Are the Islanders back?

Posted on December 1, 2016 by Derek
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Wednesday’s hero Anders Lee is pumped after scoring the game-winner with 26.6 seconds left in an exciting 5-3 Islanders’ win over the Penguins. AP Photo via Getty Images courtesy NYIslanders.

For most of the first two months, the Islanders couldn’t get out of their own way. Until their last two games- both home wins over Calgary and more impressively over Pittsburgh in dramatic fashion- they were heading nowhere with six wins in their first 20 games. Maybe returning home to Barclays Center was the elixir.

Improving to 8-10-4 thanks to consecutive victories this week, the Islanders are feeling better about themselves. After defeating the Flames 2-1 in overtime thanks to Thomas Hickey’s beautiful redirect of a John Tavares shot pass, they followed it up with a huge 5-3 win over the Penguins on Rivalry Night in Brooklyn.

For sure, this was an emotional win that didn’t come easy. For two periods, the Islanders had the better of the play and led by three on goals from Johnny Boychuk, Jason Chimera and Casey Cizikas, whose big finish on a misdirection started by Andrew Ladd gave them a three-goal lead headed to the third period.

But they were facing the defending champs. Pittsburgh is a great team capable to erasing big deficits fast. They woke up in time for the third with Connor Sheary scoring 32 seconds in from Patric Hornqvist and Sidney Crosby. When Justin Schultz beat Thomas Greiss with 9:20 left, panic set in.

I tweeted, “Are the Islanders about to blow it again?” To which one of my Isles’ buddies replied: “Come on. This is a serious question? Of course they are.”

It was an unreal play by Crosby who hustled back in the neutral zone to catch Tavares with a great backcheck. He stole the puck and got onside allowing Brian Dumoulin to easily set up Evgeni Malkin for a tap in which tied the contest with 6:52 remaining.

The only question that remained is whether they’d lose. My Isles’ pal tweeted, “Do they win it now or overtime?” I knew he was referring to the Pens. Considering how it’s gone for the Islanders, who could blame him? When your team consistently blows leads and finds ways to lose, it’s easy to be pessimistic.

What followed was comical. Continuing to play for easy target Jack Capuano, the Islanders found a way to win it in the final minute. After being pinned in by the Pens’ third line of Carl Hagelin, Nick Bonino and Phil Kessel, a good defensive play by Tavares got them out of trouble. As fate would have it, some more hustle from Tavares led directly to Boychuk feeding Hickey for a point shot that Anders Lee redirected home past Matt Murray with 26.6 seconds left. Three seconds later, Nikolay Kulemin added an empty netter from Cizikas to seal it. The two goals three seconds apart are an Islanders’ franchise record.

It was Lee’s fourth goal in four games. He’s one of the young players the Isles need to get out of this. Entering tonight’s match at Washington which is a tough back-to-back, they still are last in the Metropolitan Division with 20 points. It’s important for them to follow up last night’s victory with another tonight.

It won’t be easy. Facing the Caps who haven’t played since a bad 4-2 loss at Toronto on Hockey Night In Canada should be a challenge. The Capitals are well rested and will want to erase the sting of that last defeat. They also bring a 13-6-2 mark into play ranking third in the Metro. They’ve played less games than the Rangers and Pens. Fresh off Casino Night, they’ll try to make up some ground.

You know Alexander Ovechkin will be in a great mood. Even in a year where they haven’t scored as much, Ovechkin leads the Caps with 12 goals. Nicklas Backstrom paces them with 20 points (6-14-20) and Marcus Johansson is 9-6-15. T.J. Oshie has eight goals but remains out with an injury. They’ve gotten little from Evgeny Kuznetsov, who continues to struggle since a bad postseason. He’s only 3-6-9 thus far. Vet Justin Williams has been a non-factor with only two goals. Andre Burakovsky has 10 points.

Washington recalled Jakub Vrana for tonight’s game. He’ll debut on the second line with Kuznetsov and Burakovsky. A 2014 first round pick, the 20-year old from Prague had nine goals and seven assists for 16 points with AHL Hershey. In parts of three AHL seasons, he’s totaled 55 points in 57 games.

What the Caps do well is keep the puck out. Thanks to rating Vezina winner Braden Holtby (10 W 2.18 .920) and a solid D featuring John Carlson, Dmitry Orlov, Matt Niskanen, Brooks Orpik, Karl Alzner and Nate Schmidt, they rank fourth in team defense allowing 2.24 goals per game which is tied with Columbus. Their differential is plus-nine.

The Islanders are minus-11 and rank 24th allowing 2.96 goals per game. They can take solace knowing they held the Pens down for two periods. But they also were sloppy in allowing Pittsburgh to tie it with some poor coverage with top defenseman Travis Hamonic caught out of position on Malkin’s goal. He’s struggled mightily with a team worst minus-11 rating. That’s not a coincidence. Too often, he’s gotten beaten. He must be better.

Greiss has started the last three games winning twice. He made 31 saves last night. Does Capuano stick with him or go back to Jaroslav Halak? Considering they have played better in front of Greiss, maybe they should keep him in. It is the second meeting versus Washington. Greiss got the second game of the season making 26 stops in a 2-1 loss on Oct. 15.

So, can they make it three in a row and beat two of the best teams in the East? We shall see.

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Game 23: Rangers blanked at home by stingy Senators 2-0

Posted on November 28, 2016 by Derek
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The Senators congratulate goalie Craig Anderson on a 33-save shutout in a 2-0 win over the suddenly slumping Rangers who fell to 0-3-1 in their last four at MSG. AP Photo via Getty Images courtesy Ottawa Senators. 

On paper, the Senators aren’t overly impressive. Especially given the new defensive style they play under new coach Guy Boucher. They entered last night’s contest with just 49 goals scored despite talented players Mike Hoffman, Mark Stone, Bobby Ryan and newcomer Derick Brassard. Only captain Erik Karlsson and top pivot Kyle Turris have scored consistently.

With Boucher emphasizing team defense, the run and gun days of the Sens are over. They no longer play an exciting style. But rather a similar one to the old Devils and the Tortorella Rangers. They sit back in the neutral zone and pounce on mistakes. Then use their superior speed to take advantage. That style was very effective in blanking the Rangers 2-0 at MSG on Sunday. The Rangers have suddenly gone 0-3-1 in their last four at home.

Scoring isn’t coming as easy. Especially without Mika Zibanejad and Pavel Buchnevich. The Sens handed them four power plays with some bad penalties. It didn’t matter. The once very good power play no longer is. Minus the big right-handed shot of Zibanejad on the off which must be accounted for, they’ve become sadly predictable. With the exception of one man-advantage, they fired blanks or didn’t shoot at all.

Part of the problem is they now have only one righty shot in set up man Derek Stepan. Let’s face it. For a guy who makes $6.5 million, he is very predictable. Refusing to shoot, the top center is too unselfish and forces passes. Against a well schooled defensive unit, that won’t work. Would it kill Stepan to at least look shot occasionally just to keep opposing penalty kill units honest?

With Alain Vigneault refusing to play Adam Clendening, there is no other viable righty shot on the power play. It feels like ages ago when Clendening got off to a good start contributing two assists in five games while moving the puck effectively out of the zone because he can skate. Something Kevin Klein can longer do. I don’t count the sixth game Clendening was inserted in because Vigneault didn’t give him a shift.

As for Klein, his issues are becoming a normality. For as much as people killed Dan Girardi and at times Marc Staal last year, that’s how badly Klein is struggling. Let’s first give credit to him for being a good Ranger. He’s been a stand up guy who over performed in Vigneault’s system- putting up identical 9-17-26 seasons in the last two with a combined plus-40. The 31-year old has been a good performer here since being acquired from Nashville for Michael Del Zotto. He is a solid penalty killer who is willing to get dirty blocking shots when called upon.

It’s just that this year, it’s gone badly for him. Against faster and more skilled opponents, Klein’s lack of foot speed has been an issue. He’s looked slower this year. That includes teeing up shots. Something he used to do better and get through. On one occasion yesterday, he took way too long and it was blocked. Where he’s really been hurt is defensively. He’s been victimized much more than I can remember.

Take Ottawa’s first goal scored by Jean-Gabriel Pageau 1:54 into the second period of a scoreless game. On the play which was started behind the net by Zach Smith, Brady Skjei was helping down low to take Smith. Instead of staying with Pageau in front, Klein went down allowing Tom Pyatt to center for a wide open Pageau for a lay-up past Antti Raanta. All Klein had to do was stay on his feet and take Pageau. He didn’t and it resulted in a goal against that was preventable.

The Rangers are the least penalized team in the league. They didn’t take a single penalty against the Flyers on Friday. Staal got nabbed for high-sticking with over five minutes remaining in the second. It wasn’t even his fault as Hoffman lifted his stick into teammate Chris Wideman. Funny how that gets called while more blatant stuff doesn’t. Ottawa took advantage when Stone finished off a Hoffman feed for a two-goal lead with 3:49 left.

The second one was an accident. Ref Frederick L’Ecuyer accidentally got in the way of a Nick Holden clear attempt. The unfortunate incident allowed the Sens to regain control of the puck in the zone. Hoffman picked it up and drew Klein, who forgot about the dangerous Stone who was left by his lonesome to use his quick hands to beat Raanta for his sixth. This one never should’ve happened. L’Ecuyer got hit by Holden’s clear which changed the play. But Klein still was in the wrong spot.

Basically, that’s how it’s gone for him. He just hasn’t been the same player since that injury last Spring. The thing is it was his hand. His skating hasn’t been as fluid. A once dependable top four defenseman who Vigneault sometimes moved up to the top pair to play with Ryan McDonagh has suddenly become the weakest link. At this point, it wouldn’t hurt for Vigneault to have Klein sit a game out and watch from the press box. Sometimes, that can help. But the coach’s stubborn approach and loyalty will probably mean he continues to give Klein as many chances as Girardi got last year.

Where does that leave Clendening? Wasting away just as Dylan McIlrath did after a effective rookie year. Remember. This is the player the organization chose over McIlrath. He’s the same age and he’s just sitting out game after game. Have you seen the power play lately? Their latest 0-for makes them 1 for their last 13. It’s not a coincidence with both Zibanejad and Buchnevich out.

When you have pass first guys like Stepan and Mats Zuccarello, who also has cooled considerably since his good start, it doesn’t leave many options. Chris Kreider also hasn’t been as consistent since his neck spasms which is worrisome. Vigneault had way too many lefty shots on the man-advantage. Ottawa did a good job taking away the shooting lanes. Something Stepan alluded to in the post game.

Aside from a good first in which they peppered Anderson with 13 shots forcing him to make several great saves including a mind boggling pad stop on Brandon Pirri point blank, they were outplayed and out-executed. You could also hint to being out-coached. Boucher’s patient defensive style took away the Rangers’ transition causing turnovers. They totaled 20 shots including an unlucky 13 in the third. But Anderson was able to see most. Credit his defense who were committed fully. Even the loathsome Dion Phaneuf, who mixed it up with Jimmy Vesey.

One thing I didn’t get were Vigneault’s lines. Jesper Fast is a nice two-way player who hustles every shift. But the notion that he’s a top six player with a couple of our guys out is ludicrous. What was he doing with Stepan and Kreider? And why was Vesey on the fourth line? Vigneault did try some different combos in the third when behind. But if he wanted to get back in it, he should’ve loaded up going Stepan, Kreider and Rick Nash. I also would’ve reunited J.T. Miller with Kevin Hayes and Michael Grabner. Pirri could’ve centered Vesey and Zuccarello which would’ve left Josh Jooris with Fast and Matt Puempel.

Sometimes, Vigneault’s in game adjustments leave something to be desired. The Rangers continued to play into Ottawa’s hands by carrying the puck and forcing passes that weren’t there. The did try some dump and chase in the third. But Ottawa’s D was back quickly with the very fast and supremely skilled Karlsson leading the transition. He really is an amazing skater.Marc Methot, Cody Ceci and even Mark Borowiecki had solid nights as did Phaneuf.

In truth, there’s a reason the Senators are now up to 14-7-1 with 29 points putting them second behind the Canadiens. They are executing Boucher’s system which has hindered the scoring of Brassard, who still got a warm reception from MSG during a stoppage. Even though some of their key guys aren’t scoring as frequently, they are still adjusting. I’m in agreement with Joe Micheletti, who said eventually, the scoring will increase. If it does, then Ottawa could be one of the bigger surprises.

Considering that their win came on a historic night where the Ottawa Redblacks won their first Grey Cup in 50 years, things are looking up in Ottawa.

As for the Rangers, there definitely are some issues that need correcting. They’re going to find themselves in more of these tight checking games next Spring. They have yet to figure out a way to win them. They can’t become too predictable. If they do, it’s either Pittsburgh or Washington waiting for them. Hell. Even Columbus can’t be discounted.

A final thought. We learned that the Panthers suddenly fired coach Gerard Gallant. TSN’s Nick Kypreos broke the story on Twitter during the third period. It’s absolutely astonishing that the Panthers fired Gallant, who led them to a division title in ’15-16 and was up for the Jack Adams. They haven’t been totally healthy with top center Jonathan Huberdeau still out. Nick Bjugstad just returned.

Florida made some changes in the off-season bringing in Keith Yandle and Jason Demers. The idea that Gallant was doing a bad job with a team that hasn’t been totally healthy is absurd. Jaromir Jagr hasn’t scored much. Neither has talented Aleksander Barkov. Outside of Jonathan Marchessault (10-7-17), their top players haven’t scored as much. Reilly Smith’s scoring is down. It is true they blew a 2-0 lead in a 3-2 loss to Carolina. But they were still 11-10-1 with 22 points which is hardly bad considering the injuries.

If it really is true that they left Gallant to get a taxi back to the hotel, that is cruel. He and one of his assistant coaches were let go in excruciating fashion. Think what the Mets did to Willie Randolph in San Diego. Eerily similar. Most surprising is new GM Tom Rowe will take over behind the bench. He used to coach the AHL farm team and has experience coaching Lokomotiv of the KHL. He moved upstairs to be an associate GM before taking over for Dale Tallon.

The odd way this occurred hasn’t sat well with NHL insiders. Not has it with people close to the situation. Obviously, it’s disappointing. This story will be interesting to follow.

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Turkey week recap: Where’s the D?

Posted on November 27, 2016 by hasan4978

If you’ve watched the Devils the last number of years, you wouldn’t recognize the team that took the ice this week.  Historically tight defensively with problems offensively, and usually very crisp in playing their system – this week the Devils turned all those tenets on their ear.  Offensively, the Devils have scored eleven goals in their last three games which is a downright bushelful, especially considering the team’s still missing their best offensive player in Taylor Hall.  Defensively however, the Devils have given up four goals in each of their last four games and in a couple of them they could have easily given up more.  While their defensive struggles aren’t a complete surprise and they’ve given up an alarming total of 155 shots on net in those last four games, they’ve also been hurt by an ill-timed Cory Schneider slump.  At times early on you could tell Cory and backup Keith Kinkaid were papering up the defensive ills but with Cory giving up bad goals in each of his last few starts, the avalanche is starting to fall down on the team.

Even with Cory having his worst stretch as a Devil and the team losing five of six, the Devils have still managed to pick up four of a possible six points in the last three games.  This week is clearly a test of whether you’re a half full or half empty fan.  There are certainly valid reasons for both viewpoints.  So let’s start with the good news – as of this morning the Devils still sit in a playoff spot and nearly everyone has come back with even Hall ahead of schedule in his injury rehab starting to skate.  It’s at least a different team now than the one that acted like they felt sorry for themselves Tuesday in San Jose with a listless, non-competitive 4-0 loss that completed an embarassing o-fer in California.  Sure they still had Mike Cammalleri, Kyle Palmieri and Yohann Auvitu out and were talent-challenged against the defending Western Conference champs, but the effort level in both San Jose and Los Angeles last weekend was alarmingly low.

With Cammalleri and Auvitu back for the Thanksgiving eve tilt against the Leafs back at the Rock, there was hope that the reinforcements and home cooking would get the Devils out of their malaise but they started the first twenty minutes like they were still on the West Coast.  Mistake after mistake punctuated the first period and gave a hint of what was to come for the rest of this week.  Predictably, super rookie Auston Matthews ended his 13-game goal drought against us with not only one but two first-period goals as the Leafs put the hammer down to the tune of 3-0 and the fans serenaded the team with well-deserved boos off the ice.  However if there’s one team that’s actually worse than the Devils at holding a lead, it’s the Leafs.  Within the first five and a half minutes of the second, a previously dormant team thundered to life as the Devils pounded home three goals to tie the game just like that.

Cammalleri, who had just returned from his 5-year old daughter’s scary bout with pneumonia, was already on his way to player of the game honors and it was he that started the comeback with a perfect feed to Travis Zajac for the first goal after just thirty-two seconds.  It took a bit of luck for the Devils to get their second goal, and finally break an 0-29 power play skid with a Cammalleri shot bounced off Devante Smith-Pelly‘s rear end and right to a wide-open Beau Bennett.  Even Bennett couldn’t screw up that empty-net chance, and he put it home for his first goal as a Devil.  After taking a supporting role on the first two goals, Cammalleri himself scored goal number three on a rebound.  Unfortunately once the Devils tied the game they took the thrust off and again the Leafs surged.  Of all people it was ex-Isle grunt man Matt Martin who gave them back the lead just minutes later, putting a weak shot on net off a two-on-one that Schneider unfathomably gave up a rebound on, and then tapping home the second chance attempt.

Still down 4-3 despite the goal surge, this looked like it was going to be a frustrating near-miss and a fourth straight loss.  However, their play and level of urgency when behind in this game far surpassed their play when the game was tied and the pressure eventually led to another game-tying goal, this one from Auvitu – himself making a return from injury.  From there the Devils were fortunate not to fall behind again, and amazingly it seemed at times as if coach John Hynes was playing for the shootout in OT.  And by playing for the shootout I mean throwing out one forward and two defensemen (one of them being plodder Ben Lovejoy) out for an offensive-zone faceoff.  Whatever Hynes’ motivation for that particular gambit, in this case playing for the shootout did work as Cory followed up his shaky regulation play – including some comical near-miss mistakes with puckhandling – with a solid three for three in stops, and specialist Jacob Josefson got the only goal the team needed in this skills competition for an exciting home win.

Really each of the last three games could have deserved its own lengthy recap but it’s my blog and I’d rather talk about the win than the two OT/SO losses.  However, we do have to get to the glass half-empty portion of this week and the fact the Toronto game was our only win in the last six.  Arguably the Devils were outplayed both against the Red Wings on Friday and at Pittsburgh last night.  Certainly last night they were outshot by a wide margin.  Yet they had chances to win both games that were squandered.  Friday’s game was more annoying for a number of reasons, one being that while I’m expecting the Pens to make the playoffs anyway, Detroit may well be a team we have to fight to get a wild card spot.  Not to mention the game itself had a number of hair-pulling moments.  Despite getting an early lead from a John Moore blast off a well-timed feed from Zajac, the Devils were horribly outplayed in the first twenty-five minutes, even more than in the Toronto fiasco.  Another ex-Islander came back to bite us, with Frans Nielsen scoring twice in the first period (sidenote: you think the last-place Isles don’t miss guys like Nielsen and Martin?).  Nielsen’s first came at a pivotal moment where the Devils led 1-0 and had a four-minute power play to work with.  However a comically bad play by Damon Severson in front of his own net led to a Nielsen shorthanded goal that provided insult to the injury of not even getting quality chances with the four-minute man advantage.

Still down 2-1 and not even getting chances against Wings backup Petr Mrazek (pressed into service after Jimmy Howard departed with a groin injury), the Devils somehow tied the game, then took the lead against the run of play in the second period.  Cammalleri first tied the game with a dominant shift that led to some well-deserved luck with a deflection goal off a Wings defender.  Another fortunate deflection helped give the Devils the lead a couple minutes later when a Bennett feed deflected off a stick and bounced right to a wide-open Pavel Zacha in front, who took advantage scoring just his second goal of the season.  For a time the Devils looked crisp and in command again, and late in the second period they nearly had a fourth goal in an annoying sequence that proved decisive.  First Zajac had a wide open net and somehow, someway could not score when a desperation leg thrust kept the puck out, then at the other end a Gustav Nyquist feed deflected right to Dylan Larkin for a bang-bang wrister in front that beat Cory with just 1.2 seconds remaining to tie the game.

Perhaps still thinking about that goal early in the third, Cory gave up another horrendous one to Anthony Mantha just 43 seconds into the period on a wrister from the faceoff circle that beat Schneider longside.  Honestly their resilience in the third coming back from that devastating sequence that lasted a minute of icetime kind of impressed me and eventually it was Adam Henrique of all people who salvaged a terrible game by deflecting a puck past Mrazek with just over five minutes left.  Even salvaging that one point, the team needed to overcome some late drama with a Palmieri penaly that led to a late power play which extended to OT.  Although the Devils killed that penalty, they were not able to gain a stoppage in OT to turn the 4-on-4 back into a 3-on-3 and play went on for over three minutes with an old-fashioned 4-on-4 OT.  Just seconds after a clear goaltender interference on Schneider was missed, Mike Green fired his patented bomb past Cory and the Devils went down to defeat in OT.  Each of the last two games felt like it had enough action for four.

I wasn’t expecting any kind of a result out of last night and normally being outshot 49-30 against the mighty Penguins would spell disaster, especially with them having five power play chances and us just two.  Yet Kinkaid stood on his head and gave the team a chance to win up 3-2 late in the third, before an annoying sequence where Cammalleri of all people (he’d already scored twice, and had four goals and four assists in his three games back) just missed a turnaround attempt at an empty net inside the offensive zone, and at the other end the team collapsed in the crease trying to gain control of a loose puck and forgot about the best player in the world standing to the side of the net.  Predictably the puck did come to Sidney Crosby, who scored the tying goal with a mere fourteen seconds remaining.  For some reason again it seemed as if Hynes was content to play for a shootout, even more baffling given the fact he put out an odd eleven forward, seven defensemen lineup that didn’t include Wednesday’s shootout hero (Josefson).  You could smell the second-guessing all the way from Pittsburgh when last night did get to a shootout and the team fired blanks with Zajac – who’s usually bad in the skills competition – taking the failed final attempt.

After such a wild week, the Devils have more crucial games coming up with road tilts in Winnipeg, Chicago and Nashville from Tuesday-Saturday.  Eight of the next ten overall are on the road and given how the team’s played away from the Rock this season that’s probably not a good thing.  At home the Devils are 7-0-2, while on the road they’re just 3-6-3.  They’re not going to win consistently anywhere though if they don’t start to keep the shots against down to reasonable numbers, and if their best players don’t start playing like their best players (re: Cory, Palmieri, Henrique).

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Game 22: Lundqvist’s 40 saves allows Rangers to hold onto 3-2 win over Flyers

Posted on November 26, 2016 by Derek

Sometimes, all it takes to win in this league is a hot goalie. For the Rangers, they got exactly what they needed in a close to the vest 3-2 win over the Flyers in the NBC feature game on Black Friday.

Henrik Lundqvist made a season high 40 saves to lead the Blueshirts to an important bounce back win in the City of Brotherly Love. They built a three-goal lead after two periods before the Flyers started their comeback.

In a seesaw first period that saw Lundqvist stop all 11 Flyer shots, it was the opportunistic Rangers who soared ahead thanks to tallies from Derek Stepan (4th) and newcomer Matt Puempel.

Prior to the offense, there actually were some fireworks. Brandon Pirri picked up a boarding minor which resulted in Flyer rookie Travis Konecny challenging him to a fight. It was the first scrap for the Rangers in Game 22 of 82. Let’s just say the tough Flyer first-year player can handle himself. However, Konecny’s instigator negated a Flyer power play. A crucial part with Philly ranking second on the man-advantage.

A few minutes later, J.T. Miller fed Stepan from behind the net for a lay-up. It didn’t take long for Puempel to make an impact. Making his Rangers debut in place of Oscar Lindberg, he took a nice lead backhand pass from rookie Jimmy Vesey and beat Steve Mason 1:34 later for his first as a Blueshirt. That increased the lead to 2-0. I’ve dubbed him Puempernickel. He definitely is a shoot first forward with a scorer’s touch. Hopefully, it works out better than Ottawa.

Before the period concluded, Chris Kreider got into it with Flyer defenseman Brandon Manning. After he delivered a clean hit on Manning against the boards, Manning did the right thing and dropped the gloves. Kreider obliged and got the decision with a big left that knocked Manning down.

Kevin Hayes scored the lone goal in the second to put the Rangers ahead 3-zip. He finished off his 10th from Nick Holden at 12:33. The third-year center continues his big turnaround season. The goal gave him 100 career NHL points.

Interestingly, there were no penalties called after the first. The Rangers chose to sit back in the third. It almost proved costly. The Flyers mounted a comeback by peppering Lundqvist with 21 shots. He was tested early and often. His 19 saves were the biggest reason his team came out victorious.

Chris Vandevelde got the comeback started when he was able to deflect a Andrew MacDonald pass off his skate cutting the deficit to 3-1 at 1:34 of the third. The goal was reviewed but upheld due to no distinct kicking motion. Here’s how it looked:

Lundqvist made a lot of big stops to keep his team up two. With under three minutes remaining in regulation, the Flyers pulled Mason for an extra attacker. Shayne Gostisbehere was able to beat Lundqvist through traffic to make it a one-goal contest with 2:04 remaining.

Considering that I had gone from reaching an agreement on a new car with Honda to working a six-hour shift, I had that “Uh oh” reaction when I saw that Gostisbehere had scored. It didn’t take a brain surgeon to figure out that the Rangers were holding on for dear life.

According to those who watched, they crowded the net and allowed Gostisbehere and teammates to fire away from the point. It led to five shots and one goal. Fortunately, they were able to get the win despite being outshot 42-23. The difference being Lundqvist, who some cynics have written off. Amazing how ridiculous our fans are.

Teammates congratulate Henrik Lundqvist following a season high 40 saves that bailed the Rangers out in a 3-2 win over the Flyers on Black Friday. AP Photo via Getty Images courtesy NYRangers.

Teammates congratulate Henrik Lundqvist following a season high 40 saves that bailed the Rangers out in a 3-2 win over the Flyers on Black Friday. AP Photo via Getty Images courtesy NYRangers.

Here was some postgame reaction from Stepan on Lundqvist and being able to cash in on their chances:

Here’s my takeaway:

There are going to be games where this team isn’t at their best. Clearly, they were embarrassed by the Turkey Eve showing where the Pens outclassed them. Today, for two periods they buried their chances and were only six shots down (21-15) before the predictable Flyers onslaught.

The Rangers have played a lot of hockey. This was their 22nd game and the fourth over six days. They have been very busy lately. So, it wasn’t how you draw it up. What’s important is that Lundqvist got them the win. He is still capable of stealing games. The defense also blocked 27 shots. So, the team certainly sacrificed for the cause.

Obviously, they’re falling into a bad trend where they’re playing too much in their end. That needs to change. The defense isn’t great. Everyone knows it. Opponents will continue to try to exploit it with a ferocious forecheck and by finishing checks on our D. Particularly Marc Staal, Nick Holden and Dan Girardi, who aren’t the fleetest of foot. Neither is Kevin Klein. At some point, Alain Vigneault needs to get Adam Clendening back in and rest either Girardi or Klein. He’s a younger righty skating D who can help get the puck out and play power play.

Speaking of which, they were handed an early double minor when Dale Weise high sticked Holden 17 seconds in. The power play hasn’t been as effective minus Mika Zibanejad and Pavel Buchnevich. Losing Zibanejad’s powerful right-handed shot from the off wing hurts big time. He always had to be accounted for due to his one-timer and top heavy shot which opened up passing lanes and rebounds down low. Buchnevich brought plenty of skill on the opposite side. It’s hard to replace what each brought.

Looking at the stat sheet, the teams combined for 67 hits with the Rangers holding a 37-30 edge. You don’t expect pint sized Mats Zuccarello to be your leading hitter with half a dozen. But also, hits increase when you are pinned in your end. Zuccarello was on for two goals against. He’s not the best defensive player. He competes as hard as anyone. But you want him on the attack in the offensive zone. Not defending.

It seems that when Josh Jooris plays in a fourth line role, he does something to stay in the lineup. He started the play that led to Vesey setting up Puempel’s first as a Blueshirt. Similar to Lindberg, the former Flame is only getting even strength time receiving 9:21 in 19 shifts. However, he’s making the most out of it which is why he stays in the lineup and Lindberg doesn’t. It really is a shame about Oscar. But he looks like he’s on the outs.

Stepan played one of his better games netting his fourth from Miller while attempting six shots in 29 shifts (19:52). He also won 13-of-22 faceoffs. Without Zibanejad, they need him to be that guy.

Even though he had an assist, Wayne Simmonds was limited to one shot. A big win considering how he usually dominates the front of the net against us. Somewhat curiously, Michael Del Zotto was a healthy scratch for a third straight game. I don’t see how that’s possible given the Flyers blue line. You’re gonna tell me MDZ isn’t a top six defenseman over MacDonald? Odd.

The Flyers are still without Michael Neuvirth. Anthony Stolarz continues to back up Mason, who took the loss with 20 saves. In what’s been an unusual schedule, the Rangers don’t see the Flyers again until Jan. 4, 2017 at Wells Fargo. The Flyers visit MSG Jan. 25. The fourth and final meeting isn’t until Apr. 2 at 33rd and 7th.

What would you expect from the schedule makers where the Hurricanes visit the Rangers twice on within a four-day span on Nov. 29 and Dec. 3 to complete the season series?Carolina took the first one in Carolina 3-2 on Oct. 28. They’ll be done with them before finally seeing the train wreck that is the Islanders on Dec. 6 in Brooklyn. They’ll also finally play the Devils twice with the first one at MSG 12/11 and the second meeting also on Broadway exactly a week later on 12/18.

The Rangers next play the Senators on Sunday night at home. Craig Anderson is having an inspiring season with his wife battling cancer. They’ve played better winning the last two by scoring four times in a win over Montreal and three more in a home win over Boston. Old friend Derick Brassard makes his MSG return. He’s off to a slow start with three goals and six assists. He is centering talented wingers Mike Hoffman and Mark Stone. None have really lit it up except for two-time Norris winner and captain Erik Karlsson, who leads them in scoring with 16 points (4-12-16). Kyle Turris paces them with nine goals. In 15 starts, Anderson has 10 victories with a 2.23 goals-against-average, .929 save percentage and two shutouts.

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Video of Day: McDonagh hit on Sheary, Crosby response

Posted on November 24, 2016 by Derek
Sidney Crosby ragdolls Ryan McDonagh in response to the Ranger captain's hit from behind on Connor Sheary. AP Photo via Getty Images courtesy Yahoo

Sidney Crosby ragdolls Ryan McDonagh in response to the Ranger captain’s hit from behind on Connor Sheary. AP Photo via Getty Images courtesy Yahoo

During last night’s game, Ryan McDonagh shoved Connor Sheary from behind boarding him for a major penalty. Sheary’s teammate and captain Sidney Crosby had a strong response jumping McDonagh right away before his teammates and the refs came in.

In the video below, we get a clear view of McDonagh catching Sheary in a prone position a couple of feet from the boards. He gives him a shove sending Sheary down. Crosby does the right thing going after McDonagh. Even though I wish he would’ve challenged McDonagh, I understand why he did what he did.

Let me put it this way. If it were Mark Messier, what do you think he would’ve done? He got away with plenty of elbows and other stuff when he starred for the Rangers. One other thing. The Captain was Canadian. So is Crosby. Both are ornery. Crosby obviously supremely skilled. Messier was too but played more of a power forward game intimidating opponents while leading by example. Honestly, they’re not all that different.

Afterwards, here were both McDonagh and Crosby on what happened.

“It was a big hit. [Crosby] is standing up for his team. Anyone on our team would do the same,” McDonagh told Sean Hartnett.

Here was Crosby’s response:

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Game Review: Penguins gobble up Rangers 6-1 on Turkey Eve

Posted on November 24, 2016 by Derek
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Sidney Crosby celebrates one of his two goals in a dominant Pens’ 6-1 win over Henrik Lundqvist and the Rangers on Turkey Eve. The teams split the home-and-home series. AP Photo via Getty Images courtesy Sportsnet.

There are nights you would like to forget. Wednesday was one of them for the Rangers and their fans. In all honesty, I didn’t expect too much from the rematch with the Penguins. I figured the home-and-home series would be a split. After they took care of business in Pittsburgh, it was the Pens’ turn. Sidney Crosby and the defending champs turned the tables by gobbling up the Rangers 6-1 on Turkey Eve.

I’ll also be honest about one other thing. I didn’t see the massacre. I was busy working and talking to customers. Some more annoying than others. Your usual shift at the office. Doing customer service is probably the most thankless job. So, if the Rangers couldn’t be bothered to play the second and third period against a team that humiliated them last Spring, why should I care? They’re the ones who at one point gave up 20 consecutive shots and went a ridiculous long stretch without one. For that, they were booed.

Personally, I don’t believe in booing. I believe silence is better. Or leaving early which my family did. They were gone by the 11-minute mark of the third. Could you blame them? After allowing five goals in a lopsided second, the Rangers didn’t bother to show. They continued to get dominated and go without a shot. At least show something.

The irony is I followed the game with Twitter updates. The first period sounded like they played well. Rick Nash scored his ninth from Chris Kreider and Mats Zuccarello on a power play and they killed off a Ryan McDonagh boarding major that turned into three minutes due to Crosby jumping him after he shoved Connor Sheary from behind. More on that later.

It’s odd the way a game can change. Especially in hockey. Momentum can shift quickly. The Pens woke up and took apart the Rangers with a dominant second outscoring them 5-0. At one point, they scored four goals on seven shots chasing Henrik Lundqvist again at MSG. He must’ve felt like  he was having flashbacks of that forgettable first round.

To hear my brother and Dad sum it up, everyone was terrible. It was a total team effort. Scott Wilson rebounded a Phil Kessel shot home to tie it at 2:02. Crosby put the Pens ahead for good 2:56 later when he got his stick on an Ian Cole shot redirecting it by Lundqvist. Kessel and Crosby would score 2:45 apart in the middle of the stanza to send Lundqvist to the exits for Antti Raanta.

I guess Crosby wasn’t about to have another off night. He went without a point and was minus-four in Monday’s 5-2 loss. He’s too great a player. Right now, no one even comes close to the Pittsburgh captain who’s won every significant trophy. With two goals and an assist on Sheary’s goal that greeted Raanta, Crosby is now up to 14 goals and 19 points in 14 games. Connor McDavid may lead the NHL in scoring with 27 points (9-18-27) but when it’s all set and done, Crosby will probably catch and pass him.

He’s back to playing we saw when he had 32 goals and and 34 assists for 66 points in half a season back in ’10-11 before a concussion ended it. There’s no telling what he  would’ve wound up with had he stayed healthy. It took a while for him to get all the way back. But at 29, you can safely say he’s back to being the game’s best player. A dominant force.

It doesn’t mean that I have to like him. There was plenty of fuss over McDonagh boarding Sheary with our side wondering why it was a major penalty. From the replays I saw online, I definitely didn’t agree either. My Dad felt it was a four-minute penalty. I thought it could’ve even been two. Regardless, it’s good that Sheary was okay and scored. Of course, he did.

As far as Crosby’s response in which he jumped McDonagh before he could even get up, it was gutless. I get the fact he was defending a teammate. That part is honorable. He is the Pens’ unquestioned leader. But how many times do we have to see an angry Crosby mug guys? It’s unacceptable. If he wanted to fight McDonagh, then let him get up and challenge him. Be a man. That he only got two minutes for that nonsense was typical. There’s nothing else to say.

Predictably, Matt Cullen got into the act adding further insult to injury for the final score after my family left. When it was over, the Pens had outshot the Rangers 38-17. The Rangers remained stuck on 13 shots for a long time. When they finally got a couple of shots on Murray, the got mock cheers from the crowd.

The difference between last Spring and yesterday is no Ranger wanted to write it off.

“Hopefully, everyone holds themselves accountable,” McDonagh told MSG’s John Giannone in the locker room. “If you’re happy or satisfied with whatever you did out there tonight, it’s not where we want to be.”

“We haven’t had many likes games like this for sure and I certainly have confidence in our group that it’s gonna help everybody get back on the same page and certainly it’s good that we get a quick turn around against a divisional opponent [Flyers] on a big stage.”

The Ranger captain brushed away what happened with Crosby. He called it, “part of the game,” while mentioning that maybe it fired up the Pens because of the way they responded. But was sure to note that it shouldn’t be a reason for why they played the way they did.

“We have a Friday afternoon game and right now our response as a team is very important,” coach Alain Vigneault told the media while expressing disappointment after a strong first period.

He had no explanation for why they fell apart and let the game get away. But one thing McDonagh mentioned is they turned pucks over more and that made it easier for the Pens to transition with their speed game.

How bad was it? Fifteen Pittsburgh skaters finished with a plus-rating totaling plus-30 due to all six of their goals coming at even strength. Sixteen Rangers were a minus with only Nash and Michael Grabner not victimized for a goal against.

There was one extended shift where the Derek Stepan line with Brady Skjei and Kevin Klein couldn’t get out of their end. The Pens played keep away which led to some of our skaters being stuck out for over two minutes before Pittsburgh scored.

Even in a game they got blown out in, Oscar Lindberg played only 9:31. During the Rangers team practice this morning, he was replaced by Matt Puempel, who skated with Josh Jooris and Jesper Fast on the fourth line. It looks like the former Ottawa 2012 first round pick will make his Rangers debut on Black Friday against the Flyers.

How lopsided was it? The Pens out-attempted the Rangers 71-43. The next meeting is Dec. 20 in Pittsburgh.

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A busy Turkey Eve for Rangers, Devils, Sabres and Islanders

Posted on November 23, 2016 by Derek

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With Thanksgiving tomorrow in the States, it’s a usual busy night on Turkey Eve. Twelve games are on tap tonight. That includes the Rangers, Devils, Sabres and Islanders all in action.

The first three all go off at 7 PM. That includes a home-and-home rematch with the Rangers hosting the Penguins at MSG. Sidney Crosby (12 goals) looks to rebound from a rare off night. He went minus-four without a point in the Pens’ 5-2 loss to the Rangers on Monday. The Rangers scored five unanswered including a three-goal second highlighted by J.T. Miller’s shorthanded goal with 49 seconds left. Antti Raanta recovered from an early bad goal to pick up the win. Henrik Lundqvist gets the call tonight.

The Devils are finally back home to host Auston Matthews and the Maple Leafs. Toronto is playing its second consecutive game after falling to the suddenly red hot Hurricanes- winners of five straight with Cam Ward turning back the clock. The Leafs lost 2-1 to fall to 8-8-3. They have been competitive despite Matthews being in a scoring slump. He has been stuck on six goals for quite a while. He is 6-7-13. Rookie Mitch Marner has outshone him scoring seven times with nine assists and a team best three game-winners. A very shifty skater with great hands, keep an eye on the 19-year old forward. James van Riemsdyk has been hot of late with a hat trick recently. JVR leads the Leafs with 17 points (8-9-17). They also feature William Nylander (6-8-14), Nazem Kadri (7-7-14), Morgan Rielly (10 assists) and Jake Gardiner (4-5-9). Frederik Andersen is the starter.

For the Devs, losers of three straight all in California, they want to rebound at The Rock and go into the holiday on a more positive note. It’s been tough lately with both Cory Schneider and Keith Kinkaid unable to prevent the Kings, Ducks and Sharks from scoring. They got beat late by Anaheim and were no match for San Jose getting shutout 4-0. They were done in by an early shorthanded goal followed by another goal which set the tone. Without top scorer Taylor Hall (5-7-12) who remains out until next month, scoring has been hard to come by. P.A. Parenteau is stuck on five goals and Adam Henrique is off to a disappointing start with only three markers and five helpers. Kyle Pamieri is also out with an injury. They do get Mike Cammalleri back. He had a family emergency with his daughter suffering from pneumonia. She was hospitalized and needed surgery. Thankfully, everything is okay. Cammalleri skated this morning. Yohann Auvitu returns on the blue line with Jon Merrill a healthy scratch. The Devils will want to succeed on a power play that’s gone 0 for its last 29 over the past nine games.

The Sabres host the Red Wings. Buffalo has been more competitive lately. They had back-to-back wins including an impressive 2-1 shootout victory over the Pens at home. In that one, the three-on-three overtime was priceless with both Marc-Andre Fleury and Buffalo backup Anders Nilsson making ridiculous saves. Nilsson stopped Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang in succession to give them the win. Cal O’Reilly beat Fleury for the winner. Matt Moulson has been rejuvenated with ex-Isles line mate Kyle Okposo. Moulson is up to seven goals which leads the team with most of it on the power play. It just goes to show how foolish the Islanders were letting Okposo go. He leads Buffalo in scoring with 12 points (6-6-12). Being that they don’t score much, they could use more from Sam Reinhart. He’s 3-6-9 thus far. Ditto for Evander Kane, who’s without a goal in eight games with two helpers. His name has been rumored on the block. Vancouver turned Buffalo down due to the high demand.

Buffalo will get back key scorer Ryan O’Reilly. He’s a huge key with nine points (4-5-9) in 13 games. They definitely missed him. He plays all situations and can be counted on. Ditto for offensive defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen, who leads the Sabres in assists (9). Robin Lehner has performed well as the starter and Nilsson has been a pleasant surprise.

The Red Wings are struggling lately. After starting off well, they have dropped four in a row and are last in the Atlantic with an 8-10-1 record. They finally got back key scorer and former Sabre Thomas Vanek. He went 4-4-8 in the first seven games before going down. With Henrik Zetterberg and Gustav Nyquist sharing the team lead with 3-9-12 apiece, the Wings don’t score much. Tomas Tatar is only 3-4-7 and Frans Nielsen is 3-5-8. Mike Green has three goals and eight helpers to lead the D. Dylan Larkin is 5-1-6. So, he’s also struggled. Jimmy Howard has been brilliant supplanting Petr Mrazek as Detroit’s number one goalie. If he got goal support, he wouldn’t be 4-5-0 with a 1.85 goals-against-average and .940 save percentage. It’s ironic because this started when he stoned the Rangers at MSG. Howard has kept it up.

The Islanders are the final game on the schedule visiting the Kings, who have gotten surprisingly good play out of veteran netminder Peter Budaj. He’s won 10 games with a 2.11 GAA and .916 save percentage- even beating Schneider. The Kings have injuries with Anze Kopitar out and of course Jonathan Quick. Jeff Carter has been doing his part scoring a team high nine goals with 17 points. Alec Martinez has 3-9-12 to lead a strong blue line featuring Norris winner Drew Doughty (3-6-9). They get contributions throughout the lineup with the ever dangerous shorthanded threat Tyler Toffoli 5-8-13 and Tanner Pearson with seven markers. Even Nic Dowd has 10 points (2-8-10). Darryl Sutter deserves a lot of credit. The Kings are 10-9-1 with 21 points. Not bad considering the division is off to a slow start.

The Islanders have been dreadful. But they caught a break finally winning a wild and crazy shootout 3-2 over the Ducks. It went 14 rounds. They tied it up four different times with Thomas Hickey’s goal in Round 12 leading to a lengthy video review. Most observers felt the league got it wrong. However, that didn’t matter to the Isles, who ended a four-game winless streak with Nick Leddy getting the winner as the 28th shooter.

Adam Pelech and Josh Bailey scored the two goals in regulation. Thomas Greiss made 39 huge saves and was the reason they prevailed. John Tavares remains at 5-9-14. Five goals isn’t enough for the captain. There just isn’t much scoring. Brock Nelson has a solid 5-7-12 line while Bailey is 3-7-10. That’s it for double digit scorers. Unless Andrew Ladd figures it out and Ryan Strome becomes more than a one-year wonder who can’t play defensively, they’re doomed.

I would venture to guess Jack Capuano will go back to Greiss following his big showing. We’ll see.

To all who are watching, enjoy the games. A very Happy and Healthy Thanksgiving to everyone out there including contributors Hasan and Pan! Be safe. Enjoy the holiday! 🙂

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Game 20: Strong second period sparks Rangers in comeback 5-2 win over Penguins

Posted on November 21, 2016 by Derek
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It’s Miller Time: J.T. Miller wears the Broadway Hat after his first career shorthanded goal late in the second period helped give the Rangers a nice comeback 5-2 win over the Penguins. AP Photo via Getty Images courtesy NYRangers.

This one was all about character, determination and perseverance as well as resiliency. Facing the defending champion Penguins for the first time since getting dumped out in five games during the first round, these new batch of Rangers showed their mettle in a come from behind 5-2 win at PPG Paints Arena (why is it called that?).

Playing for a second night in a row, it took the Rangers some time to get back in it. Following a disjointed first period that saw them fall behind 2-0 on the first two NHL goals from newest Pen Jake Guentzel, the Blueshirts used a strong second period outscoring Pittsburgh 3-0 to turn it around.

Among the highlights were goals from Rick Nash (first in six), Michael Grabner (tied for league lead with 12 goals) and a backbreaking shorthanded goal from J.T. Miller. In particular, Miller’s goal hurt the Pens, who were put on a power play on a dubious interference call on Brady Skjei. It came with 49 seconds left on kind of a weird play with Kevin Hayes centering the puck off Evgeni Malkin and Miller. I couldn’t even tell how it went in.

This was the kind of bounce back performance the Rangers needed following Sunday’s disappointment in a shootout loss to the Panthers. Plus that forgettable loss at Columbus Friday. Especially in what was the first game minus Mika Zibanejad, who will be out six to eight weeks with a fractured left fibula.

Alain Vigneault shifted Brandon Pirri to center a third line with Miller and Jimmy Vesey. Oscar Lindberg worked with Josh Jooris and Jesper Fast on the fourth line. Hayes centered Chris Kreider and Mats Zuccarello and Derek Stepan anchored Rick Nash and Grabner. The line switches worked. Full credit to the coach who as promised, played everyone.

It didn’t start off well with Guentzel catching Raanta asleep at his near post to score on his first NHL shift for a 1-0 Pens lead 62 seconds in. Phil Kessel, who’s been more playmaker than finisher, picked up the first of two assists. He leads the Pens with 14 helpers. Trevor Daley added a secondary helper.

Even though they fell behind early, the Rangers played the Penguins on even terms. In a speed oriented game, the teams exchanged chances. Marc-Andre Fleury was sharp stopping all 12 shots in the first period. A turnover by Vesey inside the Pittsburgh blue line led directly to a three-on-two odd man rush. On it, Kessel wisely shot low for a rebound with Malkin denied before Guentzel buried the second rebound for goal number two at 13:12.

If there was a turning point, it came a few minutes later. All period, the teams were at each other’s throats. There were battles behind the play and plenty of talking. On one shift, Malkin was taken down by Marc Staal. Near the end of his shift, he was then slashed by Nick Holden before Dan Girardi intercepted him and did similar with the two exchanging whacks. Both went for matching minors to cause a four-on-four with 2:48 left. At the time, I liked it because it showed that the Rangers weren’t going down without a fight. It sent a message. Malkin was a non-factor the rest of the game.

The officiating wasn’t great. You can make the argument they missed one on Staal for his chop on Malkin. But they also missed one on Scott Wilson for boarding. The calls they did make annoyed both teams. Considering what they let go, it was understandable. Before the start of the second, they warned both benches. Prior to the opening draw, Sidney Crosby and Stepan talked trash.

It was that kind of competitive game between two rivals who know each other well. Having met in the playoffs the past three years, it made the game more interesting. Speaking of missed calls, Nash got away with one before scoring his seventh unassisted to cut the deficit to 2-1 at 4:51. He interfered with a Pen but there was no call. He then fired one home to get his team back in it.

The whole period was wild and crazy. With each team playing a fast skating up tempo, there were plenty of rushes and counter attacks. One such play almost resulted in disaster when Crosby came away with a clean strip and broke in two-on-one. But his wicked shot hit the far goalpost keeping it a one-goal contest. A few minutes later, Crosby would go into the box for interference behind the play. Naturally, he and coach Mike Sullivan protested. But it was a valid call.

Even though they didn’t score on the power play, the Rangers generated enough momentum off it to eventually tie the game. In particular, Hayes had some close calls forcing Fleury into a couple of difficult saves. He faced a lot of shots in the second with the Rangers firing 15 on net to the Pens’ nine.

It was actually a mistake by Fleury that led directly to Grabner’s game-tying goal. He got caught in between misplaying a puck in the corner. Ryan McDonagh hustled to the loose puck and sent a nice backhand pass in the slot for an open Grabner, who had Fleury out of position for a sweet backhand finish at 14:23. Astonishingly, Grabner is now tied with Crosby and Winnipeg rookie Patrik Laine for first in goals with a cool dozen. Whatever role Vigneault puts him in, he excels. Amazing.

The game nearly turned again when Skjei was nabbed for a phantom interference. The replay clearly showed two players battling for a loose puck. No wonder Skjei had some words for refs Brad Watson and Tom Kowal. But instead of making the most of it, the Pens made a crucial mistake inside the Ranger blue line. Miller forced a turnover causing a two-on-two rush. With Hayes skating down the right side, he threw the puck in front and got a nice bounce with it first deflecting off a back checking Malkin and then off Miller for his first NHL shorthanded goal at 19:11.

Just like that, the Rangers led after two periods. They earned it. The third period was more defensive by design. They didn’t give the Pens much. Despite Sullivan double shifting Crosby with Matt Cullen and Bryan Rust, the Rangers were more engaged physically and did a better job protecting the net. Raanta also made a couple of nice stops en route to 29 saves.

The Rangers held the Penguins to eight shots. They also didn’t take any silly penalties like they had last night. They stayed disciplined and stuck together. When McDonagh stole the puck at the Pittsburgh blue line and waited patiently before centering off Hayes for his ninth to make it 4-2 with 7:14 left, there was no looking back. Stepan added an excuse me empty netter with 1:23 remaining.

A great response by all 18 skaters and the goalie. Now comes the rematch at MSG on Turkey Eve. It promises to be good.

BONY 3 Stars:

3rd Star-Jake Guentzel, Pens (2 goals in first NHL game, nearly a hat trick, 5 shots, 6 attempts, 4 hits, +1 in 20 shifts-15:38)

2nd Star-Kevin Hayes, NYR (goal-9th, assist-9rh to tie Miller for team lead with 18 points, 6 shots, +2 in 25 shifts-17:28)

1st Star-Ryan McDonagh, NYR (2 assists-12, 13, 4 shots, 2 blocked shots, +5 in 28 shifts-22:54 against the best player in the world)

Notes: Both Chris Kunitz and Patric Hornqvist did not play for the Pens. Kunitz was put on IR today allowing Guentzel to be recalled and make a memorable NHL debut with two goals. Hornqvist remains out with a concussion. … McDonagh and Girardi went a combined plus-nine. … Crosby finished minus-four with two shots and a minor penalty. … Malkin had an assist with two shots, six attempts and a minus-one. … Kessel tallied two assists giving him 14 which lead the Pens. … Four Blueshirts had two point nights including Hayes (1-1-2), McDonagh (2 assists), Grabner (1-1-2) and Nash (1-1-2). … Lindberg took 16 shifts (10:35) all at even strength with two shots, four attempts with two hits. … Faceoffs were in favor of the Rangers 28-26 thanks to good nights from Stepan (9-and-6), Hayes (9-and-7) and Pirri (8-and-7). Nick Bonino went 5-for-8 for the Pens while Crosby lost 13-of-23. … Shot attempts were close with the Pens holding a slight edge 54-50 despite getting outshot 36-31.

… The game was physical with the Rangers finishing with 35 hits to the Pens’ 25. Kevin Klein led the way with five and Miller had four. Guentzel and Wilson each had four. Only three NYR skaters didn’t register a hit. … It’s the Penguins (11-5-3) and Rangers (14-5-1) from The Garden at 7 PM Wednesday on MSG. Interestingly, NBC Sports Network chose the Flyers and Lightning for Rivalry Night over Penguins/Rangers. What would you expect from a confused network.

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Rangers claim Matt Puempel, Buchnevich update

Posted on November 21, 2016 by Derek

Photo by Terry Wilson / OHL Images

Prior to tonight’s faceoff between the first place Rangers and second place Penguins in Pittsburgh, I just wanted to update you on a couple of news items.

Rather than recall someone from Hartford, the Rangers put a claim in for forward Matt Puempel. The 23-year old from Essex, Ontario is in his third year. A former standout for the Kitchener Rangers ironically of the Ontario Hockey League, Puempel once pumped home 35 goals and 12 assists in 51 games for Kitchener in ’12-13.

In 2011, Ottawa made him a first round selection taking him number 24 overall. After scoring 30 once for Binghamton in ’13-14, he spent one more year with the AHL affiliate before getting recalled. He went 2-1-3 in both ’14-15 and ’15-16 in 39 NHL games. This season, he went without a point in 13.

So, the Blueshirts take a gamble and see if Puempel can figure it out. He was a first round pick. But it seems he’s more a shoot first mentality. A lefty shot, he has good speed and came from a good junior hockey program. It’s just whether he’ll become someone who can contribute regularly.

The Rangers got good news on Pavel Buchnevich. The 21-year old Russian underwent an MRI for his back. There was no structural damage. Coach Alain Vigneault revealed that Buchnevich should miss another three weeks. He’ll have to strengthen the core before returning. That’s a lot better than I expected. They definitely miss his skill on the power play.

For tonight’s first of two meetings in a home-and-home series with the Pens, Vigneault has gone with four different lines. They are as follows:

Grabner-Stepan-Nash

Kreider-Hayes-Zuccarello

Vesey-Pirri-Miller

Jooris-Lindberg-Fast

It’s the same D. Not sure I agree since it’s a back-to-back. They already got scored on. Jake Guentzel scored his first career NHL goal. It sounded like a bad goal by backup Antti Raanta. He’s going against Marc-Andre Fleury. Henrik Lundqvist returns for Wednesday’s rematch at MSG.

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Game Review: Panthers defeat Rangers 3-2 in shootout

Posted on November 21, 2016 by Derek
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Chris Kreider battles in front with a Panther in a tough 3-2 shootout loss. All Images and Videos courtesy NYRangers via AP Getty Images.

The Rangers dropped their second in a row falling 3-2 to the Panthers in a shootout at MSG. Rather than do a game recap, I’m just gonna do a quick summary and post some observations on why they were unable to beat a team playing for a second consecutive night.

Chris Kreider started the scoring by netting his first goal since Oct. 17 against the Sharks. Neck spasms cost him six games. So, it took a while for Kreider to find the back of the net. On an absolutely perfect feed from USA buddy Derek Stepan, he faked before snapping a laser past Florida backup James Reimer high to the stick side. Just a wonderful shot by a supremely skilled big man. Marc Staal picked up the secondary assist.

Playing in a back-to-back, the Panthers didn’t have much to offer in the first period. Outshot 14-5, they hung around thanks to the goaltending from Reimer. He made some timely saves to give his team a chance. A turning point came when the Rangers failed to capitalize on a abbreviated 23-second two-man advantage. They lost the special teams battle misfiring on three power plays while allowing a power play goal in four chances.

The Panthers got their legs back in the second period. Playing on more even terms, they were helped out by a slew of Ranger penalties. First, rookie Brady Skjei took a minor for covering up the puck. They described it as concealing the puck. Needless to say, the Ranger penalty kill failed.

Former Ranger Keith Yandle obliged by scoring his first goal as a Panther from Vincent Trocheck and Aleksander Barkov at 14:43. His left point shot went through a perfect screen in front past Henrik Lundqvist. Kevin Klein didn’t do a good enough job taking the man. By the time Lundqvist picked it up, it was too late. Maybe it was appropriate that Yandle would score in his return. He was a good Ranger. That some fools booed him was ridiculous. The guy lasted a year and a half and was never going to re-sign. Fair weather fans.

To make matters worse, Kevin Hayes wildly bumped into Reimer for a needless goalie interference minor with 4:11 left in the period. It was a silly penalty to take. Even though he was bailed out by the penalty kill, Lundqvist had to deal with some tough chances in tight. He really played well after his off night on Friday at Columbus. He made a lot of big saves. None better than twice robbing ageless wonder Jaromir Jagr with the game tied with under 10 minutes left in regulation. Lundqvist wasn’t to blame for tonight finishing with 28 saves.

The Rangers came out well in the third and took the lead thanks to some wizardry from Mats Zuccarello and a fortuitous bounce for Mika Zibanejad. On a strong shift down low, Zuccarello had the presence to center a backhand pass across the goalmouth to Zibanejad, who had the puck go off his skate and in. That made it 2-1 at 1:45. The refs delayed due to a video review to see if it was kicked in. Initially, I wondered if Skjei might have interfered with Reimer. But that wasn’t the case. It was a good goal giving Zibanejad goals in two straight and six points over his last six.

But penalty trouble continued. Right after the goal was announced by MSG PA announcer Joe Tolleson, Skjei took his second minor. Even though they survived another dangerous Florida power play, it really killed the momentum. It was all Panthers afterwards. Using their aggressiveness and speed on the cycle, they really punished Nick Holden, who struggled mightily. He and Staal had a tough night.

As Lundqvist noted following the game on MSG Network, he felt that the Panthers really lifted their game following a nothing first. They won a lot of battles. The scary aspect is they’re still without Jonathan Huberdeau and Nick Bjugstad. Right now, they’re just hanging in there on the brilliant play of Roberto Luongo and for one night at least, Reimer who was sensational making 33 saves.

Their relentlessness resulted in Ekblad tying the game with 12:06 remaining in regulation. On a good forecheck from Trocheck, he took a Jakub Kindl pass across the blueline and let go of a wrist shot that took an unlucky bounce off J.T. Miller past Lundqvist. It was one of those plays MSG analyst Steve Valiquette talks about. To block or not block. If Miller gets out of the way, Lundqvist probably gloves it. Maybe the Rangers win. He didn’t and it took a crazy hop resulting in a 2-2 score.

Brandon Pirri took his own bad penalty when he played baseball by swinging and connecting with the puck and hitting it foul. Initially, the refs weren’t going to call it. But after getting together, they determined that it was delay of game. It resulted in some more pressure from the Panthers. Thankfully, the penalty kill got a couple of key clears to keep the game tied.

Jagr had the game on his stick. On a Dan Girardi turnover, the Stepan line got caught napping. Nobody took a wide open Jagr in the slot. He was 15 feet away and had all day to fire that patented wrist shot. Thankfully, Lundqvist got just enough to keep it out. He then had to deny Jagr on the rebound. That was the type of game it was. The Panthers got to loose pucks and made it difficult for Henrik who played his 700th game.

The 3-on-3 overtime can best be summed up in one word. Disaster. It struck literally when 43 seconds in, a backchecking Zibanejad collided with Reilly Smith, sending the center flying into the back boards. What made it worse was how he landed with his leg in a terrible position. Right away, I knew it was a serious injury. He needed help being taken off the ice and couldn’t put any weight on it.

My guess was we wouldn’t see Zibanejad again until next year. How unfortunate I was to be right. Afterwards, the update from the Rangers was that he fractured his fibula and will miss between six to eight weeks. A broken leg. What a shame. He was really starting to heat up. Now, the Rangers will be minus one of their top six forwards. Zibanejad isn’t only one of the top point getters. But he’s also solid on draws. On the night, he dominated going 17-and-7. Now, the big right-handed center with the deadly shot will be sorely missed.

But as Alain Vigneault pointed out in the post game, “Every team has injuries.” He added, “It’s a chance for someone else to step up.”

The overtime only produced three shots with Hayes coming very close to winning it on a wraparound. But Reimer made a sprawling save.

In the shootout, the Panthers outscored the Rangers 2-0 on goals from Trocheck and Barkov. In Round 1, Trocheck waited before picking five-hole on Lundqvist. After Pirri missed against Reimer, Barkov wrapped it up in Round 2 with a highlight reel goal. He has an array of moves and put them on Lundqvist before attempting the Forsberg with Lundqvist getting a piece of it. But the puck had enough momentum to roll past the red line giving the Panthers a well earned win.

Here are some Random Thoughts:

–Sam Rosen was properly recognized by The Garden before the game for his induction into the Hockey Hall of Fame. He deserved the Foster Hewitt Award and it definitely will last a lifetime. It was nice to see old partner John Davidson on the ice for the pregame ceremony along with Joe Micheletti. Sam and JD were the best in the game for so long. I give Micheletti a lot of crap. But he’s done well in his 11 years.

-In one of the most emotional and touching moments at MSG, the Rangers introduced former FDNY Deputy Chief Michael Fahy’s wife and children who were in attendance to see the game. It was really something. Everyone got up and stood giving her and the kids a standing ovation. Her husband and their father was a true hero. When it comes to these kind of tragedies, nobody rallies around it better than New Yorkers. We appreciate what our firefighters and police officers sacrifice every day. If you didn’t feel something at that moment, you never will. Some things are bigger than the game. This was. A great job by The Garden and Rangers to recognize them.

-Overall, the Rangers just weren’t emotionally invested. They lacked something. I had this pegged as an easy 5-2 win, figuring the tired Panthers would wilt. But they didn’t take advantage of early chances. If you let a team hang around, sometimes you pay for it. At least the football Giants didn’t despite our coach’s predictable fourth quarter offense. Thank god for Landon Collins.

-At five-on-five, the Blueshirts weren’t as effective. When it’s the fourth line that’s generating consistent shifts with reinserted Josh Jooris getting a couple, that just won’t cut it.

-They did have one great chance to go back ahead and win it. Rick Nash had what looked like a wide open net. He patiently waited and seemed to have Reimer down and out. But a desperate Reimer got his goalie stick on Nash’s forehand sending it wide. Ironically, the puck came to Kreider, who was on his backhand. But he was unable to bury it. I thought for sure he would. But it didn’t come.

-My favorite part of the game was sitting next to a fan who doesn’t always get the chance to come. He was there with his family which included three sons including one who was celebrating his 10th birthday. They were a delight to sit next to. The 10-year old almost called the winner taking Nash before the third. If only he could’ve scored. He’s been cold lately. I think he’ll get off the snide soon.

-I mentioned Holden’s struggles. This just wasn’t a good match-up for him. He was forced into turnovers. The Panthers were very physical. Their speed and wall game allows them to get in quickly. That’s the book on the Ranger D. Finish checks and force them into mistakes like the one Girardi made.

-Vigneault leaned heavily on Ryan McDonagh, who logged over 26 minutes with three shots, two hits and two blocks. It’ll be interesting to see how much he has left for the Penguins tonight in the first of a home-and-home series with the rematch at MSG on Rivalry Night.

-Aside from the penalties, I like what I see from Skjei. He was in front creating just enough of a distraction on Zibanejad’s goal. He got 17:35 in 23 shifts. Eventually, his time should go up. There’s no question he’s the second best defenseman behind McDonagh. They trained together in Minnesota over the summer. Just imagine if Vigneault could pair them together. Opponents would never get the puck. But he can’t. Skjei needs to be on the second pair. Especially with Kevin Klein struggling.

-With Zibanejad out, this means Oscar Lindberg returns to the lineup. How much will AV play him? He never gets anything other than shifts at even strength. The coach has been reluctant to use Lindberg more than liberally. He will play on the fourth line. Does Jooris stay in? Is Cristoval Nieves back up tomorrow?

-The loss of Zibanejad means one thing. Stepan must step up his production. The assists are fine. He notched his 10th on Kreider’s tally. But two goals in the first 19 isn’t enough from the top center. Nash has also cooled of late and is stuck on seven markers. Your best players need to be your best.

-I see no other logical solution than to shift Miller to center. He can center the third line. Hayes the second. Maybe have Miller play with Jimmy Vesey and either Michael Grabner or Pirri. In this situation, Vigneault prefers to use Jesper Fast in a top nine role. Or maybe keep Miller with Hayes since they have great chemistry. They could have Pirri center the third unit which would leave Lindberg or Jooris for the fourth line.

-I’m most curious to see the line combinations AV comes up with.

-With the visit to Pittsburgh for the first game and the return match Wednesday, it’ll be interesting to see how they respond to a little adversity. The Pens are playing very well. Sidney Crosby is tied for the league lead in goals (12) despite missing time. He’s been on fire. Evgeni Malkin has also played well as has Phil Kessel.

–Antti Raanta gets the nod in Pittsburgh Monday night. Unless Matt Murray is ready to return, it’ll be Marc-Andre Fleury who gave a great performance in a 2-1 shootout loss at Buffalo. More on that in another post.

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