Vigneault costs the Rangers Game 5

Posted on May 6, 2017 by Derek
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An excited bunch of Senators congratulate overtime hero Kyle Turris whose goal gave them a comeback win in Game 5 over the Rangers 5-4. A loss that clearly is on coach Alain Vigneault for not having the right personnel on the ice protecting a lead. AP Photo via Getty Images courtesy Ottawa Senators.

Make no mistake about it. The Rangers lost Game 5 to the Senators due to the puzzling decisions of coach Alain Vigneault. He should look in the mirror after another repeat of Game 2. Another senseless overtime loss thanks to some mind boggling moves. The Sens can thank him for their 5-4 win which puts them up 3-2 in the seven-game second round series.

How else to explain Vigneault’s decision to have Tanner Glass out with under two minutes left in regulation protecting a one-goal lead? This isn’t on the player who unfortunately had Derick Brassard’s odd shot deflect off him and somehow past a maze that included a kneeling Marc Staal (because of course) and a stunned Henrik Lundqvist with 1:26 remaining.

It’s clearly on the coach who remains stubborn and predictable. That wasn’t his only bad move. Why the heck was Staal on with Brendan Smith for that shift? Staal was good in the two home wins but struggled throughout. He was on for two goals against and was slow all day. Where was Smith’s partner Brady Skjei, who can at least skate you ask? Where he always is. Riding the pine in crunch time.

This is what we’ve signed up for. With the Rangers extending a coach before his final year, Vigneault’s baffling decisions will continue. They like him. At times, he can make the right moves such as Glass for Game 3 which turned the series around or Pavel Buchnevich in Game 4 last round. However, the coach remains a liability despite a very good track record.

It isn’t to take away from what the veteran coach has accomplished. But for a guy who’s taken two teams to Stanley Cup Finals and came within two straight appearances in 2015 a period away, he continues to hurt the team at critical moments.

Once rookie Jimmy Vesey’s first career NHL playoff goal was confirmed by video replay overturning the call on the ice on what was a great try by Ottawa’s Craig Anderson for a 4-3 Rangers’ lead with 7:12 left, it should’ve been a win. Not anymore. Not this postseason when the team can’t close out the opposition. Game 2 of both the first round and this series and now you can add Game 5. A game they didn’t play particularly well in but were in a winning position before Vigneault cracked.

They iced the puck again leading to Ottawa offensive draws. But it wasn’t that that led to Brassard’s miraculous first goal of the series which may have altered his former team’s playoff fate. It was off an Ottawa rush when Anderson went to the bench for an extra attacker that they came unglued. Somehow, after a good shift by Ryan McDonagh and Dan Girardi with Kevin Hayes, Rick Nash and Vesey, Vigneault sent out Glass with Derek Stepan, Mats Zuccarello, Smith and Staal.

Why on earth wouldn’t the coach use either Jesper Fast or Michael Grabner in that spot? Those are much better defensive forwards than Glass, who gives a honest effort but has no business being out there protecting a one-goal lead that late. And why would he stick Staal out when he was two steps behind all game over Skjei? Even Nick Holden played better scoring again and playing physical. If Staal wasn’t on his knees, Brassard’s tying goal could’ve been prevented.

Instead, we’re left scratching our heads. Of course, the Senators dominated overtime until Kyle Turris beat Lundqvist through the wickets at 6:28 of sudden death to send Canadian Tire Centre into pandemonium. Guess who was out on the shift? The fourth line. It could’ve been any line. That’s how scared the Rangers played. Their top two lines were not good. The Hayes unit picked it up contributing two goals with Smith setting up Fast early and a strong Hayes forecheck leading to McDonagh’s tying goal from Grabner and Girardi with 2:11 left in the second period.

You just cannot make it up. This should’ve been a victory. Instead, Vigneault’s puzzling decisions cost them. Now, they must do it the hard way by winning the first elimination game at home on Tuesday. If they force the seventh game, the league’s best road team better figure out a way to take Game 7 in Ottawa. If they don’t, there’s gonna be a lot of second guessing.

The players didn’t play well enough consistently. There was more panic. They didn’t attack the Sens enough in the OT yet had two close calls with a J.T. Miller shot ring off the crossbar and a Grabner baseball bat swing beat Anderson but with a high stick, which was the right call.

On Turris’ winner, Girardi was defending. Turris was able to stay with it and get around for a wrist shot that Lundqvist missed. He made some good saves but also was culpable on at least two. His giveaway in the first with the Rangers already ahead 2-0 on goals from Fast and Holden swung the momentum. Ottawa converted with Mark Stone beating Girardi in front. They then took control by scoring goals 23 seconds apart in the second from Mike Hoffman (first of series) and Tom Pyatt (redirect).

Erik Karlsson was a decoy. He only hit the net once on his 12 attempts. But while playing on one leg, he racked up three assists and started the Brassard tying goal by finding Clarke MacArthur wide open. Brassard eventually scored in bizarre fashion off Glass with Staal kneeling and Lundqvist unable to get to the rolling puck.

It’s unbelievable how badly the Rangers have looked protecting leads away from home ice. How many times is it gonna happen? Well, if they don’t get it together for Game 6, they will have the rest of the summer to talk about it.

The coach should have known better. He didn’t. It cost his team the game and maybe the chance to play in another Conference Final.

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Game 5 keys for Rangers at Senators

Posted on May 6, 2017 by Derek

In a series that’s now tied at two apiece, Game 5 is a huge one for both the Rangers and Senators. It’ll start soon on NBC in Ottawa.

The Rangers got off the deck and swept the two home games with identical 4-1 wins. Both masterpieces. They were total team efforts. They didn’t rely on Henrik Lundqvist. But rather their depth. As proven in Game 4 with Oscar Lindberg scoring twice and Tanner Glass tallying two assists with seven hits and a key block. Michael Grabner had a primary helper on Lindberg’s first. There also was a Chris Kreider sighting for a second game in the series as he lit the lamp on the power play.

Defensively, the Rangers were very good at limiting Ottawa’s counter attack. They controlled the neutral zone and got their sticks on pucks breaking up plays and countering. It led to two Grabner breakaways with the second a smart patient one where he waited for a trailing Lindberg for a nice one-timer blast past Craig Anderson top shelf. There also was Kevin Hayes finding a cutting Nick Holden for a goal in which the defenseman went forehand for his first this postseason.

They outworked Ottawa. Glass and J.T. Miller combined on Lindberg’s second from distance with Glass distracting Anderson. Then Kreider put the cherry on top with a power play goal in the third. Lundqvist did give up a goal to Kyle Turris, who decided to engage Glass as the conclusion turned nasty. Somewhat predictable.

The Sens showed frustration. Now, they’re supposedly dressing Chris Neil as a reaction to Glass. One thing to remember if Neil does play, the Rangers can’t get sucked in. Neil is as tough as they come. He was effective against them in the 2012 first round. He’ll look to make the big hit, finish every check and be involved in scrums looking to draw reaction penalties.

The key for the Blueshirts today is to stay disciplined. Don’t go for Neil’s antics. The Senators crowd will be fired up with one of their most popular players likely in. This is the game the Rangers need. They lost the first two there. Both winnable. Game 1 on an Erik Karlsson sharp angle shot that deflected off Derek Stepan and Lundqvist’s mask and in late. Game 2 on Jean-Gabriel Pageau’s miraculous two deflection goals in the last 3:19. Then Pageau scored his fourth goal in the second overtime.

They want to play the same way. With good tape to tape passes, skating when the opportunity presents itself and getting pucks in behind Ottawa’s defense. Karlsson rested in the third period due to his ankle injury. He should be fresh. They can’t take it for granted. Even at 60 percent, Karlsson is dangerous. Anderson will be back in net.

There are no lineup changes for the Blueshirts. They want to limit penalties. Don’t give the Sens momentum. Take advantage of their aggressiveness. You know they’ll come out flying. If they can make smart defensive plays, they could get an early odd-man rush and cash it in. Getting an early lead would be huge to silence the crowd.

They’ll win if they play the right way. With the same desperation and without any panic. It must be a full 60. Nothing less will do.

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Tanner Glass owns the biased Rangers fans

Posted on May 5, 2017 by Derek
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Tanner Glass had a message for the haters following a big performance in Game 4 that helped the Rangers even the series against the Senators headed into a big Saturday afternoon Game 5. AP Photo via Getty Images courtesy NYRangers.

It is a topic that has been discussed quite a bit. Following a satisfying 4-1 win in Game 4 by the Rangers to even their best-of-seven second round series with the Senators, Tanner Glass had a message for the critics. The biased Rangers fans don’t grasp the team concept. Something I’ve always been on board with.

Here was Glass following a two assist game in which he played a big role in helping set up a pair of second period Oscar Lindberg goals and then getting his chance to fight an overly aggressive Kyle Turris in the closing half a minute:

The interesting thing is he called the cynics uneducated. Ever since former GM Glen Sather signed him to a three-year contract worth an average cap hit of $1.45 million in the summer of 2014, Rangers bloggers and fans questioned the move. Everyone knew there was no way Glass could replace Derek Dorsett. The expectation became unrealistic when coach Alain Vigneault played him in 66 regular season games in ’14-15 and another 19 in a postseason run that fell just shy of the team reaching another Stanley Cup Final.

A loss that wasn’t on Glass even though he only contributed one assist scoring just once in 85 combined games. He was not an effective player by Corsi which measures puck possession metrics and shot attempts. In Year 2, he didn’t make the team out of training camp. By December, the organization felt they needed to recall him. Glass stayed with the big club the rest of ’15-16 showing improvement with four goals and three assists with 66 penalty minutes and a minus-three rating in 57 contests. He took part in four games against his former team the Pens, who easily dismissed a flawed Blueshirts in five.

Even with poor performances from its better players, the criticism remained for a fourth line energy player. Most of it unfair because if guys like Derick Brassard, Kevin Hayes, Ryan McDonagh, Dan Girardi, Marc Staal and even Henrik Lundqvist had given more, maybe they wouldn’t have been such an easy out. Deadline acquisition Eric Staal was a total bust going without a point in the postseason never finding chemistry while playing out of position with Hayes. Dan Boyle stunk and then called out New York Post troll Brett Cyrgalis. It was an ugly end to a disappointing season.

Entering ’16-17, Rangers GM Jeff Gorton made some noteworthy additions to bolster the team’s depth. He was able to get top prospect Pavel Buchnevich to sign and come over from the KHL while landing Boston University Hobey Baker winner Jimmy Vesey. He also made a good move in signing Michael Grabner. Even Brandon Pirri looked like a solid addition with a great camp and promising start. The Rangers were deeper. There was no room for Glass, who took his assignment to Hartford in stride and spent most of the year in the AHL.

That is until the Rangers got humiliated by the Canadiens 4-1 on March 4 at MSG. A loss so despicable due to how much Montreal manhandled them that the organization decided they had enough. Up came Glass from the Wolf Pack. He had a positive impact scoring a goal and tallying an assist in his second game in a 5-2 win at Tampa Bay. That earned him the game’s second star. A nice reward for a hard working team player who got plenty of support from excited teammates following his goal.

Maybe that’s where some of our fans get lost. Sure. Glass isn’t going to blow you away with his skating or scoring. It’s not his style. He’s a straight ahead North South player who finishes checks and plays a simple game. He wasn’t good in the first year. That much is true. Vigneault stayed with him because he’s loyal to a fault. Something we’ve seen with warriors Staal and Girardi even when they were hurt.

The thing is it wasn’t Glass who was to blame for the Game 7 home loss in the Eastern Conference Final against Tampa Bay. That was on the players and coach for failing to adjust. They hardly mustered an attack making life easy for Ben Bishop, who pitched a 2-0 shutout to the Garden’s disappointment. It wasn’t Glass when they were totally dominated by a superior Pens team that went on to win a Stanley Cup.

In his final season of a three-year deal with him earning $1 million, the likable 33-year old got into 11 regular season games this season with the goal and assist to go with 37 hits and 17 PIM. He always hits hard. Unlike Year 1 when his skating wasn’t good enough and he was taking the wrong route which led to undisciplined penalties and even odd-man rushes, Glass adjusted his game.

He doesn’t over commit anymore. He picks his spots better and is a more effective player on the forecheck due to effort and hustle. Something unquestioned by even the biggest critics. Maybe that’s why he’s so effective when Vigneault’s dressed him this postseason. In five playoff games, it’s an improved Glass with a goal and three assists with a plus-three rating including his scrap and 25 hits with some bone crunching. Just ask Zack Smith.

Most notably, it was Glass who got the 2017 NHL Playoffs started with the first goal when his nifty backhand off a face-off surprised Carey Price going short side top shelf for the game-winner in a Lundqvist 1-0 shutout in Game 1 of the first round at Montreal. That is the kind of effort that is rewarded during the postseason when things get tighter.

It’s harder to score at this time of year. In five games, Glass has more points than more skilled teammates Chris Kreider, Hayes and J.T. Miller. He has fit in with Lindberg, who’s been one of the team’s most consistent players since the tournament began. The playoffs reward grit. It’s players who can win battles that have success. Look at the performances from Lindberg, Glass, first round hero Jesper Fast and Grabner. They’re the ones succeeding.

While Derek Stepan has struggled even though he has three of his five points in the last three games, it’s the secondary players who are picking up the slack. Somehow, the Rangers find themselves tied with the Senators 2-2 with a huge Game 5 tomorrow afternoon in Kanata, Ontario. They have gotten no goals from Hayes or Miller. Mika Zibanejad leads them in scoring with a goal and six assists. But the ex-Sen has yet to find the back of the net against Ottawa despite creating chances. He’s outplayed Brassard though who’s been invisible with no points and minus-five through four games. Hard to fathom.

The thing about the playoffs is it doesn’t matter who you get it from. As Vigneault referenced last night following the Rangers’ 4-1 win, it’s about the 18 or 19 skaters. Having reliable depth is important.

Ditto for the contributions of deadline pickup Brendan Smith. The former Red Wing plays a rugged style suited for this time of year. He’s the toughest defenseman this team has had since Mike Sauer. He doesn’t back down having already gotten into two fights while dishing it out. He certainly took a lot of punishment from the Habs but kept going back. It’s no wonder Smith leads the Rangers in plus/minus (9). He has formed a potent third pair with rookie Brady Skjei, who’s tied for the team lead in goals (4) with Grabner and always pesky leader Mats Zuccarello.

When it comes down to it, it is nice to see Glass getting rewarded. Can anyone think of a better teammate than him? He has taken a lot of abuse. Some warranted but most unfair. Let’s be honest. For all the criticism of Vigneault and I get him on plenty too, he has pushed the right buttons. Following a no show in Game 3 at home last round to fall behind Montreal 2-1, he took Glass out and went back to Buchnevich, who was effective the rest of the series on a line with Zibanejad and Kreider. The Rangers took the final three to advance with the coach changing the look of all four lines.

Vigneault isn’t perfect. We know that. He made the silly mistake of going with Marc Staal and Nick Holden down the stretch with a two-goal lead against the Sens in Game 2. They weren’t on for Jean-Gabriel Pageau’s pair that forced overtime. That was McDonagh and Girardi. But Holden made a bad pinch getting caught along with two forwards leading to Pageau’s fourth for a Sens’ 6-5 double overtime win that put them in a 2-0 hole.

With Buchnevich ineffective and the coach not confident enough to play him regularly, he went back to Glass and changed the lines again. It’s worked out pretty well. The Rangers swept the two games at home by identical 4-1 scores. Glass’ energy rubbed off. He has formed chemistry with Lindberg and Miller, who got demoted after struggling on the third line. Hayes is working with Grabner and Fast. A line that has the hard workers needed to get more out of the pass oriented Hayes, who still needs to think shot more.

Vigneault also managed the shifts of Staal and Holden more, limiting them to third pair duty in Game 3. In Game 4, he was able to balance it out due to a 4-0 lead. So, they got a little more time than Smith, who exited after a fight with Phaneuf, and Skjei. He didn’t even play Girardi 18 minutes. So, they should be fresh for Saturday. Only McDonagh got the usual with over 25. A manageable amount for his horse. We’ll see how that plays on Derby Day.

So, here’s the rub. Glass is an intelligent, well spoken veteran who is a graduate of Dartmouth. If you’ve ever listened to him speak during interviews, he always gives reporters a lot on what the team needs to do to be successful.

Maybe where everyone is wrong is that Glass is a professional hockey player. How dare any of us question him? It’s more about usage. This time, Vigneault’s right. He’s made the right call on Tanner, who’s been very effective. He also delivered seven hits along with those two assists Thursday night. Glass distracted Craig Anderson on Lindberg’s long shot that beat the Ottawa starter high short side from distance. Anderson rested in the third period replaced by backup Mike Condon.

I’m not a beat reporter and don’t pretend to be. I’m not an expert either. Those who cover the team respect what Glass brings. They get it. The notion that there are actually misguided fan bloggers still complaining after last night is sad. Glass has earned his keep. It isn’t Glass vs Buchnevich. It’s about style. The coach makes the decision based on feel. He’s been proven right.

If you can’t see it, then maybe you should go support a different team. His teammates love and appreciate him. Good for Tanner.

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Lindberg and Glass big factors as Rangers even series, beat Senators 4-1 in Game 4

Posted on May 5, 2017 by Derek
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A pumped up J.T. Miller joins teammate Tanner Glass in celebrating Oscar Lindberg’s second goal of Game 4 in a big 4-1 Rangers victory over the Senators at MSG to tie the series at 2-2. AP Photo via Getty Images courtesy NYRangers. 

In the NHL Playoffs, you need all 18 or 19 skaters to win. It doesn’t matter who as long as you get contributions throughout your lineup. The Rangers haven’t gotten ideal performances from a few of their top scorers. However, they have gotten plenty from role players who make up the supporting cast.

Thanks to big games from Oscar Lindberg and Tanner Glass, the Rangers won Game 4 in convincing fashion 4-1 at MSG. Lindberg’s two goals and Glass’s two assists helped them pull away from the Senators in a big second period. The play of the fourth line since coach Alain Vigneault inserted Glass has been superb. J.T. Miller is also on that line providing some skill. It’s worked out well with Miller also contributing a primary assist on Lindberg’s second of the night.

The Rangers have been able to tie the best-of-seven Atlantic Final by paying better attention to detail and playing with more edge. They gave Henrik Lundqvist a breather. He didn’t need to be the team’s best player the last two games- both by identical 4-1 scores in improving to 4-1 at MSG this postseason. He only had to contend with 23 Ottawa shots getting 22 to record his 61st career postseason win.

They didn’t dominate the first period. Ottawa showed more determination trying to establish its forecheck and create turnovers off their 1-3-1 in the neutral zone. However, the Rangers defended well in front of Lundqvist for a second straight game not allowing the Sens to get the kind of Grade A chances needed to beat him.

The Rangers methodically outplayed the Senators as the period wore on. Michael Grabner had the first of two breakaways but a sharp Craig Anderson got his blocker on a high shot to rob him. For a second consecutive game, Ottawa had issues with turnovers. They gave up some odd-man rushes forcing Anderson to be good. He couldn’t stop Nick Holden on a two-on-one. Kevin Hayes passed for a cutting Holden, who was able to deke before going to the forehand to beat Anderson for the game’s first goal with 5:56 left. A big one for sure that gave them momentum.

After out-shooting Ottawa 11-7, the Rangers came out even better in a lopsided second. They were still on a power play courtesy of Zack Smith, who got an extra two for unsportsmanlike conduct while mixing it up with Brady Skjei. The Sens began to crack as the game went on. Anderson made a good save to deny Chris Kreider on a rebound right in front, keeping the game at 1-0.

But not long after the power play expired, Glass started a three-on-two in the neutral zone. His pass for Grabner off an Ottawa giveaway led to the speed demon having his second breakaway. But as the play developed, Grabner patiently waited for the trailing Lindberg making a nice dish across for a beautiful one-timer top shelf for a 2-0 lead at 2:01. There wasn’t much real estate. But Lindberg got all of it for his second of the postseason. He wasn’t done.

If there was an area that got overlooked, it was the Rangers penalty kill. With Brendan Smith off for cross checking, they blanketed the Senators following Lindberg’s goal. Ottawa was unable to get any sustained pressure. Instead, it was a disciplined Blueshirts who took away the blue line forcing the Sens into mistakes and sending the puck down to cheers. They didn’t have many chances either only getting two power plays. That was due in large part to how well the Rangers executed.

When they weren’t testing Anderson, who made some strong stops before giving way to backup Mike Condon for the third, the Rangers were frustrating their opponent. Mats Zuccarello was up to his old tricks. During a scrum, he tapped Marc Methot who responded with a right drawing an undisciplined minor penalty for roughing. But while on the man-advantage, Zuccarello got tangled up with Erik Karlsson leading to both going off for holding. In an interesting move, Ottawa coach Guy Boucher decided to rest Karlsson in the third once his team trailed by three. He also gave Anderson a breather.

The goal that made Boucher’s decision easier came when Lindberg was the recipient of a nice pass from Miller. He let go of a long shot that fooled Anderson, who was distracted by Glass in front. That’s the only rational explanation he allowed it. Glass made the play behind the net to keep the puck alive to Miller. He then went right to the net and seemed to be talking to Anderson as Lindberg’s shot buzzed by for a 3-0 lead with 4:06 remaining. That’s how effective Glass was. In five games, he now is up to a goal and three assists.

Even though Ottawa came out of the period even in shots (9-9), they were down by three. Lundqvist never had to make any tough saves. He was able to see the puck and the Rangers did a good job boxing out.

With Condon replacing Anderson and Karlsson sitting out, Boucher basically decided to think ahead to Game 5 which is Saturday afternoon in Ottawa. He went with five D and rolled his four lines. The most effective was again centered by the pesky Jean-Gabriel Pageau. He nearly had his sixth of the series on an extended shift only to see Lundqvist make a last second sprawling kick save to chants of “Hen-rik, Hen-rik!!!!!” from the crowd.

The Rangers sat back a little bit in a 1-3-1. That gave the Sens some opportunities they didn’t have the first two periods. But Lundqvist made some key stops when needed. The defense remained good with both D and forwards continuing to get sticks on loose pucks further flustering their opponent.

A Clarke MacArthur hooking minor led directly to Kreider scoring a power play goal that made it a four-goal lead for the Rangers coming with 9:15 to go. Derek Stepan and Ryan McDonagh combined to find Kreider, who walked in and let go of a wrist shot that beat Condon for his second of the series.

Kyle Turris was able to break the shutout when he pulled up and beat Lundqvist high stick side to cut it to 4-1 with 6:26 remaining. It was a stoppable shot but Lundqvist misplayed the angle. His only mistake.

With the game out of reach, tempers flared. First, Dion Phaneuf made a tough hit on Smith into the Ottawa bench where there wasn’t a lot of protection. Never one to shy away, Smith dropped the gloves and got the take down against Phaneuf. Both received seven penalty minutes. Two for holding and five for fighting. I’m not sure how Smith got an extra two. He was hit by Phaneuf to start with. But the refs got both off the ice for the remainder with Smith exiting to cheers.

On a four-on-four, Lundqvist made one more big save to deny a breakaway bid getting the familiar chants from the fans. Some included a few from Ottawa who made the trip. They put with a lot in our section. But gave it right back and had fun despite their team losing. The Canadian fan is a different breed.

The game spiraled out of control when Bobby Ryan went after Dan Girardi giving him a mean slash to earn two minutes along with a misconduct. It wasn’t a surprise. Ottawa had shown frustration the whole period. You knew it was only a matter of time before they started in. When you have one of their bigger guys going after the Rangers’ smallest in Zuccarello during a scrum, you know things are about to get ugly.

It’s all part of the playoffs. Ottawa wanted to send a message. And so, they did. That included Glass fighting Turris with 23 seconds left along with some rough stuff three seconds later from Mark Stone, Alex Burrows (go figure), Methot and Viktor Stalberg. Miller, Holden and Kreider all were involved as was Lindberg.

In the end, it was just bookkeeping. The Senators totaled 17 penalties for 56 penalty minutes with 48 coming in the third along with 13 penalties. The Rangers finished with 11 penalties for 36 minutes.

Most importantly, they got the win doing it the right way. By taking apart the Senators and winning without any issue. They certainly have to be happy with where they are now. Tied 2-2 with a crucial Game 5 in two days. The job isn’t finished. Something Vigneault was quick to remind in the post game.

BONY 3 Stars:

3rd Star-Michael Grabner, Rangers (primary assist on Lindberg’s first which set the tone, two breakaways, strong defensively, +2 in 22 shifts-13:05)

2nd Star-Tanner Glass, Rangers (2 assists along with big distraction on Lindberg’s second goal, +1 in 21 shifts-10:16 with 5 PIM and 7 hits)

1st Star-Oscar Lindberg, Rangers (2 goals including GWG-2nd and 3rd of postseason, dominant throughout, 3 shots, +2 in 22 shifts-10:56)

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A better look at Oscar Lindberg beating Craig Anderson for his first goal. Not much room. But a perfect shot. AP Photo via Getty Images courtesy NYRangers.

Notes: The Rangers held a 30-23 edge in shots. Attempts were 58-57 Rangers. … The Blueshirts blocked 22 shots including a game high seven from Girardi, who saved a goal on Pageau. The Sens had 12 blocks led by Pageau and Ceci’s three. … Face-offs went to Ottawa 35-30 with Pageau 13-and-11 while an otherwise silent Derick Brassard was 8-and-5. Stepan led the Blueshirts finishing 11-and-10 with Lindberg going .500 (4-for-8). Key Stat: Takeaways OTT 6 NYR 10 (Rick Nash 3). Nash had it going throughout getting five shots in seven attempts. Despite not scoring, he was a factor. … With an assist and five shots, Stepan has points in three straight. … Hayes assist was his second point of the playoffs. … Anderson allowed three goals on 20 shots in 40 minutes before replacement Condon relieved in the third making nine saves on 10 shots.

… Able to roll his six D with McDonagh (assist) topping all skaters with 25:14 in 30 shifts, Vigneault didn’t overwork Girardi (17:47) or Marc Staal (+2 in 18:33-+4 last 2 games). Holden recorded his first playoff goal as a Ranger while logging 19:42 with six hits, three blocks and five attempts in 29 shifts. Smith went +1 in 17:00 before exiting due to his scrap with Phaneuf. Skjei logged 18:16 over 26 shifts with a minor penalty and three blocks. … In sitting out the third, Karlsson took 22 shifts logging just 14:54 while going minus-one with one shot in three attempts. In Games 3 and 4, he went minus-four without a point. How healthy is he?

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Game 4 Preview: Rangers look to tie series versus Senators

Posted on May 4, 2017 by Derek
Chris Kreider

Chris Kreider is one of the keys tonight for the Rangers in Game 4. 

Game 4 is tonight at 7:30 PM on NBCSN. The Rangers look to tie the second round best-of-seven series versus the Senators at MSG. They got back in it by playing much better hockey in a 4-1 win over Ottawa to take Game 3.

Both Mats Zuccarello and Rick Nash scored their first goals of the series. Mika Zibanejad dominated his match-up with Derick Brassard registering a primary assist on Zuccarello’s early first period tally that set the tone. Zibanejad played his best game with six shots and a few other attempts. He easily could’ve had a hat trick but Ottawa’s Craig Anderson made some big stops to keep the game from spiraling out of control.

The Rangers defended much better limiting Ottawa to one goal. Of course, it was Jean-Gabriel Pageau who broke Henrik Lundqvist’s shutout late in period two following Oscar Lindberg’s tally on a nice pass from J.T. Miller with Tanner Glass also earning a helper in his return to the lineup.

In particular, coach Alain Vigneault heeded our cry by playing Brady Skjei and Brendan Smith more than Marc Staal and Nick Holden. It produced better results. Ryan McDonagh had another big game logging nearly 27 minutes while partner Dan Girardi bounced back from his Game 2 blunder with a strong defensive effort. He also made a nice play in the neutral zone with a bank pass to lead Zibanejad for Zuccarello’s goal.

Lundqvist was able to see the shots thanks to the D and forwards boxing out. He finished with 26 saves. Anderson was good but allowed four goals on 30 shots.

In order to win tonight, the Rangers have to expect a more desperate Senators. They know they were awful in the first last game. Something coach Guy Boucher alluded to in his post game. Expect the real Sens to show from the outset. The Rangers must match their intensity. This should be a tighter checking game with less room. So, they’ll have to do an even better job getting through the neutral zone. Don’t change too much. Use tape to tape short passes and their team speed to get pucks behind them.

I think a key will be one of Kevin Hayes or Chris Kreider. Everyone knows about their struggles. One of the talented duo must step to the forefront. With line mates Zibanejad and Zuccarello stepping up in Game 3, look for Kreider to be more involved. That doesn’t mean boneheaded penalties in the offensive zone on Dion Phaneuf that negate power plays. Kreider must use his size, strength and speed and make himself a player. He is too good to be a non-factor. Take his shot and park himself in front of Anderson. Something he did in Game 2 on both Skjei’s tallies.

As for Hayes, his issue is that he’s gun shy. He is so hesitant to shoot that it makes him predictable. At times, he’s effective on the forecheck using his big body to protect the puck. But he’s always thinking pass. Sometimes, he needs to think shot. That would make him much harder to defend. Hayes enters with only one assist in nine games. Not enough production for a talented player. Obviously, the Rangers need more from the third-year center. He does have the hard working Michael Grabner and Jesper Fast on his line. Let’s see if they rub off.

At this point, you kind of figure Vigneault will not make any lineup changes. Why should he? Glass was effective on a grinding fourth line that did the grunt work. He also played 10 minutes. More than Pavel Buchnevich, who the coach still doesn’t trust. I would love to see Buchnevich back in the series if for no other reason that he has offensive skills and should be used on the power play. But you know he won’t play tonight.

The Rangers must continue to roll all four lines and have Vigneault dictate the match-ups. That means plenty of McDonagh and Girardi. It also means more Skjei and Smith, who has been outstanding. He does need to avoid silly penalties. You don’t want to give Ottawa a power play. Even though they have only scored once, they are dangerous. Especially with Erik Karlsson, Mike Hoffman, Brassard, Kyle Turris and Mark Stone.

Lundqvist must outshine Anderson. Expect it to be tougher. The Rangers must continue to make it hard on Karlsson, who is banged up. Finishing checks when they can is good. Pick their spots. He’s fast. So, he can avoid them.

The Sens likely will be without Zack Smith. Bobby Ryan is expected to play. If Smith can’t go, Tom Pyatt is in. He’s a speedy checking winger who kills penalties. The type that gives our team problems. He also was in the famed Scott Gomez for McDonagh deal with Montreal. Keep an eye on him.

Ottawa is also inserting Chris Wideman on D for Fredrik Claesson.

I have faith in the Rangers to get it done. They must play with the same edge. If they do, there’s no doubt they’ll send the series back to Ottawa tied 2-2 with a big Game 5 coming..

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No Crosby, No Problem for Pens

Posted on May 4, 2017 by Derek
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The Pens celebrate a goal with Braden Holtby looking on. Is it another Caps early exit at the hands of Pittsburgh who now lead the second round rematch 3-1? It could be even minus Sidney Crosby. AP Photo via Getty Images courtesy Pittsburgh Penguins.

Who needs Sidney Crosby? Not the Pens. They beat the Caps without him defeating hockey’s biggest chokers 3-2 to take Game 4 and go up 3-1 in the Metropolitan Division Final series.

Marc-Andre Fleury was again the story stopping 36 of 38 shots sent his way. He’s continued to outplay a listless Braden Holtby, who allowed three goals on 18 shots. It’s been the steady play of the 32-year old Fleury who backstopped the Pens to a Stanley Cup in 2009 that’s been the difference. He’s made all the big saves while Holtby hasn’t.

If it is indeed Fleury’s last run with Pittsburgh, he’s going out in style. In all three Pens wins against the Caps, they’ve been outshot by a lot. You can make the argument that Washington could be at least tied if they got better goaltending. They haven’t nor have they gotten an inspired performance from Alexander Ovechkin. The Great Eight was MIA tonight. It was his worst game of the playoffs. Two days after his controversial slash to Crosby which put him in a prone position for Matt Niskanen’s cross check which concussed the Pens captain, the Caps’ leader only had two shots and took two undisciplined penalties.

Trailing by a goal in a big third, Ovechkin was nowhere to be found. Neither were line-mates Nicklas Backstrom or T.J. Oshie. Something that didn’t sit well with Washington coach Barry Trotz, who called out his best players afterwards. Oshie had an assist but got nabbed for a phantom high-sticking penalty with under two minutes left which Nick Bonino sold. Backstrom didn’t have a shot while Oshie had only two. That’s four total shots for the Caps’ top line. Not enough.

The Pens made the most of their chances. In a scoreless game, Patric Hornqvist got behind Caps D pair Brooks Orpik and Karl Alzner to beat Holtby on a breakaway at 4:39 of the first period. Pittsburgh defenseman Olli Maatta led him with a perfect pass. It was the only goal in the first 20 minutes with Fleury stopping all 12 shots sent his way. Holtby turned aside eight of nine.

From that point, the Caps held a 26-9 advantage in shots the final two periods. But they fell behind a pair when Pens rookie Jake Guentzel continued his amazing run by having the good fortune of having a shot go right off Washington’s Dmitry Orlov’s skate and in for a 2-0 lead at 3:51 of the second. It was his eighth goal of the playoffs.

That’s when Washington woke up from its malaise. Showing more urgency, they tilted the ice. The end result was scoring two goals in a span of 1:12 to tie it at two. First, Justin Williams made a great backhand feed across to set up Evgeny Kuznetsov for his fourth of the postseason. A wire of a wrist shot past Fleury at 7:21. Marcus Johansson started it with a key secondary assist.

Then off some sustained pressure, Washington defenseman Nate Schmidt’s one-timer off a Oshie feed beat Fleury high glove to tie the score. Kevin Shattenkirk drew the secondary helper.

Just like that, the game was tied. The Caps had all the momentum when John Carlson took an undisciplined minor penalty for roughing. Sure enough, the opportunistic Pens made him pay. It was Evgeni Malkin who drew plenty of attention. The Caps weren’t gonna allow him to get his lethal shot off from the circle. Instead, Malkin patiently waited before finding an open Justin Schultz at the point for a one-time blast high to the stick side past a crouching Holtby with 8:36 left to give the Pens a 3-2 lead. It was Schultz’ second goal in as many games.

That was the extent of the Pens’ offense. The rest was just defend and depend on Fleury. He was awfully good turning aside 15 of 17 second period shots. One highlight included a two pad stack job to plenty of cheers from the home crowd.

There was also some rough stuff. As expected between two rivals following Game 3, you had players exchanging pleasantries. There was Caps’ pest Tom Wilson almost going knee on knee with Chris Kunitz, who is no stranger to mixing it up. As play continued, Kunitz went after Wilson with the two going off during a scrum in which Pittsburgh defenseman Ian Cole got called for closing his hand on the puck. But the Caps didn’t get enough good looks on the power play. Instead, they wasted it with Shattenkirk firing a deflected shot over the net.

They were given another golden opportunity when Matt Cullen went off for high-sticking Williams, drawing blood. That meant a four-minute power play. The Pens killed off the first half to end the period with the lead. At the start of the third, it was again a focused Pittsburgh who out-executed Washington’s power play which may as well have been related to the Rangers. That’s how poorly they failed misfiring in four chances. The Pens went 1-for-5 with the one Schultz’ game-winner.

In defensive mode, the Pens sacrificed their bodies to get the win. Under coach Mike Sullivan who was a top assistant of John Tortorella with the Rangers, Pittsburgh played a similar style in the third. They blocked shots and made it tough on the Caps. Even though they got nine shots through on Fleury, they never gave any indication they could tie it.

As a team, the Pens blocked 24 shots and let Fleury see the other nine. They protected the lead by flustering the Caps. One such shift saw Phil Kessel forecheck by outmaneuvering Backstrom along the boards before dumping the puck behind the Caps net to kill off precious time.

Then came the fake out by Bonino. Oshie got his stick up on him. Initially, it looked like the right call. But NBC replays clearly showed that Oshie’s stick only contacted Bonino’s chest. The veteran pulled a move Crosby’s done before as well as other players. He moved his head up and got the call. That severely hurt the Caps’ chances.

They still were able to pull Holtby and get an offensive draw following an icing with 36 seconds remaining. But the Pens killed off the time to preserve the one-goal win and go up 3-1 in the second round series rematch.

When the buzzer sounded, the Caps didn’t engage the Pens. Instead, they went quietly skating off. There was no message sent. Their body language read like a defeated team. You wonder if psychologically, they believe they can come back. Even with Crosby’s status uncertain along with Conor Sheary with each having concussions, it looks like the Pens are in their heads. Fleury is a big reason why. He’s been spectacular.

The one Cap with experience coming back is Williams. He won’t be intimidated. He has won with the Kings twice and once with the Hurricanes. He was part of that Kings team that came back from a 3-0 deficit to stun the Sharks. His experience can help. But what about the rest of a fragile team that’s never been past the second round? Are they beaten?

They’ll have the benefit of an extra day off to prepare for a do or die Game 5 on Saturday. They can either go quietly or pull off what the ’14-15 Rangers did to them in the same round. Either be labeled playoff chokers or show some character for a change and fight back. It’s their choice.

In the other game, it’s the Ducks led by a gigantic second period from who else but Ryan Getzlaf (2 goals, assist) leading Connor McDavid and the Oilers 3-2 with five and a half minutes left. If Anaheim holds on, they tie the series, meaning all four games would be won by the road team. Edmonton needs it more.

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Complete Effort gets Rangers back in it, Take Game Three 4-1, Sens lead series 2-1

Posted on May 2, 2017 by Derek
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A proud Mika Zibanejad dons the Broadway Hat after a dominant effort in which he set up Mats Zuccarello early and led by example in a big 4-1 win for the Rangers who took Game 3 against the Senators to get back in the series. AP Photo via Getty Images courtesy NYRangers.

All it takes a little push back. The Rangers were successful in Game 3 due to that. They came out and took it to the Senators prevailing in a must have game 4-1 at a loud MSG. They now trail the Atlantic Division second round series 2-1 with a pivotal Game 4 Thursday. Win and the series is all tied. That will be the tough one to get. Figure the Sens to play with more urgency.

From the outset, the Rangers were hungrier to the puck and made crisp tape to tape passes getting through the neutral zone with ease. It resulted in an early goal from Mats Zuccarello. On a smart second effort play by defenseman Dan Girardi, he pushed the puck off the wall to an on rushing Mika Zibanejad. Flying all night, the former Senator went around the net beating Ben Harpur before coming out and catching the Sens puck watching. That allowed him to find a trailing Zuccarello for an easy one-timer past Craig Anderson to set the tone at 5:31.

Playing with a lot of purpose, the Blueshirts continued to swarm the Senators. They kept them pinned in their end for long stretches. The ice was indeed tilted. With Ottawa having issues with a relentless forecheck, it was only a matter of time before they fell behind by two. Anderson had made some big stops. He was particularly good at denying Zibanejad, who was easily the Rangers’ best player. He could’ve had a hat trick but settled for a primary assist with six shots, 10 attempts and three hits all in what was likely his best night as a Ranger.

In the series, Anderson has struggled at playing pucks when he’s come out of the net. He nearly cost his team Game 2 when his turnover almost resulted in Rick Nash winning it in overtime, only to be saved by Kyle Turris. In Game 3, another Anderson miscue wasn’t as fortunate. On a great keep by Zuccarello with his team changing, he moved the puck behind the net past the Ottawa D. Michael Grabner pounced on it and stuffed home a wrap around at 13:24 for a two-goal lead. It was Grabner’s fourth of the postseason, tying him for the team lead with Brady Skjei. Playing on a third line with Jesper Fast and Kevin Hayes, he was effective making good defensive reads and getting a big goal which proved to be the game-winner.

A big part of the Rangers win was their willingness to play physical. They didn’t back down delivering a few big hits along the way. One such instance came when Tanner Glass combined with J.T. Miller to to cleanly take out Zack Smith, who landed awkwardly into the boards. The gritty Ottawa forward never returned taking just three shifts (1:50). That put Ottawa down a center who’s an effective player who wins draws and plays that physical style.

In a game where Rangers coach Alain Vigneault reinserted Glass for Pavel Buchnevich playing him on a fourth line with Miller and Oscar Lindberg, it worked out well.  They were effective at getting pucks in and recovering to cycle and generate chances. It allowed Vigneault to comfortably roll four lines without any concern.

He also got the hint and played cohesive D pair Skjei and Brendan Smith more than struggling tandem Marc Staal and Nick Holden. It worked out well with the blue line more effective. Ryan McDonagh and partner Girardi had strong games with the captain logging a team high 26:52 in 32 shifts. Girardi was splendid with an assist and a few big hits with a plus-one in 29 big shifts logging 20:00.

The Rangers could easily have been up more after the first period after out-shooting the Senators 15-5. It was 15-3 before a silly Derek Stepan back pass to no one resulted in Erik Karlsson getting one last shot on a sharp Henrik Lundqvist, who didn’t have to stand on his head in finishing with 26 saves.

As expected, the second was choppier. The Sens made more of an effort to get pucks in and step up their forecheck. But despite more pressure, they were unable to get anything by Lundqvist when they needed to. Defensively, the Rangers stuck with it by boxing out in front allowing their goalie to see the shots unlike a disastrous Game 2. In particular, Girardi did a better job in this area as did teammates. Forwards also came back harder. There wasn’t the looseness we got on Saturday.

They knew what was at stake. They also was opportunistic. With Karlsson caught on a pinch colliding with a teammate, it resulted in Stepan passing for Rick Nash on a two-on-one. Using Stepan as a decoy, Nash fired a laser past Anderson short side high glove for a huge third goal with 7:49 remaining. It was his first of the series and got him into it. Stepan recorded his second point also notching a shorthanded goal last game. A positive sign.

In a period where the Sens got more opportunities, Lundqvist was there stopping 11 of 12 shots. Prior to Ottawa scoring from guess who, a great shift by the fourth line resulted in a Lindberg goal. The play was made by Glass in the neutral zone with an attacking Miller using his superb skating to undress Ottawa’s defense and then center for a wide open Lindberg in front for an easy put away that made it 4-0 with 1:43 left.

But before you could relax, there was that man Jean-Gabriel Pageau once again being a thorn in the side by getting to a great no look Bobby Ryan feed and scoring his fifth in two games just 32 seconds later to cut it to 4-1 with 1:11 remaining. Ryan made the whole play by catching McDonagh puck watching behind the net and making a great pass for an open Pageau, who finished in front. He really is a gnat. He’s been the Sens’ best forward by far.

That was it for the scoring. Despite some great individual efforts from Zibanejad, who used his speed and elusiveness during a couple of instances to get by stationary Ottawa D and force Anderson into some tough saves. Honestly, Anderson kept it from being a blowout. He was really good. He faced the higher quality chances and made some big stops to finish with 26 saves. The Rangers out-shot the Senators 30-27.

Even though they held a 10-6 edge in the third, the Sens never did get any great looks on Lundqvist, who saw the puck and stopped it. That included a couple on dangerous shooter Kyle Turris and one on Karlsson from way out which he easily covered. One such Karlsson blast never made it. He ripped on from the point that caught Ryan flush in the hip where there’s no padding. He limped off to the locker room and didn’t return.

So, Ottawa lost two forwards. Smith and Ryan. It’ll be interesting to see what Ottawa coach Guy Boucher has to say about their status. Don’t expect anything until tomorrow at the soonest. Ryan didn’t look good. Smith didn’t return after being hobbled. So, it’s possible the Sens might have to use reinforcements. Does that mean Tom Pyatt or even Chris Neil? Would they consider talented first round pick Colin White, who helped Team USA win gold at the World Juniors? We’ll see.

For the Rangers, they stuck to the game plan making it harder on the Sens. It resulted in them protecting home ice. The home team has won all three games in the series. Now, the Rangers need to repeat it on Thursday. Do it and it becomes a best two-of-three with the pressure shifting to the Senators.

BONY 3 Stars:

3rd Star-J.T. Miller, Rangers (primary assist on Lindberg goal, 2 attempts, +1 in 18 shifts-12:02-more like the player we’ve seen before)

2nd Star-Mats Zuccarello, Rangers (goal-4th to also tie for team lead, assist, in beast mode after a quiet first 2 games, 2 hits, 2 takeaways, +2 in 23 shifts-18:16)

1st Star-Mika Zibanejad, Rangers (primary assist on Zuccarello goal, 6 shots, 10 attempts, +2 in 25 shifts-17:14)

Notes: Attempts were 56-54 Rangers. In the first, it was a dominant 26-12 setting the tone. … The hits went in favor of the Senatoes 34-31 with four apiece from Tommy Wingels and a invisible Derick Brassard, who remains without a point in the series. Girardi and Staal paced the Blueshirts with four each. Both were better. Staal in less ice-time (16:17) went plus-two. Outside of his failure to take Pageau, McDonagh was fantastic finishing with three shots in six attempts with two blocked shots while going plus-one in 32 shifts-26:52. … On the flip side, Karlsson had an off night finishing minus-three in 26 shifts-23:42 despite four shots in 12 attempts. Ottawa shooter Mike Hoffman was also minus-three. … Rangers blocked 19 shots compared to the Senators’ 11. Smith paced them with three while Cody Ceci had five for Ottawa. … Rangers held an edge in face-offs 29-28 with Stepan a more effective 7-and-3. Pageau paced the Sens going 14-and-6.

Kovy Returns to MSG and hears the cheers. 🙂

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Game 3 Rangers must win and Glass is in for Buchnevich

Posted on May 2, 2017 by Derek

Game 3 will start in 10 minutes. For the Rangers, it’s do or die. Not literally. But if they don’t win on home ice at MSG tonight, then they may as well book tee times for the rest of the month.

Here they are trailing the Senators 2-0 with both losses in excruciating fashion. Game 1 on Erik Karlsson’s sharp angle goal that stunned Henrik Lundqvist. Game 2 on Jean-Gabriel Druce Pageau scoring twice in the final 3:19 and then bombing one past Lundqvist in double overtime for a four goal night in an improbable Ottawa 6-5 win in sudden death. One in which Nick Holden got caught pinching on the winner leaving Marc Staal to defend a two-on-one. He gave Pageau the shot and he hit the top corner with a bullet.

So, now the Blueshirts must dig deep at MSG. Win tonight and they’re back in it. So, what is Alain Vigneault’s response? Naturally, to bench Pavel Buchnevich for Tanner Glass. Nothing against Glass, who’ll work hard on a fourth line with Oscar Lindberg and whipping boy J.T. Miller. But how can Vigneault justify rolling four lines? It’s gonna be hard against Ottawa, who can play four and have proven fully capable unlike Montreal.

Miller looked better in the last game and what’s his reward. On a mismatched fourth line that probably will get on the score sheet. Isn’t that how it always works? Miller should be on one of the top two lines. Enough of this crap. Sure. His postseason has been miserable. But he was one of the most dangerous Rangers in the third period and the overtimes after Vigneault cut down to 10 forwards and moved him up.

With AV, he is stubborn to a fault. Loyal to the mismatched Staal/Holden pair that has been a nightmare. Unwilling to play Brady Skjei and Brendan Smith enough. If he doesn’t tonight, it’s his funeral.

For the 18 skaters including Lundqvist, who better deliver after an awful Game 2, they know what’s at stake. I’m guaranteeing a Rangers victory. I believe in this experienced group and their character. Now, it’s time for them to show it!

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Niskanen injures Crosby in Caps win, biased Pens reporter, total chaos

Posted on May 2, 2017 by Derek

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In case you missed it, the other Eastern Conference Semifinal series continued last night in Pittsburgh. After losing the first two games at home, the top seeded Caps defeated the Pens 3-2 in overtime on Kevin Shattenkirk’s power play goal at 3:13.

It really was a wild and chaotic game that had a bit of everything. That included ex-Pens defenseman Matt Niskanen being assessed a five-minute major and game misconduct for crosschecking Sidney Crosby in the head. A controversial play that occurred after Crosby was engaged in front of Braden Holtby while trying to score. He took a slash from behind from Alexander Ovechkin and lost his footing as Niskanen closed in. There was no intent but the Washington defenseman did make contact with Crosby up high injuring him. He left the game and didn’t return. Here’s the play in question:

https://twitter.com/JeffVeillette/status/859193969900744705

Originally, I felt it should only be a minor penalty for cross checking. But as NBC’s Mike Milbury and Keith Jones analyzed during intermission, Niskanen did make contact with Crosby’s head. You are responsible for your stick. Of course, my timeline didn’t agree. Some even felt it wasn’t even a penalty which was insanity. Sure. Crosby gets the benefit of the doubt when it comes to some of his stick work. But come on.

As for how it impacted the game, the Caps were able to take a 2-0 lead on the Pens. Nicklas Backstrom was able to bank a puck in off Pittsburgh’s Ian Cole past Marc-Andre Fleury during a five-on-three in the first period. That was about the only way they could beat Fleury, who was outstanding. In the third, Evgeny Kuznetsov patiently waited for Fleury to go down before shooting over his outstretched pad to finish off a three-on-two on a great pass from Marcus Johansson giving Washington a two-goal lead.

The way they played, it looked like it was a foregone conclusion they would win without a problem. But they are the Caps and the Pens are the Pens. With Fleury pulled for an extra attacker and the Pens down two players (Crosby and Conor Sheary), Evgeni Malkin beat Holtby with a wicked one-timer short side high glove to make it 2-1 with 1:53 left. It was a ridiculous shot off a great feed from Phil Kessel.

I joked about how funny it would be if the Caps blew it. With the Rangers Game 2 debacle still fresh, Washington made it look tame. Indeed, they collapsed even worse by allowing Justin Schultz to tie the game 48 seconds later when his one-timer from Malkin deflected off T.J. Oshie and past Holtby with 1:05 remaining.

It really was astonishing. Here were the Caps who needed this game in the worst way. They couldn’t close out the Pens, who were without two forwards including the world’s best player. That hurt Pittsburgh tremendously with their power play 0-for-5. In fact, they hadn’t mustered much in the third until Fleury went off. They were able to score the two goals despite only having six shots. That’s how well the Caps defended 5-on-5.

Needless to say, another great Pens comeback forced the game into sudden death. Could the Caps recover? They were helped out when Johansson split Olli Maatta and Trevor Daley forcing Daley to go off for holding 2:40 into overtime. Off a good rush and entry from Kuznetsov, Backstrom worked the puck to an open Shattenkirk at the point. A player who had struggled mightily throughout, he did the one thing he’s good at. Shattenkirk unleashed a perfect wrist shot through traffic that beat Fleury at 3:13 of OT to give the Caps a huge win.

In doing so, they saved their season. Now, it’s a series. Also, there was a lot more physicality and scrums which led to the teams going at it. That stuff favors the Caps because the Pens aren’t the kind of team who likes to do that. They got sucked into some bad penalties. In particular, Malkin who boarded Tom Wilson from behind to hand Washington a power play.

More interesting was the post game press conference of Washington coach Barry Trotz. He discussed the Niskanen play and called it a hockey play. It was more of a reaction than anything. For his part, Niskanen said he didn’t mean for Crosby to get hurt and hoped he’d be back. The question is what is his status. He looked to have turned an ankle prior to Niskanen’s hit. Is that the injury or should fans be concerned about a possible concussion? Pittsburgh coach Mike Sullivan provided no update on either Crosby or Sheary while refusing to discuss the Niskanen cross check. He was fuming.

There was a heated exchange between Trotz and Pittsburgh troll Rob Rossi. A biased Pens beat reporter who frequently crosses the line with garbage columns that are an insult to hockey fans. He accused Ovechkin of causing Crosby’s injury due to the uncalled slash which made him prone to the Niskanen high hit.

The article is pure trash from someone who isn’t objective. That Trotz barked back at him when he tried to goad him during a question and answer segment showed a lack of professionalism. Trotz handled it well. Rossi basically tried to bully the Caps coach.

It is what it is. This is who Rossi is. A tool who somehow gets paid to cover the sport. He wants Ovechkin tossed from the series for an uncalled minor penalty for slashing. Of course, he also wants Niskanen given the gate and accused the Caps of planning to deliberately injure Crosby. All cause Backstrom called a team meeting following Game 2.

This isn’t the old days. That stuff doesn’t happen anymore. Especially during a playoff series of a game of utmost significance. The Caps needed to focus on the scoreboard. Winning was the only option. That they were able to escape with a victory after the late third period collapse showed a lot of character.

It’s an absurd accusation by a clueless writer who has a clear bias. I don’t even think Pittsburgh fans can defend this nonsense.

Game 4 should be a real treat. It will be very interesting to see what happens.

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Ticket costs for Rangers second round are expensive

Posted on May 1, 2017 by Derek

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I received this email from TicketIQ on the cost of the second round for Rangers games. Not surprisingly, they are one of the most expensive tickets on the secondary market. Read it and weep.

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