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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A good Rangers beat writer Rick Carpiniello loses his job

Posted on October 26, 2016 by Derek

I wasn’t sure where to file this. It is newsworthy because a good man lost his job Tuesday. Rick Carpiniello is one of the good guys who has covered the Rangers for many years. A great beat writer who gives great insight on the team and always is a fun follow for fans on Twitter, he’s covered the Rangers and NHL for 39 years at The Journal News.

Somehow, he was let go by Gannett Co. Inc. A media company that’s been around since early last century, they created USA Today in 1982. The media giant split up into separate organizations in August 2014. From looking at recent news on Gannett, they have been doing cut backs. The layoffs hit The Tennessean on Monday.

It’s reducing its workforce by about 2 percent. What this means for many workers who are part of the media giant across the country is depressing. By cutting costs- something that hit much closer to home at my company the past year where many good people lost their jobs- it leads to unemployment. Something we’ve seen also hit the New York Daily News.

Unfortunately, this is the depressing side of business. Cut backs result in loyal veterans like Carpiniello who has done a wonderful job covering the Rangers on Rangers Report, losing their jobs. The news came surprisingly on Twitter. Veteran New York Post sports columnist Mike Vaccaro voiced his displeasure:

It really is a shame. Carpiniello is well known throughout the hockey community. A knowledgeable and passionate writer who covered the Rangers since 1978 and wrote three books including Hockey’s Dragon Slayer on Mark Messier slaying the dragon in 1994, he was the pulse of the team. An honest man with a sense of humor who fans and bloggers like myself could count on for good information.

There really isn’t a suitable replacement. Unlike other writers who cover the team that don’t give you as much interaction or respect different opinions, Carpiniello was a man of the people. Someone who took pride in his job while reminding fans not to use their phones while driving. He genuinely cared.

It really is too bad. There just aren’t many beat writers left you can interact with. The fans and bloggers had great relationships with Carp. The Journal News just posted an online article on the cutbacks with five people losing their jobs.

“It is difficult day for the newsroom as we struggle with the realities of transformation,” said Executive Editor Traci Bauer. “It’s important we stay focused on the journalism and serving the community, even as we grieve the loss of incredibly committed colleagues.”

Obviously, no one likes for this to happen. Unfortunately, it’s part of a sad reality. These are the difficult times we live in. Where you can lose your job without valid reasons. We are all just day to day trying to make a living and pay off our bills and debts.

I’ll definitely miss Carpiniello with his fantastic Rangers Report game reviews which were second to none. I’m hopefully he’ll catch on somewhere and stay on Twitter. He can be followed on here for now. I hope that doesn’t change. Here’s wishing him the very best.

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Good weekend gets Islanders back on track

Posted on October 24, 2016 by Derek
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John Tavares continues to be the leader of an Islanders team that got back on track this weekend. AP Photo via Getty Images by CoyoteDucks54.

Following a tough one-goal loss to the Sharks, the Islanders needed to respond. They won only one of their first four games entering the weekend. Able to take care of business by beating the Coyotes 3-2 and doubling up the Wild 6-3 both on home ice at Barclays Center, they’re back to 3-3-0.

In the one-goal win over the Coyotes, the supporting cast provided the offense. Goals were scored by vet defenseman Dennis Seidenberg, Ryan Strome and Johnny Boychuk, whose shorthanded tally in the third period from Brock Nelson provided the difference. Jaroslav Halak picked up the win with 23 saves.

Following the game, Cal Clutterbuck spoke at length about how bad the ice was. The ice surface at Barclays has been a hot topic. The building uses PVC piping which is an issue because it can’t keep the ice temperature at 21 degrees. Something metal pipes can.

“From about the 5-6 minute mark of the second, you knew it was one of those nights,” Clutterbuck explained to Newsday beat writer Arthur Staple. “You basically couldn’t string three passes together, the ice was unplayable. But we found a way.”

First and foremost, it is a basketball arena and home to the Brooklyn Nets. When the Islanders relocated, the hope was they would do everything to accommodate them. With obstructed views and poor ice conditions, the club has explored the possibility of a new arena adjacent to Citi Field in Queens. It remains a dicey situation. The team has an opt out clause after three seasons.

In their second year at Brooklyn since leaving Nassau Coliseum, the Islanders have managed to make the slushy home ice an advantage. They are used to playing on the surface which can create odd bounces and slow the game down. The fan support has helped.  It was instrumental in the franchise finally advancing out of the first round last Spring for the first time since 1993.

Captain John Tavares was the hometown hero providing the game-tying and emotional series clincher in overtime. The Islanders’ franchise star center is in his eighth season. He broke out with a three-point effort (2-1-3) in the team’s second straight victory last night over the Wild. Prior to that performance, he only had a goal and assist.

The 26-year old from Mississauga, Ontario remains without a sidekick. With the organization going in a different direction by letting Kyle Okposo and Frans Nielsen go, Tavares is left to find chemistry with other players. Free agent pick up Andrew Ladd finally picked up his first point getting a primary assist on Tavares’ empty netter with 1:43 remaining on Sunday night. Signed for five years with an average cap hit of $5.5 million, the former Jets captain should be producing better. The 30-year old vet is a proven scorer capable of 25 goals and between 50 to 60 points. Give it some time.

While Ladd adjusts to life in Brooklyn, Islander brass has to be pleased with Anthony Beauvillier. The 19-year old 2015 first round pick (28th overall) continues to impress notching two assists in helping the team even their record. He’s tied with Tavares for the team lead in scoring with five points (1-4-5). While Mathew Barzal looks ticketed for Seattle of the Western Hockey League (WHL) with the Isles signing Steve Bernier, Beauvillier looks like he’s here to stay.

If they’re to be successful, it’s all about the depth up front. They know what they’ll get from Clutterbuck and Casey Cizikas. So far, Nelson is off to a quick start with two goals and three assists. Josh Bailey also has started well picking up two helpers to give him a goal and four assists. Strome also is out better with two goals and two assists.

It has to be scoring by committee. In last night’s win, the Isles got three goals from their back end with Boychuk, Calvin de Haan and Thomas Hickey all scoring. With anchor Nick Leddy able to return from injury, it was perfect timing with the club losing Ryan Pulock for an extended period with a broken foot. He sustained it in the first period on Friday after being recalled from Bridgeport after five shifts. Unfortunate.

The Isles will need more from Ladd and Anders Lee. Both of whom have a point. Lee with a goal so far. With Shane Prince on the injured reserve and the future of Mikhail Grabovski (concussion) uncertain, the lineup they ice is probably gonna be the same. Alan Quine scored his first yesterday.

Coach Jack Capuano knows he has two reliable goalies in Halak and Thomas Greiss with the 30-year old German getting his first win with 26 saves against Minnesota. The question is what will they do with Jean-Francois Berube. Most teams don’t keep three goalies. Especially in a cap era where carrying extra forwards and D are vital. At the moment, the Isles are going with six defensemen.

They’ll get a good test when the improved Canadiens (4-0-1) visit Barclays Center Wednesday. With mostly home games aside from a visit to the Penguins, who should have Sidney Crosby back this week, they look to continue their success at home.

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Game #6: Black and Blueshirts out grind Coyotes 3-2

Posted on October 23, 2016 by Derek
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Dan Girardi wears the Broadway Hat after a successful return in which his goal proved to be the game-winner in a 3-2 win by the Rangers over the Coyotes. AP Photo via Getty Images Real NYR Fans.

A win is a win. Not every performance will be top notch. Ultimately, the Rangers were successful where it counted. On the scoreboard where they defeated the Coyotes 3-2 at Madison Square Garden.

In a back-to-back situation, they were challenged by the rebuilding Coyotes. Losers of three straight, Arizona led on the game’s first shift and were tied after two periods. The difference was Dan Girardi’s first goal at 1:55 of the third period off a great set up from Brady Skjei.

It was fitting that it would be Girardi in his return that got the game-winner. After missing three games due to a groin injury, number five was back in his Rangers jersey paired alongside rookie Skjei. They were solid together combining for the winning goal and each going plus-two. It couldn’t have gone better for the 32-year old Girardi, who was on at the end with old partner Ryan McDonagh helping protect a one-goal lead.

On this night, the Rangers had to dig deep. They weren’t as sharp and it showed in their play. There were more giveaways, turnovers and shots allowed (29) along with quality chances. Despite allowing two goals to Radim Vrbata including a weak one that tied the contest late in the second, Henrik Lundqvist was called upon to make some key saves en route to career win number 377. That included 12 of 13 in the second and another eight for eight in a workmanlike third.

In a league where you don’t get style points for winning, the Rangers went back to an old philosophy used under former coach John Tortorella. The Black and Blueshirts returned. On a night they were out-attempted 69-50, the Rangers sacrificed their bodies to block 28 shots. Five came from McDonagh, who was everywhere in a team high 22:17 while setting up J.T. Miller’s first of the season. The captain has continued to deliver big performances so far. He covered for a couple of hiccups from partner Nick Holden and other teammates.

As a team, the Rangers had 22 giveaways. Way too many for assistant coach Jeff Beukeboom’s liking. In a interview with MSG’s Dave Maloney before the third, Beukeboom emphasized taking better care of the puck. They were able to when they had to in improving to 4-2-0. They’ll now have two days to recover before hosting the Bruins at 8 PM in another NHL On NBC Sports Network Rivalry Night exclusive. The first regular season match I’m attending. I get to meet a special friend. 🙂

It didn’t start well with Vrbata able to beat Lundqvist with a seeing eye shot from Connor Murphy 33 seconds into the first. Kevin Klein and Marc Staal were caught out for it. Klein and Miller were unable to clear the puck which led to Murphy combining with Vrbata to give the Coyotes a quick lead.

The Rangers responded well from behind. Beginning to crank up their speed and possession fore-check, they began pinning the Coyotes in their end for stretches. After a couple of close calls, it was the strong play of Jesper Fast along the wall that kept a play alive which led to Michael Grabner setting up Josh Jooris in front for his first. One of the best Ranger forwards, Fast swung the puck around the boards to Grabner, who then passed for Jooris in front where he was able to deke around and tuck the puck past Arizona starter Louis Domingue.

With the game still even, the Rangers went to work on the power play. With 2016 first round pick Jakob Chychrun off for hooking, Brandon Pirri worked the puck across to McDonagh, whose shot pass was perfectly redirected home by Miller in front. Funny enough, I tweeted in the first that I felt J.T. was due. He was around the puck a lot in the first on a line with Mika Zibanejad and Mats Zuccarello. Sure enough, he came through with his second to put the Blueshirts up 2-1 at 5:45 of the second.

But sloppy play crept into their game. Giving up dangerous chances to a more rested Coyotes that were led by Vrbata and Chychrun, they gave back the lead. On a bad Kevin Hayes turnover in the neutral zone, Christian Dvorak started a counter attack that allowed Max Domi to find a wide open Vrbata, who surprised Lundqvist with a quick snapshot for his second of the game tying it up with 3:42 left. Hayes got lost in coverage failing to take Vrbata after misreading the play when Klein had coverage down low. It was a bad game for Hayes, who finished with six giveaways. Fast covered for him a few times.

The Rangers only took one penalty. A Nash tripping minor with 2:17 left in the second. They were able to get it killed off, keeping the game knotted for the final stanza.

With Girardi asserting himself while working well with the faster skating Skjei, he got just reward when he scored his first. On a great rush by Skjei in which he skated around the net and found an open Girardi at the right point, Danny G let go of a one-timer that beat Domingue glove side at 1:55 of the third. It was nice to see him get the goal which amounted to the game-winner. A great play and read by Skjei and a quick release from Girardi.

All this while Twitter was debating Girardi again. On a night where some had the audacity to complain about his play due to the beloved corsi/possession, he and Skjei were good together. It was just asinine. Klein and Staal had a tough night on for two goals against. Though I don’t think either were their fault. The first was a bad break. The second Hayes was responsible for.

To their credit, the Blueshirts played a better third out-shooting the Coyotes 9-8. They generated quality chances. Particularly Nash who stayed with Derek Stepan and a more confident Jimmy Vesey, who came so close in the first twice. It was also Vesey, who made a great move and pass for a cutting Nash, who was flat out robbed by Domingue on a great glove save point blank. Nash just doesn’t have any luck.

The Rangers could’ve scored more. But they missed the net quite a bit misfiring 16 times. That included three from Vesey, two from Zuccarello and three from Zibanejad, who was robbed by Michael Stone on a delayed penalty. He had Domingue beaten but Stone blocked his shot sending it harmlessly off the post.

The bottom line is they got the ‘W.’ Two points well earned with Girardi out on the final shift with McDonagh and the mistake prone Hayes actually trusted to clear the zone.

BONY 3 Stars:

3rd Star-J.T. Miller, NYR (power play goal-2nd of season, 7 shots, 4 hits, -1 in 23 shifts-17:19)

2nd Star-Jakob Chychrun, Arizona (2 shots, 6 attempts, 3 hits, dangerous throughout -1 in 22 shifts-16:23)

1st Star-Dan Girardi, NYR (game-winner-1st of season, 2 shots, 3 hits, 2 blocks, +2 in 25 shifts-19:15 incl. 18:24 even strength, 51 seconds on PK)

Notes: In his season debut, Oscar Lindberg was fine centering the fourth line. In 15 shifts (10:37) he won 7 of 9 face-offs and had two blocks. … Grabner had another strong game assisting on Jooris’ first while blocking three shots and going plus-one in 13:21. … In another MSG return, Anthony Duclair was held without a point for a fifth straight game. He attempted five shots in 19 shifts (16:44). … Dylan Strome was a healthy scratch for the Coyotes. … Face-offs went in favor of Arizona 31-29 led by Martin Hanzal, who was a dominant 15-and-7. Lindberg led the Rangers at 7-and-2 with Hayes also over .500 (8-and-6). Key Stat: Blocked shots NYR 28 (McDonagh 5, Klein 4) Coyotes 8 (Ekman-Larsson 3). Giveaways NYR 22 (Hayes 6) Arizona 4 (Shane Doan 2).

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Game #6 Coyotes visit Rangers Preview: Girardi returns

Posted on October 23, 2016 by Derek

The Rangers host the Coyotes tonight at MSG. The game starts at 7 PM. On a rare football Sunday where both the Giants and Jets won, the Blueshirts can make it a successful weekend if they can get past the NHL’s worst team.

So far, Arizona is 1-3-0 with two points. They are touring the metro area with still the Devils ahead on Tuesday. They were 3-2 losers to the Islanders on Friday. Their third straight loss- being outscored 15-8. Max Domi and Anthony Duclair have given them nothing combining for one assist and a minus-eight.

The Coyotes are a very young roster. Featuring five rookies including 2016 first round pick Jakob Chychrun, Dylan Strome, Christian Dvorak, Lawson Crouse and Laurent Dauphin, Arizona is a rebuilding team which requires patience. How much vet coach Dave Tippett has left remains to be seen. In an interview with beat reporter Sarah McLellan, he admitted that he had to think long and hard before returning. She can be followed on Twitter.

At the very least, the Coyotes still boast lone original Winnipeg Jets holdover Shane Doan. The 40-year old captain is three goals shy of 400 and two points from 950. He has a goal and two assists thus far. Arizona is counting on Oliver Ekman-Larsson and former Star Alex Goligoski to lead the blue line. Ekman-Larsson has two goals while Goligoski has three assists. But each has been on the minus side going a combined minus-eight.

They also just got back defenseman Michael Stone. Along with Chychrun who’s off to a nice start with a goal and two helpers, the Arizona back end has a bright future. Especially if former 2011 first round pick Connor Murphy can continue to improve off last season. Luke Schenn is the sixth defenseman.

The trouble spot for the Coyotes is in net. With Mike Smith sidelined week-to-week, Louis Domingue has struggled in his second year. In three appearances, he’s allowed 10 goals on 61 shots. He’ll get the start tonight. Journeyman Justin Peters backs up.

Jordan Martinook and Brad Richardson have been bright spots each tied for the team lead with two goals and two helpers. The Coyotes still boast reliable two-way center Martin Hanzal. Radim Vrbata has returned where he’s had success. So far, he has a goal and two assists. Tobias Rieder was a good player for them last year playing with Domi and Duclair.

For the Rangers who look to make it two straight on back-to-back nights following an impressive 4-2 comeback win over the Caps, Henrik Lundqvist gets his third consecutive start. He’s been better in the last two allowing four goals on 46 shots. With the next two days off before the Bruins visit Wednesday, it looks like Alain Vigneault wants to get Lundqvist in a groove.

There are two changes for tonight. Dan Girardi returns after missing the last three games with a groin injury. As usual, the 32-year old veteran right defenseman has been a hot topic on social media and the internet. Fans, bloggers and reporters are split up. Girardi isn’t what he used to be. Coming off his worst season, he has to prove he can still be consistent.

It’s not about Ranger fans hating Girardi. Most are appreciative of what he’s brought. A key part of the core that helped the team reach three Final Fours including a Stanley Cup appearance in 2014, he’s given his heart and soul. However, he must be managed better than last year when Vigneault was too loyal, rushing him back from a cracked kneecap while Dylan McIlrath sat.

McIlrath has gotten the short end of the stick. Only having played one game, he’s eighth on the depth chart. Vigneault is killing his trade value. At some point, he’ll be given away and get a chance elsewhere. It hasn’t been fair at all to the former 2010 first round pick whose size, strength and physicality are areas the Rangers lack. Vigneault prefers skating defenseman yet remains loyal to Girardi, who we don’t know what he has left to give.

At least Nick Holden has been as advertised on the penalty kill. He did a great job with Kevin Klein in Saturday’s win helping kill off a five-on-three. For those who are confused on why Holden stays in over Adam Clendening, it’s because he’s more trusted defensively. The penalty kill is more important than the power play. Clendening hasn’t done anything wrong, picking up an assist on a nice breakout that led to J.T. Miller sending Brandon Pirri in for a big goal.

Clendening is a good skating right D who has been used exclusively with rookie Brady Skjei on the third pair. Neither saw much ice late in regulation against the Caps. Vigneault leaned heavily on the top four which has included an improved Marc Staal and workhorse Ryan McDonagh, who’s averaging 25:51 per game while leading Ranger blue liners in assists (4) and shots (11).

By taking Clendening out, they lose a good puck possession right D who has played the left point on the power play. What does that mean? McDonagh is the only defenseman that can play on the man-advantage. Klein can’t as proven last year. Would they give the superb skating Skjei a look? He doesn’t play much shorthanded.

While the D works itself out, the Rangers are without leading scorer Chris Kreider due to neck spasms. That means different lines except for the Derek Stepan, Jimmy Vesey, Rick Nash combo. Oscar Lindberg has been activated with Pavel Buchnevich on the injured reserve. He’ll center the fourth line. J.T. Miller moves up to the Mika Zibanejad unit with Mats Zuccarello. Michael Grabner stays put with Kevin Hayes and Jesper Fast. I don’t get why Vigneault won’t keep Fast on the fourth line and move up Pirri, who scored his second last game.

Rangers lines:

Miller-Zibanejad-Zuccarello

Vesey-Stepan-Nash

Grabner-Hayes-Fast

Pirri-Lindberg-Jooris

I’m just gonna guess on the D:

McDonagh-Girardi

Staal-Klein

Skjei-Holden

Lundqvist

According to Sarah McLellan, here are porential Coyotes lines:

Rieder-Hanzal-Vrbata

Domi-Dvorak-Duclair

Martinook-Richardson-Doan

Crouse-Dauphin-White

Ekman-Larsson-Murphy

Goligoski-Stone

Chychrun-Schenn

Domingue

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