Kreider a Healthy Scratch for Rangers

Posted on December 23, 2024 by Derek

For the first time this season, Rangers coach Peter Laviolette has decided to make an established star accountable for their struggles. When they line up for Monday’s game against the Devils, Chris Kreider will not be playing hockey. The 33-year-old veteran will be a healthy scratch for the Rangers.

https://twitter.com/NewYorkPuck/status/1871247866238529961

The move came about due to how poorly Kreider’s played recently. Despite scoring an empty net goal to seal a 3-1 win over the Stars on Dec. 20, the Rangers’ third all-time franchise leading goal scorer hasn’t performed up to expectations. Despite ranking third in goals with 10 this season, he’s gone long stretches without producing. That’s especially true at five-on-five where he’s struggled with only three points in 30 games.

Considering how checked out he looked in Sunday’s 3-1 loss to the Hurricanes, it isn’t surprising that Laviolette decided to sit him out. It’s been a tough season for Kreider. Early on, back spasms affected his play, limiting his effectiveness. Kreider missed three games due to the lingering issue. It doesn’t explain how ineffective he’s been at even strength. It’s been so bad that Laviolette finally split him up from Mika Zibanejad, who also has had his issues. He enters today with nine points at five-on-five.

For Kreider, this could be the beginning of the end. The longest tenured Ranger, he’s been one of the franchises’s best finishers in team history. He ranks third on the all-time franchise list with 315 goals. He’s also second on the all-time franchise list with 114 power-play goals. That trails Camille Henry by two.

The question is does Kreider want out. The uncertain status of his future has come up due to Rangers team president and general manager Chris Drury’s memo to the rest of the league that made him and former captain Jacob Trouba available. It was a sign of disrespect for a well-respected player who’s always been accountable when his play is lacking. He’s looked mentally taxed following games during interviews. The frustration is evident when you see it written all over his face.

It’ll be interesting to see how the Rangers react to the news of Kreider sitting out. Will they respond to Laviolette’s strong message? The trade freeze ends on Dec. 27. If they lose today to the Devils, expect more changes to follow.

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Panarin deserves to be called out for lackluster play

Posted on December 23, 2024 by Derek

In a game that they trailed by a goal thanks to the splendid work of Igor Shesterkin, the Rangers had a chance to start the third period with 1:39 remaining on a crucial power play.

After getting stopped on a backhand by Pyotr Kochetkov, Mika Zibanejad drew a penalty on Andrei Svechnikov for cross-checking with 21 seconds left in the second period. The Hurricanes killed off the remainder of the period to take a 2-1 lead to the locker room. They dominated the second by getting goals from William Carrier and Jack Roslovic.

Prior to getting outscored 2-0 and outshot 16-8 in a lopsided period, the Rangers had a strong start to the game. In fact, Jimmy Vesey scored just 17 seconds in to give them a 1-0 lead. Reinserted unto the lineup for Matt Rempe, who later received an eight-game suspension for his illegal hit from behind on Miro Heiskanen, Vesey drove to the net and tipped in a Chad Ruhwedel feed for his third goal of the season. Adam Edstrom picked up a secondary assist on the play.

The Blueshirts continued to attack the Hurricanes by getting in on the forecheck and testing Kochetkov. Braden Schneidet came close to putting them up two but hit the goalpost. After getting stopped by Kochetkov on one shot, rookie Brett Berard almost beat the Hurricanes netminder on a wrap-around.

Eventually, the Hurricanes settled down. Despite the quick start, the Rangers were held to five shots in the first period. Carolina registered six shots on Shesterkin, who would later give his team a chance when he faced more pressure as the game moved along.

A lack of discipline came back to bite the Rangers in the second period. With Berard in the box for delay of game, that put the Hurricanes on the power play. Although they didn’t score on it, they were able to tie the game just after it expired. On some sustained pressure behind the net, Jordan Staal and Jaccob Slavin combined to find Carrier open in the slot for a wrist shot that beat Shesterkin to tie the game at 9:14 of the second.

Over a minute later, Alexis Lafreniere took a high-sticking double minor when he cut Roslovic. Once again, the Hurricanes did their best work late on the man-advantage.  With Lafreniere set to return in two seconds, the Hurricanes used a good play in transition to make the Rangers pay. Kochetkov started it with a good outlet for Dmitry Orlov. He gained the zone and was able to hit a cutting Roslovic with a nice pass that the one-time Ranger tipped in to put the Hurricanes ahead 2-1. He beat Ruhwedel to the spot for his 14th goal.

The Hurricanes could’ve been up by more. After his go-ahead goal, Roslovic had a shot hit the crossbar. Both Sebastian Aho and Seth Jarvis later missed the net on good scoring chances.

Although he wasn’t called upon to make too many saves, Kochetkov came up large when he denied a pair of bids from Edstrom during a strong shift by the fourth line. Edstrom had a good game along with Vesey and Sam Carrick. They were the Rangers’ most effective line at five-on-five.

With under a minute to go in the period, Shesterkin got across to rob Aho of a sure goal. He was left all alone in front for a centering feed. But the athletic Shesterkin made his best save of the game to keep the Rangers only down one.

On a takeaway in the Hurricanes’ zone, Zibanejad drove to the net and got off a good backhand that Kochetkov kicked out. He then stopped Reilly Smith before Svechnikov cross-checked Zibanejad with 21 seconds left to put the Rangers on the power play.

At the start of the third period, the Rangers were unable to get anything going against one of the league’s best penalty killing units. The Hurricanes were aggressive by attacking up top to force turnovers for easy clears down the ice. The Rangers’ top unit continued to try to force the issue by carrying the puck in. They played right into their opponent’s hands. On the MSG Network telecast, Rangers analyst Joe Micheletti called them stubborn for failing to adjust their strategy.

When play resumed at even strength, Kochetkov made a big save when he denied a Vesey bid to keep his team in front. He’d later make another key stop on a Vincent Trocheck deflection. Trocheck drew a slashing minor on Brent Burns to put the Rangets back on the power play.

Unlike the previous one, Peter Laviolette decided to start his second unit. Filip Chytil was on with Lafreniere, Will Cuylle, Smith, and Adam Fox, who ran the power play. Off a faceoff win, the Rangers nearly drew even when Smith was set up in the opposite dot for a one-timer. But Kochetkov recovered quickly to make the big save. Unlike the top unit, the Rangers’ second unit had better cohesion. They weren’t as spaced out and got more setup time. However, they only registered one shot, with Chytil having one attempt miss the net.

With the teams back at full strength, a bad pass from Artemi Panarin was intercepted by Martin Necas inside his zone. The giveaway led to a 2-on-0 with Necas coming in alone and getting stopped by Shesterkin. While Trocheck hustled back, Panarin stopped skating. It was a lazy play by the Rangers’ leading scorer. With the team desperate for wins, that lackluster effort was abominable. He made a bad decision that led to a turnover and didn’t hustle back. It’s unacceptable for the team’s best player to watch instead of continuing to give an effort. The Rangers need Panarin to lead by example. It isn’t only about offense, either. There’s been several instances when he hasn’t put forth his best effort defensively. That reflects poorly on the alternate captain.

On that same play, Trocheck was called for hooking Eric Robinson from behind to send the Hurricanes on the power play. Shesterkin made a critical stop by shutting down Shayne Gostisbehere on a tough slap shot. The Rangers successfully killed off the penalty to hang around.

Berard came the closest to tying it. He had two scoring chances on one shift. Kochetkov delivered a pair of big saves to preserve the Hurricanes’ one-goal lead.

With Shesterkin on the bench for a six-on-five, the Rangers were unable to get any shots through. Instead, the Hurricanes iced the game when Aho took a Svechnikov lead pass and scored into an open net with 1:42 left. On the play, Kochetkov picked up his second assist of the game. He finished with 22 saves and two assists to pick up the win.

For the Rangers, it’s a quick turnaround with the Devils this afternoon at The Prudential Center. It’s the last game before Christmas. At 16-16-1, they remained six points out of the final wildcard due to the Senators losing 3-1 to the Oilers last night. They’ll face one of the league’s beat teams on Monday. In their only meeting, the Devils won 5-1 on Dec. 2. Following that loss, Jacob Trouba agreed to be traded to the Ducks for Urho Vaakanainen and a 2025 fourth round pick on Dec. 6. He’s been okay since joining the blue line. I’ve been more impressed with his defense than recent pickup Will Borgen. Both should be in the lineup for today’s holiday game at 1 PM.

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Rempe Suspended Eight Games

Posted on December 22, 2024 by Derek

Following the Carolina Hurricanes handing the New York Rangers their fourth loss in five games, the NHL Department of Player Safety suspended Matt Rempe for eight games. It was fully expected.

Rempe received a five-minute major and game misconduct for elbowing Stars defenseman Miro Heiskanen from behind at 7:09 of the third period on Friday, Dec. 20. It was his fourth ejection in 22 career games.

https://twitter.com/NHLPlayerSafety/status/1870936314436309048

Considered a repeat offender due to having previously served a four-game suspension for elbowing Devils defenseman Jonas Siegenthaler on Mar. 11 last season, Rempe got what he deserved. He’ll forfeit $80,000. The money goes to the Players’ Emergency Assistance Fund.

Related: Reckless Play By Rempe Tarnishes Positives In Return

It’s unfortunate that Rempe can’t keep himself out of trouble with the NHL’s wheel of justice. But it’s his own fault. He has to be more responsible by avoiding illegally hitting defenseless players. Right now, he’s his own worst enemy.

Even after having a positive impact for two periods against the Stars, he ruined that performance due to the dirty hit from behind on Heiskanen. The league ruled that Rempe received the eight-game suspension due to both elbowing and boarding Heiskanen. That’s the correct ruling.

By handing out eight games, that makes Rempe ineligible to return for the rematch against the Stars when they visit Madison Square Garden on Jan. 7 in the new calendar year. If the Rangers decide to keep him up, he won’t be eligible to play until the Devils visit MSG on Jan. 9. Ironically, they’re the team he has the most history with. They will avoid seeing him for tomorrow’s afternoon matchup in Newark.

There really isn’t anything else to add. I highlighted Rempe’s history in the previous post. It is up to him to make the necessary changes. He can’t become an NHL regular unless he adjusts. I’m not advocating for him to change his style. Hockey is a full contact sport. As long as it’s legal, hitting is allowed. He must stay within the boundaries.

As expected, Jimmy Vesey replaced him in the lineup. He scored the only goal 17 seconds into the game on Sunday, Dec. 22. Vesey would later be denied by Hurricanes goalie Pyotr Kochetkov with the Rangers trailing 2-1. Sebastian Aho added an empty netter with 1:42 remaining for the final margin.

Hypocrisy of Player Safety Shows

While they got it right with Rempe, once again, NHL Player Safety showed their hypocrisy. On Friday, Dec. 20, Panthers forward Sam Bennett came from the other side of the ice and leveled Blues forward Jake Neighbours from behind into the boards. There was no call on the play.

https://twitter.com/STLBluesMuse/status/1870301947233718506

Of course, Bennett got off Scot free. He is a good player. While there’s no debating what he brings to the table for the defending champs, he seems to escape league discipline. Last spring, Bennett caught Brad Marchand with a questionable hit that injured the Bruins captain in Game 3 of the second round on May 10. He missed the next two games.

On the play, Bennett swung his right hand directly towards Marchand’s head making full contact. No penalty was called. Of course, Bennett wasn’t disciplined by NHL Player Safety.

That’s two instances when Bennett got away with clear penalties that deserved to be reviewed by the league. He should have been suspended for each. Instead, the league turned the other cheek.

It doesn’t seem to matter who’s in charge. That is a big problem. I have no issue with them making Rempe accountable for his actions. Those are exactly the kind of hits that need to be eliminated from the game. However, there’s a clear double standard. If they truly cared about protecting the safety of players, then everyone should be held to the same standard.

Until that changes, it’s hard to take the league seriously.

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Reckless Play by Rempe Tarnishes Positives in Return

Posted on December 21, 2024 by Derek

The good news. The New York Rangers won a hockey game last night by defeating the Dallas Stars 3-1 on Dec. 20. Reilly Smith’s shorthanded goal swung the momentum. Vincent Trocheck notched the game-winner in the second period. Chris Kreider added an empty netter on a follow-up of a strong Will Cuylle drive to the net. Igor Shesterkin was brilliant in making 41 saves to help the Rangers end a three-game losing streak.

The bad news. Once again, Matt Rempe couldn’t control himself. Called back up by the Rangers on Wednesday, he was in the lineup for Friday night’s game against the Stars. For two periods, Rempe played well. He finished checks and drew three penalties. The most impressive one was when he beat Wyatt Johnston and drove to the net for a scoring chance that led to a slashing minor. It was the third straight penalty he drew.

Playing with Sam Carrick and Adam Edstrom on an energy line, Rempe helped supply that with physical shifts. On a night when the Rangers seemed to have more life following Smith’s critical shorthanded tally that beat Jake Oettinger through the five-hole, they had to kill off seven Stars’ power plays.

Shesterkin provided the big saves by turning away 21 shots while the Rangers were shorthanded. Ironically, the only goal he allowed was an early one to Roope Hintz at even strength. After the Stars had an early goal wiped out by a successful coach’s challenge for offside, Hintz took a Nils Lundkvist feed and beat Mika Zibanejad to the spot to give the Stars the lead.

For a while, the Rangers kept giving up dangerous chances in front. Shesterkin was on top of his game. It wasn’t until Zibanejad took a slashing minor on Evgenii Dadonov that they finally got back in sync. On a miscue at the Dallas blue line, Thomas Harley overskated a loose puck. That allowed Smith to pick it up and break in and score the Rangers’ fourth shorthanded goal of the season to tie the score.

Despite continuing to take undisciplined penalties, including a bench minor late in the first period, the Rangers were the sharper team. They somehow managed to outshoot the Stars 14-9 without a power play.

In the second, Rempe’s hustle kept putting them on the man-advantage. First, he was taken down by Mason Marchment in the defensive zone. Then, he was hooked from behind by Lundkvist. Following another empty power play, Rempe retrieved a puck in the neutral zone and broke in on Oettinger to draw a slashing call on Lian Bichsel. Despite spending some time in the Stars’ zone, the Rangers were held to four shots on the three power plays.

They kept getting into penalty trouble. After killing off a Ryan Lindgren boarding minor, they had to pick up Kreider for a faceoff violation that came with 1:56 remaining in the second. Following another successful kill, Filip Chytil went off for hooking Esa Lindell. However, they again survived.

Rempe Gets the Gate for Elbowing Heiskanen

With 12:47 left to play, Rempe made a beeline for a prone Miro Heiskanen along the boards. He elbowed Heiskanen from behind right into the boards. The dangerous hit drew an immediate response from incensed Stars who went after him. Hintz and Rempe exchanged blows before the linesmen came in to break it up.

Unfortunately for Rempe, it was another bad decision. Despite his size and strength, he has to know when to draw the line. On the play involving Heiskanen, he came from directly behind and crushed the Stars defenseman. Even though the replay showed that Rempe braced for the hit, it doesn’t excuse him from having his elbow up making contact to the back of Heiskanen’s head against the boards. It was a reckless play by a young player who has to learn from these kinds of mistakes if he wants to stay in the league.

It also was unnecessary. It could have meant the game. There was no reason for Rempe to take that risk. The Rangers were leading 2-1. Had the Stars converted on the major penalty and come back to win, Rempe would have been the goat.

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The refs got it right by assessing Rempe with a five-minute elbowing major and game misconduct. It’s inexcusable. In 22 career games, Rempe’s been ejected four times. That includes three times against the New Jersey Devils last season. The first two came due to illegal hits that injured players.

Nathan Bastian was the first victim on Feb. 22. Rempe was given a match penalty for head contact. On a play inside the Devils’ zone, Rempe came off the bench and caught Bastian with a vicious shoulder hit that made direct contact with the head. A bloody Bastian left the game. Jonas Siegenthaler took up for his teammate, which led to matching roughing minors.

On Mar. 11, Rempe caught Siegenthaler with an elbow right to the helmet that led to Kurtis MacDermid chasing after him. After Siegenthaler dumped the puck in, Rempe delivered the elbow that caught the Devils defenseman up high. He was assessed a five-minute major for elbowing and a game misconduct. Siegenthaler suffered a concussion on the play. He missed three weeks but was back for the third meeting against the Rangers on Apr. 3.

In what was an eventful game between close Hudson rivals, everyone knew what was coming. Rempe had been called out by MacDermid for his dirty hit that injured Siegenthaler. Just two seconds in, all 10 skaters dropped the gloves in a line brawl that was eerily reminiscent of one that took place between the two clubs back in 2011-12. Rempe and MacDermid exchanged blows in a pretty even fight. On that night, he was accountable for his actions.

Due to Jimmy Vesey and Kevin Bahl getting their gloves off first, the other eight participants were automatically ejected from the game. That included both Rempe and MacDermid. On the Devils’ side, Curtis Lazar, John Marino, and Chris Tierney also got the rest of the night off. For the Rangers, that also included Barclay Goodrow, K’Andre Miller, and Jacob Trouba.

It made for a compelling game. The Rangers prevailed 4-3.

Player Safety Offers Rempe In-Person Hearing

Following the latest incident, the Department of NHL Player Safety offered Rempe an in-person hearing. That means that he’s likely to receive a suspension longer than the four games he served for injuring Siegenthaler last season. As a repeat offender, he’s put himself on the radar.

While some are calling it unfair, the truth is that Rempe has a bad reputation. He can’t run around elbowing defenseless players in the head and expect not to get punished. When he caught Bastian the first time, that was different. They made the appropriate call for illegal contact to the head. The ejection was enough.

Last night was only the fifth game he’s played this season. In the previous four, Rempe had seven penalty minutes. That included a lopsided fight against Dylan McIlrath back on Oct. 29. He was no match for McIlrath, who used his brute force and experience to pulverize Rempe. Following a stint with the Hartford Wolf Pack, he returned to play one game against the St. Louis Blues on Nov. 25. It didn’t make much sense.

After a more successful stint in Hartford, Rempe was summoned again by the Rangers. Peter Laviolette wanted to get him back in the lineup for Friday night. Even though there were some positives, the story has again become the illegal hit he delivered to Heiskanen. Fortunately, he wasn’t hurt on the play. The top Stars defenseman didn’t miss a single shift.

That doesn’t excuse Rempe. He’s responsible for his actions. If it’s true that he’s a big and powerful young man, it’s also true that he must learn from his mistakes. On both the MSG Network telecast and postgame, Joe Micheletti and Steve Valiquette said that Rempe has to stop. Sometimes, the switch has to be turned off. Especially when an opponent is in a vulnerable position.

He’s about to serve his second suspension. It’ll be for more games. It could be anywhere from five to eight games. Rempe’s 22. He is still learning. He must mature quickly. Hearing him speak in interviews, he comes off fine. It becomes about making the adjustments. If he wants to have a successful career, it’s necessary.

While he has good character, it’s questionable for him to keep waving his hands at opponents following such dangerous hits. It doesn’t come off good. He has to realize his surroundings. It’s much different to do that after an entertaining scrap, like the one he had last season with MacDermid and a host of others.

There’s nothing wrong with having a player who can provide some energy during shifts. The 2024-25 Rangers have lacked that characteristic. If he does get another opportunity, Rempe must pick his spots better. He needs to watch video and learn a valuable lesson. He can be part of the team only if he plays within the boundaries.

When they play tomorrow and on Monday, the Rangers won’t have Rempe available. That’ll likely mean Vesey gets back in the lineup. Two days before Christmas, the Devils should have no reason to insert MacDermid. Rempe did them a favor. There won’t be fireworks in Newark before Christmas.

The Rangers must focus on continuing to win games. The quality of opponents only gets tougher. It’ll be much harder for Rempe the next time he plays for them.

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Rempe Returns to Rangers Lineup

Posted on December 20, 2024 by Derek

The New York Rangers return to the ice to take on the Dallas Stars tonight at American Airlines Center. They enter the match on a three-game losing streak. After a comeback fell short in a 3-2 loss at the St. Louis Blues on Dec. 15, the Rangers were shut out 2-0 by the Nashville Predators on Dec. 17. Juuse Saros made 25 saves.

By dropping 11 of their last 14 games, the Rangers have fallen out of playoff position. After starting the season 12-4-1, they’re 15-15-1 with 31 points. Counting Thursday night’s games, they trail the Ottawa Senators by five points for the final wildcard. The Boston Bruins hold the first wildcard with 38 points. However, they’ve played three more games. The Senators have played 32 games. They’re playing the best hockey. By virtue of a 3-2 overtime win over the Calgary Flames on captain Brady Tkachuk’s game-winner, they have a five-game winning streak.

With the Senators finally playing better hockey, it looks like they’re going to be tough to catch. Linus Ullmark has won seven straight starts. The Bruins remain up and down. They blew a 2-0 lead in a 3-2 overtime defeat to the Edmonton Oilers. Leon Draisaitl won it for the Oilers. Boston probably will be one of the fringe teams the Rangers will be battling with for the postseason. That’s if they can get things turned around.

It remains to be seen what’ll happen on Broadway. The Rangers have entered the toughest part of their schedule. Starting tonight, the next seven games are all against playoff teams. After concluding the three-game road trip at Dallas, they return home to host the Carolina Hurricanes on Dec. 22. Then, they play a fourth back-to-back on Monday, Dec. 23 when they visit the New Jersey Devils before the Christmas break. When they return to the ice, a challenging two-game trip down south to face the Tampa Bay Lightning (12/28) and Florida Panthers (12/30) concludes the calendar year. At the start of 2025, they face the Bruins at home on Jan. 2. The seven-game challenge wraps up with the Washington Capitals in DC on Jan. 4.

If they are to right the ship, the Rangers are going to have to earn it. They have only defeated two teams who are currently in playoff position. Those wins came against the Toronto Maple Leafs (4-1 on Oct. 19) and the Vancouver Canucks (4-3 on Nov. 19) a month apart. Aside from handling the Pittsburgh Penguins twice, they’re 1-4-0 against the rest of the Metropolitan Division. The only other team they defeated was the New York Islanders back on Nov. 3. That means they’re 0-4 against the Capitals, Devils, Flyers, and Hurricanes. Being able to handle better opponents would go a long way to proving that they can still be a factor.

Rempe in Against Stars

When they face off in less than an hour, the Rangers will have Matt Rempe in the lineup tonight. It’ll be his first game since Nov. 25. He was called up from the Hartford Wolf Pack on Wednesday night following the Kaapo Kakko trade to the Seattle Kraken.

After spending some time playing an increased role with the Wolf Pack in the American Hockey League (AHL), Rempe’s come back with a positive attitude. He wants to prove to the Rangers that he belongs in the NHL.

“I got a long journey ahead of me. I’ve come a long way in a short time and I think that the best thing for me is to just keep developing and stuff like that. First years in Hartford, I don’t think I played over 12 minutes once. I don’t think I played a single second of special teams – Ever. I think that for me to go and suddenly play 18 minutes and be very effective, as well, Not just be given that, earn it as well. I can be very effective in those minutes. It’s very beneficial. I think it means my games come a long way,” Rempe told Mollie Walker of the New York Post earlier this afternoon.

https://twitter.com/MollieeWalkerr/status/1870179195311006202

In 18 games for the Wolf Pack, Rempe has three goals and two assists with 22 penalty minutes. He’ll be on the fourth line. Jimmy Vesey will be a healthy scratch.

Jones Gets a Night Off

For the first time in a while, Zac Jones gets a night off. After playing well, Jones has struggled recently. He got victimized a couple of times on bad pinches that led to goals against. His style is high risk, high reward. When he returns to the lineup, Jones will need to pick his spots better. He was also without a point in his last eight games.

In Jones’ place will be newest Ranger Will Borgen. He was acquired from the Kraken along with a 2025 third and sixth round picks in exchange for Kakko. Borgen will get the chance to show what he can add to a struggling blue line. A right defenseman who isn’t shy about physicality, he’ll pair alongside Braden Schneider. Both are right shots. However, Schneider has proven he can shift to the left side.

Panarin a Game-Time Decision

Artemi Panarin has missed the past two games with an upper-body injury. He’s expected to ba a game-time decision.

There’s little doubt that the Rangers have missed Panarin. The team’s leading scorer is the one dynamic player who can create offense. Without him, they’ve struggled offensively, with only two goals over the last two losses. Panarin paces the Rangers in goals (15), assists (21), points (36), even strength points (24) power-play points (12) and shots-on-goal (94).

If he misses a third consecutive game, it’ll be up to the other underperforming stars to pick it up.

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Drama Needs to End for Dysfunctional Rangers

Posted on December 18, 2024 by Derek

It was a nice day in mid-December in New York City. The kind we rarely get around the holiday season. A week before Christmas, the New York Rangers remain in a state of chaos. They managed to lose their third consecutive game by getting shut out 2-0 by the woefully bad Nashville Predators on Tuesday night, December 17.

If you thought they’d hit rock bottom before in a 5-1 humiliation against the Los Angeles Kings last Saturday, Dec. 14, you were sadly mistaken. This is a team that lost on home ice to the Chicago Blackhawks. Unlike before, when they took care of inferior opponents, the Rangers are now losing to them. By falling to the Predators in an unwatchable game that may as well have been an exhibition, they’ve now lost twice to teams who ranked 32nd in the league. At least the Blackhawks were healthy. The Predators skated without four defensemen, including captain Roman Josi.

Related: Defense Optional: The Decline of The Rangers

What was the Rangers’ excuse for the lack of offense? Vincent Trocheck indicated that they created chances. However, they were unable to beat Juuse Saros, who stopped all 25 shots for his third shutout of the season. The Predators also blocked 29 shots. When they did have some openings, the Rangers missed the net. Another 16 attempts missed the mark completely. Trocheck had one of those misses when he was set up in the slot on the power play. He also was foiled by Saros on another look.

Playing without Artemi Panarin for the second straight game, the Blueshirts started well enough by getting five of the game’s first six shots. Even with a struggling opponent continuing to ice the puck, they never took the lead.

Will Cuylle had the best chances but he was denied twice by Saros. As usual, Cuylle was front and center for the Rangers. He’d later deliver a huge hit on Michael McCarron during the second period that sent him to the locker room. McCarron returned later. Seeking payback, Luke Evangelista caught Cuylle with a late cross-check that led to some fisticuffs. Cuylle overpowered Marc Del Gaizo.

https://twitter.com/GinoHard_/status/1869209576371007899

During that same scrum, Alexis Lafreniere mixed it up with Evangelista. It was a rare moment when a player came to a teammate’s aid. Cuylle and Lafreniere showed some chemistry in the first period. Unfortunately, the line with Filip Chytil wasn’t heard from later.

When it comes to the 2024-25 version of the Rangers, they’ve become sadly predictable. Even facing the league’s only team without 10 wins, they found a way to lose. All it took was a bad pinch in from Chad Ruhwedel to set the wheels in motion for Jonathan Marchessault to convert a Steven Stamkos feed on an odd-man rush. Once Ruhwedel got caught, only Urho Vaakainen was left back to defend. Mika Zibanejad was too late to recover in time.

A good period quickly went to a bad one. Not known for their offense, the Predators had several players wide open in front of Igor Shesterkin. It was business as usual. The middle seems to always be left open for opponents. The dysfunctional mess hasn’t been fixed by the coaching staff. What exactly are they going over to prepare for games? Peter Laviolette is the same coach who guided the Rangers to a Presidents’ Trophy and an Eastern Conference Final last season. It’s hard to understand how bad defensively they are.

NHL Network’s Mike Rupp voiced his displeasure at the organization for how they handled last off-season. In a pointed tone, Rupp discussed how many distractions the Rangers have created for the players.

https://twitter.com/Rupper17/status/1869131242513600603

Chris Drury is responsible for this mess. It was his underhanded tactics that turned the room against him. Both Barclay Goodrow and Jacob Trouba were mishandled by an arrogant executive who undid a lot of what last year’s team accomplished. Even if at the end of the day it was business, it should’ve been handled differently. Placing Goodrow on unconditional waivers for a prearranged deal with a team that was on his no-trade list was low. Leaking stuff to a veteran columnist to air their dirty laundry lacked decency. This is who Drury is. A ruthless person who’ll do whatever he can to create a toxic environment.

Rupp called out the way things were handled, referring to it as “unnecessary bullshit.” He also criticized Laviolette’s explanation for making Kaapo Kakko a healthy scratch. He mentioned that he wanted to get fresh legs into the lineup. It was about as lame an answer to an honest question as I can think of. There was no honesty. He made an example of Kakko because he was an easy player to sit out. God forbid the coach show some accountability by benching Zibanejad or even Chris Kreider. That would’ve took some balls.

To Kakko’s credit, he indirectly called out Laviolette before Tuesday’s game. “I was surprised, yeah. I know you got to do something as a coach when you’re losing games, but I think it’s just easy to pick a young guy and boot him out. That’s how I feel, to be honest.”

In what amounted to his final game as a New York Ranger, the 23-year-old Kakko received the fewest ice time (10:14) against the Predators. That was despite being noticeable, with three shots and six attempts. Fittingly, he played on a mismatched line with Zibanejad and Reilly Smith. Kakko was forced to play the left side so Smith could stay on the right side. A younger player had to play the other side for a veteran. If I didn’t know any better, I would’ve thought the calendar was back two decades to the 2000s. This is the kind of stuff those teams were known for. Jamie Lundmark was mishandled. So were countless other former draft picks and prospects.

Speaking of Smith, he got undressed by Nashville rookie defenseman Adam Wilsby, who went right around him and scored his first career NHL goal in the third period. Smith was turned into a statue. Similar to those sadsack teams from the Dark Ages, the Rangers have made it a habit to give up first goals to players this season. Who knows. Maybe Wilsby will go on to a long successful career.

As for Kakko, speaking his mind was enough for the Rangers to finally trade him. His days had been numbered since he sat out against the St. Louis Blues. He wasn’t getting enough ice time. Kakko was correct when he said that he hadn’t been caught on for many goals. It was the line with Chytil and Cuylle that had been successful at five-on-five. In fact, they outscored opponents 13-2 and posted a 50.97 CF, according to Natural Stat Trick. More often than not, they spent time in the offensive zone due to strong puck possession. They were effective on the forecheck. An area that’s become a team weakness.

On Wednesday night, Dec. 18, the Rangers dealt Kakko to the Seattle Kraken in exchange for veteran defenseman Will Borgen, a 2025 third round pick and a 2025 sixth round pick.

https://twitter.com/NewYorkPuck/status/1869535586572554743

In 30 games, Kakko had four goals and 10 assists for 14 points. He was tied with Chytil for second on the team in plus/minus with a +9 rating. Cuylle leads the team with a plus-11. He’s in the final year of a two-year contract with a $2.4 million cap hit. Kakko will become a restricted free agent next summer.

The return doesn’t seem like much. Borgen is a bottom pair defenseman who plays the right side. The 27-year-old is in the last year of his contract with a $2.7 million cap hit. Borgen is unrestricted next year. They got a third round pick for a player they selected second overall in the 2019 NHL Draft. How sad.

Basically, this was a move so the Rangers could send down Victor Mancini. He’d been a healthy scratch the last two games. As expected, they reassigned him to the Hartford Wolf Pack. It’s better for Mancini to develop in the American Hockey League (AHL). He’s still in his first professional season. The 22-year-old defenseman has handled himself well. In 15 games for the Rangers, he has a goal and four assists. He isn’t quite ready for a role as an NHL regular.

The crazy part is that the drama probably won’t end. Kakko was justified in his criticism. He asked out because it became an untenable situation. He was never going to play enough to have a more defined role. Maybe he can go to Seattle and earn more shifts at even strength and on the power play. Given his defensive acumen, I could see him easily becoming a good penalty killer. A role the coaching staff preferred mostly for vets. Cuylle being the lone exception.

If they continue to lose games, with the much tougher Dallas Stars coming up on Friday, more moves will be made. James Dolan still supports Drury. Is it any wonder that Kakko was unceremoniously dismissed for such a lackluster return?

https://twitter.com/DaveyUpper/status/1869377889608859855

So much for it being the Wild. But Emily Kaplan was right that teams had interest in Kakko. I’m still trying to wrap my head around how Kakko went from being on the Rangers’ most effective line to being sent packing in short order. It’s true that his game dipped recently. However, you never had to question the effort. He played an honest game. That’s more than you can say for Zibanejad. He still looks completely lost.

As far as the players having a team meeting to discuss Drury, it’s understandable. He isn’t likable. Once, he shouted at Vitaly Kravtsov in front of players, embarassing him. Of course, Kravtsov never panned out for the Rangers. It was both his and the team’s fault. He wound up in Vancouver for basically nothing. Then, he decided to return home and play for Traktor in the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL).

The 24-year-old once was a first round pick in 2018, selected ninth. He was one of three first round picks in that draft. Only K’Andre Miller remains. Nils Lundqvist was hyped to the moon. He now plays as a sixth defenseman for the Stars. He has no goals so far. Watch him get his first in two days. The way things are going, anything’s possible.

By continuing to lose games, the Rangers find themselves out of playoff position. They’ve even been passed by the Pittsburgh Penguins in the standings. The only thing they have going for them is that they’ve played less games. They also have 15 regulation wins. That’s more than any of the teams ahead of them. At 15-15-1, they’re now a losing team. With the competition picking up, can they turn it around? Or is it just one of those seasons when everything goes wrong.

It’s easy to rip the core how poorly they’ve played. They’ve hung Igor Shesterkin out to dry during this futile stretch. Jonathan Quick hasn’t fared any better. It’s hard to ask the goalies to keep bailing you out when you aren’t committed defensively. There is no system anymore. They don’t play together. There are repeated breakdowns. It’s some of the worst defensive hockey a team can play.

Without Artemi Panarin, the offense has mustered two goals in two games. That came from Cuylle and Brett Berard in the third period in a 3-2 loss to the Blues on Sunday, Dec. 15. Even though they competed harder, it still wasn’t good enough to overcome a three-goal deficit. Every mistake gets magnified when you lose.

Prior to the Kakko move, I felt that once Panarin returned to the lineup, he’d be gone. The Rangers made no other roster moves, which leads me to believe that Panarin will be back for Friday night at Dallas.

https://twitter.com/NewYorkPuck/status/1869079614213201954

If he does return, that should at least provide a lift. Whether or not it results in a win remains to be seen. The Rangers have now lost 11 of 14. Losers of three straight, they somehow remain three points out of the second wildcard. The Ottawa Senators occupy it with 34 points. They also have played 31 games. But they’re playing much better hockey.

If there’s a big question, it’s for both the players and coaching staff to answer. Are they going to start playing hockey again? That would include some semblance of a forecheck and actual team defense. Regardless of how much they despise Drury, they’re out of excuses. Neither Trocheck nor Kreider had anything negative to say after last night. Both remained positive and gave good responses. Kreider felt that they weren’t the same team from two days prior. Whether he’s correct depends on what happens next.

Before the season, everyone knew that this was it for the core. Despite reaching two Conference Finals, the pressure was on to prove that they have what it takes. Right now, that pressure is probably off. Expectations are down. Nobody expects them to do anything now. But if they want to remain in the Big Apple, they have to start playing like it.

No more bullshit.

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Devils finish tough five-game homestand with seven points out of ten

Posted on December 16, 2024 by hasan4978

I’m only being half flip with my title here…for most of this season the Devils have certainly found it tougher sledding in front of their home fans at the Rock than they did playing anywhere in the rest of the world, to the point where I semi-kiddingly referred to their recent five game run of games at the Rock as the dreaded homestand. True to form, nothing was easy about these five games, but in the end you have to say the Devils did the job with three wins and seven points despite offensive issues and goaltending hiccups throughout the last week and a half.

These games certainly didn’t lack for edge of your seat entertainment value – pretty much the only non-competitive game was the one the Devils got smoked in by the Avalanche, though admittedly it sounded like a couple of questionable disallowed goals could have changed the game early. When I heard about the details, I compared it to the Blues game a few weeks ago where a bad/unlucky start just led to a poor performance. As luck would have it, that was one of the two games I didn’t go to during this homestand (the most recent one against the Hawks yesterday afternoon being the other).

Last Friday the Devils began this five-game homestand against the Kraken in a tense back-and-forth game that I couldn’t even enjoy despite attending since I was feeling the effects of lack of sleep the night before and probably should have taken Advil before the game as opposed to after it. In what proved to be a harbinger of the next few games, the Devils couldn’t find the answer to Phillip Grubauer in the Kraken net for much of the night, as Seattle’s normally embattled netminder made thirty-three saves in a strong showing.

Honestly I probably have to watch the highlights over just to even remember anything of what went on other than Timo Meier’s fortuitous tie-breaking goal early in the third period (but that’s what happens when again, you’re basically a zombie during the game, and you also go to two other games shortly after that). To be fair, it was only fortuitous in the sense that the puck caromed to him but he also made his own luck going to the net and looking for pucks.

https://twitter.com/LetsGoDevilsPOD/status/1865214729037250856

From what I do remember, I wasn’t that unhappy at the game itself. Of course I was too tired and preoccupied with my headache to care on the one hand, but on the other I did think the Devils played a pretty solid game for fifty-nine minutes, only making me nervous in the final moments with a couple of unnecessary icings blindly heaving towards the empty net to amp up the suspense. After some of the brutal games at the Rock the last couple years though, I was just content to leave there with a win. After that game however, came the Colorado dud followed by another debacle against the Leafs in New Jersey.

This was certainly a different game than Opening Night to be fair, in October we got outskated off our own ice – but if that game was annoying, this one was beyond frustrating in the end. From the outset of the game, the Devils were two steps ahead of the Leafs and I figured they’d have a big effort given they were doubly motivated after the home dud two nights earlier, and trying to make good for the Opening Night dud against the Leafs. Even as the Devils got like fifteen of the first sixteen shots while failing to score I wasn’t actually worried, unlike other games where they failed to score early the team didn’t get frustrated and kept skating the Leafs into the ground.

Finally the Devils would get ‘a’ reward for all their territorial dominance when Jesper Bratt’s seeing-eye pass got through three Leafs and onto the stick of Ondrej Palat, who put one past Jersey boy Anthony Stolarz midway through the second period. It would be the only goal he allowed despite outshooting the Leafs 39-17 on the night, against the team he rooted for growing up. Funny thing is I even thought Jacob Markstrom came up big in the first two periods for a guy who faced one shot in the first, the Leafs did have a couple of high-danger chances including a breakaway that Markstrom stopped. Which made the goal he actually allowed in the third period all the more annoying, a goal that according to the man himself he just ‘whiffed’ on. A shorthanded goal, no less.

Fast-forward about eight minutes into the video if you want to see a total trainwreck…after a mad sequence where the Devils failed to score in the Leafs’ end, Connor Dewar found himself one-on-one with Dawson Mercer and slew-footed him to the ice with no call, then found an open Pontus Holmberg, who rushed his shot but his floater still trickled through Markstrom for maybe the most annoying goal I’ve seen all season. I was pretty much mad at everyone – the refs for not calling the obvious trip, Dougie Hamilton for his slow-motion skating getting back into the play and finally on Markstrom for blowing chunks the one lousy save we needed to have in the third period to take a 1-0 win home.

After being reasonably confident for most of the game even as the Devils tried and failed to score, I knew then we were going to be in for it – it was just a matter of whether it would happen at the end of regulation or OT. Sure enough, we finally allowed Auston Matthews one too many chances on the three-on-three and he converted to finish off the inevitable yet maddening result. I can’t say I was unhappy with anything but the score…but at a certain point you need to start cashing in on chances. Having two straight games with one lousy goal isn’t exactly how you wanted to go into a game with the Kings on Thursday, as they came into New Jersey on a six-game heater with one of the best defensive records in the league.

I wasn’t actually going to go to the game Thursday, till I realized that Saturday’s game was a matinee and I had plans then, so I wound up once again swapping tickets from a later game in the season to get a ticket for that game, since I’d initially used my own ticket as a buyback. Sadly the buybacks and ticket swaps are about the only ‘perk’ of Devil season tickets these days – that and the two or three access events throughout the season – but admittedly it’s a good one. I wound up regretting going to the Blues game a few weeks back in similar circumstances – having plans for the game after it so deciding to go to that game instead, and it looked like I was going to regret going to this one too for much of the night.

Honestly it was an annoying watch, the Kings pretty much set back hockey twenty years or so with their passive low block. I was ranting to my friend they weren’t even trying to score goals, they were just playing possum waiting for us to make a mistake. I realize that’s what people thought of the Devils all the years the ‘trap’ was a four-letter word, but honestly most of those Devil teams at least tried to score goals and create offense. Maybe the 2003 Devils and the Brent Sutter version a few years later who weren’t as talented were about as stay-at-home as what I saw out of the Kings Thursday (sidenote: after all that and watching the Kings not try to create any offense of their own for fifty plus minutes, imagine my surprise when I saw the Kings-Rangers score in the second period Saturday…well in a sense maybe not that much of a surprise given how toxic things are at the Garden right now, but I’m sure Derek’s covered that in his latest posts).

To their credit, the Devils didn’t get frustrated with the tempo of the game or the lack of space to create any offense. At least they were trying to create offense, but give the Kings credit for being solid in their own end. Pretty much the only highlight of note for the first thirty-five minutes or so of the game came when the slow and slower pairing of Hamilton and Brenden Dillon conceded a breakaway and Dillon foolishly hooked Alex Turcotte, leading to a penalty shot. Perhaps it was fitting that Turcotte whiffed, shooting wide. The Kings couldn’t even create an offensive chance with a one-on-zero.

Maybe someone finally told them if they just get a shot on Markstrom things can happen. Sure enough, they did after another annoying sequence when Jack Hughes’ overpassing on a two-on-one led to the Kings getting a counter going the other way, and Jordan Spence scored on a slapshot from the point that again trickled through the Devils’ goaltender. Even CPU goalies in NHL ’94 would have stopped that shot but Markstrom’s latest whiff got me to roll my eyes and just like the other night I thought we were in for it after that clunker of a goal allowed.

If nothing else however, the Devils showed their resilience getting that goal back less than two minutes later. This time Jack didn’t overpass when he skated around the Kings’ defense and put one on net that was deflected past David Rittich at long last by the same Palat who scored the Devils’ only goal two nights before. I was almost laughing at this point by the absurdity in back-to-back games. This time the Devils ‘only’ outshot the Kings 26-14 but at least this time they got the all-important second goal with Palat showing skill I wasn’t sure he still had, backhanding a pass through traffic to a wide-open Jack in front, putting the Devils up by two with just over seven minutes left.

I half-joked that we scored too soon, now the Kings were finally going to have to try to score. Sure enough, they had some of their best chances of the game but the Devils stood tall, and finally got some breathing room late in the game thanks to an unlikely hero:

https://twitter.com/DevilsMSGN/status/1867396732226539689

Having that result, and two wins out of the three home games I attended made all the annoyances worth it. I couldn’t watch much of Saturday’s game but I was worried when the Devils were down 1-0 to the Blackhawks after two periods, I was like what is wrong with this offense? Sort of like the Kings game where they finally scored all their goals late in the game, the Devils finished their homestand with a four-goal flourish in the third period. I only saw the score once early in the period after the Devils tied the game, then a few minutes later I saw it was 4-1 and I was like huh? But at least the Devils finally put on a show for the weekend crowd, as it seems they save a lot of their worst home games for matinees.

After Christmas, the Devils can get more comfortable on the road with a six-game trip (including four on the West Coast) at least hah, not to mention the next two at St. Louis and Columbus before another three-game homestand heading into Christmas. At least it’s unlikely the Devils will no-show games against the Penguins, Rangers and Hurricanes. Of course, it’s a one game at a time approach for Sheldon Keefe and his team, and if one thing is most encouraging about this homestand it’s that the team is clearly buying into his defensive system. You would think the offense (and specifically the suddenly punchless power play) will find its groove again, but if the Devils keep playing as sound as they have been in their own end, eventually things will all come together.

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Laviolette Running Out of Answers

Posted on December 15, 2024 by Derek

The story remains the same. Once again, the New York Rangers came up short on the scoreboard. A day after getting humiliated at home by the Los Angeles Kings, a third period rally wasn’t enough to come back in a 3-2 loss to the St. Louis Blues on Sunday night.

Saturday’s result ended with a team meeting. Whatever Peter Laviolette was searching for, it didn’t materialize until the final period. Without Artemi Panarin (upper-body injury), Laviolette decided to healthy scratch Kaapo Kakko for the first time this season. Kakko had gone cold recently. However, making an example of him didn’t seem right. It could easily have been Mika Zibanejad or Chris Kreider. Both remained in the lineup. However, Kreider started the game on the fourth line.

Laviolette also decided to sit rookie Victor Mancini. Chad Ruhwedel played on the third pair. Every line was tweaked to start the game. Both Jonny Brodzinski and Jimmy Vesey returned to the lineup. Aside from Kreider playing with Sam Carrick and Adam Edstrom, Zibanejad started the game with Brett Berard and Vesey. Vincent Trocheck was between Brodzinski and Reilly Smith. Filip Chytil centered Will Cuylle and Alexis Lafreniere. On the blue line, Zac Jones was reunited with Braden Schneider, leaving Connor Mackey to play with Ruhwedel on the third pair.

https://twitter.com/MollieeWalkerr/status/1868425431063597112

A day removed from the Kings chasing Igor Shesterkin, Jonathan Quick got the start. It didn’t seem to matter. Even in a sloppy first period when the shots and chances were down, eventually a Rangers’ mistake wound up in the back of the net.

On what looked like the handling of a hand grenade, Brodzinski fumbled the puck until Robert Thomas took it away and fed Jake Neighbours, who then easily dished across for an easy Pavel Buchnevich finish that made it 1-0 Blues with 1:09 left. If you had a pulse, it was easy to predict that Buchnevich would score. I picked him to get the game’s first goal. He is a former Ranger who had success with Zibanejad and Kreider. Ever since, nobody they try with them fits.

There were follies in the second period. On a play in the neutral zone, Ryan Lindgren had his stick lifted by Jordan Kyrou, who then turned it into a breakaway goal. After Brayden Schenn and Alexey Toropchenko combined to send the puck into the neutral zone, Lindgren was too slow to react. Kyrou turned him into a statue before rifling home his 13th past Quick. Kyrou seems to love playing the Rangers. It was his sixth career goal versus them in eight games. He scored in both Blues’ wins in the season series.

Another miscue nearly resulted in Thomas making it 3-0. Chytil lost the puck in his zone. That allowed Thomas to take it away and fire a shot off the goalpost. He would finally beat Quick later to put the Rangers behind by three.

Following a Zac Jones pinch deep in the Blues’ zone, that allowed Thomas to start a two-on-one in the opposite direction. With only Schneider back and Lafreniere still trailing the play, Thomas picked the short side on Quick to make it 3-0 with 9:32 remaining. Schneider did the right thing giving Thomas the shot. But he made a good one to put the Rangers in a three-goal jam.

In the third period, they tried to climb back in it. On a hustle play, Berard picked up a loose puck and surprised Blues goalie Joel Hofer by going to the short side for his second goal of the season. It was unassisted. That pulled the Rangers within 3-1 with 9:42 left.

https://twitter.com/NYRangers/status/1868467044234223638

On the next shift, some hard work from the top line led directly to Cuylle getting his 11th. On a strong cycle play that was started on a Mackey pass down low to Chytil, he worked the puck over to Lafreniere, who then centered in front for a Cuylle finish. That cut the deficit to one with still 8:23 remaining.

https://twitter.com/NYRangers/status/1868467616358281575

In a period that saw Zibanejad benched by Laviolette, he couldn’t avoid sending him back out for the final two minutes. With Quick on the bench for an extra attacker, both Zibanejad and Kreider took their usual places with Fox, Lafreniere, Trocheck, and Chytil. It made no sense. What about rewarding your best players? That would be Cuylle and Berard. They got them back in it. Why weren’t they out for the six-on-five?

Laviolette is still blindly loyal to Zibanejad and Kreider. Prior to the final shift which proved to be an exercise in futility, he only received 10:34 of ice time. In fact, he was skipped for a good portion of the third until Laviolette sent him back out.

https://twitter.com/vzmercogliano/status/1868474107886452859

If he wanted to send a message, Zibanejad should have remained on the bench. He has been atrocious. The only thing left is for Laviolette to make him a healthy scratch on Tuesday against the Nashville Predators. They are worse than the Rangers. They’re the biggest disappointment to date. Why not have Zibanejad sit in the press box? They don’t need him to fire blanks and skate around aimlessly. He needs a mental break.

Laviolette might be running out of answers. The team is in a funk. It’s now up to 10 losses over the last 13 games. There seems to be no end in sight. At what point does the coach decide to make an example of one of his established stars. Are we there yet? Is it coming? The better question is, will he do it? We’ll find out soon.

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Defense Optional: The Decline of the Rangers

Posted on December 15, 2024 by Derek

Entering the 2024-25 season, there was still optimism for the New York Rangers. Coming off a record-breaking Presidents’ Trophy season that included a trip to the Conference Finals, they were expected to remain near the top of the league as a playoff contender. However, that hasn’t happened.

Following a promising 12-4-1 start buoyed by Igor Shesterkin’s hot start, they’ve lost nine of twelve since mid November. In many aspects, it was the goaltending of both Shesterkin and Jonathan Quick that were largely responsible for the good start. In many of the wins, the team defense broke down by allowing high danger scoring chances. But the goalies delivered the big saves to mask the problem.

That included less than impressive victories over the Detroit Red Wings and Ottawa Senators. A 6-1 blowout loss to the Buffalo Sabres on Nov. 7 at home exposed them. The Sabres used their superior team speed and skating to explode for four goals in a lopsided second period to chase Shesterkin. While it wasn’t a particularly good showing for the Rangers starter, the biggest issue was the lack of attention to details in the defensive zone. The Blueshirts looked old and sluggish against a younger opponent.

Following a 6-3 defeat to the Winnipeg Jets on Nov. 12, they won three in a row against the San Jose Sharks, Seattle Kraken, and Vancouver Canucks. Despite that, there was growing concern about how they were playing. None of those wins were overly impressive. They held on to beat the Sharks on Nov. 14. Then, they needed a brilliant performance from Quick to shut out the Kraken on Nov. 17. They held on to beat a shorthanded Canucks, who were missing J.T. Miller and Brock Boeser on Nov. 19.

Five-Game Losing Streak through Thanksviving

With the team showing ominous signs, they were unable to step up in competition when they concluded a four-game Northwestern road swing in Alberta. Head coach Peter Laviolette called them out after a disappointing 3-2 loss to the Calgary Flames on Nov. 21. The final score was generous. For large stretches, the Flames dominated the Rangers at five-on-five. Aside from a pair of goals from Alexis Lafreniere and Will Cuylle that came 16 seconds apart late in the second period to tie the score, there wasn’t much to write home about. A lackadaisical third followed, with Connor Zary notching the game-winner with less than nine minutes to play.

Despite Laviolette voicing his displeasure, they were even more uncompetitive in a dizzying 6-2 loss to the Edmonton Oilers. Quick was victimized for six goals on 40 shots. Oilers superstar duo Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl had a field day against the Rangers by combining for three goals and two assists. That included McDavid flying in for a highlight reel goal. On the play, he and Draisaitl came in on a two-on-one. With only rookie Victor Mancini back defending, McDavid patiently waited for Mancini to go down before tucking a forehand in past a helpless Quick.

When they returned home, things only got worse. Facing the St. Louis Blues after they hired Jim Montgomery, the Rangers were no match for a motivated opponent. Despite Cuylle getting his second of the game to tie it up, the third period was all Blues. They outscored the Blueshirts 3-0 to pull away for a 5-2 win on Nov. 25.

Their third straight defeat came on the heels of team president and general manager Chris Drury sending a memo to 31 other NHL GMs that the Rangers were open for business. He made both Jacob Trouba and Chris Kreider available. It caused a ripple effect through the locker room. Drury then held a damage control meeting to try to calm things down prior to the Rangers’ 4-3 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes 4-3 on Nov. 27. Although they were more competitive, they still dropped their fourth in a row.

After Thanksgiving, they gave another flat performance in a 3-1 loss to the Flyers on Nov. 29. In a game on national TV, the Rangers were lethargic. Shesterkin did his best by making 32 saves to keep them in it. Ultimately, it wasn’t enough. The five-game losing streak through Thanksgiving spelled doom.

Drury Forces Trouba to Accept A Trade

Following a less than impressive 4-3 win over the Montreal Canadiens on the final day of November, the Rangers lost handidly to the Devils 5-1 at home. Despite showing some positives in the defeat, with better play at even strength, the defensive breakdowns resulted in a blowout loss to their bitter Hudson rival on Dec. 2.

What followed was predictable. With a four-day layoff before their next game, a desperate Drury forced Trouba to accept a trade. Threatening to put the Rangers captain on waivers, like he successfully did to blindside Barclay Goodrow over the summer, Drury gave Trouba until 2 PM to decide. The lame duck captain chose to go to the Anaheim Ducks in a deal that allowed Drury to dump the remainder of Trouba’s salary through 2025-26. That came to fruition on Dec. 6.

When he spoke to reporters via a Zoom conference call, Trouba admitted that how things were handled affected his play. It became a distraction. Despite a strong relationship with teammates inside the locker room, it was difficult on Trouba. That was understandable. He had his name muddied by Drury, who leaked the info to the press. It wasn’t the best way to handle things. But that’s the cost of doing business. It was cut throat.

Following a 4-2 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins that same night, one wondered if maybe moving on from Trouba helped the team’s mindset. They gave a much better all-around effort. But it came against a flawed opponent that no longer is considered a playoff contender.

Bad Losses Begin to Mount

As well as they played in the victory over the Pens, the Rangers were unable to sustain it. Instead, the bad losses began to mount. Facing the Kraken, they fell apart in the second period a week ago. A 3-1 lead turned into a 4-3 deficit. The lackluster defense and poor coverage allowed the Kraken to score five consecutive goals to build a 6-3 lead.

Despite goals from K’Andre Miller and Lafreniere that made things interesting, the Kraken got an empty netter to hand the Blueshirts a 7-5 loss on Dec. 8. A day later, they managed to lose to the league’s worst team. The Chicago Blackhawks came into MSG and edged the Rangers 2-1. That was the lowpoint. It was their eighth loss in ten games.

After hanging on to beat the Sabres 3-2 in an uneventful game on Dec. 11, they were no match for the Los Angeles Kings on Saturday, Dec. 14. Playing without Miller (upper-body injury), the Rangers were even worse. In fact, it was the worst game they’ve played to date. Defense was optional. So was checking.

The Kings got goals from Alex Turcotte and Warren Foegele in a lopsided first period. The only positive was the play of Shesterkin. He kept them within reach. However, it fell apart quickly in the second. LA got goals from Quinton Byfield, Adrian Kempe and Phillip Danault over a 2:18 span to break the game open. Kempe and Danault scored 24 seconds apart. On each goal, there were lousy breakdowns. Even with the Rangers having players back, they made it was too easy.

Shesterkin was chased. He gave up five goals on 21 shots. He was blameless. How putrid was the play in front of him? Following Quick replacing him, MSG’s Joe Micheletti ripped into the team’s effort. He and Sam Rosen didn’t hold back in their criticism. Neither did Brian Boyle. It was well-deserved.

A Season Spiraling

The Rangers now sit outside the playoffs. With a 15-13-1 record, they have 31 points through 29 games. A season is spiraling. With the quality of the opponents getting better, it’s anyone’s guess if they can turn it around.

They’ll visit the Blues later tonight. Aside from visiting the underwhelming Nashville Predators this Tuesday, Dec. 17, they have the Dallas Stars and then return home next week for the Hurricanes on Dec. 22. The final game before the Christmas break is at the Devils.

Entering Sunday, they sit a point behind the surging Ottawa Senators for the second wildcard. The Philadelphia Flyers are also ahead of them by a point. But they’ve played one more game than the Senators and two more than the Rangers. By no means are they out of it. However, unless they start to play better hockey, things could unravel quickly.

In less than a month, the Rangers went from having one of the league’s best records to falling back with other mediocre teams jockeying for playoff position. The good news is that they still have plenty of time left to right the ship. But as Boyle pointed out on yesterday’s postgame on MSG Radio, that means that they can’t continue to play the way they have.

When the effort is being questioned, it begs the question what the team psyche is. Their character is on the line. If they keep losing games, that’ll determine what move Drury makes next.

Laviolette Not To Blame

While it’s easy to point to Laviolette for the Rangers’ dramatic fall, it comes down to the players. A core that still features Kreider, Mika Zibanejad, Artemi Panarin, Adam Fox, Ryan Lindgren, and a very vocal Vincent Trocheck should be able to lead by example. That means playing more inspired hockey.

Following losses, Laviolette has been consistent in referencing that the answers are in the locker room. He isn’t wrong. This is a nucleus that has burned through enough coaches. David Quinn was replaced by Gerard Gallant. After an impressive first season that saw him guide the team to within two games of the Stanley Cup Finals, he lost the room in 2022-23. They went out in a wimper against the Devils in the seventh game of the first round. Gallant was dismissed.

In came Laviolette. A more hands on coach, he allowed for more line consistency. His best move was sticking Lafreniere with Panarin. Eventually, Trocheck replaced Filip Chytil (concussion) to form a potent scoring line. They were considered the best offensive line last season. It was the impressive play of that cohesive trio that carried them to the league’s best record. The Rangers again made it all the way to the sixth game of the Conference Finals before losing to the eventual Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers.

Here we are a year later. Once again, it feels like the players have tuned out another coach. There’s no doubt that the chemistry has been off since the start of the season. Even when they were winning games, it wasn’t without getting outplayed and outchanced by opponents. More often than not, they get outshot and don’t carry the play at five-on-five. A necessity to be successful. Especially with teams figuring out the power play.

Has Laviolette been as patient with this group? No. He even broke up his best line to try to get Zibanejad going. It backfired. Even worse, Lafreniere hasn’t played well since signing a contract extension. He hasn’t been as noticeable. When he has, it’s for the wrong reasons due to his defensive play. Even Panarin’s play has suffered. He’s making the same mistakes he did under Gallant two years ago. Unlike Gallant, Laviolette hasn’t called out his biggest star. That’s what did Gallant in.

Moving Forward

At this point, it feels like the season is lost. It isn’t. Including tonight’s game, there are 53 games remaining. It’s up to the Rangers to move forward.

Right now, every player must be accountable. What can they do to start helping the team get out of this funk. Plenty. Even their leading scorer is a minus player. Panarin has 36 points. Even he would admit that he can play more consistently at both ends. During this stretch, he’s been more available following games. He’s shown the right attitude.

If they do turn it around, it starts with Zibanejad. He has six goals and 21 points. His minus-15 is the worst on the team. Lafreniere is right behind him with a minus-13. Ironically, his numbers are similar, with nine goals and 20 points. Both are in the top five in team scoring. By comparison, Cuylle who ranks third with 22 points, is tied with Kaapo Kakko for a team best plus-10. Most of that success has come while playing alongside Chytil. Since returning to the lineup on Nov. 30, he hasn’t played as well. He is a key player.

Chytil’s speed and skill make him a scoring threat. The fastest skater on the roster, he can quickly transition from defense to offense. He’s got two goals in seven games since coming back. Prior to the mysterious upper-body injury he sustained on an accidental collision with Miller on Nov. 14, Chytil was playing well. It was the consistent play of his line that were dominating shifts. Although they’ve slowed down, they’ve outscored opponents 13-2 at five-on-five. That’s by far the best goal differential on the team.

Skating without Miller for a second consecutive game, the Rangers will need better defense. While Laviolette will lean heavily on Fox and Lindgren, he’ll also play Braden Schneider often at even strength. After a good start to the season, Schneider’s play has slipped. Since being separated from Zac Jones, he hasn’t been as effective. A strong player, Schneider hasn’t used his body enough to let opponents know where he is. That’s something that must change.

Far too often, opponents find it easy to play against the Rangers. They have to change the narrative that they’re soft.

It’ll be interesting to see how they respond to another brutal loss. It’s the third set of back-to-backs. The Rangers are 1-1 in the second game. We’ll see if they’re up to the challenge.

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Rangers to Be Without Miller Due to Injury

Posted on December 13, 2024 by Derek

When they return to the ice on Saturday afternoon, the New York Rangers will be without K’Andre Miller. The 24-year-old defenseman suffered an upper-body injury versus the Buffalo Sabres in Wednesday night’s win. He was placed on injured reserve by the team earlier today.

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At the very least, Miller will miss at least the start of a three-game road trip which begins with a stop in St. Louis to face the Blues on Sunday night. The Rangers will also visit the Nashville Predators and Dallas Stars.

The injury likely occured during the second period when Sabres forward Jordan Greenway finished a check on Miller that sent him awkwardly into the boards with less than 12 minutes left.

https://twitter.com/DaveyUpper/status/1867223820010209600

Miller didn’t miss a shift for the remainder of the period. However, he didn’t return for the third period. The Rangers relied heavily on Ryan Lindgren and Adam Fox to pick up a much needed victory. Without Miller, Lindgren played over half the period. Braden Schneider finished with a shade over 20 minutes. Zac Jones and Victor Mancini each played just under 17 minutes.

Mackey to Fill In For Miller

With Miller sidelined, Rangers coach Peter Laviolette indicated that Connor Mackey will play in Miller’s spot tomorrow. The 28-year-old journeyman played in one game last season. In 22 games for the Hartford Wolf Pack, he has two goals and four assists for six points with 29 penalty minutes this season.

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In his one appearance last season, Mackey dropped the gloves with Ottawa Senators captain Brady Tkachuk during the second period on Jan. 27. At the time, they were trailing the Senators 2-0. Following Mackey’s fight with one of the game’s toughest players, the Rangers responded by scoring the next seven goals to win 7-2. That included five straight goals in the second. They added a pair in the third for the final margin.

On a team that is lacking physicality and toughness, Mackey can supply it when he returns to the lineup. If it means taking Kings’ pest Tanner Jeannot off the ice, by all means. Jeannot loves to mix it up. He’ll finish checks and battle all comers. Considering how lethargic the Kings looked in a 3-1 loss to the New Jersey Devils that saw them only muster 12 shots, they’ll probably be in a foul mood.

It’s a good bet that Jeannot will look to spice things up. If he does, Mackey should be ready and willing to stick up for teammates.

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