Zibanejad OT Clutch

Posted on March 6, 2017 by Derek
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Antti Raanta dons the Broadway Hat after a brilliant 38 save performance highlighting a 1-0 Rangers overtime shutout win over the Lightning. AP Photo via Getty Images courtesy NYRangers.

The Rangers defeated the Lightning 1-0 in overtime to start their four-game road trip on the right foot. The lone goal coming from Mr. Overtime, Mika Zibanejad. He scored his second overtime winner on a clean breakaway beating an otherwise brilliant Andrei Vasilevskiy with a wicked forehand deke with 1:04 left in the 3-on-3 roller derby.

Say this for Zibanejad. He is an interesting player. There’s no doubting his skill level. It’s more a question of consistency for the 23-year old second line pivot who came over from the Senators last off-season in a trade for Derick Brassard. He can be exasperating with some of his wild misses on open one-timers on the power play. His defensive game is also mind numbing. But he wins face-offs and gets chances. It’s just a matter of time before he figures it out.

For a guy with his talent, he’s still scratching the surface. One thing about Zibanejad. He has great hands and is money on the breakaway. He displayed it in an overtime winner over the Devils a couple of weeks ago. This time, following a near miss from ever dangerous speed demon Ondrej Palat who crashed wildly into the boards, Ryan McDonagh sprung him and it was over. If only the Swede could do it more consistently in regulation at even strength and on the man-advantage.

The game-winner was his ninth of the season in 40 games. Undoubtedly, even if he missed two months due to a broken leg, he should have more goals. Then again, we can certainly say the same for Derek Stepan, who’s now at 21 games without one. His game is coming back together. He was thinking shot more throughout getting five on a sharp Vasilevskiy, who was locked into a great goalie duel with super backup Antti Raanta.

Raanta won the battle finishing with 38 saves for his third shutout of the season. He was sensational stopping everything against a very skilled opponent, including 16 saves in the second and another cool dozen in a seesaw third. If the Rangers lose him to expansion Las Vegas, he’ll be missed. As Zibanejad told John Giannone in the post game, it’s nice to have two goalies they can depend on. A great luxury that allowed Henrik Lundqvist the night off with Florida tomorrow in the second of a back-to-back.

There was a lot more than Raanta’s goaltending and Zibanejad’s OT winner going on here. You had Tanner Glass in his season debut making an impact with his energy and physicality. While other whiny bloggers complain about him getting 5:17 in 10 shifts, they must’ve missed Glass being a pest in front of the net in search of a rebound creating a scrum. They also ignored his lengthy bout with bigger man Luke Witkowski. One which the refs asked both participants if they wanted them to step in. They didn’t and landed some more hey makers. Glass also nearly set up Jimmy Vesey in the third with the game scoreless.

With Glass in for Matt Puempel, the team played tougher. They were more engaged battling in the corners and getting into it with the Lightning post-whistle. This was out of character for them. Glass obviously had a positive effect which is exactly why Alain Vigneault brought him up from Hartford. You even had Vesey mixing it up during a scrum. This was much more fun to watch than the same old same old from a team that hadn’t done this stuff enough.

Sometimes, it has to be ugly. Hockey isn’t always pretty. It’s not always art out there on the ice with fancy skating and rushes and pretty goals. Sometimes, you have to go after the opponent and make it nasty. Even though both teams combined for 72 shots and 113 attempts, there was more edginess which made the game more fun for old school hockey fans like myself.

There were plenty of scoring chances from both sides. But each netminder was fantastic throughout which is why there was no score entering the three-on-three madness. How hectic was it? You had Palat turning McDonagh inside out for what looked like a potential winner. But he missed. That set the stage for McDonagh to pass ahead for Zibanejad, who went to his bread and butter winning it in style with his usual grin.

When asked in the post interview about it by Giannone, he quipped, “Score.” He definitely has some personality. Maybe that’s why I find him interesting. The two months he missed hurt his timing. It still doesn’t explain why he hasn’t lit the lamp more. But if he can get hot down the stretch, it would sure go a long way to giving me a more positive outlook about the first round.

Just as long as Vigneault sticks with Zibanejad, Rick Nash and Pavel Buchnevich. The trio were dangerous throughout. Buchnevich was perfectly set up by Vesey on a power play only to watch a sliding Vasilevskiy get across and deny him. That’s how it’s gone for the power play. No wonder they can’t score.

Nash was dominant leading all skaters with eight shots. That included a great power move around Victor Hedman for one chance and another strong move forcing Vasilevskiy into a tough save before running over the Tampa goalie for a goaltender interference minor which his teammates pridefully killed off with some Raanta heroics.

As for Stepan, he had five shots and seems on the verge of finally breaking out. A second straight good game for him, Chris Kreider and Mats Zuccarello bodes well.

Kevin Hayes and J.T. Miller were a bit quiet again. Hayes and Miller were back together for one penalty kill shift creating a shorthanded chance that was blocked. They definitely are missing Michael Grabner, who completes that third line. Not a knock on Vesey, who competes hard. But Grabner is that missing ingredient. Both still need to be better even if Grabner isn’t in. One combined shot isn’t enough from two of your most skilled forwards.

The fourth line didn’t see much ice in the third. But Glass was fine in his role. Oscar Lindberg can be counted on when given shifts. Brandon Pirri is hit or miss. He was more engaged even delivering a check. But if he isn’t hitting the net on the power play, what does he bring? He looks more and more like the odd man out once Jesper Fast returns near the end of the month.

Steven Kampfer filled in for Adam Clendening, who wasn’t too pleased about being a healthy scratch after one bad game. Kampfer drew a boarding penalty which should’ve been a major. He was okay in 15 managed shifts receiving 8:40 recording two shots and two hits. Vigneault rode McDonagh, who rebounded from a miserable game with 26-plus minutes and his 32nd assist on Zibanejad’s overtime winner. His season is eerily similar to Keith Yandle last year except Yandle was better on the power play.

Marc Staal bounced back too with some strong defensive work preventing some dangerous shots from getting through. That included a Nikita Kucherov point blank opportunity with under 20 seconds left when he recovered to block his shot. Staal has been dumped on for his struggles since returning from a concussion. It’s been a rough go for the alternate captain. But tonight, he made some big defensive plays in an effective 25 shifts (18:04).

Nick Holden had one of his better games lately getting 25:59 while also making some strong plays defensively. Brendan Smith took 29 shifts going over 24 minutes while getting involved physically. Brady Skjei had five shots on goal, six attempts with two blocks in 16:33 (24 shifts). I wonder why he didn’t get more or if they just wanted to keep his minutes down after the flu. It became a five-man rotation in crunch time. Skjei can go from defense to offense so smoothly that his upside is unlimited. He could be the best defenseman the team has produced since Brian Leetch.

So, what else did I like aside from the win? Just how emotionally involved the Rangers were. That’s how they have to play. Something McDonagh reiterated afterwards. They must be engaged. It’ll be interesting to see how much they have left for a rested Panthers team in the wildcard hunt.

As for the Lightning, they get a point moving up to 69 to pull within two of the Islanders. The issue for them is they didn’t get a win. They have only 17 games left and just 26 ROW which is the first tiebreaker. Three less than the Islanders and two fewer than the Maple Leafs. Florida has 25 with 18 remaining. The Bolts need to get wins in regulation or overtime. If they tie in points with the Islanders or Leafs and finish with less ROW, they’re out. Ditto for the Panthers.

As for the Rangers, they stay locked into the first wildcard by getting their 42nd victory. They are up to 86 points with 16 games remaining including 39 ROW. Two behind both Columbus and Pittsburgh, who each have two games at hand.

The one gripe was the officiating. How they only gave Gabriel Dumont two for boarding when he nearly decapitated Kampfer was pathetic. It should’ve been at least a double minor. Honestly, it was a major and should be reviewed. A disrespectful play. Will the league even review it? Player safety fail because Kampfer was able to return. Hypocrisy. And then the same refs called a substandard game sending a bunch of players to the box for tick tac stuff. Ridiculous.

BONY 3 Stars:

3rd Star-Mika Zibanejad, Rangers (electrifying OT winner on breakaway-9th of season)

2nd Star-Andrei Vasilevskiy, Lightning (33 saves-looking like the stud Tampa thought they had)

1st Star-Antti Raanta, Rangers (38 saves for 3rd shutout of season)

OT Hero Mika Zibanejad talks about his game-winner:

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Fight of the year: Glass vs Witkowski

Posted on March 6, 2017 by Derek
Tanner Glass battles Mark Stuart

Tanner Glass battles Mark Stuart during last night’s Rangers loss to Winnipeg. Getty Images/Photo by Kathy Kmonicek

So much has been made of the Rangers recalling gritty forward Tanner Glass. Maybe too much from the charts contingent who just have become blind to how soft and predictable this team is. They needed an infusion of energy and sandpaper. Glass provided it in a more lively first period than we’re used to seeing.

On one shift, he drove hard to the net for a rebound which drew the ire of the Lightning, who came to Andrei Vasilevskiy’s aid. Unlike most of the second half, this wasn’t a drive by. But rather a hungry determined player searching for a loose puck which annoyed the opponent. This is the kind of stuff Henrik Lundqvist has to deal with all the time.

A couple of shifts later, Glass was challenged by Luke Witkowski. Never one to back away, he accepted the bigger man’s challenge and engaged in a long entertaining fight that lasted over a minute. Both men gave it everything they had. Glass had to deal with Witkowski wearing a visor while his helmet was off for the big battle. This one was easily one of the best fights of the year. Here’s how it looked and was called by the Lightning broadcast:

The first period had more life in it than most of the Rangers’ second half. Players were engaged. Brendan Smith went after a Bolt. Of course, there was a bit of nastiness and edge unlike most periods this team plays. There also was some ugliness with Gabriel Dumont boarding Steven Kampfer from behind with a vicious hit that should’ve resulted in a major. Predictably, the idiots in stripes called it a “two-minute boarding minor.”

What a joke! The Rangers didn’t score. They should have been steamed. What exactly does it take to draw a five-minute boarding major in this league? Unbelievable. The Rangers are 0-for-2 on the power play. Not for lack of chances. An unreal passing play which involved Jimmy Vesey and Pavel Buchnevich resulted in Vasilevskiy flat out robbing Buchnevich. Rick Nash started it actually.

Chris Kreider also had a great chance but instead of shooting with a full head of steam, he passed. Why? I have no clue. He also didn’t fight during a wild scrum. Injury? Who knows.

But the one noticeable difference is the Rangers have been more engaged with Glass in the lineup. Coincidence? I still am not sure why Kampfer is in for Adam Clendening. But he hasn’t been bad. Kudos to Glass for giving our fans something to get excited about. A real scrap that will be replayed for a while.

A win would be nice. Antti Raanta is standing on his head in the second. He’s stopped 15 shots in the period and 24 overall. Vasilevskiy has 20 saves after making a dozen in a busy first. It is still scoreless with over three minutes left in the period.

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Remember when MSG was a home ice advantage?

Posted on March 5, 2017 by Derek
Derek Stepan

Derek Stepan is mobbed by teammates after scoring the dramatic OT winner in Game 7 to beat the Caps 2-1 and advance to the Conference Final in 2015. The last time the Rangers were tough to beat at MSG. AP Photo by Julie Jacobson/Getty Images

In thinking about how poor the Rangers are at MSG, it’s hard to fathom. They’re not the same team on home ice that they are on the road. Entering tomorrow’s road match at Tampa Bay, they’re 22-8-0 away from The Garden. The 22 road wins pace the NHL. At home, they’re 19-14-2 after falling for the third straight time in a lopsided 4-1 loss to the Canadiens.

So, what’s the biggest issue? For starters, the Rangers have a goal differential of plus-nine in 35 games at MSG. They’ve scored 111 and allowed 102. They rank 27th at home on the power play only going 15-for-101 (14.8 percent). They’re not much better on the penalty kill ranked 25th out of 30 teams. They’ve allowed 20 power play goals in 90 chances which translates to 77.8 percent. Anything below 80.0 is bad. If your specialty teams aren’t up to par, it’s pretty hard to win consistently at home.

The bad special teams contributes negatively. Especially when this team is busy firing blanks on the power play. Though it’s not just exclusive to MSG, they’re 1 for the last 30. The power outage has dropped them to 18th overall converting 18.1 percent (34-for-188). How do they do on the road? Significantly better. The Rangers rank sixth going 19-for-87 (21.8 percent).

The penalty kill is also much better tied with the Ducks for fifth best. They’ve allowed 12 power play goals in 80 attempts killing off 85.0 percent. A big difference compared to how they play at home. When you combine the better special teams away from MSG with their even strength play, the Rangers have a goal differential of plus-27 on the road. They’ve outscored opponents 96-69.

Just how much better are they when not at MSG? Seven of their eight shorthanded goals have come on the road. The Blueshirts are currently tied for the league lead in shorthanded goals with three other teams.

The good news is they have 11 more games on the road compared to only six at home. With 17 games left, they can turn it around. The next four are away from their kryptonite. That includes a back-to-back in Florida starting with the Lightning tomorrow followed by the Panthers Tuesday. The third game in four is at hapless Carolina. Then they conclude a four-game road trip at Detroit in Brendan Smith’s homecoming next Sunday.

Here’s how bad the Rangers have been lately at The Garden. Facing three potential playoff opponents, they were outscored 13-4 by the Blue Jackets, Capitals and Canadiens. Each played more physical and forced the Rangers into mistakes that wound up in the back of the net. The last home win was a throwback game in which they edged the Caps 2-1 on Feb. 19. A game in which Henrik Lundqvist turned back the clock finishing with 31 saves while the team played lock down defense. He stifled Marcus Johansson twice in the final minute.

The Blueshirts final six games at The Garden are versus the Lightning Mar. 13, the Panthers Mar. 17, the Islanders 3/22, the Penguins 3/31, the Flyers April 2 and the Penguins the final day of the season on April 9. All come against teams either in the playoffs or competing for it. None will be easy. Especially given the way they play at home.

Have you ever seen a more fragile team defending home ice that’s playoff bound than the ’16-17 Rangers? It’s easy to forget that after a very successful ’14-15 in which they won the President’s Trophy for home ice advantage throughout the postseason, they lost three of four games at MSG to the Lightning in a heartbreaking Eastern Conference Final. A weirdly played series where there was no such thing as momentum. If there had been, the Rangers carry it forward following a convincing Game 6 rout in Tampa by taking Game 7 and advancing to a second consecutive Stanley Cup Final. Instead, they were shutout 2-0 by the Lightning with both Tampa goals coming in a devastating third. They also were blanked in Game 5 by an identical 2-0 and lost Game 2 by a 6-2 count.

If you include last year’s first round exit to the Pens, they’ve dropped five straight playoff games at MSG. After splitting a pair in Pittsburgh, they lost the next two games on home ice getting outscored 8-1. Counting the three previous home playoff defeats against the Lightning, they’ve been outscored 18-3 in the last five home playoff dates. That’s insane.

Talk about home ice disadvantage. How can anyone explain it? Vigneault has the last change. He had a role in it not making good in game adjustments. But what about the players? Why are they so ineffective at the World’s Most Famous Arena? It wasn’t always that way with 2015 Conference Semifinal heroes Chris Kreider, Ryan McDonagh and Derek Stepan stunning the Caps in remarkable fashion. They had Lundqvist too who was significant making huge saves in sudden death of both Games 5 and 7 to help complete the franchise’s second straight second round comeback from a 3-1 series deficit.

In the playoffs, everything gets magnified. Each shift matters. The battle level is so vital. Something Stepan alluded to in his interview Saturday and then today with the team preparing for Tampa. He spoke of working smarter. He has the pulse of the team. Of course, he must snap out of it and start scoring goals. He hasn’t lit the lamp since 1/17. He is reunited with Kreider and Zuccarello. They combined for the lone goal in the third period on Saturday.

At the moment, the team sits comfortably in the first wildcard position with 84 points and 17 games remaining along with 38 ROW. The next closest team is the Islanders with 71 and 18 left following a 5-2 blowout loss at red hot Calgary. They’re competing with the Leafs, Panthers, Lightning and even the Flyers for the final wildcard spot. I have counted out Buffalo following a brutal 4-3 loss in regulation at Pittsburgh. A game which they led 3-0 after one only to see the Pens score four unanswered including a Jake Guentzel backwards redirect that was ruled a legal goal tying it. It probably was due to where the puck touched his stick. Then Justin Schultz set up a wide open Conor Sheary for the stunning game-winner.

While those teams continue to jockey for position, the Rangers remain in good shape. Something Stepan emphasized today. They need to be better and focus on the next four games. As far as whether they earn home ice or not, does it matter? Look how they play in front of our fans. No wonder there’s no atmosphere. Fans were booing them as early as the second period yesterday. They earned it. That’s how dominant Montreal was.

It would be nice if they defended themselves. You can’t let Grade A punk Steve Ott chase J.T. Miller around in the final minute looking to goad him into a fight. That’s unacceptable. It’s pathetic on so many levels. Where is the team toughness? No wonder they recalled Tanner Glass. He can’t save the team from themselves. But at least you know he’ll give maximum effort and finish checks.

Saturday’s embarrassment was the final straw for me. I tuned out after it became 4-1. So, I missed Brendan Gallagher going full Brian Gionta mode and running our goaltender. At least there was a response from Marc Staal. Who else is gonna do it? Not the captain Ryan McDonagh. Smith would because he plays with edge. He wasn’t out there. Nick Holden was out while Ott chased Miller like a clown. Brutal.

For all the talk about how easy target Dan Girardi isn’t the same player and a likely buyout candidate, you know he doesn’t take shifts off. Neither does Kevin Klein, who could be left unprotected and on Las Vegas. Adam Clendening was badly exposed against a relentless Habs attack. I like him but he is suspect defensively as are our elder statesmen.

Will there ever be a home ice advantage at 33rd and 7th Avenue ever again? I am not sure. Much of the crowd has changed. You still have your regulars. But they’re few and far between. The upper part has become a rover section for non-hockey fans to invade our section and go to their seats even if play is going on. So much for waiting for the whistle. No wonder I hardly go anymore. I’ve been to three games all year. I have two left.

I miss the old MSG. A raucous atmosphere where you had more real fans there. The top half wasn’t separated from the bottom allowing you to walk down to ice level following the game. I always enjoyed doing that and looking up at the broadcast booth where Sam and JD did games. Sorry Micheletti. You’re not JD. No one is. He’s irreplaceable. I’m glad ’05-06 allowed the current Columbus Blue Jackets President one final chance to be proud of the team which made it back to the postseason. That was a feel good story. Even if it ended bitterly to the Devils in a sweep, we all loved that team.

Ditto for the following two years where they made the second round pushing the Sabres six led by Lundqvist and Jaromir Jagr before falling in gut wrenching fashion. The new building is nice to look at. Especially from the top where you are basically next to all the retired jerseys of Knicks, Rangers along with championship banners. But it’s not the same building.

That might explain why there isn’t the same vibe. I don’t know if it’ll ever be again. What I do know is the Rangers shouldn’t be this bad defending home ice. This year’s team isn’t hard to play against. They need to up their compete level or we’re looking at another lopsided early exit. It doesn’t matter who the opponent is.

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Tanner Glass returns

Posted on March 5, 2017 by Derek
Tanner Glass

Glass Half Full: Tanner Glass celebrates his first goal with Kevin Hayes and Matt Hunwick. AP Photo by Adrian Wyld of The Canadian Press

For most of the season, Tanner Glass spent it with Hartford in the AHL. Now, with 18 games remaining, the Rangers turn to him. On the heels of a brutal 4-1 loss in which the Canadiens abused them at MSG, the organization decided to recall Glass.

That in a nutshell typifies how soft this team is. They’ve become so easy to play against that they’re getting run out of their building by good teams. The lack of consistency and battle level in three straight home defeats to the Blue Jackets, Capitals and Canadiens was enough to finally get the organization’s attention.

Derek Stepan’s candid interview following last night was eye opening. He spoke about how the team works hard but doesn’t always work smart. That they’ve played stupid hockey and chased the puck too much. If you don’t have the puck enough, you can’t sustain a consistent attack or score. In eight of the last nine games, they’ve scored two goals or fewer. It was even a life and death struggle to come back and get two points against the Devils, who imploded.

The most embarrassing aspect of Saturday in a game seen also on Hockey Night In Canada is how a tougher Montreal manhandled the Rangers. They crashed the net with reckless abandon making Henrik Lundqvist’s job hectic. The organized chaos worked with Lundqvist permitting two questionable goals while Carey Price made some key saves when the Rangers made a push in the third.

Brendan Gallagher crashed into Lundqvist late in the contest leading to a goalie interference which Marc Staal negated by going back at Gallagher. Of course, the masses poked fun at him. So, they’d rather no one do anything. Especially if it’s Staal, who’s struggled mightily. The hypocrisy of a Jekyll & Hyde fanbase showing its true colors.

If that wasn’t enough, you had pest Steve Ott chasing J.T. Miller around at the end of the game. The notified punk trying to goad Miller into a fight. Humiliating. Miller can stand up for himself. But the game was over. I’d already tuned out after noted offensive defenseman Jordie Benn made it 4-1 off a clean Ott face-off win against Mika Zibanejad.

I’d seen enough. That’s how hard it is to watch this team. An extension of their coach Alain Vigneault, they rarely stand up for each other. How many times are they going to back down from the opposition? In each home loss to Columbus, Washington and Montreal, physical play resulted in Blueshirts coughing up the puck. There’s no sandpaper on the roster. This is what some of the charts people wanted. A vanilla team with only speed and skill. There’s no Avery or Dubinsky or Callahan even though he’s basically done.

Brendan Smith can aid the blue line in that department. He showed some gumption in his debut in Boston knocking down David Pastrnak after his undetected cheap shot. But there’s not a single forward who can play that role and protect our skill players. When Mats Zuccarello is the most notable Blueshirt getting involved like a less tamed Theo Fleury, that speaks volumes. Zuccarello doesn’t take crap from nobody. How about his clean hip check on former Ranger Dominic Moore at center ice?

The Rangers need more of that style in spades. Chris Kreider was more involved last night. He mixed it up during one shift and later scored the team’s only goal by going to the net and converting a Zuccarello feed by steering in his own rebound. Rick Nash crashed into Price, who was out but he failed to score off a Pavel Buchnevich set up that should’ve been a lay-up.

Still missing Michael Grabner and Jesper Fast, the Blueshirts are desperate. So, Glass is back. They can’t be this easy to play against. Can Glass do any worse than Brandon Pirri? He’s done virtually nothing since his good start. At least with Tanner, you know he’ll bring a lunch pail work ethic. Glass will get the puck deep and finish checks. He’ll make guys accountable. It doesn’t mean they won’t take liberties. The silly argument from the corsi crowd. But that’s more about how the game is now. There’s no respect.

Glass may or may not play in Tampa. Vigneault was undecided. I will bet he’ll get in. Whether it’s for Pirri or Matt Puempel. Considering he still has Pirri on the power play, Puempel probably comes out even though he’s done more recently assisting on a Lindberg game-winning goal in a win at Boston.

The Rangers also brought back defenseman Steven Kampfer. Unless Brady Skjei is sicker than usual or Vigneault decides to sit Adam Clendening following a poor game, I don’t see Kampfer getting in. It’s not like he’d bench Staal or sit Nick Holden.

When Glass plays, Twitter just became a lot more interesting. Let the bitch fest begin.

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Quote of Day: Stepan sums up pathetic loss by Rangers

Posted on March 5, 2017 by Derek
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It was a rough night for the Rangers who lost on home ice again to a potential first round opponent who outskated and outplayed them. AP Photo via Getty Images courtesy NYRangers.

I’m not gonna bother summarizing that lifeless performance the Rangers gave. For two periods, they were awful in what amounted to a lopsided 4-1 loss on home ice against the Canadiens, who swept the season series.

Just wonderful. Your most likely first round opponent humiliated you at MSG with their more defensive style under much better coach Claude Julien with key additions Steve Ott, Andreas Martinsen and Dwight King key factors. The new Habs finished every check. They won every battle. Their 35 hits forced the Rangers into some brutal turnovers. They had 14 giveaways compared to Montreal’s six. That stat was every bit indicative of what transpired.

Henrik Lundqvist was both good and bad. At times, he made some big saves to keep the game from getting out of hand. At other inopportune moments, he was at fault with the second and third Montreal goals ones he would’ve liked back. Why doesn’t the coaching staff tell Lundqvist never to come out and play the puck? He’s awful at it. His misplay led directly the the Habs’ second goal from Artturi Lekkonen.

On the third goal, he took an accidental stick from teammate Brady Skjei and it affected him. He never recovered as Adam Clendening had a nice view of the annoying Andrew Shaw scoring on an easy wrap around. It wasn’t one of Clendening’s better nights. He was on for three goals against and coughed up the puck twice. He’s a good puck possession player with offensive capabilities. But against a physical team that can forecheck, he can be exposed just as badly as our vets who get all the blame.

I’m pinning it entirely on Dan Girardi. Why not? All kidding aside, a game like tonight is where you actually miss his battle level. Everyone’s favorite Marc Staal had another struggle with Nick Holden. It’s sad to see Staal at this level. He was having a good bounce back season prior to the concussion that sidelined him. Ever since, his play has regressed to the point where you wonder if he shouldn’t be a healthy scratch when Girardi and Kevin Klein are finally healthy.

There was only one goal scored in the first. Shea Weber notched his 15th- fourth even strength. The other 11 have come on the power play. He didn’t overpower Lundqvist. But had some puck luck when his shot redirected off Clendening’s skate. It was headed way wide. Like I said, it was a rough one for Clendening.

After Lekkonen put the Habs up 2-0, Pavel Buchnevich created a ton of scoring chances. He was easily the Rangers’ best player. Dangerous throughout, his speed and play-making resulted in some near misses. Give Carey Price credit. He made some big saves and finished with 26 overall. Buchnevich thought pass too much on one chance where he would’ve been better off shooting. That can be a problem with the team in general. They’re sometimes too unselfish for their own well being. Shoot the puck!

I definitely think Buchnevich is here to stay. Even when Michael Grabner gets back and Jesper Fast returns, you have to think Brandon Pirri and Matt Puempel are the odd men out. But Alain Vigneault must find a way to keep Buchnevich with Mika Zibanejad and Rick Nash. Kevin Hayes and J.T. Miller are missing Grabner. Jimmy Vesey hasn’t done enough and might wind up back on the fourth line when everyone is healthy.

This blog is about what Derek Stepan said following the loss. He was pointed in his remarks to John Giannone. Granted. He’s in a horrific scoring slump now 20 games without a goal. But Stepan is very honest when things go bad. He more so than Ryan McDonagh is the true leader of this team along with Lundqvist, who also didn’t mince words referencing “will.” Something Vigneault alluded to in a not so fun post game.

One thing about Stepan. He does compete hard and was in on the Blueshirts’ lone goal. Chris Kreider’s 24th early in the third that made it 3-1. He started the play with Mats Zuccarello making the pass in front for Kreider, who got the follow up to score for just the second time in his last 11. He has been banged up. Something Joe Micheletti referenced with Kreider missing some shifts last game. Kreider’s been playing through it. I do get on him at times. But even I can see that he hasn’t been himself.

Kreider was more visible this game. He nearly took advantage of a Price giveaway and made it 3-2 only to see the acrobatic Montreal goalie get across and close up the five-hole. Kreider could only smile in disbelief. If he scores there, who knows what happens. The Rangers had more jump than the first two periods combined. Price also made another big stop denying Oscar Lindberg, who shook his head.

The Rangers at least showed for the third. But you can’t allow the fourth goal which came off a clean face-off loss from Zibanejad to Alex Galchenyuk, resulting in a harmless Jordie Benn right point shot going through Staal and Lundqvist for an insurmountable 4-1 lead. The Rangers aren’t scoring lately. It was another game of two or less. Something that’s becoming a troublesome trend.

If not for a comeback at the Devils in which they prevailed 4-3, they’d be nine straight with two goals or fewer. That’s not good enough. You knew the offense would slow down at some point. The lack of a power play is really hurting now. Astonishingly, they didn’t get one power play even though Habs took down our players on multiple occasions. Typical Montreal. There was only one power play the entire game. And I didn’t stick around to see it. I heard Brendan Gallagher ran Lundqvist intentionally and Staal responded. Of course, he gets mocked for it by ignorant fans. At least he has a backbone.

What about our captain? Does he ever do anything when Lundqvist is run? Nope. McDonagh is a quality player. But he’s as much a captain as Brian Leetch was. Some players just aren’t cut out for it. Listen to what Stepan said here about the team’s recent inconsistency and struggles. It’s dead on:

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The birthday boy Lundqvist gives himself a present

Posted on March 3, 2017 by Derek
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Excited teammates mob Henrik Lundqvist after his 32 saves preserved a 2-1 win at Boston to give himself a nice birthday present on his 35th birthday. AP Photo via Getty Images courtesy NYRangers.

For over a decade, Henrik Lundqvist has treated New York hockey fans great. He has spoiled us with his consistency. The former 2000 seventh round pick on the suggestion of former chief European scout Christian Rockstrom turned 35 today on March 2, 2017. All he wanted was a win is what he told MSG’s John Giannone following a virtuoso 32 save performance in a 2-1 Rangers victory at Boston.

It hasn’t always been easy this season for the franchise netminder who increased his team record in wins to 403. The same last year in what amounted to a disappointing conclusion. One thing about the proud man from Sweden who once won a championship with Frolunda and then the country’s greatest honor, an Olympic gold medal. He wants it badly. Always has. It was nice to see him put forth the kind of effort that reminded of the old days against a familiar opponent he’s owned.

The birthday boy was extra special. He had to be. The Rangers were flat in a lopsided first period that saw them get only three shots on Tuukka Rask. On the other hand, the Bruins peppered Lundqvist throughout forcing him into some difficult saves. He stopped all nine in the first to allow his team to settle down.

In his Rangers debut, defenseman Brendan Smith was solid while paired with former Badger teammate Ryan McDonagh. The captain had a throwback game of his own making tremendous reads and reactions in an outstanding game high 27:16. He worked well with Smith, who showed that edge that’s been lacking on the Ranger back end forever. After a shaky first shift, the former Red Wing adjusted and played well in 28 shifts logging 20:51. He did take a bad penalty off a face-off when he hooked down a Bruin in the first. But the Rangers killed it off. They went two for two on the penalty kill.

The second was much more evenly played. Both netminders were outstanding combining for 19 saves. Lundqvist stopping 11 more while Rask saved eight. The Rangers earned a power play early in the period when Pavel Buchnevich was taken down in front. In his return following a two goal and assist game in a win at Hartford Wednesday, the ’emergency recall’ had an impact throughout. He would later score a beautiful goal and draw another penalty. Like I said, he doesn’t belong in the AHL and should stay in the lineup when Michael Grabner returns.

My favorite part of the game came when Smith took a cheap shot from Bruins forward David Pastrnak at center ice. Of course, it went undetected. So, Smith gave a cross check to Pastrnak taking him down. There was no call on the play. The refs let it go. A refreshing change from the usual crap.

For the most part, the Rangers were okay defensively. However, the second pair of Nick Holden and Marc Staal continued to struggle throughout. They were beaten repeatedly by the faster skating Bruins causing dangerous shots and quality chances which Lundqvist bailed them out on. This game was all about the goalie who exhibits class every time he wears the jersey. He stole it. He didn’t look his age. Instead, looking about 10 years younger when he always had these duels with former Bruin Tim Thomas.

The Rangers were able to kill off the remainder of a Staal tripping penalty at the start of the third. With the game still scoreless, Buchnevich finally ended an 11-game goal drought when he made a perfect fake and used Zdeno Chara as a screen before firing a rocket past Rask top shelf for the game’s first goal at 5:10 from Holden and Rick Nash. The goal was eerily similar to one scored by another young Russian during a memorable game 23 years ago. His name was Alexei Kovalev:

Buchnevich reminds me of him. Similar skill set. Very good skater. Shifty. Has a deadly release. He also is a good passer. If they let the 21-year old play the last 18 like they did tonight, good things can happen. I’ll just leave it at that. Here is how his goal looked by comparison:

A few minutes later, another young Blueshirt found the back of the net. Oscar Lindberg has been playing his best hockey. It took a while for him to earn the fourth center spot. But he’s an active player who is noticeable during shifts. Someone who can win draws and get in on the forecheck while being defensively reliable, the second-year player scored a beauty to put them up two.

On a good defensive play by a hustling Brady Skjei, Matt Puempel handed for Lindberg, who gained the zone and went around Bruins rookie Brandon Carlo before going to the forehand and beating Rask far side for his fifth that made it 2-0 at 9:35. A terrific individual effort from a more confident Lindberg, who showed off some nice skating and finishing ability. Not bad for a checking center who doesn’t get a ton of ice-time. But he made his 15 shifts count getting the winner while going plus-one in 8:52.

In their first game back together, it didn’t quite happen for Derek Stepan, Chris Kreider and Mats Zuccarello. The trio combined for five shots with the active Zuccarello getting four of them. The same feisty Zuccarello who went right back at a Bruin in front of the bench. He doesn’t take anything from anyone. That is the kind of mentality this team needs the rest of the way. It was nice to see Smith add that element to the blue line. Especially against a Bruins team known for their antics.

The tandem of Skjei and Adam Clendening were again good throughout. Even if Clendening was kept to 14:27 in 19 shifts, he got one shot on net and attempted three while making sure to close out his man in front following a tough save from Lundqvist. Skjei got 18:34 while recording another even strength assist (24). He finds ways to impact the game due to his skating.

Of course, Lundqvist couldn’t get a shutout because we can’t have nice things. He deserved one on his birthday. But a horrible miscue from Holden and Staal allowed Pastrnak to split them and then get the puck through a sliding Staal which allowed pesky Brad Marchand to stuff one home for his 29th at 12:56. He would score. Marchand’s the kind of player that always will annoy you. But if he’s on your side, you love him. He’s one of the best players in the league.

The Bruins came hard in search of the equalizer. But a focused Lundqvist wasn’t having it. Not tonight. Not on his 35th birthday in Beantown. He wouldn’t allow the shaky Staal-Holden tandem ruin his night. He stopped 12 of 13 shots in the third with a few more late preserving his 29th win of the season. One more and he reaches 30 for the 11th time in 12 years.

Lundqvist was aggressive throughout challenging shooters. When he plays like that, he’s tough to beat. Due to that style, he drew a ticky tacky David Backes goalie interference with 2:22 left. Backes tried to avoid contact but Lundqvist was on the edge of his crease and got the call by going down. The Ranger power play spent a good majority down low in the Boston end but couldn’t put it away. That gave them one last chance.

When there was one more Bruins offensive draw with 2.4 seconds left, Lundqvist had to sweat it out. Patrice Bergeron won it back to Torey Krug but he fanned on his shot as the buzzer sounded at TD Garden.

As McDonagh congratulated Lundqvist, he smiled and sighed in relief. You can tell how much he wanted this one. His 403rd victory tied him for 10th all-time in wins. The numbers will say that it hasn’t been his best year. But that doesn’t matter. When number 30 plays like tonight, the Rangers are a much more dangerous team.

Adding Smith was a good move that should solidify the defense. How long Alain Vigneault stays with Staal and Holden remains to be seen. I know he doesn’t want to mess with the chemistry of Skjei and Clendening. But he might need to shift Staal to the third pair with Clendening and move Skjei up with Holden. We’ll see what happens.

This was a feel good win. One that reminded of the old days when Lundqvist was in his mid-20’s stealing two points. He did it again. Happy Birthday Henrik! 🙂

BONY 3 Stars:

3rd Star-Pavel Buchnevich, Rangers (goal-7th of season snapping an 11-game drought in return, drew 2 penalties, +1 in 22 shifts-15:13 including 11:41 ES and 3:32 PP)

2nd Star-Ryan McDonagh, Rangers (4 shots in 7 attempts, 4 hits, 3 blocked shots, even in 32 big shifts-27:16)

1st Star-Henrik Lundqvist, Rangers (32 saves including 11/11 in 2nd and 12/13 in 3rd for his 29th win of season-403rd career on 35th birthday)

Notes: Shots were in favor of the Bruins 33-21. They out-attempted the Rangers 63-44. The Rangers improved 25-5-0 when they’re out-shot by opponents. They’re only 15-16-2 when they out-shoot opponents and 1-0 when shots are even. So much for corsi mattering. … Hits were 27-24 Blueshirts with Holden and Jimmy Vesey pacing them with five apiece. Backes led all skaters with seven for the B’s. … Blocked shots were 14-11 Rangers led by McDonagh and Miller, who each had three. Smith had two in his debut. Backes and Krug each had two for Boston. … Face-offs went in favor of the home team 35-28 led by Bergeron (14-and-10). Mika Zibanejad led the Blueshirts going 8-and-7. …

Rangers swept the season series winning all three games in regulation including both in Boston. They upped their record to 41-21-2 with 84 points tying idle Pittsburgh. With Columbus shutting out Minnesota 1-0, they moved ahead of the Pens into second place with 86 points. Their 38 ROW are two more than Pittsburgh. Both teams have 20 games left while the Rangers have 18 to go. The Rangers also have 38 ROW. Their next game is Saturday against the suddenly resurgent Canadiens, who won for the first time in regulation in a month on Paul Byron’s game-winner with 8.3 seconds left spoiling P.K. Subban’s emotional return. Montreal did a great job with a classy video tribute followed by loud chants of “PK! PK!” from the Bell Centre crowd which moved him to tears. The Habs are now up to 80 points- six ahead of the Senators. Ottawa still has three games at hand.

Brendan Smith assesses his first game as a Ranger:

The birthday boy Lundqvist talks about the big win:

A happy Vigneault talks to Giannone on the win:

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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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