Blandisi powers Devils past Rangers 3-2 in exciting overtime

Posted on March 21, 2017 by Derek
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John Quenneville shows off the puck of his first career NHL goal following a Devils’ 3-2 overtime win over the Rangers. He also set up Joseph Blandisi’s winner. AP Photo via Getty Images courtesy NJDevils. 

The final installment of the Hudson Rivalry went to the Jersey side. The Devils earned it thanks to some top notch goaltending from Cory Schneider along with the brilliant play of two young players. John Quenneville scored his first career NHL goal and set up Joseph Blandisi’s overtime winner with 55 seconds left to give the Devils an exciting 3-2 win over the Rangers at The Prudential Center before 16,514.

After the two teams battled a tight checking affair for the first half, Quenneville got the scoring started with his first NHL goal. It came on the power play from Blandisi and another youngster Pavel Zacha at 15:16 of the second period. With Brendan Smith off for tripping, the Devils took full advantage of a Rangers’ penalty kill overload. Zacha passed for Blandisi, who then made a sweet dish across for a Quenneville shot into an open side past Antti Raanta. A well executed play by the Devils’ power play against a struggling penalty kill.

Finally awoken from a malaise, the Rangers responded. Oscar Lindberg continued his strong play by getting his seventh from Pavel Buchnevich and Ryan McDonagh to tie the score with 3:07 remaining. Off a strong cycle from the fourth line, McDonagh kept a puck alive getting it down to Buchnevich. Buchnevich came out and made a great centering feed for an open Lindberg, who was able to beat Schneider in front. Jimmy Vesey also did some good work down low. The newly minted fourth line looks like a keeper.

Sparked by Lindberg’s 10th point in the last 21 games, the Rangers nearly went ahead on the next shift. They threatened but weren’t able to untie the game. Instead, it was a relentless forecheck by the Devils which allowed Taylor Hall to put them back ahead. Kyle Palmieri forced Nick Holden into a bad giveaway. New Jersey’s top scoring line with Travis Zajac centering it had been dangerous all night. Raanta had previously robbed Hall and Palmieri on a few chances. This time, Palmieri passed across for Hall, who got everything on a laser of a shot going top shelf inside the bar for his 18th making it 2-1 with 2:38 left.

But before the period concluded, some nasty stuff took place. For much of the rivalry the past few years, that edge has been missing. Outside of J.T. Miller and Steven Santini exchanging pleasantries post-whistle, there really hadn’t been much. That all changed when Holden delivered a clean hit on Miles Wood near his bench. Getting hit close to the glass, Wood didn’t take kindly to it. Right away, he made a bee line for Holden and started pounding him earning a two-minute instigator along with five for fighting and a misconduct totaling 17 penalty minutes.

The rough stuff with 17 seconds remaining rubbed off as other Rangers and Devils squared off. Smith got into it with a Devil after trying to help out the over matched Holden. It was probably Santini, who plays with the edge the other Devils’ D lack. While Wood won his scrap with Holden to cheers, Vesey mixed it up with Blake Coleman on the other side. Vesey landed some punches but Coleman got the take down in an entertaining fight.

It was refreshing to see some animosity between the two rivals. It really has lacked that extra intensity for a while. Maybe due to where each team is in the standings. One thing was clear. The Devils played hard and didn’t want to get swept by the Rangers in the season series. They had played them tight the last two games but fell short. This one would have a different result in a building they don’t win in.

The extra two to Wood eventually resulted in a tying power play goal from Rick Nash. It was astonishing that the Rangers scored on it. That’s how pathetic the power play is. Their special teams continue to be an issue with the penalty kill stinking it up. Maybe it misses Dan Girardi. We’ll leave that up for debate. As for Nash scoring, he ended a nine-game drought. How did he do it? By going to the hard area and tying it on a quick backhand in front on a very good pass from Kevin Hayes. Along with Brady Skjei, who registered another point, Hayes was patient before passing in front for an open Nash, who turned and backhanded one home five-hole past Schneider for his 19th at 1:21.

It has to be a confidence boost for Nash, who really has struggled. He gets chances every game but hasn’t finished. So, for him to finally score is a good sign. He threatened to score again during a lopsided third period in which the Rangers controlled puck possession and shots, out-shooting the Devils 17-9. There were many long shifts that the Newark hosts spent extended time in their end, relying on big saves from Schneider to keep it tied.

They also caught some breaks with two shots going off the goalpost. The snake bit Derek Stepan rang one off the bar. So did Mats Zuccarello off a clean face-off win. At one point, Stepan was patted on the back by teammate Chris Kreider while on the bench. The good news is he’s getting chances. Hopefully, he’ll finish strong entering the playoffs.

Both netminders were brilliant. Schneider played one of his best games of the season finishing with 38 saves to win for just the 20th time this season. Raanta was superb in stopping 26 of 29 shots. His best coming during a Devils onslaught when through a maze of traffic, he dove on top of a shot and covered up. How he saw it, I don’t know.

The game was destined for overtime. The 3-on-3 was chaotic. The Rangers controlled most of it. Schneider came out and challenged a streaking Michael Grabner, who was in. He made a desperation toe save on an aggressive poke check. Raanta denied Hall in tight on a backhand.

But it was the Blueshirts who maintained puck possession. Eventually, it would be McDonagh, Hayes and Grabner caught out for over a minute. They were in the Devils zone pressing the attack. Hayes came the closest to ending it going in on Schneider and attempting a Forsberg only to be denied by a sliding Schneider, who wouldn’t allow the Rangers to win it.

Eventually, McDonagh got the puck and had room in the slot. He let go of a hard wrist shot that missed the net wide. Once that happened, the three Rangers were cooked. Having been out for an extended shift, it led directly to Quenneville and Blandisi coming two-on-one. With a tired McDonagh leaning, Quenneville was able to slide a pass across to a cutting Blandisi, who in one motion turned and beat Raanta with a beautiful backhand deke tuck job with Grabner watching at 4:05.

An excited Blandisi punched the glass to cheers. He was selected as the game’s first star with Schneider second and Quenneville third. In what’s been a trying season, it was a feel good win for the Devils, who got the better of their closest rivals.

For the Rangers, there’s no time for rest. They are back at it tomorrow night in the second of a back-to-back when they host the desperate Islanders at MSG in a Rivalry showdown on NBCSN at 8 PM. I really don’t care about tonight’s loss. I don’t care about the other eight games. I care about this one game. The Islanders have owned the Rangers for seemingly ever. It would be nice to get a win in regulation and further hurt their playoff chances.

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A happy bunch of Devils celebrate Joseph Blandisi’s overtime winner at the glass by an excited fan. AP Photo via Getty Images courtesy Devils.

BONY 3 Stars:

3rd Star-Joseph Blandisi, Devils (OT winner on nice backhand deke-3rd of season, assist, 2 shots, +1 in 24 shifts-15:15)

2nd Star-John Quenneville, Devils (1st career NHL goal, great feed on Blandisi’s OT winner, 2 shots, +1 in 24 shifts-15:33)

1st Star-Cory Schneider, Devils (38 saves including 16/17 in busy 3rd)

Notes: Shots were 40-29 Rangers who fell to 17-18-3 when out-shooting the opponent. They’re 27-6-1 when out-shot and 1-0-0 in even shots. … The Rangers scored their 91st goal in the third. They have outscored opponents 91-65 in third periods. … Total attempts were 68-41 Rangers. But none of the fancy stats including beloved Corsi mattered. The Devils prevailed on the scoreboard by competing hard and getting clutch performances from Schneider and their kids. … Andy Greene blocked 6 shots. Devils totaled 11. The Rangers only blocked six shots. Key Stat: Missed Shots NYR-17 NJD-6. … Even face-offs favored the Blueshirts by a lot 43-27 with Lindberg a dominant 10-and-3 in 12:03 (19 shifts). Zajac was the Devils’ best going 13-and-14. … Mika Zibanejad tied with Hall for the lead in shots with eight.

Highlight Of Game: Quenneville to Blandisi for the OT winner:

https://twitter.com/NJDevils/status/844377489325486081

Schneider on beating the Rangers:

https://twitter.com/NJDevils/status/844368790154629121

Blandisi on the chemistry he has with Quenneville:

https://twitter.com/NJDevils/status/844371600568930305

Nash discusses his goal in loss:

Raanta talks about the overtime loss and game-winner:

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What determines a coach’s challenge?

Posted on March 20, 2017 by Derek
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Controversy surrounded a Jonathan Toews goal which was upheld by video review despite a valid offside challenge by the Avalanche who fell apart losing 6-3 to the Blackhawks. AP Photo via Getty Images courtesy Ryan Boulding.

As I sit here ready for bed, I am proposing a question to hockey fans. What determines a coach’s challenge? The reason for this is how controversial some of the NHL rulings have been following challenges.

Take for example during the Blackhawks’ furious rally in the final half of the third period in a stunning 6-3 win against the Avalanche (well maybe not). Trailing by two, Chicago captain Jonathan Toews got the second redirection for a goal which made it 3-2 with 9:43 remaining. The Avalanche immediately challenged for offside.

I didn’t get to see the replay until all the NCAA college basketball games were over. But by catching the highlights on NHL Network hosted by the wonderful Kelly Nash, I knew right away that Colorado had a good challenge which should’ve resulted in the goal being reversed. Even the Hawks’ announcers were in agreement that Toews didn’t get back in time to tag up before Richard Panik entered the zone with the puck on the blue line. However, as only the powers that be could do, they confirmed the call on the ice which meant it was a good goal.

Much to the disbelief of the Colorado bench, they never recovered. Let’s be clear here. They are a very bad team. The worst in the league. But that shouldn’t excuse the officials and Toronto from blowing the call. Here was the explanation handed out to CSN’s Tracey Myers who does a splendid job covering the Hawks:

Need further proof that the NHL messed up despite the cheesy standard explanation? Ryan Boulding of Avalanche website media relations provides it in this Gif:

You make the call? A blind person could do a better job. Of course, being that it’s the Avalanche and they are brutal, it went from 3-1 Colorado to 4-3 Chicago in a 34-second span. Goals from Panik and Artemi Panarin followed up Toews’ controversial goal. The Hawks captain would score one more for his 20th giving him 10 seasons of 20 goals or more. A Marcus Kruger empty netter was the final bookkeeping.

The Blackhawks clinched the playoffs with their win and a Calgary win over the Kings. They are now up to 99 points leading the slumping Wild by seven for the Central Division and the West’s top spot. Minnesota lost again despite rallying from a four-goal deficit before losing 5-4 at Winnipeg for their season high fifth straight loss- leaving coach Bruce Boudreau at a loss for words.

Can you blame him? I am not sure what’s happened there. But they looked like a mess against the Rangers even though they won by a goal 3-2 on Saturday in St. Paul. A game which saw the Wild come undisciplined with some unnecessary slashing minor penalties from a couple of their leaders. Congrats to Eric Staal on playing his 1,000th career game. Good for him having a great bounce back year. His 24 goals and 54 points rank second behind teammate Mikael Granlund. Staal’s seven game-winning goals lead the team.

Getting back to the original subject, why is there so much confusion on video reviews? Is it the technology they have available? Having the refs look at replays on I-Pad minis isn’t great. But what about Toronto? In some cases, it is hard to determine if a play can be overturned. Especially when it comes to an original ruling for say No Goal on the ice. Even with the benefit of replays, they don’t always have every conceivable angle or feed. Sometimes, you can tell if it should be overturned.

But we also know from the league standard that if there isn’t clear evidence, they won’t overturn a call. What is puzzling is when you have Gifs and videos like the one above that show Toews not onside which would make the whole play offside. Somehow, the original call stood. Based on what? The explanation was hideous.

What if this happens in the NHL Playoffs at a crucial moment in a game? That’s why there is growing concern. Some of the offside challenges take forever to figure out. It slows up the game which definitely can hurt momentum and frustrate fans. Of course, they want to get each call right.

I’ve been consistent in pointing out that I believe they need to make adjustments to the coach’s challenge. Especially when it pertains to offside. If it’s a millimeter off, then it’s a waste of time. In my view, that shouldn’t matter. If it’s clear as day, then by all means use the technology to overturn a call made on the ice.

I’m also not a big proponent of a coach losing their timeout for not winning a challenge. It really puts them in a tough bind. Do they challenge and take the chance of getting it wrong and losing their timeout or do they save the timeout for an icing when players are exhausted? I feel an extra timeout should be added. Especially during the postseason. Imagine you’re deadlocked and in the third overtime and you have to decide between using the timeout to rest your players or save it just in case. You can see the dilemma.

When it comes down to it, the coach’s challenge is good because it makes the game more interesting. There are instances where it’s good to have it like on goaltender interference. Though the standard remains inconsistent. The onus is still on the refs to make the right call. That means being in the proper position.

The feeling of seeing a team get the shaft like Colorado did Sunday night isn’t good. No matter how bad they are, the idea is to get it right. They clearly were screwed and momentum swung in Chicago’s favor. That’s not how it should work.

With that, my two cents is done. Onto another debate.

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The Road Warriors bounce back with 3-2 win over Minnesota

Posted on March 19, 2017 by Derek
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Road Warriors: Rangers defense gets ready for the Wild in a game they would win 3-2 for an NHL best 26th road win. AP Photo via Getty Images courtesy NYRangers. 

What a rush! If you heard those three words in the 90’s and even early 00’s, you knew it meant wrestling’s greatest tag team The Road Warriors. Like the intro song that led Hawk and Animal to the ring, it certainly applies to the Rangers who continue to puzzle at home while dominating on the road.

After losing a very winnable game to the Panthers 4-3 in a shootout to increase their winless streak at home to six, they bounced back to defeat the Wild 3-2 in St. Paul, Minnesota tonight. The win was their league best 26th on the road improving them to a ridiculous 26-9-0 away from MSG. At The Garden, they’re basically .500 going 19-15-3.

It’s why I don’t care about home ice. For this team, it’s not an advantage. As long as the Blueshirts stay locked into the first wildcard, they will start the postseason on the road where they’re most comfortable. Considering that they’re at 93 points with 10 games exactly left trailing Columbus by five and Pittsburgh by four with each having two extra games, it looks like they’ll wind up drawing the Atlantic winner which means going through the Atlantic if they can make a run.

With Montreal pulling out a shootout win at Ottawa in the first of a home-and-home, they lead the Senators by two points. The Canadiens have 11 games remaining while the Senators have 12 left. Boston is six out with 11 to go and Toronto pulled back ahead of the Islanders by a point for the final wildcard. Each got a point in overtime losses. The Leafs have 12 left while the Isles have 11. The Lightning remain two behind after losing to the Caps, who finally hit the century mark to go two up on Columbus for the Metro.

The playoff race is heating up. For the Rangers, they seem locked in as the top wildcard a full 14 points up on the Leafs and 15 on the Islanders. They can take solace knowing they know how to win in enemy territory. Where they play a more straight ahead game instead of the fancy pants one that drives fans nuts.

After falling behind on an Eric Staal goal giving him 24 for his new team, they got the next three. Minnesota native Brady Skjei tied the game on a one-timer for his fourth of the season from Mats Zuccarello and Adam Clendening, who came out of the doghouse for an assist replacing healthy scratch Steve Kampfer. I’m not even sure what Kampfer did to get scratched. But at least Clendening got back in and contributed. What would it take for Alain Vigneault to sit Marc Staal out for a game?

It was a standout performance for Oscar Lindberg, who led the way with his sixth goal and a primary helper. Playing with rookies Jimmy Vesey and Pavel Buchnevich on a more skating fourth line, the improving sophomore pivot showed his worth. In 16 shifts which amounted to only 9:59 of ice-time (why not more?), he was dominant centering the kids. That line scored the final two goals.

Lindberg buried home his sixth off a brilliant backhand feed by J.T. Miller from behind the net to put the Rangers in front at 7:46 of the second period. A play started by Derek Stepan, who was strong defensively throughout despite a mixture of players on his line which included the slumping Rick Nash. Vigneault is pretty desperate to get Nash going. He had both Miller and Chris Kreider take shifts on the line. Still nothing from the most disappointing $7.8 million man in hockey. He’s now without a goal in nine straight and has four since 2/5.

While the coach tries to solve Nash’s inability to finish, at least for one night he discovered a new combination that could make the Rangers tougher to play against. A sharp angle shot from Buchnevich with Lindberg in front was kicked out by Wild starter Devan Dubnyk right to Vesey, who scored his first goal in a month since 2/16. It was his first point of any kind since an assist on 2/26 (10 games). Buchnevich received 9:42 in 14 shifts all at even strength. Vesey took 16 shifts for 11:50 including an extra 1:31 on the power play which went 0-for-3.

If there was a bugaboo that’s plagued this team under different coaches, it’s poor line changes. From Tom Renney to John Tortorella to Alain Vigneault, they continue to take bench minors. Tonight, they were caught twice. The first led directly to Eric Staal scoring after a power play expired. The second allowed Matt Dumba to connect on a Wild power play at 4:51 of the third cutting the deficit to one. A play which couldn’t be reviewed despite Zach Parise making contact with Antti Raanta due to Vigneault having to use his timeout with his players gassed following an icing.

That’s the one sticking point with the coach’s challenge. If you use your timeout, you can’t challenge. Something that makes no sense. Ditto for the offside challenge that take forever to figure out. It slows down the game. They definitely need to make tweaks to the challenge system.

There wasn’t much else going on in the third. Outside of Nash taking Wild leading scorer Mikael Granlund with him following a wrestling match for two minutes, the teams were even in shots 8-8. Despite undisciplined penalties from Minnesota which included an unnecessary chop down from Ryan Suter breaking Marc Staal’s stick in half for an easy slashing call with 2:46 left in regulation, the Rangers were unable to take advantage. Why would they?

The power play was a mixed bag. At times, they were sloppy letting the Wild get shorthanded chances with Raanta forced to make crucial stops. In other instances, they created opportunities but failed miserably. This is who the Rangers are. A flawed, imperfect team with hideous special teams. That is why it’s hard to take them seriously as a contender.

In the playoffs, goals are tougher to come by. That’s where having a halfway decent power play could help. And the penalty kill which started off so positively has been below average for a while.

At least Prince Raanta was there to make 25 saves and get his career high 15th victory. The win came against a fading Minnesota team who hasn’t been the same since taking the lead in the West. They’ve now dropped four straight and six of their last seven with the only win coming against the mediocre Panthers. With the Blackhawks doing what they always do this time of year, they’re suddenly five up on Minnesota for the Central Division.

Maybe it’s a Bruce Boudreau thing. He’s a darn good regular season coach who can’t get it done when it counts. Mr. Haagen Dazs is very likable and is good at breaking down what’s wrong. It’s just whether he can fix it and adjust. The West is wide open. Even up and coming teams like the Oilers and Flames have a shot.

For the Blueshirts, they bankrolled two points in their hip pocket. Now, it’s two days off before a final trip to Newark for the last game against the Devils. Then the Islanders visit Wednesday where they usually play well. What teams don’t at MSG?

Good job out of Dolan raising those ticket prices through the roof for those poor suckers who sit lower than us. No wonder so many are canceling their season subscriptions. What an arrogant, greedy jerk he is. By the time he’s done ripping off loyal fans, there will be none left except us. See. We sit in the final two rows with an obstructed view. So, our seats went up a whole two bucks to $37. It’s not like I go much anyway. I hate the new MSG. It’s got no character or soul left.

A sore subject that will continue in another rant probably when the season ends. For now, there are 10 games remaining. Six on the road and four at home. I got to two. I believe one is the emotional night of the Steven McDonald Award in which our hero will be there in spirit watching over his son Pat present it. I voted for Miller over Michael Grabner. Jesper Fast is also a big candidate. He did what he does best blocking a shot to help protect the lead. Raanta should be in the mix too. Extra Effort!

BONY 3 Stars:

3rd Star-J.T. Miller, NYR (great pass for Lindberg goal-assist, leads team with 52 points but only plays 13:56 including 11:13 ES while Vigneault caters to the vets who don’t produce.)

2nd Star-Brady Skjei, NYR (goal-4th of season, 3 shots, 2 blocks, +1 in 27 shifts-17:25)

1st Star-Oscar Lindberg, NYR (goal-6th, assist-9 points in his last 20 games)

Play of Game: J.T. sets up Oscar

Rangers celebrate another road win

Hometown kid Brady talks about his goal and the team win

Miller discusses the victory and his pass

 

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Who’s On First?

Posted on March 16, 2017 by Derek

Who's On First

If you’ve ever seen Abbott and Costello, then you know where the title of this post comes from. The memorable “Who’s On First?” sketch remains one that is still played on the radio airwaves on WFAN in New York by Steve Somers.

Of course, it’s a baseball reference. So, it has nothing to do with hockey. However, when you look at how coach Alain Vigneault manages the Rangers, it definitely applies. As his team gets healthier minus Henrik Lundqvist down the stretch, Vigneault has more options when it comes to the lineup.

With Jesper Fast set to return from a separated shoulder for tomorrow’s home match versus the Panthers, the gritty third-year Swede will do so at the expense of rookie forward Pavel Buchnevich. That is the decision Vigneault came to. Both puzzling and troubling. Not in the sense that the 21-year old Russian can’t be sat. He can. Vigneault is correct that he still needs work defensively to become a more consistent offensive player.

However, it makes you roll your eyes when Tanner Glass is still in the lineup. Nothing against the proud veteran who had a feel good return scoring a goal and assist in a win. But he’s not an everyday player. That’s why he plays on the fourth line and sees limited action. Glass brings a physical element and edge that’s been missing. But he shouldn’t be used daily.

Newell Brown, Raffi Torres, Alain Vigneault, Chris Higgins, Tanner Glass

Alain Vigneault and Tanner Glass in Vancouver with the Canucks. A combo the Rangers still have despite better forward depth. AP Photo via Getty Images courtesy NESN.

We’ve been here before with Vigneault and his favorite pupil who played for him in Vancouver the year they made it all the way to Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final. The ending at home against Boston was cruel. It had little to do with Glass. But rather Vigneault’s star players failing to perform up to expectation. What should’ve been the Canucks’ first championship instead was the Bruins’ sixth.

Since 2010-11, Glass has played for Winnipeg, Pittsburgh before signing a three-year contract with the Rangers in the summer of 2014. One that was met with plenty of opposition. Even I couldn’t understand it. But Vigneault played him in 66 regular season games with Glass scoring a goal with five assists to go with 98 penalty minutes and 213 hits, which ranked second on the team. During the Rangers’ run to the Stanley Cup Final, he played 19 games and had an assist with 31 PIM.

In his second season, he didn’t make the roster right away. Instead, Glass went down to Hartford after clearing waivers. By December, he was recalled and never went back. He improved his production scoring four times with three assists and 66 PIM. Glass led the team with 213 hits in 57 contests and got into four games in a first round loss to the Pens.

Last off-season, Rangers GM Jeff Gorton made some key additions to address the lack of forward depth by adding Michael Grabner, Brandon Pirri while signing college rookie free agent Jimmy Vesey and Buchnevich. Along with a salary dump of popular Blueshirt Derick Brassard to Ottawa for Mika Zibanejad and a second round pick which became defenseman Brendan Smith, Gorton has done a good job.

The added depth meant Glass went down to Hartford because there was no room for him. He didn’t sulk. Instead, the 33-year old played in 57 games totaling six goals and nine assists with 86 PIM. It was following a humiliation a couple of weeks ago against an improved Montreal in which they pushed the Rangers around at home (why wouldn’t they?) that the organization had seen enough.

Up came Glass. He impressed in his first NHL game of the season by taking on the bigger Luke Witkowski in a fight that last 67 seconds at Tampa. He also delivered a couple of thumping hits and crashed the net causing a scrum. Something that rubbed off on his normally passive teammates, who played with more edge. Even Vesey went back at a Lightning player. It was a welcome change with the Blueshirts posting a 1-0 overtime win with Zibanejad the hero along with Antti Raanta (38 saves).

For an encore, Glass scored his first goal on a rebound by parking himself in front and helping set up Nick Holden’s goal in a 5-2 win at Florida. It was the gritty Glass who perfectly screened James Reimer allowing Holden to score.

When it comes to the player who has been widely discussed on social media, it remains a sore subject for many fans. Why did Vigneault have Glass out in the final minute over Buchnevich down a goal in a frustrating 4-3 loss at Carolina? He did get to a rebound but was stopped. But he’s not an offensive guy. Rather a role player who can inject life with his energy when it’s needed.

In a 4-1 win over Detroit, Glass had six hits in 16 shifts (11:05) while playing on the fourth line with Oscar Lindberg and Vesey. In a predictable 3-2 home defeat to the Lightning in which they allowed only 16 shots, Glass was on for a goal against with two hits in 10 minutes. In the same game, Buchnevich missed a point blank chance wide hanging his head on the bench. He wasn’t the only one. As usual, Rick Nash generated but frustrated. Zibanejad missed a wide open one-timer on a power play. That was the story.

Vigneault had gone back to a combo that worked earlier with Buchnevich and Nash playing with Zibanejad. While they have created chances, they haven’t finished enough. So, Buchnevich gets victimized while Glass stays in on the fourth line. To be honest, he’s a better fit on that line.

Someone will just have to explain to me how Fast is now on a third line with Kevin Hayes and Grabner while Vesey is mismanaged on the fourth line. Nothing against Fast, who can move up when necessary and give that extra effort in the corners. But if the coach isn’t gonna put his more talented first-year players in a position to succeed, there’s no hope for the future.

It’s the same old song and dance with Vigneault. Everyone knows that Glass is best suited as a 13th forward you can occasionally insert. The Rangers’ best lineup has to have Buchnevich and Vesey in the top nine. But the issue is Grabner has such great chemistry with Hayes and J.T. Miller, it’s hard to move him down. Vesey got a look on that third line with Grabner out but didn’t score.

Some have also wondered why Vesey never comes out while Buchnevich does. Maybe it’s because Vesey is a couple of years older and more mature. The coaching staff trusts him more. But not enough to elevate to the third line with Miller replacing Buchnevich on the second unit. It’s mystifying.

The concern is this. Are we about to see Vigneault again not utilize his lineup the right way in the playoffs? The way he miscast rental Eric Staal and stuck him on the wing with Hayes in a combo that never worked while not trying Staal on the point of the power play. Staal’s recovered just fine with the Wild tied for the team lead in goals (23) with his 53 points ranking second. Interesting, the 53 points would put him first on the Rangers. Three ahead of Miller, who’s 50 are a career best. So are Chris Kreider’s 26 goals and 48 points. Hayes has a career high 47 points.

What happens when Dan Girardi is finally healthy along with Kevin Klein? Obviously, Steven Kampfer comes out. A player who has impressed enough to make chart darling Adam Clendening the odd man out. But what about the D pairings? Girardi is higher on the depth chart than Klein, who’s looked broken all year from debilitating injuries.

Vigneault can’t be serious keeping Marc Staal paired up with Ryan McDonagh. It’s produced mixed results. The negative being the winning goal they allowed to Brayden Point on Monday. A play in which Staal over committed going for the poke taking him out of the play and McDonagh failing to check Point for a tap in. Staal just doesn’t have the foot speed anymore and is best suited as a third pair guy.

That would mean elevating Brady Skjei or keeping him with Staal. But Skjei is a rookie left D. He’s seen limited action with McDonagh late in games. A pair I’d like to see more of. Holden and Staal were effective in the first half but have fallen on hard times. Holden has worked better with Smith, who stays in the top four regardless. If not, then it’s a fail and poor reflection on the coach.

Maybe have Girardi play with Skjei on the third pair and Klein becomes the extra. Regardless, the Glass issue isn’t going away. No matter who the Rangers draw in the first round, it will be tough. It’s up to Vigneault to make the best decisions that give his team the best chance to be successful.

So, Who’s On First?

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Rangers and Sabres likely to play Winter Classic at Citi Field

Posted on March 15, 2017 by Derek
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The rumored 2018 NHL Winter Classic is expected to be played at Citi Field. Home of the Mets where the Sabres would host the Rangers. AP Photo via Getty Images courtesy SNYRangers.

The rumors have been circulating for a while regarding next year’s Winter Classic. It looks like the Rangers and Sabres will likely be playing at Citi Field in January 2018. If true, it would be the first Winter Classic for Buffalo since its inception when they hosted the Penguins in its 2008 debut on New Years Day. A game won by Sidney Crosby in a shootout at Ralph Wilson Stadium with snow falling.

If it is confirmed by the NHL, the Sabres would be the home team in Queens. You gotta love it. Similar to how the Rangers were the road team in the Coors Light Stadium Series at Yankee Stadium with separate games against the Islanders and Devils, they would be guests despite more of a local following. The only time they participated in the Winter Classic was 2012 when they defeated the Flyers 3-2 at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia. A game which was memorable for Mike Rupp scoring twice and Henrik Lundqvist preserving the win by stopping Daniel Briere on a penalty shot with 19.6 seconds remaining.

2018 would mark the 10th ever NHL Winter Classic. A classic outdoor pond hockey game hosted in a variety of historic baseball stadiums such as Fenway Park, Wrigley Field and Busch Stadium along with football stadiums such as Ralph Wilson, Heinz Field and Michigan Stadium. The visiting team has won six of the nine games. Two have been decided in a shootout and one in overtime.

The idea of having the Sabres in the game is cool. Young American Jack Eichel is one of the game’s brightest new stars. In his second season, the 20-year old center who went second overall in the famed 2015 NHL Draft which saw the Oilers grab Connor McDavid first overall has been on fire in the second half. Since the All-Star break, Eichel has 27 points (8-19-27). After having a recent 11-game point streak (5-11-16) snapped, he’s responded with two goals and an assist in Buffalo’s last two games.

Featuring Eichel in the big game is great. The Sabres are still in the process of rebuilding. They have some good young players including defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen, Jake McCabe along with forwards Evander Kane, Kyle Okposo, Ryan O’Reilly and Sam Reinhart. By next calendar year, 2016 first round pick Alex Nylander should be a part of it.

The Rangers’ biggest star remains Henrik Lundqvist. Even in the twilight of a brilliant career that’s seen him win 30-or-more games for the 11th time and crack the top 10 all-time with his 404th career win, he’s their most marketable player. With a young nucleus that includes Kevin Hayes, Chris Kreider, J.T. Miller, Ryan McDonagh, Brady Skjei, Derek Stepan, Mika Zibanejad, Mats Zuccarello along with youngsters Pavel Buchnevich and Jimmy Vesey, the Blueshirts should remain competitive in a tough Metro Division.

With Lundqvist and current Buffalo starter Robin Lehner, it could be an all Swedish affair in goal. The biggest selling point is Eichel, who will get the chance to be in the spotlight with the Sabres in front of a national audience.

Citi Field is a nice venue. A better stadium than Shea. So, it should be a unique setting. I wonder if notorious Rangers fan Matt Harvey will be on hand to drop the ceremonial first puck with David Wright. We’ll see.

As for the Islanders not getting the game, I actually like the idea of Buffalo hosting. But I can definitely see how this might stick in the craw of Islander fans. Especially with uncertainty surrounding their current venue Barclays Center. There’s even been talk about building a new arena adjacent to Citi Field in Queens. Hopefully, the Islanders will get things figured out so their long-term future remains in New York.

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Hard Hits: Why not Brad Marchand for Hart?

Posted on March 15, 2017 by Derek
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Brad Marchand showed what he could do with Sidney Crosby for Canada in the World Cup. Now he’s proving he belongs in the Hart discussion with Crosby and Connor McDavid. AP Photo via Getty Images courtesy NHL Public Relations.

As I sit here and ponder what’s been at times a confusing and long hockey season with less than a month left in the regular season, I wonder about something else. The Hart Trophy race. For weeks, it’s been basically a two horse race between the Pens’ Sidney Crosby and Oilers’ Connor McDavid.

What if I told you there were other choices the professional writers hockey association or whatever it’s called should consider? It’s easy to vote for Crosby, who’s the best player in the game. With the impressive 74 points in 62 games including a league leading 35 goals. McDavid is up to a league leading 76 points with a league best 52 assists while leading the Oilers on the verge of their first postseason since ’05-06.

Most would argue Evgeni Malkin or Brent Burns for the third candidate. Malkin quietly with one of his best years in a while way over a point-per-game at a similar clip to teammate Crosby with 72 points in 61 games. They really are an amazing 1-2 punch made scarier by the electric Phil Kessel (21-40-61). Meanwhile, Mr. Burns leads all NHL defensemen with 27 goals, 43 assists and 70 points on the Sharks to rank seventh in scoring. He hasn’t lit the lamp in a while. I want to see him get those last three goals for 30.

While most of the discussion has centered around Crosby, McDavid and Burns, here comes Patrick Kane in his race car passing Crosby as if he were standing still. With another goal and two assists in a 4-2 win at Montreal, the rating MVP is now tied with McDavid for the league lead in points with 76. What’s more? Up to 31 goals, he’s closing fast on Crosby, Malkin and Max Pacioretty in the Rocket Richard race. It hasn’t been a Hart year for Kane. But someone forgot to tell him. All he’s been doing is scoring at a ridiculous clip. Since February, Showtime has 27 points including 16 goals and 11 assists with two hat tricks.

While Kane continues his all out assault leading the Blackhawks past the suddenly slumping Wild into the West’s top spot, there is another candidate emerging in the East for a team that isn’t at the top of their division. His name is Brad Marchand. Already, I can hear the bleeps from hockey fans who hate Marchand and aren’t Bruins fans. I don’t like Boston either or some of the antics Marchand pulls. But that doesn’t make him less of a candidate.

You have to be blind or oblivious not to see what he’s doing for the Bruins. It really started when Marchand got to play with Crosby for Team Canada in the World Cup of Hockey helping them win the championship over Team Europe. It was then that they realized how good he is. He’s a royal pain in the ass. But this guy is ridiculously skilled to go with his Claude Lemieux snarl. The difference is he’s a lot better than Claude was in helping the Canadiens, Devils and Avalanche win Stanley Cups.

Marchand has been on fire. A third period hat trick led the Bruins past the Canucks 6-3 on Monday night. He did it by scoring two beauties both on backhands with the second one of the best goals of the season on a ridiculous fake and deke, backhand tuck job. Then finished off the hat trick in style with the turnaround shot from the red line into an empty net. That tied him with Crosby for the league lead with 35 goals. He also has the same amount of points (74) but in eight more games.

So, how long has Marchand been doing this? Since Jan. 24, he has 29 points including a jaw dropping 18 goals with 11 assists- including four two-goal games and one hat trick. Three of his seven game-winning goals have come during the torrid stretch. Twenty of his 35 goals have come on the road which puts him one ahead of Crosby to lead all players in road goals. His three shorthanded goals tie him for second. Since entering the league, nobody has more shorthanded goals (22) than Marchand.

After registering only an assist in his first 20 games during ’09-10, he played a pivotal role on the Bruins first Stanley Cup championship team since 1972. In ’10-11, Marchand finished with 21 goals and 20 assists for 41 points with 51 penalty minutes, a plus-25 rating and five shorthanded goals in his first full season. He followed it up by scoring 11 times with eight helpers for 19 points with 40 PIM to help Boston win their sixth Cup. The 19 points ranked third in team scoring in his first postseason as mostly a 22-year old before turning 23.

He’s been a permanent fixture playing alongside one of the game’s best two-way centers Patrice Bergeron. Arguably the best face-off man, Bergeron’s been one of the most consistent players since he entered the league as an 18-year old in ’03-04. With a core that included David Krejci, captain Zdeno Chara, former Bruins Milan Lucic and Tyler Seguin along with Tuukka Rask, they nearly won a second Cup in three years before falling in six to the Blackhawks in the 2013 playoffs.

The organization has made some tough decisions since. That included trading away the very talented Seguin to the Stars for a less impressive package that resulted in Reilly Smith becoming underachieving Jimmy Hayes with Loui Eriksson leaving for the Canucks last summer. Imagine if they didn’t butcher that. They made the right decision parting with the bruising Lucic who was moved to the Kings for Colin Miller, Martin Jones and a 2015 first round pick that became Jakub Zboril. Jones was sent to the Sharks for AHLer Sean Kuraly and a 2016 first round pick that became Trent Frederic.

The most controversial was dealing Dougie Hamilton to Calgary for three picks including a first rounder (Zachary Senyshyn) and two second rounders (Jakob Forsbacka-Karlsson) and Jeremy Lauzon with the latter two taking part in the recent U20 World Junior Championship.

They dismissed popular Cup winning coach Claude Julien after a decade. He of course landed on his feet with Montreal where the Habs are battling the Senators for first in the Atlantic Division. Interim coach Bruce Cassidy has done a good job with the B’s. Since taking over, he’s instilled a more offensive system that’s benefited Marchand along with other Bruins including evolving scoring forward David Pastrnak and center Ryan Spooner seeing hikes in production.

Without Marchand, the Bruins aren’t where they are in the standings. The 28-year old from Halifax leads them in almost every major statistical category including goals (35), tied for first in assists (39), points (74), plus/minus (19), tied for first in power play goals (8), shorthanded goals (3) and game-winners (7) with a team best 17.5 shooting percentage.

He’ll never get the accolades of a Crosby, McDavid, Kane or even Jonathan Toews because he’s viewed differently. Even if Crosby and Malkin mix it up, they’re not viewed as dirty players. But guys who get the uniform dirty and don’t back down. Neither does Marchand. But he has gotten away with stuff which is what makes him a lightning rod.

MVP candidate? Are you sure we have the right guy? I unequivocally say yes. But will he even be one of the three choices when it’s all said and done. Probably not. Like everything, it’s too political. It would be like the NBA doing the right thing and giving the MVP to the more complete Kawhi Leonard or LeBron James over stat masters James Harden and Russell Westbrook.

Say Marchand wins the Richard and somehow wins the Art Ross. Shouldn’t he merit serious consideration? You betcha.

BODY CHECKS

-When the Islanders are reliant on Thomas Greiss solely, they look bad when they go to J.F. Berube and he gives up four goals including a couple of awful ones forcing Greiss back in for a 10th consecutive game in an ugly 8-4 home loss to the Hurricanes at Barclays Center. Greiss wasn’t ready and it wasn’t pretty. A defeat that could’ve been even more costly had they not bounced back from two down to beat Carolina in the rematch 3-2 in overtime on captain John Tavares’ game-winner. Will they reconsider recalling Jaroslav Halak for a start down the stretch?

-Rookie Josh Ho-Sang looks good so far recording a goal and assist for his fifth and sixth points since his recall from Bridgeport. A night after scoring his first goal in his home debut, he made a great drop for Tavares on the winner. So far, so good for the 21-year old former 2014 first round pick. He is 3-3-6 in eight games with a minus-four rating. But interim coach Doug Weight hasn’t been shy about using Ho-Sang in key situations including three-on-three. Full marks.

-Ho-Sang becomes the latest Jewish hockey player. Current NHLers Mike Cammalleri, Zach Hyman and Jason Zucker are also Jewish. Former NHLer Eric Nystrom– son of Islanders Cup hero Bobby- was also Jewish. Ex-Devil David Warsofsky was also Jewish.

-Mathieu Schneider remains the most successful carving out an All-Star career while playing for 10 NHL teams including the Islanders and Rangers. He won a Stanley Cup with Montreal in ’92-93, the World Cup with Team USA (’96) and was inducted into the Jewish International Hall of Fame in 2014. A year later, he went into the United States Hockey Hall of Fame.

-Remember Rick Nash the superstar who used to score highlight reel goals? I guess $7.8 million and injuries don’t get you much these days. Nash and Marian Gaborik are shells of themselves. Both were once dynamite finishers. Now, they’re overpaid and hanging on. Nash still has something left. Gaborik probably doesn’t.

-I got through one period of the Devils/Coyotes before turning the channel. They were so awful giving up three goals in a lopsided first to a rebuilding Arizona that it reminded me of the Dark Ages watching the Rangers skate around aimlessly between ’97-98-’03-04. Surely, this isn’t what’s become of hockey in Newark?

-With his 20th goal in a frustrating loss at San Jose, Jack Eichel is up to 48 points in 49 games. Unfortunately, it’ll be remembered for this unfortunate sequence:

He didn’t take kindly to the mishap slamming the boards by the bench a couple of times. Who could blame him? What if Eichel didn’t have that freak injury in practice before the season. Where might the Sabres be?

-The Maple Leafs could be too inconsistent to take advantage of the Islanders one goalie system. How else to explain a 7-2 no show against the Panthers? Auston Matthews has suddenly gone cold at the wrong time.

–Patrik Laine looks to have all but sealed the Calder scoring his 33rd the other night. He has 60 points in 62 games for Winnipeg. Matthews remains at 31 goals and 56 for Toronto with Mitch Marner stuck on 54. With a goal and two assists, Zach Werenski hit 10 goals and 33 helpers for the season as a first-year defenseman for playoff-bound Columbus. He’s also a plus-20 at the age of 19.

-Meanwhile, Matt Murray has 26 wins with only 8 regulation losses with a 2.33 goals-against-average, .925 save percentage and four shutouts for the Pens. Matthew Tkachuk has 44 points for the playoff bound Flames. Sebastian Aho is up to 20 goals and 18 assists for the Canes as a 19-year old rookie. Brady Skjei has 32 points including 29 helpers as the Rangers’ second most consistent defenseman on the Rangers back end.

-What it all proves is that this year’s Rookie Class is a deep one with a bright future.

-We neglected to mention Nikita Kucherov of Tampa who’s on a tear. Tied with the Islanders for the final wildcard on Victor Hedman’s OT winner in a 2-1 victory over Ottawa, Kucherov is carrying his team. He’s got 22 points over his last 11 games for the Bolts, who have two fewer ROW (30) than the Isles’ 32. Each team has 13 left while Toronto has 14 remaining with 30 ROW. Florida has 71 points with 14 left while the Flyers have 70 with 14 to go.

-Who will be Las Vegas’ first goalie? Antti Raanta or Scott Darling? Or will it be Ben Bishop? Place your bets.

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Bolted In

Posted on March 14, 2017 by Derek
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Antti Raanta can only look on as the Rangers fell to the Lightning and Brayden Point 3-2 in a very winnable game that saw them slip to 15-18-2 when out-shooting opponents. AP Photo via Getty Images courtesy NYRangers.

With the all too predictable March blizzard after daylight savings having started up an hour ago, I guess we really are Bolted In. Hence the appropriate title given the Rangers losing a winnable game against a shorthanded Lightning 3-2 at where else but MSG. Well, at least they’re making sure they won’t have home ice since they suck at it.

If you can’t beat a Tampa team minus Steven Stamkos, Tyler Johnson, Ryan Callahan and Cedric Paquette, then why bother showing up for these “home games.” I couldn’t even tell you some of the names on the Lightning roster who were among the 18 skaters. A game in which they dominated the first period 13-3 in shots but wound up tied at one. A game in which they permitted only 16 total shots but weren’t as effective the final two periods. Shots were 15-13 Rangers after one.

Honestly, it doesn’t matter. As long as they wind up avoiding the 2/3 match-up in the Metro which now could be between the Caps, Pens and Blue Jackets with Washington suddenly not themselves since <ahem> “difference maker” Kevin Shattenkirk. I hope the Rangers are paying attention.

It may not matter who they draw if they can’t figure out how to defend home ice. Even if they do win away from MSG in the first round, they’ll have to win at home too to advance. The Atlantic is tightening up. Six points separate first Montreal from third Boston with Ottawa two out with two games at hand. Who knows who the Rangers will wind up with.

Having now played 70 games, they remain locked into the first wildcard sitting fourth in the Metro with 90 points. Four behind Columbus who won 5-3 over the Flyers and five behind the Caps and Pens- 4-3 shootout losers at red hot Calgary in a very entertaining game that tied them with Washington in points. But Pittsburgh has three less regulation and overtime wins. Each team has 14 left as do the Jackets, whose 42 ROW are one fewer than the Caps making them a realistic threat to win the division.

On a night when Steven Kampfer continued to impress scoring his first goal in the NHL in two years on a nice one-time blast set up by Mats Zuccarello and Chris Kreider (career high 48 points), they managed to lose because of some miscalculations. Take the Tampa first goal. A Lightning like strike 1:50 later with Brayden Point connecting on a power play from Nikita Kucherov (21 points in last 10) and Jonathan Drouin. The penalty on Brendan Smith wasn’t. Just a made up trip. But the penalty kill has to do a better job. Tampa is lethal on the man-advantage and proved it by converting their only chance of the first.

That was enough to settle them down. They played much better the last 40 minutes. Jon Cooper adjusted by having his guys stand up at the blue line and take away the home run pass and Rangers’ speed. The annoying Gabriel Dumont was able to deflect home a Jason Garrison shot by Antti Raanta at 5:04 of the second for a 2-1 lead.

The same Garrison lost control of the puck in his own zone leading directly to Michael Grabner slipping one past veteran Peter Budaj for his team-leading 27th unassisted at 10:22. His first goal in 10 games and already his third point since returning. He had two helpers in Sunday’s win at Detroit. Grabner makes things happen. That’s why general manager Jeff Gorton has to find a way to keep him.

There were only three penalties. Two on the Rangers and one on the Lightning. Despite Derek Stepan creating a perfect chance by faking and dishing across for a wide open Mika Zibanejad, he couldn’t bury it. Pavel Buchnevich also came away frustrated during a five-on-five shift when Zibanejad all but set him up but narrowly missed hanging his head on the bench. Rick Nash continues to create chances but never finishes. It’s become a broken record. He better figure it out soon.

Budaj made some key saves to give the Bolts the win. He finished with 26 and came through. Raanta really wasn’t at fault but allowed three goals on 16 shots. So, he wasn’t all too pleased following the game. The Lightning winner a direct result of Ryan McDonagh failing to take an open Point on the doorstep. Of course, Marc Staal got blamed for it because he gets blamed for everything. But it was the captain who didn’t check Point allowing him to tap home a Ondrej Palat feed from Kucherov for the game-winner with 6:39 left.

The Rangers were unable to tie it with Raanta pulled for an extra attacker. Tampa did a good job defending with the puck behind the net as time ran off. It was a frustrating loss. Anytime you lose to a team minus some of its best players- especially at center- it’s not positive.

So, in a game where they held a 28-16 shots edge although it was pretty misleading after a lopsided first, they lost again when out-shooting the opponent. What does that make it now? 15-18-2. But the fancy stats people are happy. They still were upset over Raanta standing on his head in a 1-0 overtime shutout win at Tampa a week ago. Maybe they can fret over how our team once again lost on home ice with 12 more shots and 14 more face-off wins (37-23).

You really can’t make it up. Can someone explain to me why Grabner, Kevin Hayes and J.T. Miller weren’t out at the end? They were the most effective trio. Save me the crap about how it must be Kreider, Stepan and Zuccarello. Not that they were bad. But compared to the Hayes unit, it wasn’t close.

Sometimes, you gotta deviate from your game plan. Vigneault finally used Brady Skjei with McDonagh late. That’s the only way he even gets real minutes with our top defenseman. Another game in which he didn’t play enough unless you think 16:42 in 22 shifts is good for our second best blue liner.

Tanner Glass played with the same energy he always does. He makes things happen. But I’m sure some chart person will blame him for being on for a goal against. Glass does all the little things no one else does. Finishes checks. Creates scoring chances due to his physical element. He was right in Dumont’s face when he tried to take liberties with Skjei post-whistle.

Is it the end of the world? No. They lost. Now, they get to shovel snow or whatever until the next game on Friday against Florida. Then at the Wild Saturday for another fun back-to-back.  Hopefully, they’ll give a more complete effort.

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Rangers host Lightning and red hot Kucherov

Posted on March 13, 2017 by Derek

Tonight, the Rangers return home for the second game of a back-to-back when they play host to the Lightning. Even after the trades of Ben Bishop and Brian Boyle and the predictable loss of former Black & Blueshirt Ryan Callahan, Tampa is still competing for the final wildcard with the Maple Leafs and Islanders.

The Bolts enter with 73 points, trailing the Leafs by three with 15 games remaining. They need the game more than the Rangers, who sit comfortably in the first wildcard with 90 points and 13 games left following yesterday’s 4-1 win over the Red Wings. A game highlighted by Ryan McDonagh’s two goals. Probably his best of the season. Derek Stepan scored his first goal in 24 games on the power play. Michael Grabner returned earning a pair of assists while reigniting Kevin Hayes (17th goal) and J.T. Miller (primary assist on Hayes’ goal). Antti Raanta made 23 saves with his biggest coming on Gustav Nyquist with the game tied. He won his career high 14th.

It’s mostly about slowing down red hot Lightning Bolt Nikita Kucherov. The ultra talented Russian has been on fire posting an unreal 18 points (10-8-18) over his last nine games. During that span, eight of his 10 goals have come on the power play including a hat trick in an exciting home win over Ottawa on 2/27 in which all three goals were off wicked one-timers. Easily one of the game’s brightest stars, he’s carrying the Lightning right now. His 67 points (31-36-67) in 60 contests are almost on par with Pens tandem Sidney Crosby (72 in 61) and Evgeni Malkin (71 in 60). Without him, the Lightning would be sunk.

They have also gotten great play out of top defenseman Victor Hedman. His 58 points (13-45-58) rank third among NHL defensemen trailing only Norris frontrunner Brent Burns (70) and two-time Norris winner Erik Karlsson (62). He needs one more goal for a new career high and has already achieved career bests in assists (45) and points (58). Most of his damage has come on the man-advantage where Hedman has produced 31 power play points including 27 power play assists. It looks like finally he’ll get some recognition as a candidate for the Norris.

Andrei Vasilevskiy has been brilliant since taking over the number one goalie for the departed Bishop. He gets the night off with recently acquired Peter Budaj getting the nod against Raanta.

For the Rangers, there are no changes to the lineup. Same lines:

Nash-Zibanejad-Buchnevich

Kreider-Stepan-Zuccarello

Grabner-Hayes-Miller

Glass-Lindberg-Vesey

Staal-McDonagh

Smith-Holden

Skjei-Kampfer

Raanta

 

Here is what Tampa looks like. Both Tyler Johnson and Craig Paquette are out.

Palat-Point-Kucherov

Gourde-Drouin-Killorn

Namestnikov-Froese-Erne

Brown-McKegg-Dumont

Hedman-Dotchin

Garrison-Stralman

Coburn-Sjustr

Budaj

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McDonagh’s pair and Stepan ends drought in Rangers 4-1 win over Red Wings

Posted on March 12, 2017 by Derek
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The scoreboard of Joe Louis Arena reads Rangers 4, Red Wings 1 in what was the final game they’ll play there. AP Photo via Getty Images courtesy NYRangers.

The final game at Joe Louis Arena was a happy one. The Rangers came away with a satisfying 4-1 victory over the hapless Red Wings in what is sure to be the first season there won’t be any playoffs since ’88-89. All great streaks must come to an end. For the Winged Wheel, it’ll be about ping pong balls in an NHL lottery featuring top prospects Nolan Patrick and Nico Hischier.

It was a game that brought back memories of playoffs past. Both American leaders Ryan McDonagh and Derek Stepan scored. The captain recorded his second career two-goal game scoring shorthanded and at even strength. He became the first Rangers defenseman to score twice with one shorthanded since Michal Rozsival in ’07. That should make some of our Jekyll & Hyde fans all warm and fuzzy. 😉

The bigger story is Stepan, who finally ended his 23-game goal drought by scoring on the power play to put an exclamation point on the Rangers’ NHL-leading 25th road win. He had been getting close the past few games missing a chance point blank and clanging the post in a frustrating one-goal loss at Carolina. Since Alain Vigneault reunited Chris Kreider and Mats Zuccarello with him, Stepan has been playing better. Fittingly, his power play goal came on an assist from old USA buddy Kreider. He shanked it but such is the case when you finally get one. Well deserved.

It really was all about the Americans for the Blueshirts. Kevin Hayes had a goal and assist while sidekick J.T. Miller set up his 17th late in the second to give the team a two-goal lead against a fragile defensive team. The Red Wings make our defense look like world beaters. They cannot defend at all. They had some sloppy turnovers and blown coverages resulting in Ranger goals.

Detroit didn’t help Petr Mrazek at all. He was basically by himself. That resulted in four goals on 31 shots. None of which he stood a chance. The Rangers took full advantage of some big mistakes. That’s what the Red Wings have become. Not much different from what I saw from another former perennial team that resides in Newark in a dreadful first period during a one-goal loss to lowly Arizona.

The Rangers took what they were given. With Steven Kampfer off for tripping, a strong defensive play by McDonagh trapped two Red Wings. Michael Grabner handed off for Hayes, who had all sorts of time and space with Mike Green backing off on a poorly executed switch. Hayes calmly pushed a backhand pass in front for a cutting McDonagh, who beat Green to the spot for the tip in for a shorthanded goal at 19:33. It was McDonagh’s first goal in 11 since a 2-1 home win over the Caps on 2/19.

Making his first start since Henrik Lundqvist went down with a hip strain, Antti Raanta was cool, calm and collected. He finished with 23 saves in picking up his career best 14th win of the season. With the first of four sets of back-to-backs, Vigneault has hinted that Raanta will see the bulk of the action. Why not? He’s one of the most dependable number two goalies in the game. It’s any guess whether Raanta becomes the Las Vegas starter following the season. But he along with Lundqvist give the Rangers a formidable 1-2 punch.

The one goal Raanta allowed he had no chance on. With Marc Staal off for a weak call for ‘elbowing,’ the Red Wings made some great passing resulting in a nice one-time and a bang from ex-Islander Frans Nielsen to tie the game on the power play at 5:35 of the second period. The passing was started by Justin Abdelkader and then Gustav Nyquist, who threaded the needle to Nielsen for his 14th.

But in a period where they didn’t play that badly, Detroit fell apart late. They allowed two consecutive goals in a 37-second span. The first one came on an awful turnover by Tomas Tatar. It led to McDonagh getting three chances. With help from Pavel Buchnevich and Staal behind the net, they dug out the puck and put it back in front for an easy McDonagh finish for his second of the game. It was only Staal’s sixth assist of the season. But always nice to see the much maligned gritty vet contributing. He got his nose dirty. Buchnevich picked up a helper too.

Leading by one, the Rangers exposed some poor defense by Detroit in transition. Grabner led Miller into the Red Wing zone. It was basically a two-on-two. But Abdelkader got lost in coverage allowing Hayes an easy lane to the net. That resulted in a bullet pass across from Miller for an easy Hayes slam dunk making it 3-1 with 2:33 to go. Grabner already making a difference recording a pair of assists in his return. No coincidence that Hayes and Miller looked better and got on the score sheet.

The Blueshirts took a couple of early minor penalties in the third. One by former Red Wing Brendan Smith (delay of game) and the other by Stepan (high-stick). It didn’t matter. After a couple of close calls on the first power play, Detroit did nothing on the second. In fact, they only got seven total shots on Raanta in the period.

It was a bad penalty by Dylan Larkin for tripping in the offensive zone that finally led to Stepan’s first goal since 1/17. The Red Wings again overplayed and were exposed when Kreider came out in front and was able to dish across for a wide open Stepan, who finally got one to go for lucky number 13 at 16:01 to the bench’s excitement. It was fitting that it would be Kreider, who would get the puck to Stepan. They’ve played together since teaming to win a gold medal at the IIHF U20 World Junior Championship. Mats Zuccarello notched a helper.

They did what they had to do. Picked up two points against a bad team that’s headed for a rebuild. Detroit will play in a new arena next season. Who knows when they’ll be a playoff caliber team again. It could be a while.

BONY 3 Stars:

3rd Star-Michael Grabner, NYR (2 assists in return, 3 shots, +2 in 22 shifts-15:52)

2nd Star-Kevin Hayes, NYR (goal-17th, assist, +2 in 22 shifts-14:48)

1st Star-Ryan McDonagh, NYR (2nd career 2-goal game-4th, 5th including team’s 9th SHG, +2 in 26 shifts-22:25)

 

Notes: Shots were 31-24 Rangers and attempts were 47-43 Red Wings with the hosts missing the net 16 times. Teams only combined for 14 blocked shots (7 each). … Rangers led in hits 26-19 paced by Tanner Glass (6), who quietly had an effective game forcing a couple of turnovers that caused Rangers scoring chances. … Staal had one of his better games finishing plus-two with a helper in 23 shifts (19:34) while paired with McDonagh. … Kampfer also had a solid game drawing a retaliatory penalty on a clean hit and trusted enough to log 15:11 in 22 shifts going plus-one while working with Brady Skjei. … Key Stat: Giveaways NYR-6 DET-11. … Face-offs went to the Red Wings 25-22 paced by Nielsen (9-and-4). Oscar Lindberg went 5-and-3 for the Blueshirts, who return home to host the Lightning Monday before the traditional March blizzard. Be safe!

A very pleased Stepan talks about finally scoring to end his drought and going to old pal Martin St. Louis for advice:

The winning netminder Raanta talks about “playing more” with a grin:

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Grabner and Nash return at Detroit

Posted on March 12, 2017 by Derek

The Rangers and Red Wings will drop the puck in a few minutes. The third and final match-up between the classic Original Six rivals will be the final game the Rangers play at Joe Louis Arena. Barring a miracle, the 14th place Red Wings won’t be extending their playoff streak to 26. It’ll finally end.

The first two games saw the teams combine for four total goals. Detroit took the first match at MSG 2-1 thanks to Jimmy Howard. The Rangers took the second match at The Joe 1-0 thanks to Henrik Lundqvist and overtime hero J.T. Miller. It’ll be Antti Raanta against Petr Mrazek. Raanta’s first game as the starter with Lundqvist out at least two weeks.

The game is the first of four back-to-backs in the next two weeks. The Rangers return home tomorrow to host the Lightning, who are very much in play for the second wildcard following another win on Saturday combined with an Islanders loss at St. Louis. Toronto is back in the second wildcard by a point over the Isles with the Bolts within three despite less ROW. All three have 15 games left as well as the fading Panthers.

Meanwhile, Detroit has dropped out with 63 points. One better than the awful Devils, who have lost 10 straight games. Gone are the days when both teams dominated the competition. Now that they’re in the same conference, that’s no longer the case. They’re playing for the lottery and ping pong balls.

The Rangers get back two forwards into the lineup. Michael Grabner and Rick Nash return. Grabner will be reunited on the third line with Miller and Kevin Hayes. Both have struggled since he went down. Nash missed a game but is back to play with Mika Zibanejad and Pavel Buchnevich.

The fourth line will be Oscar Lindberg centering Tanner Glass and Jimmy Vesey. That means Brandon Pirri is finally out of the lineup. Hopefully, it’s for good. He just hasn’t brought anything since his good start. Matt Puempel is also out. Derek Stepan stays with Chris Kreider and Mats Zuccarello. Maybe Stepan will finally find the back of the net.

Alain Vigneault is sticking with his current D pairings even though Marc Staal and Ryan McDonagh together is awkward. They don’t belong together. At least Nick Holden and Brendan Smith seem to have chemistry. Brady Skjei sticks with Steven Kampfer. He better play more than 15 minutes.

The game has already started. So, I’ll go watch and post a recap later.

 

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