Game #10 Vesey and Lundqvist highlight 5-0 Rangers’ home rout of Blues

Posted on November 2, 2016 by Derek
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Jimmy Vesey celebrates a power play goal at the bench in a dominant Rangers’ 5-0 shutout win over the Blues. AP Photo via Getty Images courtesy NYRangers.

For a second straight game on home ice, it was total domination. If this continues, it’ll be a lot more fun to get used to. The league’s best offense continued its rampage by scoring five times on the Blues in a 5-0 Rangers’ victory that was never in doubt.

Five different Blueshirts lit the lamp including sizzling freshman Jimmy Vesey, who led the charge with a power play goal and two assists. After a slow start where nothing went in, he is on fire. The 23-year old former Hobey Baker winner has heated up with six points (3-3-6) over the last four and is 5-3-8 in the past six.

“I think confidence is everything in this game and right now it’s high and I am riding that,” Vesey told reporters.

The rematch between the Blues and Rangers was similar except the end result more typified how well they played. Dan Girardi started the scoring when his wrist shot went off Vladimir Tarasenko’s stick and past Jake Allen for his second of the season at 9:37 of the first period. Ryan McDonagh forced a turnover and then got the puck to Chris Kreider, who passed for an open Girardi for the game’s first goal. That extended McDonagh’s assist streak to eight straight. Over that span, he has nine assists.

A dangerous Patrik Berglund hi-stick to McDonagh put him in so much pain, he literally didn’t see the boards crashing into them. The scary moment for the Rangers’ captain sent him to the locker room. Fortunately, he was okay and returned later in the period. While he was checked out, the Rangers went to work on the power play. Some great passing started by Brady Skjei allowed Derek Stepan to find a cutting Vesey for a sweet finish at 11:11 for a 2-0 lead. The assist was Stepan’s 200th of his career.

It very easily could’ve been three or four goals in a lopsided first which saw all four Ranger lines use their speed and quick transition to get dangerous chances on Allen. He did well making a couple of big stops to keep his team afloat.

On the opposite side, Henrik Lundqvist was back in net after getting Sunday off. He was sharp throughout stopping all 35 shots en route to career shutout 60. That included a great stop to deny Robby Fabbri point blank on a mini-break. The speedy Blues forward got behind Marc Staal and was in but his backhand deke attempt was kicked out by Lundqvist. As his team built their lead, he still was strong denying all 16 St. Louis shots in the second.

Rick Nash continued his surge scoring his fifth to increase the lead to three at 6:18. On a Vesey pass, Nash went behind the net and tricked Allen by banking the puck off him. Let’s just call it a late Halloween treat for a player who’s closing in on 400 goals. He needs two more.

Another St. Louis penalty allowed the lethal Ranger power play to cash in. This time, it was some more great passing down low that led directly to a Mats Zuccarello power play goal for a 4-0 lead at 12:55. This time, Mika Zibanejad got the puck to Kreider at the side of the net where he passed across for a Zuccarello one-timer into an open side. Kreider’s second assist in his return on Zuccarello’s fifth chased Allen, who was hardly at fault. He gave up four goals on 20 shots.

Even his replacement Carter Hutton was victimized late in the period. A good defensive play by Vesey trapped the Blues causing a three-on-one. Some unreal passing started by Vesey to a cutting J.T. Miller resulted in Miller making a great dish for Kevin Hayes, who went top shelf for his third at 18:17.

The only question left is would Lundqvist finally get a shutout. Ranger goalies didn’t have one in the first nine. Antti Raanta came close last game but a Steven Stamkos power play goal foiled his bid. Lundqvist turned aside a Berglund chance with under nine minutes remaining in regulation. He would get the shutout on what was a great night.

BONY 3 Stars:

3rd Star-Chris Kreider, NYR (2 assists, 5 shots, 7 attempts, +1 in 23 shifts-14:59 including 4:25 PP)

2nd Star-Henrik Lundqvist, NYR (35 saves for 60th career shutout)

1st Star-Jimmy Vesey, NYR (power play goal-team leading 6th, 2 assists, +1 in 13:58)

Notes: The Rangers went 2-for-6 on the power play against an undisciplined Blues team. … Jay Bouwmeester played in his 1,000th career game finishing minus-2 in 22:02. … Oscar Lindberg was a healthy scratch. … With an assist Miller raised his team-leading point total to 10 (3-7-10). When he records a point, they haven’t lost. … Even though he played on the fourth line, Pavel Buchnevich received 15:11 including 4:19 on the power play. … Rangers (7-3-0) host the Oilers (7-2-1) Thursday night. Cam Talbot returns along with Connor McDavid fresh off an overtime loss at the Maple Leafs. They’re first in the Pacific.

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Game #10 Preview: Kreider returns as Rangers host Blues

Posted on November 1, 2016 by Derek

 

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AP Photo via Getty Images by rangers.nhl.com. 

When the Rangers (6-3-0) host the Blues (5-2-2) tonight at MSG, they’ll get Chris Kreider back. In his fourth full season, the 25-year old power forward was off to his best start when neck spasms kept him out of the lineup for four games. He found instant chemistry with Mika Zibanejad and Pavel Buchnevich scoring three goals and four assists in his first five contests.

Carrying over his impressive play during preseason, the imposing 6-3, 226-pound former Boston College product has looked even bigger, faster and stronger. He has a rare combination which can make him a dangerous player for opponents to defend. It’s a shame that an injury prevented Kreider from continuing his fast start. However, health is key. With the team’s improved depth helping them go 3-1-0 without him, he took the positive out of the missed time.

The best aspect is other players stepped up in his absence. Michael Grabner’s hat trick was the latest example in a 6-1 rout of the Lightning. The new third line with Kevin Hayes and J.T. Miller combined for four goals and nine points. Most encouraging is Hayes’ improvement in the face-off circle. So far, he’s 50.0 percent going 51-and-51. He worked hard in the off-season to get faster and stronger. In his third year, he’s determined to put ’15-16 behind him. Good efforts like the three assist game against a quality team definitely help.

With Kreider coming back, someone has to move down. It’ll be Buchnevich. He moves down to the fourth line with Brandon Pirri and Jesper Fast. The 21-year old Russian rookie has done nothing wrong. In four games, he has two assists picking up one in his return Friday at Carolina on a Mats Zuccarello power play tally. However, it makes sense to keep Zuccarello with Zibanejad and Kreider. They could become an even more potent line.

Coach Alain Vigneault has done a good job with the lines. Jimmy Vesey continues to impress with Derek Stepan and Rick Nash. His five markers are second behind 2016 first overall pick Auston Matthews (6) and second overall pick Patrik Laine (6). With Nash up to four goals and three assists, Stepan remains without a goal in nine. He has five helpers but it would be nice to see the top center get one.

With Hayes, Miller and Grabner staying intact, it forces Buchnevich down to the fourth line. However, Vigneault sees it as a positive given the improved scoring and depth.

“Right now I look at our four lines and I see balance,” Vigneault told Matt Calamia in a feature that appeared on NYRangers.com. “I see a good skill level. I see on every line I see guys that can make plays and use their speed.”

“This is the first time since I’ve been here that we’ve had a [fourth] line with that makeup,” he added. “I think balance right now is the word for me that comes to mind. Figure out the different matchups that you can have. We’ll see how it unfolds during the game. Tonight against a real strong team is a good time to see what we have.”

There’s really nothing to disagree on. When have the Rangers ever had this much balance? In ’13-14, the fourth line which featured Brian Boyle, Dominic Moore, Daniel Carcillo/Derek Dorsett was a key factor in the team’s run to the Stanley Cup Finals. But none had the skill level or talent of Buchnevich and Pirri with Fast more suited as the smart two-way checking forward.

As predicted, Oscar Lindberg comes out of the lineup. Right now, he’s the odd man out. With just four games under his belt this season and coming off surgery, it’s all about timing for the second-year center who’s won 59.4 percent of his face-offs (19-and-13). He didn’t play enough to gauge where he is, averaging 10:14. It was exclusively at even strength.

It’s uncertain what his future is. Vigneault indicated that it wasn’t about Lindberg’s play. He has more options. With Pirri sticking and Grabner performing well, it’s a numbers game. Fast stays in because he’s that solid defensive forward Vigneault likes to use on the penalty kill. He also is a wing. If Pirri falters, Lindberg will get back in.

Given that they are high on Cristoval Nieves, who’s in Hartford, it looks like Lindberg could be traded. Maybe at some point, he’s part of a package with Dylan McIlrath and a top prospect for a defenseman. However, his value can’t be great at the moment. We’ll see.

With the schedule picking up this month, Vigneault did indicate that Adam Clendening should be getting back in the lineup. How much is anyone’s guess.

All-time, the Rangers are 78-43-16-1 against the Blues including 46-13-6-1 at MSG. Last year, they swept the season series. This time, it’s St. Louis going for a sweep after winning 3-2 at home on Oct. 15. Vladimir Tarasenko, Paul Stastny and Alex Pietrangelo got the goals. Kreider and Zibanejad tallied for the Blueshirts who were unable to beat Hutton, who made 33 saves as the game’s number one star.

Tarasenko leads the Blues in scoring with nine points (4-5-9) followed by Stastny (3-4-7) and Alex Steen (2-5-7). In his walk year, defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk is off to a good start with three goals and three assists. The Rangers had interest in acquiring the 27-year old from New Rochelle, New York.

With Pietrangelo, Colton Parayko and Jay Bouwmeester, St. Louis boasts one of the game’s best blue lines. So, it should pose a good challenge.

Secondary scoring has been tough to come by. New acquisitions David Perron and Nail Yakupov each have four points. Key scorer Jaden Schwartz has struggled since returning with a goal and assist in five games. Believe me, I know because I benched him for tonight in fantasy hockey. Watch him go off. Patrik Berglund also has four points. He’s never really fulfilled expectations but plays on the third line with Yakupov.

Robby Fabbri is off to a slow start with no goals and three assists. Yakupov’s former Oiler teammate Magnus Paajarvi was waived. He cleared and went down to the Chicago Wolves of the AHL. He once was a first round pick of Edmonton going 10th overall in 2009. Funny. But McIlrath also went number 10 in 2010. They both were placed on waivers the same day and cleared. Odd.

St. Louis also has tough guy Ryan Reaves. He’s played in all nine games. Interestingly, the enforcer has no points and zero penalty minutes. He only averages 6:25 a night. Veteran Scottie Upshall also remains. He still possesses good speed and is capable of getting scoring chances. Just saying. Jori Lehtera has one assist in five games. He’ll center Schwartz and Tarasenko.

The Blues are a very good team. With Allen one of the game’s best young netminders entering play with four wins, a 1.83 goals-against-average and .923 save percentage, it should be interesting.

A couple of players are set for milestones. The Blues’ Bouwmeester is expected to play in his 1,000th career game. He’ll become the 17th active member to reach 1,000. Which got me thinking? Who are the other 16? I can only think of Jagr. Ryan McDonagh will play in his 400th game. He has a seven-game assist streak. Stepan needs one assist for 200. Nash is a hat trick away from 400.

Blues Lines:

Steen-Stastny-Perron

Schwartz-Lehtera-Tarasenko

Fabbri-Berglund-Yakupov

Jaskin-Brodziak-Reaves

Bouwmeester-Pietrangelo

Gunnarson-Shattenkirk

Edmundson-Parayko

Allen

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Grabner’s hat trick in win over Lightning latest impact on deeper Rangers

Posted on November 1, 2016 by Derek
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Michael Grabner beats Ben Bishop for his third career hat trick in a Rangers’ 6-1 win over the Lightning Sunday night. He’s tied for the team lead with five goals giving the Rangers more offensive balance this season. AP Photo via Getty Images courtesy MSG Networks.

The one night where my family couldn’t attend a game I wouldn’t have minded seeing, the Rangers absolutely dominated the Lightning winning big by the count of 6-1 at MSG Sunday night. They were led by Michael Grabner, who recorded his third career hat trick. The other two came with the Islanders when he once scored over 30 goals as a rookie.

It was the third line featuring Grabner with Kevin Hayes (3 assists) and J.T. Miller (goal, two assists) that did most of the damage. Rick Nash also had a strong game recording his fourth goal and assist.

Jimmy Vesey continued to impress scoring his fifth of the season. The 23-year old Harvard grad is looking more and more like an early Calder candidate. He’ll get strong competition from Maple Leafs’ top overall pick Auston Matthews, his line mate William Nylander, Winnipeg second overall pick Patrik Laine and the Blue Jackets’ 2015 first round pick Zach Werenski. The Flyers’ Travis Konecny and Ivan Provorov also should be in the mix along with Leafs’ center Mitchell Marner.

Ryan McDonagh continued his brilliant play recording an assist for the seventh straight game. The longest such streak by a Ranger defenseman since Brian Leetch. The captain is back to the high level that saw him dominate during ’13-14 when he was at his best. It was during the 2014 playoffs that he took apart the team that drafted him in a six-game series win over Montreal with 11 points- helping lead the Rangers to their first Stanley Cup Final since 1994. He finished the postseason with 17 points (4-13-17).

It is the play of the number one defenseman that will be crucial to the Rangers’ season. As he goes, so will they. He’s clearly the best player anchoring a blue line that still includes vets Dan Girardi and Marc Staal. Both of who have been better. Perhaps the time off helped as they have looked healthier.

However, it’s still not a team strength. We’ve seen Staal and partner Kevin Klein struggle at times. Girardi can still commit the awful turnover or get beaten by faster players. Nick Holden is turnover prone but remains a favorite of coach Alain Vigneault. He did pick up a primary assist on the second goal last night. But one wonders if Adam Clendening will see the ice soon? Hopefully, it doesn’t become another McIlrath situation.

Rookie Brady Skjei continues to develop well. He picked up an assist and was a plus-one in 24 shifts including 14:01 at even strength and received 2:01 on the power play. An area that the smooth skating defenseman could excel at given his instincts. He’s a good skater and defensively responsible enough to be tried on the man-advantage. Especially if Vigneault is going to bury Clendening, who was used on the point in five games.

Antti Raanta was strong in his second start. He finished with 31 saves, coming oh so close to the team’s first shutout. Coming home from a get together for a friend’s 30th birthday party which was fun, it sounded like Raanta made some good stops in a scoreless first period. If not for a late Steven Stamkos power play goal in which he got a fortunate bounce on a nice passing play from Nikita Kucherov, who played and Anton Stralman, Raanta gets the shutout.

When we got home, I was exhausted from work and the four hour get together. Justin put on the World Series. Our focus was on our buddy’s Cubs, who staved off elimination in a thrilling 3-2 win over the Indians. I gotta admit I’ve really been into it. It’s not every October that you get two teams who haven’t won in so long. The baseball has been compelling. Three of the five games have gone down to the wire. Seeing Aroldis Chapman get the final eight outs was pretty cool.

As we were watching, the Rangers erupted with a four goal barrage on Ben Bishop in the second. That included three goals in less than a three-minute span. Nash got his fourth from Holden. Then Grabner put in a Skjei rebound. Twenty-two seconds later, Vesey took a nice Nash backhand pass and beat Bishop with a wrist shot for a 3-0 lead. Miller would add a goal late in the period from Hayes and Girardi.

Grabner’s second came on a clean breakaway from Miller and McDonagh. He snapped one past Bishop. He completed the hat trick with 5:13 left from Hayes and Miller. That third line with Grabner, Hayes and Miller combined for four goals and five assists totaling nine points. The trio each went plus-four dominating the game. Yesterday, he spoke with MSG’s Amanda Borges on his big night:

When GM Jeff Gorton signed him during the summer, I liked the move. But wondered how many goals Grabner would score. His scoring had dramatically fallen off from his breakout ’10-11 with the Islanders when he put in a career best 34 goals with 52 points. He hit 20 the following season. His goal totals decreased to 16, 12 and 8 with the Islanders as his role dropped off. He went 9-9-18 with the Leafs in 80 contests last season. This year, he’s getting the chance to play with better line mates. It’s paid off so far. He enters Tuesday’s game against St. Louis with five goals and an assist in nine games.

It’s definitely nice to see Gorton’s additions contributing. Brandon Pirri has four goals while Vesey has five. Mike Zibanejad is 2-6-8 so far. I’m surprised he hasn’t finished more. He’s had a lot of chances. Figure him to get hot soon. Meanwhile, Miller continues to flourish on whatever line he plays with- quietly leading the team in scoring with nine points (3-6-9). The silly idea of trading him even it’s for D help would be a mistake. He’s too valuable and on a good contract. Only 23, he continues to improve.

When the season began, scoring was going to improve due to the depth. It’s come to fruition. The Rangers lead the NHL in offense averaging 3.89 goals-per-game. Offense is up so far with 11 teams averaging at least three goals each game. Boasting four balanced lines that can contribute offense has helped the Blueshirts get off to a 6-3-0 start. Their goal differential is plus-13 with 35 goals for and 22 goals against. The best in the Metropolitan Division.

While other teams have struggled offensively including the Caps, offense is the Rangers’ strength. As predicted, their speed, skill and skating exposed the Lightning, who played for the third time in four nights. Even with getting Kucherov back, they were severely outplayed.

The Rangers have the ability to do that to any opponent. The less time they spend in their zone, the better off they’ll be. They get the Blues again later. They lost 3-2 to their back up Carter “E.F.” Hutton. It’ll probably be Jake Allen this time. Henrik Lundqvist gets the start.

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Game #9 Lightning versus Rangers Preview

Posted on October 30, 2016 by Derek

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Later tonight, the Lightning pay a visit to MSG against the Rangers. Tampa enters fresh off a 3-1 loss to the Devils in Newark. They fell behind 3-0 before Tyler Johnson broke Cory Schneider’s shutout. Backup Andrei Vasilevskiy took the loss in his third start.

The Bolts have plenty of firepower. Featuring captain Steven Stamkos who leads them in scoring with nine points (5-4-9), Johnson (2-2-4) , Alex Killorn (team high 6 goals), Nikita Kucherov (1-6-7), Ondrej Palat (1-3-4) Jonathan Drouin (2-3-5) and Valtteri Filppula (3-2-5), they are loaded up front.

However, Kucherov didn’t play last night due to an undisclosed injury sustained in a loss at Montreal Thursday. The talented Russian scorer likely won’t be available. So, that’s a break.

Old friend Brian Boyle returns. I’m sure the boo birds will be out since he did injure Ryan McDonagh in the past with a big hit that sent him flying into the boards. Tampa also has reliable checkers Cedric Paquette, J.T. Brown and Vladislav Namestnikov. Brayden Point is also someone to watch.

The blue line is anchored by the All-Star tandem of Victor Hedman (1-4-5) and Anton Stralman (3 assists). Jason Garrison and Andrej Sustr are in the top four. Braydon Coburn also remains along with Nikita Nesterov.

If there’s an area that can exploited, it’s Tampa’s D. Honestly, after Hedman and Stralman, they can be attacked. Coach Jon Cooper leans heavily on his top Swedish pair. The Rangers’ speed up front could be an issue for a team playing its third game in four nights and a back-to-back.

Ben Bishop gets the start. He’s always fared well against the Rangers. But he isn’t facing Henrik Lundqvist and is off to a slow start with three wins despite a 3.22 goals-against-average and .891 save percentage in five starts. He is a big goalie who can be moved side-to-side. They must obscure his view and make it hard for him to see the puck.

Antti Raanta finally gets his second start. It’s about time. Nothing against Lundqvist, who’s off to his usual slow start (4-3-0, 2.45 GAA, .901 save percentage). But Raanta has to play. He should’ve gotten the start at Carolina saving Lundqvist for tonight. Not that Hank was to blame. His defense was culpable on at least two goals with Kevin Klein and Marc Staal getting beat badly and Nick Holden and Jesper Fast screening him out on the winner. Dan Girardi battled Bryan Bickell in front. What were Holden and Fast doing?

Anyway, the Blueshirts look to get back on track against one of the favorites to come out of the East. Chris Kreider will miss his fourth straight game due to neck spasms. He could be ready Tuesday which would certainly be a nice boost given his hot start. His seven points (3-4-7) still are tied for second in team scoring. Hopefully, he won’t show too much rust when he returns.

A positive in the 3-2 loss the other night was the play of Pavel Buchnevich, who in his return picked up his second NHL point- assisting on Mats Zuccarello’s power play goal. The Russian rookie continues to look like he belongs. So, he’ll stay put with Mika Zibanejad and Zuccarello. When Kreider comes back, what happens? It’s a win win situation.

Scoring isn’t the problem. With much better depth thanks to Jimmy Vesey and Brandon Pirri, coach Alain Vigneault is able to roll four lines more easily. There’s a three-way tie for the team lead in goals with four each coming from Pirri, Vesey and Zuccarello. Zibanejad meanwhile leads in points with eight (2-6-8). Rick Nash is up to 3-2-5 since being put with Derek Stepan and J.T. Miller (2-4-6), who performs well with anyone. Stepan has five assists but is still without a goal. He can use one.

Kevin Hayes has looked better but still only has two goals and a helper to show for his improved skating. They need more production from him. Maybe it improves once Kreider returns, which means he gets another skill player. Either Miller or Zuccarello are likely candidates. Michael Grabner could then shift back down to the fourth line with Jesper Fast, who might stay with Hayes due to his defensive acumen. Though I wouldn’t mind seeing what Grabner could do due to his speed with say Hayes and Miller.

As for Oscar Lindberg, he barely plays. It’s like Vigneault is unwilling to trust him which is amazing considering his production was on par with Hayes last year. I don’t get it. Lindberg is a big body who is willing to go to the net and wins face-offs. He’s a perfect fourth line center capable of killing penalties. Yet only gets around 13-14 shifts all at even strength. It doesn’t make much sense.

The back end remains an issue. Holden has gotten progressively worse. He’s only serviceable on the penalty kill and he messed up on the game-winner Friday. His ice-time has been cut down. When exactly does Adam Clendening get back in? A much better skating D who plays the right side and can play power play. Hopefully, it doesn’t become another McIlrath.

Vigneault is a quality coach. So, it’s not about him not having success. But some of the situations he’s created are perplexing. He never had any use for McIlrath even though he showed to be capable in his rookie season. But that’s the coach, who prefers that fast moving puck possession style emphasizing quick transition leading to offense.

We’ll see how they respond tonight against a quality team.

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Devils Week 3 recap: More good home cooking

Posted on October 30, 2016 by hasan4978

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With a road-heavy schedule in November and early December, it was imperative for the Devils to take full advantage of this four-game homestand.  Despite tough opposition and tight games the Devils did just that this week, following up a 2-1 OT win over the Wild last week with two more wins against the Coyotes and Lightning sandwiching a tough OT loss to the Blackhawks this week.  Getting seven of eight points on the homestand pushed the Devils’ record to 4-2-2 and gave them some needed confidence before the tough games ahead – in all, seventeen of their next twenty three are on the road including another Florida trip next weekend with a stopover at Carolina afterward, and a full West Coast trip that includes Dallas as well as the three California teams the week before Thanksgiving.

If there’s one thing you can say about this Devils team so far on the young season it’s that they’ve handled pressure well, with six one-goal games and another couple of two-goal ones ensuring a lot of close and late situations.  That’s not to say they’ve handled having leads particularly well though, blowing a two-goal lead against the Coyotes in the third period on Tuesday before Travis Zajac won the game in the final minutes with a seeing-eye goal through the legs of Justin Peters, the nameless substitute goalie for Arizona who was just the tonic the team needed to break out offensively with five goals.  Tuesday was the first time this offense had even scored more than two in a game this season.  And for the third straight home game to start the season Taylor Hall was amazing, with another two goals pushing his total to five – all in the first three home games of the season.

Finally this week the Devils have started to get scoring from sources other than Hall though.  Against the Blackhawks on Friday P. A. Parenteau and John Moore each scored to give the Devils a lead, but their penalty kill failed them as the Hawks tied the game both times with power play goals, before winning in overtime on a goal by one of Derek’s old faves Artem Anisimov.  Despite the Hawks’ shaky start, we probably were due to lose to them after a surprising sweep last year.  On the other hand, against the Lightning the Devils had lost five straight before last night’s game including a hideous 4-0 loss last February at the Rock.  Much like the game in Tampa earlier in the season, the Devils jumped out to an early lead with goals by Adam Henrique and Damon Severson.  This time however, the Devils added onto the two-goal lead with another by Devante Smith-Pelly in the second period, and held on despite some furious rushes (and a couple of questionable penalty calls) to beat Tampa 3-1.  Severson got a well-deserved first star with a strong game and praise from coach John Hynes in the postgame for improving his approach this season compared to last.

I could put in some more analysis of the team’s start and individual players, maybe I’ll do that before the road trip starts next Thursday with a few days in between games now.  With three home games this week – though I only went to the ones against Arizona and Tampa – and five overall this season now might be a good time to comment and/or vent about some of the changes this season regarding arena and ticket policy.  One change that doesn’t usually affect me is opening the doors a half hour later.  In past seasons doors opened ninety minutes before games, but now they only open an hour before games.  I got to the arena early last night and was going to walk around a little outside but saw the lines to get in at 6 PM and figured I’d better get in, since they actually had a giveaway I wanted – flashing Devil horns.  While they do have seperate season ticket holder lines it still took me ten minutes to get in the building.  If the weather wasn’t nice I’d have been a little ticked off and there has been some complaining about that, especially considering how they told nobody about the new policy until just before the third home game of the season.  Personally I get why you’d only open the building an hour before games on a weeknight since it’s usually a ghost town then but on a weekend it’s just stupid to wait till then, it’s a half hour less of people buying concessions and making trips to the Devils Den.

My biggest pet peeve though is the ticket situation.  It certainly is possible that all teams are going to go to digital ticketing in the near future, especially as more and more try to gain control of the secondary market.  Our sales team by their own admission got ahead of the curve and without warning before people paid for their season tickets went completely digital this year, with the option to ask for stock paper tickets (though I suspect that option is only going to be for this year) or PDF’s during the ‘transition’.  However, the PDF’s are locked, further complicating a resale on the secondary market while initially the team was going to charge an extra $25 for paper tickets before quickly relenting on that and just giving them out on request.  This team’s obsession with controlling the secondary market is coming at a cost, more and more people are going to decide they don’t want season tickets especially if they’re made to sell only on TicketExchange with an unrealistic floor sale price, and there’s still the onerous option in Terms and Conditions that the team can revoke season tickets if you sell too many although it’d be a suicidal nuclear option – especially considering you still have actual brokers doing business.

If you want people not to sell tickets on the secondary market, at least don’t also make it harder to transfer tickets at the same time now, since you generally have to do it phone by phone without PDF’s, and to get the Devils’ app you have to seperately install that and the NHL app because they’re inexplicably linked.  Then you have to figure out how to access the season ticket account and log in there.  Not only does everyone not have the apps or know how to use them, but not everyone who knows about the app has even been able to install them.  I’ve heard of particular problems with Android phones though even my one friend with an iPhone hasn’t been able to install the new apps.  In general it’s going to be an adjustment for the older season ticket holder, who isn’t as tech-savvy as so-called millenials.

Even for someone like me though, it’s been an adjustment.  I didn’t want to wear the big cricket around my neck that served as a season ticket this year – and didn’t want to constantly have to give and take it from my friend who only went to some games – so I opted to ask for paper tickets, but when I have used digital (for the two games I redeemed because of the app promo) it’s been a pain, in large part because you also can’t stay logged into your account and have to constantly re-log in.  That’s one thing that needs to be fixed if you are going to go all digital eventually, you can’t have people going through the metal detectors then spending two minutes re-logging in.

As far as inside the arena, there are really few changes – slightly increased price for most food and drink, a couple of new vendors…nothing particularly earth-shattering there.  Management’s banned noisemakers now though, specifically the terrible horn that someone used to start the ‘You Suck!’ chant after goals (a leftover habit from the Rock and Roll Part 2 goal song, now like four goal songs ago) and other things like ‘Kill!’ on the PK.  As if the angry young STH faction isn’t going to start the YS chant on their own anyway.  But I don’t miss the horn if only cause it always sounded like it was dying and needed batteries.  Most promotions are crap this year too, they haven’t given away the team calendar the last couple years and I don’t even notice the magnetic schedule among the giveaways this year.  One of the few new giveaways I liked in theory was the blinking Devil horns before last night’s game, but as I feared they would be small, cheap and thus defective…mine were twisted and didn’t stay straight on my head while one of my friend’s horns didn’t even work at all.  Also the team puts a cap – real or imaginary – on giveaways now, last night it was the first 9000 fans getting the horns.  On Opening Night it was the first 10000 fans getting the t-shirts.  Presumably as a way to get you to the building earlier.  Where again it would be nice if you actually COULD get into the building earlier as opposed to having a quarter of the crowd arrive at 6 and jam up lines outside.

Oh and another annoying change this year while I’m thinking about it…now you’re restricted to going down for warmups in a couple of different sections, presumably to keep better track of people because they don’t want you sneaking down to the lower bowl and staying there the whole game.  Well first of all if you have to worry about people en masse sitting in the lower bowl without tickets, then that’s a pretty bad sign that you’re not selling many tickets down there.  If you sold more tickets you wouldn’t have to worry about people sneaking down there.  Secondly it’s kind of hard to actually stay down there before the game when you don’t know what rows and sections are going to be filled up anyway.  It’s also just plain annoying since most people want to watch warmups as close to the glass as possible and you have to cross over sections with scattered people in them at their seats early to get to the corner parts of the glass now, or in my case I have to cross over sections to visit friends in section 11 I like to see before games sometimes.

All of these changes – and crappier rewards for season tickets to redeem points for (with empty promises that you can earn points during the season without stating any way you actually do so) – all seem like little things and maybe seperately they are, and to be sure they still do have some nice season ticket functions like the offseason Q-A sessions with Hall and GM Ray Shero after the draft, and the early season player meet-and-greet though even that was a bit more regimented this year than it had been.  However it’s annoyances like the ones above collectively that can make a difference in renewals when you constantly increase prices for sth’s while decreasing benefits, both anciliary and earned through tenure.  Yeah I appreciate getting a new replica jersey per seat every few years but honestly I’m not the kind of person that likes to wear jerseys except in winter anyway.  I’m more of a t-shirt with or without jacket person whenever possible though I’d prefer jerseys to most t-shirts since the t-shirts they give out are usually XL.  And money isn’t the most important thing to me vis-a-vis season tickets, I just want to feel like I’m getting benefits that regular ticket buyers don’t get and I’m not getting ripped off by having season tickets when other people just pick a la carte on the secondary market and brag how they always get great prices while I get stuck with weeknight tickets that don’t sell.  Even my extra tickets for last night were surprisingly hard to move on TicketExchange.

End rant for now, back to enjoying the actual hockey.

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A Pic is worth 1,000 words

Posted on October 29, 2016 by Derek

In the Rangers’ 3-2 loss to the Hurricanes Friday night, they turned back the clock to an awful second half last season which ruined ’15-16. As illustrated here by wonderful MSG studio analyst Steve Valiquette, Henrik Lundqvist had no chance on Jeff Skinner’s shot that was deflected by Bryan Bickell for a second period buzzer beater on the game-winner.

Let’s look at what the Rangers’ netminder had in front of him:

As you can see, Skinner gets off a clean shot with Jesper Fast turned around. I’m not sure what he’s doing. Right in front in no man’s land is Nick Holden, who should’ve taken a wide open Lee Stempniak in the slot. By standing there, he’s just making it harder for Lundqvist to pick up the puck.

Directly in front, you have Dan Girardi battling Bickell, who manages to get his stick loose to the side for the redirect. Girardi does a good job keeping Bickell away from Lundqvist. But he’s able to tip the Skinner shot home past a screened out Lundqvist, who may as well have been in the locker room.

There’s virtually nothing that could’ve been done. If only the Rangers four penalty killers had been more diligent, the last second goal never happens. With Carolina scoring less than a minute into the second on Skinner’s breakaway tally in which he wasted Marc Staal and Kevin Klein, and then their goal which beat the buzzer, it was a ugly reminder of what plagued last year’s team.

That it came against a beatable opponent even if it was their home opener isn’t what you want to see. The Rangers will have to step it up for the Lightning on Sunday. They will have the advantage of being rested while Tampa visits Newark to take on the Devils tonight. We’ll see if they respond.

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Game #8 Bickell beats the buzzer as Rangers fall to Hurricanes 3-2

Posted on October 29, 2016 by Derek
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Jeff Skinner is rained down with free hats given out to Carolina fans who thought their star player had a hat trick in a Hurricanes’ 3-2 win over the Rangers. Actually, it was Bryan Bickell who beat the buzzer in the second period. AP Photo via Getty Images by theScore. 

This was one to forget. It’s better off being tossed aside into a furnace. Despite getting two goals from the masterful Mats Zuccarello, the Rangers wasted it thanks to a last second Bryan Bickell goal that beat the buzzer to end the second period in a 3-2 loss to the Hurricanes at Raleigh.

It wasn’t a sound enough effort. Particularly defensively. Even in a game where Henrik Lundqvist only faced 21 shots, he gave up three goals. None were what I’d call bad. His defense let him down. Though I’m not sure why coach Alain Vigneault insists on force feeding the 34-year old star goalie so early. It might have made better sense to give Antti Raanta the start and save Lundqvist for a tougher home match against Lightning on Sunday night.

The real star of the game was Jeff Skinner. The 24-year old former ’09-10 Calder winner was everywhere scoring twice and setting up Bickell’s game-winner that stunned the Rangers and the fans who made the trip to PNC Arena. On a young rebuilding team, he’s actually the offensive leader with Jordan Staal the steady veteran influence. If there was someone to watch out for, it was the speedy and dynamic Skinner who burnt the Blueshirts on all three Canes’ goals.

I missed most of the first due to work. But tuned in just in time to hear the second video review of a coach’s challenge go in the Rangers’ favor, upholding a Zuccarello power play goal from Mika Zibanejad and returning Russian rookie Pavel Buchnevich. The fact the officials had to review the play twice is utterly ridiculous. It’s why the challenge system needs to be retooled. It drags down the game. I get why it’s there. But come on.

Unfortunately, I was also still in my car when Skinner scored his first of the game 4:03 later. On what sounded like a funny play which neither MSG radio’s Kenny Albert or Dave Maloney could figure out how the puck got to Skinner, he beat Lundqvist in front to tie the score. Noah Hanifin and the overlooked Victor Rask notched assists.

What I do know is that it was a bad night for Marc Staal and Kevin Klein. The second pair was victimized twice. The second one coming only 33 seconds into the second when Skinner was allowed to skate between both and flip a backhand past Lundqvist for a breakaway goal. Just brutal. He took a perfect seam pass from Brett Pesce (who?) at the Ranger blue line and coasted by Staal and Klein like they didn’t exist before beating Lundqvist badly. Remember when the younger Hank would bail out teammates on such breakdowns?

The game itself was entertaining. Particularly a back and forth skating second period that saw the teams combine for 20 shots. The Rangers held a 12-8 advantage but only were able to beat Cam Ward once. For one night, the former Conn Smythe winner turned back the clock outplaying Lundqvist with a stellar 28 saves. He was busy denying the Zibanejad line which combined for two goals, two assists, 10 shots and 15 attempts. Buchnevich definitely fits with Zibanejad. It’ll be interesting to see what happens once Chris Kreider is cleared for full contact. He won’t be ready for Sunday.

It was another great read by Ryan McDonagh that allowed Zuccarello to get his second, beating Ward cleanly on a breakaway five-hole to tie the score with 7:43 left. McDonagh has been outstanding thus far. Taking a Lundqvist pass in his end, he made a great stretch pass that sprung Zuccarello for his fourth. Yes. Lundqvist picked up his first assist of the season. Happy goalies everywhere even if ours will never remind anyone of Brodeur, Hextall or Roy. It was a sweet finish by Zuccarello, who makes the game look like a work of art.

However, McDonagh took the Rangers’ only penalty with 1:34 left in the period. With the captain off for tripping, they somehow managed to let Skinner get off a last second shot and perfectly screen out their own goalie. On a play that I’ll just say was bizarre just from looking at the image, you had Nick Holden in no man’s land along with two other Rangers in front with Bickell giving Lundqvist no sight line. This truly was a nightmare back to last year. Skinner got the shot and looked to have completed a hat trick at 19:59. The Caneiacs sent hats on the ice. But the replay later showed that Bickell got a piece of it which made it his goal from Skinner and Rask.

That was it. The Rangers were unable to force overtime. Ward stopped all seven shots in the third. Lundqvist did the same. You never got the sense they would tie it. In what typified the kind of night it was, Vigneault mistakenly had new third pair Holden out with Dan Girardi with 90 seconds remaining. Those are the two slowest skaters. They couldn’t get out of their end and nearly resulted in a Carolina insurance marker if not for a nice sliding stop from Lundqvist.

How Vigneault came to the decision to have Girardi with Holden for that shift is mind boggling. Girardi was reunited with McDonagh for most of the game and played well. He was a big plus on the corsi/possession chart logging over 20 minutes with four shots, five attempts and five hits. But there’s no chance Holden should be paired with him for any shift mind you one near the end when the Rangers need offense. This was unfathomable.

Even after they got a change, the Rangers only had 30 seconds to muster something. They didn’t come close, allowing the Canes to win their home opener after playing the first six on the road. How in the world did they have to wait so long for a home game? NHL scheduling 101.

BONY 3 Stars:

3rd Star-Cam Ward, Hurricanes (28 saves including 11/12 in 2nd)

2nd Star-Mats Zuccarello, Rangers (2 goals-3rd, 4th, team high 5 shots in 22 shifts-18:51 including 16:28 even strength, 2:23 PP)

1st Star-Jeff Skinner, Hurricanes (2 goals-3rd, 4th, assist (5th), 6 attempts, 3 takeaways, +1 in 22 shifts-16:31)

Notes: Adam Clendening once again was a healthy scratch for the third straight game. I guess he’s the new McIlrath. Speaking of which, Dylan cleared waivers and was reassigned to Hartford where he’ll get into games. I feel for him. I kinda wish he would’ve been claimed to get out of jail. But there’s a chance he can become a unrestricted free agent next summer if he doesn’t play a certain amount of NHL games. So, I don’t blame teams for passing. … Carolina controlled face-offs 27-18 led by Jordan Staal (13-and-5). Derek Stepan had an awful night losing 7-of-11 and doing little. Our top center is still without a goal. He needs one badly. .$6.5 million worth. … Oscar Lindberg again wasted away on the fourth line with 10:24 in 13 shifts. Why even give him a chance. Right, coach? Let’s face it. Lindberg is next on the AV Death Watch. This coach sometimes leaves you scratching your head. But he loves Holden. Rangers Twitter was on fire mocking him. … Rangers (5-3-0) are home for the Lightning (5-2-0), who will visit the Devils Saturday night.

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Boychuk upset with no call on Crosby in Islanders’ 4-2 loss to Penguins

Posted on October 27, 2016 by Derek

 

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Defenseman Travis Hamonic celebrates his first goal of the season with teammates in a frustrating 4-2 Islanders’ loss to the Penguins. AP Photo via Getty Images by Shannon Hogan of MSG.

In what was a closely fought game, the Islanders fell to the Penguins 4-2 in Pittsburgh. Similar to a tough home loss to the still unbeaten Canadiens on Wednesday night, they got beat with a couple of minutes left by a better team.

It was Shea Weber who did the Islanders in with a power play goal breaking a 2-2 tie with 2:57 left in regulation. Tonight, Sidney Crosby did the damage literally. In his second game back after missing the first six games with a concussion, the Pens’ superstar took out Islander defenseman Johnny Boychuk behind the net and then stuffed home the game-winner past Jaroslav Halak with 2:25 remaining. Phil Kessel added a power play goal 32 seconds later to seal it.

The issue for the Islanders is that Boychuck felt he was wronged by the refs on Crosby’s winner. Prior to Crosby steering home Scott Wilson’s rebound from Justin Schultz, the Pittsburgh captain caught Boychuck with a clean shoulder hit after he released the puck. Eventually, it led to Crosby scoring in front with one of his patented garbage goals that makes him so hard to defend. It was his second goal in two games.

“I’m sure if it was reversed I’d be getting a phone call and a suspension,” Boychuk fumed to Newsday’s Arthur Staple about the non-call on Crosby. He felt it should’ve been interference.

“The ref gave some excuse I didn’t hear and he asked me if I was all right after the goal. Their players did too.”

He felt Crosby hit him with a head shot. I am not sure I agree. It was a fast moving play. This wasn’t the same as Boston forward David Pastrnak clearly targeting Dan Girardi up high in last night’s Ranger win over the Bruins. Judge for yourself.

https://twitter.com/myregularface/status/791816675972767744

Here is the Pastrnak hit on Girardi, who went to play a puck up high and got buried by the Bruins’ forward:

 In the second case, Pastrnak left his feet and was head hunting. In Crosby’s, he’s finishing a check. Was it a tad late? Yes. But I don’t think it’s a penalty.

The bottom line is the Islanders didn’t finish the play. Nobody took Crosby in front and he did what he does best. Andrew Ladd didn’t help matters when he hit Carl Hagelin from behind for a boarding minor. Hagelin immediately went to the locker room.

The Isles’ penalty kill was woeful. They twice allowed the Pens to set up and score easy power play goals. Patric Hornqvist tapped one in in the first from Crosby and Kessel 46 seconds into the contest with John Tavares off for a hooking minor. Kessel finished the scoring on a similar play in which no Islander defended the middle, resulting in a tic-tac-toe Pens goal started by Trevor Daley with Evgeni Malkin passing for a wide open Kessel, whose wrist shot beat Halak with 1:53 left.

It wasted a good effort on the second night of a back-to-back against another superb team. Twice, the Islanders rallied from one-goal deficits. Defensive defenseman Travis Hamonic tied the game with 4:47 left in the second period- getting his first from Shane Prince and Brock Nelson. Activated from the injured reserve, Prince set up a pinching Hamonic for a perfect laser past Marc-Andre Fleury. If not for Fleury, the Isles score with more frequency. They had plenty of shots and quality chances but were stoned by the Pens’ number one goalie. Josh Bailey can attest to that after getting robbed by the catching glove of Fleury.

The Islanders out-shot the Pens 17-7 in the second but only had one goal to show for it. They had 32 shots in the first two periods to the Pens’ 19. The difference was Fleury, who finished with a game high 35 saves.

Pittsburgh played a better third, out-shooting the Isles 16-5. Malkin put them ahead from Kessel and Chris Kunitz at 12:48. But with Malkin in the penalty box for a trip, Prince caught a nice break when he got a favorable bounce to beat Fleury for his first of the season on the power play to tie the score with 4:22 left. Nelson and Hamonic added helpers.

Unfortunately, the Islanders didn’t finish the game. Instead, Crosby hit Boychuk moments after he moved the puck and then was left alone to beat Halak in front. His second whack resulted in the game decider.

Poor coverage by the Isles’ D is why they lost. Similar on the two dreadful penalty kills that allowed the Pens to do what they wanted.

BONY 3 Stars:

3rd Star-Travis Hamonic, Isles (goal-1st of season, assist, 5 shots, 8 attempts, 5 blocked shots, +1 in 24 shifts-20:09 including 16:58 even strength, 1:59 SH, 1:12 PP)

2nd Star-Phil Kessel, Pens (power play goal-3rd, 2 assists, +1 in 24 shifts-16:48)

1st Star-Marc-Andre Fleury, Pens (35 saves including 16/17 in 2nd)

Notes: Mathew Barzal was a healthy scratch. He’s only played in two games. … Rookie Anthony Beauvillier only received 16 shifts-19:54 all at even strength. … Ladd has 1 assist in 8 games. Moved back on the top line with Tavares, he received 23:06 including 6:20 on the power play. Bailey played with them finishing with four shots in 22:44. Tavares finished with six shots and eight attempts in 25 shifts-23:53 including 7:02 on the man-advantage. … With a goal and assist, Crosby is 1-2-3 in two games. His goal was the 30th of his career and his two points gave him his most points against one team. That includes assists (66), total points (96) and GWG (8). … The Isles out-shot the Pens 37-35 but were out-attempted 76-61. … Face-offs went to the Isles 36-32 with Tavares 17-and-13 and Nelson 9-and-4. … Blocked shots were 19-16 Isles (Hamonic-5) with Daley pacing the Pens with three. … Islanders (3-5-0) have the next two days off before hosting first overall pick Auston Matthews and the Maple Leafs Sunday.

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McIlrath all class after being waived

Posted on October 27, 2016 by Derek
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Dylan McIlrath was placed on waivers by the Rangers today. He handled the move with class. AP Photo via Getty Images 

Let me just start off by saying I supported Dylan McIlrath. The 24-year old defenseman who the Rangers took with the number 10 pick overall in the 2010 NHL Draft was placed on waivers today. In typical fashion, he showed class.

“I’m never going to blame this on the coaches. This was all about my play and not earning a spot in the lineup,” McIlrath told New York Post reporter Brett Cyrgalis.

Either he’ll clear and be reassigned to Hartford or an NHL team will claim him. Hopefully, it’s the latter. The big, tough right defenseman deserves his freedom. He never really was given a chance by coach Alain Vigneault, who preferred skating D for his aggressive up tempo offensive system.

Be that as it may, McIlrath proved in his rookie season that he was capable of adjusting under Vigneault. When called upon to fill in for injured starter Dan Girardi, McIlrath acquitted himself well while paired with Keith Yandle. While the other pairs struggled defensively, McIlrath and Yandle usually found themselves on the plus-side of the ledger. They were more effective at five-on-five frequently finishing with a positive shots for differential. The stuff the corsi/possession community base everything on.

However, despite McIlrath asserting himself in 34 games even scoring two goals and two assists, he was never gonna get a fair shake under Vigneault. Once Rangers GM Jeff Gorton traded for Nick Holden, who has now been miscast on the top pair with Ryan McDonagh (go figure), the writing was on the wall. You don’t send a fourth round pick to Colorado for a 29-year old veteran who played all 82 last year to keep him as an extra. Something Holden opponents don’t get. It’s not his fault he’s out of his league with McDonagh. That falls on the same coach who had no use for McIlrath.

When late addition Adam Clendening had an impressive training camp and preseason, that spelled doom. A 24-year old blue liner who’s on his fifth team looks perfectly suited for Vigneault’s system. He is an excellent skater who reads the play well and is a good fit on the point of the power play. In five games, he was fine even making a great play defensively from behind his net to start a breakout that led to a goal for his first point as a Ranger. Naturally, he found himself the odd man out the last two games.

Vigneault still limited Clendening’s shifts at even strength. He cut down when protecting leads in the third period. That means that he still doesn’t trust Clendening defensively. If there is a weakness, it’s his strength. There’s a reason he’s been on four rosters before. He’s never been a NHL regular. However, the right D deserves the chance to prove he belongs.

With McIlrath done, the Rangers are finally down to seven defensemen. Even though he only got into one game and did what he always did- standing up for a teammate which backup goalie Antti Raanta appreciated, it was enough to get him benched due to an extra minor for roughing. That’s how Vigneault treated him. With kid gloves. He doesn’t believe in toughness. So, cheap shots like the one David Pastrnak delivered on a defenseless Dan Girardi last night will continue. So what if the NHL Department of Player Safety is having a hearing. They’ll probably turn the other cheek much like the Ranger coach tells his players to do.

There’s nothing wrong with the way the team plays. They’re a fun and exciting group that’s been improved thanks to Gorton’s strong off-season. The additions of Jimmy Vesey and Brandon Pirri have made the offense so much better. Each are tied for the team lead with four goals. Michael Grabner has supplied needed depth to the checking line and penalty kill. Josh Jooris also didn’t look out of place scoring once in five games before leaving last night’s win with a separated shoulder that will keep him out three to four weeks.

The timing actually works out because all indications are Pavel Buchnevich is ready to be activated. The talented Russian rookie definitely is a top nine forward with terrific speed and skill. He was fitting in well with Mika Zibanejad and Chris Kreider before back spasms kept him out the last five games. Kreider has missed the last two due to neck spasms. If Buchnevich is back in and Kreider isn’t, look for him to return to the Zibanejad line with Mats Zuccarello.

Offensively speaking, the ’16-17 Blueshirts are a treat to watch. They’re tied for first with the Oilers in offense with a whopping 3.86 goals per game. With Vesey fitting in on a line with Derek Stepan and Rick Nash while J.T. Miller continues to be plugged anywhere and produce, they are four lines deep. Kevin Hayes has shown some glimpses getting his second goal on Wednesday. The defensively reliable Jesper Fast has been a good fit for Hayes. Oscar Lindberg just returned and was part of the fourth line. Once Buchnevich and Kreider return, is he the odd man out?

Defensively, the Rangers still have question marks. Thus far, Girardi has been better so far. He definitely works well with rookie partner Brady Skjei, who does most of the skating. Skjei did make a mistake that caused the second Boston goal when he went for a block and got in the way of Henrik Lundqvist. Something MSG’s Steve Valiquette illustrated. What appeared to be a soft goal actually changed direction off Skjei and caused Lundqvist to not pick it up until very late where he got a piece of it.

If Marc Staal continues to excel due to better health and being more rested, the blue line is stronger. However, he and partner Kevin Klein still can be beat occasionally. The issue remains why Vigneault prefers Holden with McDonagh. He clearly isn’t comfortable on the right side and has turned over pucks. I would prefer Klein moved up or even Girardi back with his original partner.

As for McIlrath, it’s a shame it didn’t work out. He worked his butt off to comeback from career threatening injuries. There’s always gonna be a ‘what if.’ What if he didn’t get hurt? Would he have developed quicker and been part of the roster? We’ll never know. However, most fans enjoyed his energy and passion. He was that first true tough defenseman since Mike Sauer.

Having observed him closely last year, I don’t think he was a novelty act. McIlrath could actually play. It’s just that he didn’t fit into Vigneault’s plans. All it takes is a coach who has a different philosophy. With Vigneault, it remains to be seen if the Rangers can be as successful as they were the first two seasons under him. Nobody denies that he did a great job getting them to the 2014 Stanley Cup Final and within a period of a second consecutive trip. It’s just that in the playoffs, there is less room on the ice and it becomes harder to play a speed and skill style. There are more battles.

If there is a positive, the Pens proved you could win with four good lines and tons of speed and skill. They also boasted Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin with D anchor Kris Letang playing the best hockey of his career. They were also defensively sound protecting rookie goalie Matt Murray. The Rangers’ personnel on defense isn’t the best. We’ll see.

As for McIlrath, I can’t help but like the guy. He’s a solid team player with tremendous character. Hopefully, he lands on his feet and has a successful NHL career elsewhere. Good luck Big Mac.

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Game #7 Rangers score five unanswered in 5-2 win over Bruins

Posted on October 27, 2016 by Derek
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Brandon Pirri celebrates one of two goals in a Rangers’ 5-2 win over the Bruins on Rivalry Night. He’s up to four goals already and is looking like a steal. AP Photo via Getty Images by NYR Zone.

On #RivalryNight at The Garden, the Rangers forgot to set their alarm clocks for 8 PM. Apparently, they thought the Original Six match-up against classic rival Boston started at 9. Following a abysmal first period that saw everyone stink up the joint including Henrik Lundqvist, they rebounded by scoring five unanswered goals to post a 5-2 win over the Bruins.

It was one of those fun late starts with exclusive coverage on NBC Sports Network. Not so much that I mind. It afforded me more time to drive into the city with the family and take in my first official game of the season. Preseason doesn’t count. However, it also means getting out later and more traffic back to Staten Island due to lane closures. After a full day of work and a long game, I’m pretty tired. I have to be up early tomorrow.

All that said, at least the Rangers remembered who they were facing in time to turn a boring first period in which they fell behind by two to turn it around for a third straight victory. They can thank the Bruins’ lack of discipline for the comeback win. They fell apart literally by taking four consecutive penalties in a dreadful second. Eventually, if you hand your opponent that many opportunities with a fourth string goalie making his first career NHL start, you’re bound to pay for it on the scoreboard.

After a good first in which David Pastrnak scored 10 seconds in and Lundqvist gave up a beach ball to Austin Czarnik, Boston took the final two periods off. Instead of playing hockey, Claude Julien’s club decided to tempt fate by marching into the penalty box. Eventually, the Rangers figured Zane McIntyre out who up till that point, had been pretty good including a terrific glove robbery point blank while also stoning J.T. Miller on a break in.

On their third power play with Czarnik off for a needless interference minor in the offensive zone, Rick Nash was able to beat McIntyre on a second rebound attempt in front chipping the puck into the net for his third of the season, coming at 9:16. The play was made possible by Derek Stepan, who patiently held the puck and waited for Nash to get in position. He then made a perfect pass in front for a wide open Nash, who notched a rare power play goal. Jimmy Vesey helped set it up, adding an assist.

With the Rangers finally with their wits about them, a cheap shot from Pastrnak on Dan Girardi led to plenty of ferocity. As Girardi was skating with the puck, Pastrnak made a bee line for him head hunting. Astonishingly, what should’ve been a major penalty was only interpreted as an illegal check to the head minor. How in the world is the NHL serious protecting its players when they allow refs to only call two minutes for such a dangerous play that could’ve resulted in a serious head injury?

Luckily, Girardi got up and returned to the game because he’s really Clark Kent in disguise. Say what you want about him. But the guy has more guts and toughness than anyone on this roster. Afterwards, he actually said he was okay while questioning what Pastrnak was doing. Such hits should be outlawed. But they stay in the game as long as the instigator does. I would’ve loved to seen Dylan McIlrath dressed for a response. But as we know, nothing stops such cheap shots. They are the ugly part of hockey until the NHL brass wake up.

In case you’re wondering, you might want to circle Nov. 5 on the calendar. The Rangers visit the Bruins at TD Garden. Perhaps they’ll seek retribution. We’ll have to wait and see. There’s still four games to play on the schedule before that visit to Boston.

After they were unable to cash in on Pastrnak’s “minor penalty,” Kevin Hayes scored the tying goal at 16:35 thanks to some intelligence. On a rush, Jesper Fast made a smart decision dropping the puck behind for Hayes, who wisely decided to throw the puck at McIntyre’s feet. He got the bounce he was looking for with the Boston goalie caught leaning for a bad goal that tied it.

Another ill advised Boston penalty in the offensive zone led directly to the Rangers’ go-ahead tally with under a minute left in the second. Matt Beleskey decided to take a senseless interference minor in the offensive zone. Honestly, it wasn’t much. But in today’s game is always called. That it’s the same two minutes as the Pastrnak head shot is a joke. At least the Rangers took advantage with Brandon Pirri sniping from the right circle off a great feed from Miller at 19:24. Mika Zibanejad started it and then Miller found Pirri and he didn’t hesitate firing one top shelf past McIntyre.

Pirri has been a great addition. Signed late, he not only made the roster. But continues to perform well in a secondary scoring role with power play time (4:44). He wasn’t done scoring. Early in the third, he was in the right place to put away a wide Marc Staal carom with Miller netting his second assist to increase to a 4-2 lead at 2:23 of the third stanza. That gives Pirri four goals.

On the next shift, Stepan and Nash combined to set up a cutting Vesey for a tap in at 3:06. The cohesive trio have excellent chemistry. Ever since Alain Vigneault put them together following Pavel Buchnevich’s injury, they have been dynamite. I didn’t know how Vesey would do with Stepan. But Vigneault has been proven right. The kid from Harvard is a smart player with good offensive instincts. He thinks the game. Vesey knows where to go. He’s got a scorer’s mentality. The way he’s playing so far, don’t be surprised if the 23-year old rookie challenges for the team lead in goals.

Comfortably ahead 5-2, the Rangers shut it down. The Bruins never really threatened. After a flat first, Lundqvist didn’t have to make any tough saves. He saw the shows and finished with 27 stops in his fourth consecutive start.

BONY 3 Stars:

3rd Star-Kevin Hayes, NYR (goal-2nd of season, 3 shots, 5 attempts, 5 takeaways, +1 in 25 shifts-17:54 including 4:44 PP)

2nd Star-Jimmy Vesey, NYR (4th of season, assist, 5 shot attempts, 3 takeaways, -1 in 22 shifts-17:39 including 5:46 PP)

1st Star-Brandon Pirri, NYR (two goals-3rd, 4th on 3 shots, +1 in 19 shifts-13:54)

Notes: Josh Jooris just can’t catch a break. He left after four shifts (3:00) separating his shoulder. He’ll go on injured reserve which means Pavel Buchnevich should be activated. He’s almost ready. If Buchnevich is ready for Friday at Carolina and Chris Kreider returns, who comes out? It’s looking like Oscar Lindberg, who hasn’t received a lot of ice-time and might not be 100 percent yet. … Even though Patrice Bergeron dominated on draws going 20-and-8, you didn’t notice him much. Ditto for Brad Marchand, who took a high-sticking minor.

… There was a nice moment for former Ranger Dominic Moore, who was shown on Garden Vision during a stoppage and received well deserved cheers. No 2014 Stanley Cup Final without him. He waved to the crowd. … Ryan McDonagh with another stellar game leading the team in ice-time with 23:29 in 26 shifts while picking up his sixth assist along with five shot attempts. He really looks much better. … Rangers (5-2-0) visit the Hurricanes tomorrow night before returning to MSG for three games against the Lightning, Blues and Oilers.

… Oh btw. Is that Hall for Larsson trade still one sided if Edmonton keeps winning? The goalie Cam Talbot keeps playing well stopping 34 of 35 in a 4-1 home win over the Caps. It’s nice to see Cam do well.

… There was a senseless fight between a Bruins fan and Ranger fan that resulted in both getting ejected. I didn’t notice it because Pirri had just scored to make it 5-2. The Ranger fan had a shiner. The Boston fan was without a shirt. It was ugly. There’s really no need for such stuff at sporting events. Spend the night in jail over what? Too many beers and stupidity? Not worth it.

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