Komarov suspended three games

Posted on February 19, 2016 by Derek
New York Rangers defenseman Ryan McDonagh (27) lies injured on the ice after taking a hit to the head from Toronto Maple Leafs center Leo Komarov during the first period of an NHL hockey game Thursday, Feb. 18, 2016, in Toronto. (Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press. via AP)

Ryan McDonagh lies face down following Leo Komarov’s cheap shot. He was suspended three games today. AP Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press

During the first period of Thursday night’s game, Leafs’ forward Leo Komarov blatantly elbowed Ryan McDonagh injuring the Rangers’ defenseman. He was assessed a match penalty and automatic game misconduct. Today, the NHL Department of Player Safety acted quickly suspending Komarov three games.

Maple Leafs’ Komarov Suspended Three Games for Elbowing
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE / FEBRUARY 19, 2016 

MAPLE LEAFS’ KOMAROV SUSPENDED THREE GAMES FOR ELBOWING

 

NEW YORK (Feb. 19, 2016) – Toronto Maple Leafs forward Leo Komarov has been suspended for three games, without pay, for elbowing New York Rangers defenseman Ryan McDonagh during NHL game No. 860 in Toronto on Thursday, Feb. 18, the National Hockey League’s Department of Player Safety announced today.

The incident occurred at 18:58 of the first period. Komarov was assessed a match penalty for illegal check to the head.

Under the terms of the Collective Bargaining Agreement and, based on his average annual salary, Komarov will forfeit $47,580.66. The money goes to the Players’ Emergency Assistance Fund.

 

The hit Komarov delivered was dangerous. He clearly led with the elbow catching a prone McDonagh right in the jaw knocking him to the ice. He stayed on the bench to end the first period and then didn’t return for precautionary reasons.

Even scarier, the Ranger captain had just returned Wednesday after missing four games due to a concussion he sustained after taking a Wayne Simmonds gloved punch to the jaw. Simmonds was also given a match penalty but didn’t face any further supplementary discipline. In that case, Simmonds took a McDonagh hi-stick and crosscheck to the head before retaliating.

Komarov’s brutal elbow was more cut and dry. This was a clear example of what the NHL wants to eliminate. All head shots should come under heavy scrutiny. While Simmonds got nothing for his sucker punch, they gave Komarov three games.

In my opinion, any head shot should be a minimum of five with a review determining whether it should be a longer sentence. If they want to send a message, the DOPS needs to be more consistent and have stiffer penalties. That is the only way players will learn.

Regarding McDonagh’s status, it remains unknown. The Rangers had a day off. They return to practice tomorrow. Hopefully, it won’t be as feared. He takes too much abuse from opponents. There also was the Alex Burrows’ cheap shot in Vancouver that separated his shoulder. It would be nice if he was more protected. But unless Alain Vigneault is open to trying Dylan McIlrath with McDonagh to ride shotgun as The Journal News’ Rick Carpiniello suggested, opponents will continue to target the Rangers’ top defenseman.

For his part, the suspended Komarov made a public apology:

That’s good to see. He should also call up McDonagh and check on him. It doesn’t change what happened. Komarov is a tough customer who takes the body. He ranks third in hits with 245. He isn’t know for being dirty like Flyers’ defenseman Radko Gudas, who has twice escaped punishment for controversial hits. He is fourth with 219 hits

Something must change. The NHL must find consistency. Punish these guys and make them accountable. Enough nonsense.

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Game Review: Rangers find a way past Leafs 4-2

Posted on February 19, 2016 by Derek
D-Step.jpg

Stepan Up: Derek Stepan celebrates his clutch game-winner with 1:31 left in a Rangers’ 4-2 win over the Leafs.  AP Photo by Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press

It would’ve been disastrous to not come away with two points tonight. But also understandable given the despicable act that took place at Air Canada Centre. A Leo Komarov cheap shot likely concussed Ryan McDonagh again. We won’t know the full details until the next 48 hours. Playing without their best defenseman the final two periods, the Rangers found a way past the hapless Leafs 4-2 to bounce back from a tough home defeat.

Playing as ugly a first period as possible, they fell behind on an early goal from P.A. Parenteau off his skate past Antti Raanta. Then came the ugly part. Komarov delivered a blatant elbow to a defenseless McDonagh, catching him in the jaw with 1:02 left in the period. He was given a match penalty. The second player to earn one after delivering a cheap shot on the Ranger captain. Will the geniuses at the NHL Department of Player Safety discipline Komarov further? They’ll probably ignore it like they do everything else.

At least the Rangers woke up in the second scoring twice. That included a power play goal for a fourth straight game thanks to a 5-on-3 PPG from leading scorer Derick Brassard which tied the game. Mats Zuccarello put them ahead from Derek Stepan and J.T. Miller.

It was hold on for dear life afterwards. The Rangers made four consecutive trips to the penalty box. For once, the penalty kill came through. It wasn’t enough to hold off a relentless Leafs’ attack in a lopsided third. Recent pickup Colin Greening gave Dominic Moore a push to get to a loose puck and stuff home the tying goal with 2:30 left in the third.

On the following shift, Miller took advantage of a Morgan Rielly turnover. Taking him off the puck, he fed Zuccarello who found Stepan for an easy one-timer into an open side past a helpless Jonathan Bernier for the winner with 1:31 remaining. Zuccarello set up Brassard for an empty netter at 19:40.

Here are some more observations:

1.The Rangers won due to Raanta. He was fantastic making 35 saves. It’s been a rough stretch for the former Blackhawk. Tonight, he was ready making huge stops with his team flat. It was nice to see him get his first win since 11/15 which also came against the Leafs. Raanta won this game and got rewarded with The Broadway Hat.

”There’s no doubt that if it wouldn’t have been for Antti, it wouldn’t have been a game.”-Alain Vigneault

2.Hockey is strange. On Wednesday, the Rangers outplayed the Blackhawks by a wide margin out-shooting them 34-20 and out-attempting them 63-38. But Chicago scored three times on the power play to win 5-3. The Leafs clearly were the better team Thursday out-shooting the Blueshirts 37-20 and out-attempting them by an even wider 73-37. They lost because well, they’re the Leafs.

”Let’s face it, we carried the play. … We had all the opportunity, we should’ve won the hockey game. We turned the puck over twice and gave them two free goals.”-Toronto coach Mike Babcock

3.It is interesting to note that Vigneault replaced Chris Kreider on the Stepan-Zuccarello line with Miller. Look at his impact. Unlike Kreider who at times disappears, Miller is always around the puck. He’s more involved and is a better player. He winds up with three assists including another coming on the power play. Then his imprints were all over his line’s two goals. He is just a smart player who’s more consistent than Kreider. It’ll be interesting to see what happens this summer with both restricted along with Kevin Hayes.

4.Brassard continues to play at a high level. He gets number 21 with that lethal shot off a perfect Keith Yandle set up. Then gets rewarded at the end with an unselfish Zuccarello passing to him for number 22. Every goal is a new career high. There are 24 games left. He probably won’t reach 30.

5.Zuccarello has really turned it on. With a goal and two helpers, that gives him seven points (2-5-7) in the last four and a cool dozen (3-9-12) over the last 10. For a while, he hit a wall and wasn’t a factor. Ditto for Brassard, who is back with a vengeance. But it’s Zucc who is the heart of this team. How different would last Spring have been if he didn’t go down? It’s still amazing that he’s able to play at such a high level after suffering a brain contusion and partial fracture. He is the catalyst.

6.Stepan’s game has been coming. He’s scoring big goals. When it comes down to it, D-Step is clutch. He isn’t the most productive for the money ($6.5 million) he’s making. However, you need consistency from your line mates. Kreider hasn’t been. Since Vigneault wisely took Zuccarello off the top unit and put him with Stepan and mostly Kreider, it’s clicked. D-Step recorded his third two-point game in the last four. He’s 4-3-7 in the last five.

7.With a helper, that gives Yandle 29 assists. He has an assist in five straight. KY93 has a goal and seven helpers over the last 10. How important has he become with McDonagh probably sidelined again? Does anyone still think making that trade at last year’s deadline was bad? The defense would be in shambles without him. Whatever happens this July, so be it. But the Rangers are much better off with him than Anthony Duclair, the second round pick and the conditional first. They are a Win Now team. So it’s time to put the whole future stuff away.

8.Did Glen Sather overpay? Absolutely. But he only parted with one prospect. Duclair is gonna be a good one. He’s scored 16 times for Arizona. But they got Yandle at a bargain rate with the ‘Yotes picking up half the salary. So, Don Maloney did Slats a favor. On the open market, Yandle should command between $6-7 million per year. With the salary cap rumored to be going down due to the Canadian dollar, the question for new GM Jeff Gorton is can he subtract enough salary to retain Yandle? At this point, they need to.

9.Regarding the Komarov cheap shot that injured McDonagh, it’s just another disgusting hit that doesn’t belong in the NHL. Will he pay? Would you trust Player Safety? They let Radko Gudas off the hook twice. As for Wayne Simmonds, he should’ve gotten a couple of games for the gloved punch that concussed McDonagh. Instead, he played the next day and then faced Dylan McIlrath in the MSG rematch.

10.One thing that bothers me is as long as the Department Of Player Safety continues to turn the other way on illegal hits that target the head, these incidents will continue to occur. Players just don’t respect each other. The bad apples will continue to push the envelope. Head shots should be an automatic five games off. If they at least put a minimum of five games in with further review determining whether guilty parties should receive more punishment, that would at least send a message.

11.I’m told over and over again how having Tanner Glass in the lineup really deters the opposition. It’s a running joke from fans who dislike Glass. Did they hate him for beating Ryan White in the first minute against the Flyers? The silence was deafening. Understand. Glass isn’t a true enforcer. What can enforcers do at this point to prevent such incidents? They can stick up for teammates at the appropriate time. As long as the instigator is in place, it makes it harder for players to police themselves without putting their team at risk. The glory days are gone.

12.I’m not advocating having Glass in every game. That’s what Vigneault chooses to do. There’s no doubt a fourth line with Tanner and “penalty kill specialist” Daniel Paille isn’t conducive at even strength. Dominic Moore can only do so much to prevent opponents from getting the match-up. It’s the fault of management that they haven’t addressed the fourth line. How many times do we have to see it get caught out against a top line? Cringe worthy.

13.I’ll continue to believe Ryan Bourque could fill the role Paille is. He’s also a better skater. But remains in jail.

14.Marc Staal was back after missing Wednesday for the birth of his daughter. A good thing too because once McDonagh went down, they needed him. A team leader, the bearded ginger logged a team high 25:17 taking 32 shifts. He took a penalty but went plus-two getting 20:48 at even strength and another 4:29 shorthanded. It’s not always easy with him. He and partner Dan Boyle were victimized on Greening’s tying goal. But there was enough support. The third line with Moore replacing Oscar Lindberg didn’t get the job done.

15.As is often the case when they’re outplayed, the Blueshirts are sacrificing their bodies. They blocked 20 shots led by Dan Girardi’s five. Think he’s not important? He played a team high 7:36 on the PK, which was perfect. Or three minutes more than the next defenseman.

16.So of course Dylan McIlrath was scratched due to Staal’s return so Boyle could play 16:51 and go minus-one. I get that Big Mac was shaky against the Hawks. But they are the Hawks. What would be the harm in dressing McIlrath and giving Boyle a night off in the second of a back-to-back? I would imagine Big Mac would’ve tried to avenge McDonagh.

17.McDonagh had just returned after missing four games from a concussion. Now, he might have another one. Very scary. He looked woozy at the bench. Eventually, he went through the concussion protocol between periods and didn’t return. It’s very worrisome. He’s their best defenseman. They can’t go anywhere without him.

18.If it is the worst result, the Rangers should keep McDonagh out until April. It isn’t worth the risk. See Ken Campbell’s piece on Eric Lindros. It’s a fantastic read.

Lindros then articulates what everyone in the hockey world knows – that the six concussions he suffered in less than two years were largely responsible for his premature decline as an NHL player and made him a shell of his former dominant self. The first one came March 7, 1998, when he was levelled by Darius Kasparaitis, and the last came 811 days later on May 26, 2000. In Game 7 of the Eastern Conference final, Lindros was knocked out by Scott Stevens with the kind of hit that got Stevens into the Hall of Fame but would have earned him a long suspension in today’s NHL. It left Lindros curled on the ice in the fetal position. His career would never be the same. “I certainly did not play as well during the latter stages of my career,” Lindros says. “I hated going through the middle. I had huge fears. It’s tough going from being so assertive – you never show any cracks – to having an ‘X’ on your back. Players who would have never spoken or taken liberties in the past, it was happening all the time. I had a fear of cutting through the middle. Absolutely. Could I still shoot and pass? I could still score, but it wasn’t the same game.”

19.It didn’t matter how they won. They were down McDonagh and were gassed. So, the Leafs tying it was predictable. As I watched with my brother and buddy at Applebee’s, I expected it. When it happened, it wasn’t surprising. Great response. They found a way to win against a team they had to beat.

20.The two points were crucial giving them 72. The Isles earned a point in a 3-2 overtime loss to those regular season champion Caps. The Pens defeated the Red Wings 6-3. So, the Rangers remain five up on the Isles with Brooklyn holding two games at hand. They’re six clear of the Crosby’s, who also have two extras. The idle Devils fall out of the wildcard to a point out.

21.The Rangers get a much needed two-day rest to prepare for the Red Wings. When they play, the games are always fun. My preseason Eastern Conference Final preview takes place at MSG with a special 6 PM start time on Hockey Day In America. It also features an Outdoor game with those league darling Blackhawks visiting the Wild in St. Paul. The following weekend, the Coors Light Stadium Series features the Red Wings and Avalanche at Coors Field.

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Game Review: Rangers lose tough one to Blackhawks 5-3

Posted on February 18, 2016 by Derek

Panarin Bread: Artemi Panarin gets congrats from Patrick Kane and the Hawks in their 5-3 win over the Rangers. AP Photo by Adam Hunger/Getty Images

When it ended, I was furious. If you follow me on Twitter, then you know I was ticked off by this loss. Slice it any way you want. The way the Rangers lost to the Blackhawks in a NBCSN ratings induced #RivalryNight sucked. I don’t use that word much because it’s so passe. But it certainly applies after having a victory ripped away by three unanswered goals from the defending champs in a frustrating 5-3 loss at The Garden.

Instead of doing a traditional recap, I’m going to do some bulletin points. Here are some takeaways from the Hawks using Artemi Panarin’s hat trick (2 PPG, ENG) to stun the Blueshirts:

1.After giving up the only goal (Andrew Desjardins) in the first despite out-shooting their opponent a misleading 10-6, the Rangers did a lot of good things at even strength. When they were allowed to play 5-on-5, they dictated the pace taking the play to the Hawks with a relentless forecheck that included pinching D. Oddly enough, they only scored once at even strength with Kevin Hayes getting them on the board following a superb pass from Oscar Lindberg which went through Michal Rozsival’s skates for a nice finish that cut it to 2-1.

2.Speaking of Hayes, the goal was his 10th. His play is finally trending upward. The former Hawks’ first round pick has been more noticeable during shifts holding onto the puck more and generating a cycle with linemates Lindberg and Viktor Stalberg. They still don’t play enough. It’s nice to see Purple Hayes having an impact. He also set up Dan Boyle’s power play goal in the 3rd that put them ahead.

3.The Power Play connected twice making it three consecutive games they have done so. Amazingly, on a hi-sticking double minor assessed to Vincent Hinostroza (pronounce that 3 times fast) that Dominic Moore drew at 19:34 of the second resulted in our beloved Blueshirts actually cashing in on both ends with POWER PLAY GOALS! The first came off the hot stick of Derick Brassard, who hit 20 for the first time in his career. He’s trending upwards (18 in ’14, 19 in ’15, 20 so far in ’16). A great entry by Mats Zuccarello led to Chris Kreider and Keith Yandle making great passes for a perfect Brassard shot past Corey Crawford that tied it 24 seconds into the third.

The second half featured a fantastic keep from the ever emerging J.T. Miller which tired out the Hawks’ penalty killers. Eventually, Miller and Hayes combined to set up Boyle who took a Hayes cross-ice feed in front and had two whacks at it with the second one pushing the puck in for another PPG at 2:17 which gave the Blueshirts a 3-2 lead.

4.In his first game back from a concussion, Ryan McDonagh was solid at even strength with Dan Girardi. Matched up most of the night against the Patrick Kane/Artem Anisimov/Panarin line, they did a good job limiting time and space against the league’s best scoring line. At 5-on-5, the Kane unit were a combined minus-25 against the tandem of McDonagh/Girardi (+37) in shot differential. That’s astounding. McDonagh led the Blueshirts in total shifts (35) and was second in ice-time (24:06) trailing only Keith Yandle (25:45). Girardi received 33 shifts (20:16) including 16:43 ES and 3:33 shorthanded.

5.The problem was the penalty kill was a tire fire without Marc Staal, whose wife Lindsay gave birth to baby daughter Emily Jennifer Staal. They allowed 3 PPG’s in 4 chances to the supremely skilled Hawks. That included Andrew Shaw’s game-tying goal with 10:07 left on a weak holding minor on Stalberg. It also included Panarin’s game-winner with three minutes left on a abysmal “holding” call on Yandle, who battled Jonathan Toews behind the net. It wasn’t much. That said, the PK has to get the job done at that crucial point. A brutal way to lose even if the refs decided the outcome. When Henrik Lundqvist disagrees with how it was officiated, you know it’s bad. The Hawks got 4 power plays while the Rangers got their lone 2 on the double-minor they also converted.

6.One further point on the PK. Follower Madison Miller raised a good point on not having Rick  Nash, who also is a key forward on the penalty kill. No doubt a bad unit misses him. He and Derek Stepan have great chemistry and are always a threat shorthanded. Plus if Nash ever returns, maybe the Daniel Paille ‘experiment’ finally ends. He was caught puck watching on Shaw’s PPG. For as good as they were 5-on-5, Girardi and McDonagh struggled on the PK. They got the bulk with the captain getting 3:49 to Danny G’s 3:33 while Kevin Klein had 2:27. Curiously, Dylan McIlrath got 1:39 of his 11:10 (17 shifts) on the PK. More on that in the next point.

7.Regarding McIlrath and Alain Vigneault’s unwillingness to play him, it’s puzzling. He’s clearly a more defensively responsible defenseman than Boyle, who was at fault on Desjardins’ goal. Granted. Big Mac didn’t have a good first against the speedy Hawks. He struggled on one shift to clear a loose puck away from the crease. However, only getting one shift the final half of the second (credit NYDNews’ Pat Leonard) is ridiculous. Unless he was hurt as some followers speculated, it makes no sense. Unlike most of the blueline, McIlrath has size and strength to protect the front which explains why AV uses him on the PK. But if he’s not gonna play regularly, it’s a waste. That’s on the coach.

8.The downside is the fourth line. Yet AV continues to send them even doing so in a tie game with six minutes remaining. Dominic Moore is dragged down by Paille and Tanner Glass, who for the most part has been a positive this season. He even set up a opportunity. Unfortunately, there’s no rational explanation for Vigneault having the fourth line against Chicago’s top line or versus Toews’ unit on home ice. It’s bad usage. Not shockingly, the fourth line were on the negative side of the ledger at even strength going a combined minus-14 in shot differential. They’re receiving too much ice-time at the expense of the more effective third line.

9.Shot differential: Rangers had the edge out-shooting the Blackhawks 34-20 and out-attempting them 63-38. That kind of discrepancy and they lost due to the PK.

10.Lundqvist gave up 4 goals on 19 shots. Before the game, Rick Carpiniello tweeted that he’d been on a hot streak. Since I put the jinx on Cory Schneider, I referenced it in response. What do you know. Hank gives up 4. Though not much fault on any including a Panarin long wrist shot on the man-advantage with old pal Artem Anisimov screening. The other three Hawks’ goals all came from in front on set ups due to poor coverage.

11.Girardi had an apparent tying goal reversed correctly due to Kreider interfering with Crawford. A great challenge by Hawks’ coach Joel Quenneville.

12.It’s onto Toronto tonight for the second end of a back-to-back. They should get Staal back. Nash remains week-to-week with the mysterious bone bruise. Unfortunately, McIlrath will come out. Boyle will stay in. Especially after scoring on the power play. It is what it is.

13.Bottom line. Vigneault has put his trust in the vets. Ultimately, it will be his downfall if the core with Yandle for at least this year don’t get it done.

14.Minus two key pieces (Nash, Staal), tonight was encouraging rather than discouraging.

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Low scoring Devils try to make playoffs led by Schneider

Posted on February 16, 2016 by Derek
Cory Schneider

Cory Schneider has carried the Devils into playoff contention surprising many. He’s the leading Vezina candidate. Getty Images

In coach John Hynes’ first season, expectations weren’t high for the Devils. In a rebuilding year where they were expected to be one of the NHL’s doormats competing for projected top pick Auston Matthews, they have surprised many with a better season than anticipated.

Entering tonight’s home match against the Flyers, the Devils are in the first wildcard with 65 points in 57 games. Winners of three straight including backup goalie Keith Kinkaid’s first career shutout against the Kings, they lead the Penguins by a point. Pittsburgh is tied with the Lightning in points (64) but has two less regulation/overtime wins. The first tiebreaker. Playing their 58th game in Newark, the Devils will have played three more games than the idle Pens. Pittsburgh can make up ground.

The biggest reason for the Devs’ success is the outstanding play of number one goalie Cory Schneider. The heir apparent to Martin Brodeur, who had his number retired in a fantastic ceremony a week ago, the 29-year old Massachusetts native is having a season to remember. On the league’s lowest scoring team, Schneider leads the league in goals-against-average (1.98), ranks third in save percentage (.931) and has won 25 of the Devils’ 29 games. He’s also posted four shutouts.

While most of the accolades have gone to the Caps’ Braden Holtby, who boasts a 35-6-3 record, 2.16 GAA and .926 save percentage, Schneider has done more to keep his team in the playoff race than any other netminder. That includes the Panthers’ Roberto Luongo, Detroit’s Petr Mrazek and Chicago’s Corey Crawford, who leads the NHL with seven shutouts. Regarding the other contenders, only Mrazek plays on a team whose offense doesn’t rank in the top 10. The Red Wings currently are tied for 17th in offense averaging 2.54 goals-per-game. Holtby gets the most run support with the Caps averaging a ridiculous 3.30 goals-per-game. Crawford plays for the Hawks, who are seventh best at 2.82.

By comparison, the Devils are last in offense averaging a paltry 2.19. They don’t score much yet lead the league in GAA with a 2.14. They have allowed the fewest goals (124) by virtue of three more games played (57) than the Caps, who have to make them up due to a blizzard that hit the Northeast. Schneider is the one constant. Since the All-Star Game, he’s allowed two goals-or-less in all five starts with a 3-1-1 mark. In fact, he’s allowed more than two once over his last dozen starts dating back to Jan. 10. He’s posted a 1.58 GAA (19 GA on 346 shots) with a .945 save percentage. The Devils’ record in those starts is 8-3-1.

Offensively, the Devils don’t pack much punch. Still minus second leading scorer Mike Cammalleri, who won’t return tonight, they’re doing it with smoke and mirrors. Remarkably, Lee Stempniak is their leading scorer with 40 points (15-25-40). A free agent invite who made the team out of camp, he’s done as much as possible. Not surprisingly, he has no goals in his last six. Leading goalscorer Kyle Palmieri has also cooled off with just one assist and no goals over the last nine. They need him to pick it up.

Adam Henrique ranks third on the team with 37 points and second in goals with 19. A smart two-way player who is always a threat on the penalty kill, he’s tied for the team lead with partner Travis Zajac in shorthanded goals (2). Since his rookie year when he eliminated the Panthers and Rangers during the club’s trip to the Stanley Cup Final in ’11-12, he’s always had a knack for the clutch. His five game-winners pace the team. After hitting a cold stretch, Henrique has five points (3-2-5) over the last five.

As for Zajac, he continues to be the team’s most reliable faceoff man going 51.2 percent so far. He’s added eight goals and 20 assists in 49 contests. While he’ll never be what he was with ex-Devil Zach Parise, the 30-year old remains a key veteran presence who can be trusted in any situation. His penalty killing work with Henrique is spectacular. As a team, the Devils rank eighth on the PK at 82.9 percent. Zajac has been good lately with points in five of his last six. He also had a four-point outburst in a 6-3 win over Ottawa on 1/21.

Without the recent contributions of youngsters Joseph Blandisi and Reid Boucher (goal/helper in win over Oilers), the Devils would be in worse position. Particularly Blandisi, who they signed as a rookie free agent following a big year with the Barrie Colts of the Ontario Hockey League. As a 20-year old overager, he exploded for 112 points (52-60-112) ranking fourth in OHL scoring.behind Connor McDavid, Mitchell Marner and Dylan Strome. The 21-year old didn’t spend much time in Albany. After posting 21 points in 24 games, he was recalled. In 18 contests, he has four goals and seven helpers. Nine of his 11 points have come over the last 10 games.

In a year where shutdown tandem Andy Greene and Adam Larsson haven’t contributed much offensively due to their defensive assignments, the Devils have gotten unexpected production from David Schlemko from the back end. He leads all Devil defensemen with seven goals including four game-winners with a huge power play goal coming in a 3-2 home win over the Rangers. John Moore has been an overtime hero scoring twice to win games. With Damon Severson struggling in his second year and Eric Gelinas continuing to look more like an AHL player, the Devils have needed Schlemko’s contributions.

There’s a dramatic drop off between the Devils’ top six forwards and the bottom six. Waiver wire pickup Bobby Farnham has the most goals with seven. Jacob Josefson is used on the power play and penalty kill. Eight of his 11 total points have come on the man-advantage. Hynes also likes to use him in the shootout. Sergey Kalinin, Jordin Tootoo and Stephen Gionta are role players who don’t bring much offense.

The Devils could really use franchise leading scorer Patrik Elias. In what’s probably his final season, the popular 39-year old two-time Stanley Cup winner has been a lifetime Devil. He’s scored a franchise best 407 goals with 615 assists and 1,022 points. Also franchise records. Unfortunately, injuries including right knee surgery have limited him to 13 games. If he can return by March, maybe he can be like a deadline acquisition.While it seems unlikely, keep in mind this could be it for number 26, who no doubt will join Brodeur, Scott Niedermayer, Scott Stevens and Ken Daneyko up in the rafters.

If they are to hang in the race, it’ll be due to Schneider who in our view deserves to win his first Vezina. He can’t do it alone. With the trade deadline 13 days away at month’s conclusion, Devils GM Ray Shero faces a tough decision. Does he look to add a piece and go for it in a weak conference? Realistically, it doesn’t make sense. But as we know, a hot goalie can steal a series and make things interesting. Or will Shero decide to see what he can get for Stempniak? Much depends on when Cammalleri returns. He could be the jolt the team needs.

Either way, it’s been a feel good story for Jersey’s Team. They’ve given their fans a lot more to cheer about. No matter what happens, it’s been a positive year for the Devils.

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Rangers avenge McDonagh in orderly fashion

Posted on February 15, 2016 by Derek
Flyers Rangers Hockey

The Main Event: Rangers’ rookie defenseman Dylan McIlrath throws down with Flyers’ power forward Wayne Simmonds 39 seconds in avenging captain Ryan McDonagh. AP Photo by Julie Jacobson/Getty Images

This one had some juice to it. From the outset, the guys dressed in the more traditional home white, red and blue played with purpose. The Rangers avenged their captain Ryan McDonagh in orderly fashion. In soundly defeating the Flyers 3-1 at an energized MSG in the classic rivals’ final regular season meeting, they delivered the message to Wayne Simmonds.

After exchanging words during warm ups, rookie Dylan McIlrath squared off with Simmonds at center ice only 39 seconds into the game. The big 6-5, 220 pound defenseman slugged it out with the smaller 6-2, 183 pound Simmonds, who did well even though he took some heavy shots including one that cut his eye. To his credit, the Flyers’ power forward accepted McIlrath’s invitation and went toe to toe. There was no instigator. Just two big men exchanging blows which made Simmonds accountable for his actions.

”I wanted to send a message. I wanted to stick up for my teammate, our captain, our best player,” McIlrath said following the Rangers’ fifth win in six. ”I can respect him for squaring up with me, and I’m just happy how it all worked out.”

Glass fights.jpg

Tanner Glass gets the take down on Ryan White during scrap 59 seconds into the game. AP Photo by Julie Jacobson/Getty Images

With the crowd still buzzing, Tanner Glass delivered a big hit that drew more cheers. It eventually led to a second scrap 20 seconds later with Flyers’ forward Ryan White. Again, two big men squared off at center stage and traded punches before Glass got the take down to more loud cheers. In each instance, there was no instigator. Just two clean fights in the first minute that set the tone. The Rangers wouldn’t be pushed around in their home building.

”They wanted to do something about it. That’s how hockey goes,” Simmonds replied after facing McIlrath for concussing McDonagh with a gloved punch in response to receiving a crosscheck to the head. ”He wanted to fight.”

Playing a more physical game, the Rangers didn’t back off. Most notably, proud vets Marc Staal and Dan Girardi with the latter delivering another throwback game finishing with six hits, three blocks and two assists in 24:19 while teaming with Keith Yandle. Staal got the bulk of the minutes logging 25:42 including 19:45 at even strength with partner Kevin Klein to blanket the Flyers’ top line of Simmonds, Claude Giroux and Jakub Voracek.

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Derick Brassard celebrates his 19th goal at the Ranger bench. AP Photo by Julie Jacobson/Getty Images

Most importantly, they won the game. After matching crosscheck minors to Mats Zuccarello and Chris Vandevelde, they got the game’s first goal during a well executed four-on-four. Taking a great outlet from Yandle, Derick Brassard skated around the Flyers’ net and beat Steve Mason with a wrap around. Initially, it looked like Viktor Stalberg put it in. But the puck was already across the line giving Brassard his 19th to more cheers at 5:08. Girardi started it with a defensive play.

Given chances on the power play, the Rangers didn’t take advantage. The bigger part of the second half of the first was a huge penalty kill of a high-sticking double minor wrongly assessed to Zuccarello during a TV timeout. Dominic Moore was the guilty party. But refs Kelly Sutherland and Dave Jackson erred putting the wrong player in the penalty box. That actually benefited the Rangers, who still had a valuable penalty killer in Moore, who also takes defensive draws. Zuccarello doesn’t kill penalties.

Even though they were pinned in for a good chunk, the Rangers bent but didn’t break. A key part of the Flyers’ top ranked power play was missing for the first half. Prized rookie Shayne Gostisbehere couldn’t start the man-advantage due to a cut that needed repairing from Moore’s errant high-stick. His top heavy shot has been doing damage. When he returned for the second half, the Flyers’ power play was more dangerous forcing Henrik Lundqvist into some tough saves.

Lundqvist’s game has been stellar lately. Locked in from the beginning, he was seeing the puck extremely well. If not for a Flyers’ 6-on-4 power play goal from Brayden Schenn with 9.5 seconds left from Voracek and Gostisbehere, who increased his rookie record point streak for a defenseman to 12 straight- Lundqvist pitches his second straight shutout. Considering the work he did in last Monday’s 2-1 win over the Devils which was ruined by a Travis Zajac shorthanded goal with 2:17 left, the King could easily have three straight shutouts.

”What matters to me is that we win games,” a poignant Lundqvist stated. ”We were being aggressive and played a strong game.”

Following such a heavy pace to the first that included the fisticuffs, the second was much more quiet. Almost too much so. Even though they got the first three shots, the Rangers gave up more puck possession to the Flyers. But for all their strong forecheck, they were only able to muster six shots that reached Lundqvist. Each one he stopped easily. Even with his team in penalty kill trouble, Henrik was focused. After killing off a bench minor, they were hemmed in their zone by a relentless Flyers’ forecheck. Girardi must’ve been out for almost two minutes. Eventually, it led to McIlrath taking a Flyer down.

Even with the Flyers having the puck inside the Ranger zone for a long time with tired penalty killers, they couldn’t beat Lundqvist. Many attempts went wide or over the net. In the stat of the night, the Flyers were the gang that couldn’t shoot straight missing 28 shots. The grittier Blueshirts blocked another 20. Even though they out-attempted the Rangers 70-51, it felt like they would never score.

It was still a one-goal game when Derek Stepan hit a milestone. Ineffective on the top unit with bad turnovers on the left point, Stepan was the recipient of a remarkable no-look pass from wizard Mats Zuccarello for his 100th career NHL goal. Girardi made a good keep pushing the puck down to Zuccarello, who turned and fed Stepan for his 11th which gave the Rangers some breathing room with 9:26 left in the third.

A Chris Kreider rush led to Radko Gudas taking him down from the side. While some fans clamored for a penalty shot, it wasn’t. The right call was made. This time, the Rangers power play performed a miracle of sorts scoring for a second consecutive game. It only took a cool dozen seconds. Off a Brassard faceoff win, the amazing Zuccarello continued his wizardry with a great pass to an open Stepan for his 12th.

”We worked hard tonight,” said Stepan after scoring his third in the last two games. ”We just have to continue to work at that.”

There wasn’t anything to dislike. It was a total team effort. When Pierre-Edouard Bellemare crashed into Lundqvist following a slight Oscar Lindberg shove leading to a goaltender interference, Klein came to his goalie’s aid roughing up Bellemare for matching minors. It was exactly the response you wanted. Sure. A Glass slash led to Schenn breaking the shutout following a remarkable stop by a leaping Lundqvist. That didn’t matter. It was just bookkeeping.

The Rangers showed up ready and played that way. This was a very positive result for a team that just might be hitting its stride at the right time. Since McDonagh went down, they’re now 3-0-1. Really 4-0-1 if you consider the captain was knocked out in the first of the 3-2 comeback win in Philly thanks to Yandle.

BONY 3 Stars:

3rd Star-Dylan McIlrath, Rangers (stood up for captain and did it proudly)

2nd Star-Henrik Lundqvist, Rangers (21 saves-2 GA in last 3 games)

1st Star-Derek Stepan, Rangers (2 goals-11, 12-team high 6 SOG, 11-9 FO, +1 in 26 shifts-19:14)

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Deja Vu: Rangers blow lead to Kings and lose in overtime

Posted on February 12, 2016 by Derek
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The Kings celebrate Tanner Pearson’s overtime winner in a 5-4 win over the Rangers. AP Photo/Julie Jacobson/Getty Images

In a game I barely paid attention to due to putting in some work time at home, the Rangers managed to blow one to the Kings falling 5-4 in overtime. Anyway you slice it, this was a bad loss. Sure. They earned a point. But save the bull crap for other blogs.

While I spoke to people and had the game up on my laptop on mute, it was hectic. The Kings jumped out to a 2-0 lead on goals from Anze Kopitar and Marian Gaborik. Before I even checked, LA was already up one with Kopitar scoring 33 seconds in following a Marc Staal turnover. Staal had a forgettable period. He was in the box when Gaborik came out and snapped his 12th by backup Antti Raanta for a power play goal.

At that point, I concluded it’s gonna be one of those games. The Rangers responded to LA’s strong start by getting one back from Viktor Stalberg. He finished off a nice set up from Kevin Hayes and Oscar Lindberg 1:34 later.

The turnaround continued in the second period. The second line did the damage with two consecutive goals in 1:37. First, Derek Stepan undressed the Kings defense and fooled emergency starter Peter Budaj for his 10th unassisted tying the score at 7:44. Then, as I looked up, Mats Zuccarello was already celebrating his team-leading 19th from Chris Kreider and Stepan at 9:21 for the Rangers’ first lead.

Like they had in the Stanley Cup Final, the Kings came back with Kopitar once more finishing in front off a Milan Lucic pass from Dustin Brown. Kevin Klein was beaten badly. Let’s just say it was a harbinger of things to come. It wasn’t one of his best performances.

With the game still tied, Stanley Cup hero Alec Martinez was almost the goat. He took a delay of game minor for LA’s only penalty of the contest. It came with 6:30 left in regulation. In miraculous fashion, the Rangers actually scored a power play goal. Considering the frigid weather conditions, this moment should be frozen in time. Zuccarello sped through the Kings’ zone and passed across for a wide open Hayes, who buried his second goal in two games. Keith Yandle drew the secondary helper. That gave the Rangers a 4-3 lead with 4:46 left.

But whenever they face the Kings no matter who’s in goal or playing, it’s never over until the final buzzer. In the Rangers’ case, they iced the puck and got burned. Off what else but a faceoff win from Kopitar, eventually Jeff Carter and Drew Doughty got the puck back to him in the right circle. He let go of a wrist shot that was headed wide until the puck bounced off Klein’s helmet and in past a helpless Raanta with 30 seconds remaining. That gave Kopitar a hat trick. He’s their best player for a reason. That’s why they shelled out the big bucks handing him an eight-year $80 million extension.

The three-on-three roller derby was more entertaining than most Ranger games. Each team traded early chances. With the Rangers coming close at one end, before I could check the video, the Kings were celebrating Tanner Pearson’s overtime winner at 3:10. He beat Raanta from way out for just his seventh. Some fans complained about Alain Vigneault having Dan Boyle out. It is three-on-three. You go for it. Boyle is high risk, high reward. So, I don’t take any issue. As if they wanted to play for a shootout with Raanta against Budaj.

Simply put, sometimes you get beat. Even if it was a awful goal for Raanta to allow (unscreened), it happened. End of story. That’s what you get when the coach refuses to play Raanta. He was rusty. So, it was expected. Some fans made interesting comments when Raanta got off to a good start. There were the usual veiled shots at Cam Talbot from a fan base that is quick to dismiss our former players. Since, Talbot has recovered regaining the number one job with Edmonton, who re-signed him.

These games happen. It was just aggravating because it was against the Kings. At least it wasn’t Henrik Lundqvist losing against Jonathan Quick. That would’ve been much worse. At the very least, they still earned a point moving four up on the Islanders for second. The next game is the final one against the Flyers and Wayne Simmonds. Tanner Glass has made it known how he’ll deal with Simmonds.

“You have to think team first, so you’re not taking a penalty,” Glass said. “You’re not trying to hurt your team in anyway. You just have to let [Simmonds] know that that’s not going to be tolerated. [McDonagh’s] our captain, he’s our best player, [Simmonds] can’t do that. He’ll know. He’ll know.”

That game can be seen on NBC Sports Network Sunday night. The most important part is for the Rangers to win on the scoreboard. Any payback should not come at the expense of getting a ‘W.’ However, it’s coming. Get yer popcorn ready.

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Game Preview: Kings visit MSG

Posted on February 12, 2016 by Derek
Dustin Brown

Dustin Brown celebrates his double overtime winner giving the Kings a 2-0 series lead. AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill

Later tonight, the Rangers host the Kings at MSG. It’ll be the first of two meetings. The other is next month on March 17 during a three-game Californian Western trip with stops in Anaheim and San Jose.

Two years ago, the Kings defeated the Rangers for the Stanley Cup in as close a five-game series as you’ll ever see. All three games at Staples Center went to sudden death. Each time, the Kings prevailed including the heartbreaking conclusion in double overtime from defenseman Alec Martinez. It was the most frustrating of the three OT losses because the Rangers blew a couple of golden opportunities that included a power play and also a breakaway for Chris Kreider. But the athletic Jonathan Quick stoned him.

Unfortunately, that’s sports. Especially hockey where it’s a game of inches. It’s also a game of luck. In that series, the Kings had it. Particularly in Game 2 when they had a call go their way that allowed them to rally from a two-goal third period deficit and win 5-4 in double overtime. Of course, maybe if the Rangers had actually attacked in the third period and scored goals, the outcome might have been different. Instead, we’re left to wonder what could’ve been.

Two years later, here are the same two teams entering Friday’s match with an identical amount of points (67) putting themselves in good playoff position. While the Kings lead the Pacific Division by six over San Jose and seven over Anaheim, the Rangers still have more work to do trailing the first overall Washington by 17 points. They have reeled off four in a row for their best stretch since before Thanksgiving. By putting together a winning streak, they are in second place and lead the Islanders by three points. Even better, by shutting down Sidney Crosby thanks to Henrik Lundqvist’s 58th career shutout in which he made 34 saves, they kept the Pens at 61 in the second wild card. A position they still own due to two less games played and one more regulation/overtime win than the Devils.

For the Blueshirts, they have been able to accomplish this without Rick Nash or Ryan McDonagh. Nash remains out with a bone bruise and McDonagh will miss a third consecutive game with a concussion. Other key players have stepped up including J.T. Miller, who connected for his ninth goal in the last 10. His 17 goals are third trailing co-leaders Derick Brassard and Mats Zuccarello by one for the team lead. Miller ranks fourth in club scoring with 30 points. Brassard leads with 40 while Zuccarello has 39 and Nash has 33.

In McDonagh’s absence, Keith Yandle has picked it up both offensively and defensively. Getting more responsibility and ice-time from Alain Vigneault, he has proved his worth. Even with his pending unrestricted free agency this summer, there’s no way the Rangers can trade him. He has points in two of the last three games including the game-tying tally with 12.9 seconds left in an emotional 3-2 shootout win over Philadelphia. Yandle was one of four defensemen the coaching staff used to blanket Crosby, holding the Pens’ superstar without a shot and a minus-three rating. Dan Girardi, Marc Staal and Kevin Klein also drew the tough assignment limiting Crosby’s time and space.

The defense also sacrificed for the cause blocking 25 shots including five from unlikely source Dan Boyle, who continues to shift to the left side when aligned with rookie Dylan McIlrath. It’s not just the blue line who are more committed. The forwards are as well with Brassard winning the match-up against Crosby. No small feat.

One of the stories coming out of that win was the play of secondary players. Kevin Hayes has had a big time struggle in his sophomore year. But he scored the winner for his eighth on a Tanner Glass rebound from Yandle. About as unlikely a combo for any goal. Glass’ third point and Hayes’ second goal in 14 games were huge. Just as large was Dominic Moore’s fifth goal of the season which came thanks to a great defensive play from Derek Stepan, causing a two-on-one with Chris Kreider. Moore went top shelf on Marc-Andre Fleury for a huge insurance marker in the third.

Jesper Fast closed the scoring with an empty netter despite taking a Kris Letang cheap shot into the boards. He’s played some of his best hockey fitting in on a second line with Stepan and Kreider. The second-year Swede has four points (1-3-4) over the last five games. His tenacity has helped keep plays alive in the offensive zone. Not the most skilled, Fast brings a solid work ethic which Vigneault prefers.

With the top two lines performing better, it’ll be interesting to see what Vigneault does when Nash is ready. For now, there’s no reason to rush him. Would he consider trying Nash on a third line with Hayes and Lindberg? Viktor Stalberg has done a admirable job on that line. But imagine if he was on the fourth line with Moore and either Glass or penalty kill specialist Daniel Paille.

One thing that must change is the current state of the power play. Even though Hayes scored from Glass and Yandle after it expired, the man-advantage is now a dreadful 2 for its last 50. There really is no rational explanation. It is a Rangers Tradition. Ever since the days of Perry Pearn and Mike Sullivan, power failure has been common. At some point, they need to have success on it.

As far as tonight’s match-up, neither starter is playing. Lundqvist is getting a rare night off with backup Antti Raanta starting.for the first time since allowing four in a 5-2 loss to the Caps on Jan. 17. It’ll be his 10th start. He’s 4-4-1 with a 2.30 goals-against-average and .909 save percentage. For LA, Quick will miss a second straight game due to a lower body injury. Emergency recall Peter Budaj gets the call over Jhonas Enroth. The last time the Rangers saw him, they pelted him for five foals on eight shots after Budaj relieved the injured Carey Price in Game 1 of the 2014 Eastern Conference Final. However, his last start against them was with Montreal when he made 27 saves in a 1-0 shutout on Oct. 28, 2013 at MSG.

The Kings boast Norris contender Drew Doughty and Selke competitor Anze Kopitar. They are two of the best players at their position. Each can beat you offensively and defensively. Kopitar is one of the premier two-way centers in the game who also paces LA in scoring with 47 points (13-34-47) and a plus-20 rating. Doughty is having a superb season with 33 points (11-22-33) and a plus-15 rating. Eight of his 11 markers have come on the power play.

Tyler Toffoli has been a breakout star with a team best 23 goals and plus-26. He can play any situation including shorthanded. Something the Rangers better watch out for. Toffoli has eight power play goals and one shorthanded goal. With Justin Williams now playing the same role in Washington he played in Hollywood, the Kings went out and acquired power forward Milan Lucic from Boston. He’s had a solid first year registering 14 goals and 20 assists with 66 penalty minutes while pacing the Kings in game-winners (5). His size and strength has always been a problem for the Rangers. That should be a tough match-up along with Jeff Carter (14-24-38).

Marian Gaborik tormented us in the Stanley Cup Final with some big goals. He returns to the Garden with just 11 goals and 21 points in a disappointing season. However, his eyes will light up under the Broadway lights. In four seasons as a Blueshirt, Gaborik totaled 114 goals including a career high 42 in ’09-10. He was successful eclipsing 40 twice and scoring a big overtime goal against the Caps in the second round of 2012. Even though former coach John Tortorella was responsible for his trade to Columbus, it netted the Rangers Brassard. John Moore was also part of that deal and eventually used as an extra with Anthony Duclair, first and second round picks for Yandle. Derek Dorsett spent a couple of years here and had a nice role on the fourth line during the 2014 postseason. Eventually, Columbus re-routed Gaborik to Los Angeles. The same way they hooked them up with Carter. What a top notch organization that is.

The Kings blue line also boasts Jake Muzzin. A lanky Russian who can play his end well and contribute offensively. He has 31 points (6-25-31) along with 122 hits and 79 blocked shots. If there is a team strength, it’s LA’s size where they love to pound the opposition with physicality. Six different Kings have over 100 hits led by Lucic (179) and royal pain in the ass Dustin Brown (136). After losing badly to the Islanders 5-2 in Brooklyn, they’re going to be mad.

By contrast, the Rangers are more of a skating team that plays finesse utilizing stretch passes and skill to beat opponents. However, Miller is not only a factor offensively but physically as well pacing the club with 131 hits, including seven against the Pens. Four Blueshirts have registered over 100 hits including Kreider (125), Glass (120) and Girardi (108), who would probably like a do over in the Stanley Cup Final against these Kings. It wasn’t memorable for him with a couple of bad giveaways causing goals including a Williams’ OT winner that turned fan bloggers against him. This fan base is fickle. Granted. Danny G isn’t what he once was. But the amount of hate he gets is pathetic. He’s about to play his 700th career game. That should be acknowledged by the same fans who cry constantly over a heart and soul player who has given everything to help the team be successful. That goes ditto for Staal.

Of course, each has bad contracts. That’s no secret. They contain no-movement clauses which will make it hard on new GM Jeff Gorton to move either. For all his stubborness with the vets, Vigneault is right. This team won’t go anywhere without Girardi or Staal. Girardi’s game has come up recently. Staal’s has in spurts. But each is still turnover prone and can be beaten to the outside by speed. Don’t forget how much these two have given. They’re warriors. That should be respected.

As for what to expect tonight, figure the Kings to come out with one intent. To get the puck deep and finish checks testing our D minus McDonagh. It’ll be a good challenge.

I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention Vinny Lecavalier, who LA acquired along with Luke Schenn from Philly in a salary dump. Lecavalier has indicated that he’ll retire after this year rather than finish his contract. Since coming to Tinseltown, he’s been impressive scoring five goals including four on the power play. Playing a secondary role under coach Darryl Sutter, Lecavalier has proven he still has something left. With five goals and three helpers in 14 games and a 94-and-91 faceoff record, he’s been a nice addition. Looking for one more Cup before he rides off into the sunset, the 35-year old ex-Lightning might get his wish.

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A night fit for a King

Posted on February 11, 2016 by Derek
Henrik Lundqvist

Henrik Lundqvist makes one of 34 saves en route to career shutout number 58 on a record breaking night. He passed Martin Brodeur for the most wins (366) for a goalie in the first 11 seasons. AP Photo by Gene J. Puskar/Getty Images

Leading up to Rivalry Night, the talk centered around Sidney Crosby, who entered on a roll with a seven-game goal streak (10 goals) and 11-game point string (12-10-22). By the night’s conclusion, both Crosby’s streaks were kaput and the discussion was about Henrik Lundqvist, who stopped all 34 Pens shots in a big 3-0 shutout win that gave the Rangers a fourth consecutive win.

Somewhat fittingly, on a night he passed Martin Brodeur for the most wins by an NHL goalie in their first 11 seasons with victory number 366 in game 666, Lundqvist did it in style recording his 58th career shutout.

”I just liked the way we competed,” the 33-year old King Henrik said after being named the game’s first star. ”I felt like we were getting to loose pucks and rebounds. You need guys to step up when they get the opportunity to play more minutes and that’s what we’re having now.”

Using timely scoring from Kevin Hayes and Dominic Moore, the Blueshirts were able to prevail thanks to sensational goaltending from their bread and butter. Lundqvist was especially clutch in a tough second period. Down by a goal, the Pens had most of the play controlling puck possession while generating higher quality chances and outshooting the Rangers 11-6. However, they were unable to take advantage.

”We had some good chances,” Crosby said after being held without a shot while on for all three goals against in 28 shifts (19:48). ”They capitalized on theirs and we didn’t. That was the difference.”

When Lundqvist wasn’t stopping the puck, he also had some luck from the goalposts. The Pens hit two including one from Conor Sheary in the second on a dangerous chance. He went around Marc Staal and was in on Lundqvist beating him top shelf only to see the puck go off the crossbar and stay out. Crosby also nearly set up Phil Kessel, who mishandled the puck in front failing to get a shot off. That’s the kinda season it’s been for the former Maple Leaf who remains an enigma with only 15 goals in 53 games.

Despite being outshot 21-13 through two, the Rangers had the only goal thanks to Hayes, who patiently stayed with a rebound of a Tanner Glass shot and went upstairs on Marc-Andre Fleury at 8:34 of the first. Both Glass and Keith Yandle picked up assists. An unlikely trio considering that Hayes hasn’t scored much. It was just his first goal in 13 games. The assist for Glass was his first point since Dec. 17. Just his third of the season. He has a goal and two assists in 30 games. As for Yandle, he’s been instrumental. The assist gave him six points in the last nine.

Without captain Ryan McDonagh for a second straight game, the Rangers got big performances from Yandle, Staal, Dan Girardi and Kevin Klein. The quartet all logged over 20 minutes while contributing offensively and defensively. For Yandle, he finished with three shots and nine attempts while going plus-one in 29 shifts (22:43). Outside of getting beat badly by Sheary and bailed out by a goalpost, Staal did a sound job with Girardi for most shifts at even strength while matched against Crosby. They went plus-two each blocking eight shots. As a team, the Rangers paid the price blocking 25 including five from Dan Boyle. Klein blocked three and took 32 shifts (23:04) finishing plus-one.

”When you miss some of your top people, it’s an opportunity for some other guys to step up,” coach Alain Vigneault said.

With the game still hanging in the balance, a good defensive play by Derek Stepan inside his zone sent Moore in on a two-on-one with Chris Kreider. Using Kreider as a decoy, Moore sniped a perfect laser over Fleury high far side for his first goal since Dec. 30. A nice reward for a hard working checking center who probably won’t return. If it is his final go round, the original Ranger who was drafted out of Harvard has been a consummate pro. It’s easy to forget that he was here when Lundqvist arrived as an unheralded rookie in ’05-06. Moore centered the HMO line flanked by Ryan Hollweg and Jed Ortmeyer.

They were able to protect a two-goal lead with steadier defense and the last line of defense with Lundqvist stopping 13 shots. Vigneault opted to go with the top line of J.T. Miller, Derick Brassard and Jesper Fast against the Crosby line. They didn’t do a ton offensively but were effective at five-on-five during the match-up. Miller finished with a game high seven hits and Brassard won 11-of-16 faceoffs. All Fast did was take a cheap Kris Letang run sending a backhand into an empty net with 1:31 left to seal the victory.

BONY 3 Stars:

3rd Star-Kevin Hayes, Rangers (game-winner-8th of season, 3 blocks, +1 in 18 shifts-14:29)

2nd Star-Dan Girardi, Rangers (3 shots, 5 blocks, +2 in 29 shifts-20:47)

1st Star-Henrik Lundqvist, Rangers (34 saves-3rd shutout-58th career, 366th win in first 11 seasons most all-time among goalies)

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A night worthy of a legend

Posted on February 10, 2016 by hasan4978

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After all the hype and anticipation that had been building for months to yesterday’s number retirement ceremony for the legendary Martin Brodeur, the hour between 6:15 and 7:15 last night actually managed to live up to the advance buildup, if not surpass it.  Last night had pretty much everything you could have ever envisioned and more – joy, laughter, surprises, poignance and reverence.  Before I get to that however, I’ll recap a busy weekend that set the stage for Tuesday.

For me, last night was the culmination of an entire weekend where the buildup crested as the night approached and we, the fans got pieces of what was to come Tuesday throughout.  At Saturday’s game against the Capitals they started selling some of the Brodeur memorabilia that fans would line up around the Prudential Center to get three nights later.  Fortunately I only really wanted either a program or a t-shirt if not both, but given the t-shirts were $40 and I already have plenty of Devils t-shirts I opted for the $18 program ($20 sticker price, but the 10% sth discount knocked it down to $18).  It’s a good thing I got the program at Saturday’s game since it was supposedly a commemorative edition that they only made 3000 of.  Probably not the smartest business decision since they could have sold ten times as much, even if the program was mostly pictures with the occasional quote from a former player or other hockey VIP interspersed throughout…some of the pictures were pretty unique and not highly circulated though.

My main concern for both Monday’s season ticket holder event at the Prudential Center and Tuesday’s ceremony was twofold – hoping for good weather since there were intermittent reports of snow on both nights, and getting there on time since both events were slated to start at 6-6:15…not to mention actually finding parking there.  Even for Saturday’s sellout game against the Caps (a rare weekend matinee game, and a promo day at that with a Mike Cammalleri bobblehead giveaway) my usual lot was nearly filled a half hour before the game, a $7 lot that’s a few blocks away from the arena and almost never close to filled.  Fortunately weather proved to be no concern on either night, and on Monday me and my friend got to the arena around 5:30ish but the garage where everyone was offered $5 parking for the night – normally a $30 lot – was predictably filled, so we had to park across the street in a lot that also had a reduced price of $10.

When we got there on Monday it took us a while to get to the free food since the club wasn’t designed to handle the amount of people that were crammed into there all at once.  Despite the ice level being open and also having food and drink there there were just too many people around and before Marty came out to do a brief Q/A with NBC’s Bruce Beck everyone wanted to eat and/or pick out their spot near the stage.  Fortunately for us the Q/A didn’t actually start till 6:30 even though it was supposed to begin at 6 so we had plenty of time to finally get some food and pick out a seat to watch it from, but the Q/A was extremely brief for obvious reasons and when Beck asked if he had anything he wanted to say to the fans, Marty himself started with ‘I gotta save something for tomorrow’ <giggle giggle chuckle chuckle> before making a few brief remarks.  Fans could get pictures with the Marty statue which was unveiled and on display, as well as the Stanley Cup but the line looked a little intimidating so we passed – we would get a picture with the Cup the next night though, and since the statue itself’s going to be just outside the Prudential Center for at least the next twenty years we weren’t in any rush for that either.

Mostly we just watched the game, and I ate more food once we were at ice level and the lines cleared.  They even had chicken parm pieces which I almost never resist eating as well as hot dog balls and a few other little things here and there.  They even offered free wine drinks, though I had a few sips of that I mostly stuck to water, and everyone got a commemorative coin upon leaving which was nice.  Marty and Bruce Beck came out one more time during the first intermission of the Devil-Ranger game to play a trivia contest with factoids around Marty’s own life (I had no idea his middle name was Pierre for example), where fans could play along and win prizes.   Me and my friend left in the third period with the game 2-0 mostly cause of the long night ahead of us the next day.  And since Tuesday’s usually one of my late days at work I was anxious as to when we’d be able to leave and get there.

Fortunately that proved not to be a concern either, as it was not very busy at work for once on a Tuesday so I left normal time, and me and my friend managed to get to Newark at 5:30 where there were still spots in our usual lot on Halsey Street.  No such luck for my friends in 120 who sit two rows below me since it took them at least a half hour to find a lot as theirs was filled up, though they actually got to Newark earlier than us so they still were able to make it on time for the ceremony on time at 6:15.  Pretty much the only thing I knew about the ceremony beforehand was who was going to speak and of course the fact that the masterful Doc Emrick would be emceeing.  Just seeing the ice you could tell this night was going to be special, as the stage itself had a big goal net with 30 in it and a big stick and mask around it, with all of the awards Marty won yards away in front of him on five different podiums and all of the visiting digniataries and family members seated off to the right of the stage, including the current Devils and staff who were either standing or sitting around the bench area.

As usual Doc had a sense of the moment and how to use something little known but easily understandable that everyone could relate to, such as when he made reference to the fact that in Marty’s rookie season five goalies held eight important records (including wins in a season, wins in a career and shutouts in a career), all of them Hall of Famers and finishing with ‘and now…only one goalie holds all eight records!’.  Of course he didn’t have to say which goalie that was.  Doc went on to introduce the family members and former teammates and coaches in attendance with one of the most heartfelt ovations of the night going to Jacques Lemaire, the coach who brought the Devils to prominence in 1994-95.

Perhaps seeking to get the awkwardness out of the way early, the first speaker after Doc was NHL commissioner Gary Bettman who was met with predictable boos.  And as usual the commissioner powered through the booing with his usual sardonic humor thanking the fans for their enthusiastic welcome.   After a few minutes, Bettman turned the mic over to Devils ownership and some dude I never heard of that works for the Prudential company who made some bizarre comment about how they were happy Prudential was going to be on the jersey raised to the rafters.  Devils co-owner Josh Harris also made an odd remark when he said the Marty statue would be stationed outside Championship Plaza ‘for the next twenty years’.  Where, exactly is it going after that?  Of course it isn’t the first time Harris has sounded a bit…on his own planet when speaking in public.

Getting that awkwardness out of the way, eventually Ken Daneyko came to the podium to say a few words and also Patrik Elias made an appearance later on.  When the fans started standing for him Elias said somewhat kiddingly ‘okay you guys can sit down now….this is like the Oscars where I only have 45 seconds to say something’.  Ironically, the real zinger of the night came from Lou Lamoriello, who was the last speaker before Marty.  Taking the stage to chants of ‘Loooouuu!’ in his first public appearance at the Prudential Center since leaving the Devils, Lou remarked, ‘Commissioner, that’s not the same reaction that you got!’, much to the delight of everyone and the amusement of Bettman himself.  After Lou’s remarks and a scoreboard montage narrated by Kiefer Sutherland (which even mentioned the trapezoid rule being put in because of Marty), then the moment arrived where Marty walked toward the stage, past the current Devils – all wearing 30 jerseys for the warmup skate that would take place after – with sticks raised, and around all of his friends and family.

After taking the stage to thunderous applause and chants, Marty attempted to get through his speech quickly, perhaps showing his nervousness.  It was Doc himself who had enough of a sense of the moment to go up to Marty with a tap on the shoulder and tell him to take a breath while the fans laid out all of their emotions.

“Doc said, ‘Stop a little. Let them cheer you on,’” Brodeur recalled. “It was great. The response from the fans was something special for me. I played lot of years and got to know these fans a lot throughout my career and I don’t know if I expected that ovation and it was really overwhelming.”

Perhaps it was the night’s biggest irony that with the world’s most accomplished goaltender in the building and one of the best currently in the NHL also wearing a Devils uniform, it was Doc who came up with the night’s biggest save.  After another few moments, the noise finally died down enough for Marty to make his speech where he displayed the same humility he had as a nineteen-year old rookie, acknowledging everyone from behind the scenes people like doctors and PR people to family to ex-teammates on all his Stanley Cup winning teams, even speaking to his family in French fulfilling a wish of his late father.  Brodeur ended his speech with a message to the fans:

“And finally to you, the fans…I value and I cherish the relationship I had with you guys.  I’ll remember it forever.  Thanks for the memories, thank you for all the Marty’s Better chants, and keep on being one of the best fanbases in the NHL.  Good night and thank you!”

After the speech came the banner raising, then another poignant twist as Marty exited the ice….with his Devils jersey on he gave one more salute pose right next to his statue to the entrance of the tunnel before fading to black, in an exit that was somewhat reminsicent for me as a Mets fan of when franchise legends Mike Piazza and Tom Seaver were the last two men off the Shea Stadium field, exiting via the warning track a la the movie Field of Dreams.

Once the ceremony was finally finished I knew I was a part of something special, despite the fact that I was at the number retirements of all three prior honorees (Scott Stevens, Scott Niedermayer and Ken Daneyko) last night trumped all of them in terms of emotion and meaning, especially given the length and breadth of Brodeur’s career.  It seemed pretty hard for the crowd to remain emotionally engaged for the game afterward, but in the end the current Devils delivered the only acceptable result – two points in yet another hard-fought 2-1 game.  Fittingly Cory Schneider was one of the game’s three stars though Reid Boucher was the man of the match with a power play goal in the third period that took teammate Jacob Josefson off the griddle for shanking an open net seconds before.

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Rangers look to slow down Crosby, Pens

Posted on February 10, 2016 by Derek
Henrik Lundqvist

Henrik Lundqvist and Sidney Crosby face off again on Rivalry Night. Getty Images

A while back, the Pens were underachieving. Then they fired coach Mike Johnston and replaced him with former Rangers assistant Mike Sullivan, who had been coaching AHL affiliate Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.

It took some time for them to get on track. Finally, Sidney Crosby is back to being one of the best players in the world. During a stretch that’s seen the Pens win six of their last seven to pull into the second wildcard with 61 points and within four of the second place Rangers, Crosby has been on fire. He carries an seven-game goal streak in which he’s scored 10 goals into tonight’s match on Rivalry Night. He has points in 11 straight games totaling 22 (12-10-22) including a cool dozen (7-5-12) over the last four.

With Crosby back, the Pens are a much more dangerous team. They’ve scored 20 goals over the last five and have been very explosive led by their captain. Even minus Evgeni Malkin, who will miss the next three games with an undisclosed lower body injury, Crosby and top defenseman Kris Letang have carried the Pens back into playoff position. Letang also has been on fire tallying seven points over the last four including the overtime winner from Crosby in a stirring 3-2 comeback overtime win over the Panthers. In fact, he has 15 points (5-10-15) over the past 10- climbing his way back into the Norris conversation.

Somewhat interestingly, the Pens became a lot better after acquiring Carl Hagelin from Anaheim for David Perron, who has also fit in quite well with his new team. Sometimes, a scenery change works. In Hagelin’s case, it was for the best. He struggled to fit in under Bruce Boudreau totaling 12 points (4-8-12) in 43 games. In nine games with Pittsburgh, he has a goal and five helpers. Before Malkin’s injury, Hagelin was fitting in quite well on a line with the lanky Russian and Phil Kessel. Speaking of which, Kessel has had a disappointing first season in the Steel City. With 15 goals in 52 games, more goal production was expected. He has been a bit better lately with 10 points over the last 10 including three goals.

For whatever reason, the Pens couldn’t score under Johnston. Playing for the tougher Sullivan, they are playing their game transitioning more. With their best players hot, Patric Hornqvist and Chris Kunitz have seen a hike in production. The pesky Hornqvist who always battles in front of the net has 12 points (2-10-12) over the last 10. Playing with Crosby, Kunitz has had a resurgence with 10 points (3-7-10) in the last six and 12 over the last nine.

The offensive support has made life a lot easier on starter Marc-Andre Fleury. He brings in respectable numbers with 21 wins, a 2.42 goals-against-average, .920 save percentage and four shutouts. For a long time, he was asked to carry the load. But backup Jeff Zatkoff also chipped in with a 42-save performance in a 3-2 win over Florida. He won’t play much down the stretch but that was a big win.

The Rangers have their work cut out. Minus captain Ryan McDonagh, the make shift defense Alain Vigneault and Ulf Samuelsson put together in Monday’s 2-1 win over the Devils will have to contend with a much more explosive offense. My guess is Crosby will be seeing plenty of old nemesis Marc Staal with Dan Girardi and Kevin Klein mixed in. Especially without Malkin. Since they’ll see the Pens three more times in March, it’ll be interesting to see how they plan to slow down Crosby.

With Letang at his absolute best, the Blueshirts must remember to account for him on pinches. He’s like an extra forward on the forecheck. Partner Olli Maatta isn’t as potent offensively but can chip in with six goals. His plus-21 leads all Pens’ defensemen. A solid steady puck moving type, Maatta has a bright future. Only in his third year, he should continue to improve.

The best recipe for success is a strong forecheck. In order to have a chance, the Rangers must use their speed and get pucks deep. The Pens aren’t the best defensive team. They can be exploited. Trevor Daley was a nice pickup from Chicago for Rob Scuderi. He’s good offensively with a big shot. So far, he has four goals and 10 points in 23 games with his new team. However, Daley and other veteran D Ben Lovejoy and Ian Cole can be attacked. So can Letang.

It’s up to the Blueshirts’ top three lines to establish a consistent cycle. So far, Chris Kreider has looked better since Mats Zuccarello joined Derek Stepan. Zuccarello’s skill set has allowed Kreider to do what he does best using his speed and size. Stepan always seems to save his best for these kind of games. It’s coming for the two-way pivot who is finally looking 100 percent.

If there’s a line that can do damage, it should be the one centered by Derick Brassard. With the red hot J.T. Miller continuing to emerge as a scorer and tireless forechecker, they should have a good night. Jesper Fast has fit in well. He makes plays that don’t show up on the stat sheet. Whether it’s outracing someone to negate an icing or winning a board battle by not giving up on a play, Quickie has shown improvement.

The play of Kevin Hayes remains an uncertainty. There are times he does a solid job carrying the puck and protecting it using his size and skill to bring possession. Then there are odd moments like the one on Monday where he got a silly unsportsmanlike conduct for firing a broken Devil stick out of play. Hayes can be a effective player. He and Oscar Lindberg don’t quite fit together because they play the same position. But they are an important part of the team. Along with Viktor Stalberg, that’s your third line. When Nash returns, it’ll be interesting to see what Vigneault decides. Maybe try Nash with Hayes and keep Fast on the top line. Lindberg or Stalberg could move down to the fourth line.

If they’re to win, Henrik Lundqvist will be a big reason. Up to 26 wins and a 2.37 GAA with a .921 save percentage and just two shutouts, he’s looked better recently. Even with the bad goal he allowed to the Flyers, it was his clutch saves in a hectic second period that held the Rangers in. Against the Devils, he withstood an onslaught the final 2:17 following Travis Zajac’s shorthanded goal. The big stop on Lee Stempniak saved the game and got the team a big win. He’ll definitely be under pressure tonight.

The defense played about as well as it could Monday minus McDonagh. How will they hold up against a much better offense featuring Crosby? Obviously, match-ups will be important. Keith Yandle has a bigger role logging the most ice-time the past two games. He was over 25 minutes Monday following 27:33 in an emotional 3-2 shootout comeback win at Philadelphia thanks to his clutch tying goal at 19:47. He also had a hiccups that caused Zajac’s shorty and then turned it over again on the same power play leading to Stempniak’s dangerous chance.

With McDonagh sidelined for an unknown time, it looks like Yandle isn’t going anywhere. He is unrestricted this summer. But right now, there’s no way the Rangers can even consider trading him. They remain with only two left D. To his credit, Dan Boyle shifted to the left side and did a decent job in Newark. Eventually, they have to make a move. And no. I’m not keen on bringing in the recently waived Christian Ehrhoff. If the Kings got rid of him, there must be a reason. Ehrhoff has been on the decline. Remember the Rangers’ last claim? It was Roman Hamrlik. How’d that work out?

For now, Dylan McIlrath stays in the lineup. I still don’t know why Vigneault doesn’t fully trust him. He uses his size effectively pushing players off the puck and clearing the crease. Big Mac also has shown an uncanny ability to make smart pinches and get his lethal shot on goal. I’d like to see him get more than 12-14 minutes.

If they could ever figure it out on the power play, it would be a lot easier to win games. The power play remains a abomination. It’s basically pray they don’t screw up and give one up shorthanded.

Tonight’s game is on NBCSN with a special 8 PM start time. And no. I don’t hate Doc Emrick like the others. I don’t get how anyone can. The guy is all class and is a great listen who makes the game fun. If you can’t like Doc, maybe you need to find a new hobby.

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