A Preview of USA vs Canada

Posted on January 5, 2017 by Derek

Tonight at 8 PM on the East coast up in Montreal, USA takes on Canada in the U20 World Junior Championship for gold. If the past is any indication, it should be memorable. It’s all on the line at Bell Centre.

Here is my preview done over on Hockey Prospects.

They’re both here because they have proven to be the best teams in the IIHF 2017 U20 WJC. Canada got the better of tournament favorite Sweden prevailing 5-2. If it’s anything like previous two championships, look out. Canada is 1-2 against USA in WJC Finals. The lone win came back in 1997. So, these match-ups don’t happen too often. That’s why we should enjoy it.

No matter what side you’re on, it shouldn’t be about smack talk and booing the opposition. But rather enjoying what should be a great game between two prominent countries.

A look back at the last gold medal game between USA and Canada. One of the more memorable games at the IIHF World Juniors:

Over a decade later, tonight USA can again make history when they take on Canada in enemy territory at the Bell Centre in Montreal. Their second championship also went through Canada in memorable fashion prevailing 6-5 in overtime on John Carlson’s golden winner. A two on one odd man rush following a Jack Campbell huge save with Carlson faking pass to Derek Stepan before wiring one upstairs on Canadian replacement Martin Jones for the emotional game-winner. It remains one of the craziest finals ever played. A game where both starters were pulled. One in which Canada rallied from a 5-3 deficit on two clutch Jordan Eberle goals to force sudden death. It’s one of the greatest games in recent memory between North American rivals.

If you root for the Devils or Islanders, there are prospects to watch. Matt Barzal is on Canada as is Blake Speers. Both key forwards for the Canadian side. Isles’ prospect Kiefer Bellows represents USA. It’s a glimpse into the future.

The game is on NHL Network at 8 PM. Don’t miss it.

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Game #41: Rangers respond with 5-2 win over Flyers on Rivalry Night

Posted on January 5, 2017 by Derek
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The trio of Michael Grabner, Kevin Hayes and J.T. Miller were splendid combining for four goals and seven points in a Rangers 5-2 win over the Flyers on Rivalry Night. AP Photo via Getty Images courtesy NYRangers.

If there’s one characteristic to admire about this team, it’s their resiliency. Only once have they lost two straight in regulation. Following a dismal performance in an ugly 4-1 home defeat to Buffalo, the Rangers avoided a two-game losing streak by coming into Philadelphia and defeating the Flyers 5-2 on Rivalry Night.

The win pulled them into a tie for points (55) with idle Pittsburgh, who are technically still in second due to three less games played. Despite that, the Rangers have done well going 27-13-1 at the halfway mark. Following Saturday’s visit at first place Columbus, they’ll get a mandatory week break before returning to action. Something Alain Vigneault isn’t a fan of. At the very least, it’ll give them a chance to recover from a hectic schedule.

Facing a bitter rival that brings out the best in them, the Rangers got back to being the team we saw early on. They weren’t reliant on one line. Even without Rick Nash, Mika Zibanejad, Pavel Buchnevich and the concussed Matt Puempel, their early success came due to being a skating team that had four lines going. In the second meeting at Wells Fargo Center over a month after defeating them 3-2 on Black Friday, they got back to that by using their speed and transition to take advantage of Flyer mistakes.

During the recent stretch which had seen their play slip, they were reliant on the cohesive trio of Chris Kreider, Derek Stepan and Mats Zuccarello along with Nick “Norris” Holden. That won’t work from a consistency standpoint. Last night, a couple of familiar faces got back on the score sheet. Kevin Hayes and Michael Grabner each scored twice. Vigneault made a change reuniting them with J.T. Miller. Long overdue, the line combined for seven points (4-3-7).

That wasn’t the only difference. With an “upper body injury” keeping Marc Staal out, Vigneault summoned Adam Clendening from purgatory. Along with struggling righties Dan Girardi and Kevin Klein, he helped the defense have a good night. For once, there were no gripes about Girardi, who from most accounts had a solid game delivering five hits in 37 shifts (23:22). Klein also responded with a team high seven blocked shots in 27 shifts (18:01). Clendening received 25 shifts (13:19) and Brady Skjei played 19:44 recording an assist with a plus-three rating and four hits in 29 shifts.

There really wasn’t much to complain about. A good thing in Rangerland where sometimes, things get over analyzed. They’re not gonna win every game. However, losses like Tuesday are unacceptable. I’m glad Vigneault called his team out. They usually respond to such challenges. That’s why I wasn’t surprised they came away with two points well earned on the road.

Henrik Lundqvist made his second consecutive start and was good making 30 saves. That included stopping 20 shots the first two periods including a dozen in the second. His best sequence coming when he denied Wayne Simmonds and Jakub Voracek on a Philadelphia power play. From the goal out, the Blueshirts were better. They didn’t resemble whatever that was 24 hours earlier at MSG.

Only one goal was scored in the first 40 minutes. It belonged to Hayes, who was able to beat Steve Mason on a break in by looking pass and then whistling a shot upstairs on a two on one. Grabner was the decoy who got the primary assist with Skjei starting the play for the other helper.

The third period saw things open up. Trailing by one, the Flyers took some chances. That allowed the opportunistic Rangers to use their superior speed and cash in. One such instance saw Kreider score his 16th on a splendid backhand saucer pass from old USA buddy Stepan. On a night where USA edged Russia 4-3 in a shootout at the U20 World Junior Championship in Montreal to advance to the gold medal game against host Canada, it was symbolic. It was seven years ago that Stepan and Kreider teamed up to help USA capture gold at the same tournament. Maybe a bunch of new kids can do the same thing tonight in enemy territory.

For most of the recent stretch, Grabner hasn’t scored. He’s been in a scoring slump. However, he snapped out of it when he took a Miller feed in transition and beat Mason for his 15th to give the Rangers a 3-0 lead. In typical Philly fashion, Flyer fans booed Mason, who only made his 22nd start in the last 24 games. In truth, he only gave up one bad goal with Kreider fanning on his shot from in tight. Classic Flyers. Those fans can be merciless. Though seeing spoiled Canadian fans booing kids at the WJC in Montreal is far worse. Here’s hoping they’ll have more to jeer over in 10 hours.

Over a minute after Grabner’s goal had the Rangers comfortably in front by three, a Stepan high-sticking minor led directly to Voracek breaking the shutout when he had the fortune of having his shot bank in off Ryan McDonagh past Lundqvist. Only down a pair, the Flyers suddenly pressed for another goal and nearly got it from Shayne Gostisbehere. But his miss kinda summed up his second year. He hasn’t been able to follow up his big rookie year.

Following that close call, it was Miller and Hayes teaming up on a two on one with Hayes going top shelf for his second of the game to restore order. So it went from possibly 3-2 to 4-1 in the blink of an eye. Voracek would get his second with under three minutes left when off a clean Flyers faceoff win, his knuckler fooled Lundqvist on a Michael Del Zotto feed to cut it to 4-2 with 2:52 to go.

With coach Dave Hakstol pulling Mason for an extra attacker, it backfired when Grabner was able to get to a loose puck following a draw and sent the puck into a vacated net from the red line for his 16th. With the game over, Brayden Schenn decided to challenge Clendening. Because challenging our seventh defenseman is cool. That is so Flyers. Sore losers.

All in all, a great response from a team that usually can be counted on following bad losses. Now, they have one more game before the silly break at Columbus. They’ll learn later tonight if the Blue Jackets will be going for an NHL record 18 straight wins. They visit the resurgent Caps tonight. If they win, they tie the Pens who own the record set back in ’91-92. It should be a good one.

I’ll mostly be locked into USA-Canada at 8 PM. What better theatre could there be for a gold medal at the WJC. It should be a heck of a game. I would suggest anyone watch it on NHL Network if they get it. Even if it means missing some of your team’s game, don’t forget it’s the beginning of January. There’s still plenty of season left. The World Junior Championship is one of hockey’s best tournaments pitting top prospects against each other. And tonight, The Rivalry returns. It’s on.

BONY 3 Stars:

3rd Star-Kevin Hayes, NYR (2 goals-12, 13, +3 in 29 shifts-15:56)

2nd Star-Michael Grabner, NYR (2 goals-15, 16, assist, +4 in 29 shifts-15:40)

1st Star-Alain Vigneault, NYR for criticizing his team and making a smart line change that sparked the victory.

Notes: The Rangers improved to 12-1-1 following losses this season. They’re now a perfect 7-for-7 in the second game of back-to-backs. … The win was Vigneault’s 171st as Rangers coach tying former bench boss John Tortorella for fourth all-time. … The Rangers have won five straight against the Flyers.

Gif of Game: Kevin “Purple” Hayes donning the Broadway Hat

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A New Year’s Hangover

Posted on January 4, 2017 by Derek
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Justin Bailey celebrates his first career NHL goal in a Sabres 4-1 win over a lifeless Rangers, who emulated the Knicks after watching them a night earlier. AP Photo via Getty Images courtesy Buffalo Sabres.

How many people have over celebrated the holidays and then wound up completely hungover? :raises hands: Oh yeah. I’ve been there and done that. Now, I’m just recovering from whatever flu or sinus infection I have. I didn’t even go out on New Year’s Eve. I was stuck home watching hockey and the ball countdown along with my favorite Honeymooners episodes.

For the Rangers, maybe they shouldn’t have bothered with tonight’s match against the Sabres. Technically, they were there for all to see at MSG even on my TV. That much was evident. But if this wasn’t a New Year’s Hangover, then my name isn’t Derek Felix. They were in a word awful. Brutal. Lifeless. It was like they had the blood drained out of them.

Buffalo easily won the second meeting by a count of 4-1. The really sad aspect is I told my Dad I didn’t think they matched up. My score prediction was 5-2, Sabres. So, I was in the right ballpark. What was their excuse? A bunch of Rangers were seen watching the hapless Knicks humiliate themselves against Orlando last night. Maybe they shouldn’t have watched the Knicks. They played like them.

Honestly, fast skating teams who can hit and forecheck give the Rangers problems. So, I had a bad feeling. Buffalo had already beaten them once in come from behind fashion 4-3 on Dec. 1. That was the game where our D fell apart. It was Jack Eichel and Evander Kane who did them in.

The rematch a month later at a different venue was a similar result. Both Eichel and Kane scored as Buffalo only needed 19 shots for four goals past Henrik Lundqvist. That included Justin Bailey’s first career NHL goal on what seemed like the only Buffalo shot in the second period for so long. Of course, it was Bailey’s first NHL point in his 12th game. Gift wrapped by a blatant turnover by Kevin Klein that allowed the Sabres to be in control up 3-0 at 1:03 of the second.

It was the only period the guys in blue jerseys with red and white played well in. In a period in which they out-shot Buffalo 15-4, the best they could muster was a Nick Holden one-time blast past Anders Nilsson on a delayed penalty. The same Holden who has been this team’s most consistent defenseman. He now has eight goals. None of the other Rangers on the blue line even have combined for that many.

That includes Ryan McDonagh, whose game has slipped due to being buried with Dan Girardi or Klein. Turnover machines, it’s even spread to the number one defenseman who is leaned on heavily by Alain Vigneault. McDonagh had a forgettable night finishing with a team worst five giveaways. As a team, the Rangers totaled 19 while the Sabres had only seven. Far too many to win a hockey game against an opponent they are better than.

The problem with that theory is it doesn’t take into account what the Sabres bring. They are really fast and an aggressive skating team who can force mistakes. The Rangers made a bunch which explained away a bitter three-goal home defeat that had Vigneault none too pleased.

“I don’t want to take away anything from the opponent. We didn’t do a good enough job preparing for this game,” the Rangers coach said. “We weren’t ready when the game started. Our execution was nonexistent. We didn’t have the D that could make a pass and our compete level was not good enough.”

Pretty damning assessment from the normally cool demeanor of Vigneault. He’ll never be cut out of the same cloth as John Tortorella. But he doesn’t have to be to evaluate how poorly his team played. They were off from the very beginning. It was ugly.

The Sabres scored twice in a lifeless first period. Buffalo was much more aggressive using their skating and puck possession to carry the play. They really deserved their two-goal lead. Why? Because they earned it. Forget about what the Sabres’ recent record was. They have imposing players who can make life difficult on the Rangers.

It still didn’t excuse some of the lackluster mistakes we saw. For example, Chris Kreider letting his check go and watching Zemgus Girgensons score uncontested at 12:17. Kreider had him and then took a nap. The Sabres outworked the Rangers behind the net. Brian Gionta and household name William Carrier combined to set up Girgensons’ fourth.

Having looked dead for way too long, the Rangers began to come on as the period went on. They put together a couple of good shifts in the offensive zone. But just when it seemed they would take some momentum into the second, an awful turnover resulted in Kane slamming home his ninth from Sam Reinhart and Kyle Okposo at 19:21.

The goal was a direct result of a lousy line change. Mats Zuccarello failed to get the puck in deep. That allowed the fast Sabres to transition quickly with Reinhart getting a tough low shot on Lundqvist that he couldn’t control. Holden was too late to cover Kane, who buried his ninth. After doing virtually nothing before Eichel returned, Kane has been a different player. He was a beast scoring his sixth in the last 10 while later wreaking havoc on Buffalo’s third goal.

Before they got going, the Rangers were guilty of another putrid turnover at the start of the second. A very aggressive Kane forecheck forced Klein to cough up the puck. That allowed Bailey to score unassisted beating Lundqvist at 63 seconds of the second for a 3-0 lead. In a word, embarrassing. I probably would’ve used my timeout there. But Vigneault didn’t. Not only did Klein turn it over but his snow angel only made it worse for Lundqvist on Bailey’s first NHL goal.

Those are still the ones you expect your goalie to stop. Lundqvist used to do it routinely. But he’s 34 now and will turn 35 in March. He’s not always going to be able to bail out his teammates. The signs of old age catching up to a future Hall of Famer who might never win a Stanley Cup. Not with the current state of the defense. Something has to be done and soon. There’s no way they can keep Girardi or Klein with McDonagh. Adam Clendening isn’t a long-term solution.

In a period where they picked up their play, they were only able to solve Nilsson once. It took a perfect shot to beat him. On a delayed call, Oscar Lindberg and J.T. Miller combined to feed Holden at the left point for a nice one-time blast to cut it to 3-1 at 15:55.

That was it. Nilsson didn’t have to work too hard finishing with 24 saves. His best came on Kreider when he stoned him in front on a nifty Zuccarello set up. There just wasn’t enough compete. The Rangers wasted their only power play. Despite holding a 15-4 edge in shots and a significant edge in possession, they couldn’t draw any closer.

A loss of discipline from rookie Jimmy Vesey sealed their fate 18 seconds into the third when he was called for holding. With Vesey in the box, all he could do was watch helplessly as Matt Moulson and Reinhart set up Eichel on the doorstep for his eighth at 1:10 to restore a three-goal lead. In two games versus the Rangers, Eichel has three goals. Two of the three have come on the power play.

The Rangers don’t see the Sabres again for another month until Feb. 2 at Buffalo. Should we just write that down as a loss?

What can’t be explained is the lack of effort from this team in the third. It was like once Eichel scored, they gave up. That isn’t a characteristic of the Rangers. They usually still battle and keep coming. They went a long time without a shot on goal. It was despicable. A totally awful performance.

When Vigneault was asked about Clendening for tomorrow, he said he’d have to watch the tape. His focus was on the Flyers with an NBC exclusive on Rivalry Night. He said the Flyers will be ready. His team better be. Or it will be over fast.

BONY 3 Stars: Do I Have To? They didn’t bother. So why should I. Anyone in a Sabres jersey. No one in a Blueshirt.

Note: Matt Puempel was back out with concussion symptoms. Nicklas Jensen came up from Hartford and skated in his place.

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Kreider hat trick hits Colorado with Avalanche in New Year’s Eve celebration

Posted on January 1, 2017 by Derek
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King of Europe: Henrik Lundqvist is congratulated by backup Antti Raanta after winning number 390 to pass Dominik Hasek for the most NHL wins by a European born goalie. A night highlighted by Chris Kreider’s second career hat trick in a 6-2 win over the Avalanche. AP Photo via Getty Images courtesy NYRangers.

The Rangers got a real treat to end 2016. They had great New Year’s hosts in Colorado. The Avalanche are one of the league’s biggest disappointments. Without top defenseman Erik Johnson and without any defense, they have hung out goalie tandem Semyon Varlamov and Calvin Pickard out to dry.

Patrick Roy knew it. He picked up and left a mess that continues in Denver. Once home to Stanley Cups, they are now an NHL laughingstock. So, it wasn’t a surprise that the Rangers did whatever they wanted in a 6-2 victory on New Year’s Eve to make it two for two against the league’s two worst teams. The other being hapless Arizona who are so bad, Matt Puempel recorded his first career hat trick in an ugly 6-3 win I didn’t bother with since I didn’t see it. Puempel did have a nice redirect for the third goal. At least Anthony Duclair scored his third for the Coyotes.

Tonight was all about the renaissance of Chris Kreider. In his fourth season, the 25-year old former 2009 first round pick is finally developing into the kind of dominant power forward many believed. I was always one of his biggest supporters despite some harsh critiques in this space and on my Twitter account New York Puck. Maybe we were a bit impatient due to Kreider’s amazing run during the 2012 playoffs when he came directly from Boston College winning an NCAA Division I title to the NHL postseason scoring five times in helping the Rangers reach the Eastern Conference Final.

After a disappointing abbreviated ’12-13 where he only had two goals in 23 games before John Tortorella sent him back to Connecticut, he came back and got a goal and assist in eight postseason contests which included a great overtime winner to force a fifth game before losing to Boston in the second round. Following the step back, Tortorella was replaced by Alain Vigneault. They traded places. Ironically, Kreider’s best moment in his true rookie year came at the expense of Tortorella’s Canucks when he recorded his first hat trick in a 5-2 home win on Nov. 30, 2013.

As a 23-year old, Kreider followed up a good rookie season of 17 goals and 20 assists with a big postseason. His five goals and eight assists for 13 points helped the Rangers reach their first Stanley Cup Final since 1994. He was arguably their best forward in a crushing five-game loss to the Kings. I still remember watching him on a breakaway in sudden death thinking he would win it and force Game 6 only to see Jonathan Quick deny him. It didn’t end long after. A long night spent at the bar watching your team lose the Cup 20 years after they won one when I was a senior in high school.

With Kreider, he’s always had the talent. Combining size, strength, speed and skill, it’s all about putting it together. Consistency has always been an issue. However, that clearly isn’t the case in Year 4. He got off to a great start before the neck spasms sidelined him twice. Then went through a stretch where he didn’t score for a while. But since he broke it, he’s playing the best hockey of his young career.

The end result was a nice reward with Kreider notching his second hat trick in the four-goal win which also happened to be Henrik Lundqvist’s 390th career win- allowing him to pass Dominik Hasek for the most NHL victories by a European born goalie. Two of the three goals went off Kreider. The other was in but had to be reviewed with the refs unaware it went in until it was confirmed for a 2-1 lead.

Afterwards, he called it a weird hat trick during a interview with MSG’s John Giannone. He’s been on a tear this month. After scoring four goals during the first two months, he’s exploded with 11 in December. Along with five assists, that gives him 16 points (11-5-16) in 15 games. By far the most consistent he’s been.

That it’s come after signing a long-term contract worth an average of $4.625 million through 2020 is fitting. So many wondered if he would ever figure it out. I never stopped believing because of the player I saw as early as 2010 combining with future Ranger teammate Derek Stepan to help USA win the Under 20 World Junior Championship. It sometimes takes power forwards a little longer. With now a team-leading 15 goals and 14 assists giving him 29 points in 33 games, he’s tied for second with line mate Mats Zuccarello (8-21-29) in scoring. Only one behind team leader Stepan (9-21-30).

Since Vigneault put them together, they have carried the team offensively. Over the last six games, they’ve combined for a impressive 27 points. After back-to-back losses in which they gave up a seven spot to the Pens and Wild before Christmas, the Rangers have won three in a row. The most impressive was the 4-3 comeback win over the Senators on home ice. One in which an irate Stepan got on his teammates at the bench when they quickly behind by two. He then scored twice including the tying goal before Nick Holden’s game-winner in the third. Mark 12/27/16 as an important date if the team doesn’t look back. It was a night they finally stood up for themselves and showed true character.

If they didn’t play well at Arizona, they can be excused. The Coyotes are as bad as it gets. They can only hope Dylan Strome and their other top prospects will help fix things. Maybe Steve Downie was right about how they’re run. They were getting humiliated by the Flames at last check down 4-0.

As for Colorado, they are pretty bad despite some of the game’s best young talents in Matt Duchene, Nathan MacKinnon and Gabriel Landeskog, who has been a shell of himself this season. Why are they so bad? Look at the chaotic state of their blue line. As evidenced tonight, they simply cannot defend. Tyson Barrie is a good offensive defenseman. Defensively, he’s substandard. His careless turnover inside the Ranger blue line led directly to J.T. Miller’s game-winner at 9:30 of the second period. A slap shot rocket that squeaked past Pickard.

The Avs just don’t have enough quality depth. Subtract Johnson and they’re naked on the back end. When your biggest move during the summer is adding aging former Ranger Fedor Tyutin, you’re in trouble. Nothing against Toots. But he’s not the same player at 33 that he was earlier in his career when he once was a top pair guy with former partner and fading Dan Girardi. It’s ironic because they’re almost the same age. Girardi turns 33 on Apr. 29. Neither has ever been the best skater. They’ve gotten by on grit and will.

Colorado also doesn’t boast much scoring depth after their big three. It dramatically falls off with overlooked 19-year old Finn rookie Mikko Rantanen a bright spot with 16 points. Five more than Landeskog. Six better than ex-Bruin Carl Soderberg, who they have locked into a contract that pays him $4.75 million thru 2020. He has four goals and 10 points and makes more than Kreider. Talk about cap mismanagement.

Even former Sabres’ first rounder Mikhail Grigorenko remains a riddle with only 12 points (4-8-12) in 34 contests. He came over from Buffalo with Nikita Zadorov as part of a five-player deal that sent Ryan O’Reilly to the Sabres. Advantage Buffalo even if O’Reilly is severely overpaid for his production (18 points in 27 games). He banks $7.5 million AAV into the next decade.

As for the Blueshirts, they did what they had to sweeping these two games against NHL doormats. Neither win was perfect. Even on New Year’s Eve with the Avs getting the game’s first goal and Lundqvist killer Blake Comeau scoring his 13th career against the Swedish King to tie the game at two after a period.

Afterwards, the Rangers ran off four unanswered with Miller bombing one and Kreider having a Stepan shot go off his body on a power play for the hat trick. Then some hideous Colorado coverage allowed Jesper Fast and Oscar Lindberg to easily set up Miller, who had all night before burying his second (third in two games) past a helpless Pickard. If J.T. is coming out of it, that’s a great sign. He shouldn’t be buried for long. Finally, rookie Jimmy Vesey beat Pickard on a breakaway from Michael Grabner and Kevin Hayes.

All in all, a good end to a very good first part of ’16-17. The Rangers are tied with the first place Blue Jackets for most wins (26), most ROW (24) and rank third in the loaded Metro Division with 53 points. The division that boasts the league’s top three teams with Columbus at 56 after their 15th straight win (4-2 over Wild), Pittsburgh at 55 after a 4-3 overtime win (Malkin winner) over Montreal and the Blueshirts with 53 after the four-goal blowout of hapless Colorado.

There are fireworks going off here in New York City. Even though I have a sore throat and am stuck home for the first time in a while, wishing everyone a very Happy New Year!!!!! Can’t believe it’s officially 2017. Here’s to a great year. 🙂

BONY 3 Stars:

3rd Star-Henrik Lundqvist, NYR (25 saves including last 17 final 2 periods-390 career wins most by European born goalie passes Hasek)

2nd Star-J.T. Miller, NYR (2 goals including game-winner-11, 12,

1st Star-Chris Kreider, NYR (2nd career hat trick-13, 14, 15, 6 shots, 8 attempts, +1 in 22 shifts-16:27)

Interview: Kreider on his weird hat trick.

Photo Gif: Lundqvist with the Broadway Hat

Video Gif: Kreider gets the hat trick:

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Islanders waive Halak

Posted on December 30, 2016 by Derek

Jaroskav Halak, Tanner Glass

In a move that finally came today, the Islanders placed goalie Jaroslav Halak on waivers. The 31-year old veteran struggled in his third year with the club. Following a very good World Cup of Hockey tournament in which he backstopped Team Europe to a surprising run to the Finals before losing to Canada, Halak was inconsistent going 6-8-5 with a 3.23 goals-against-average and .904 save percentage with one shutout.

Signed by general manager Garth Snow in the summer of 2014 after he coughed up a fourth round pick for his exclusive negotiating rights, Halak posted a career best 38 wins with a 2.43 GAA, .914 save percentage and six shutouts in a career high 59 games in ’14-15. He led them to a first round appearance against the Capitals. It was a hard fought series that the Islanders lost in seven games. Halak had a strong series posting a 2.30 GAA and .926 save percentage.

After winning Game 6 which was the final game at Nassau Coliseum, the Isles fell to the Caps 2-1. Halak kept them in it with 24 saves. The Isles only had 11 shots on Braden Holtby. Evgeny Kuznetsov scored the series winner with 7:18 left in regulation.

His second season with the Islanders was cut short due to a lower body injury. In 36 games, he performed admirably winning 18 games with a 2.30 GAA, .919 save percentage and three shutouts. He split duties with Thomas Greiss, who also performed well. The German backup won 23 games and posted a 2.36 GAA, .925 save percentage in 41 games. With Halak out for the postseason, it was Greiss who backstopped the Isles to their first series win since ’93. A thrilling six-game triumph over the Panthers in which captain John Tavares scored the tying and winning goals.

While Halak has been inconsistent in his third year of a four year contract, Greiss has been steadier winning eight of 13 starts with a 2.48 GAA and .922 save percentage. With the organization opting to keep three goalies including Jean-Francois Berube, it became a numbers game. They obviously see something in Berube to believe he could be the goalie of the future. They picked up the 25-year old former Kings’ 2009 fourth round draft pick off waivers last year.

Berube hasn’t gotten into many games allowing eight goals on 81 shots in four appearances with a 0-2-1 record. That should change with Halak gone.

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Game 37: Holden It Down

Posted on December 27, 2016 by Derek
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Holden It Down: Nick Holden celebrates his game-winner in the third period of a Rangers 4-3 comeback win over the Senators at MSG. AP Photo via Getty Images courtesy NYRangers.

It’s not always how you start but rather how you finish. For the Rangers, they showed some resiliency rallying from a 3-1 deficit after a period to pull out a hard fought 4-3 win over the Senators at MSG. Nick Holden and Derek Stepan scored twice and Antti Raanta recovered from a tough first to finish with 33 saves as the Blueshirts snapped their first two-game losing streak in regulation.

I can’t comment on the start. By the time I got home, the Sens had scored twice within a 52-second span on goals from Mark Borowiecki <gulp> and Zack Smith. It wasn’t the best period for Raanta, who gave up three goals on 12 shots. But his defense was pinned in for a vast majority of the first two periods. By night’s end, Raanta could’ve easily been selected by the writers as one of the game’s three stars. But his name isn’t spelled Lundqvist. So, his performance was overlooked.

As for Holden, he continues to be a gem. Stolen by Jeff Gorton from Colorado (they still have hockey???) for a fourth round pick, Holden scored what amounted to a big goal when he beat an off balance Mike Condon from a bad angle from Ryan McDonagh and Kevin Hayes.

Trailing 2-1, the Rangers had a bad shift late in the stanza which allowed Cody Ceci to score his first on a point shot that went off Raanta. On the goal, Tom Pyatt did a good job screening in front. The one-time Ranger who is part of an answer to a trivia question having to do with McDonagh was flying all night. The Sens have a lot of speed and it gave our D fits for stretches.

Down by two, enter Stepan to the rescue. When his team was trailing 2-0, he voiced his displeasure on the bench at teammates. Something he discussed between the second and third with Al Trautwig. Hot of late, Stepan continued his surge with two goals in an inspired second period. The first came after a power play expired on a rebound from Chris Kreider and McDonagh.

Prior to Stepan tying it with a beautiful tip in front of Mats Zuccarello slap pass for a power play tally with McDonagh picking up his third helper, Raanta was the story. He made several outstanding saves with none better than the highway robbery he committed on Ceci. He had a wide open net and somehow managed to get his pad across for a remarkable stop that turned the game around. At times, the popular backup was by himself. Similar to a flu-ridden Lundqvist, who may or may not be back for Thursday at Arizona.

This game had a lot of intensity. Between Zuccarello standing up for Brady Skjei after he was driven hard into the boards on a clean check by Chris Neil and Marc Staal getting into it with public enemy number one Dion Phaneuf on an Ottawa power play, it was nice to see the team push back. At some point, enough’s enough. The Rangers aren’t the toughest group. But they can at least stand up for themselves.

They did benefit from a questionable goalie interference when Jean-Gabriel Pageau went hard to the net and crashed into Raanta while trying to score. It’s one of those where if it were our player, we’d be upset over such a call. Not surprisingly, the Ottawa bench was fuming after Stepan scored an identical goal on a tip in to the one he scored last week to tie the game against the Devils which they won. He’s really good at that. Stepan also won the offensive draw. Eerily similar.

For all the criticism he’s received, here is Stepan playing his best hockey while Hayes and J.T. Miller are going through scoring slumps. It’s been the brilliant play of my favorite Blueshirt along with line mates Zuccarello and Kreider that’s been getting it done. Guess who quietly now leads the team in scoring. None other than Stepan with 28 points (9-19-28). He does it without much fanfare. It’s just who he is.

Stepan may not be the best skater. But he knows how to play and his two-way play has picked up too. He, Zuccarello and Kreider have excellent chemistry. I have to give Alain Vigneault credit there for sticking with them. If that line wasn’t producing, the Rangers would be in trouble. Especially with the Jackets and Pens continuing to roll. It’s such a competitive division that when a team behind you like the Caps loses to the Islanders, you breathe a sigh of relief.

With the game still tied, the edginess between the two teams continued. Rookie Jimmy Vesey caught former Blueshirt Derick Brassard from behind with a tough hit that had him down for a little bit. Mark Stone stood in for Brassard challenging Vesey to his first fight. For a kid who was a Hobey Baker winner at an Ivy League school, he did okay standing in there taking his lumps while throwing back. Even in a game where he wasn’t a factor, Vesey continues to impress.

Thirteen seconds after the scrap, Kyle Turris hooked Miller from behind to hand the Rangers a 5-on-4 power play. Even though they didn’t connect, the momentum from it carried forward. On great hustle from Skjei, who kept a puck in and chipped it down, it led to Holden’s second of the game. He sneaked around the net and slipped a wrap around past an unassuming Condon for the game-winner at 6:31 right after the power play expired. A smart play from a smart player who now is up to six goals which leads all Ranger defensemen.

Ottawa challenged for offside. Thinking Matt Puempel might’ve been off, it was a good challenge from Boucher. They had to go back towards the start of the play to check. Something you’re allowed to do in what’s become an awkward and unpredictable challenge system. Puempel did a great job keeping one skate on the blue paint to stay on. One replay was enough for me to say good goal. It didn’t take long for ref tandem Wes McCauley and Pierre Lambert to agree.

The Sens definitely got their attention. They had the final two power plays on minor penalties from Michael Grabner (hook) and Zuccarello (trip). But the penalty kill came up large. They went four-for-four with Hayes and Miller continuing to do some splendid work shorthanded. Miller had a chance but was stopped by Condon. Miller also tried to back pass to Hayes on another try but missed connection. It wasn’t the smartest of plays.

Raanta made the Rangers’ only lead stand up by making the final 24 saves. He was flawless in the second stopping all 14 and perfect in the third denying 10 more shots. A great response from a team first guy who was called upon after Lundqvist was out sick. Brandon Halverson backed up.

This was a good character win. They proved they could overcome Ottawa’s trap which gave them problems in the first. They overcame mistakes to come back and win. They can thank Raanta for some big time goaltending in the momentum swinging second where Stepan backed up his words. And no. I can’t believe Trautwig compared Stepan to Messier. Holy mackerel.

The game came down to Brassard, who earlier in the period had an unlucky shot ring off the crossbar and goalpost on a power play. He had a great chance to tie it with six seconds left but a diving Jesper Fast blocked his attempt leaving only a second left.

BONY 3 Stars:

3rd Star-Nick Holden, NYR (2 goals-5th, 6th, 2 shots, 4 attempts, 3 hits, 2 blocks, +1 in 32 shifts-21:23 including 16:36 ES, 3:06 SH, 1:41 PP)

2nd Star-Derek Stepan, NYR (2 goals-8th, 9th, 4 shots, 5 attempts, +1 in 34 shifts-21:36 including 15:09 ES, 4:21 PP, 2:06 SH)

1st Star-Antti Raanta, NYR (33 saves incl. stopping final 24 for big win)

Notes: Smith left the game in the second after scoring a goal. … The difference in the game was between the goalies. Condon gave up some costly goals allowing four on 25 shots. Raanta got stronger and made some momentum turning saves. … Ottawa out-shot the Rangers 36-25 and out-attempted them 60-48. … Key stat: Giveaways Sens 11 Rangers 17. … Ottawa went 41-and-29 on face-offs with Brassard a beastly 18-and-7. Oscar Lindberg went 8-and-7 for the Blueshirts. … Ottawa out-shot the Rangers 27-12 at five-on-five scoring three goals on 27 shots while the Rangers scored twice on 12 shots. The other Rangers’ two goals came on a power play and four-on-four.

GIF of Game: What else but Holden’s winner and the reaction of the crowd.

Media: Raanta discussing the win with reporters.

METRO RACE

1.Blue Jackets 33 GP 24 W 5 L 4 OT 52 Points 22 ROW

2.Penguins      36 GP 23 W 8 L 5 OT 51 Points 21 ROW

3.Rangers         37 GP 24 W 12 L 1 OT 49 Points 22 ROW

*4.Capitals      33 GP 20 W 9 L 4 OT  44 Points 19 ROW

*5.Flyers          36 GP 20 W 12 L 4 OT 44 Points 16 ROW

6.Hurricanes   33 GP 15 W 11 L 7 OT  37 Points 13 ROW

7.Islanders       34 GP 14 W 14 L 6 OT  34 Points 13 ROW

8.Devils             35 GP 13 W 15 L 7 OT   33 Points 11 ROW

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Christmas Hockey Observations

Posted on December 26, 2016 by Derek

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Hello. I’d like to start this blog off by wishing everyone a Happy Holidays. No matter what you celebrate, it’s special to spend it with your loved ones and friends. Being that Chanukah and Christmas came out the same weekend, I’ve taken to wishing friends a Merry Christmaskah and Happy Chanukahmas. 🙂

Being Jewish growing up, my family always celebrated both. Of course, Chanukah or Hanukkah meant more due to the burning of the candle light for eight nights. However, I always loved Christmas. Who doesn’t? My favorite part has always been looking at all the fancy decorations and lights. It’s beautiful. I love seeing my friends’ trees.

It is the season of giving. I gave money to the Jimmy V Fund for cancer research. I also was able to find some gifts for my family that I knew they would love. It’s never about receiving. Though I must say my Mom outdid herself this year. I’m gonna pay her back in 2017. When it comes to family, always recognize what they do for you. She gave me money for a new car which I probably will have by the end of the week just in time for the New Year. Between that and the gifts for my birthday, I’m speechless. My Dad took me out too for my 40th to a great restaurant and gave me a lot of money which I am saving. When I figure out what to do with it, I’ll spend it wisely for a change. 😉

As Hasan noted in a very nicely put together previous holiday post, this space is about more than hockey. It’s about appreciating the holiday season for believing and dreaming. I can honestly say I’m lucky. I’ve always had overwhelming support from my family and friends. I guess what I want to say is this. Never take it for granted. Every moment is special. Create new memories. They’re all we have.

This is a hockey blog. We do what we can. With our busy schedules, it’s not as much as it used to be. I wish I could devote more time to the Islanders and Sabres. The Rangers are my team. Like any born and raised New Yorker, I wear my emotions on my sleeve. They come pouring out after bad losses. Instead of posting thoughts on the second consecutive debacle- an ugly 7-4 home defeat to the Wild that chased Henrik Lundqvist, I decided to pass since I saw bits and pieces. I was busy celebrating the return of the Big Man, Brian Sanborn. Our emotional Buffalo Sabres resident came home for Christmas this weekend. We had one great time at our buddy’s house in South River. The inside jokes poured in along with the stories. There was good old fashioned razzing and banter. Nothing’s changed in two decades since the basement days at St. John’s in Grymes Hill. I’m proud to say that great friendship is truly forever.

Funny enough, when they did flip to that Minnesota/Rangers game, we saw two Ranger goals and the Wild celebrating a few others with Lundqvist sent to the bench for Antti Raanta. It was ugly. We also made sure to give Brian plenty of what turned out to be a lopsided 5-0 blowout loss at the Islanders. So much for Kyle Okposo’s return sparking the Sabres. Of course, the Big Man got me on video talking about Buffalo. We have this inside joke where he insists that I’m fascinated with them.

“What About Buffalo!”

Whether it be the Bills or Sabres, he has this silly notion that I enjoy seeing his teams lose. That all of our inner core of Jersey mixed in with Staten Island want that to happen so we can see an eruption. Let me put it this way. Brian is the most passionate person I know. He’s had some classic meltdowns. It would seem if you root for the Bills and Sabres, that would be the case. I once went with him to a Bills home opener. It’s hard to believe it was 11 years ago. I came away impressed by the atmosphere which included a tailgate that started at 8 in the morning along with a five hour Bills pregame show. I liked the stadium too. It was 9/11 too. Four years later. Emotions were high. Buffalo won.

I’ve always told him I’d like to see one of his teams win. The Sabres are closer as long as Jack Eichel is around. They’re building it back up with Eichel, Ryan O’Reilly, Sam Reinhart and Rasmus Ristolainen. Brian isn’t sold on Robin Lehner because of his injury history. Neither am I. With other key pieces such as Jake McCabe, Okposo, Zach Bogosian and future Sabre Alex Nylander, there’s plenty for Buffalo fans to look forward to. I excluded Evander Kane because the combination of injuries and his off ice issues make him a candidate to be traded.

As for the Islanders, they won a second in a row after a five-game winless streak. At this point, they are what they are. A mediocre team that can’t seem to sustain consistent play. John Tavares misses Okposo and Frans Nielsen. Only a handful of Isles have performed up to expectation. Josh Bailey and Brock Nelson play with Tavares. Anders Lee has been on a scoring tear lately and leads them with 12 goals. Casey Cizikas is out indefinitely and Cal Clutterbuck has only two goals despite his usual physical play. Replacements Andrew Ladd and Jason Chimera have been huge disappointments. Ryan Strome looks more like a bust than a player. The defense has struggled. Only Dennis Seidenberg has been up to par. Then there’s the three-ring goalie circus of Halak, Greiss and Berube. It’s hard to understand what Garth Snow is doing. The team still plays for embattled coach Jack Capuano. But a move could be coming soon.

The Rangers are still third in the crowded Metro Division. The Blue Jackets have won 12 in a row and lead the conference with 50 points. They smacked around the Penguins a couple of nights after Pittsburgh humiliated the Blueshirts. They’re a very complete team that is four lines deep with a much improved blue line led by Calder hopeful Zach Werenski. Sergei Bobrovsky is back to Vezina form. John Tortorella is the leading candidate for the Jack Adams.

While Columbus and Pittsburgh look better, the Rangers have reverted to ’15-16 form when they relied on the goaltending of Lundqvist and Raanta. The defense is starting to become an issue again. Alain Vigneault has made some puzzling decisions. He’s content to play Dan Girardi on the top pair with Ryan McDonagh, whose play has suffered over the past two weeks. It’s resulted in them pinned in a lot more and on for more goals against. Vigneault will not rest Girardi. He even opted to reinsert Adam Clendening for rookie Brady Skjei against Minnesota. A decision that backfired.  While it’s true that Skjei’s defensive play has come back to earth as expected for a first-year pro, taking out the fast skating left D while keeping the plodding Girardi in along with the inconsistent Kevin Klein makes their defense worse. At some point, Vigneault should move Girardi down and put possession D Nick Holden up with McDonagh. Holden has played mostly with Marc Staal, who’s had a stronger year.

As for the scoring, it’s predictably dropped off with Mika Zibanejad and Pavel Buchnevich out until next January. Kevin Hayes and J.T. Miller have both seen their scoring dip. Carrying more responsibilities including penalty killing, each two-way forward is more crucial to the team. Chris Kreider tallied twice giving him 11 goals. He along with Derek Stepan and Mats Zuccarello were the only line that was going. The cohesive trio combined for eight points (3-5-8) in the defeat. McDonagh tallied the other goal on a Kreider screen.

Without Rick Nash, who should return following Tuesday’s game against Ottawa, the Rangers didn’t get enough from other players. Miller was a dismal minus-four and Hayes minus-three. Girardi was on for at least three goals against. Even Michael Grabner went minus-two. Aside from a power play goal and assist in a 5-0 rout of the Devils, Brandon Pirri has been invisible. Newcomer Marek Hrivik has done more with his even strength shifts. Oscar Lindberg is reliable on face-offs but he desperately needs a goal.

Jimmy Vesey gives a more consistent effort and deserves more ice-time than Vigneault gives him. He has 10 goals and seven helpers and has proven himself to be a dangerous offensive player five-on-five. With a nose for the net and willing to shoot, the 23-year old Harvard alum is a key component. Defensive forward Jesper Fast gives the same type of effort. Reward the guys who work hard.

My take on the Devils is they’re not good. They’re worse than ever imagined. I thought they’d be in the hunt for a wildcard. Nobody could’ve predicted Cory Schneider’s melt. He’s finding out what it’s like to have no defensive help. When Ray Shero dealt away ace Adam Larsson for Taylor Hall, he took a risk giving up a young shutdown defenseman for a scorer. Hall has had his moments scoring eight times with 22 points in 26 games. He needs to score more consistently. What’s really killing them is the lack of production from Adam Henrique and Kyle Palmieri. Each went for 30 goals last year. Both have had better nights recently. But it’s about consistency. Travis Zajac shouldn’t be leading this team in scoring. Mike Cammalleri shouldn’t have more goals than Hall, Henrique or Palmieri at this point. Especially given the time he missed. P.A. Parenteau, who was a healthy scratch has as many goals (8) as Hall and Zajac.

Andy Greene is basically by himself on the back end with Damon Severson a defensive liability. The point production (3-15-18) is good but the minus-17 rating isn’t a fluke. To be blunt, Greene isn’t a top pair defenseman on a good team. He does the best he can. But it’s an awful lot of responsibility for a player who’s gotten the most out of his talent. Vets John Moore and Ben Lovejoy aren’t great. Moore is more of a streaky offensive D who gets beaten frequently. Lovejoy can play the position but a lot is expected due to the contract. Yohann Auvitu should be given a chance to sink or swim. Kyle Quincey is an extra on a deeper roster. He’s done okay considering. It might be time for the organization to admit Jon Merrill is a bust. Seth Helgeson was just recalled.

The Devs also should admit the same for shootout specialist Jacob Josefson. Why is he even still on the roster? At least Miles Wood and Nick Lappin have contributed. Wood being the one to watch because of his combination of speed and shot. Sergey Kalinin has one goal and is minus-11. Shero pet Beau Bennett has one goal. Vernon Fiddler is a fourth line penalty killer who plays hard but has three points.

Not to be a dead horse. There’s a lot wrong with how the Devils are being run. At some point, the management team needs to wake up. And this isn’t a coach issue either. It’s a personnel one. They need to find out about some of the other prospects. Steven Santini, Blake Pietila, John Quenneville. Even Joe Blandisi deserves another crack. Why is Reid Boucher still listed under the Devils Prospect section when the Predators picked him up? Why is Mattias Tedenby still listed? Does anyone keep track?

It shouldn’t that hard. Anyway, those are my Devil observations. I really killed them. Sorry Hasan. 😛 I guess I don’t pull any punches.

No Kidding: Sidney Crosby is congratulated by teammates at the Pens bench after scoring in their 2-0 Game 3 win over the Rangers. AP Photo/Kathy Willens

As for the rest of the league, some other quick hits:

–Sidney Crosby really is far and away the best player. He is running away with the Rocket Richard and will beat out Connor McDavid for the Art Ross. You can pretty much book a Hart for Crosby.

-The rookie race is shaping up to be a good one. With Werenski and Matt Murray added to the mix of Patrik Laine and Auston Matthews plus Mitchell Marner, it’s sure to go down to the wire. Keep an eye on Matthew Tkachuk, who is quietly picking it up in Calgary.

–Steve Downie’s tweet fest on the Coyotes was rather interesting. He made a lot of good points and raised some issues about how they mishandled injured players. He also took a shot at Don Cherry. Hitting has always been part of hockey. No one forced Downie to leap into Dean McAmmond and concuss him. Ultimately, it’s up to the players to have respect. There isn’t much. Downie was a gritty player. But his penchant for bad penalties is why he’s out of the league.

-I’ve never heard anyone rip Dave Tippett. That was unexpected. Though you do have to wonder what the hell has happened to Anthony Duclair? One goal so far. I get that he was never a complete player. But how has he sunk that far? And some of the Coyotes’ decisions have been baffling like scratching Jersey product Anthony DeAngelo. What for? They are in rebuild mode and again one of the NHL’s doormats.

-I’m not shocked by the Avalanche’s decline. They have no system. Little D. Erik Johnson is out and they gave away Holden for a fourth round pick. Semyon Varlamov and Calvin Pickard can only do so much. That dirty Hab was at it again. Alexei Emelin’s cheap shot on Jarome Iginla in a lopsided blowout in which they scored 10 goals was a joke. And Emelin ducked Iginla’s challenge. Emelin is the definition of a garbage hockey player.

-So, maybe we were wrong on P.K. Subban for Shea Weber. One thing about Weber, who somehow has never won a Norris while Subban has. He’s a much better overall defenseman playing his end without taking as many risks. Subban’s numbers are still good. But he doesn’t compare to Weber or Nashville anchor Roman Josi.

-The Pens are gonna be awful tough to beat. Kris Letang is out. With a healthy Letang, Pittsburgh becomes much better. If only he could stay on the ice, maybe he’d get recognized in the Norris conversation. Erik Karlsson is running away with it by not only right behind Brent Burns in points but also ranks second in blocked shots with 93. The Ottawa captain is doing everything for one of the NHL’s pleasant surprises. I always felt Guy Boucher got a raw deal. He’s even got Derick Brassard playing defense.

-They looked worn out in a 4-0 loss at the Devils. But the Flyers play an exciting style of hockey. Dave Hakstol has to be one of the better young coaches. In his second year, he’s doing another heck of a job with the Flyers tied with the Caps in points (44). Claude Giroux and Jake Voracek are back playing inspired and Wayne Simmonds continues to be the best power forward in the sport. Rookie Travis Konecny plays with spunk and rookie Ivan Provorov has helped improve the team defense. Michael Del Zotto can still play the game when called upon. Steve Mason has played inspired since Michal Neuvirth went down. The Flyers have one of those teams that comes at you. They are fun to watch.

Biggest Disappointments:

1.Tampa Bay Lightning

2.Dallas Stars

3.Nashville Predators

4.Florida Panthers

5.Islanders/Devils

Biggest Surprises:

1.Columbus Blue Jackets

2.Edmonton Oilers

3.Ottawa Senators

4.Minnesota Wild

5.Toronto Maple Leafs

-Outdoor games return with two big ones on New Year’s Day and Jan. 2. The Scotiabank NHL Centennial Classic takes place on Sunday, Jan. 1 when the Maple Leafs host the Red Wings at Exhibition Stadium at 3 PM. The following day, the Bridgestone Winter Classic features the St. Louis Blues hosting the Chicago Blackhawks at Busch Stadium on NBC.

-On Jan. 1 during the Centennial Classic, the NHL will unveil the game’s greatest 100 players including 34 who played between 1917-66 before Expansion. It should be great.

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Assorted holiday thoughts

Posted on December 24, 2016 by hasan4978

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Even as I start this blog I’m still conflicted over what I want to write one day before Christmas.  I should be delivering some message full of hope and happiness or at least attempt one of laughter, the holiday season now is upon us after all.  And for however much I may complain over things I can and can’t control, I still have reasonably good health, supportive parents and a few amazing friends.  Of course 2016 personally could have been better in a lot of areas and as a whole was a year most people would like to just see end asap – referring to the new year as watching 2016 die has in fact become a Twitter meme.  Between worldwide terrorism, what seem like an inordinate amount of celebrity deaths coupled with a nasty election cycle that never ended with fallout that’s just beginning it seems like no matter how old or young you are, you can’t escape the reality that there is too much in life we have little to no control over.

Sports is a perfect example of this, everyone reading this blog and millions that aren’t are happy/joyful when the teams they root for do well and angry/frustrated/depressed when they don’t, I’m no different than most if not all sports fans in this regard.  I’m not writing this to do a case study in why, people a lot smarter than me I’m sure have done this already.  There’s no real accounting for what each being decides to care for.  Of course while non-sports fans may look on sports fans as wasting too much time caring about grown men play a kid’s game, don’t we all find so-called shallow things to care about?  If you don’t care about sports, you still care about your favorite show, reality TV, fashion, politics, playing video games or any number of other things people could complain we as a society spend too much time over.  Any of these interests are just a way to relax, let off some steam or escape from real life for a time.

I’m sure fantasy sports are so popular – besides being legalized gambling for some – because sports fans who are passioniate can feel in control of their teams when playing fantasy in a way they don’t have control over the pro teams they root for.  I do a number of fantasy leagues myself, though until this year I never did any of them for money.  I find having to play against a player against your real-life team (or having one of your real-life’s team’s players play against you) as a conflict of interest I’m fine with in free leagues but wouldn’t want to experience if I had actual money on the line.  That said I finally took the plunge and did a pay fantasy football league this year – a 16-team standard league with a $20 entry fee where you get $30 for winning the division, $50 for winning the conference championship and $100 for winning the championship.  With four-team divisions and eight-team leagues I figured I had a shot, even with an inherited team.  Though I narrowly missed winning the division title prize I got revenge on the division winner in the playoffs, won the conference for the $50 last week and am playing in the championship this weekend.

While that league gave me a nice carrot (possibly a bigger one after tomorrow) I still do the majority of my leagues for fun, and have been trying deeper leagues in all sports for more of a challenge.  Though I don’t do many leagues in each sport I do play three in football I’m hoping to cut back to two next year, a deep dynasty league in baseball with sixteen teams, 40-man rosters and protected farm systems/prospects where I took a last-place team to division champion in one season, and a league in hockey that I run which is a 14-team 23-man roster league where you start four centers, four LW’s, four RW’s, six D and a goalie like real life.  The hockey league I’ve been in first place since the second day of the season, and am trying to get over the hump this year after finishing in second place four straight seasons old-time Buffalo Bills style.  I probably spend too much time on my assorted leagues these days but with podcasts you can listen to in your car and apps making them easier to manage you only have to spend a couple minutes on your phone setting your lineup if you don’t want to overdo making moves in a given day or week.  Ironically I did less prep work for my hockey draft this season than usual, felt rushed with a shorter time limit between picks and had my best draft in ages, perhaps an affirmation sometimes paralysis by analysis is a real thing.

At least fantasy gives you a reason to still pay attention to a particular sport you like to watch and get into when the team you root for decides to stink up the joint like the Devils the last two months.  I know this is a hockey blog and I’m supposed to stay on topic but it’s Christmas Eve, nothing’s going to be normal the next few days through New Year’s.  Even the NFL’s moved up to Saturday night (for the most part) this week, though the NBA still gives us Christmas games up the wazoo tomorrow as usual.  Besides, the less said about the Devils right now the better, especially after one of the handful of least enjoyable home games of my existence as a fan Tuesday night when the Predators did what so many teams have recently – beaten us down without a fight.  Although if you’re looking for a pink slip for coach John Hynes‘ Christmas stocking you clearly have the wrong idea according to GM Ray Shero, who recently delivered a scathing rebuke of the team in a 50-minute state of the team address with the media.

http://www.northjersey.com/story/sports/nhl/devils/2016/12/21/shero-devils-players-play-harder/95723374/

While this and other stories have the bullet points, what the crux of the issue comes down to is (bleep)ing work harder.  And I agree with that basic point, though there are also other problems with the team I’ve gotten into in prior posts.  Yes this is the ‘dreaded vote of confidence’ that’s supposed to be the prelude to the inevitable coach firing, but I actually take Shero at his word.  When you give an empty vote of confidence to the coach it isn’t usually accompanied by a 50-minute discertation of how the players have failed and specifically mentioning two guys signed long-term in Adam Henrique and Kyle Palmieri, who’ve both been struggling and at times dropped down to lower lines this season.  Plus let’s remember Shero’s dad was a famous NHL coach, maybe he actually sees the coach position as something that’s not just a piece of disposable Kleenex the way Lou Lamoriello did at times.  What’s particularly discouraging is that Shero’s call to arms lasted exactly one game – a convincing 4-0 win over the Flyers on Thursday at the Rock where for one day all the problems of the season were forgotten.

Fittingly it was one of the few home games I had to miss this season.  I also didn’t watch last night’s beatdown in Pittsburgh, more cause I still had no faith in this team’s ability to make what happened on Thursday stick against a great team in their building.  And I was proven correct as the Pens dominated early and clamped down late with little resistance in a 4-1 game that apparently was worse than the score.  So if you take Shero at his word there’ll probably be big-name players traded coming in the next couple months, a la Lou dealing off 2/3 of the A line within two years of winning the Stanley Cup in 2000.  If you don’t take Shero at his word then Hynes’s seat is getting hotter with blowout loss after blowout loss.  Either way this path of no resistance can’t continue indefinitely.  You can’t have the kids playing in a toxic environment such as this, where losing’s become accepted.

Right now things are particularly bleak with the Devils being just one point out of last place in the conference, with the worst goal differential of any team in the East.  I don’t want to hear the excuse that we would still be in the playoff hunt if we were in the West, tough – you have to play against the hand you’re deal.  Besides it’s not like any of these teams in the East (and specifically the Metro) are going anywhere anytime soon.  However bad this season gets though – and with 28 home games left it’s going to get bad as a season ticket holder – there are still things to be thankful as a hockey fan.  Ultimately I did want to keep this post as positive as possible so here are things I’m thankful of as a Devil fan:

-A mostly uninterrupted run of excellence from 1994-2012 that’s better than a lot of other fanbases in a lot of sports get, certainly my other franchises can attest to that (though lately the Mets have picked up the mantle for standard-bearer clearly above the Jets/Devils atm).

-Easy travel to and from the Prudential Center.  I frequently get home in 35 minutes and before 10:30 at night which is no small consideration on weekdays.

-Having a number of arena friends I can talk to at games.  The only reason I stayed at all for the last ten minutes of the Nashville game was to stick around and talk with my friend and her cousin before the holiday, since I wasn’t going to be at the game Thursday.

-The fact we actually do have hockey for Christmas, which you can’t exactly take for granted in a sport that’s seen three seperate lengthy lockouts including a nearly eighteen-month period without any Devils hockey at all from April 2004-October 2006.

-For whatever I may say about the players or coaches in regards to on-ice play and effort the Devils at least aren’t an embarassment off-ice in terms of being in trouble with the law or being so egocentric as to be a public joke.  Of course hockey in general has good character guys, who are the norm compared to some other major sports.

So I’ll end on an upbeat note after all.  Hope all our readers and everyone have a Merry Christmas, and be back soon with more hockey thoughts and musings – maybe after New Year’s or just before it.

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Congrats Jagr on passing Messier for second all-time in scoring

Posted on December 22, 2016 by Derek

Jaromir Jagr passed Mark Messier for second all-time on the NHL scoring list with his 1888th point. It happened with 6:40 left in the third period of the Panthers’ 3-1 home loss to the Bruins. In typical Jagr fashion, he had the puck go off the back of his jersey and deflect right to Aleksander Barkov for a goal.

They stopped the game to make sure on the replay that the puck did touch Jagr. Of course, he was interviewed with the match stopped. It wouldn’t be Jagr if he didn’t crack a joke about the milestone.

“I tried to score a goal. But the puck went off my ass,” number 68 remarked.

For Jagr, he followed up a three assist performance in a 4-3 shootout win with a bizarre primary helper on Barkov’s goal. One thing about the 44-year old living legend. He’ll do whatever it takes to help his team. Jagr got rewarded for going to the net with it resulting in a nice Barkov tally.

A bit fitting that it would be the young and talented Barkov, who should have more than nine goals at this point of the season. He’s got a world of skill and has learned from playing with Jagr. A player who’s been in the NHL since he entered the league as a teenager with the Penguins in 1990-91 after being drafted fifth overall in the 1990 NHL Draft. The same special player who won consecutive Cups his first two years. The same one who’s 23 years older than Barkov.

Kudos to the Rangers for sending out a congratulatory tweet of a former popular player who led them back into the postseason after a decade. Number 68 took a team predicted to finish 30 and set franchise marks in goals (54), points (123) and power play goals (24).

It really is amazing what Jagr’s accomplished. What if he didn’t return to the KHL for those three seasons with Omsk Avangard? He’d definitely be over 800 goals and 2000 points.

The Panthers presented Jagr with a gold stick to commemorate the magic moment. Jagr thanked the organization along with the Bruins and the fans. So, he’s now up to 20 points (6-14-20). He hasn’t finished as much as ’15-16 when he scored 27 goals. I would love to see him hit a good stretch in the goal department.

Jaromir Jagr is someone special. A once in a lifetime player who has given the NHL and hockey fans so much. The joy and passion he plays with is what makes him so enjoyable. Here’s hoping he sticks around a few more years.

CONGRATS NUMBER 68

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Jagr ties Messier in points

Posted on December 21, 2016 by Derek

I figured this was noteworthy since it involved a very popular star player who Ranger and Devil fans were lucky enough to see play for their respective teams. It’s amazing that Jaromir Jagr still is good at hockey and playing at age 44. He’ll be 45 on Feb. 15, 2017.

I can’t think of enough cool things to say about number 68. While Henrik Lundqvist gets all the credit for the Rangers revival post-lockout, they don’t succeed without the character, leadership and world class skill of Jagr.

Doubted by all the experts, the ’05-06 Rangers were picked 30th. Jagr guaranteed the playoffs and then backed it up by besting Adam Graves’ single season goal record with 54 and established a franchise best 123 points. That included 24 power play goals and 368 shots-on-goal. Also team bests for a single season. He only stayed for three full seasons after coming over in a trade for Anson Carter in ’03-04.

Jaromir Jagr Pens

After beating the Rangers to end Wayne Gretzky’s career, Jaromir Jagr embraces the Great One in his only Hart season. He’s still going strong at age 44 tying Mark Messier for second all-time with 1887 points. 

Jagr’s impact was remarkable. It still says here that No. 68 was robbed by the media when he didn’t win the Hart which instead went to Art Ross winner Joe Thornton, who was traded mid-season from the Bruins to Sharks. No disrespect to Thornton. But Jagr deserves to win his second MVP. He led the Blueshirts to consecutive second round appearances in ’07 and ’08 with the team coming close to upsetting Buffalo.

Of course, Jagr would leave the NHL and return to Russia to play for the KHL’s Omsk Avangard for three seasons spanning ’08-09 thru ’10-11. A promise he made and kept. What if he hadn’t gone back? He’d be over 2,000 career NHL points and be over 800 goals. Who knows? He might even have had a chance at Wayne Gretzky’s all-time goal mark of 894.

Jagr is a throwback player who loves the game so much that he will play until he can’t anymore. Ever see a Jagr interview? His enthusiasm and sarcasm are what make him so much fun. Never has a player captivated hockey fans more.

Since returning to the NHL first with the Flyers and then well traveled with the Stars, Bruins, Devils and Panthers, Jagr even has his own traveling Jagrs who wear different 68 jerseys and the classic Jagr mullet wigs. He’s the hockey version of a rock star.

In tonight’s 4-3 shootout Panthers’ win over the Sabres, Jagr tied Mark Messier for second all-time on the NHL scoring list. He did it in true fashion with three assists including one on the game-tying goal with under four minutes left. So, now it’s Jagr and Messier tied for second in points with 1887.

Florida’s next game is Thursday when they host the Bruins on the NHL’s last busy night before the Christmas Break. He can do it in style by doing it on home ice in the sunshine state. After a slow start, Jagr is up to 19 points (6-13-19) in 33 games. Good for third in team scoring with his 13 assists tied for the Panthers’ lead with another ex-Blueshirt Keith Yandle.

Jagr is someone who’s easy to root for. As Hasan noted in his brief two-year stay in New Jersey before Florida acquired him, he has this aura about him. A unique charm. If only every athlete had his winning personality, sports would be a lot more fun to watch.

Somehow, even now number 68 remains an ambassador for the sport. Someone who continues to shine. His hockey IQ and playmaking and puck possession skills make up for his lack of speed. His work ethic is admirable. The man from the Czech Republic who teamed up with Mario Lemieux for two Stanley Cups at the beginning of his career and won Olympic gold in Nagano with Dominik Hasek in ’98 has done it all.

When he does pass Messier, it will be special much like his brilliant 24-year career. The future Hockey Hall of Famer is everything right about the game. It took him two decades to make another Stanley Cup Final doing so with the ’12-13 Bruins. Even though he didn’t score a goal, Jagr had 10 assists in a Boston gut wrenching six-game series loss to the Blackhawks. One best remembered for the Hawks’ two consecutive goals to stun Boston in Game 6.

With the Panthers having a down year, we might not see Jagr in the playoffs again. It’s anyone’s guess how long he’ll hang around. Whatever he has left, cherish it.

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