Rangers Look to Finish Strong before Break

Posted on February 7, 2025 by Derek

Following a three-game losing streak that put their playoff hopes in danger, the Rangers have won two in a row this week in come from behind fashion. On Sunday, Feb. 2, they scored three times in a strong third period to come back and defeat the Golden Knights 4-2.

J.T. Miller’s impact was felt when he helped set up a pair of power-play goals from Mika Zibanejad and Artemi Panarin. After Zibanejad tied it by putting in a rebound past Adin Hill, Panarin and Zibanejad combined to set up K’Andre Miller for the game-winner. On the goal, J.T. Miller was screening in front, which made it difficult for Hill to pick up the shot. Panarin added the dagger late in regulation on a nice setup from Zibanejad.

One of the highlights from that comeback win was a huge open ice hit Will Cuylle put on Alex Pietrangelo. He caught him flush, knocking the Vegas defenseman to the ice. That led to Nicolas Hague challenging Cuylle to a fight. Hague is one of the tougher defensemen in the league. He also likes delivering big hits. Cuylle did well against Hague in an entertaining scrap. There was no instigator due to Cuylle obliging quickly. He knew what was coming.

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The biggest headline from the game was Jonathan Quick finally picking career win number 400. If not for his brilliant play in the first two periods that saw him make several key stops, the Rangers lose handedly. Jack Eichel was dominant scoring twice, including a highlight reel goal off a rush when he used Vincent Trocheck as a screen for his patented wrist shot that Quick had no chance on. The Ranger survived thanks to Quick, who finished with 34 saves on 36 shots to grab the first star of the game for the milestone. The winningest goalie in American history is a future Hall of Famer, who’s won two Stanley Cups and a Conn Smythe. Quick has been a positive influence for teammates in the locker room. The 39-year-old is class personified.

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After a couple of days off, the Rangers returned to the ice on Wednesday, Feb. 5 to take on the Bruins. It was a battle of atrocity with neither side budging in an uneventful first period that saw few shots reach the net. Boston was playing in the second game of a back-to-back. They didn’t have much energy. The game was played at a snail’s pace.

Panarin got the Blueshirts on the board from Zibanejad to make it two straight games with a goal. It doesn’t happen without the tenacious work of Miller, who came in on the forecheck and finished a check on Brandon Carlo to cause a turnover. That allowed Zibanejad to set up Panarin for his 23rd. Miller didn’t get a point on it, but his willingness to get dirty helped create the game’s first goal. It’s that extra effort from the former Canuck that’s made him an asset to the Rangers since coming over from Vancouver on Jan. 31. In three games, he has two goals and two assists while making an impact. Zibanejad has six points since Miller joined up on the top line. Panarin has five points. So far, so good.

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The Bruins responded with a pair of goals late in the second period to surge ahead. David Pastrnak finished off his 28th from Pavel Zacha following a faceoff win to tie the score. Elias Lindholm scored just 16 seconds later to give the Bruins a 2-1 lead. That put the Rangers behind with a period left to play.

Needing every point possible, they had a strong third to deliver a second consecutive comeback win. It was much needed with the Bruins one of the teams they are chasing in the standings. An undisciplined Brad Marchand roughing minor led to Trocheck tying the game when he tipped in a K’Andre Miller shot after the power play expired. Jonny Brodzinski helped set it up to pick up a key assist. Since returning to the lineup, Brodzinski’s acquitted himself well. He has goal and a helper in three games this month while centering the third line.

With Brodzinski at center, that’s left Arthur Kaliyev out in the cold. Even with the loss of Adam Edstrom to a lower-body injury that’ll sideline him for over two months, Kaliyev has lost his spot on the third line. Peter Laviolette prefers to use Jimmy Vesey on the fourth line with Sam Carrick and Matt Rempe. Unfortunately, Kaliyev’s become the latest victim to watch from above. As long as the new first line continues to have success, it doesn’t seem likely that Kaliyev will return to the lineup.

The winning goal against the Bruins came while shorthanded. With Rempe off for holding, Adam Fox sent Zibanejad and Kreider on a two-on-one. Zibanejad’s pass deflected off Charlie McAvoy right to Kreider, who was able to put in the 12th shorthanded goal of his career from a tough angle to put the Rangers ahead to stay. All 12 have come since 2021-22 when he scored his first three under Gerard Gallant. He followed that up with four in 2022-23. Then, he had a pair last season. Kreider’s up to three this season. His game-breaking speed is what makes him a good penalty killer. Combined with his ability to finish, he’s formed a dynamic duo with Zibanejad while shorthanded.

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Igor Shesterkin stopped 15 of 17 shots to earn the victory. It was a rare light night for Igor, who improved to 18-18-2. It hasn’t been his best season statistically, but he gives the Rangers a puncher’s chance. He’ll get the nod in goal against the Penguins on Friday night. Pittsburgh will skate without leading scorer Sidney Crosby, who sustained an injury against the Devils on Tuesday, Feb. 4.

For the Rangers, it’s a break. Simply put, they must take care of business later tonight at 33rd and 7th. Although the Pens have played better lately, with more of a commitment to defense, they’re without their best player. The Rangers enter play with 56 points in 53 games. They trail the Red Wings by five points for the second wild card. Both the Blue Jackets and Bruins each have 60. The suddenly resurgent Islanders are up to 57.

With a visit at Columbus on Saturday night, it’s imperative that the Blueshirts get four points this weekend. Better yet, they need to beat the Blue Jackets in regulation. The Jackets will likely be without Kirill Marchenko, who suffered a broken jaw in a recent game. They lost to the Utah Hockey Club 3-2 in overtime on Thursday night, falling to 0-1-1 since Marchenko’s injury.

The Four Nations Face-Off Challenge begins next Wednesday, Feb. 12. Saturday will feature 14 games with 28 teams in action. That will include an important matinee between the Lightning and Red Wings. With a second straight win last night, the Bolts moved ahead of the Senators and Red Wings into third place in the Atlantic Division with 62 points. One total point separates the three teams, with Ottawa and Detroit occupying the two wild cards. The Bruins will host the Golden Knights as well in another key game. The Senators will try to snap a two-game losing streak when they face the Panthers tomorrow night. The Islanders visit the Wild in another key game. They’ve been reinvigorated by the additions of Tony DeAngelo and Adam Boqvist.

Every game has playoff implications. In a topsy turvy race that remains unpredictable, each team will continue jockeying for position over the next two months. Anything can happen. For the Rangers, they must finish strong before the break to put themselves in better position. Their season depends on it.

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Edstrom Out for Tonight’s Game

Posted on February 2, 2025 by Derek

In less than an hour, the Rangers take on the Golden Knights at Madison Square Garden. They’ll look to snap a three-game losing streak. Coming off a disappointing 6-3 loss to the Bruins yesterday, they’ll be without one of their regulars tonight. ]

For the first time this season, Adam Edstrom won’t dress for the Blueshirts. In the second period of Saturday’s game, he took a hit from Bruins defenseman Nikita Zadorov that resulted in the back of his right leg landing awkwardly into the boards. He didn’t return for the third period. The Rangers are calling it a lower-body injury. He’ll be reevaluated.

In 51 games during his rookie season, Edstrom has been a bright spot on an underperforming roster that sits six points out of the playoffs with 31 games remaining. A consistent player who brings size, speed, and energy to the lineup, he’s fit in well with Sam Carrick and Matt Rempe on the fourth line. In January, he scored three goals and had two assists with a plus-2 rating. Five of his nine points came last month.

It was the play of the checking line that helped the Rangers go 7-0-3 between Jan. 5-23 to get back in the playoff race. Since Rempe returned on Jan. 8, the line has been given more responsibility by coach Peter Laviolette. He’s shown more trust by playing the cohesive trio more shifts in close games. Edstrom has been a steady player who’s effective both in transition and on the forecheck.

Without him, the Rangers will turn back to veteran Jimmy Vesey to fill the void. He’ll play with Carrick and Rempe on the fourth line for Sunday night’s game versus the Golden Knights.

Vesey hasn’t played since Jan. 11. The 31-year-old forward expressed his disappointment in a recent story Larry Brooks of the NY Post wrote. Due to the emergence of Rempe, he fell out of favor. A key secondary scorer on last year’s team that reached the Conference Finals, he totaled 13 goals and 13 assists for 26 points in 2023-24. It’s been a different story with Vesey having only three goals and one assist in 26 games this season.

As for Arthur Kaliyev, he remains the odd man out for a second straight game. Jonny Brodzinski, who scored in the third period of yesterday’s game – will center Will Cuylle and Chris Kreider on the third line. Kaliyev looks like the latest casualty under Laviolette, who tends to favor veterans over younger players. It is what it is.

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Mistake Prone Blueshirts Ruin Miller’s Debut in Bad Loss to Bruins

Posted on February 1, 2025 by Derek

The good news is that in his debut wearing number 8, J.T. Miller scored twice for the Rangers. The bad news was on display the rest of the game as the mistake prone Blueshirts managed to ruin Miller’s debut in a bad 6-3 loss to the Bruins in Boston. It was their third consecutive loss in regulation, dropping them to six points out of the second wild card which the Bruins now occupy with 58 points in 54 games. The Rangers remained at 52 in 51.

By continuing to lose this week, they failed to gain any ground on the competition that now includes the Islanders, who have won six in a row to vault up to 53 points. While the Red Wings and Islanders have been hot lately, the Canadiens have dropped two straight and the Lightning have only won twice over their last six. Currently, the Blue Jackets are in the first wild card with three consecutive wins moving them up to 59 points. The Lightning have 57 in 50 games. The Rangers are tied with the Flyers in points, ranking behind the Bolts, Red Wings, Islanders, and Canadiens. With 31 games left, they must start winning consistently or risk digging a bigger hole for themselves.

Not much went right for the Blueshirts in what amounted to an important game against the Bruins on ABC, which was preempted by the late conclusion of the Panthers defeating the Blackhawks 5-1. They didn’t start until 3:50 due to the scheduling on national TV. It didn’t seem to help.

Despite Miller threatening to score on his first shift while playing with Artemi Panarin and the mismatched Mika Zibanejad who shifted to the right wing, a loss of discipline put them behind halfway through the first period. With Urho Vaakanainen already serving a cross-checking minor, Ryan Lindgren took an ill-advised cross-checking minor when he decked Matthew Poitras into the boards causing a ruckus. The refs correctly gave Lindgren the only penalty for his foolishness. That put the Bruins on an abbreviated 14-second five-on-three.

Just as Vaakanainen’s penalty expired, David Pastrnak and Pavel Zacha combined to set up a Charlie McAvoy power-play goal at 10:21. His one-timer whizzed by Igor Shesterkin upstairs to give the Bruins a lead that didn’t last long. Back at even strength, Panarin got a piece of a loose puck to send it right to Miller, who blasted a one-timer by Jeremy Swayman to tie the score only 34 seconds later. It was Miller’s first goal as a Ranger since Feb. 25, 2018. A day later, he was traded with Ryan McDonagh to the Lightning in an ill-fated move that netted Vladislav Namestnikov, Brett Howden, Libor Hajek, Nils Lundkvist and Karl Henriksson.

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When they were put on the power play, Peter Laviolette had Miller on one point with Adam Fox. The top unit also included Panarin, Zibanejad, and Vincent Trocheck. For some reason, Chris Kreider wasn’t featured as the net front presence. He was on the second unit and got a shot right on Swayman when they came on. The continued catering to Zibanejad has become nauseating. Predictably, he didn’t score for the fifth straight game. He has only one goal over his last 13 games.

After the power outage, Pastrnak struck for the first time when he was left alone in front to bury a Poitras feed to give the Bruins a 2-1 lead with 2:51 remaining. On a Brandon Carlo dump-in, Poitras outmuscled Fox to find Pastrnak open for his first goal of the game. He was just getting warmed up.

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Following the period, both Mark Messier and P.K. Subban criticized Fox for not being harder on the puck in a lost defensive battle. It wasn’t the only time in the game, either. Both Fox and Lindgren struggled mightily against the forechecking Bruins, who won all the battles in a lopsided second period that saw them outscore the Rangers 2-0 and hold a decisive edge in shots (10-2). The Rangers barely touched the puck in the period of the long change. It’s been a theme for most of the season.

On a smart play from Bruins captain Brad Marchand, he sent the puck up for an Andrew Peeke shot that Charlie Coyle tipped in to make it 3-1 less than four minutes into the second. Marchand beat Fox behind the net to make the play while Lindgren failed to close out Coyle in front.

With most of the play at even strength, the Bruins dominated shifts for long stretches by continuing to get pucks in behind the Rangers defense and create opportunities. The entire period basically saw them a couple of steps behind chasing the play against an opponent that isn’t known for their team speed. It was pitiful.

Topping it off, the Bruins added a second power-play goal late in the period to extend their lead to 4-1. With Will Borgen off for a tripping minor that was clearly embellished by Morgan Geekie, it took Boston just 25 seconds to take advantage. On a bit of a broken play, Elias Lindholm’s attempted pass deflected right to Pavel Zacha in front for his 12th at 17:10.

Trailing by three on the scoreboard, the Rangers were put on the power play when Marchand interfered with Vaakanainen. The penalty came with 1:20 remaining in the period. It took them a while to capitalize, but Miller tipped in a Zibanejad shot pass for his second of the game 35 seconds into the third period. In a rarity, Kreider picked up an assist for only his third helper of the season. One can only hope that it’ll get him going.

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As only they can do, the Rangers gave it right back. On a clean check by Pastrnak on Reilly Smith that forced a turnover inside their own blue line, Poitras retrieved the puck and sent it across for a Pastrnak blast past Shesterkin for his second of the game to make it 5-2, answering Miller’s tally just 46 seconds later.

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With less than 10 minutes left in regulation, Jonny Brodzinski scored in his return to the lineup. Playing in place of Arthur Kaliyev, who’s the latest young player to be in witness protection, Brodzinski tipped in a Lindgren point shot for his fourth to cut the deficit to 5-3 with 9:13 remaining.

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While it’s nice that he scored, Brodzinski is another 31-year-old player on an aging roster. This isn’t a knock on Brodzinski, who always gives an honest effort when he plays. It’s more an indictment on the Rangers organization that doesn’t emphasize enough opportunities for younger players.

There are some exceptions. Will Cuylle has had a good sophomore year with 13 goals and 14 assists for a total of 27 points. He leads all Rangers skaters in hits with 187 after recording six more in the loss on Saturday. He’s become a good penalty killer replacing the exiled Jimmy Vesey, who is the latest Ranger to go to curmudgeon Larry Brooks and voice his displeasure. Unfortunately, Cuylle hasn’t produced as much since being put with Zibanejad. Maybe that’ll change if he plays with better players. Zibanejad has been a black plague at even strength. Someone should tell Laviolette that.

Alexis Lafreniere hasn’t supplied the Rangers with the kind of year that was expected. Held without a point on Saturday, he remains stuck on 13 goals and 17 assists in 51 games with his minus-14 rating the second worst on the team behind only Zibanejad’s minus-26. It’s awfully hard to win in this league when your best players are performing so poorly.

Look no further than Pastrnak’s empty net goal that gave him a hat trick. With Shesterkin off for an extra attacker, the Rangers lost a faceoff and then two battles that allowed Geekie to easily find Pastrnak for the 18th hat trick of his career. Both Zibanejad and Panarin made little effort to prevent it. It was embarrassing.

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There isn’t much left to say about the lackluster effort Panarin’s given defensively. He’s fallen back into the same bad habits he did under Gerard Gallant two years ago. When Gallant openly criticized him in front of teammates, that spelled the end of his tenure. Even though I didn’t love Gallant due to his failure to make adjustments and his impatience with line combinations, he has been proven right about the core. They can’t seem to handle any criticism.

Laviolette was much tougher in Year 1 and it led to a very successful season. He’s scaled back in Year 2 and they’ve been a disjointed team this season that looks like it’s destined to miss the postseason. Something even the biggest Rangers hater couldn’t have foreseen.

Did Chris Drury break the Rangers by unceremoniously dumping popular locker room leader Barclay Goodrow on waivers in a prearranged deal that sent him to a team that was on his no-trade list? It looks like it. There was the lead to Brooks that tried to force Jacob Trouba to accept a trade out of Manhattan when he clearly prioritized wife Kelly. Eventually, that ended in bitter fashion with a disenchanted Trouba forced out by Drury in lethal fashion – winding up in Anaheim when given a choice between being placed on waivers or accepting a trade. They got Vaakanainen, who’s played every game since arriving while Zac Jones rots away in the press box. Even when he has a bad game like today, you can fully expect Vaakanainen to dress for tomorrow’s game against the Golden Knights.

We saw how things played out with Kaapo Kakko, who went off after being made a healthy scratch by Laviolette when he was the least of their issues. All because the coach is afraid of his shadow to make an example of Zibanejad. Neither Zibanejad nor K’Andre Miller ever were sat out for their struggles. Kakko got his wish when Drury traded him to the Kraken for Borgen and a pair of draft picks. At least it’s worked out well for both sides, with Kakko putting up 15 points in 20 games while Borgen performed well enough to sign an extension that’ll keep him in the Big Apple for a while.

With the arrival of Miller, who will do well in his second stint back with the team that drafted him, it probably spells the end for Zibanejad. Even if he does have a no-trade clause, it doesn’t make sense for Drury to keep him. I’d imagine he’ll force Zibanejad to accept a deal elsewhere this summer. Miller and Vincent Trocheck are close, and both are clearly better players than Zibanejad, who has been lost all season. He just hit his 30th point in game 51. That’s pretty magnifying for a player they’re paying $8.5 million dollars to.

For the remainder of the year, the Rangers should be more exciting to watch. They’ll score more goals thanks to the addition of Miller, who has a lot more left in the tank. He’s also very driven and a vocal player who will speak out when things aren’t going well. That’s why he’s no longer a Vancouver Canuck. Apparently, he was too hard on Elias Pettersson.

The problem is that just in one lackluster period, the Rangers again proved why they’re a very flawed team. More often than not, they make inexcusable mistakes that prove costly. It’s why they sit outside the playoffs at the beginning of February. There’s going to be a break coming up due to the 4 Nations Face-Off. How they finish it could really determine their fate. After the Golden Knights, they have the Bruins again on Feb. 5, the Penguins on Feb. 7, and the Blue Jackets on Feb. 8. It’s imperative that they win at least three of these games to stay in the race.

I’m not holding my breath. This team is a colossal disappointment. Why would it change?

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Rangers Send Chytil to Canucks in Blockbuster trade for Miller

Posted on January 31, 2025 by Derek

On the day the NHL and NHLPA announced the salary cap bumps for the next three years, the Rangers swung a blockbuster trade to reacquire J.T. Miller from the Canucks. The news broke over an hour ago on Twitter/X when Frank Seravalli was first to report that Miller had waived his no-trade clause to go to New York.

When the two teams arrived at the deal, the Rangers sent Filip Chytil, Victor Mancini, and a lottery protected top 13 first round pick to the Canucks in exchange for Miller, Erik Brannstrom, and prospect Jackson Dorrington.

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As part of the agreement, the Canucks retain no salary on Miller’s existing contract that pays him $8 million on average through 2030. He will turn 32 on March 14. That means he passes the age requirement to be a New York Ranger. If you’re at least 30 years or older, you will fit right win.

Miller joins Vincent Trocheck and Mika Zibanejad as a trio of 31-year-old centers on the current roster. It should be fun to see how Peter Laviolette juggles this circus act. With it apparent that Chris Drury is so desperate to get this bunch of underachievers into the playoffs, there’s no price on the future. As flawed as they are, they’re all in on this season. Zibanejad still has yet to crack 10 goals. He has nine in 50 games while being paid top dollar as the team’s number one center. Those who’ve watched his decline know better. If he isn’t behind Miller and Trocheck when the Rangers play the remainder of their 32 games, something’s wrong. Zibanejad has no business being on the top power play unit. We’ll see what coach Lavy decides.

A year ago, Miller had a career season in Vancouver by pacing them in goals (37), finishing second in assists (66), and leading them in points (103), even strength points (61), and power-play points (40). Teamed with Elias Pettersson, Quinn Hughes, and Brock Boeser, Miller played at a high level to help lead the Canucks to a 50-23-9 record with 109 points. After defeating the Predators in six games, they were eliminated in the second round by the Oilers in seven. They couldn’t quite get the better of Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl in a hard fought seven-game series. A third period rally just fell short against Edmonton, who eventually lost in the Stanley Cup to Florida.

In 2024-25, the Canucks have underperformed to fall out of a playoff spot in the West. With a rift between Miller and Pettersson proving to be an unnecessary distraction, they finally decided to pull the plug. Miller went from hearing his name chanted by the crowd in last year’s postseason to finally deciding it was time to move on. Both he and Pettersson had been rumored for a while. Eventually, it was Miller who accepted a trade to return to the Rangers after nearly seven years away.

He also took a personal leave of absence between mid-November and mid-December. After tallying eight assists in nine games after he returned, Miller has 11 points in January. Even with the Canucks posting their third straight win by defeating Nashville on Jan. 29, it became obvious that Miller would be the first player to go.

With Miller reporting to Dallas for tonight’s game, he was held out of the lineup due to trade discussions between the Canucks and Rangers. A rumored deal that originally had the Rangers offering Zibanejad was rejected by Vancouver. After coveting defenseman Braden Schneider, they settled on Mancini, who surprised many by making the roster and scoring his first career NHL goal. In 15 games with the Rangers, he recorded a goal and four assists while averaging 15:05 of ice time. How Drury reached this decision is puzzling. How did Mancini go from a camp surprise with a bright future to getting packaged with Chytil and a conditional first round pick for another aging player?

If there’s a sad part involving the deal, it’s saying goodbye to Chytil. It was back in 2017 that the Rangers selected him with the number 21 pick in the first round. A likable player with a good personality, the 25-year-old center never reached his ceiling on Broadway. Concussions and multiple injuries have curtailed his progress thus far. An explosive skater with a good shot and plenty of skill, Chytil has shown flashes during his career. It comes down to whether or not he can stay healthy long enough to find the consistency. In 41 games this season, he has 11 goals and nine assists for 20 points.

In 2022-23, he was a key player on the Rangers following the success he had with Kaapo Kakko and Alexis Lafreniere as part of the Kid Line in the team’s run to the Eastern Conference Finals the previous season. Without their contributions, which included Chytil scoring seven goals and adding two helpers, they don’t get that far under former coach Gerard Gallant. No sequence was better than the one the trio combined on with Chytil finishing off a K’Andre Miller pass to highlight a Rangers’ 6-2 win in Game 1 over the Lightning in the Conference Finals on June 1, 2022.

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The Rangers eventually lost the series to the Lightning in six games. The following season, Chytil established career bests in goals (22), assists (23), points (45), plus-minus (15), and games played (74). He was rewarded during the season with a contract extension. The $4.44 million cap hit remains affordable for the Canucks. It all hinges on whether or not Chytil can avoid the injury bug and produce consistently. Maybe moving to Vancouver will be the best thing for him.

Ironically, the Rangers’ most effective line at five-on-five this season was the one centered by Chytil before an upper-body injury sidelined him. Along with Will Cuylle and the now departed Kakko, they outscored opponents 13-2 via Natural Stat Trick. If only he didn’t miss some time. The chemistry was a bit off when they were reunited during a low point that led to Laviolette breaking it up. Kakko was soon a healthy scratch and dealt to the Kraken for Will Borgen, who’s since signed a five-year extension. Since the trade, Kakko has 15 points in 20 games with the Kraken.

For better or worse, this is who the Rangers are. They’re a frustrating organization who doesn’t have the patience to properly develop most young players. Somehow, Matt Rempe’s survived an eight-game suspension to fit into the lineup on the fourth line with Adam Edstrom and Sam Carrick.

Zac Jones didn’t survive Christmas. He was last seen on Dec. 23 in a lopsided loss to the Devils in which the so-called leaders no showed. Jones became the odd man out. Urho Vaakanainen has replaced him on the third pair with Schneider. Jones’ value is more diminished than Pete Alonso’s.

With 32 games remaining in the season, including a yawner against the Bruins on Saturday afternoon, can the Rangers turn it around and reach the postseason? If teams around them keep winning, there’s no guarantees. Based on how both the Senators and Blue Jackets have played, they look like the best of the teams the Rangers are competing with. Neither has great goaltending or a particularly strong defense. The Rangers’ biggest strength is in net due to Igor Shesterkin. The defense remains sketchy thanks to how lackadaisical the forwards are. Ex. Panarin, Artemi.

For a team with good skill, they don’t score consistently. I’ve documented Zibanejad’s issues. Trocheck’s been better, but his screw up cost them a potential tying goal in a 4-0 loss to the Hurricanes. It’s the veterans who continue to make the glaring mistakes. The younger players always pay for it. If yesterday’s practice was any indication, Jonny Brodzinski could replace Arthur Kaliyev in the lineup tomorrow. Make it make sense. Kaliyev’s the same age as Kakko. If you’re 24 or younger on the Rangers, you’re an endangered species.

Who will Miller play with? It better start with Chris Kreider, who’s had a season from hell. But his 15 goals still tie him with Trocheck for second best on the roster. He can’t play with Zibanejad anymore. Laviolette had been sticking with Cuylle and Reilly Smith.

Even if they somehow make the playoffs, what are they? Almost everyone has underperformed except the fourth line and Cuylle, who took a downturn last month. Can they seriously compete with an older roster against the likes of the Devils, Capitals or improved Hurricanes? The blue line remains unproductive aside from Adam Fox, who has to do the heavy lifting. They still lack a power play quarterback for the second unit. Jones remains the only option but he’s in purgatory.

Adding Miller could likely spell the end for Zibanejad soon. Kreider is likely going bye -bye in the off-season. Ryan Lindgren might have bought some time but it’s highly doubtful he’ll re-sign. Unless they lose enough games before the deadline in March, the Rangers will look to upgrade the roster.

I have my doubts about this being the right move. Once, a cocky Glen Sather doubled down by trading for Alexei Kovalev in 2002-03. He’s always been my favorite player. Hence. The Kovy274hart moniker for his career season in 2000-01. It was the wrong move the wrong time. In true Rangers’ fashion, they played Kovalev out of position and didn’t utilize him the right way on the point on the power play. It was a disaster. Over a year later, he was sent to the Canadiens for Jozef Balej. Of course, he rediscovered the game that made him successful in Montreal by becoming a fan favorite. Balej turned into scrub Fedor Fedorov.

It feels like it’s happening once again. Groundhog Day is around the corner. Cue ole Phil up.

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Canadiens Show Class in Fleury’s Final Game at Bell Centre

Posted on January 31, 2025 by Derek

On Thursday night, Quebec native Marc-Andre Fleury made his last start in Montreal. The 40-year-old legendary goalie is in his final season with the Wild. A future first ballot Hall of Famer, he had a memorable game by shutting out the hometown Canadiens 4-0 at Bell Centre.

Fleury made 19 saves to record the 76th shutout of his career. That included an acrobatic pad save to rob Josh Anderson of a goal with the Canadiens trailing the Wild 2-0 in the third period. Fleury’s athletic stop drew some cheers from an appreciative Canadiens crowd. He’d also make another save on Anderson from long distance that kept his team up by two.

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With the crowd still buzzing, the Wild took advantage of a turnover to take a 3-0 lead on the opposite end. After receiving a pass from Marco Rossi, Devin Shore beat Habs rookie Jakub Dobes from the slot with 14:03 remaining. His first goal of the season put the game away to guarantee Fleury’s 572nd win. He ranks second on the all-time list in wins, trailing only Devils legend Martin Brodeur, who holds the record with 691.

During a stoppage, the Canadiens paid tribute to Fleury’s outstanding career by paying tribute with a message on the video board congratulating him. For over a minute, the crowd stood and applauded loudly as Fleury waved in his net. When play finally continued, he heard “Fleury, Fleury, Fleury!” chants in an emotional scene.

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After Frederick Gaudreau scored into an empty net to put the finishing touches on the Wild victory, the Canadiens congratulated Fleury by shaking his hand at center ice. Martin St. Louis waited by the bench to give him some kudos. Fittingly, Fleury was selected as the game’s first star in his final game in Montreal. It was quite the send-off.

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The class exhibited by Montreal is second to none. It was a great gesture by an organization that gets it. We’ve seen all the wonderful tributes teams have been doing for Sam Rosen, who’s in his final season as the voice of the Rangers. He’s received so many gifts and compliments from coaches who have enjoyed having him around to cover games. What the Canadiens did was awesome for Fleury. That’s what makes the sport so special.

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Canes Dash Any Rangers’ Playoff Hopes

Posted on January 28, 2025 by Derek

A storm hit the Big Apple. The Hurricanes were way too strong for the Rangers in a 4-0 whitewash at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday night. They handed the Rangers their second straight defeat in regulation.

It’s looking bleak on Broadway. Despite all the good they did for most of the month, they ended January with a collective thud by losing to the two best teams they faced. Unlike the gut-wrenching fashion in which they lost to the Avalanche, they were never really in it against the Canes. Carolina played their usual swarming forechecking and defensive style to blanket the Rangers in what was another epic fail against an opponent they used to handle. They fell to 0-3 in the season series with all three decided in regulation.

If there’s been a toxic trait this season, it’s been the Rangers’ inability to start games on time. Before a minute had expired, Andrei Svechnikov scored to put the Canes ahead to silence the home crowd. The main culprit was again Artemi Panarin, who was last seen watching helplessly as Artturi Lehkonen scored the winner for the Avalanche after overstaying his shift. Panarin tried to skate through the neutral zone one on two which led to a turnover. Jesperi Kotkaniemi and Taylor Hall combined to find Svechnikov open in the slot for a wrist shot that beat Igor Shesterkin top shelf at 56 seconds in. Fittingly, it was Hall’s first point with his new team.

Sam Carrick went after Riley Stillman for a hit on a previous shift, leading to the two squaring off briefly. Each went off for five minutes. It wasn’t that they didn’t have opportunities to tie the game. But the Rangers couldn’t capitalize on an early power play that Filip Chytil drew on Jordan Martinook for slashing. Unless you think an Adam Fox shot from a sharp angle along with an unscreened Mika Zibanejad shot were good chances on Freddie Andersen. There wasn’t enough from the top unit on that particular sequence against the Canes, who remain the top-ranked penalty kill in the league for a reason.

If you like suffocating defense and tight checking, then you should watch Rod Brind’Amour’s club. They remain successful due to the consistency in his well-structured system that also leads to plays in transition and scoring chances.

The best opportunity for the Rangers came from the fourth line. Matt Rempe threw the puck in front for an Adam Edstrom deflection which Andersen handled. The line anchored by Carrick continues to be the one that stands out in these games. While that’s nice, it doesn’t say much for the Rangers’ best players.

The top line had a frustrating night. Aside from Panarin’s costly mistake, he didn’t distinguish himself with the Canes limiting him to two shots. Alexis Lafreniere took an undisciplined cross-checking minor on Svechnikov, who predictably embellished it to draw the power play. At least the Canes didn’t score on it. Vincent Trocheck also had a tough game against his former team. He only had one shot and made a critical mistake that led directly to Svechnikov getting his second of the game with 31 seconds left in the second period.

Before that point, Shesterkin did everything possible to keep the Rangers in the game. He turned away Eric Robinson on a breakaway and denied Svechnikov earlier in the second. He made several big saves when the Canes threatened to run away with it. There were the familiar, “Ig-or-, Ig-or!” chants from the crowd. He certainly did his part to give his team a lift.

It really wasn’t until Ryan Lindgren was off for cross-checking that things got interesting. Following a Shesterkin stop on Sean Walker, Chris Kreider later came out with a loose puck to start a two-on-one with Zibanejad. Kreider’s shorthanded bid was denied by Andersen, who was sharp when called upon. He finished with 22 saves to pick up the shutout.

On the same penalty kill, Trocheck stripped Shayne Gostisbehere at the blue line and pushed the puck ahead for a shorthanded breakaway. As he picked up the loose puck and moved in on Andersen, it looked like he’d take the shot. Instead, he got too cute and tried a low percentage back pass for the trailing K’Andre Miller that didn’t work. When the puck was turned over, it spelled doom. Jackson Blake moved the puck up for Mikko Rantanen, who then fed Svechnikov for a tap in to score a backbreaker that made it 2-0 at 19:29.

In that moment, the game was over. It didn’t matter that the Rangers were only down two with a period left. It was the way it happened. Facing a stingy opponent that’s as tough to play against like the Hurricanes, they weren’t coming back from that. Trocheck has been a very vocal leader who’s done a lot of good things over the past month. But on that particular play, he could only hang his head in frustration. It really stung. Boos rained down on the Rangers when the buzzer sounded.

As if to confirm the obvious, Peter Laviolette went to the hat trick and mixed up his lines. Of course, it predictably backfired right away at the start of the third period. After Trocheck took a shift with Will Cuylle and Reilly Smith, Chytil was in between Panarin and Kreider. Initially, Kreider hustled back to break up a Canes’ chance. However, his turnover led directly to Sebastian Aho scoring at 1:04 to make it 3-0. At that moment, I’d seen enough. You just can’t make the kind of mistakes this team does. They beat themselves on the first three Canes’ goals.

Adding insult to injury, they left Seth Jarvis wide open in front to make it 4-0 only 1:26 later. How bad were the Rangers? They only mustered three shots in the final period. If they wanted to be taken seriously, they had to win either against the Avalanche or tonight against the Canes. Instead, they managed to lose both games. Even with teams ahead of them losing, it doesn’t matter.

There are 32 games remaining this season. At this point, it looks over. Why should anyone get their hopes up? If they can’t beat quality teams, there’s no realistic chance of making the playoffs. I think it ended tonight. They dug themselves too big a hole and now must climb over too many teams.

Chris Drury, what’s your next move? It better not be giving another five-year contract out with a no-trade clause to a veteran.

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Rangers Suffer Crushing Loss to Avalanche

Posted on January 26, 2025 by Derek

For almost the entire third period, the Rangers did everything they could to come back and win against the Avalanche. Twice in a back-and-forth game, they rallied back from a pair of two-goal deficits to tie the score.

After Artemi Panarin scored his team-leading 21st goal to tie the game back up with 4:58 remaining, they had a power play with a chance to win it late. Instead, a costly mistake led to the Rangers suffering a crushing 5-4 loss to the Avalanche in regulation. It was their first regulation defeat in 11 games. After coming out of the box, Cale Makar intercepted an errant Will Borgen pass inside his own blue line and then set up Artturi Lehkonen for the game-winner with 14.7 seconds left.

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At that moment, K’Andre Miller moved the puck up top for an open Borgen at the right point with 21 seconds to go. He had enough time and space to make a better decision. The recently re-signed defenseman made an error in judgement by trying a low percentage pass across the blue line that went behind his intended target, Panarin who was still on during a long shift. That didn’t excuse him from quitting on the play defensively. He let Lehkonen skate by him and finish off a three-on-one by scoring his 20th from Makar at 19:45 of the third period.

While Borgen messed up on the play, he got back but couldn’t take the pass away. Vincent Trocheck also came back hard to take away the middle option. Had Panarin not given up completely, we’re not talking about a bad loss in regulation. The game would’ve at least gone to overtime. Twelve days ago, it was Lehkonen who scored the tying goal to force OT in a game Colorado won 3-2 on a Devon Toews goal. He again delivered a crushing blow but only this time, the Rangers didn’t get a point. They threw it away and got nothing out of a winnable game. The second one they’ve had against the Avalanche in two weeks.

It’s inexcusable at this point of the season for this team to make these kinds of mistakes in big games. Every point matters. They’re locked in a tight playoff race battling with several teams for the wild card. Even more frustrating is that had they come back and won, they could’ve been eight behind the Devils for third place inside the division. If you’ve watched the Devils lately, you know that’s not insurmountable. Especially with Jacob Markstrom expected out for at least the next month due to an MCL sprain. Instead, the Rangers remained 10 points behind the Devils and failed to gain any ground on the Blue Jackets, Lightning, and Senators.

Even worse, they hadn’t played since Thursday when they defeated the Flyers. The Avalanche were playing their second consecutive game after losing to the Bruins on Saturday. They should have been ripe for the pickings. Instead, a rested Rangers team made several mistakes that cost them against a tired opponent who clearly were on the ropes late in the third period.

For Colorado, it was their second game with new acquisitions Martin Necas and Jack Drury, who both came over from Carolina in the three-team blockbuster trade that sent popular star Mikko Rantanen to the Hurricanes along with former Blackhawk Taylor Hall in a three-team trade. Both Necas and Drury were factors against the Rangers. Necas recorded a pair of assists while Drury scored his first goal with the Avalanche.

It was the explosive Avs’ offense that got off to a quick start. Following a nice deflection goal from Drury on a Keaton Middleton shot that put them ahead, Nathan MacKinnon and Necas combined to find Makar open at the point for his 17th goal to give the Avalanche a 2-0 lead. They struck twice within a 43-second span to put the Rangers down two. On the Makar tally, neither Mika Zibanejad nor Reilly Smith covered the vacated area.

Trailing by two, the Blueshirts got back in it thanks to another positive contribution from the fourth line. On some sustained pressure down low, Matt Rempe came out and got a tough backhand on Mackenzie Blackwood that he couldn’t control. That allowed Sam Carrick to pounce on the rebound for his fifth at 7:10. Urho Vaakanainen picked up a secondary assist, giving him helpers in three straight. He’s quietly played well while teamed with Braden Schneider on the third pair.

Less than two minutes later, the Rangers evened the game thanks to the top line. On a play started by Panarin in his end, he sent Alexis Lafreniere and Trocheck in on a two-on-one, with Lafreniere patiently waiting for Sam Girard to go down so before passing across for an easy Trocheck tap in at 8:36.

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With the game tied and Adam Fox off for holding Parker Kelly, it took the Avalanche only 23 seconds to retake the lead on another blast from the point from Makar on the power play. Once again, it was the combination of Necas and MacKinnon who found Makar open for his 18th goal, which leads all NHL defensemen this season. He can’t be given any room because he is so lethal. Makar loves to get the puck and move to the left and shoot against the grain. Igor Shesterkin stood no chance on the Makar rocket that made it 3-2 Avalanche with 5:24 left in the period.

Filip Chytil and Arthur Kaliyev came close to tying it before the period expired. But Blackwood stopped Kaliyev on the doorstep to keep his team in front. It wasn’t the last time he would stone Kaliyev. Early in the second period, with the third line buzzing, Blackwood again turned away Kaliyev twice and Chytil. Despite being caught on for two goals against, that line generated scoring chances. Along with Chris Kreider, who no longer looks like he misses Mika Zibanejad, the Chytil line is starting to find chemistry. They look like they’re close to breaking out. Maybe it’ll happen in the next game against the Hurricanes on Tuesday.

For a while, the game remained 3-2 in favor of the Avalanche. The Rangers had a bit of luck thanks to the Avs hitting the goalpost. That included Necas firing a laser off the crossbar with Colorado on the power play. Considering how good Rantanen was, Necas looks like he’ll fit right in with MacKinnon and Makar. He hasn’t scored much lately but that’s bound to change as long as he continues playing on the top line.

On another effective shift from the fourth line, Rempe got off a good shot right on Blackwood, who managed to kick it out. Since returning from the eight-game suspension, Rempe’s playing with much more confidence. He’s making the most of his shifts by being more impactful on the forecheck. The trio of Rempe, Carrick, and Adam Edstrom have been getting it done both offensively and defensively. That’s allowed Peter Laviolette to trust them more in close games.

The Avalanche took advantage of a Panarin fanned clearing attempt to surge back ahead by two with 3:59 remaining. After Borgen sent the puck around to Panarin, he failed to clear the zone, resulting in Casey Mittelstadt picking it off and feeding Jusso Parssinen for a quick one-timer that beat Shesterkin for a 4-2 lead.

But the Rangers were able to respond just over two minutes later. With less than two minutes left, some superb work along the boards led to Borgen cutting the deficit back to one. Will Cuylle centered the puck from behind the net for a Reilly Smith shot that rebounded right to Borgen who buried it for his second goal as a Ranger with 1:55 remaining.

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In the third period, the Rangers controlled almost the entirety. However, they blew a chance to tie the game on the power play. In fact, a Fox turnover nearly led to Logan O’Connor scoring shorthanded. Fortunately, his backhand attempt missed its target.

Makar thought he had the second hat trick of his career when he beat Shesterkin again. However, both refs immediately waived it off due to Miles Wood being in the crease where he made contact with Lafreniere by shoving him into Shesterkin, who had no chance to make a play on the puck. They got it right for a change, negating what would’ve been Makar’s third goal of the game. He dominated it like the elite defenseman he is.

As the third moved on, the Rangers kept getting closer and closer to finding the equalizer only for Blackwood to make the big saves. That finally changed with under five minutes left. On a good read from Lafreniere, he came off the ice for Smith on a line change. Smith carried the puck into the offensive zone where he centered for a Trocheck shot that bounced right to Panarin for the game-tying goal at 15:02.

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With the game tied at four, it looked like the Rangers would find a way to come back and win it. With Makar off for holding the stick of Lafreniere, out came the number one unit. Following a Blackwood freezing the puck with 1:20 left, Laviolette used his timeout to rest his best players. At worst, they should have come out with at least a point. There was still 56 seconds remaining on the five-on-four.

The best chance came when Panarin got the puck into Zibanejad’s wheelhouse for a one-timer from the left circle that Blackwood made a clutch glove save on with Kreider standing in front. He was unable to tip it in or distract Blackwood enough on the scoring chance with exactly a minute left. On the final part of the man-advantage, Zibanejad made one of those telegraphed passes to the middle of the ice for an easy Avs’ clear, which basically killed any chance of them taking the lead.

When Miller and Borgen came on the ice to replace Fox and Zibanejad, it looked like they were in good shape. Miller had the puck down low and made a good pass up top for Borgen, who was open. He could’ve taken a shot at that point. Any shot towards the net isn’t a bad play with 20 seconds remaining in a tie game. Instead, he overthought it by going for a cross-ice pass to a spent Panarin, who should’ve gotten off the ice when he had a chance to. Instead, he overstayed his shift, which is something he’s done before. The end result was disastrous.

With nobody communicating with Borgen that Makar was coming back from serving the penalty, the explosive Avalanche defenseman picked off the errant pass and took off like a jet into the Rangers’ zone for a three-on-one. With Trocheck hustling back and Panarin not even in the picture, Makar perfectly dished across for a Lehkonen one-timer upstairs that ended the game.

There wouldn’t be any overtime this time. It was about as bad a loss as it sounds. One of the worst the Rangers have suffered in recent memory. Combined with the Senators winning over Utah HC to vault past the Bruins, Lightning and Blue Jackets up to 56 points, the Rangers are three behind the Bolts for the second wild card with one more game played (49-48) and one more regulation win (22-21). They trail the Bruins by four points but have two games in hand and four more RW. The problem is that they still are behind the Blue Jackets and Canadiens with the Red Wings lurking right behind. Even the Islanders are up to 49 points thanks to a four-game winning streak.

It’s anyone’s guess who will squeak in. When you play as poorly as the Rangers did for a six week stretch, there isn’t much margin for error. Games like Sunday could come back to haunt them. There’s still a lot of time left with the Rangers having 33 games remaining. Today’s loss hurt but it’s not the end. If they can respond well by beating the Hurricanes and then taking what amounts to a big game against the Bruins next Saturday to conclude January, that would show a lot of character.

They didn’t play poorly against the Avalanche. However, the execution was a little bit off. Compared to what we’ve seen lately with the improved team defense that had allowed Shesterkin to get hot, they beat themselves. You can’t allow as dangerous an opponent like the Avs to get those kinds of chances. They’ll make you pay.

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Canes’ Blockbuster with Avalanche for Rantanen Flips Script

Posted on January 25, 2025 by Derek

On Friday night, the Avalanche and Hurricanes made a blockbuster trade involving Mikko Rantanen and Martin Necas as the main players getting moved. In a stunning trade that first was broken by Frank Seravalli, the Hurricanes and Avalanche made a three-team deal that also involved the Blackhawks.

Elliotte Friedman had the full details on the trade that made Rantanen a Hurricane for at least the rest of the season and saw Necas wind up in Colorado. The Hurricanes also were able to acquire Taylor Hall from the Blackhawks.

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Somehow, the Hurricanes got the Blackhawks to pick up half of Rantanen’s salary. Instead of having to pick up the full tab of the $9.25 million, the cap hit is $4.625 million. Considering the high caliber player they received in the multi-talented Rantanen, they made out like bandits.

On an expiring contract that made him too rich for the Avalanche to keep, Rantanen can become an unrestricted free agent in the summer. For a decade, he formed a potent dynamic duo with Nathan MacKinnon. Even without injured captain Gabriel Landeskog, they became the deadliest scoring combination in the league. While MacKinnon leads the league in scoring with 75 points, Rantanen is sixth with 64 points, which would pace 29 other teams including his new one in Carolina.

A versatile player, who can shift to center and take faceoffs, the 28-year-old Rantanen is looking to cash in when he hit the open market. Rumored to command a salary that could reach as much as $14 million, it was too much for the Avalanche, who already pay MacKinnon $12.6 million. The rating Hart winner is worth his salary that keeps him in the Rocky Mountains through 2031.

Whether or not Rantanen will be worth his next contract remains to be seen. The question is whether or not he can duplicate the success he’s had without MacKinnon, who’s considered by many to be neck and neck with Connor McDavid as the game’s best player. Rantanen joins a strong nucleus in Carolina that includes Sebastian Aho, Seth Jarvis, Andrei Svechnikov, Jordan Staal, Jaccob Slavin, and goalie tandem Pyotr Kochetkov and Freddie Andersen. Coached by Rod Brind’Amour, it doesn’t seem to matter who they lose. They’ve successfully plugged Jack Roslovic and Eric Robinson into their disciplined forechecking system.

Rantanen should help give the Canes a jolt on the power play, where they rank 17th in the league at 21.2 percent. Of his 64 points, he has 19 power-play points and 45 even strength points. Compared to Necas, who’s in the first year of a multi-year contract with a $6.5 million cap hit, he’s a more explosive and proven commodity. At the time of the deal, Necas was leading the Canes in scoring with 55 points. He was on pace to set new career bests in goals, assists, and points. His previous career highs came in 2022-23 when he had 28 goals, 43 assists, and 71 points.

The Canes also added Hall in the trade. While the former MVP isn’t what he once was, Hall is still a good top nine forward who can chip in offensively. Playing in Chicago didn’t do much for him. In 46 games this season, he has nine goals and 15 assists for 24 points. Back on a playoff contender, he should be extra motivated. Hall doesn’t boast a lot of postseason experience but he’s put up 29 point in 39 career games. Eight came in a Bruins’ first round defeat to the Panthers in 2023. With his contract set to expire, Hall should have plenty of reasons to do well.

After a hot start to the season, when Necas totaled a dozen goals and 25 helpers for 37 points over the first two months, he’s cooled considerably. After only tallying eight points in December, he’s bounced back with 12 in January. However, Necas only has two goals over his last 23 games. He joined the Avalanche for their 3-1 loss to the Bruins this afternoon. He finished a minus-three in his Avalanche debut. Necas’ new team will be back in action tomorrow afternoon when they visit the Rangers.

While Necas is the focal point for Colorado, they also got Jack Drury as well. A fourth line center who’s good on faceoffs with a 58.8 success rate this season, he should fit in nicely there. They can use another checking forward who’s reliable defensively.

In addition, the Avalanche received a 2025 second round pick and a 2026 fourth round pick. Considering that they weren’t going to be able to re-sign Rantanen, they got a nice haul. I’m curious to see what else they decide to do. If you believe NHL insider, they might not be done. I’m not buying the Crosby to Colorado talk. We’ll have to wait and see what else general manager Joe Sakic has up his sleeve.

What did the Blackhawks get out of the deal? A third round pick. They did the Canes a favor with Rantanen’s contract. Hopefully, that’s remembered in the future. What must Connor Bedard be thinking? The Blackhawks remain one of the league’s worst teams. Bedard’s picked it up lately but he needs help.

So, who won the trade? On paper, it’s the Hurricanes. They got the best player. However, that doesn’t necessarily mean it’ll work out. Remember Jake Guentzel last year. Obviously, Rantanen’s a better player. The Canes are chasing the Stanley Cup. Now, they’re going all in again. Is a roster that includes a spotty goalie tandem and questionable defense good enough to come out of the East? I’m not even sure it makes them the best team in the Metropolitan Division. They improved but would you trust Andersen or Kochetkov in a big spot? They lost Brett Pesce to the Devils, who he’s certainly helped. I’m not sold on the Canes.

The Metro got a lot more interesting. With the Rangers starting to heat up, it’s going to be fun to watch.

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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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