Game 31: The Darling of MSG one ups Raanta in Hawks’ 2-1 win over Rangers

Posted on December 14, 2016 by Derek
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Chicago winning netminder Scott Darling is congratulated by Niklas Hjalmarsson and Duncan Keith after outdueling Antti Raanta with 33 saves in a Blackhawks’ 2-1 win over the Rangers in a very entertaining rematch at MSG. AP Photo via Getty Images courtesy Sportsnet.

Honestly, sometimes you’re going to get beat. Some losses are acceptable while others aren’t. It depends on effort level. For the Rangers in the Original 6 rematch with the Blackhawks, stick one in the acceptable category. They lost 2-1 to the Hawks at MSG to snap their three-game win streak.

Of course, I hate losing. However, losses will happen. This team has proven by now they’re going to give an honest effort on most nights. They did again against a formidable opponent who got two of its best players back. Chicago captain Jonathan Toews and defenseman Brent Seabrook returned for the winners.

It definitely made a difference. The Hawks were able to protect a one-goal lead behind 33 saves from the game’s first star Scott Darling. In a rematch of backup goalies and friends, it was the Chicago goalie who was the Darling of MSG by stopping 26 of 27 shots the final two periods including all 11 in the third period. Some acrobatic while others more routine.

The Rangers made him work for it. Especially rookie Jimmy Vesey, who was flying in the third. He was so good that coach Alain Vigneault double shifted him the final period with Vesey receiving over seven minutes of ice-time after only getting that much thru the first two. Some would argue what was he doing on the fourth line to begin with. Up for debate another day.

My family had tickets to this one. I didn’t. I worked and missed the first before returning to catch the final two on the flat screen. By the time I got in, it was 1-0 Blackhawks. Trevor van Riemsdyk had scored on Raanta to end his shutout streak at 176:22. On it, the right defenseman was set up perfectly by Russian wizard Artemi Panarin and Artem Anisimov. Along with last year’s Hart winner Patrick Kane, that cohesive trio dominated play five-on-five. Even during a four-on-four, the dangerous combo of Kane and Panarin were flat out scary with Chris Kreider off for boarding and a Hawk serving a bench minor for too many men.

Trailing by one, the Rangers responded quickly when Jesper Fast was able to bat a loose puck out of mid-air by Darling to tie it three minutes later. The hard working even strength goal was made possible by a pinching Nick Holden, who subbed for a flu-ridden Ryan McDonagh on the top pair with Dan Girardi. Holding onto the puck, Holden finally shot with it caroming behind the net to Oscar Lindberg. Lindberg sent the puck up in the air where Fast was able to have it go off his glove and then legally bat it in underneath the crossbar for his third. A gritty kind of goal you expect from a player who is all effort and hustle.

Holden didn’t get an assist but deserved one. He sure stepped into a big role with McDonagh realizing after warm ups that he was a no go. That also meant coach Alain Vigneault reinserted extra defenseman Adam Clendening, who played third pair with rookie Brady Skjei. Making matters worse, Skjei was missing for the second due to taking an inadvertent skate from Kevin Hayes that cut his face. He had to get stitched up. He returned wearing a full caged helmet.

That meant Vigneault had to work with five D for about 20 minutes. Not the easiest chore when you’re going up against a puck possession team like the Hawks. Especially with Toews back to center one line while Anisimov anchored the other. Plus dealing with Seabrook and Duncan Keith and highly underrated defensive defenseman Niklas Hjalmarsson. Chicago isn’t what they used to be. They give up more shots and chances forcing their goalies to be really good. But they are still formidable. They’re first in the West with 42 points.

Coach Joel Quenneville has mixed in some young faces with the vets. He’s effectively used Richard Panik on the Toews line while also trying American rookie Ryan Hartman. He still has reliable veteran Marian Hossa, who has turned back the clock to lead the Blackhawks with 15 goals. The 37-year old future Hall of Famer already surpassed his ’15-16 total of 13 and remains on pace for 40. Something he hasn’t hit since ’08-09 with the Red Wings.

There were hardly any power plays. The Hawks got the only one at the 4:07 mark of the first on a Skjei hook. Remarkably, nothing else was called except for Kreider’s boarding and the Hawks’ bench minor which occurred at 12:14 of the second. It proved to be dangerous for Chicago with Quenneville sending out Kane and Panarin with Keith and Seabrook. It was like watching a power play. They pinned the Rangers in forcing Marc Staal and Girardi to have to be extra good. After Kane undressed J.T. Miller and Girardi, only a diving Staal stick prevented a sure Panarin tap in.

That was the fine amount of detail that was needed to defend the Hawks. For most of what was an absolutely beautiful game to watch with the teams trading chances and rushes, the Blueshirts were up to it. But with the game still knotted, momentum changed. On what was a very good shift, Holden had a low shot carom out to Mats Zuccarello. He looked to have Darling beat but a desperate Darling dove and poked the puck away at the last split second to send the play in the other direction.

Even though the Ranger forwards changed, both Holden and Girardi were trapped out. Sucking wind, they got little help from and Lindberg, Fast and Marek Hrivik. Panarin wisely passed down low for a pinching Brian Campbell, who was able to center past an exhausted Girardi for a wide open Anisimov for a sweet finish with Holden off to the left. Anisimov’s 13th came with 1:09 left in the period. A crusher for sure. You can see why he’s finishing. He is there to bury passes from Kane and Panarin. It could lead to his first 30-goal season. Arty’s never scored more than 22. He got 20 in his first year in the Windy City.

Following the goal, the Rangers came hard searching for the equalizer. But they couldn’t find it in the final 69 seconds of the second. The effort was there. The execution was just a tad off. That also summed up a hard fought third. They got 11 shots in total but were never able to solve Darling conventionally. He really took the low part of the net away and did a great job. His defense also did a nice job keeping Rangers away from loose change.

Vesey was a man on a mission in the final period. From the very first shift, he was buzzing with the puck sending shots Darling’s way. I swear he was everywhere. Vigneault must’ve saw my tweet because I suggested double shifting the kid. Sure enough, he was out every second shift. It was as dominant a performance in one period from a first-year player as you’ll see without scoring. He deserved one. But Darling prevented it.

Vesey got point blank chances but was unable to beat the unflappable Chicago backup who has been the starter since Corey Crawford went down. On the opposite end, Raanta was again superb making 24 saves including some big ones to give his team a chance. In four straight starts, he went 3-1 with a 0.75 goals-against-average allowing three goals on 89 shots. How good is that? His save percentage was .966 which includes the two shutouts at Chicago and home over the reeling Devils.

When Henrik Lundqvist returns and that is a fairly good assumption Thursday in Dallas, he better get back on track. If the past is any indication, there’s no reason to think he won’t. He did it three years ago after Cam Talbot got three straight starts. His track record is a pretty good indicator. I just want to see the team play as well in front of him as they have for Raanta.

The Rangers’ best opportunity came when Darling kicked out a tough Vesey tip of a Staal shot and then robbed Zuccarello on the doorstep with over two minutes remaining in regulation. They weren’t gonna tie it. Even with the same people losing their minds over Holden and Girardi out for the final minute, they had nothing left.

Honestly, there was nothing to complain about. If I have to see that Clendening should’ve been out for the last shift again via Retweet, I’m going to start blocking more users who use the RT button. Enough already. This was one loss. One where the Rangers outshot the Blackhawks 34-26 and out-attempted them 62-58. It was one of the better games you’ll see between two evenly matched teams.

The fact they went toe to toe with the Hawks minus McDonagh, Rick Nash, Mika Zibanejad and Pavel Buchnevich bodes well. It shows that this roster has plenty of heart and enough depth to still compete. Vigneault again rewarded Lindberg, Fast and Hrivik with more shifts. They were good again. Hrivik is starting to impress me. He doesn’t look like an AHL player. But a regular fourth liner who can skate, forecheck and be responsible defensively. Maybe they’ll find room for him.

Brandon Pirri’s ice-time continues to dwindle at even strength. Without any power plays, he’s a non-entity. I thought Clendening had a couple of shaky moments with one just awful skate one on five causing a bad turnover which led to Raanta bailing him out with a nice glove save of a Panarin shot. That’s not what you want to see from Clendening. Granted. He hasn’t played much.

Nicklas Jensen didn’t play much in the third. He received eight shifts getting only 6:35. Unlike Pirri who is just a power play guy, at least Jensen is noticeable five-on-five. Not surprisingly, Vigneault gave the top four of Girardi (23:05), Holden (26:24), Staal (23:18) and Kevin Klein (23:27) heavy minutes.

BONY 3 Stars:

3rd Star-Jimmy Vesey, NY Rangers (7 shots, 8 attempts in 17 shifts with half of his 14:46 coming in a dominant 3rd)

2nd Star-Artem Anisimov, Blackhawks (game-winning goal-13th at 18:51 of 2nd,

1st Star-Scott Darling, Blackhawks (33 saves)

Video Gif: I thought this was really cool. The Rangers are celebrating their 90th Anniversary. Tonight, they did a little video tribute of the Original 6 with a nice highlight reel. See below:

Game Note: For some reason, the statistician messed up on Anisimov’s goal by giving minuses to Hayes, Miller and Michael Grabner. None were out for the game-winner. It’s an error that should be changed. They were caught on for van Riemsdyk’s goal in which he beat Staal.

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Rangers goalie situation isn’t a crisis

Posted on December 13, 2016 by Derek
King Henrik

Comeback King: An excited Henrik Lundqvist celebrates the Rangers 3-1 series comeback. He made 35 saves in a 2-1 Game 7 win elimination of the Pens and stopped 102 of the final 105 shots in the 2014 second round. He’s still the man despite his recent struggles that have seen Antti Raanta get his fourth straight start tonight against the Blackhawks. Associated Press/Getty Images

When it comes down to the goalie situation with the Rangers, it isn’t a crisis as some lost souls who like to stir up controversy would have you believe. At the present, backup Antti Raanta has outplayed starter Henrik Lundqvist. In allowing one goal on 63 shots and winning his last three shutouts by posting consecutive shutouts, Raanta deserves his fourth straight in tonight’s MSG rematch against the Blackhawks.

The 27-year old Finn has earned it. He brings in a 8-1-0 record with a 1.65 goals-against-average, .943 save percentage with those two shutouts at Chicago and home against New Jersey. It’s hard to believe GM Jeff Gorton only parted with Ryan Haggerty for Raanta during the summer of 2015. Chalk it up to another great move by an executive who has done a splendid job with this year’s roster that enters play 20-9-1 tied in points (41) with the Penguins.

It was never going to be easy for Raanta to replace Cam Talbot. The former popular backup who carried the ’14-15 roster to a President’s Trophy when Lundqvist was out. The Rangers owed it to Talbot to let him go elsewhere and become a number one goalie. He’s now the number one for the Oilers, who are tied with the Ducks with 35 points at the top of the Pacific Division. It’s worked out well for both sides with the Rangers able to find a suitable replacement.

In his first year on Broadway, Raanta won 11 games while posting a 2.25 GAA, .919 save percentage with a shutout in 24 games. Lundqvist got into 65 games and won 35 games with a 2.48 GAA, .920 save percentage and four shutouts. Still respectable numbers even though the goals-against-average was a career low. But his .920 save percentage was proof that he still got the job done despite a below average defense that got pinned in its zone allowing over 30 shots. The first round five-game lopsided defeat to the Pens was predictable. It was indicative of the inconsistencies of the ’15-16 Rangers.

Lundqvist had a longer off-season to recover. Now 34, he was expected to bounce back. Nobody wants to win more than him. It’s true that when the team plays in front of him, they’re not as sharp. From a defensive standpoint, they allow more shots and give up more quality chances. It still doesn’t fully explain his 12-8-1 record with a 2.55 GAA and .912 save percentage. Both would be career worsts.

It’s worth noting that we’re not even at the Christmas break yet. There’s still plenty of time for Lundqvist to turn it around. He’s been through slumps before. In ’13-14, coach Alain Vigneault started Talbot three times in a row in late December 2013. Predictably, panic set in with the reactionary media calling it a “goaltender controversy.”

It wasn’t. At the time, Lundqvist was in a similar rut and needed a mental break. Talbot provided it. When Vigneault went back to him at Tampa and Florida to end 2013, he was back to being himself. The same guy who has carried this franchise since joining them in ’05-06. A strong January 2014 led to a big second half with Lundqvist winning 33 games with a 2.36 GAA, .920 save percentage and five shutouts. He would carry the team on his back to its first Stanley Cup appearance since ’94. They lost to the Kings in a very close five games with all three games in LA decided by overtime.

A year later, Lundqvist suffered a sprained blood vessel when he took a puck to the throat in a game against Carolina. Astonishingly, he played the next game and won against Florida before it was discovered. Had he kept playing, it would’ve been life threatening. Talbot took over and got on a roll winning 21 games with a 2.21 GAA, .926 save percentage with six shutouts. When Lundqvist returned near the end of the ’14-15 season, he still won 30 games with a similar 2.25 GAA, .922 save percentage and five shutouts.

That he was able to recover from such a serious injury which he never should’ve played with is a miracle. He was certainly good enough in helping the Rangers eliminate the Penguins in five games on Carl Hagelin’s overtime winner. The second round proved to be a real test with the team falling behind to the Capitals 3-1. It literally came down to the final frantic two minutes before Derek Stepan set up Chris Kreider’s tying goal with 1:41 left in regulation. Stepan dropped a pass for Ryan McDonagh who won Game 5 in OT. After clinging on for dear life in a one-goal Game 6 win, they needed sudden death before Stepan steered home a Dan Girardi rebound past Braden Holtby for a dramatic 2-1 Game 7 win sending them to a second straight Conference Final.

The backbone was Lundqvist, who was in for the Rangers’ second consecutive 3-1 comeback in the second round. The prior year, they rallied for the first time in franchise history from a 3-1 deficit by defeating the Pens. A team they had never beat before. That team rallied around Martin St. Louis, who lost his mother France to a heart attack. Without Lundqvist’s goaltending, the comeback never happens. He stopped 102 of the final 105 shots.

For over 11 years, a 2000 seventh round afterthought has been responsible for the Rangers revival. Lundqvist was taken 205th overall by former European scout Christian Rockstrom. The Swede starred for hometown Frolunda HC where he delivered a championship before finally signing to come over. I followed him with the hope he would be the next great goalie for the Blueshirts.

After splitting time with respectable veteran Kevin Weekes his rookie year in ’05-06, Lundqvist took the job. It’s amazing to think back and realize he won 30 games with a 2.24 GAA, .922 save percentage and two shutouts as a rookie. That special season also included delivering a gold medal to Sweden at the Olympics with a point blank save to deny Olli Jokinen and preserve a one-goal win over rival Finland. An injury prevented him from being the same goalie. Weekes replaced him in a lopsided first round sweep against the Devils. Jaromir Jagr also hurt his shoulder ending his season at MSG in Game 3. He deserved to win the Hart setting a franchise record with 54 goals and 123 points. But Joe Thornton beat him out after going to San Jose and winning the Art Ross.

Those Ranger teams were fun. Coached by Tom Renney, whose obsession with odd suits and “Sweet Caroline,” they played a European style featuring Jagr, Michael Nylander, Martin Straka, Petr Prucha, Martin Rucinsky, Marcel Hossa, Michal Rozsival, Marek Malik and the late Karel Rachunek. God rest his soul. Joined by Brendan Shanahan, Ryan Callahan, Matt Cullen, Sean Avery, Fedor Tyutin and Dan Girardi, they nearly upset the Sabres in the second round. A Straka goal with over three minutes left in Game 5 at Buffalo had us jumping up and down in excitement. Could it be? Was Lundqvist about to steal the game and bring it back to MSG? Chris Drury erased that with his tying goal with 7.7 seconds left. Maxim Afinogenov won it in overtime and the Sabres held on for a 5-4 win in Game 6.

Eventually, Renney’s magic wore off and John Tortorella replaced him starting a different era. Built more around the defense with Marc Staal teamed with Girardi and McDonagh part of it along with Artem Anisimov and Brandon Dubinsky, the Rangers had the East’s best record in ’11-12. They did it behind Lundqvist, who won 39 games with a 1.97 GAA, .929 save percentage and eight shutouts to capture the Vezina. He carried them in two tough rounds past the Senators and Capitals with both going the distance. Brad Richards was the emotional leader along with star Marian Gaborik. Both scored dramatic goals against the Caps to help them advance to a Conference Final against the Devils. Lundqvist lost to rival Martin Brodeur in six with Adam Henrique scoring in overtime to win the series.

Following a second round disappointment to a better Boston team, Tortorella was fired and replaced by Vigneault. He’s had a lot of success in his four years. Preaching a more up tempo system emphasizing speed, skating and puck possession, he’s led them to a Stanley Cup Final and within a period of consecutive trips. The gut wrenching 2-0 shutout home defeat in Game 7 of the 2015 Conference Final to the Lightning still stings. They had home ice for the entire playoffs. It might’ve been their best shot to deliver the franchise’s fifth Cup. Instead, we’re left wondering what might’ve been.

During his current slump, Lundqvist has said all the right things. Raanta is playing well. So, Vigneault is riding the hot hand. Hard to go against his decision to start him again against Chicago after he shut them out with a spectacular 26-save performance. The Hawks do get back Jonathan Toews. So, they should be even tougher to defend tonight. It’ll be interesting to see what Raanta comes up with along with his teammates, who have played better in front of him.

Part of that is having a different mentality. Many pundits have argued that it isn’t fair to Lundqvist, who has went onto become the franchise leader in wins and shutouts. He’s done everything and has built a Hall of Fame resume. However, he is still without a Cup. That is the only thing missing. Signed through 2020 with a hefty $8.5 million cap hit that has hurt the Rangers salary structure, he’ll be 38 when the contract ends. As he gets older, time is running out.

This year’s roster is better than last year thanks to key Gorton additions featuring surprising defenseman Nick Holden along with injured center Mika Zibanejad, leading goalscorer Michael Grabner, power play specialist Brandon Pirri, plus rookies Jimmy Vesey, Pavel Buchnevich and Brady Skjei. Despite having key players out including Zibanejad another month, Buchnevich for at least two more weeks, Rick Nash until probably Thursday and Matt Puempel (concussion), they continue to win.

It speaks to their improved depth. With improvements from Kevin Hayes, Chris Kreider and J.T. Miller, the ’16-17 Rangers are a better team. Staal has bounced back after a longer summer to get healthy. So has easy target Girardi, who hasn’t been as bad as the Corsi contingent would have you believe. Kevin Klein has been the most inconsistent defenseman. But he’s steadied the last couple since possession power play guy Adam Clendening played for him in a loss to the Islanders. McDonagh also looks better. He doesn’t look as worn out and is having a very good year while carrying the load.

The only thing missing is better consistency from Lundqvist. The franchise goalie who has always been able to get through it. He’s not perfect. No one is. Sure. He’s seen more shots and chances against than Raanta during this recent stretch. But it doesn’t fully explain some of the goals he’s let in at inopportune times. Sometimes, you need your goalie to make the big save. Lundqvist is the Rangers’ best player.

The hope is the time off (now six days) will benefit him over the long haul. Vigneault promised to keep Lundqvist’s starts under 60. So, there’s nothing wrong with sticking with Raanta. Lundqvist is working on his game with Benoit Allaire. It’s all about reading and reaction. He’s been caught off balance more frequently. When he’s right, Lundqvist remains patient and doesn’t take himself out of the play as he did on Andrew Ladd’s crusher last week. He also doesn’t give up sharp angle shots short side or unscreened shots from way out when he’s right.

There are no excuses. Lundqvist doesn’t make any. He expects more of himself and knows he must be better. In many ways, he’s a perfectionist. Tonight is Game 31 of 82. That leaves another 50 left to play. Plenty of time for the Rangers’ best player to get back on track. He’s still the man. That fact won’t change when he returns.

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Rangers humiliate Devils 5-0 behind another Raanta shutout

Posted on December 12, 2016 by Derek
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Brady Skjei proudly displays the puck of his first NHL goal while donning The Broadway Hat in what amounted to a Ranger 5-0 domination of the Devils in the first meeting of four. AP Photo via Getty Images courtesy NYRangers. 

Normally, these rivalry games are competitive. One has come to expect battles to be fought whenever Hudson rivals meet. That clearly wasn’t the case in what turned into a Rangers’ 5-0 humiliation of the Devils behind another Antti Raanta shutout at MSG.

Making his third straight start, Raanta didn’t have to sweat too much. After stopping 26 shots in a 1-0 overtime shutout against former team Chicago, he made 19 more without allowing a goal in a textbook win that sent the Rangers to a third consecutive win. Since losing at the Islanders 4-2 last Tuesday, coach Alain Vigneault has gone to Raanta over starter Henrik Lundqvist. He’s responded by going three-for-three allowing only one goal on 63 shots.

So, what happens now? Does Vigneault stay with Raanta with the Blackhawks visiting the Garden for a rematch on Tuesday night? Or does he decide to go back to Lundqvist and see if he finally has it back together? That is a tough one to answer. As Derek Stepan pointed out after the game in a post match interview, he’s been here seven years and Lundqvist has been their best player.

While Vigneault has that decision to make, he can take solace knowing his team has responded extremely well after the Islander disappointment. They are playing better defensively. It’s resulted in allowing less shots against and fewer scoring chances. When they have given up opportunities, Raanta has been there to make the big save. On this night, he was good when he had to be making a glove save on Kyle Palmieri and robbing Vernon Fiddler point blank on a two-on-one.

He also benefited from an early Adam Henrique goal 69 seconds in that was wiped out. Conclusive replays showed that Henrique kicked the puck in. It was an easy reversal. Even from our seats, you could tell he kicked it. The thing is he didn’t need to. He was wide open. The Ranger start wasn’t good. There was a moment where the Devils could’ve taken advantage. But they didn’t.

Penalties were called on each side. Taylor Hall went off for high-sticking. Less than a minute later, Chris Kreider got nabbed for goaltender interference. Kind of a dubious call considering he was shoved into Cory Schneider and had nowhere to go. Even though they didn’t get much off a abbreviated power play, the Devils controlled play for the next few shifts. That included a Nick Lappin break in with a sharp Raanta denying him.

For most of the period, the Rangers didn’t sustain much on the forecheck. However, a strong shift from the top line resulted in Kreider beating Schneider five-hole for a 1-0 lead with 3:17 remaining. Some strong play behind the net from Mats Zuccarello allowed him to find Kreider open in front. He was able to beat Schneider with a quick wrist shot for his eighth. He has been playing well for a while. That gives him seven points (4-3-7) in the last six. Kevin Klein gets credit for a good pinch which resulted in the goal. He drew a assist.

Late in the stanza, Devante Smith-Pelly thought he tied the contest. But the refs clearly blew the whistle after Raanta made an initial stop. They thought he had it long enough. The replay showed Smith-Pelly nudge Raanta’s pads pushing the puck in.

From a Devils standpoint, the second was inexplicable. Given chance after chance by an undisciplined Rangers to tie the game, they fired blanks or literally nothing at all. After killing off a Ben Lovejoy delay of game minor, they got their first opportunity when rookie Jimmy Vesey tripped up Sergey Kalinin. They only managed one shot with Palmieri’s shot from the left circle easily gloved by Raanta to chants of “Raa-nn-tta!, Raa–nn–ttaa!”

The second power play came when Marc Staal sent Palmieri flying with another tripping minor with 7:02 left. The Devils couldn’t do anything with the Rangers penalty kill which went a perfect five-for-five. They didn’t get much set up time. When they did have the puck in the Ranger zone, they took way too long to get shots. It was astonishing.

Following Staal returning, Brady Skjei went off for tripping Lappin with 4:04 left. With the Rangers still clinging to a one-goal lead, they had good fortune when Palmieri lost an edge falling to the ice. With him down, Kevin Hayes took advantage skating around the Devils defense and setting up a wide open J.T. Miller for a backhand deflection by Schneider for a shorthanded goal with 3:53 remaining.

As the Devils continued to mystify by only totaling three shots in the period despite three power plays while permitting a shorthanded goal, they nearly got victimized again. Ryan McDonagh led the dangerous Michael Grabner, who went around John Moore like he was a statue and then had Schneider beat but just missed on a backhand deke. It was literally that close to two shorthanded goals allowed on the final Devil power play in the second.

Just when it still seemed like a game, a smart Marek Hrivik shot from distance forced Schneider to cover the puck with eight seconds left. That caused an offensive draw. On it, Vigneault wisely sent out Oscar Lindberg to take it with Stepan the second option. The execution worked perfectly with Lindberg cleanly beating Travis Zajac right to Stepan, who fed an open left point for a Skjei one-timer that deflected off Palmieri past Schneider for his first NHL goal. The goal came with 2.5 seconds left and made it 3-0.

At the start of the third, a Grabner high-stick gave the Devils another power play. But by then, you knew they weren’t going to score. They were punchless. It was a pathetic effort. One which I can only imagine what Hasan was thinking. The Ranger penalty kill is good. They have been strong getting superb efforts from new guys such as Zuccarello, who dove to deny a shot and clear the puck.

It was just a matter of time before Brandon Pirri iced the game by converting a rebound chance in front from Kreider and Ryan McDonagh. Even on a broken play, the Rangers still recovered the puck with McDonagh firing a tough low shot that Schneider kicked out. He then denied Kreider but was unable to stop Pirri, who ended a 12-game goal drought. He hadn’t recorded a point since Mika Zibanejad went down. Pirri wound up with two points also setting up Vesey’s 10th also on the power play with 1:18 left. Nick Holden got the other helper.

By that point, we had already left at the five-minute mark. The game was so uncompetitive, it was shocking. I knew the Devils had issues. But just from watching them live, you could see what Hasan’s talking about. The lack of confidence. They don’t shoot the puck enough and are susceptible defensively. It’s easy to see why they’re struggling. In fact, counting Sunday night, the Devils have allowed 47 goals over the last 12 games. The most over that stretch in the league.

They barely competed. That simply won’t cut it in an ultra competitive Metro Division where other teams ahead of them keep winning. That includes the Flyers, who reeled off their ninth in a row with a 1-0 overtime shutout of the Red Wings on a Brayden Schenn goal. That also includes the Blue Jackets, who after dismantling the Islanders 6-2 on Saturday, have now won six straight. In only 26 games, they’re 17-5-4 with 38 points which is three behind the Rangers, who just played game number 30. With the division so tight with four total points separating first from fifth Washington, New Jersey has their work cut out.

That includes Schneider, who has continued to allow more goals than we’re used to seeing. The Devils defense has suffered without Adam Larsson. They continue to allow more shots than they’re getting. Tonight, the Rangers outshot them 31-19 and out-attempted them 60-41. That just won’t cut it.

As for the Blueshirts, they have to be pleased with where they are. Even with Lundqvist sitting out, Raanta has won three in a row and they’re 20-9-1 with their 41 points tied with Montreal for the most in the NHL. Chicago has 40 to lead the West.

BONY 3 Stars:

3rd Star-Antti Raanta, NYR (19 save shutout-2nd straight-3-0 in last 3 starts stopping 62 of 63 shots)

2nd Star-Oscar Lindberg, NYR (assisted on Skjei’s 1st NHL goal by winning huge draw to make it 3-0 with 2.5 seconds left in 2nd, 3 shots, 5 attempts, 11-and-7 on draws, +1 in 2- shifts-13:41 including 12:00 EV, 1:01 PP, 40 seconds SH)

1st Star-Chris Kreider, NYR (goal-8th of season, assist, 3 shots, 5 attempts, +1 in 22 shifts-15:51 including 11:24 EV, 4:27 PP)

Notes: Devils controlled face-offs 32-27 with Zajac going 18-for-26 but lost a critical one to Lindberg late in second that led to Skjei’s goal. Both Lindberg (11-and-7) and Hayes (9-and-5) were good for the Rangers. … Key Stat: Giveaways Devils 17 (Parenteau 3) Rangers 10 (Holden/Skjei 2). … In his first game in the Battle of Hudson, Taylor Hall went without a point with two shots and five attempts including a wild miss on the power play. … It was a rough night for Palmieri, who wound up minus-two including having Skjei’s goal go off him and falling down on Miller’s shorthanded goal. … Every Blueshirt played at least 11 minutes including Nicklas Jensen (11:15 in 17 shifts). … Lappin and Klein had a scrap late that I didn’t see. … Power Play Comparison Devils 0-5 Rangers 2-6. … Schneider allowed five goals on 31 shots. The second straight loss he gave up five. In that one, he made 44 saves in a 5-2 loss at Montreal. Schneider has allowed at least three-or-more in eight of his last nine starts. He’s given up 3-plus in 12 of 21 games. … Devils (12-10-6) get a much needed three day break before playing three games in four days with a Thursday visit at St. Louis. They play at Ottawa next Saturday and conclude a three-game road swing back at MSG for a Sunday rematch.

 

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Rangers waive Jooris, Coyotes claim him

Posted on December 11, 2016 by Derek
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Josh Jooris was waived by the Rangers and claimed by the Coyotes. AP Photo via Getty Images

With Pavel Buchnevich nearing a return, the Rangers placed forward Josh Jooris on waivers today. Signed as a depth move, the 26-year old center got into 12 games tallying a goal and assist with six penalty minutes.

For Jooris, it became a numbers game. With Oscar Lindberg finally playing better and Hartford recall Marek Hrivik gaining the coach’s trust, there wasn’t any room for the former Flame.

However, the Coyotes claimed him. So, the hard worker will get another opportunity with Arizona. He is a fourth liner who brings energy and can kill penalties. Even though it didn’t work out in New York City, we wish Jooris the best of luck with his new team.

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Vigneault to stick with hot hand Raanta over Lundqvist

Posted on December 11, 2016 by Derek

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Antti Raanta starts for a third straight game while Henrik Lundqvist watches. The exact scenario Alain Vigneault had success with in his first year behind the Ranger bench. AP Photos via Getty Images 

Two starts in a row on consecutive nights drew overreaction from some Ranger scribes. With Antti Raanta winning both road games at Winnipeg and Chicago by stopping 43 of 44 shots, that was enough for coach Alain Vigneault to stick with the hot hand over Henrik Lundqvist.

When the Rangers host the Devils tonight at MSG, it’ll be the first time a goalie other than Lundqvist started against New Jersey since Dec. 17, 2006 when Kevin Weekes got the nod. The Rangers lost that game 6-1. Since then, it’s always been number 30 in net for home games against the Devils. For nearly a decade, he had a great rivalry with the opposite legendary number 30 who these days is an assistant GM in St. Louis.

Almost 10 years to the day, here is Vigneault starting a different netminder in a rivalry game on 33rd and 7th Avenue tonight. The explanation is simple. Raanta’s been better. He enters with a 7-1 record, a 1.83 goals-against-average and .939 save percentage in 10 appearances. This will be his 10th start. Lundqvist has struggled with consistency. In 21 games of which 20 are starts, he’s 12-8-1 with a 2.55 GAA and .912 save percentage. So, he sits and gets extra work in.

“I think you know by now, I like to play. A lot of times that’s how I get into a nice rhythm. It’s hard to argue when Antti is playing that well. I understand. It’s about what’s best for the team right now. It’s not about me. I just need to keep my focus on what I can control right now, and that’s my own game,” Lundqvist told New York Post scribe Brett Cyrgalis this morning.

“If [Raanta] didn’t play that well and I would still be sitting here, that would be harder to accept,” Lundqvist said. “Obviously I understand that when he’s played that well. It comes down to what’s best for the team. I’m not going to try to convince anyone when [Vigneault] believes this is what’s best for the group right now.”

In truth, there’s nothing wrong with staying with the hot hand. In his first year as Rangers coach, Vigneault started then rookie Cam Talbot three straight times in late December 2013. Lundqvist was going through a similar phase after signing a long-term contract. At the time, it caused a ruckus. Some even wondered if Talbot should be the goalie. A crazy thought considering all Lundqvist had given to this franchise. Without him, who knows how long they would’ve continued to miss the playoffs. He carried that same ’13-14 roster to a Stanley Cup Final.

Sometimes, goalies go through slumps. Lundqvist has been through it before. He’s always come back stronger. If it allows him extra practice and video sessions, don’t bet against the 34-year old franchise leader in wins and shutouts.

“I have always had in the past, I had opportunities to play [through] ups and downs,” Lundqvist said. “I just play and get into a nice flow. It’s a little different now. You play a couple and you sit out, so it’s a different approach.”

As for Vigneault, who has liked what he’s seen from the 27-year old Raanta, it comes down to this.

“I love Hank, but I love the team more. Antti is on top of his game.”

There’s no debating it. At the moment, it isn’t just that Raanta’s played better. The team has too. They’re more defensively responsible in front of the backup. They were allowing too many shots and quality chances against with Lundqvist in. The last two games have been better. They’ve played headier and steadier.

For whatever reason, that has been a recent fact. They tend to take more risks with Lundqvist back there. Maybe it’s just a different mentality. Knowing they must stay mentally sharp with the backup.

Either way, we’ll find out if Raanta can deliver a third consecutive win. What if he does? The Blackhawks have a return visit to MSG on Tuesday. We’ll get to that part later.

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Problems in the swamp

Posted on December 10, 2016 by hasan4978

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In what’s been a mostly lost month for the Devils, these last two games have been the nadir (so far anyway) of their season.  A team that mostly gave effort last year has turned in back-to-back noncompetitive efforts with no hint of any defensive structure, not enough sustained offense, horrendous goaltending and bad coaching.  And clearly they’ve shown they’re not ready for primetime with the way they’ve been completely outclassed against both the Canadiens and the Blues this week.  This entire season is now into rant territory, the rant I was ready to write up last week before their ridiculous comeback at Nashville swept the team’s problems under the rug for exactly one more game – a tense win at home against a lousy Vancouver team on Tuesday night.  I’m not exactly in a holiday mood today, after how awful this week’s been from pillar to post.

Even Tuesday’s win against the Canucks wasn’t without its annoyances although in that case it was annoyance with the refs, who completely allowed the game to get out of control with their negligence.  First, they failed to call a penalty when Travis Zajac was boarded by Michael Chaput and suffered a broken nose late in the first period.  Then to top that off they dinged John Moore with a misconduct for instigating a fight with Chaput.  For the coup de grace they also dinged coach John Hynes with a bench minor for the crime of showing indignance for making the Devils short-handed on a play where they could have lost their best center for a long period of time.  So instead of a five-on-four, Vancouver got a completely unjust five-on-three.  Considering how sparse the crowd was, we were incensed Montreal fan style on the refs after that sequence.  Which only got compounded when the Canucks scored the tying goal on that five-on-three.

That whole sequence put tensions on a knife’s edge and the bitterness threatened to boil over when Taylor Hall knocked out defenseman Phillip Larsen with a legal hit.  Of course there was no instigator penalty assessed on the Canucks for jumping Hall en masse behind the net – consistency not being the NHL’s middle name.  And after the Devils’ third, decisive goal by Ben Lovejoy of all people came a cheap shot seconds after the goal Dale Hunter-style by Erik Gudbranson.  Of course that was unpenalized too.  Sure the Devils managed to win in the end, although as usual not without some unneccesary drama late.  Can this team once, just one lousy time have an easy 4-1 win where everyone can relax in the third period?  Apparently that’s too much to ask.  Then again lately just winning is too much to ask for.

But now let’s get to the real heart of the problems this week and start with the biggest contreversy of the week if not the season…the Carey Price incident which Derek just gave a rundown on.  While I didn’t see this in real time, I’ve obviously seen the replays and have a slightly different take on this.  First of all, the refs were completely negligent in not applying the rule which allows for the expulstion of a goalie for using his blocker as a weapon and attemping to injure.

51.3 Match Penalty – If, in the judgment of the Referee, a goalkeeper uses his blocking glove to punch an opponent in the head or face in an attempt to or to deliberately injure an opponent, a match penalty must be assessed.

Look at that video clip Derek posted and tell me how this is NOT an attempt to injure?!  Especially the first punch which was straight to the helmet.  So how did the refs and the league justify not punishing Price?  By allowing for ‘if in the judgement of the referee’.  Well there was some bad judgement going on in Montreal on Thursday night then.  Or the refs were just (as usual) intimidated by the Bell Centre crowd.  As big a whiner as Peter Laviolette can be he had this one right years ago where he said simply ‘typical Montreal’ after a series of bad calls in the Bell Centre predictably went for the Canadiens.  And let’s not overlook defenseman Jeff Petry‘s role in all this, first by nudging Kyle Palmieri into Price in the first place then even more egregiously holding him down on the ice while Price beat up on him in a cowardly act.  That looked like something you’d see in Goodfellas or any other mob movie with one gangster holding a guy for another to beat up on him.

Now that I’m done bagging on the refs, Price, Petry and the league – this is the portion of the program where the knives come out toward the team and the organization for a disgraceful two games.  Did the Price incident in Montreal on Thursday send this team into a tailspin? Certainly this team lost their composure after that and Cory Schneider had his typical awful 2016 effort giving up two bad goals in the third period when the Devils were still within shouting distance, but that doesn’t explain last night with Schneider tucked safely on the bench where again this team came out flat in the first period, and even when the effort improved in the second period the Devils maintained their 2016 system of running around like chickens with their heads cut off.

Let’s start with the coach – for the lauding Hynes got for a scrappy team that wouldn’t quit last year, he deserves grief for a team that has constantly come into games half asleep with bad first period after bad first period, constantly putting themselves behind the eight-ball with a lack of effort and attention to detail.  And while this team maintained a tight structure last year, this year the structure seems to be just throw the puck in the middle of the ice and chase it around like kids in Central Park.  There’s absolutely zero structure to anything this team does offensively or defensively, and Hynes should thank his lucky stars it’s Ray Shero, and not Lou Lamoriello that’s the GM.  This is the kind of stuff that would get Lou’s trigger finger itchy.  While it’s hard to get on Hynes’ lineup choices given the utter lack of them and the lack of production by certain key players (re: everyone not named Hall, Zajac or Cammalleri), it would be nice if at some point they finally took away Moore’s immunity idol.  On a defense that makes mistake after mistake, he and vet Kyle Quincey were particularly bad last night, somehow getting beaten on a one-on-two and taking a penalty to boot.

Next up is the fraud of an All-Star goaltender.  If you want to make excuses that the defense is awful and the team’s giving up 35 shots a game so how can his bad play be helped, vaya con dios.  I don’t care if this team gives up 50 shots a game, you can’t allow dribblers to squeeze through you, bad rebounds of off-angle 5 MPH shots and bad angle goals on a game-by-game basis.  Especially when you’re supposed to be one of the top five goalies in the league (and getting outplayed by a nameless backup no less), this despite having an under .500 record for the Devils.  While I’m not normally one to use W/L record as a be-all end-all, especially for this team – through his Devil career it’s becoming obvious Cory has been one of those guys that will do just enough to lose a game.  If you score one goal, he’ll give up two.  If you score three goals, he’ll give up four.  You could fairly blame his W/L record the prior couple of seasons on lack of goal support but you can’t use that excuse this year.  Not that the Devils’ offense is great, but can this GREAT goalie once, just once be the difference on the positive ledger in winning a game at some point in the last month?

Of course the defense HAS been awful, I’m not hiding that for a second.  They’ve performed below my worst expectations for them, especially in terms of shots allowed.  And while I’m not sitting here wanting to undo the Hall trade, it’s obvious Adam Larsson was even more important to this D than we thought.  Throw in David Schlemko while you’re at it too, his loss is a bit understated.  Still it would be nice if the great general manager at some point addressed the D, he had all offseason after the Hall trade and oodles of cap space to do so, and all that’s been done is bringing in patchwork solutions like Lovejoy and Quincey.  Lovejoy’s a nice second-pairing player but he can’t bring the same things Larsson did last year on the first pairing.  Damon Severson‘s been a first-pairing defenseman offensively but defensively still at best a second-pairing guy.  When you add in Andy Greene either losing a step or having his play suffer with Severson to his right instead of Larsson this year, Quincey playing on his off side and trainwreck Moore the whole has been far less than the sum of its parts for Hynes and defense coach Alain Nasreddine.

Clearly the Hall trade did at least improve the offense.  But the only improvement TO the offense is Hall himself.  Palmieri and Adam Henrique aren’t playing at anywhere near the level they were last year when both were thirty-goal scorers.  Together they have just ten goals in 52 combined games this year and the phrase one-year wonder is starting to pop into everyone’s head with Palmieri, while Henrique’s usual act of dissapearing for two months to be followed by a two-week binge of scoring is getting old.  If it wasn’t for Travis Zajac turning back the clock to 2009 this offense might actually be worse than last year.  Ballyhooed former first rounder Pavel Zacha‘s been a dissapointment in his rookie season with just seven points and a -11 in 24 games played, and with only Zajac providing offense from the center position, as usual this team’s pathetically weak down the middle.  Palmieri was supposed to be the start of the solution on the right side but combined the Devils have just thirteen goals from the four guys that were their starting RW’s before the season – including Palmieri (4), Devante Smith-Pelly (2) and Beau Bennett (1).  Waiver wire pickup PA Parenteau leads that group with six goals but he’s a limited player and is a -11 himself.  Nick Lappin‘s provided a spark since his callup but even he’s stuck at four goals in 21 games.

As much as I like Shero I’ve been hearing for ages how we’re going to use all this cap room we have and take advantage of teams with cap problems or roster crunch decisions before the expansion draft, so when exactly does that start?  You can’t rely on bargain-bin basement solutions forever.  I’m sorry, getting a 2018 second rounder from the Panthers for Marc Savard‘s dead cap hit contract and signing a second-pairing guy in Lovejoy isn’t exactly what I had in mind with being able to take advantage of twenty million in cap space this offseason.  When does that start happening now, after we’ve missed the playoffs for a fifth straight year?  That’s pretty hard to do in a parity-driven NHL where basically every team this side of Arizona or Colorado is at or over NHL .500.

If you want to blame ownership for that well be my guest, we were told they would allow Shero to spend where he saw fit, of course all the while they’ve stayed at the cap floor and as a Met fan I’ve already been sold that bill of goods before.  It would be nice if ownership was more worried about winning as opposed to the bottom line, clearly this joke of a schedule the first two months of the season with an absurd 21 of the first 31 games on the road is a byproduct of the team not wanting early-season home games because of the fear they won’t sell tickets before Christmas.  Maybe worrying about ticket sales shouldn’t be a motivation when the team starts badly enough that fans won’t want to buy tickets even after Christmas, because in the first two months of the season the team’s had to contend with a West Coast swing (which included Dallas), BOTH Florida trips – one of which included a third game in four nights in Carolina, and another swing from Pittsburgh to Winnipeg, Chicago and Nashville.  Of course the road trip this week isn’t exactly a picnic with two MSG games sandwiching trips to St. Louis and Ottawa.  I’m thoroughly expecting another spanking tomorrow by a Ranger team that can win and put up goals even when its goalie isn’t playing well because – guess what – they have structure!

If you want to attribute the lack of structure to the inability to get consistent practicetime in with all these road games, again be my guest.  There might even be validity to that.  I don’t care anymore, I’m just tired of this team being a joke, I’m tired of the younger players not panning out and our vets either being dissapointments or leaving.  Last year seemed like a step forward out of the dark ages we were in two seasons ago, but this month’s been two steps back.  And I don’t want to hear about promise when literally every other team in the division’s showing real signs of quality and improvement other than us.  Literally every team.  Thankfully we haven’t had many division games yet, but those won’t be a picnic either. I’m calling an easy 4-2 Rangers win tomorrow right now.

End rant…for now.

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Reaction to Price pummeling Palmieri

Posted on December 10, 2016 by Derek

On Thursday night during a Devils’ 5-2 loss at the Canadiens, an incident took place with 18 seconds left in the first period between Kyle Palmieri and Carey Price. With the game tied following Adam Henrique’s goal in which he crashed into Price once the puck was going in, the Montreal number one goalie had had enough.

Late in the period, Palmieri made a nice move around Montreal defenseman Jeff Petry to get in on Price. He was stopped by Price, who didn’t take kindly to getting bumped into by the Devils forward. On the play in question, Petry gave Palmieri a shove from behind which left him no choice. He was going to run into Price.

A furious Price let loose pummeling Palmieri with a series of rights with his blocker against a defenseless player. Ben Lovejoy finally came in and things cooled down. It definitely was a reaction to Henrique’s goal. The refs allowed two controversial goals in the first which could’ve been reversed on challenges for interference.

On one side, you had Price, who was tired of being run. Something that stems back to Chris Kreider knocking him out of the 2014 Eastern Conference Final when he was pushed from behind. As the Montreal netminder stated in the post game, he was just standing up for himself.

The end result was Palmieri receiving a goalie interference minor penalty while Price got the extra two for a roughing double minor. To be honest, I don’t think Palmieri merited a penalty. There was nothing he could do to avoid contact. On the Devil side, some pondered if Price should’ve been ejected. But as opposing netminder Cory Schneider said, he’s a goalie and they can get away with that. If it were a skater, they may have been given a game misconduct.

So, what to make of all this. Not too much. We’ve seen goalies do similar when they felt they were being run. In this one, chalk it up to Price going Patrick Roy. Palmieri isn’t a dirty player. It was just an unfortunate play which resulted in him not being able to defend himself. He caught the brunt of Price’s anger.

Is it good for hockey? Sure. I like it when goalies respond to such stuff. Even if Price went overboard, he sent a message. I kind of wish Henrik Lundqvist would do similar. But it’s not in his nature. Fiery goalies who don’t take crap are fun. Even Martin Brodeur showed his other side when he got into it with Sean Avery. Other examples are Billy Smith, Ron Hextall, Ed Belfour, Felix Potvin and even Dominik Hasek. Ryan Miller is probably as tough as they come in today’s game.

It definitely adds some spice to the game. As for the next match-up, the Canadiens don’t see the Devils again until January 20 in the new calendar year at The Rock. Circle the date.

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Video of Day: Raanta and Darling show sportsmanship

Posted on December 10, 2016 by Derek

In the Video of Day, respect was shown between goalies Antti Raanta and Scott Darling following a well played game between the backups for the Rangers and Blackhawks. It was Raanta- the former Blackhawk- who got the win stopping all 26 shots in a 1-0 overtime win against his ex-team. But Darling was splendid too finishing with 36 saves.

Former AHL teammates, they recognized each other during the Game’s Three Stars. Mutual respect shown between two friends.

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Raanta makes Vigneault look like a genius

Posted on December 10, 2016 by Derek
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Antti Raanta turns aside Artem Anisimov in a 26-save shutout as the Rangers won 1-0 on Nick Holden’s overtime winner over the Blackhawks. AP Photo via Getty Images courtesy NYRangers.

With the Rangers visiting Chicago for a pivotal back-to-back Original 6 showdown between two good teams, coach Alain Vigneault rolled the dice. Liking what he saw from steady backup Antti Raanta, he went back to the former Blackhawk. Raanta made him look like a genius in backstopping the Rangers to a well earned 1-0 overtime shutout of the Hawks at United Center.

The 27-year old Finnish goalie who was tossed aside by the Hawks for current backup Scott Darling turned aside all 26 shots in improving to 7-1-0 on the season. Considering that it came on the heels of a 17 save performance in a 2-1 win over Winnipeg, Raanta got the job done in consecutive starts while a slumping Henrik Lundqvist rested. It would be earth shattering if he wasn’t back in net for the Devils this Sunday night at MSG.

Normally, Vigneault will have his two goalies split back-to-back situations. But he went with his instinct and it proved correctly. As much as I get him for in game decisions, let’s give the coach some credit. He made a move that some were skeptical over. However, they must’ve forgot about the time when the same coach in his first year behind the Ranger bench played Cam Talbot for a few starts due to a similar slump from Lundqvist.

In truth, there is nothing wrong with giving Lundqvist some time to work with goalie coach Benoit Allaire. His game hasn’t been consistent. Besides, Vigneault doesn’t want to start the franchise netminder more than 60 games. That might even be pushing it. With Lundqvist getting older, he’s hinted at wanting to keep his number of starts in the mid-50’s. A fresh Henrik is the Rangers’ best shot next Spring.

At the moment, it’s no secret he’s been fighting it. A 2.55 goals-against-average and .912 save percentage aren’t King-like. Neither have some of the goals he’s been giving up. Sometimes, a mental break is needed. Lundqvist has always proven he can respond with improved play. It’s why he’s considered one of the game’s best.

When I found out Vigneault was sticking with Raanta, I wasn’t that upset. Maybe it’s just intuition. Since replacing Talbot as the backup, Raanta has proven fully capable of filling in for Lundqvist. This season, he’s been at his best. In winning again, his GAA is down to 1.83 and save percentage up to .939 with his first shutout this season.

One thing Vigneault pointed out in the post game was that in this league, you need two goalies to be successful. Somewhat astonishingly, Ranger backups have posted a higher win percentage since the start of 2011-12, which also happened to be Lundqvist’s best when he won the Vezina. That season under former coach John Tortorella, he posted career bests in wins (39), GAA (1.97) and save percentage (.929) while leading the Blueshirts to the East’s best record. He carried them to the Eastern Conference Final before losing to the Devils in six games.

With Lundqvist backing up for a second straight night, Raanta gave a great show along with former AHL teammate Darling. Neither allowed a goal in regulation. Darling was the busier of the two making 36 saves. Raanta was just as good finishing with 26 including a couple of big ones against the vaunted Hawks’ offense. One highlighted included a sprawling stack of the pads on a dangerous chance while another was a header late in regulation to deny gifted Russian Artemi Panarin.

A nice development has been the strong play of a newly formed checking line. Centered by Oscar Lindberg with Jesper Fast and Marek Hrivik, they put together a second straight good performance. The cohesive trio are defensively responsible with Vigneault able to trust them enough to keep sending them out as one of three lines he rolled after cutting down in the final period. They had some excellent shifts with strong puck possession and forcing Darling into some difficult stops like a Lindberg high riser that caromed out to Fast, who had his stick lifted. Lindberg and Fast combined for 13 shots. Hrivik registered one shot and had four attempts.

With Brandon Pirri continuing to see his ice-time reduced, he might become the odd man out when Rick Nash returns. It’s clear that Vigneault doesn’t trust him defensively. If Pirri isn’t producing offense, he’s useless. He continues to fire blanks and had the least amount of ice-time (10:17 in 14 shifts). Nicklas Jensen played his second straight game and was more noticeable going to the net in 16 shifts (11:05) which included 1:25 on the power play.

The Hawks had an apparent goal from Marian Hossa reversed following a successful coach’s challenge from Vigneault. The controversial play happened midway through the third when Hossa beat Raanta with a wrist shot. However, Vigneault felt strongly that it was offside. Replays showed it was much closer. But he was proven right with Hossa’s right skate up in the air just ahead of the play. He couldn’t believe it. They got it right. But you have to wonder if this is why they have the challenge system. It benefited the Rangers.

The Rangers were the more aggressive team outshooting the Blackhawks 13-7 in the third. They went for it more while the Hawks seemed content to play for three-on-three overtime. In the first minute, Derek Stepan made a great read. At the end of his shift with Chris Kreider and Ryan McDonagh, he gained the Chicago zone and waited for McDonagh to change.

On came Nick Holden. Stepan made a backhand turnaround pass that led Holden in on a breakaway. With Kreider on the other side, Holden let go of a perfect wrist shot that beat Darling for the overtime winner at 55 seconds. The Rangers poured off the bench to congratulate Holden, who has turned into quite a steal. It’s hard to believe GM Jeff Gorton only gave up a fourth round pick to Colorado for him.

It was nice to see a good guy who has overachieved in Vigneault’s system get rewarded. Holden sported the Broadway Hat in the locker room. He is up to four goals which leads all Ranger defensemen. A line of 4-9-13 with a plus-12 rating in all 29 games is more than anyone could’ve imagined. He has been a great fit on the second pair with Marc Staal. Gorton deserves plenty of credit for his off-season. He might even be up for executive of the year.

The win moved the Rangers back into first in the crowded Metropolitan Division. With a record of 19-9-1 and 39 points, they’re two up on the Penguins, who have played two less games. With the Blue Jackets winning again (4-1 over Red Wings), they’re up to 36 and are a point up on the Capitals and Flyers. The Devils suffered their first home loss in regulation losing to the Blues 4-1. They remain at 30 with the first Battle of Hudson at MSG Sunday.

BONY 3 Stars:

3rd Star-Nick Holden, NYR (overtime winner at 55 seconds-4th of season, 3 shots, 6 attempts, 2 hits, +1 in 28 shifts-21:12 including 18:55 EV, 1:12 PP, 1:05 SH)

2nd Star-Scott Darling, CHI (36 saves)

1st Star-Antti Raanta, NYR (26 save shutout)

Notes: Afterwards, Raanta and Darling shared a nice moment during the game’s three stars. They shook hands and gave each other kudos. They did play together in the AHL. … Kevin Klein totaled 13:43 in 18 even strength shifts. Brady Skjei got 14:58 in 20 shifts including 43 seconds of power play. … McDonagh led all skaters with 26:33. In 31 shifts, the Ranger captain had seven blocked shots and three hits. Partner Dan Girardi was steady throughout in 21:36 (28 shifts) including four blocks, five attempts and two hits. … Rangers went 0-for-2 on the power play while the Blackhawks were 0-for-1 despite some close calls late in the second. … Teams only totaled 29 hits with the Hawks registering a paltry 10. … Face-offs were 28-28 with Stepan a dominant 15-and-6. Former Ranger Artem Anisimov went 11-and-10 while logging 24:12 in 27 shifts with captain Jonathan Toews still out. Panarin got 23:02 but was caught out with Hossa and Duncan Keith on Holden’s winner.

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Islanders give Clutterbuck five-year extension

Posted on December 9, 2016 by Derek
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Cal Clutterbuck agreed to a five-year extension worth a reported $17.5 million with the Islanders. AP Photo via Getty Images courtesy NYIslanders. 

In the midst of their best stretch of hockey this season, the Islanders rewarded gritty veteran winger Cal Clutterbuck with a five-year extension. The 29-year old who was acquired from the Wild in exchange for former first round pick Nino Niederreiter could’ve become an unrestricted free agent after ’15-16. Instead, he agreed to remain an Islander with an average cap hit of $3.5 million over the next five years.

Clutterbuck currently is a $2.75 million cap hit in the final season of his current contract. He earns $3.5 million ironically. The new deal is front loaded. He’ll be paid $5 million in Year 1 and $4 million in Year 2. The salary will drop off to $3.5 million in Year 3, $2.5 million in Year 4 and the same in Year 5.

A solid character team oriented player who always is among the league leaders in hits, Clutterbuck leads the Islanders with 89 this season. The 89 hits currently rank fifth in the NHL. His goal production is down. After posting 15 last year on one of the league’s best fourth lines, he has only two in 25 contests along with seven assists and 10 penalty minutes.

It’s been a little different for Clutterbuck and center Casey Cizikas, who are without Matt Martin who signed with the Maple Leafs. Interestingly, Martin signed for a similar amount receiving $10 million over four years. His cap hit is $2.5 million. A million less than Clutteruck, who’s a bit better. Considering the chemistry the trio had, maybe Islander GM Garth Snow should’ve kept him. Replacement Jason Chimera has been fine scoring four goals and five assists while making $2.25 million over this year and ’17-18.

As for giving a fourth liner who plays penalty kill and power play when called upon five years, that seems like a stretch. Clutterbuck will be in his mid-30’s by the time the contract ends. His physical style could wear down.He’s only 5-11 but weighs 218.

There’s nothing wrong with rewarding a hardworking grinding player who will accept any role under coach Jack Capuano. But you do have to wonder why Snow was willing to go five years while he never came close for leading scorer John Tavares’ sidekick Kyle Okposo. He let Okposo go to Buffalo for seven years, $42 million while signing Andrew Ladd for the same seven years but at $38.5 million. Ladd has been a bust so far with six points (3-3-6) while Okposo has been as advertised with 17 points (8-9-17) leading the Sabres in scoring.

One wonders if the Islanders would’ve struggled as much had Snow kept Okposo or retained Frans Nielsen, who is with Detroit. Lately, the Isles have gotten more scoring from key third-year forward Anders Lee. He tallied twice in Thursday night’s big win over the Blues. A game in which Tavares scored a highlight reel goal that’ll be replayed a lot.

Capuano has settled on Brock Nelson and Josh Bailey to play with Tavares. Both former centers have fit in. Nelson is second in scoring with 17 points (6-11-17) while Bailey ranks third with 16 (4-12-16).

If there is a difference with this year’s team, it’s the scoring they’re getting from the blue line. Thus far, eight Islander defensemen have combined to score 19 goals. Johnny Boychuk, Nick Leddy and Dennis Seidenberg all have four.

They can still use more production from the other forwards. Cizikas has done his part with 3-8-11. Shane Prince has nine points as does Chimera and Clutterbuck. Rookie Anthony Beauvillier is 2-5-7 in 19 games. Nikolay Kulemin has played mostly with Cizikas but has contributed only two goals and three helpers. This is a player who earns over $4 million and is signed thru 2018. Figure him to be left unprotected for the expansion draft next summer.

At the moment, the Islanders have recovered from a poor start by winning five of six. They’ve recorded points in all six including an overtime loss to the Red Wings. In beating the Pens, Caps, Rangers and Blues during a 5-0-1 stretch, they’ve proven they can compete with some of the league’s best. As Capuano said, it’s all about working hard and showing resiliency. Something they didn’t do the first two months.

With the Islanders at 11-10-5 with 27 points in 26 games, they still have some work ahead of them. They remain 10 points behind first place Pittsburgh and second place New York while ranking last in the Metropolitan Division. A point behind Carolina for seventh.With six teams already up to 30 points or better, the Isles must continue to push.

They’ll get tested at stingy Columbus on Saturday. We’ll see if they can keep it going.

 

 

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