared to how most of the season’s gone.

Playing without two regulars, the Rangers had Jonny Brodzinski center newcomer Arthur Kaliyev and Brett Berard on the third line. After serving the final game of his eight-game suspension, Matt Rempe returned to the lineup and played on the fourth line with Carrick and Adam Edstrom. Laviolette made Jimmy Vesey a healthy scratch. Zac Jones sat out again. He’s expected to get moved soon after his agent requested a trade. I’m not going to get into that now.

In the first period, the Rangers had to kill off two straight Devils’ power plays. After taking care of an Adam Fox high-sticking minor, they got caught with too many men on the ice 28 seconds later back at full strength. Down a man for the second time, they allowed the Devils to generate a couple of chances, with Shesterkin denying Nico Hischier before Timo Meier went off the crossbar.

When Kurtis MacDermid interfered with Ryan Lindgren, it was the Rangers’ turn to go on the five-on-four. They made it count quickly by using only five seconds to grab the lead. On a faceoff win from Vincent Trocheck, the puck came back to Fox, who skated over to the middle of the ice before winding up with a slapshot that deflected off Devils defenseman Jonathan Kovacevic past Markstrom for a 1-0 lead with 7:55 left.

The Devils’ best chance came when Kovacevic was set up in the slot for a wide open shot that Shesterkin made a big save on. Despite getting outshot 11-6, the Rangers took the one-goal lead to the locker room.

Most of the second period was controlled by the Devils. Able to get their transition game going, they used their superior speed to keep the puck in the Rangers’ zone for long stretches. Following a near miss from Meier on a prior shift, some forecheck pressure led to Hughes tipping in a Brett Pesce shot for his fifth goal in three games this season against the Rangers. In a bit of a miscommunication with Zibanejad, Shesterkin went behind his net to play a puck. Ondrej Palat stole it and fed Pesce for an open shot while Hughes was left alone to redirect his 16th at 4:04 to tie the score.

Outside of a couple of deflections, the Rangers continued to turn over pucks in the neutral zone. Eventually, they got burned. Will Cuylle absorbed a clean check from Dougie Hamilton that allowed the Devils to counterattack. Hughes retrieved the loose puck and sent a good outlet for Jesper Bratt, who gained the Rangers’ zone and beat Shesterkin from a tough angle to make it 2-1 with 11:32 left. It was a bad goal from Shesterkin. He was culpable on both of their goals with his giveaway leading to Hughes’ tying marker.

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Despite not much happening, the Rangers hung around in an eerie period that saw the Devils only register five shots. With less than five minutes left, Trocheck drew a slashing minor on Hischier. Unlike the first power play, the second one took some time for the Rangers to set up. Eventually, Fox got the puck over to Zibanejad for a wrist shot with Trocheck in front that rebounded off Markstrom right to Panarin for a power-play goal that tied it with 2:47 remaining. The assist extended Zibanejad’s point streak to five straight (2-3-5). He’s been skating with more purpose and thinking shot more.

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In the third, Zibanejad was the Rangers’ best forward. It was his line that had the Devils pinned in their end, leading to cheers from the home crowd. After he missed wide, Smith was stopped twice by Markstrom, who was his team’s best player. Without him, they don’t even get a point. Markstrom was on top of his game by stopping all 12 shots he faced in the third.

At one point, the Rangers led in shots 8-0. They were all over the Devils who didn’t resemble the team they were last month. Defensively, they’ve struggled lately. Even in the 3-2 win over the Kraken on Jan. 6, they relied heavily on Markstrom to end a four-game losing streak. As dangerous as the Devils are offensively due to Hughes, Hischier, and Bratt, they turn the puck over a lot. On Thursday night, they had 25 giveaways, including a game worst seven from Hughes. As a team, the Rangers had 10 by comparison.

If there’s an area that still must be fixed, it’s their penchant for allowing game-breakers like Hughes too much time and space to create chances. They were far too passive as Hughes coasted up the ice and got in for a tough shot that Shesterkin kicked out. It was the first shot of the period for the Devils.

With the game still tied, Nathan Bastian took down Trocheck to put the Rangers back on the man-advantage. This time, it was the Devils who threatened to take the lead shorthanded. Dawson Mercer anticipated a pass and broke in for a shorthanded bid that Shesterkin calmly padded away. He then shut down Bratt to get a stoppage. Zibanejad was sent off for a slash on Palat to make it four-on-four.

As good as the Devils are at that, a pair of giveaways allowed the Rangers to get a couple of chances. After Markstrom stopped Cuylle in tight, he had to deal with a crashing Carrick after he was shoved from behind. With Cuylle in fishing for a rebound, Pesce went after him during a heated scrum while Markstrom got in Carrick’s face. There was nothing Carrick could’ve done to prevent the collision. Pesce had words with Cuylle in the corner. Cooler heads prevailed. No penalties were called. It was just hardnosed hockey between bitter rivals.

On an abbreviated power play, the Devils were unable to take advantage. They kept trying to get the puck in front to Stefan Noesen, who was stopped once by Shesterkin. The Rangers did a better job against the pesky Noesen, who likes to camp out in front.

When the teams were back at full strength, Lafreniere was out with Zibanejad for a shift. He let go of two shots that whizzed wide. After Trocheck came on with Panarin, the Rangers top line nearly set up the go-ahead goal. However, Braden Schneider rang a shot off the goalpost. Lafreniere was then shut down by Markstrom on a wrap-around.

On the opposite end, Shesterkin came up big to deny Bratt and then had some help from the goalpost on a Kovacevic opportunity. For a veteran, who beat out Simon Nemec out of camp, Kovacevic’s been a big surprise for the Devils. He was easily their best defenseman in this one.

With the game still hanging in the balance, Trocheck broke around the Devils’ defense to get a good low shot right on Markstrom that he handled to get a stoppage. On a big defensive shift with less than a minute remaining, Laviolette had Carrick out with Adam Edstrom and Brodzinski, who replaced Rempe due to the score. The Devils applied some offensive pressure, but Edstrom had a couple of key blocks to keep it tied.

The game went to overtime. In it, Laviolette started with Trocheck, Lafreniere and K’Andre Miller, who had a stronger night while paired with Will Borgen. After playing the Devils’ trio of Hughes, Hischer, and Luke Hughes a standstill, Fox sent Panarin in on a breakaway. But Markstrom made a great glove save to deny the bid and then kept play moving.

Hamilton got the best chance for the Devils but had his trick wrist shot denied by Shesterkin. Following a Mercer miss wide, Panarin found Zibanejad open at the Devils’ blue line for another break-in. He tried to go backhand, forehand but Markstrom stayed with him to kick it out. At that point, it didn’t look like anything would get by Markstrom.

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On a play inside the Rangers’ blue line, Hughes tried to dance around into the slot, but Carrick got his stick on it to send him and Smith on a two-on-one. Earlier in the game, Smith blew a two-on-none shorthanded chance by getting too cute. This time, he made the right play by sending a pass across for a Carrick one-timer past Markstrom for the game-winner. That sent the bench onto the ice to celebrate Carrick’s goal.

There hasn’t been a whole lot to smile about in the first half. But for the Rangers to get a win over a quality opponent without both Chytil and Kreider, it showed plenty of character. They played the right way for a change and got the desired result. Whether or not it’s a steppingstone depends on what happens next.

Rempe Quiet in Return

As far as Rempe, his return was uneventful. He took 11 shifts and had four hits and avoided any undisciplined penalties in 7:47 of ice time. The Devils countered with MacDermid, who had one shot and took an ill-advised penalty that led to Fox’s power-play goal in just eight shifts (3:45).

What was even the point of either playing?

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Rangers Blow Lead in Loss to Stars due to Miller’s Costly Mistake

Posted on January 7, 2025 by Derek

When you can’t string together wins, it’s often due to a lack of consistency. In a frustrating 5-4 overtime loss to the Stars, the Rangers fell short of winning two straight games due to a costly mistake from K’Andre Miller. With the Rangers leading the Stars 4-3 on the strength of Vincent Trocheck’s power-play goal less than five minutes earlier, Miller’s slight hesitation behind his own net led to a turnover with Thomas Harley tying the game with 3:39 left in regulation.

Despite going for it late, the Rangers were victimized in overtime by Stars captain Jamie Benn, who tipped in a Jason Robertson pass in front to beat Jonathan Quick at 2:17. The Stars capitalized on a four-on-three power play to get the win. It came with Artemi Panarin in the penalty box for a soft hooking minor on Wyatt Johnston. It wasn’t exactly a great call for overtime.

On a night when Panarin’s line finally snapped out of it by combining for seven points at five-on-five to spark a 3-0 lead in the first period, it was their best player who skated off the ice disappointed by the end result. Panarin finished with three assists, including a pair of primary helpers on two Alexis Lafreniere goals that ended a 13-game scoring drought. He also helped set up Trocheck’s first goal.

Unfortunately, the bad penalty cost the Rangers a valuable point in the standings. Combined with the Blue Jackets defeating the Penguins in overtime, the Rangers trail the Jackets by four points for the second wildcard. With nobody pulling away, they remain very much alive for the playoffs. Keep an eye on the Red Wings, who won their fifth consecutive game to pull within two points of the final wildcard. The Lightning hold the first wildcard with 44 points after ending a four-game losing streak by getting a win over the Hurricanes.

Unless they can start winning consistently, it’s hard to take the Rangers seriously. By blowing 3-0 and 4-3 leads, they fell to 18-20-2. Even though they still have the most regulation wins (18) over all the other teams competing with them for the final playoff berth, they remain a very flawed team that’s proven incapable of putting together a good stretch. Their last winning streak came almost two months ago when they won three straight between Nov. 14-19 over the Sharks, Kraken, and Canucks. Since then, they haven’t even won two in a row. At that time, they were 12-4-1. Since that point, they’ve gone 6-16-1 to become one of the league’s worst teams.

Proving how vulnerable they are, the Rangers went from dominating the Stars by getting the first three goals to giving up the last two in a strange opening period. After getting hemmed in their zone early, they grabbed the lead when Lafreniere took a Panarin feed and drove home a wrist shot that went high short side past Jake Oettinger at 6:56 for his first goal since Dec. 8.

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Less than three minutes later, Trocheck doubled up the lead when he redirected a Will Borgen shot for his 12th. Not even two minutes later, Panarin sent Lafreniere ahead for a breakaway with him going to a backhand through the five-hole on Oettinger to make it 3-0 with 8:36 left.

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But before fans could relax, Matt Duchene finished off a pass from Esa Lindell that cut it to 3-1 over 90 seconds later. With Braden Schneider off for holding Logan Stankoven, Evgenii Dadonov steered in a rebound to suddenly make it 3-2 with 4:04 remaining. Even though they still led by a goal, the Rangers were outshot 19-8 in the period.

On an extended shift that saw them pinned in their own zone, Borgen lost his stick. While the Stars continued to attack, nobody gave him a stick until Filip Chytil finally did at the exact moment Robertson scored his 10th to tie the game at three with 6:46 remaining in the second period. Borgen went 43 seconds playing without a stick. The cardinal rule is that a forward is supposed to give the defenseman a stick as soon as possible. Instead, the communication breakdown cost them a goal.

In the third, both Robertson and Trocheck missed on wide open chances to put their team ahead. Following a Will Cuylle hit, Robertson was left all alone in front but missed wide on a tip in. On the opposite end, Trocheck was all set up by Brett Berard. But he fanned completely. He’d make up for it on the power play.

With Harley off for a delay of game, the Rangers stuck with their top unit. During a stoppage, Peter Laviolette called a timeout to rest his number one unit. With Chytil out for the period due to another upper-body injury, he had no choice. Following the break, Mika Zibanejad took an Adam Fox feed up top and let go of a wrist shot that Trocheck tipped past Oettinger to put the Rangers back ahead with 7:04 remaining.

Playing more aggressively, they continued to forecheck looking for more offense. Trocheck came close but hit the goalpost. Instead of going up by two, that left the door open for another forgettable moment. For reasons only known to him, Miller held onto the puck behind the net. He had plenty of time to make a play but instead allowed the desperate Stars to force a turnover. Sam Steel fed Harley in the slot for a wrist shot that went high on Quick to tie the score at four at 17:21.

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Even with the game tied again, the Rangers went for it. But Oettinger only had to stop one shot down the stretch. For only the second time all season, the Rangers went to overtime. It was their first one since losing their home opener 6-5 to the Utah Hockey Club on Oct. 12. It was just the Stars’ fourth such game.

After Panarin was called for hooking Johnston 31 seconds into overtime, the Rangers tried to kill off the penalty. Following some good defensive work from both Zibanejad and Trocheck, the Stars finally got set up late on the power play. Harley made a good diagonal feed over to Robertson, who then found Benn in front for the easy tip home that ended the game. Benn gave Fox a nudge to get open for the game-winner.

That ended another disappointing night. The Rangers are home to face the Devils on Thursday night.

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