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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HARD HITS: Coaching change working for Islanders

Posted on February 25, 2017 by Derek

 

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Under interim coach Doug Weight, the Islanders have turned their season around entering today’s match at Columbus 12-4-2 in their last 18 games. AP Photo via Getty Images courtesy NYIslanders.

When the Islanders visit Columbus this afternoon, they’ll look to continue their superb play under interim coach Doug Weight. Since he took over for Jack Capuano, they’re 12-4-2. Dating back to a 4-0 shutout over Boston in Capuano’s final game on Jan. 16, they’ve won 13 of the last 19 to pull into the second wildcard just ahead of the Bruins. At 68 points with 28 ROW (regulation/overtime wins), they have 22 games left.

Boston has 21 which is why they’re on the outside looking in. The Bruins have one more ROW with 29 and an identical amount of points. They have an advantage because they can also get in by beating out Toronto for third in the Atlantic. They’re tied in points with the Leafs having one extra game.

The Panthers have 66 in 60 games, meaning they have games at hand. However, they only have 25 ROW which is the first tiebreaker. The Leafs have 27 ROW.

The race remains wild and unpredictable. However, it’s the teams that are most consistent who will make it. Clearly, the Islanders are playing playoff caliber hockey. They are no longer an easy opponent. Weight has gotten his team to buy in. He set the tone following a 3-0 shutout of Dallas in his first game by saying, “I think we’re a playoff team.”

Sending that message instilled confidence in the room. It was obvious that Capuano wasn’t getting through anymore. A good man whose time had come and gone. Every coach is hired to be fired. That’s sports in a nutshell.

Sometimes, a team needs a change. Weight has provided that spark. He has the Islanders playing better hockey. Consider that over the current stretch that’s seen them win 12 of 18 with only four losses in regulation, they have outscored opponents 60-47. In fact, when they score three goals or more, they’re 11-1-1. When they allow two or fewer, they’re a perfect 10-0-0.

Most impressive has been their play against quality opponents. Entering today’s game against the Blue Jackets, they’re 6-2-0 against playoff competition. That includes two victories over the Canadiens. One coming via a 3-0 shutout in Montreal. They also have beaten the Capitals, Blue Jackets and Rangers while splitting a pair with the Leafs. They’ve proven that they can play with anyone. A good sign assuming they make the playoffs a second straight year and third over the last four.

It isn’t just all about captain John Tavares, who’s picked up his play. He has 20 points (7-13-20) in 18 games since Weight took over. He enters today with three goals and an assist over the last three in wins over the Devils, Red Wings and Canadiens. Dating back to a hat trick at Florida on 1/11, Tavares has 12 goals with 13 helpers for 25 points over the previous 21 contests. That is nearly half his season total of 23 markers and 29 assists for a team-leading 52 points.

While the 26-year old franchise center has done his part, teammates have chipped in. Co-goal leader Anders Lee has continued to score while playing on the top line with Tavares and playmaker Josh Bailey. Lee enters with 23 goals and 37 points with a plus-11 rating. Bailey has complemented them well. He paces the team with 31 assists and ranks second in scoring behind Tavares with 43 points.

Brock Nelson is fourth in scoring with 34 (13-21-34). The biggest difference is the play of Jason Chimera and Andrew Ladd. Huge disappointments in the first half under Capuano, both have picked it up. Chimera has suddenly become a goalscorer. Ten of his 15 goals have come since Jan. 13. He’s never been a big finisher but the 37-year old vet has great wheels. His speed has resulted in some big goals for the Islanders. He’s hit the 20-goal mark twice with Washington including last year when he produced 20 goals and 20 assists in 82 games.

As for Ladd, he was given a big contract by general manager Garth Snow to replace Kyle Okposo. A bust in the first half, Ladd has scored half his 16 goals in the past 14 games since Jan. 26 versus Montreal. That includes a pair of two-goal games including a big 4-2 home win over the Rangers on Feb. 16. He has four markers over the previous six. The 16 goals is respectable considering how poorly he started. But the six assists and 22 points in 56 games is way below what he’s capable of. A proven performer who was the former captain of Winnipeg, figure him to continue to play up to par.

Another noticeable difference has been the play of Ryan Strome. While the former first round pick’s numbers of 11-14-25 are still disappointing, at least he’s contributing. Under Capuano, he was in the doghouse often getting benched or even scratched. Still not the best defensive forward, he does make mistakes like the costly icing that led to a game-winning goal in a gut wrenching loss to Detroit. Consistency is still an issue for the 23-year old who Snow selected fifth overall in the 2011 NHL Draft. However, he’s almost a point-per-game in February with 10 points in 12 games. A big improvement after being a non-factor in January.

They are still without key checking center Casey Cizikas, who is out for a month. Stephen Gionta has actually been serviceable. His best moment coming in the recent win over the Rangers when he stole the puck from Marc Staal and setup Ladd for a goal. Nikolay Kulemin has played a nice supporting role with 10 goals including a shorthanded goal in that same game. Rookie Anthony Beauvillier shows upside with his speed and maturity. Cal Clutterbuck just returned but has only played once. Weight has stuck with the current lineup.

Defensively, they have gotten the job done minus Travis Hamonic. He was having a rough season before he got hurt. It’s mostly been the top tandem of Nick Leddy and Johnny Boychuk. Leddy again leads the defense in points with nine goals, 23 assists and 32 points while anchoring the blue line by averaging 23:02. Boychuk has been stellar lately going plus-10 with two helpers in the past five games. Four of which are Isles’ wins.

Calvin de Haan continues to emerge as a reliable shutdown D who can block shots and move the puck effectively. Vet Dennis Seidenberg has been huge contributing 18 points and pacing the club with a plus-21 rating. Thomas Hickey remains dependable. Without Hamonic, the Isles have rotated Scott Mayfield and Adam Pelech.

Thomas Greiss is really what holds it together. His steady goaltending since the organization decided to waive Jaroslav Halak has been instrumental. He’s won 20 games and posted a 2.43 goals-against-average, .920 save percentage with three shutouts. Without the steady 31-year old German vet, they would be nowhere. Jean-Francois Berube remains an unproven backup who has been sparingly used.

The Islanders deserve a ton of credit for turning their season around. Even if the competition for the final wildcard is mediocre, they never gave up. Their experience should give them the inside track.

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Smoke and Mirrors

Posted on February 24, 2017 by Derek

J.T. Miller; Derek Stepan;The Rangers have been winning with smoke and mirrors. I hate to say that. But they’re not getting enough contributions from key players.

Let’s start with the center tandem of Derek Stepan and Mika Zibanejad. Each are without a goal over their last 15 games. Both haven’t exactly produced enough. Stepan has six assists while Zibanejad has five helpers during that span. That’s their top two centers. At some point, they have to start finishing. Zibanejad has looked better the past few games. Maybe he’ll finally catch a break this weekend.

It’s more concerning that Stepan has not performed consistently. While he is a streaky player, he’s being counted on more than last year. Even with Kevin Hayes’ and J.T. Miller’s improvement along with top sniper Michael Grabner giving the team better offensive balance, they still need Stepan to produce. His 42 points are still tied for third in team scoring with Hayes, who missed five games.

While it’s true Stepan is more of a set up man as proven by his 30 assists which are second behind Mats Zuccarello’s 31, he still must remember to think shot. A very unselfish two-way player, he’s relied on by coach Alain Vigneault to match top lines, play power play and penalty kill. With that comes large responsibility. He’s definitely a team leader in the room.

Complicating matters, he gets a bulk of power play time mostly on the top unit. It’s really gone stale. There’s a reason they’ve slumped badly. At 3 for the last 35, it’s definitely not a positive. At least the second unit featuring Hayes, Brandon Pirri, Brady Skjei and Rick Nash were able to generate enough momentum for Miller’s tying goal in the third period after the power play expired. That along with Henrik Lundqvist allowed them to prevail in a shootout over Toronto.

Stepan only has one power play goal but his 10 power play assists are second on the club. Right behind captain Ryan McDonagh’s 11. They play together usually with Zuccarello and Chris Kreider. The fifth player depends on the coaching staff. Jimmy Vesey has been given time in that spot. He’s rewarded them with five of his 14 goals coming on the man-advantage. That puts the rookie in a four-way tie for the team lead with Kreider, Nash and Pirri.

Astonishingly, Zibanejad remains without a power play goal. Hard to believe given his deadly release from the off side. He has that howitzer which the team has lacked. A big right shot, he can one-time pucks from the left circle and make it tough on opponents. But it hasn’t translated. He does have five power play assists with some of those heavy shots resulting in rebound goals. With seven goals in 35 games and none since a two-goal game on 1/17 in a 7-6 loss to Dallas, he must be better. Stepan also last scored twice in that same game.

They aren’t the only forwards slumping. Kreider quietly has just one point (assist) in his last six. That means no goals from the emerging power forward since establishing a new career high 22 in a 4-3 win over Nashville on Feb. 9. He’s only totaled six shots over the last five. Not enough for a player of his caliber.

The always active Grabner is without a point in the last five. He gets chances daily but they haven’t gone in. He was robbed by Frederik Andersen on a shorthanded bid when he shot the puck back into the Toronto netminder. With how well he’s played, figure the streaky speed demon to find the back of the net soon.

Even the always noticeable Zuccarello is just 1-1-2 over the previous six. The difference with the pint sized Norwegian with the giant sized heart is he’s always involved. Nobody plays bigger than the creative 29-year old former Steven McDonald Award winner. He will mix it up with anyone and let them know he’s there. That’s what makes him a fan favorite.

It might be time for Vigneault to try some different combinations. We don’t advise him to do anything with the third and fourth lines. Though I do prefer Pavel Buchnevich over Pirri even though the latter had a good game helping set up Miller’s tying marker. It’s the top six that needs adjusting. Maybe it’s time to split up Kreider and Zuccarello to give Stepan and Zibanejad a different look. Stepan has always played well with Kreider. Why not reunite the USA duo?

Zibanejad can still use the crafty Zuccarello but maybe it should be with Nash. Vesey has good chemistry with Stepan. But he plays the left side like Kreider. They could try Zuccarello on the right side and have Kreider play with Zibanejad and Nash. Nash, Stepan and Kreider have played together before. It all depends on Vigneault.

I don’t see how he can keep the top two lines the same. They aren’t getting it done. While they’re creating chances, there isn’t enough finish. Vesey and Nash are very active during their shifts while Stepan’s been more on the perimeter. Zibanejad hasn’t clicked with Kreider and Zuccarello. They could always flip the lines and put the dynamic duo back with Stepan while having Nash and Vesey work with Zibanejad.

The problem as I see it is there’s no room for Buchnevich. A skilled young forward who can both score and set up equally. He had great chemistry with Zibanejad at the start of the season. But when he missed two months with the back issue, it screwed things up. Don’t forget Zibanejad missed approximately the same with the broken leg. Initially, Vigneault reunited them for the Dallas game and they both were factors. Soon after, they were broken up.

As the roster got healthier, the coach had to make a tough choice between Vesey and Buchnevich. Neither belong on the fourth line. He’s still been fair to each in rewarding them with power play time. But when one is buried, they aren’t getting ideal ice-time at even strength.

Factor in that Vigneault manages the shifts the new fourth line gets. A cohesive pair in Oscar Lindberg and Jesper Fast, who work well together. With Pirri in place of Buchnevich, they had another effective night. It becomes about finding consistency for that line to be rewarded in third periods.

Sometimes, the coach will shorten up. He trusts Fast enough to use him in a defensive role. He’s earned it. He still doesn’t fully trust Lindberg, who is the team’s second best face-off man behind Zibanejad. Lindberg has blown a few assignments. But so have Stepan, Zibanejad and Hayes. No one is perfect.

It’s great that the team is winning. They are getting contributions from more sources due to improved depth. That includes key addition Nick Holden to the blue line. He receives over 20 minutes a night, ranking just behind anchor McDonagh.

Rookie Brady Skjei has been splendid in the second half. His skating is superb and uncanny ability to jump into the rush makes him an offensive threat. While he still gets pushed off the puck occasionally, his speed is a weapon allowing the Rangers to get out of the zone in transition. He has really matured and looks like he could have a higher ceiling than the captain. A high compliment.

Vigneault has managed Dan Girardi better. He is now below 19 minutes on average. Last year, he received over 20. Too much when he was playing hurt. His ice-time has decreased by at least a minute since ’14-15. Marc Staal also is below 20 coming in at around 19. Skjei’s emergence along with Holden have helped Vigneault limit the ice-time of the two old warriors on the back end.

Kevin Klein’s minutes have decreased. He’s used more on the third pair with Skjei, who has seen a spike in his ice-time. It might be time to move Skjei up and see if he’s ready for prime time. But the coach prefers the traditional left/right combo for each pair. Though Holden has worked with Staal most of the year.

Adam Clendening has been serviceable when he’s gotten in. But they don’t trust him. If they did, he’d still get power play shifts. He is a bit of an adventure in his end. So, that explains why he’s not in the top six. But he’s been solid when given the chance.

The biggest difference right now is Lundqvist. He’s on fire going 10-2-1 in his last 14 games with a 1.91 goals-against-average, .939 save percentage and a shutout. In February, he’s 7-1-1 with a 2.35 GAA and .943 save percentage. Without our franchise goalie returning to form, the team wouldn’t be winning consistently.

At some point, the key cogs are going to have to step up. Sooner rather than later.

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Lundqvist carries Rangers to shootout win over Maple Leafs

Posted on February 24, 2017 by Derek
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The victorious Rangers congratulate Henrik Lundqvist on a job well done in a well earned 2-1 win in the shootout over the Maple Leafs at Air Canada Centre. AP Photo via Getty Images courtesy NYRangers.

Henrik Lundqvist is still the King of this town. The best current athlete was remarkable against the Maple Leafs in a well deserved 2-1 win by the Rangers via the shootout at Air Canada Centre. It was a goalie clinic by two goalies who know each other. Lundqvist and Toronto’s Frederik Andersen were fantastic. They took turns making big saves. Lundqvist finishing with 32 while Andersen countered with 37.

Lundqvist has continued to play sensational since his funk last month. In nine games this month, he is now 7-1-1 with a 2.35 goals-against-average and a .943 save percentage. The turnaround has allowed the Rangers to continue racking up points. They moved ahead of the idle Blue Jackets into third place in the Metro Division. In 60 games played, they are up to 80 points with 36 ROW. Columbus has two games at hand have 35 ROW. Following a visit to Newark on Saturday, the two teams square off at MSG for the fifth and final time. They have split the first four regular season meetings.

In denying Leo Komarov on a break in by staying with him on a backhand in tight during a wild final minute of three-on-three overtime and then robbing Auston Matthews, Lundqvist set the stage for Andersen to make one final huge save on Rick Nash. Nash was initially caught by Toronto rookie William Nylander but maneuvered around him for a one-on-one with Andersen, who denied him with a quick pad stop with four seconds to spare. Matthews then flew down to center and fired one last shot on Lundqvist which he calmly brushed away.

That’s the kind of exciting hockey it was. Two Original Six teams creating all kind of chances throughout. The Rangers had the better of play in the first period out-shooting the Leafs 14-9. But they couldn’t beat Andersen. He got a little lucky on Mika Zibanejad when he shot one back into him. Ditto for the ever dangerous Michael Grabner, who nearly finished shorthanded. But his one-timer went back into a sliding Andersen, who made the gigantic save.

The lone goal in the first two periods came from Connor Brown. The overlooked Leafs rookie was able to beat Lundqvist thanks to a great redirect pass off Tyler Bozak’s stick in front. Kevin Hayes was too busy skating and watching to pick him up. Jake Gardiner started the play with a shot in front on an extended shift. It went right to Bozak, who had the hockey sense to push the puck across to a wide open Brown for his 15th at 10:56 of the first.

Despite strong play from all four lines which included the returning Brandon Pirri after sitting out nine straight, the Blueshirts couldn’t shoot the puck straight. When they did get shots on goal, Andersen stopped them. There were countless other opportunities created off strong puck possession where they missed wide. It was frustrating to watch. But not as bad as the Knicks at the Cavs. Why I bothered flipping between periods and commercials I have no idea. They stink.

The fourth line of Pirri, Oscar Lindberg and Jesper Fast had a good night. They got a bit of a bump with Lindberg over nine minutes in 13 shifts with three shots and five attempts. In his return, Pirri saw 10:57 in 15 shifts including a key one at the conclusion of a power play which led to J.T. Miller tying the game after it expired in the third. He looked good firing three shots on goal and attempting five. Most importantly, Pirri helped set up Miller’s 19th with Hayes which tied the score at 10:50 of the third. Fast received 21 shifts (13:01) including 2:44 on the penalty kill.

If there is an issue, it’s the fact that neither Zibanejad nor Derek Stepan have scored since Jan. 17. That’s no goals for the Rangers’ top two centers in the last 15 games. That’s impossible. Yet they’re still winning hockey games due to the splendid play of Lundqvist, who won his 28th game of the season- needing two more for 30. Something he’s done in 10 of the first 11 years of a brilliant career.

It’s not that Alain Vigneault’s lines haven’t created chances. They have. But neither Stepan or Zibanejad have been able to finish. At some point, that must change. You can’t be successful without your top two centers contributing. They’re not doing enough. While Jimmy Vesey and Nash continue to get opportunities, Stepan has struggled. It hasn’t affected his overall game. He is still a good two-way player who can be counted on shorthanded. But he is getting too much power play time. Tonight, they actually had both him and Zibanejad on the same unit. It was a near catastrophe with the Leafs coming close shorthanded twice. The power play went 0-for-2 and is now 1 for its last 17. They’re 3 for the last 35.

In game like Thursday at Toronto where the majority is played at even strength, it doesn’t matter. But in bigger ones this Spring, it will. Special teams are essential come playoff time. They were exposed against the Penguins. At least the penalty kill is vastly improved. But the power play needs a total revamp. Putting Stepan and Zibanejad together is desperation. At least Hayes, Pirri and Miller were out for the tying goal with Brady Skjei and Nash. At this point, most of that unit needs to be the top one. They are more shoot oriented.

The question is will Pirri stay in for Pavel Buchnevich at New Jersey on Saturday. Buchnevich shouldn’t be the odd man out. He’s too gifted to sit. Pirri did play well. Does he get another game? I have to think yes. Uh oh.

After Miller tied it, it looked like the Rangers would find a way to win it in regulation. But Andersen wouldn’t allow it. He was that good. Then Lundqvist dodged a bullet when the Leafs had Morgan Rielly perfectly set up but his shot rang off the goalpost after a gorgeous pass across which beat Nick Holden with Stepan late on the coverage.

The Rangers had five of the seven shots in the five-minute three-on-three. They had plenty of chances. Then the Leafs had two with Komarov and Matthews denied by Lundqvist. Both goalies gave each other a tap on the shoulder as they switched sides for the shootout.

In it, the always dangerous Mats Zuccarello patiently out-waited Andersen sliding a backhand five-hole for a 1-0 lead in Round One. That followed a patient Lundqvist staying with countryman William Nylander’s backhand deke attempt. In the top of the second, Matthews absolutely ripped one past Lundqvist’s glove to tie it. He really makes the game look easy. But Zibanejad would finally score when he went to a deke and forehand going glove side on Andersen for a 2-1 lead.

That left it up to Nazem Kadri. He tried to go five-hole but Lundqvist wasn’t having it easily making the stop for the victory.

BONY 3 Stars:

3rd Star-Rick Nash, Rangers (finished with 6 shots, 11 attempts and plus-one in 28 shifts-17:06-he really needs to score more for what he makes)

2nd Star-Henrik Lundqvist, Rangers (32 saves including all 13 in 3rd with clutch stops on Komarov and Matthews)

1st Star-Frederik Andersen, Leafs (37 saves including 25 the first two periods)

Notes: Rangers absolutely owned the Leafs on face-offs going a ridiculous 43-and-21 paced by a dominant Zibanejad (13-and-3) and Lindberg (9-and-2). Bozak had a rare off night losing 12 of 21 while Matthews struggled going 7-and-14. … Speaking to how many shots didn’t hit the net, the Rangers had 27 shots blocked and another 21 miss completely giving them 86 total attempts. The Leafs finished with 56. Alexey Marchenko and Nikita Zaitsev each blocked four shots. Four other Leafs had three blocks. The Rangers only had a dozen blocks with Girardi and Ryan McDonagh combining for seven. … In place of an injured Kevin Klein, Adam Clendening received 18 shifts all at even strength logging 15:09 with seven attempts. That he wasn’t tried on the power play is mystifying. … Hits went in favor of the Rangers 31-21 led by Chris Kreider (5). Otherwise, he wasn’t a factor. It might be time to split up him and Zuccarello to help Stepan and Zibanejad snap out of it.

More Henrik:

Lundqvist denies Matthews:

A victorious Lundqvist on an exciting game:

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Klein out, Clendening in

Posted on February 23, 2017 by Derek

It looks like Kevin Klein will not play tonight in Toronto. The bottom pair defenseman who has gotten his game together is not out for warm ups. Taking his place is extra defenseman Adam Clendening, who looks to be playing with Brady Skjei on the third pair.

The goalie match-up is Henrik Lundqvist versus Frederik Andersen. Defenseman Alexey Marchenko makes his Leafs debut.

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