Laviolette Running Out of Answers

Posted on December 15, 2024 by Derek

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Defense Optional: The Decline of the Rangers

Posted on December 15, 2024 by Derek

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

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

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

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

Five-Game Losing Streak through Thanksviving

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

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

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

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

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

Drury Forces Trouba to Accept A Trade

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

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

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

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

Bad Losses Begin to Mount

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

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

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

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

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

A Season Spiraling

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

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

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

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

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

Laviolette Not To Blame

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

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

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

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

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

Moving Forward

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Rangers to Be Without Miller Due to Injury

Posted on December 13, 2024 by Derek

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

https://twitter.com/ColinSNewsday/status/1867616468575154527

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

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

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

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

Mackey to Fill In For Miller

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

https://twitter.com/vzmercogliano/status/1867633658896822614

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

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

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

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Trocheck’s Fight Showed Character for Rangers

Posted on December 12, 2024 by Derek

At last check, the New York Rangers have lost eight of their last eleven games. After a woeful loss to the Chicago Blackhawks on Dec. 9, they finally got back in the win column by defeating the Buffalo Sabres 3-2 on Wednesday night at KeyBank Center.

It was a low event game that shouldn’t thrill fans. It was also the Sabres’ eighth straight loss. In other words, hanging on to beat a struggling opponent isn’t exactly worth celebrating. However, as goal scorer Mika Zibanejad put it, they’ll take it. Zibanejad scored a power-play goal in the first period of the win. It was only his second goal on the man-advantage this season. In 28 games, Zibanejad has just six goals. The Rangers’ center must pick it up. If he continues to have a bad season, it’ll be tough for the Rangers to qualify for the postseason.

A Reilly Smith goal that banked in off Sabres defenseman Owen Power with 6:31 left in regulation proved to be large. He was able to pick up a rebound of an Adam Fox shot and have the good fortune to see the puck go off Power and past Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen to give the Rangers a 2-0 lead. They needed it because Power got one back 90 seconds later to make it a one-goal game with 4:51 remaining.

Despite a strong push from the Sabres, they were unable to tie the game. On a second straight icing, Vincent Trocheck won a key defensive draw back to Fox, who fired the puck straight down into the open net for his first goal of the season. That held up as the game-winner. Buffalo made it interesting late. Power was able to set up Tage Thompson to cut the deficit to 3-2 with 37.7 seconds remaining. But that’s as close as they got.

The best part of the game came when Trocheck stood up for himself in the third period. With the Rangers still nursing a 1-0 lead, he didn’t like a reverse hit from Nicholas Aube-Kubel in the corner. If you remember, Aube-Kubel’s knee-on-knee collision with Fox in last year’s first round injured the star defenseman. He hasn’t been the same since.

Seeking retribution, Trocheck immediately dropped the gloves with Aube-Kubel. Although the bout was brief, with only a couple of blows exchanged, it showed character. That’s been a missing ingredient with this year’s roster. The Rangers haven’t mixed it up nearly enough. If they want to turn the season around, they’ll need to play with more urgency. That also includes getting more involved in scrums.

If you hadn’t noticed, the Buffalo Bills’ Dion Dawkins loved the action from his front row seat by the glass. There’s something to be said for players not backing down. During that one sequence, Trocheck didn’t. Instead, he showed more passion than most of his teammates have this season. If more players followed his lead, it would be a step in the right direction.

Ironically, the NHL on TNT panel interviewed him before the game. Trocheck discussed the Rangers’ recent struggles. “It’s tough sometimes not letting the outside noise get in. Realistically, we know what we have in our locker room and I think we just got to make sure we got back to that. Having the confidence in ourselves. Sticking together as a team.”

Whether or not they can build on it remains to be seen. The win kept the Rangers in the first wildcard spot. At 15-12-1 with 31 points, they’re a point up on the Tampa Bay Lightning, who entered Thursday night’s action in the second wildcard.

If they want to prove themselves, Saturday at home would be a good place to start. They’ll host the Los Angeles Kings at 1 PM. The Kings remain one of the league’s toughest defensive teams. They began play by allowing the fewest shots per game (28.1) this season. The Kings ranked third in goals allowed per game, only permitting 2.54.

It’s a step up in competition this weekend. Following a home matinee against the Kings, the Rangers will then visit the St. Louis Blues on Sunday evening at 6 PM. It’ll be their third back-to-back of the season. They’re 1-3 in back-to-backs so far. After losing 2-1 to the Philadelphia Flyers on Nov. 29, they edged the Montreal Canadiens 4-3 on Nov. 30. The most recent one was an epic fail. After getting outscored 7-5 by the Seattle Kraken on Dec. 8, they then lost to the NHL worst Blackhawks 2-1 this past Monday.

Considering how hard it’s been to win consistently, the Blueshirts are in dire need of a winning streak. If you channel back to Lou Brown in the classic scene in Major League 2, that means stringing together three in a row. They haven’t done that since Nov. 14-19 when they beat the San Jose Sharks, Kraken, and Vancouver Canucks. We’ll see if they have anything left in the cupboard.

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Devils to honor Jacques Lemaire with Ring of Honor ceremony before 1/22 home game

Posted on December 10, 2024 by hasan4978
https://twitter.com/NJDevils/status/1866151139080810683

As the Devils continue their pursuit to make some history on the ice this season, they’ll celebrate a piece of their storied past next month by honoring former coach Jacques Lemaire with a spot in the team’s still relatively new Ring of Honor. At this point Lemaire will only be the third person to be recognized in that way along with original owner John McMullen and three-time Cup champion Sergei Brylin. There could definitely be more names added to this list in the near future, certainly some players who aren’t already up in the rafters with a retired number would be easy or compelling arguments. Perhaps former Cup-winning coaches Pat Burns and Larry Robinson as well. Of course, the big name missing so far is Lou Lamoriello but I think it’s pretty well understood that both he’ll be there, and that he doesn’t want any kind of personal ceremonies until his career is over, only deigning to let the Hockey Hall of Fame honor him before that haha.

Lou’s most important hire in almost forty years as a GM will also be one of the most sentimental recognitions for me and thousands of other Devil fans. After all, Jacques was the coach when I started following the team who first led the team to glory, and he was the main figure besides Lou himself who helped put the infrastructure in place which led to the best decade in Devils history and two more titles after he left the organization in 1998. It’s extremely rare for a HOF-level player to be a great coach too, but Jacques was a rare individual.

In many ways, even the way he ended his playing career was evidence of that, rejecting a long-term contract offer with the Canadiens in 1979 to run a team in Switzerland for three years before coming back to the States to serve as a college hockey assistant before eventually getting to coach Montreal itself, but abruptly his tenure ended after just over a season behind the bench there. I can’t find any info on Wikipedia as to why but I recall reading years ago that Jacques just didn’t care for the unique pressures of coaching in Montreal and remained in their organization in other behind the scenes capacities for several years before Lou came a calling, needing both stability behind the bench (after having like seven coaches in the previous seven years) and a figure who would command respect.

To a large degree, his first year here was the best coaching job he ever did, and it started by putting an All-Star staff together with former playing teammate Robinson as his right hand behind the bench and bringing in Jacques Caron to be the goaltending coach just when we had a hotshot rookie named Martin Brodeur. Clearly there was talent in the organization with Brodeur – who eventually won the starting job after a season of alternating with veteran Chris Terreri – along with second-year pro Scott Niedermayer as well as Scott Stevens in his third season with the Devils, but given the franchise’s lack of playoff success following its initial foray to within one game of the Stanley Cup Finals in 1988, it was Lemaire who provided the structure on the ice, in more ways than one.

After all he ‘invented’ the neutral-zone trap, a system he actually learned from his days with the Canadiens but he certainly refined and in some ways perfected it with the Devils, leading the team to a then-franchise best 106 points in 1993-94 and only losing to the eventual Stanley Cup champion Rangers in a classic seven-game series before rampaging through the league during the 1995 playoffs, only losing four games and going a then-unheard of 10-1 on the road in the postseason en route to the franchise’s first Stanley Cup, and a well-timed one considering the Nashville move rumors. We’ll never know if the Cup really was the difference in the team staying or leaving New Jersey, I felt like it would be at the time and McMullen seemed to confirm it later on citing the fan reception during the team’s championship celebration as one key factor in him staying.

While I do like the official Cup video as well, I’m partial to the SportsChannel doc narrated BY Doc Emrick, for obvious reasons. That proved to be the high point of Lemaire’s initial tenure with the Devils as the team surprisingly missed the postseason next year, then suffered early exits at the hands of the rival Rangers in 1997 and even more shockingly, the playoff neophyte Ottawa Senators in 1998. Perhaps it was somewhat fitting that the end of his tenure here came at the hands of a Lemaire disciple in Jacques Martin, who out-trapped us that series. His departure after the Ottawa series always felt like a bit of a mutual parting of the ways, and to his credit Jacques always seems to know when the time’s right for something else.

His next step was a bit of a surprise – resurfacing as head coach of the expansion Wild – and he remained there nearly a decade. Even with much harder expansion draft rules in the early 2000’s compared to the post-Vegas and Seattle era, Lemaire managed to make the Wild competitive instantly and even got them to the Western Conference Finals in their third-season, upsetting Colorado and Vancouver in the playoffs before running out of gas against fellow upstart Anaheim. He would never have that kind of success in Minnesota again though, despite six straight seasons above NHL .500 and two more playoff appearances, their only playoff series wins under Jacques were in that 2002-03 run.

Eventually his time was up there and he came back ‘home’ to once again coach the Devils for the 2009-10 season. For half a season, things went swimmingly as New Jersey won thirty-one of the first forty-one games and were in President’s Trophy contention before falling off in the second half, and looking flaccid in a five-game loss to the Flyers in the first round of the playoffs. Abruptly, Jacques stepped aside days after saying he was looking forward to the next season. Whatever happened in the spring of 2010 paled to the fall however, when the Devils’ crash accelerated during a putrid first half of the season that saw them follow to rock bottom of the entire league. It was at this point that Lou went back to the well one more time, begging his ‘buddy’ to come back and help repair the Titanic. His first postgame press conference was as much humorous life lessons from grandpa as it was an actual breakdown of where the team needed to improve:

If his first year and a half here was his best, his last half season may not have been too far behind that. The difference was stark, as the Devils finished the first half at 10-29-2 then surged to a 28-10-3 second half in largely a hopeless cause, though they did miraculously cut their deficit out of the playoffs to six points in mid-March after being close to thirty points out by the New Year! Perhaps the first half was worth it just to get Jacques back and have him retire (for good this time) on a much better note than the end of the previous season was.

In some ways it’s almost as sobering to realize that season was thirteen years ago as it was to have the 25th anniversary of the 1995 champions a few years back. I’ve pretty much been to every big ‘event’ home game in franchise history from the number retirements to the original Ring of Honor ceremonies and other nights for players, and this will be no exception. I’d originally traded in my ticket for the Boston game next month (for the dud of a Blues game a couple weeks ago, after I’d originally used a buyback for my seat earlier) because it was a 7:30 start so I try to avoid the late games like the plague, but once this got announced I did another ticket swap and wound up getting my own seat back for that game. Even if a 7:30 start plus a ceremony means this game’s ending after ten on a weekday hah.

I could have waited to do this piece closer to the actual ceremony itself but if the last few weeks and months have taught me anything personally, sometimes you just gotta go with something when you feel like it. This current Devil team certainly deserves more written about it at the moment, even if their last game was also a home dud (at least I wasn’t at that one though, and did attend an actual home win on Friday!). Maybe I’ll do a homestand recap at the end of the five-game block, of which I’ll be at three including tonight’s game against the Leafs. I did have to miss the NJ home opener this year for the first time in a while, hopefully we’ll do a bit better in this game than the last time we played the Leafs here in October!

Like I said earlier though, this is one of the honor the past ceremonies that hits me more than a lot of others, as it will when Lou himself finally deigns to have one! Jacques may not have been a part of the Devils since he retired in 2011 but he’ll always be a major part of the franchise’s decade-long run as a preeminent championship team in the NHL, along with a big part of my early fandom of the team.

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Nothing Kraken in Another Stinker from Defenseless Rangers

Posted on December 9, 2024 by Derek

Raise your hand if you actually believed that by subtracting Jacob Trouba and defeating the flawed Penguins that the Rangers were back on track. Well, you thought wrong.

In an absolute stinker, they blew a 3-1 lead in a hideous 7-5 loss at 33rd and 7th on a hellacious football Sunday. If you included the Devils, then mine and Hasan’s teams went 0 for 4. At least his hockey team wins consistently when they’re not getting shut out or losing at home.

What is the Rangers’ excuse for the defenseless hockey they play? On my birthday, the last thing I wanted to do was watch an early matinee of garbage hockey. After catching an optimistic first period in which they thoroughly dominated play and led 1-0 on a Reilly Smith goal, I went to the card store to see my friend and played some scratch offs. That brought a smile to my face.

Then, I came home and they led 3-1 halfway through the contest. What could go wrong? Everything. Forget the fact that they made a last-ditch effort to tease the fans who attended into believing they’d come all the way back from a three-goal deficit and win it in overtime. That was after they embarrassed themselves by pissing away a two-goal lead and turning it into a 6-3 deficit with less than nine minutes left in regulation.

It is uncanny how fast this team can implode. They can go from playing a good game to looking like they never played team defense. For most of last season, they had structure and were more committed to coming back defensively. The regression started towards last postseason when Trouba could barely move. He wasn’t alone. Even as they marched to the league’s best record, there were warning signs.

In the second round, they nearly blew a 3-0 series lead to the Hurricanes. That was due to Carolina outplaying them at five-on-five and limiting the Rangers’ power play. When the play was at even strength, it favored the Hurricanes. Igor Shesterkin was the big eraser. Then, Chris Kreider came to the rescue with a natural hat trick in the third period of Game 6. If that doesn’t happen, they probably lose four straight and don’t play the Panthers in the Conference Finals. We saw what happened against them. They exposed the Rangers’ biggest weaknesses and advanced to win their first Stanley Cup against the Oilers.

If you followed the postseason, there were concerns about the defense moving forward. As much as I despise Chris Drury for how he handled business with Barclay Goodrow and then threatening waivers to force Trouba to accept a trade to the Ducks to get out of the remainder of his contract, I understand why he went to that length to do things. The problem is they have a declining Ryan Lindgren and a very underwhelming K’Andre Miller who still occupy half of the top four. If things don’t improve soon, both can be moved before next year’s trade deadline. That’s only if Drury has the guts to revamp a very soft blue line.

Let’s get to the forwards. They’re almost never in sync with the defensemen. Peter Laviolette’s system is man to man. That requires a lot of switching. They stopped doing it. That’s why so many players come wide open in front for goals. If I were Jonathan Quick, I’d be livid. That was an abomination. The Kraken beat Quick six times on 21 shots. None of the goals were soft.

They came from openings on the ice due to lackadaisical defensive coverage. The only instance I’ll give them a pass is on Oliver Bjorkstrand’s tip-in of a Brandon Montour shot that gave Seattle a 4-3 lead with less than 36 seconds remaining in the second period. Adam Fox was right with Bjorkstrand, who somehow got a piece of it for his second of the game.

If you listened to Steve Valiquette during the second intermission, he thought they Rangers would come back and win. He was proven right about the Kraken defense. They were on the ropes like a prize fighter on their last legs. But that came after they got the first two goals of the third period to suddenly go up 6-3. It was way too easy.

Alexis Lafreniere made a lazy attempt on the Kraken entry. He stick checked. Then, Miller reached. With a chance to get the puck out, Miller turned it over to Chandler Stephenson. He then moved the puck to Andre Burakovsky, who fed a Vince Dunn at a vacated point for a one-timer off the far goalpost and in. That goal came only a minute into the third. It summed up how bad this team has become.

As easy as it is to blame Miller, Lafreniere deserves more criticism. His lack of defensive awareness has become a problem. It isn’t a question of effort. But he’s almost never in the right position in his zone. For a player Drury invested long-term in, Lafreniere has a long way to go. Even his offense hasn’t been great. He showed me nothing when Laviolette broke up the big line. Lafreniere got his ninth goal later to make things interesting. It ended a seven-game goal drought. Since rejoining Artemi Panarin and Vincent Trocheck, he has three points in the last two games. It doesn’t explain the minus-11 rating.

Kaapo Kakko never picked up Shane Wright on the Kraken’s sixth goal. It wasn’t even close. On a play in transition Bjorkstrand started, Eeli Tolvanen made a perfect centering feed for a cutting Wright to tip in to make it 6-3 with 8:47 remaining. Laviolette sat Kakko on his next shift. Panarin took his spot.

Then, the Rangers tried to rally. On a good play from Fox at the point, Panarin moved the puck up for a Miller point shot that eluded Philipp Grubauer that cut it to 6-4 with 7:33 left. Suddenly, they began taking the play to the Kraken. It was a matter of time before Trocheck and Panarin combined to set up Lafreniere for an easy put away on matador defense from the Seattle players.

For the remainder of the game, the Kraken looked like they were ready to fold. Despite dominating the play, the Rangers couldn’t find the tying goal. When he needed to make a critical stop, Grubauer did.

Yanni Gourde’s empty netter sealed it with 1:46 left.

Laviolette Criticizes Effort

Following the loss, Laviolette criticized the effort. When asked by Mollie Walker of the New York Post what adjustments he can make when everything seems to be ending up in the back of your net, he responded by pointing the finger at the players.

“I can’t say this anymore here. When we had the opportunity, we were next to people that were looking to score, we were in place, we need to do a better job in those situations and in those areas. The difference between 2 inches and 2 feet in any sport is a lot. We were there, we just needed to be a bit tighter.”

https://twitter.com/MollieeWalkerr/status/1865865462942179734

“I feel like we were kind of just stretching the game a little bit, looking for plays that were not there yet instead of collectively breaking the puck out and working on the forecheck as a group of five. I think we were probably looking for easy offense a little bit too much in the second period and it kind of caught us,” Smith said in reference to a second period collapse that saw the Kraken score three straight goals to take a 4-3 lead.

Even though they played faster, the defense broke down at the wrong time. Despite getting goals from Filip Chytil and Trocheck (power play) to go up 3-1, they fell apart in the final six minutes of the period. Brandon Tanev and Tolvanen tallied 88 seconds apart to tie the score. Then, Trocheck lost a defensive draw to Wright that led to Bjorkstrand redirecting Montour’s shot past Quick to give the Kraken their first lead at 19:24.

Bad Start to Third Proves Costly

Following the disappointing conclusion to the second, the Rangers had a chance to regroup during intermission. Or so we thought. Instead of coming out with more urgency, they allowed the Kraken to build a two-goal lead. Lafreniere and Miller did a lousy job on the entry. They stick waved instead of taking the man. That soft coverage resulted in more sustained pressure from the Kraken. Miller’s giveaway allowed Stephenson and Burakovsky to set up Dunn’s goal that made it 5-3 exactly a minute into the third period.

It was unacceptable. Worse was Kakko’s ole defense on Wright’s goal in transition. The sea parted in the neutral zone, allowing Bjorkstrand to lead Tolvanen on a two-on-one. He had a cutting Wright in front for an easy tap in that made it 6-3. Kakko was completely out of position. Considered one of their better defensive forwards, he’s made some mistakes during this stretch. His improvement offensively while playing mostly with Chytil and Will Cuylle is noticeable. But he still only has four goals in 26 games. Fourteen points is decent production in a supporting role. They need more goals from Kakko.

An Alarming Trend for Panarin Line

Although they continue to produce offense, the Panarin line is on for too many goals against. Despite being on for two goals including Miller’s tally that started a rally in the third, they were minus-one in goal differential at five-on-five. Somehow, in a game they dominated territorially with a 70.27 CF per Natural Stat Trick, the trio of Panarin, Trocheck, and Lafreniere were on for three goals against.

That simply cannot happen. For the season, the big line is a plus-4. They’ve been on for 19 goals for and 15 goals against. They’re giving up almost as many as they’re scoring. That didn’t happen last year. Even Trocheck’s defensive play has slipped. He’s heating up offensively. But they need him to lead the way in the defensive zone. He didn’t lose many big faceoffs that led to opponents scoring last season. He also didn’t get beat as frequently in coverage.

By comparison, the reunited line of Mika Zibanejad, Chris Kreider, and Smith are a plus-1. They’ve been on for nine goals for and eight goals against. The only line that has been dominant at five-on-five is Chytil, Cuylle, and Kakko. They’re a plus-11, having outscored opponents 12-1. That one goal against came yesterday when Kakko got beaten badly by Wright for the game-winner.

Shesterkin Returns for Blackhawks

After his wife gave birth to a healthy baby girl, Igor Shesterkin returns to the net for the Rangers when they take on the Blackhawks later tonight.

It’s been an emotional weekend for Shesterkin. He signed the big contract extension worth a record $92 million over eight years to remain a New York Ranger. The $11.5 million cap hit is the most ever for a goalie. It’s all been covered in my last post.

Related: Rangers Make Shesterkin the Highest Paid Goalie in NHL History

Now, he can focus on playing hockey. A happy Shesterkin should boost team morale.

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Rangers Make Shesterkin the Highest Paid Goalie in NHL history

Posted on December 8, 2024 by Derek

On the same day they sent former captain Jacob Trouba packing to Anaheim, the Rangers and Igor Shesterkin agreed to a new contract extension that’ll keep him in the Big Apple for the next eight years. Elliotte Friedman broke the story on Twitter/X.

https://twitter.com/FriedgeHNIC/status/1865155756430864454

On Saturday, Dec. 7, the Rangers and Shesterkin made it official. It’s an eight-year, $92 million contract with a full no-movement clause. That’s an $11.5 million cap hit. At the start of 2025-26, Shesterkin will become the richest goalie in NHL history.

Previously, it was the Canadiens’ Carey Price. He had a $10.5 million cap hit. Injuries derailed a brilliant career. He’s been on long-term injured reserve since 2021-22. The contract was through 2025-26. That’s the downside of committing long-term to a goalie. It’s always risky to pay a star player top dollar into their thirties. Shesterkin will be 29 in Year 1 of the deal. Hopefully, he can stay healthy and perform up to the high standard he’s set for himself.

https://twitter.com/NYRangers/status/1865501672601989335

A 2014 fourth round selection the Rangers took with the number 118 pick, Shesterkin has established himself as one of the league’s best goalies. After a great start to his career by winning 10 of his first 12 starts with a 2.52 goals-against-average (GAA), and .932 save percentage during the Covid abbreviated 2019-20 season, he went 16-14-3 with a 2.62 GAA, .916 save percentage, and two shutouts during his rookie year in 2020-21. Shesterkin finished fifth for the Calder Trophy in a strong rookie class highlighted by Calder winner Kirill Kaprizov, Jason Robertson, Josh Norris, Tim Stutzle, and close Russian friend Ilya Sorokin.

It was in his first full season that he put together a memorable campaign. In 2021-22, Shesterkin went 36-13-4 in 53 appearances while leading the league in GAA (2.07), and save percentage (.935), along with a career best six shutouts. That outstanding performance saw him win the Vezina Trophy and finish third for the Hart Trophy.

In the Stanley Cup Playoffs, Shesterkin helped lead the Rangers to the Eastern Conference Final. After a tough first round against the Penguins, he took control to backstop the Rangers past the Hurricanes in the second round. Shesterkin was at his best over the last two games, stopping 74 of 78 shots to send the Blueshirts to a second straight seven-game series triumph.

Facing fellow Russian Andrei Vasilevskiy, it was the younger netminder who had his team in strong position by taking the first two games of the Conference Final. But the Lightning used their championship experience to come back and take the series in six. Shesterkin played well in defeat. He didn’t get enough run support. The Rangers were outscored 12-4 over the final four games.

In 2022-23, he found it hard to match that special 2021-22 season. However, he still won a career high 37 games while posting a 2.48 GAA, .916 save percentage, and three shutouts. Unfortunately, the team didn’t have similar success getting ousted by the Hudson rival Devils in the first round. It was an uneven series that saw them blow a 2-0 series lead. The lack of adjustments led to coach Gerard Gallant’s dismissal.

Under the guidance of Peter Laviolette, the Rangers put together a great 2023-24 by winning the Presidents’ Trophy. Following an inconsistent first half, Shesterkin played much better following the All-Star break. Laviolette leaned on Jonathan Quick to give his ace some much needed time off to mentally reset. He performed more like one an elite goalie over the last three months. Able to ride the momentum into the postseason, Shesterkin was the difference in a second round rematch against the Hurricanes. When things got interesting, he delivered the clutch stops to help the Rangers defeat the Hurricanes in six to set up an Eastern Conference Final against the Panthers.

The biggest difference in the series was the Panthers’ superior play at five-on-five. Their penalty kill also shut down the Rangers’ power play. At times, the ice was tilted. But Shesterkin did his best to keep his team in it. It took the Panthers six games to eliminate the Rangers. It was the brilliant play of Shesterkin that left Florida coach Paul Maurice heaping praise on the Rangers’ backstop. He basically called his performance one of the best he’s seen. It was well-deserved.

Entering the final year of a contract with a $5.67 million cap hit, the 28-year-old Shesterkin wanted to be paid like a top goalie. When the Rangers leaked the negotiations prior to the season opener, Shesterkin’s camp was upset. Along with a tumultuous off-season that included Barclay Goodrow claimed on waivers by the Sharks and Jacob Trouba turning down a trade, there were a lot of distractions to start 2024-25.

Despite some unsteady play, Shesterkin held up his end by getting off to a fast start. Eventually, the lack of defense caught up to him. The continued distraction with Trouba becoming a lame duck captain really hurt the team. He didn’t play well. Neither did a select number of key veterans. That resulted in Shesterkin struggling as well. It all came to a head on Friday, Dec. 6 when Trouba was traded to the Ducks. On that same day, Shesterkin agreed to remain a Ranger over the long haul.

Even with the team continuing to underperform, with a lousy 7-5 loss to the Kraken on Sunday, Shesterkin decided that he wanted to stay put. He reportedly left money on the table. The contract includes over $58 million in signing bonuses. It’s a huge committment being made by the Rangers. A full NMC means that Shesterkin will hold all the cards throughout the duration of the contract.

It’s eerily similar to when Henrik Lundqvist was signed. Ironically, that deal was announced around the same time. The Rangers signed him to a seven-year, $59.5 million contract extension on Dec. 4, 2013. He became the highest paid goalie with an $8.5 million cap hit.

After leading the Rangers to the Stanley Cup Finals in 2014, Lundqvist helped guide them to the seventh game of the 2015 Conference Finals. The Lightning would spoil the chance of back-to-back Stanley Cup Finals.

From that point, the core of the team started to decline. As they became worse, Lundqvist wasn’t the same either. Eventually, he played his final game for the Rangers in the Stanley Cup Qualifying Round in 2020. After signing with the Capitals, he had open-heart surgery in January 2021 due to pericarditis. Despite returning to practice, Lundqvist decided not to return to the Capitals. He announced his retirement from hockey in Aug. 20, 2021.

Nobody can predict what will happen with Shesterkin. He blows out the candles on his 29th birthday on Dec. 30. If the Rangers continue to struggle, more changes could come.

https://twitter.com/MollieeWalkerr/status/1865774396759024070

On a day when he left the team to be with his wife for the arrival of their second baby, the Rangers embarrassed themselves again on home ice. Quick suffered the ugly defeat. If he’s back for Monday, then it’ll likely be Shesterkin to face the Blackhawks tomorrow night. At 2-2-0 on the current five-game homestand, they can’t lose to them. Can they? Hopefully for their sake, they remember to show up.

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Rangers Make Dramatic Change By Unloading Trouba to Ducks

Posted on December 7, 2024 by Derek

On Friday, all hell broke loose literally. In what amounted to a mutiny, the Rangers forced Jacob Trouba to accept a trade or be placed on waivers. When he wasn’t on waivers at the 2 PM deadline, it was pretty obvious that Trouba had played his last game for the Rangers.

Rumors had been circulating yesterday when it was revealed that Trouba would be a healthy scratch for Friday night’s win against the Penguins. They recalled Victor Mancini from the Wolf Pack to replace Trouba in the lineup.

Once it became evident that Trouba was on the move, the question was which team would take him. As many as five teams all had interest in acquiring the former Rangers captain. But when the dust settled, Rangers team president and general manager Chris Drury traded Trouba to the Ducks in exchange for defenseman Urho Vaakanainen and a conditional 2025 fourth round pick.

While the return wasn’t a lot, unless you think a failed former Bruins 2017 first round pick will amount to something, Drury was able to unload Trouba’s remaining salary. The Ducks absorbed the entire $8 million cap hit on a contract that expires in 2026. Even the staunchest Drury critic should be able to give him credit for finding a taker for Trouba. As much as I dislike him due to how he handled both the summer and by hanging a dark cloud over the locker room when he publicly made both Trouba and Chris Kreider available, he somehow subtracted a player who admitted in a Zoom interview that it became a distraction for him.

In getting rid of Trouba, the Rangers increased their projected cap space to $5.9 million. Once they recalled both Mancini and Matthew Robertson, who hopefully will make his NHL debut sooner rather than later, they decreased their projected cap space to $4.8 million. Puck Pedia spelled all of it out on Twitter/X.

As far as what can happen at next year’s trade deadline due to having much more cap space, it’s hard to predict what they’ll do. Even with a much needed 4-2 victory over the Pens last night, can anyone say for certain what the Rangers are? They beat a mediocre team. Whoopty do. They get another middling opponent tomorrow when the Kraken visit Madison Square Garden on my birthday. Whose brilliant idea was it to have a 1 PM start on a football Sunday in December?

With the Blackhawks coming in Monday night after firing coach Luke Richardson, that’s another winnable game. If they want to change the perception, not only must they bank four points against inferior competition. But they have to start beating quality opponents who are in playoff position within the Eastern Conference. The only win they have against a playoff team in the East came against the Maple Leafs back on Oct. 19.

After they face Seattle and Chicago, the schedule gets tougher. Even the Sabres present a challenge. They whipped the Rangers once on Nov. 7. Following Buffalo, they have the Kings and Blues in a back-to-back next weekend. After visiting the underwhelming Predators, they finish the calendar year with the Stars, Hurricanes, Devils, Lightning, and Panthers. Those five games should be a good indicator to see where this team is.

Anyone celebrating Drury’s move should check themselves. Is the current roster good enough to seriously compete? There could be more moves coming. Judging from the reaction of former teammates, they loved Trouba. Unfortunately, it became an untenable situation. He had one telling quote in his interview with reporters yesterday when he spoke about how uncomfortable the situation became.

The part that stood out is how tough the situation became playing in New York City. I said it a bunch of times on this blog. The minute Drury leaked that they were actively trying to trade Trouba during the off-season, he became a lame duck captain. Choosing his family over his career is commendable. It’s understandable why he didn’t want to move. At the end of the day, the business side of sports can be ugly. Drury chose that path. He was ruthless. It was his mess to clean up.

Even though it ended badly, Trouba was still able to appreciate the time he spent playing for the Rangers. That included two trips to the Eastern Conference Final, being named captain, and a Presidents’ Trophy. Say whatever you want about the contract former general manager Jeff Gorton gave him. The Rangers were successful following the trade that sent Neal Pionk and a 2019 first round pick (Ville Heinola) to Winnipeg. They became one of the league’s best teams.

Trouba always laid his body on the line. He was a warrior. Ironically, that’s the nickname of former teammate Ryan Lindgren. When it came to delivering jarring hits that were similar to former Devil Scott Stevens, number 8 was always ready and willing. Without his big hit on Sidney Crosby, the Rangers don’t get out of the first round in 2022. At the time, they trailed the Pens 3-1 in the series. Even though Crosby returned, the Rangers completed the comeback thanks to Artemi Panarin’s overtime winner. They advanced all the way to the Conference Finals. Despite taking the first two games against the Lightning, they lost four in a row to fall to the two-time defending champs.

When you look at the current blue line, there’s not much in terms of physicality. After Lindgren, Braden Schneider will occasionally line guys up. In terms of the nuts and bolts, that’s what Trouba provided. He always blocked shots. By now, it’s no secret that he played on a bad ankle last postseason. He never made any excuses. Unfortunately, his defensive play suffered. Some of the blame is on coach Peter Laviolette for how he used him. At no point should Trouba have been paired with K’Andre Miller. Schneider and Miller were more prominently featured during that run to the Final Four. But Laviolette still saw fit to put Miller and Trouba back together without any success.

In a classic quote, Trouba deadpanned, “It’s a rite of passage to get fired by MSG.”

Just from watching him speak, you could sense the relief. At the end of the day, it had to be done. It’ll be better for Trouba, who gets a fresh start with a young rebuilding team in Anaheim. The Ducks currently are 10-12-3 and sit outside the wildcard. They aren’t expected to make the playoffs. By adding a proven veteran who’s well respected, it can only help. They now have both Trouba and Radko Gudas patrolling the blue line. That’ll make a few players think about crossing the blue line with the puck. Keep your head up.

Trouba’s play has declined. Whether he can improve on it remains to be seen. He isn’t a fast skater and gets beaten more by opponents with speed. The scenery change should provide a boost. Like he said, he can get back to playing hockey.

Of course, he’s taken a beating from some misguided fans on social media. They don’t understand what it’s like being a player because they’ve never been in the locker room. Vincent Trocheck understood the pressure Trouba was under. He spoke about the reaction to the trade.

Throughout the team’s struggles, Trocheck’s been pretty vocal. He’s probably been the most accountable player. His game had also suffered. But he’s started to pick it up. With a goal and two assists on Friday night, he has five points in the last four games. The big line featuring Panarin and Alexis Lafreniere combined for three goals and five assists in only the Rangers’ second victory over the last seven games.

In order for them to turn it around, they’ll need more from Mika Zibanejad. I didn’t see yesterday’s game. But he set up the Reilly Smith game-winner. All indications is that he played better against Crosby, winning the matchup. It’s imperative for Zibanejad to produce consistently. He’s still the best player on that line that also features Kreider.

The Trouba move wasn’t the only big news. We’ll get to Igor Shesterkin later.

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Rangers and Devils Well Represented at 4 Nations Face-Off

Posted on December 5, 2024 by Derek

On Wednesday, Dec. 4, the rosters for the 4 Nations Face-Off were revealed. The tournament will take place in mid-February. It features Finland, Sweden, Canada, and USA. Games will be played between Feb. 12-20. The two teams with the best record will play in a one-game Final.

The value for a regulation win is three points. It’s two points for overtime or a shootout victory. If a team loses in either overtime or shootout, they get one point. Winning in regulation is the priority for each team. The format is the same as the NHL rules.

Four games will be played at Bell Centre in Montreal. Three will be played at TD Garden in Boston with the home of the Bruins hosting the winner take all Final.

Here are the official rosters:

FINLAND

Goalies

Kevin Lankinen

Ukko-Pekka Luukonen

Juuse Saros

Defense

Jani Hakanpaa

Miro Heiskanen

Esa Lindell

Olli Maatta

Niko Mikkola

Rasmus Ristolainen

Juuso Valimaki

Forwards

Sebastian Aho

Joel Armia

Aleksander Barkov

Mikael Granlund

Erik Haula

Roope Hintz

Kaapo Kakko

Patrik Laine

Artturi Lehkonen

Anton Lundell

Eetu Luostarinen

Mikko Rantanen

Teuvo Teravainen

SWEDEN

Goalies

Filip Gustavsson

Jacob Markstrom

Linus Ullmark

Defense

Rasmus Andersson

Jonas Brodin

Rasmus Dahlin

Mattias Ekholm

Gustav Forsling

Victor Hedman

Erik Karlsson

Forwards

Viktor Arvidsson

Jesper Bratt

Leo Carlsson

Joel Eriksson Ek

Filip Forsberg

William Karlsson

Adrian Kempe

Elias Lindholm

William Nylander

Gustav Nyquist

Elias Pettersson

Lucas Raymond

Mika Zibanejad

CANADA

Goalies

Jordan Binnington

Adin Hill

Sam Montembeault

Defense

Cale Makar

Josh Morrissey

Colton Parayko

Alex Pietrangelo

Travis Sanheim

Shea Theodore

Devon Toews

Forwards

Sam Bennett

Anthony Cirelli

Sidney Crosby

Brandon Hagel

Seth Jarvis

Travis Konecny

Nathan MacKinnon

Brad Marchand

Mitch Marner

Connor McDavid

Brayden Point

Sam Reinhart

Mark Stone

USA

Goalies

Connor Hellebuyck

Jake Oettinger

Jeremy Swayman

Defense

Brock Faber

Adam Fox

Noah Hanifin

Quinn Hughes

Charlie McAvoy

Jaccob Slavin

Zach Werenski

Forwards

Matt Boldy

Kyle Connor

Jack Eichel

Jake Guentzel

Jack Hughes

Chris Kreider

Dylan Larkin

Auston Matthews

J.T. Miller

Brock Nelson

Brady Tkachuk

Matthew Tkachuk

Vincent Trocheck

Five Rangers Participating in Tournament

Five Rangers are expected to participate in the 4 Nations Tournament. They include Adam Fox, Kaapo Kakko, Chris Kreider, Vincent Trocheck, and Mika Zibanejad. It isn’t surprising that three of the five will represent Team USA.

Fox is the headliner on a good defense that includes Norris winner Quinn Hughes, Long Island native Charlie McAvoy, Brock Faber, Zach Werenski, Jaccob Slavin, and Boston native Noah Hanifin. Even though Devils’ defenseman Luke Hughes was left off the roster, the American blue line should be a team strength. Hughes and Werenski are superb skaters who can turn up the heat quickly. Fox is one of the game’s best passing defensemen. Slavin and McAvoy are shutdown defensemen who add a lot of grit and physicality. Faber is an up-and-coming blue liner for the Wild. Hanifin is a steady defensive presence.

If there was an upset, that would be Trocheck making the roster over Cole Caufield and Tage Thompson. It looks like they valued Trocheck’s versatility over the explosiveness of Caufield and Thompson. Trocheck is a good all-around pivot who can play five-on-five, power play, and on the penalty kill.

Kreider gets one more chance to take the international stage. Despite the Rangers’ struggles, he remains a good finisher who’s money in front of the net. He should see a lot of power play time. He also has become one of the game’s most dangerous shorthanded players, with his 11 shorthanded goals the most since 2021-22.

Despite his struggles with consistency, Zibanejad was selected to play for Sweden. In 24 games, he has five goals and thirteen assists this season to rank fourth in scoring on the Blueshirts. However, anyone who’s watched him knows how hard it’s been to get going. He hasn’t played with much confidence and has looked a step slow. His fellow Swede teammates want Zibanejad to play on the wing. That could free him up to finish a bit more.

Kakko will get to represent Finland. Although he’s still having trouble scoring, Kakko has been a steady presence for the Rangers this season. Having formed solid chemistry with teammates Filip Chytil and Will Cuylle, Kakko has four goals and ten assists. His plus-10 rating is tied with Cuylle for the team lead. He’s also shifted to center and gone 51.9 percent on faceoffs. He might even get to play the middle for his country.

Four Devils Named to Rosters

The Devils will also be well represented at the 4 Nations Face-Off in February. Four players were named to rosters. They are Jesper Bratt, Erik Haula, Jacob Markstrom, and Jack Hughes.

Bratt and Markstrom will both be on Sweden. Bratt remains one of the league’s best kept secrets. His four-point game helped lead the Devils past the Rangers 5-1 on Monday, Dec. 2. A great skater who excels in transition, Bratt is tied for sixth in league scoring with 12 goals, 23 assists, and 35 points. A former 2016 sixth round pick, he’s turned himself into an excellent three zone player who can play at five-on-five, power play, and shorthanded. He’s probably the Devils’ second-best overall player behind Nico Hischier. Hischier won’t participate in the tournament due to being from Switzerland.

In his first season with the Devils, after coming over from the Flames in a trade, Markstrom is 12-6-1 with a 2.54 goals-against-average and .907 save percentage. He made 38 saves against the Rangers three days ago.

Hughes will get the chance to fly up and down the ice for Team USA. An exciting player who possesses the incredible skills to go with his explosive skating, Hughes has 11 goals with 22 assists for 33 points to rank second behind Bratt in team scoring. He scored twice and set up a goal for three points in the Devils’ victory over the Rangers. After going three games without a point before Thanksgiving, Hughes has eight points over the last three. Might we see Hughes looking to set up Kreider on the power play? The possibility does exist.

Haula will play for Finland. Figure him to be in a checking role. A gritty center who is over 55 percent on faceoffs, Haula plays the game with tenacity. That’s why he’s been successful. He hasn’t lit the world on fire this season. But he can be counted on to contribute. Haula is a complementary player who can play at even strength and on the penalty kill.

How it Affects the Season

When the league takes a break in February, it’ll feel similar to the Olympics. As much as the tournament should provide fans with some excitement, it takes away from the regular season. It’s two weeks off for most players. They’ll have to stay in game shape when the season returns on Feb. 22.

There’s also the concern over injuries to key players. The tournament will be hard fought. Hopefully, there are no setbacks to the players participating in the 4 Nation Face-Off. Keep your fingers crossed.

By having a two-week layoff, the NHL trade deadline isn’t until March 7. The regular season doesn’t conclude until Apr. 17. The Stanley Cup Playoffs begin on Apr. 19.

In 2023-24, the Stanley Cup wasn’t rewarded until June 24. How late into the summer will 2024-25 go? The league should be finishing earlier. The NBA begins two weeks after the NHL. Their season now ends faster than the NHL. That isn’t good for anyone.

Complicating matters is that the 2025-26 season is an Olympic year. The league really needs to explore starting sooner. They should get rid of the bye week. It isn’t necessary.

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Key Blueshirts’ Disappearing Act Wearing Thin

Posted on December 3, 2024 by Derek

There was a hockey game at the World’s Most Famous Arena on a cold Monday night in December. It was supposed to be one anyway. You wouldn’t have known it. One team showed up ready to do whatever it took to win. The other looked like they’d rather be elsewhere.

The end result was a predictable 5-1 Devils victory over the Rangers. They owned the ice and the scoreboard. They even had some of their fans who took the Path train and enjoyed seeing their team humiliate the close Hudson rival at Madison Square Garden. The Ric Flair, “Woo” chants in the third period summed up how far away the Rangers are from last year. In fact, 2023-24 feels like a long time ago.

If you needed an early reminder of how fundamentally flawed this team is, it came in the first 90 seconds. Jesper Bratt beat Igor Shesterkin on a breakaway to give the Devils the early lead. The culprit on the goal was Artemi Panarin. With Braden Schneider caught deep, Panarin got victimized on a bad pinch. Ondrej Palat sent Bratt flying into the Rangers’ zone on a two-on-one. Bratt beat Shesterkin through the five-hole for his 12th goal.

As great an offensive player as Panarin is, he’s been lousy defensively. When he put together his 49-goal, 120-point season, he showed more interest in backchecking. Despite leading the Blueshirts again in scoring with 13 goals and 28 points, he’s reverted back to the lazy habits that have plagued the team this season. The same habits that got Gerard Gallant fired following a seven-game first round exit to the Devils in 2023. Peter Laviolette took over and the same nucleus delivered a Presidents’ Trophy, advancing to the Conference Finals.

If you’ve watched this team play, you know how dysfunctional they are. At any moment, they can break down. The much faster and supremely skilled Devils used their transition to hurt the Rangers. They got a few breakaways, including a Jack Hughes one-on-one with Shesterkin when he slowed down as if it were a shootout before having his one-handed backhand easily turned away with the score 2-0. Whether or not it was “Instagram hockey” as Rangers studio analyst Steve Valiquette asserted on MSG Network can be debated on social media. Either way, Hughes got the last laugh by later scoring twice in the second period.

Before Hughes got his two pair in a three-goal Devils’ second, yet another defensive breakdown allowed Dawson Mercer to score his first goal in eight games. Mercer roamed free in the high slot and beat Shesterkin through the wickets for another bad goal. For a goalie who wants to be paid top dollar, he isn’t playing like it. Neither goal in the first period was good. Especially when following the Shesterkin stop on Hughes, the Rangers controlled the remainder of the period outshooting the Devils 12-7.

Buoyed by a Dougie Hamilton interference minor, the Rangers went to work on the power play. The reunited top unit had the puck for most of the two minutes. It was during it that Devils defenseman Brett Pesce put together an inspired shift on the penalty kill. He blocked three shots. Two came on Mika Zibanejad attempts including a one-timer. He would also get in the path of a Panarin wrist shot to help kill off the remainder. In total, the Devils blocked five shots. The four-man unit showed so much will to prevent the Rangers from scoring.

Jacob Markstrom was strong in net. He made some key stops to keep the Devils ahead by two. That included denying Adam Edstrom and later Chris Kreider. Despite falling behind, the Blueshirts established themselves on the forecheck. The Devils were a bit sloppy defensively. Markstrom was sharper than Shesterkin.

After a good start for the Devils to the second period, with Shesterkin making a good save on Hughes, Edstrom continued his solid work by drawing a penalty on Joonas Siegenthaler. Once again, the Rangers did everything they could on the man-advantage. But they were a little unlucky. Panarin rang a shot off the goalpost. Then, Markstrom made two clutch stops on Vincent Trocheck. That included a very tricky deflection that he gloved. He’d later deny Will Cuylle.

The second was a bit perplexing. Both teams were undisciplined. That resulted in a lot of special teams. With the Rangers having some momentum, Reilly Smith was nabbed for taking down Hughes. It was Kreider who was dangerous shorthanded, getting thwarted by Markstrom. When they were down a man, it looked like they would make it a game. Instead, Adam Fox took an unnecessary penalty when he hooked Mercer from behind to hand the Devils a two-man advantage for 21 seconds. Fox was another star that had a bad night. His penalty proved costly.

Just as the first power play was about to expire, Hughes had a pass that was intended for Stefan Noesen go right to Hamilton, who drove a shot past Shesterkin to make it 3-0. The Devils remained on the power play. Even though they didn’t do much, it hurt any chance of a Rangers’ comeback. At even strength, they played better than in previous games. All the special teams hurt the ice times for players that don’t play on the top unit or penalty kill. Alexis Lafreniere only received 12:34 for the game. He nearly scored on a good shift and almost set a goal up.

On another defensive breakdown, Hughes was allowed to pounce on the rebound of brother Luke’s shot and score. He easily outmaneuvered Sam Carrick to make it 4-0. Carrick had no business being out there. The Devils took advantage of the favorable matchup.

Kreider would get one back on the power play to cut the deficit to three less than a minute later. With Jonathan Kovacevic off for delay of game, Kreider had a deflection go back to Zibanejad. He then passed the puck in front for Kreider to bury for his 10th of the season. In a game when some key Blueshirts disappeared, Kreider was noticeable. He forced Markstrom into some difficult saves. While he hasn’t been as consistent offensively, he remains a player opponents must gameplan for. If he can heat up, it’ll help turn things around. That is if there aren’t big changes coming between now and Friday’s game against the Penguins.

With Zac Jones off for delay of game, Zibanejad got the best chance on the penalty kill. He moved in and went to the backhand. But Markstrom got just enough of it to keep it out. Zibanejad continues to look a step behind at five-on-five. But he was more aggressive shooting the puck. The Rangers need more of that from him.’

Although the Devils led by three, it wasn’t a comfortable lead. They gave the Rangers chances to get back in it. A dubious embellishment call on Cuylle really finished it off. On a play where Justin Dowling got his stick between Cuylle to trip him up, the refs felt that he went down easily to sell the call. If a stick is in that spot on a player, they’re going to fall down. It was a brutal even up call that negated a power play.

During the four-on-four, Kreider was called for interference on Hughes. That gave the Devils a four-on-three. On it, Hughes took a Bratt feed up top and patiently waited for Nico Hischier to set a screen before firing his second past Shesterkin to make it 5-1 with 64 seconds left in the period.

At the conclusion, Erik Haula took down Jones to put the Rangers on another power play to start the third. But there was nothing doing. They failed to capitalize on the bad penalty.

Even though they continued to attack a more defensive minded Devils, they never created the kind of chances that would’ve made it interesting. They held a 9-3 edge in shots. The Devils did a good job boxing out. They continued to block shots, finishing with 27.

Laviolette put together the old lines. They forechecked more and played better. Cuylle was back with Filip Chytil and Kaapo Kakko. Lafreniere and Panarin were back with Trocheck.

The biggest disappointment was the lack of passion they showed. There wasn’t enough pushback. Aside from Jacob Trouba delivering a clean check to knock a Devil down, there wasn’t enough physicality. This is a team that lacks grit and character. They aren’t competing hard enough.

https://twitter.com/MollieeWalkerr/status/1863787764803604570?t=2H36SbCPLBMl_9s4BJ35hg&s=19

Following over a 30-minute delay, Laviolette told reporters that the answers are in the locker room. Are they? Or is he desperate? It looks like they’ve given up.

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