Brendan Smith to make Rangers debut versus Bruins

Posted on March 2, 2017 by Derek
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Brendan Smith’s new Rangers jersey with the number 42 hangs up in the visitors locker room as the Rangers take on the Bruins at TD Garden in Smith’s Rangers debut. AP Photo via Getty Images courtesy NYRangers.

Tonight, the Rangers get together with the Bruins in an Original 6 match-up. The game time is 7 PM at TD Garden. It’s the third and final regular season match between old rivals.

The Rangers took the first two games by identical scores of 5-2. The first win coming at MSG on Oct. 26 and the second at TD Garden on Nov. 5. At the time, Boston wasn’t as good. Since Bruce Cassidy took over as interim coach, they’ve won seven of eight and are tied in points (72) with the Senators for second in the Atlantic Division. However, they’ve played two more games and have 19 left entering play. Boston is three up on second wildcard Toronto and four clear of the Islanders and Panthers.

In the season series, Derek Stepan leads the Rangers with five points (1-4-5). They would sure like to see that trend continue with Stepan locked in an 18-game goal drought. He needs to step it up. The team will get Mika Zibanejad back after missing the Washington game due to a wrist injury. With Michael Grabner unavailable, they have recalled Pavel Buchnevich as an emergency call up. As if he shouldn’t be in the lineup over Brandon Pirri or Matt Puempel, who will stay intact with Oscar Lindberg on the fourth line.

At least Vigneault took my advice and broke up Stepan, Rick Nash and Jimmy Vesey. He also reunited Buchnevich with Zibanejad and Nash. It’s about time. Hopefully, they have a good night and Buchnevich forces the coach to keep him up. Stepan will be reunited with Chris Kreider and Mats Zuccarello. A combo that worked really well resulting in Stepan’s best production of the season. Vesey slides down to the third line with Kevin Hayes and J.T. Miller. Both need good games. Particularly Hayes who has reverted to last year.

Tonight marks the Rangers debut of former Detroit defenseman Brendan Smith. The 28-year old will be paired up with former Wisconsin teammate Ryan McDonagh. As seen in the picture above, he’ll be wearing number 42. He’s said all the right things. Now, it’s time to see what Smith can bring to the blue line. A lack of edge has been missing. Smith supposedly can add that. Hopefully, he makes a good first impression.

The other pairs are familiar ones. Nick Holden moves back to play with Marc Staal while Brady Skjei and Adam Clendening remain intact. There is concern about Holden and Staal, who both have slipped recently. They need to be stronger defensively. Skjei and Clendening have been solid. When Kevin Klein and Dan Girardi are healthy, it could get dicey.

Henrik Lundqvist makes his third consecutive start. He has allowed nine goals on 64 shots in the last two losses. Neither of which were his fault. The team played poorly. There were too many sloppy turnovers and blown assignments. Forwards weren’t coming back enough. They still finished February with a 9-3-1 record and remain fourth in the Metropolitan Division with 82 points and 19 games remaining. They’re comfortably in the first wildcard 13 clear of the Leafs and 14 up on the Islanders and Panthers. The Lightning have crept up thanks to the hot play of Nikita Kucherov. They’re up to 66 points with 20 games left.

Aside from the defensive woes along with getting pushed around by the Blue Jackets and Capitals, the Rangers special teams are a mess. The power play remains an eye sore. It’s 1 for the last 29 and currently ranks 17th at 18.4 percent. The penalty kill has dropped off. They’re down to 16th at 80.8 percent with them much worst at home. The same can be echoed for the power play. The Rangers ranks of 26th on the man-advantage and 25th on the penalty kill at MSG is ridiculous. Conversely, they’re fourth on the PP on the road and sixth on the PK. It helps explain why they lead the league with 21 road wins. They’re 21-8-0 away from MSG.

Boston ranks 13th on the power play at 20.0 percent including 14th at home (19.8 percent). Their penalty kill is the best in the league tied for first killing off 85.7 percent. That includes a rank of second at home going 87.5 percent. Interestingly, both teams enter tonight tied for the most shorthanded goals with eight each. Miller and Brad Marchand each have three. Since he entered the NHL in ’09-10, Marchand leads all players in shorthanded goals with 22- ranking third on Boston’s all-time list behind Rick Middleton (25) and Derek Sanderson (24).

Marchand has been on fire. Over the past 13 games, he’s notched 11 goals and 10 assists. His 66 points (28-38-66) are tied for fourth with Brent Burns in NHL scoring. Patrice Bergeron has also been playing much better recently. He’s 6-13-19 in the last 13. Always a great two-way player, the former Selke winner is tied for third in the NHL in face-offs winning 59.0 percent. As a team, Boston ranks third winning 53.0 percent.

Tuukka Rask gets the start for Boston. He has 30 wins in 50 games with a 2.27 goals-against-average and .913 save percentage. Whenever Rask and Lundqvist face each other, it’s fun. They’re two of the best goaltenders. Both are former Vezina winners and each have carried their teams to Stanley Cup Final appearances.

For Lundqvist, it’s a special day. He turns 35 today. It would be nice to see him get a win on his birthday. Hopefully, the team will go above and beyond the call of duty. Happy Birthday Henrik! 🙂

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Buchnevich doesn’t belong in AHL

Posted on March 1, 2017 by Derek
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After making a statement scoring twice including the overtime winner for Hartford Wednesday, it’s time for Pavel Buchnevich to play in a top nine role for the Rangers, who are without Jesper Fast for at least two weeks. 

With the Rangers needing to make room for recently acquired defenseman Brendan Smith and being down to five D last night due to the ex-Red Wing traveling, they sent down Pavel Buchnevich to Hartford and recalled Steven Kampfer. It predictably didn’t work with Kampfer finishing minus-two with three blocked shots in a lopsided 4-1 home defeat to the Capitals. He was only responsible for Marcus Johansson’s second goal on a beauty of a pass from Evgeny Kuznetsov.

As fate would have it, Jesper Fast went down with a separated shoulder on a vicious but clean hit delivered from Russian missile Alexander Ovechkin. The hard working Swede is expected to miss between two to three weeks. With Brandon Pirri struggling to reestablish himself since coach Alain Vigneault reinserted him for Buchnevich, the 21-year old Russian rookie made a point in today’s Hartford 4-3 overtime win over Springfield.

He scored twice including the OT winner on a power play and added an assist going for three points to lead the Wolf Pack to a victory. Buchnevich recorded five shots and finished plus-one. Kampfer, who was reassigned, tallied three assists. Nicklas Jensen and Adam Tambellini each recorded two assists. Brandon Halverson made 26 saves.

But the focus is on Buchnevich, who just doesn’t belong in the AHL. In an earlier stint back in January during a break, he had a goal and assist. He’s 3-2-5 in four games with Hartford. There’s no reason for him to be in the ‘A.’ He proved it.

It’s easy to forget that he was a point-per-game player when teamed with Mika Zibanejad, who’s looked lost since Buchnevich was taken off his line. It’s past time Vigneault adjusts the lines that haven’t been working. You can’t have Chris Kreider and Mats Zuccarello with Zibanejad because none of the three are good enough defensively. Why he broke up the Kreider/Zuccarello duo with Derek Stepan is beyond me. It’s time to reunite them or maybe try Zuccarello with Kevin Hayes and put Kreider back with Stepan.

Buchnevich should be reunited with Zibanejad and Rick Nash for tomorrow’s match at Boston. That’s assuming Zibanejad can go depending on his wrist which he nicked up at the end of the Columbus loss. Otherwise, J.T. Miller centers the third line. He’s so much more effective on the right side where he can make plays with the puck and be more of a finisher. Maybe Vigneault should split up Hayes and Miller and move Miller up to Stepan with Kreider. Kreider can’t play with Hayes unless there’s a defensively responsible forward with them. They tried both Kreider and Zuccarello with Hayes and it was a disaster.

Jimmy Vesey can always slide down to the third line with Hayes and Michael Grabner. Of course, the idea of breaking up Grabner, Hayes and Miller is one some are hesitant about. But with Grabner slumping and Hayes in a funk reminiscent of last year, the time is right for line changes. Only the fourth line with Oscar Lindberg has been consistent. But he loses Fast while Pirri stays in with Matt Puempel.

The other option is to try Pirri back in a top nine role and see if it gets him going. But you would have to demote Grabner to the fourth line. He can play that role and would complement Lindberg. I’m not sure the coaching staff wants to go that route.

With the power play now 1 for its last 29 after taking the collar in four more chances Tuesday, it’s time for changes. Nothing is working. Buchnevich can help because he’s capable of playing the right side, scoring and setting up teammates. However, his most success has come at even strength with five of his six goals and seven of his nine assists not on the man-advantage.

Assuming he returns, Buchnevich is without a goal in his last 11 games. He hasn’t scored since 1/19. His second game back from a two month rehab to strengthen his back. Ironically, he recorded four points (2-2-4) in those first two games back with Zibanejad, who also tallied twice in a 1/17 loss to Dallas. Since then, he’s been inconsistent recording a goal and six assists in his last 17. Following a good performance in a overtime win over the Devils in which he registered the OT winner and a helper, he was brutal against Columbus finishing minus-two on 2/26.

With Fast out, now is the time to get Buchnevich back in the lineup and let him play. Don’t bury him on the fourth line. He’s too skilled to play in that role. Vigneault had him there due to Vesey picking up his game with his top three lines set. It’s time to find out if Buchnevich can rediscover his scoring touch and help a team that hasn’t been scoring much lately. They’ve scored two goals or less in six of the last seven.

After a visit to Boston, they return to MSG and host Montreal on Saturday. A potential first round opponent who made some solid depth additions up front at the deadline. It would be nice if the Rangers found a way to win that one. They need new combinations. Not the same old vanilla ones that haven’t been working. We’ll see if they’re smart enough to take my advice.

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Devils’ deadline dud of a day

Posted on March 1, 2017 by hasan4978

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Honestly I’m not sure I should even bother with a post analyzing the Devils’ trade deadline activity because it was just as insignificant as I figured it would be considering our big sales items were two marginal roster players.  I do find some of the internet craziness amusing, as if people really expected GM Ray Shero to pull a rabbit out of his rear end and somehow get great picks back for our junk.  No offense to defenseman Kyle Quincey or forward P.A. Parenteau, we got about as much out of either as could be expected on the ice but let’s be honest there’s a reason both guys were available before the season for nothing.  Parenteau passed through waivers and only we claimed him, according to Pierre LeBrun on Twitter.  Quincey was signed early in camp.  And yet just because OMGZ IT’S THE DEADLINE! teams are going to automatically overpay for guys who’ve been journeymen who are turning in meh seasons?

Don’t get me wrong I wasn’t thrilled with the actual trade of Quincey either, since we essentially got negative value back – not even a pick but another defenseman in Dalton Prout, a 26-year old former sixth round pick who’s on a bad (relatively speaking) $1.5 million contract through the end of next year considering he’d fallen to eighth on the depth chart in Columbus and is really an AHL caliber d-man.  I was beside myself why we’d even bother to take back a negative value for Quincey instead of a pick, until I realized this could very well have been a quid pro quo payback to Jackets GM Jarmo Kekalainen for letting us poach director of scouting Paul Castron and a good number of his head scouts inside the division.  So from that standpoint I understand it, especially given Shero and Kekalainen already had a good relationship anyway.  Of course if we could have gotten a real return for Quincey quid pro quo might not have factored in, but as I feared the prices dropped on deadline day once the sellers were up against a wall wanting to cash in their assets.

Either way it isn’t worth pitching a fit about.  Neither is getting only a sixth-round pick for Parenteau.  Not considering Parenteau wasn’t traded at all last year, signed a cheap one-year deal in the offseason and was only claimed by us when the Isles cut him in the preseason.  Heck if we got a fourth for PAP and a sixth for fourth-liner Vernon Fiddler I think most people would have been satisfied with that, but ironically it was reversed.  Probably getting the fourth for Fiddler earlier this month helped jack up expectations to a ridiculous level over what we could get for other players, but in Fiddler’s case he’s a popular ex-Predator to begin with, GM David Poile paid a premium (relatively speaking) because of it.

Basically the only big thing to happen today from a Devils perspective is just the fact clearing out Parenteau means another young forward will get to play and get minutes down the stretch while dealing Quincey essentially sets our starting six in stone for the remainder of the season unless they give Yohann Auvitu (who’s been hot since going down to Albany) another chance, but he would likely have to play over staff favorite John Moore or wait till Jon Merrill gets hurt – again – since he’s a LHD.  Ironically we won’t have to wait long to see Quincey again since the Blue Jackets will probably beat us up and steal our lunch money in a home-and-home starting this weekend.  Maybe they can have a tribute video for his 53 games and 12 points as a Devil.

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A deadline bust

Posted on March 1, 2017 by Derek
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Matt Duchene stayed put due to Colorado’s absurd asking price on a disappointing trade deadline day that lacked the usual theatrics. AP Photo via Getty Images 

If you played hooky from school or work today in anticipation of something big going down on #NHLTradeDeadline Day, you came away disappointed. Especially if you root for the area locals.

After parting with a 2017 third round pick and the second round pick in 2018 they got from Ottawa for Brendan Smith, the Rangers did nothing else. Even with the knowledge Jesper Fast will miss two to three weeks with a separated shoulder caused by a brutal Alexander Ovechkin hit in a 4-1 humiliation the night before, they didn’t go out and address a huge weakness up front. So, there won’t be a agitating, physical forward with some scoring touch who can play the game.

Instead, we’re left with the same group. One that has done well even if they currently sit fourth locked into the first wildcard. However, with Derek Stepan in a huge scoring slump, Kevin Hayes coming back to earth and Michael Grabner without a point in seven straight, there is growing concern. Mika Zibanejad didn’t play yesterday due to his wrist. Is he available tomorrow at Boston in Smith’s debut on the blue line where he should be reacquainted with former Wisconsin Badger teammate Ryan McDonagh?

Making matters worse, Grabner was injured during practice when Adam Clendening cross checked him. So, his status is uncertain for Thursday. Of course, dopey reporters who block our fans for anything due to thin skin tried to make it sound like Clendening intentionally hurt Grabner. Right.

While GM Jeff Gorton was unable to get anything done, other competitors did. Montreal added Steve Ott and 2015 recurring nightmare Dwight King to a roster that includes pest Andrew Shaw. Now, if they draw the Canadiens in the first round, the Rangers will be huge underdogs. It’s not like they’ve proven they can win in Montreal. Forget the 2015 Eastern Conference Final. That was a different team. Unless something unforeseen happens, Carey Price is healthy and Shea Weber is better than P.K. Subban. The Habs are better than they were then with Alex Radulov, an improved Alex Galchenyuk and captain Max Pacioretty. Jeff Petry is also vastly overlooked on the back end. Claude Julien coaches them too. It won’t be a picnic.

Jarome Iginla wound up with the Kings, who for some odd reason gave away King and then went for the 39-year old vet. The other experienced veteran Shane Doan remained with the only franchise he’s known in Arizona. Poor guy. Radim Vrbata also didn’t go.

The Avalanche wanted too much for Matt Duchene and Gabriel Landeskog. So, they failed miserably. The Islanders wanted Duchene but the price was too rich for Garth Snow’s blood. After all the hot rumors about them wanting to make a splash, the Islanders did nothing. They’ll stick with what they got and see if it’s enough to squeak in as a second wildcard. It shouldn’t be easy with them competing against the improved Leafs and healthier Panthers, who added Thomas Vanek from Detroit. All they gave up was Dylan McIlrath and a conditional third round pick based on whether they make the postseason. Poor McIlrath. I still blame our coach for his current situation.

The Devils also didn’t do much. They swapped defenseman Kyle Quincey to Columbus for Dalton Prout. Then GM Ray Shero only got back a sixth round pick from the Predators for P.A. Parenteau. That is disappointing for them. I don’t even think Hasan will have any thoughts.

The Sabres didn’t do anything of note either. Evander Kane, who has a year left on his deal, stayed. I would kill to have a player like him on the Rangers. Imagine a physical forward who finishes plays and is a complete nuisance with great speed. He’s a bit streaky but he turned his season around and leads Buffalo with 22 goals. Off the ice, Kane remains a headache. What is it about the name Kane and off the ice stuff? Cody Franson also stays put. He’ll hit the market in July.

The best move was made by Steve Yzerman, who dumped the contract of Valtteri Filppula on the Flyers along with a fourth round pick, a conditional seventh for vet defenseman Mark Streit. So, they got rid of Filppula’s $5 million cap hit which has a year left and then swung Streit to the Pens, who need defense. They also acquired Frankie Corrado from Toronto for Steve Oleksy, Eric Fehr and a 2017 fourth round pick. Are these moves enough to match the Caps, who added big piece Kevin Shattenkirk and got Matt Niskanen back. Brooks Orpik is on the verge of returning. The threesome of Shattenkirk, Niskanen and John Carlson make the Caps overwhelming favorites.

Columbus improved by adding Quincey to an already strong blue line featuring Seth Jones, Zach Werenski, Jack Johnson, David Savard and Ryan Murray. They then added some solid forward depth getting Lauri Korpikoski from the Stars for D prospect Dillon Heatherington. With Sergei Bobrovsky in net and a balanced group up front led by dangerous sniper Cam Atkinson, playmaking pivot Alexander Wennberg, Nick Foligno, Brandon Saad along with the rugged combo of Brandon Dubinsky and Boone Jenner, they have the look of a contender. It depends on if they’re ready and who they draw. They’re looking at a potential first round showdown against the Pens. A match-up no one wants. But Dubinsky relishes facing Sidney Crosby and has flourished against him this season.

San Jose added depth in forward Jannik Hansen, who comes over from Vancouver for Nikolay Goldobin and a 2017 fourth round pick. A pesky forward, he was added probably due to how much of a bust Mikkel Boedker has been. Tomas Hertl has also only played 30 games.

I neglected to mention that the Ducks made a good move last week acquiring Patrick Eaves from Dallas for a 2017 second round pick. The 32-year old veteran forward has posted a career high 21 goals. The highest output since he scored 20 his rookie year back in ’05-06 for Ottawa. I really like the look of Anaheim. They no longer hinge on Ryan Getzlaf or Corey Perry. While they’re still vital to the team’s success, Richard Rakell is the top finisher and Ryan Kesler has been their best forward. Jakob Silfverberg’s scored big goals and Cam Fowler has had a good year with 11 markers and 20 assists from the back end. It depends if former USA World Junior Championship hero John Gibson is ready.

The Bruins added Drew Stafford from Winnipeg for a conditional sixth. That’s a steal. They look like they’ve recovered since firing Julien. Maybe this time, they make it. Patrice Bergeron’s having a big second half and Brad Marchand is over a point-per-game with 66 points in 63 games. David Pastrnak is 26-26-52. Tuukka Rask must carry them.

That’s pretty much it for the trade deadline. Overall, disappointing. Patrick Sharp stays with Dallas too. The 35-year old proven scorer who’s won three Cups with Chicago will be unrestricted this summer. Injuries have limited him to seven goals and eight assists in 37 contests. He might be a guy who has to take a one-year deal to prove himself. If that’s the case, there should be plenty of suitors.

The big winners are the Caps, Leafs and Lightning. The first two for what they added while the latter for being able to unload contracts freeing up precious cap space to re-sign key restricted’s Jonathan Drouin, Tyler Johnson and Ondrej Palat. Yzerman landed a second round pick for Brian Boyle and got a D prospect for Bishop while dumping Filppula’s contract. He’s always ahead of everyone. Even if Steven Stamkos comes back and they miss the playoffs, the future is set up. Andrei Vasilevskiy now assumes the mantle in net with vet Peter Budaj backing up.

My biggest takeaway is that Gorton didn’t want to part with anything significant. He must realize it’s not about this year. The Rangers remain flawed and look like they’re headed for another early exit. They are what they are. It’s why I would’ve held off before extending Alain Vigneault. What he decides with the blue line once Dan Girardi and Kevin Klein are healthy could go a long way to determining how the Spring goes. With Marc Staal in a funk and Nick Holden struggling, Adam Clendening and Brady Skjei are their best pair.

The hope is that Smith adds some snarl while solving the first pair issue reunited with McDonagh, which would push Girardi down the depth chart. I would imagine they’ll look to move Klein in the off-season for a draft pick and buyout Girardi. How Smith performs could determine if they keep him.

Grabner remains the goal leader with 26. But he could be exposed to Las Vegas, who was officially welcomed to the NHL today. I would love to keep him. Maybe they’ll try to trade him. Who knows.

In a league of parity, Montreal and Toronto upgraded. Ottawa confused me. They also dumped Curtis Lazar to Calgary. How is it possible the former first round pick had only one assist in 33 games? The Senators also made that foolish deal with the Canucks for Alex Burrows, who they then extended two years. If Burrows still had value, don’t you think former coach Vigneault would’ve been in on him? He’s a dirty player but exactly the type the Rangers lack.

This deadline was puzzling. I guess that’s what happens when some teams overplay their hand. Not everyone is willing to pay. As Gorton said in an interview, you’re going to overpay. I’m glad he didn’t. Even if it means a disappointing conclusion to the Rangers’ 90th Anniversary. The future is more important. Let’s see how it plays out.

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Rangers brutalized and humiliated by Caps

Posted on February 28, 2017 by Derek

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It takes a lot to get me going. The final two periods of a listless performance by the Rangers against the Capitals did it. I am sick and tired of seeing better teams brutalize this team. It’s understandable that the Caps prevailed 4-1, easily taking apart the Rangers in the second to last meeting of the regular season between the old Patrick rivals. The last one isn’t until April 5 at Washington.

The thing that really blew my top is how much bigger and more physical Caps ran around doing whatever they wanted. It was embarrassing. In Kevin Shattenkirk’s debut no less, he got to see how soft his potential future team could be if he signs with them this summer. Wearing number 22, the New Rochelle, New York native took 23 shifts receiving 17:57 with four shots and six attempts. He didn’t register a point.

With new acquisition Brendan Smith traveling from Vancouver, Hartford call up Steven Kampfer played his first game of the season for the Rangers. Paired with Nick Holden, he blocked three shots and stuck his nose in when Daniel Winnik ran Henrik Lundqvist without a penalty called. How there wasn’t a goalie interference call is inexplicable. At least Kampfer showed some balls.

The Caps got away with a lot of stick swinging and whacks led by their captain Alexander Ovechkin. I didn’t realize you were allowed to crosscheck and slash guys repeatedly. Frequent target Marc Staal finally had seen enough going back at him with a cross check for a retaliatory penalty which his teammates killed off. Ovechkin hit everyone. Of his six hits, he had three bone crushers including one on Jesper Fast that sent him to the locker room in the third period. Fast didn’t return.

Washington was only credited with 19 hits. They actually gave the Rangers two more. But the Caps’ hits were much harder making an impact. Similar to what Columbus did last game. Eventually, that physical style can have a long-term affect.

The Rangers scored their lone goal in a good first thanks to a great passing play. J.T. Miller started it passing for a pinching Adam Clendening, who made a sweet dish in front for a cutting Brady Skjei for a nice redirect for his third goal at 5:29. But in a period they controlled holding an 11-8 shots advantage, the Rangers hurt themselves by again seeing their collective shadow on the power play. The Caps took the only two penalties. Of course, the Rangers didn’t score. They went 0-for-4. It never fails.

When you face a team like the Caps, the chances you don’t take are usually the ones that come back to haunt you. Washington was much sharper in a dominant second outscoring the Rangers 2-0 and out-shooting them 19-9. They are a relentless team who can flat out attack. They began dictating puck possession and peppering Lundqvist. He made some dandy saves including a clutch glove stop on one of those Ovechkin bombs from his spot on a power play. Nobody knows him better than Henrik.

The problem was the defense finally broke down. Marcus Johansson scored the first of two when he was able to get to a loose rebound of a Dmitry Orlov shot Lundqvist couldn’t control to tie the score. Holden was late on the coverage. Interestingly, the goal followed up Clendening standing up for himself in a minor scrap against Winnik. He continues to show more than other veteran D who aren’t in the lineup. That pass on Skjei’s goal was a highlight.

Despite a major territory edge by the Caps, the game was still tied late in the second until Rangers killer Brett Connolly scored on a fluke play. Following another Rangers power failure in which Brandon Pirri just wouldn’t shoot the puck preferring to fake shot and drive fans batty including me, Connolly was able to surprise everyone by scoring an odd rebound goal off a Matt Niskanen shot in front. It was stunning.

Maybe not as much as a lengthy video review on a successful coach’s challenge by Barry Trotz which negated an apparent Michael Grabner goal that would’ve put the Rangers up 2-1. He challenged for offside. I didn’t see it live. But seeing the replay during the second intermission, I was in disbelief that they took it away. They really need to make an adjustment to the offside challenge. You could barely tell that Grabner’s skate was in mid-air to reverse the call. It is an absolute joke of a rule.

I’ve had it with these silly challenges that take forever. If it takes that freaking long, don’t bother reviewing it. It kills the game’s momentum and annoys everyone watching. I don’t care who your rooting interest was tonight. It’s a garbage rule that must be changed. That’s not why they lost either. Joe Micheletti didn’t take Steve Valiquette’s bait. It definitely hurt the Rangers’ momentum. But didn’t fully explain another awful second with that bust Connolly scoring against them again. Is there any other team he can torture?

What really put me in a foul mood was the third. A period that summarized the difference between the two teams. Following a Mats Zuccarello block, a Staal turnover in the neutral zone allowed Niskanen to start a transition to the dangerous Evgeny Kuznetsov. He absolutely made the Rangers look bad skating in and making a mesmerizing backhand saucer feed for a nice Johansson tip home for his 21st which made it 3-1 at 1:15. In his return, Niskanen was the Caps best defenseman. Not Shattenkirk or John Carlson. He’s a really good player who is much better defensively than the other two. He was instrumental on two of their goals finishing with two assists.

Let’s put it this way. It’s going to be really tough for anyone to beat the Caps four out of seven in the East. That includes the Pens. Washington is by far the deepest team and now boasts three lethal weapons on the right side of their blue line. Plus Orlov and Nate Schmidt are underrated.  So is Karl Alzner, who got over 23 minutes. They’re without Brooks Orpik, who for all his experience and physicality is a liability skating wise. They probably don’t need him.

When the Caps weren’t scoring or forcing Lundqvist into tough saves- did he ever have a routine one in the two periods I watched- they were beating the Rangers up. Even their penalties were tough with Nicklas Backstrom knocking down Rick Nash, who got up and was irate. There was a lot of edge in this game. Plenty of animosity. These teams don’t like each other.

The biggest problem for the Blueshirts is they can’t score on the power play. What are they now? One for their last 30? I am not bothering. It’s downright laughable. Opponents know they can take liberties with Alain Vigneault’s team because:

A.They won’t make them pay on the scoreboard.

B.No one ever goes back enough to send a message.

When Zuccarello is your toughest player at 5-foot nothing, that is sad. He was the only one to run Braden Holtby and it wasn’t intentional. It’s because he gets his nose dirty. He goes to the hard areas. When is the last time Chris Kreider did? Kreider hasn’t delivered a big check in quite a while. He can’t just disappear. He needs to be a factor in these games. The Rangers are counting on him. Not for his defense which remains cloudy.

Derek Stepan’s goal drought is up to 18 straight. He got brutalized in the first on a big hit in the corner. He limped off and went to the room. Somehow, he returned and played over 20 minutes. Stepan always competes hard. But he needs a goal badly for his confidence. He expressed frustration following the Columbus loss about needing to score. On one set up, he almost scored on a power play. But the puck just didn’t bounce his way.

Due to Mika Zibanejad not being able to play, Vigneault kept Stepan, Nash and Jimmy Vesey together. I fail to see how they can stay intact where there isn’t enough production. Interestingly, the original lineup had Miller slated to move up with Stepan. A suggestion I made on Twitter. Instead, Miller centered the third line while Kevin Hayes had another tough night with Kreider and Zuccarello. They went a combined minus-five.

I continue to like what I see from Oscar Lindberg. He’s much more active during shifts both offensively and defensively. But Vigneault still isn’t rewarding him. He continues to roll out the same ineffective power play units. That one sequence where Pirri pulled up rather than shooting letting the defender catch him was a joke. For good measure, he faked twice and then had one shot blocked. Just SHOOT THE DAMN PUCK! If he refuses, just get rid of him. He’s useless. One shot on goal for Pirri.

To make room on the roster, Pavel Buchnevich was sent down to Hartford. For now, he’ll probably stay down because Kampfer is the extra defenseman until Kevin Klein is ready. Buchnevich needs to play. If it means he does with the Wolf Pack this weekend, fine. As long as it’s not permanent.

The final straw for me was watching that annoying pest Tom Wilson sucker Ryan McDonagh into an interference penalty in the offensive zone. Vigneault pulled Lundqvist early with over three minutes left. With Wilson looking to get a step, McDonagh interfered with him. After that dope got up, he didn’t react but grinned and laughed and talked trash. I wish someone would knock him into next week.

But on a very vanilla team that lacks grit, it’s not possible. Unless Jeff Gorton adds some grit for the fourth line, it’s going to be the same story this Spring. Opponents know the Rangers weakness. When Glenn Healy can see it and call it out during a segment, that is sad. Then for good measure, Backstrom had a seeing eye shot deflect in past a frustrated Lundqvist, reemphasizing why you should shoot the puck if you’re in a good position. Not this team. Never.

There’s a lot not to like. Even if they are a good team, the Rangers remain flawed. I’m afraid that fatal flaw will hurt them come playoff time. No matter who the opponent is, they’ll be tougher. There’s no guarantee even if they draw the Atlantic.

No wonder I got annoyed. This team needs toughness badly. I’m tired of seeing them get brutalized. Enough already. If that’s how they’re gonna play with their tails between their legs, do us a favor. Just forfeit the first round and refund fans. Not kidding.

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Rangers get their guy in defenseman Brendan Smith

Posted on February 28, 2017 by Derek
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The Rangers got their guy landing much rumored former Detroit defenseman Brendan Smith for a 2017 third round pick and a 2018 second round pick to upgrade the blue line. AP Photo via Getty Images courtesy NYRangers.

As expected, the Rangers got their guy. No. It wasn’t Kevin Shattenkirk, who will debut for the Caps in tonight’s game at MSG. No way was GM Jeff Gorton overpaying for the New Rochelle native who is rumored to want to sign here this summer.

Instead, Gorton made the wiser move acquiring Brendan Smith from the Red Wings in exchange for a 2017 third round pick and 2018 second round pick. The second rounder is the same one acquired from Ottawa in last year’s Derick Brassard deal that landed Mika Zibanejad. The 28-year old left defenseman is in his sixth season. He’s your classic possession player. With a career Corsi of 54.9, the Rangers are banking on the impending unrestricted free agent to aid a weak blue line.

In 33 games this season for Detroit, Smith has two goals and three assists with 34 penalty minutes along with a 50.0 Corsi rating. A player who averages 18:44 of ice-time who had been receiver over 20 minutes recently since returning from an injury, the 6-2, 211 pound Smith will be looked upon to give the Rangers back end a boost.

With second pair Marc Staal and Nick Holden struggling, it’s a good addition. One that became necessary with Dan Girardi out 10 to 14 days with an ankle injury. The right pair defenseman who has played mostly with Ryan McDonagh will get much needed rest to recover. Not the worst thing in the world for the veteran.

Kevin Klein still isn’t ready to return. Back spasms will keep him out again. Super sub Adam Clendening will play for the 16th time in the last 23 games. A better skating right defenseman who’s meshed well with budding rookie Brady Skjei on the third pair, it might be worth keeping the 24-year old Clendening in the lineup even after Klein is healthy.

A puck possession D, Clendening has a career best 57.3 Corsi in 24 games. An offensive player who can get his shot on net, he scored a crucial tying goal in a comeback win over the Devils. In 24 contests, he’s 2-7-9 with 12 penalty minutes and a plus-six rating. That includes 34 shots. It might be time to find out what they have. He’s never been given a real chance with other teams.

Clendening isn’t the strongest in his end. He can struggle in one-on-one situations on the forecheck. But his speed and first pass is an asset. So is his compete level. A blue line featuring McDonagh, Smith, Skjei and Clendening is an upgrade due to more possession. That would also mean Alain Vigneault could rotate Staal and Girardi. Holden has exceeded expectations but has come back to earth. Where does that leave Klein?

At the very least, the Rangers should have improved defensive depth when everyone is healthy. The onus is on the coach to play the right players based on the match-ups. With Girardi out and Klein also unable to go, they recalled vet Steven Kampfer from Hartford. Once they did that, everyone knew a trade was happening. There was no way Kampfer was dressing against the Caps.

So, will the Smith addition work? It can’t hurt. I’m glad the two picks are split up. Bob McKenzie mistakenly had the second round pick for 2017 before correcting himself. Is it over payment for a rental who can sign elsewhere in July? Probably. But it’s a move that had to be made.

Who knows? Maybe if Smith fits in and likes it here, he’ll re-sign. He makes $3.25 million.With the Las Vegas expansion coming, figure Klein to be left unprotected. If Clendening can continue to show improvement, here’s hoping they keep him. He’s restricted this summer.

So, is this it for Gorton? It says here that this team can still use one more forward to play on either the third or fourth line. I’d like to see him add one more piece. And by that, someone who is capable of contributing offensively and will add a physical element that the team so desperately lacks.

There’s a little over 24 hours left until tomorrow’s trade deadline. The clock is ticking.

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The art of a trade

Posted on February 28, 2017 by Derek

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Every year around this time, hockey fans get excited. The NHL Trade Deadline is a holiday in Canada. It may as well be for American puckers too! On Wednesday, March 1, deals will be struck. TSN will have us covered on NHL Network.

It’s sorta like the July 1 free agent frenzy. Similar to that chaos, this one is all about who’s getting moved. Who’s buying and who’s selling? Already we’ve seen some big trades take place. None bigger than the Capitals coming out of nowhere to land offensive defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk from the Blues. The deal came down last night.

While I was at the gym, my Twitter feed was going nuts. I had plenty of notifications from a panicked Rangers fan along with others on Shattenkirk moving to Washington. Leading the NHL in points (89) with the best record of 41-13-7 entering tonight’s match at the Rangers, the Caps are desperate to win now. Following last year’s second round disappointment at the hands of bitter foe Pittsburgh, it’s now or never for them.

In a way, you can understand it. How many more years can the Capitals fall short of getting out of the second round with superstar Alexander Ovechkin? Boasting one of the top goalies in the game in Braden Holtby along with one of the best centers in Nicklas Backstrom, the time is now for the Caps. With superb depth that includes potential UFA T.J. Oshie, Justin Williams, key restricted Evgeny Kuznetsov, Marcus Johansson along with D anchor John Carlson, Washington is an NHL best plus-70 in differential.

Coached by Barry Trotz, they want to finally take that quantum leap. It’s not just about getting out of a tough Metropolitan Division with a potential second round rematch with Hart favorite Sidney Crosby and the Pens. This is about finally winning the franchise’s first Stanley Cup. Since entering the NHL in 1974, the Caps have boasted plenty of good teams. But only once have they won the Eastern Conference doing so in ’97-98. They were no match for the Red Wings, who swept them in their only Stanley Cup Final appearance to repeat as champs.

Since taking the league by storm winning the Calder Trophy in ’05-06 and the Hart three times (’08, ’09, ’13), Ovechkin has been one of the game’s brightest stars. He came in with Crosby. Both are remarkable players. However, Crosby has the hardware Ovechkin wants. He’s won two Stanley Cups. During both runs, the Pens replaced their coach and defeated the Ovechkin Caps in Round 2.

Maybe that explains why the Caps went all in on Shattenkirk. They weren’t expected to land him. Most experts believe he’ll eventually wind up signing with hometown favorite team the Rangers. But the Blues asking price for the rental was too rich for Jeff Gorton’s blood.

Late on Monday evening, it became another battle between the Caps and Pens. Pittsburgh due to all their injuries on the back end. Washington probably because they didn’t want Shattenkirk to wind up on the Pens. Key defenseman Matt Niskanen is day-to-day with a lower body injury. He had a full practice yesterday with the team in preparation for Tuesday’s game at MSG. He sounds close. Brooks Orpik doesn’t.

Considering that the Caps have scored 203 goals while permitting only 133, it seems far fetched to think they needed another defenseman. Especially one who’s scored half his points on the power play. Shattenkirk is 28 and from New Rochelle. In 61 games with St. Louis, he has 11 goals and 31 assists with a minus-11 rating. For his career with Colorado and St. Louis, Shattenkirk has produced 139 power play points including 34 power play goals and 105 power play assists. At even strength, he’s totaled 32 goals and 110 assists for 142 points.

A strong puck possession player, he’s at a 52.4 Corsi for a second straight year. His career average is 54.2. Somewhat curiously, Shattenkirk is a minus-25 the past two seasons for the Blues. It makes you wonder about him defensively. He’s obviously a unique offensive talent who’s now produced four consecutive seasons of 40 points or more. How much of an impact will he have with the Caps? They rank sixth on the power play clicking at 21.8 percent. Their man-advantage just became scarier.

The price they paid was steep. Shattenkirk and minor league goalie Pheonix Copley went to the Caps in exchange for forward prospect Zach Sanford, minor league center Brad Malone, a 2017 first round pick and a 2019 conditional second round pick. To help out Washington, the Blues retained 39 percent of Shattenkirk’s remaining salary. He gets $5.2 million but the Caps are only on the hook for $2.592 million. Similar to what the Coyotes did for the Rangers when they dealt Keith Yandle to them in 2015. The only difference was Yandle had another year left before winding up in Florida.

So, is this the year for the Caps and their fans? It had better be. Oshie can leave. So can Williams. Defenseman Karl Alzner is also unrestricted. With Kuznetsov due to a big raise along with Andre Burakovsky and Dmitry Orlov both Group II’s plus Nate Schmidt, Washington could have a different look by next season.

There’s no guarantee Shattenkirk will re-sign. So, it’s basically do or die. Maybe the Caps deal his negotiating rights and recover a mid-round pick in late June. They better have celebrated a Stanley Cup parade.

The other key move was made by Western Conference leader Minnesota acquiring checking enter Martin Hanzal and gritty forward Ryan White from the Coyotes along with a 2017 fourth round pick for minor league forward Grayson Drowning, a 2017 first round pick, a 2018 second round pick plus a fourth rounder in 2019. That is a lot.

So, another team that’s never been further than one Conference Final is all in on this season. Why not? The Wild boast a excellent roster rich in talent. Maybe getting two key role players is the difference this time in getting past roadblock Chicago. White had a great debut scoring a goal and assist in a come from behind 5-4 overtime home win over the Kings. He’s the kind of player I wanted the Rangers to be in on. He gets his nose dirty in front and would have been a good fit on the fourth line. Oh well.

The other two moves came from the Kings and Maple Leafs. In a stunner, LA acquired Ben Bishop from Tampa Bay with a 2017 fifth round pick for Peter Budaj, D prospect Erik Cernak and a seventh round pick in 2017. With Jonathan Quick back healthy and Bishop hitting the market this summer, why make such a deal? Unless they’re going to reroute Bishop on Wednesday. We’ll see.

For Tampa, it made sense with them wanting the experienced Budaj, who’s redeemed his career with seven shutouts, to back up new starter Andrei Vasilevskiy. They also got a prospect out of it in Cernak. Steve Yzerman is a genius. He also was able to net a second round pick for Brian Boyle, who is a good fit for Toronto as a rental. Boyle is the perfect fourth line center who wins face-offs and puck battles on the fore-check. He’s having a good year with 13 goals and nine assists.In three years with Tampa, Boyle hit double digits in goals each season totaling 41. He helped them reach the Stanley Cup Final in 2015 before they lost to Chicago. Now, he’ll try to help the Leafs get back to the postseason.

There are still plenty of players available before the deadline. What will happen with Colorado’s Matt Duchene and Gabriel Landeskog? Is anyone willing to pay the big price Joe Sakic wants? The Islanders have been linked up to both Duchene and Jordan Eberle.

One other move saw the Senators acquire annoying pest Alex Burrows from the Canucks and then sign him to a multi-year deal worth $5 million. They gave up 19-year old Swedish forward prospect Jonathan Dahlen. A perplexing move by a desperate team.

Who else will be in on the fun? Are the Rangers going after Brendan Smith? Where does Jarome Iginla wind up? My prediction is Montreal. I would love him to come here. But can’t see it.

Is Evander Kane really on the move as speculated by Mike Commodore? We’ll find out soon enough.

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Quote of Day: Glenn Healy sums up Jackets win over Rangers

Posted on February 27, 2017 by Derek
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The Blue Jackets celebrate their win with goalie Sergei Bobrovsky in a game that exposed the Rangers weakness three days before the March 1 trade deadline. AP Photo via Getty Images courtesy Blue Jackets.

Rather than do a traditional recap of a game I only caught the final period of, I instead will use a quote from new MSG analyst Glenn Healy, who perfectly summed up why the Blue Jackets won over the Rangers quite easily by a count of 5-2.

“The message was sent four seconds in,” Healy said in reference to Columbus physical forward Boone Jenner punching Dan Girardi after the opening face-off. He continued along with MSG’s Steve Valiquette as they showed Jenner also shove Rick Nash during another sequence.

“The Rangers score a lot of goals. But they don’t like to play in the trenches.”

That quote is one that should be posted on the wall in front of Alain Vigneault and Jeff Gorton. When push comes to shove, this team is built on speed and skill. It’s reliant on transition and pretty goals. They don’t score a lot of ugly ones. They aren’t going to make opponents pay the price.

Columbus took the season series by going two for two at The Garden winning each game convincingly. They won 5-2 with Cam Atkinson scoring twice including on a neutral zone turnover Brandon Dubinsky forced Nick Holden into. Holden fumbled the puck and Dubinsky stole it and then led Atkinson in for a lethal that Henrik Lundqvist couldn’t stop making it 4-1 early in the third.

For all intent and purposes, the game was over. There would be no Rangers comeback like they did twice in wins at Columbus. Their power play continued to fail. With under a minute left, the trio of Oscar Lindberg, Chris Kreider and Mats Zuccarello paid no attention to Josh Anderson, who was allowed to easily bury his 14th in front to make it 5-1 at 19:36. Kreider was the closest one.

By that point, it didn’t matter. The outcome had been decided. But could they at least have had some pride on that shift? It was humiliating. Even with the always hard working Jesper Fast beating the buzzer for his fifth from Marc Staal and Lindberg for some bookkeeping, it’s not the way they wanted to play. Ryan McDonagh didn’t mince words in the room. They have to play harder against a quality opponent.

Granted. This was coming. The Rangers had been on a good roll going 9-1-1 entering Sunday night. Coming off the 4-3 come from behind overtime win over the hapless Devils, the Jackets were a step up. Both teams played on Saturday. Only one dominated with Columbus humiliating the Islanders 7-zip. They did that to a seriously hot team that will probably get in as the final wildcard while the Rangers struggled with the Devils. A team headed for the lottery.

As I said in another column, they had been winning mostly thanks to Lundqvist and timely scoring. Even if Derek Stepan continues to have a disappointing season and Michael Grabner is in a cold streak, they were finding ways to win games. That can be attributed to the team’s improved depth. But Lundqvist was the biggest difference maker winning 10 games in his last 14 appearances with a GAA under 2.00 and save percentage at .939. He was due for a bad game. He allowed five goals on 26 shots.

Both Atkinson tallies he was wide open on. So, at least three of Columbus’ five goals weren’t on the goalie. But rather a shaky defense which can rear its ugly head at any moment. That is the bad reminder of how last year ended. It’s not all on Staal or Dan Girardi. Holden has come back to earth. When Brady Skjei and Adam Clendening are your most effective pair, that’s problematic. At least Clendening is making the most of his opportunity with back spasms keeping Kevin Klein out.

The Rangers are now back in the first wildcard a point behind the Jackets, who have two games at hand. They have exactly 20 games remaining. The goal is to be playing well entering the postseason. Something Stepan referred to afterwards. He did record an assist on Nash’s 18th goal. But 43 points (12-31-43) for our top center is a step in the wrong direction.

Alain Vigneault needs to make a switch. Whether it’s breaking up Kevin Hayes and J.T. Miller by elevating Miller to Stepan’s line or shifting Chris Kreider back with him, something must change. You can’t have Stepan struggling like this in April or they have no chance. We still don’t know about Mika Zibanejad although he’s playing better. But we do know that if you have him with Kreider and Mats Zuccarello, none of them are great defensively. So even splitting up Kreider and Zuccarello should be considered.

The only line that’s played well recently is the fourth line with Oscar Lindberg and Fast flanked by Brandon Pirri. But it’s time for Pavel Buchnevich to get back in the lineup. So, if he’s fully recovered from the flu for Tuesday’s big match against Washington, dress him. And don’t just play him 9-10 minutes either. That’s counterproductive.

Miller, Hayes and Grabner have cooled off. When they aren’t going, the Rangers become a lot easier to play. Columbus got great goaltending from Sergei Bobrovsky (28 saves) and cashed in on Ranger mistakes.

Whatever happens in the next 48 hours could go a long way to determining what the Blueshirts do by Wednesday’s trade deadline on March 1. A hockey vacation day. Yes. I’ll be taking off for that unlike the past couple of years. So, we’ll have some fun coverage of the big trades.

I really feel what Healy stated is true about this team. The Rangers lack that physical agitator who can annoy opponents. If they somehow added that missing ingredient and upgraded the blue line, they would be taken a lot more seriously when the playoffs roll around. It’s not easy to play their style when scoring dries up. It becomes about board battles and winning pucks in the corners.

This is a fun team to watch. They’re likable. But not having that physical in your face player such as Dubinsky hurts. When they’re off, they’re very plain. Vanilla. Every once in a while, you need some chocolate to mix it up. Or maybe some rainbow sprinkles or whipped cream. A Sather special.

What will they do? I don’t know. Surprise me.

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Zibanejad beats Schneider, Devils in overtime

Posted on February 25, 2017 by Derek
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Mika Zibanejad finally ended his goal drought by beating Cory Schneider at 1:16 of overtime to give the Rangers a 4-3 win over the Devils. AP Photo via Getty Images courtesy NYRangers.

For nearly two periods, the latest game between Hudson rivals was boring. It needed something. The Rangers were leading by two and had dominated the Devils in the second period. They threw everything but the kitchen sink at Cory Schneider, who was brilliant in stopping all 17 shots to give his team a chance.

Then, old 2012 playoff hero Adam Henrique scored on a wrap around past Antti Raanta to awaken the sellout crowd of 16,514 at Newark. His 16th goal of the season coming with 1:32 left awakened not only the fans on each side but his teammates. They came out and took it to the Rangers, who look like they got rained on by the thunderstorms in the room.

Consecutive Kyle Palmieri goals 47 seconds apart to start the third suddenly gave the home side a 3-2 lead. Their first lead of a game they trailed 2-0 in. Continuing to launch an all out assault on Raanta, they never got that big fourth goal. Had they, maybe we’re singing a different tune.

Instead, the Rangers recovered to take over the second half of the period getting a tying goal from Adam Clendening with 4:25 left in regulation. It would be the Manhattan side of the Hudson rivalry that prevailed in overtime on a Mika Zibanejad goal that beat Schneider five-hole at 1:16 ending a chaotic three-on-three for a wild Rangers’ 4-3 win. It was their league-leading 21st road victory.

This wasn’t your ordinary game. The Devils were clearly the better team at the start. They fired the first five shots on Raanta, who was sharp in his first start since Feb. 13. He stopped all 15 Devil shots in the first. A favorable bounce allowed the Rangers to go ahead. A Dan Girardi point shot went off a Devil and then Chris Kreider and banked off the goalpost and in for a 1-0 lead at 6:40. That snapped a six-game goal drought for Kreider, who got his 23rd from Girardi and Mats Zuccarello.

Before the period concluded, Jesper Fast faked shot and then passed across for a sweet Oscar Lindberg finish at 17:32 for a two-goal lead. A very heady play by the defensive forward who replaced Jimmy Vesey on the first line late in regulation. Lindberg continues to play well getting his fourth off hard work while seeing an increase in ice-time (11:36).

Even though the Devils held a 15-10 shots edge, they trailed by two. It looked like they would fall behind by a lot more in a lopsided second. The ice was tilted with a more aggressive Blueshirts all over the Jersey hosts. They spent so much time in the Devils end, it got boring. Schneider was the only reason it was still a game. He made some remarkable stops totaling 17 in what was a Rangers onslaught.

Part of the problem was the Devils kept turning pucks over. Taylor Hall over skated one causing a dangerous point blank chance for Kevin Hayes, who was robbed by the quick glove of Schneider. Normally dependable defenseman Andy Greene fell down but Zuccarello was unable to take advantage.

A tripping penalty to Devante Smith-Pelly for taking down Brandon Pirri handed the Rangers a big opportunity. Even though they got some looks on it with five shots testing Schneider, they still were unable to capitalize- extending their power play misery. Alain Vigneault even tried Clendening and Brady Skjei together near the end. It almost resulted in a shorthanded goal. With Skjei forcing a pass into Clendening’s skates at the blue line, it led directly to the dangerous Henrique breaking in on Raanta. But before he could get off a shot, a hustling Zuccarello lifted his stick to negate the chance. A terrific play by a determined player.

That didn’t prevent Henrique from finally getting one a few minutes later. He was able to gain a step on Lindberg cutting around the net and beating Raanta with a clean wrap around that cut it to 2-1 with 1:32 remaining in the second. A strong move and finish by him. Beau Bennett and P.A. Parenteau drew the assists.

So, the Rangers led by one after two. The odd part being their two goals came in the first when the Devils were the better team. The Devils getting their lone tally in a poor second. Good goaltending can make up the difference.

https://twitter.com/NJDevils/status/835646577490427905

The start of the third was inexplicable. From a Ranger standpoint, it was like they were still in the room. Palmieri tied the game 27 seconds in when he used Dan Girardi kneeling down as a screen to surprise Raanta for his 17th. Travis Zajac and Hall earned the helpers. With the Devils contingent fired up, Kreider then took a bad delay of game minor penalty handing them a power play.

Handed a gift, it took the Devils only four seconds to surge ahead. Off a clean face-off win by Zajac back to Greene, he let go of a quick wrist shot from the point that Palmieri was able to deflect in past a helpless Raanta for a 3-2 lead at 1:14. MSG replays showed that rookie Miles Wood made contact with Raanta on a screen in front. He was battling for position with Girardi. The refs signaled goal. So, Vigneault’s coach’s challenge needed conclusive evidence from Toronto to overturn. They confirmed that it was a good goal allowing for more celebration from the pro Devils crowd.

Of course, Glenn Healy whined about it afterwards. Was there some contact? Yes. But was it enough to overturn? No. Sometimes, he can be a blatant homer. Steve Valiquette is the best Rangers analyst. He didn’t kill Raanta for the first Palmieri goal due to Girardi bending down which hurt his sight.

Regardless, they now trailed a game they once were in control of through no fault but their own. They melted down for a good chunk of the third. The Devils were all over them for a while. But some key stops from Raanta kept it a one-goal deficit. He played another good game finishing with 35 saves to earn his 12th win.

The Devils were handed another opportunity when Vesey took a undisciplined tripping penalty 45 seconds after Kreider went off and watched Palmieri score his 18th.  Not bad considering the awful start he had. But the Rangers were able to kill it off. Of course, Kevin Hayes got a chance when a clear led directly to a two-on-one with J.T. Miller. Hayes was stoned by Schneider.

But as the period continued, the Rangers began to turn the tide. Starting to regain momentum with their forecheck, they began generating chances which Schneider answered. Eventually, sustained pressure from Zibanejad allowed Kreider to come out from behind the net and center for a quick Clendening release that beat Schneider at 15:35 with two Devils screening him out. One thing about Clendening. He has a good shot. He took advantage for his second of the year to force overtime.

When it reached three-on-three, I just wanted someone to end it. The Rangers had gone to two straight shootouts. I didn’t want to see another skill competition decide a good game. Palmieri nearly ended it twice. On a turnover, he came in and was thwarted by a sliding Raanta. Then, he seemed to have the game on his stick. With Raanta down, he missed.

That miss proved crucial. Skjei quickly made a great outlet for Zibanejad allowing him to get a step on Damon Severson. He had just enough room to use a good fake of a slap shot and then go to a wrist shot that went five-hole on Schneider for the game-winner at 1:16. It was his first goal since Jan. 17. He also assisted on Clendening’s tying goal.

BONY 3 Stars:

3rd Star-Antti Raanta, Rangers (35 saves including 15/15 in hectic 1st-came through when his team was on ropes)

2nd Star-Mika Zibanejad, Rangers (overtime winner-8th, assist, +3 in 23 shifts-15:46)

1st Star-Cory Schneider, Devils (36 saves including 17/17 in 2nd-remarkable work even though he allowed 4 in a tough loss)

Notes: With another good showing, Pirri recorded three shots in 15 shifts (11:31) on the fourth line. Does he stay in for a third straight over Pavel Buchnevich against the Blue Jackets tomorrow at MSG? … Shots were 40-38 Rangers. Attempts were 60-57 Rangers. … There were a grand total of 28 hits. Seventeen by the Devils. A paltry 11 by the Rangers. In a rivalry game no less. … Face-offs went in favor of the Blueshirts 27-23 led by Miller (9-and-3). Zajac paced the Devils going 10-and-7. … In a rarity, Marc Staal led the Rangers in ice-time with 22:31 in 30 shifts. Ryan McDonagh got 22:12 in 27 shifts attempting eight shots with none hitting the net. …. Severson led all Devils with 23:11 in 29 shifts going minus-three. Greene received 22:42 in 30 shifts with an assist and even rating. …

Correcting a mistake earlier in my preview, Rangers are a point up on the Blue Jackets, who humiliated the Islanders 7-0. They are tied with the Penguins in points (82) at the moment. Pittsburgh is playing the Flyers in an outdoor game at Heinz Field leading 1-0 on Sidney Crosby’s NHL-leading 34th goal. … Devils fell to 0-2-1 in last three. They’re 25-25-11 overall with 61 points in 61 games including a disappointing 13-12-5 at home. They next host the Canadiens on Monday.

Adam Clendening talks about his big tying goal:

OT Hero Mika Zibanejad talks about his game-winner while wearing the Broadway Hat in a candid interview with MSG’s John Giannone:

Kyle Palmieri talks about how the swing in momentum:

https://twitter.com/NJDevils/status/835652520034852864

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Rangers at Devils

Posted on February 25, 2017 by Derek

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The third installment of the Battle of Hudson takes place in Newark at 5 PM. Kind of an odd start time due to the annoying outdoor game being played between the Flyers and Penguins. How many more times do the same teams have to participate? But yeah. I’ll probably watch because it’s an intense rivalry between Pennsylvania rivals.

While that game is at 8 PM in primetime because when else would it be on NBC, that leaves the Rangers and Devils to start earlier than usual on a Saturday afternoon. Ditto for the Islanders who visit the Blue Jackets at the same time. How nice. So much for channel flipping.

The game is the third of I believe four between New Jersey and New York. The Devils are not far out of the wildcard. But consecutive losses to the Islanders and Senators pretty much killed their hopes. Something Hasan went off on due to just an awful decision by John Hynes to start backup Keith Kinkaid over Cory Schneider in a must have rematch last Sunday in Brooklyn. A disaster.

The Rangers find themselves locked in a tight battle with Columbus for third in the Metro. They’re a point behind. The Pens remain in second a few points out of first trailing the Caps. The issue is whoever finishes third will likely have to draw the defending champs in the first round due to the current format.

Whoever gets the first wildcard would cross over and play the Atlantic winner. I have no clue who that will be anymore. Montreal is continuing to struggle. If not for a shootout win at MSG, they’d be winless in three under Claude Julien. God almighty. Ottawa sits just two points back with games at hand. The Leafs and Bruins are right there. Then the Panthers are too. Who knows what could happen between now and the first week of April.

The trade deadline is March 1 on Wednesday. The Rangers have interest in Kevin Shattenkirk and Brendan Smith. I don’t want them to overpay for Shattenkirk as a rental like they did Keith Yandle, who at least had another year left on his deal which the Coyotes picked up half the tab on. As for Smith, I don’t know what people see in him. He hasn’t been healthy playing in only 33 games. But I guess they believe he’d be an upgrade over Dan Girardi or Marc Staal which is true. It wouldn’t cost much. I would guess a second round pick would do the trick.

As for tonight, no Kevin Klein again as he’s out for the weekend including tomorrow’s game versus Columbus due to back spasms. So the Adam Clendening contingent gets their wish. No Pavel Buchnevich either after Brandon Pirri had a good game the other night assisting on J.T. Miller’s goal which came at the end of a power play. He also fit in with Oscar Lindberg and Jesper Fast on the fourth line.

Henrik Lundqvist gets the day off. Antti Raanta starts against Cory Schneider. Lundqvist isn’t needed to play against the Devils. Especially with a quality backup in Raanta capable of performing. No disrespect there either. But that’s just how it goes. For years, when our team sucked, all they saw were backups. Now, the Devils are going through that phase.

They’re not a pushover. They still boast capable players in Taylor Hall, Adam Henrique, Kyle Palmieri, Travis Zajac, Andy Greene, Damon Severson and recently scratched Mike Cammalleri. Plus youngster Miles Wood, who has great speed but is still looking for consistency. Unfortunately, bright rookie Pavel Zacha is out with a concussion.

Anyway, the game is about to start. I’ll probably head home and watch. Happy Puck Day!

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