At 6-2-2, Rangers have room for improvement

Posted on October 27, 2015 by Derek
Dan Girardi battles Michael Frolik during the Rangers 4-1 win over the Flames. AP Photo/Bryan R. Smith/Getty Images

Dan Girardi battles Michael Frolik during the Rangers 4-1 win over the Flames.
AP Photo/Bryan R. Smith/Getty Images

Through the first 10 games, the Rangers are 6-2-2. Following Sunday’s 4-1 home win over the struggling Flames, they have a few days off to prepare for another NHL doormat the Maple Leafs this Friday.

With the Islanders winning again over those Flames 4-0, they’re 6-2-1. Meanwhile, the Caps have lost only once in their first seven boasting a 6-1-0 mark. Not surprisingly, the Metropolitan Division looks to be ultra competitive. While the Pens are still trying to figure it out, the Devils and Flyers are off to good starts. New Jersey having won four in a row under new coach John Hynes thanks to the scoring of Adam Henrique, Mike Cammalleri and Lee Stempniak. Philadelphia’s winning despite no goals from Jake Voracek.

For the Blueshirts, they’re right where they want to be. Despite under performances from Rick Nash (1-2-3), Chris Kreider (1-4-5), Derick Brassard (3-2-5) and Ryan McDonagh (assist), they are in first place with 14 points. Even without consistency from their top players, they have found ways to win. A big time positive for a experienced team who knows how crucial a good start is.

It’s been the play of rookie Oscar Lindberg that’s sparked them. In Sunday’s win, he scored his team-leading fifth. The 23-year old forward has surpassed expectations by carrying over a strong preseason with steady and heady play on the third line. Second-year forward Kevin Hayes has moved back to anchor the line with Lindberg and solid complement J.T. Miller. Hayes has points in three straight and Miller paces all Blueshirt forwards with five helpers.

While third-year coach Alain Vigneault searches for the right combination to get Nash going, he has a dependable third line. He’s mixed up the top two lines keeping Nash and Mats Zuccarello with Derek Stepan while sliding Brassard between Kreider and Jesper Fast. Fast is playing a similar role to the one he played last postseason as a checking forward on a top line. Kreider has shown signs scoring a highlight reel goal in Thursday’s 4-1 win over the Coyotes. He needs to be better than one goal in the first 10. But so does Nash.

Stepan is Vigneault’s most trusted forward. A smart play-making two-way pivot who is an ace penalty killer with Nash forming a lethal shorthanded combo, the 25-year old is noticeable during most shifts. But I’m not sure he shouldn’t be reunited with sidekick Kreider. Maybe Vigneault will come back to it. Nash and Brassard were a great combo last year along with the always willing Zuccarello.

As for the fourth line, it’s Dominic Moore and Jarrett Stoll with Emerson Etem for now. Etem played his second game getting one great scoring chance and recording an assist with three hits. He’s in with Viktor Stalberg injured due to a dirty hit from Flyers defenseman Radko Gudas. Of course, his cheap head shot went unpunished. Typical for the NHL that still is lost when it comes to consistency on discipline.

With Dan Girardi struggling so far, Vigneault settled on Kevin Klein to play top pair with McDonagh. Klein has rewarded him with solid defensive play. He also scored his second goal Sunday. It seems whatever role he’s suited for. Girardi now works with Keith Yandle, who has gotten off quickly pacing all Rangers defensemen in points (6). That included a power play goal versus his former team. Yandle has been as advertised contributing offensively. Girardi had his best game scoring his first while recording three hits and four blocked shots.

”Our record is really good,” Girardi told reporters Sunday night after passing Mark Messier for 10th on the all-time Ranger list for games appeared in with his 769th. ”But at the same time, we know in here that maybe one or two games we played a 60-minute game really hard. I think you need to find a way to get that 60-minute game.”

Vigneault has kept Marc Staal with Dan Boyle. Both remain problematic in their end with sloppy turnovers resulting in goals against. Surprisingly, Staal has contributed more offense with four points (1-3-4) over his last four. Boyle has two assists with both coming on the power play. The 39-year old vet is basically an offensive player who must be utilized that way.

Speaking of the power play, even when it scores in three consecutive games there’s no consistency. They’re 4-for-25 overall ranking 21st. They don’t draw many to begin with which limits success rate. They’re 3-for-15 at home and 1-for-10 on the road. McDonagh and Boyle play the point on the second unit. McDonagh has looked lost while Boyle at times gets victimized. Yandle runs the first unit with Brassard, who has two power play goals. While Rangers assistant coach Scott Arniel prefers to use Kreider to screen the goalie in front, I fail to comprehend why Nash isn’t used as a shooter.

The biggest reason for their early success is the goalies. Henrik Lundqvist has never looked better. Moving quicker and reacting with his usual cat like reflexes, the 33-year old Swedish King looks primed for a big year. In eight starts, he’s 4-2-2 with a 1.97 goals-against-average and .941 save percentage. Already he’s made several highlight reel saves that will be replayed throughout the season. The only thing he hasn’t done is win the 3-on-3 derby or the shootout with a stinging loss to the Flyers. He’s covered up a lot of mistakes.

I’ll echo the same for new backup Antti Raanta. He’s 2-for-2 in starts having allowed only one goal on 45 shots. The Rangers played well in front of him in a 4-0 shutout of the Sharks. Raanta made 22 saves. His second start came the other night turning aside 22 of 23 Calgary shots. In each showing, Raanta made a few sparklers. Not a bad start to his Rangers career after coming over from Chicago.

Overall, there’s not much to complain about. It could be worse. Right? Look no further than the Ducks who were blanked again in a 1-0 Western Conference Final rematch at the Blackhawks in overtime. Bruce Boudreau could be the second coaching casualty. When you’re best players aren’t performing, others must step up. Thankfully, the Blueshirts have gotten it from their third line and the usual money in net from Hank.

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Devils’ winning streak up to four after 4-3 win in Buffalo

Posted on October 25, 2015 by hasan4978

I wasn’t sure we’d see a four-game winning streak all season from this year’s Devils, and certainly not in October when they were still going to be adjusting to everything being new from the system to the coaching staff to personnel changes.  Particularly after the team’s 0-3-1 start seemed to confirm all the prophecies of doom surrounding this team.  And really who could blame anyone for thinking this team was going to be bad?  Last year they were far worse than their record, and still had severe offensive deficiencies on paper coming into this season with stalwart Patrik Elias still on IR with no schedule for return.  Everyone from experts to opposition fans to the team’s own fanbase (look at the attendance numbers the first few games, after all) thought this was going to be a lottery team.

Everyone that is, except the team itself.

Not even a week after the aformentioned 0-3-1 start the Devils won their fourth in a row at Buffalo last night, coming from behind twice in a 4-3 win.  After winning two OT games and one in the shootout, last night was also the team’s first regulation win of the season.  People wondered where the goals were going to come from with Elias still on IR and Jaromir Jagr, Scott Gomez and Steve Bernier no longer here.  FA scrapheap signings Lee Stempniak and Jiri Tlusty were among their replacements, along with KHL import Sergey Kalinin.  So far the goals have mostly come from the first line, specifically the combo of Adam Henrique and Mike Cammalleri – both among the league leaders in scoring with Henrique having six goals and Cammalleri eleven points.  One or both factored in on every goal last night, with Henrique scoring twice, including a sweet SH goal that turned out to be the game-winner (see above).   Fellow linemate Stempniak’s also been a huge factor early with his two regulation goals both tying games late along with a shootout winner against the Sens on Thursday.

One thing I have said all along is that while people were focusing on the team’s shortcomings up front, they also glossed over an emerging blueline which for the most part has done very well early in spite of the absence of Jon Merrill who missed a couple games with the flu and has since become a victim of coach John Hynes ‘sticking with a winning lineup’, in spite of fellow youngster Eric Gelinas’s struggles.  However, new captain Andy Greene and d-partner Adam Larsson has provided stability with the top pairing, proving it wasn’t just the system that led to their emergence in the second half of last year.  Our other defensemen haven’t contributed much offensively but have mostly been fine defensively.  David Schlemko’s tiebreaking goal late in the second period last night was his first point of the season but he’s won a spot in the everyday lineup despite being a bargain-basement signing just before camp.

Of course behind them in goal, Cory Schneider’s been his usual reliable self, starting the season with a 4-1-1 record and so far his splits are right in line with what he did over the full season last year (2.26 GAA and .925 save percentage last year, 2.28 GAA and .922 save percentage this year).  Consistency in net’s so key for building around a young defense and this team has it despite the section of a fanbase that whines about how the Devils need to trade Cory, trade Greene, trade Cammalleri and dump Travis Zajac – who’s also surprisingly awakened offensively during this stretch – in favor of a flat-out tank, with the rationale being ‘well we’re not contenders anyway, just get assets and rebulid the system!’ The tankers have mostly crawled back under their rock this week, though they’ll surely pop up again with the next sustained losing streak.

What all the trade everything that isn’t bolted down people overlook or gloss over is that you DO still need vet leadership around if you’re going to build and integrate youth.  You need Cory to help give a young D confidence, you need Greene to help shelter kids like Merrill and Severson from having to take top-pairing responsibilities and continue to help Larsson grow as a top-pairing guy, you need a guy like Cammalleri up front to be a bridge until they can get kids or younger options in the top six, and this team can’t afford to auction a 30-goal caliber player with three years left on his deal after this at a reasonable price.  Zajac was among the most polarizing of the holdover Devils given his dreadful (27 points) performance last year.  So far he has a couple goals and four points in seven games.  Not great but with a new system if you ever could unlock the offensive potential that once existed in Travis that would be huge for this team going forward.  And you don’t trade a guy for ten cents on the dollar anyway, especially with a NTC limiting any ‘market’ that might have still existed for Zajac this offseason.  Plus let’s be honest it’s not like the center depth is all that great around him, past Henrique.  Jacob Josefson only has three assists through eight games and hasn’t done much at all 5-on-5.

Perhaps the only downer during this recent streak is that a lot of the kids haven’t been a part of it.  Up front, Josefson has been strictly a special teams and shootout specialist.  Reid Boucher was demoted to get more playing time in Albany, while Stefan Matteau has been a healthy scratch at times and only played six minutes last night.  Defensively I already touched on Merrill before (and there’s no way he’s not one of the six best defensemen on this roster), though if it wasn’t him sitting it’d probably be Gelinas.  Or Damon Severson when he was benched for a game.  Unlike some who just wanted to throw out all the vets and play all the kids and newcomers, I never thought that was the way to go since many of the organizations that get in a cycle of losing have too many kids and too few vets to show them how to play, but still I’ll feel better when Merrill’s back in the lineup – though I can’t really complain if we win ten in a row without him either, even if I’m not a big fan of the ‘play a winning lineup’ default switch.  After all the best lineup today may not be the best lineup tomorrow, just look at the most successful NFL franchise (ick) as proof of that up in New England.

Still, while others complain we should be developing more this season I’m just going to enjoy a season that so far isn’t the total black hole it appeared to be early, and enjoy the fact there’s actually a little hope at least short-term.  I’ve been through this rant before but it would be nice to have something sportswise besides the NFL to watch for the next few months when the Mets’ surprising postseason run comes to an end in a couple weeks.  Of course I’m not nieve enough to think this recent winning streak is proof we’re going to have a good season, just last year we started the season with wins in our first three games (one of the few rare winning streaks we had the last couple years).  And eventually this team’s going to have to get consistent production from more than one line to be able to sustain this run.  That said, I just want to keep up hope as long as possible and not have six months of watching meaningless games.

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Stempniak’s late heroics give Devils third straight win

Posted on October 23, 2015 by Derek
Lee Stempniak celebrates his game-tying goal with 32 seconds left in regulation. He also won the game in a shootout giving the Devils a 5-4 win over the Senators. AP Photo by Fred Chartrand/The Canadian Press

Lee Stempniak celebrates his game-tying goal with 32 seconds left in regulation. He also won the game in a shootout giving the Devils a 5-4 win over the Senators.
AP Photo by Fred Chartrand/The Canadian Press

At season’s start, not much was expected of the Devils. They dropped their first four games going 0-3-1 without a blink of the eye. In a rebuilding year with fans sights set on Auston Matthews, the Devils have improved dramatically under rookie coach John Hynes.

Make it three in a row for Jersey’s team. They stunned the Senators 5-4 in a shootout to get back to 3-3-1. Lee Stempniak played the hero scoring with 32 seconds left in regulation and notching the shootout winner in Round 4 to give them a third straight win. The veteran forward who made the team out of camp on a tryout steered in a Damon Severson rebound past Ottawa goalie Andrew Hammond at 19:28.

”We’re a team that’s got to fight for every inch and there’s not very high expectations for us, but in the room we believe we’re capable of a lot more than what people expect from us,” Stempniak said after beating Hammond with a beautiful backhand deke top shelf. ”I think that our mentality is just to go out and play until the final buzzer and that came through tonight.”

The Devils rallied back from a 4-2 third period deficit. In a game they once led 2-1 on goals from Travis Zajac and Jordin Tootoo, they allowed three consecutive goals to the Senators on goals from Zach Smith, Mike Hoffman and Chris Neil. Playing in his 900th career game, Neil recorded a Gordie Howe hat trick also dropping the gloves with Tootoo while setting up a goal.

But New Jersey never quit. With under six minutes left in regulation, Adam Henrique got to a Mike Cammalleri rebound and beat Hammond from a bad angle to cut the deficit to one. His team-leading fourth was also set up by Stempniak, who recorded a goal and helper along with the shootout winner following a controlled 3-on-3 derby.

Aside from playing hard for Hynes, these Devils have had early success in the new overtime format. In back-to-back wins over the Rangers and Coyotes, they got winners off the sticks of Stempniak and budding top defenseman Adam Larsson. Larsson was easily the best skater in the 3-on-3 derby making good defensive reads and creating scoring chances. He and partner Andy Greene stood out.

Unlike other teams, the Devils look like they practiced the wild and wacky new OT. Even though they lack the skill of some other teams, their players have performed well so far. Cory Schneider also has helped making big saves. He finished with 35 and turned aside three of four Ottawa shooters.

In the skill competition, Bobby Ryan gave the Sens a 1-0 lead in the first round. Jacob Josefson evened it with a nice finish top shelf after Round 2. After Schneider denied Mike Zibanejad, Cammalleri had a chance to win it but was turned aside by Hammond. Cammalleri had three assists in the hockey portion.

Following a key Schneider stop on Mark Stone, that set the stage for Stempniak who made a great move faking shot before tucking a backhand inside the crossbar for the game-winner.

The Devils have to be pleased with the early results. Especially after how it started. While other talented teams such as the Ducks and Jackets struggle to win with the weight of expectations, the Devils have already found their team identity. Even from the other side of the Hudson rivalry, it’s easy to admire.

BONY 3 Stars:

3rd Star-Adam Henrique, Devils (4th of season, assist, +1 in 23:00)

2nd Star-Chris Neil, Senators (goal, assist, fight for Gordie Howe hat trick in 900th game)

1st Star-Lee Stempniak, Devils (game-tying goal at 19:28 3rd, assist, shootout winner)

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Video Of Day: McDavid scores a beauty

Posted on October 22, 2015 by Derek

Our Video of Day features Connor McDavid who scored a beauty highlighting last night’s Oilers 3-1 home win over the Red Wings. The 2015 first overall pick took a Benoit Pouliot feed and made Petr Mrazek look bad with a sick forehand deke and finish. He froze the Red Wings goalie. Tremendous stuff from a very talented rookie.

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Torts Reform: Columbus fires Todd Richards, hire John Tortorella

Posted on October 21, 2015 by Derek
John Tortorella had reason to smile watching his new team. Canadian Press/Jonathan Hayward

He’s Back: John Tortorella has returned taking over as the new Blue Jackets coach in time for Halloween.
Canadian Press/Jonathan Hayward

After losing their seventh game in a row to begin the season, something had to give in Columbus. Following a 4-0 loss to the Islanders at home, talk was rampant that they would replace their coach. The ax fell this morning on Todd Richards. John Tortorella is returning to coach the Blue Jackets.

Expected to make the playoffs with the off-season deal for Brandon Saad, the Jackets have performed miserably. A stunning home loss to the Rangers in their home opener was a ominous sign. The Blueshirts shellacked them in the MSG rematch. Since, all they’ve done is lose and get outscored 34-13.

Tortorella takes over a team whose confidence has been shaken. Starting goalie Sergei Bobrovsky has over a 5.00 goals-against-average. That’s a former Vezina winner. The Jackets lack of team defense has been a sore spot. The blueline isn’t strong. Jack Johnson and Fedor Tyutin anchor it. David Savard and Ryan Murray are part of the top four.

The Jackets boast talent up front. Saad is tied with Boone Jenner for the team lead with three goals. Ryan Johansen has a goal and team best six points. Cam Atkinson has only one goal and was a healthy scratch last night. That was a red flag.

New captain Nick Foligno and Brandon Dubinsky are team leaders. It’ll be interesting to see how Dubinsky reacts to being reunited with Tortorella. In ’11-12, he went from the top line to the checking line as Tortorella guided the Rangers to the East’s best record and the franchise’s first trip back to the Eastern Conference Final since ’97. How will the two coexist in Columbus?

For Tortorella, who is now 57, it’s one more chance to get behind an NHL bench. Considering how badly he did in his one year with the Canucks, I wondered if he’d ever get another opportunity. Since he was still under contract to Vancouver, Columbus worked out compensation. The Canucks will receive a second round pick.

Many pundits have already critiqued the move. Here’s my short reply. When Tortorella was here, he taught the Rangers to become a better team. The principles of a strong team defense and great goalie were the foundation. He developed key pieces such as Ryan McDonagh, Derek Stepan, Dan Girardi, Marc Staal and ex-Blueshirts Dubinsky, Ryan Callahan and Artem Anisimov. Brian Boyle and Brandon Prust owe him their careers. He believed in them.

Under Tortorella, Henrik Lundqvist won a Vezina. Even Chris Kreider said he learned under him. Considering his continued inconsistency, he isn’t yet a finished product even under Alain Vigneault. When asked about the prospect of playing for Tortorella at next year’s World Cup Of Hockey, Kreider said he’d love to.

The real question with Tortorella is has he learned anything after being a year away from the NHL. He isn’t perfect. No one is. As evidenced by his mishandling of Brad Richards and wild challenge to Flames coach Bob Hartley following a brawl with it spilling into the locker room. Of course, Torts press conferences are always a treat. He should be paid by the word. Poor reporters.

So can he turn around a team that on paper doesn’t have enough defense? That remains to be seen. He certainly can make them tougher to play against. It should be interesting.

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Improving Devils win second straight & other random thoughts

Posted on October 21, 2015 by hasan4978

No, I didn’t get to watch last night’s Devils game either (before I get called out on this, I wasn’t even home from 6-9 so I wasn’t watching anything until then) but rumor has it the Devils actually won their second consecutive OT game in three days, beating the Coyotes 3-2 in spite of blowing two third period leads.  Unfortunately the only part of this game I got to saw was after I got home and turned the last minute of regulation on in between watching the Mets, and seeing the Devils blow a late 2-1 lead with the empty net.  So apparently our empty net defense stinks whether it’s our own net or someone else’s net empty.  I turned the Met game back on in annoyance, but thankfully Adam Larsson won the Devil game in OT with a surprisingly crisp finish in front of the net on a 3-on-1 where he looked better than most of our forwards would.

From what I have read and observed, it seems like the Devils are doing what they need to do to win games.  For all the talk about fast, attacking and supportive from our now unshackled PR department, new coach John Hynes isn’t beating his head against a wall trying to live up to that mantra.  This team is doing what it has to do to try to remain competitive, leaning on an improving young defense and terrific goaltending.  And unlike last year they aren’t giving up 35-40 shots a game (yet).  It may still not be pretty but if you’re a Devils fan all you want this season is hope.  So far the Devils – and specifically the D/goaltending – are at least accomplishing that, getting five of a possible six points in their last three games.  Even if they still don’t have a regulation win yet…baby steps though.

Of course Sunday’s game I couldn’t watch either, not because of the Mets but because of the Jets since in the NHL’s infinite wisdom they decided to schedule a Sunday 1 PM Devils-Rangers game for the middle of the NFL season.  It’s a rare day indeed when all three of my sports teams play (and rarer still, they all won).  I can’t ever remember a sports calendar with this many conflicts early in the hockey season, then again the Mets have only made the playoffs once in the previous fifteen years.  It’s annoying on the one hand that I feel like an absentee fan of the Devils right now since the only two games I’ve watched were the ones I’ve been able to attend, but on the other I’m grateful for this Mets run, which is getting a bit of a ’95 Devils type feel to it with Daniel Murphy playing the Claude Lemieux role.

Still it’s not a crime to prioritize your sports teams, depending on what point in the calendar we’re at.  Given the Mets are in the playoffs and the Jets only play sixteen games in a season of course I’m going to choose watching MLB and the NFL over the Devils right now.  Sorry to anyone who it may offend, the same holds true the other way around in April and May too – when the Devils are competitive I very rarely watch the Mets during this time period and almost never go to a Mets game until after the Devil season is over.  Watching the Mets and Jets doesn’t make me any less of a Devils fan just like watching more of the Devils in April doesn’t make me less of a Mets and Jets fan.  Those teams don’t play each other, it’s not like I’m being a fan of two teams in the same sport.  Granted I’m probably more of a hockey/football fan when push comes to shove, but the Mets were my first sports love after all with the mid-late ’80’s teams that were the talk of town.  Prioritizing the Mets or Jets over the Devils isn’t exactly a comment on fanhood, I jumped on someone online recently who I thought was taking me to task on this subject ,but it turned out this individual was being sarcastic and had himself been dissed similarly for being a faux fan because he dared to prioritize one team having more important games over the other.

While I’m on my soapbox I’ll also go off on another target – Devils ticket ops.  It seems like the worse the team gets (recent results aside), the worse customer service gets.  This isn’t a condemnation of my own personal ticket rep, who’s actually very accomodating but more a complaint over how things are run in general.  First of all, if you’re going to give us all very expensive food cards as a season ticket holder perk you’d better have the machines working once the regular season starts.  And if the machines don’t work, just don’t tell people sorry, we can’t run your card – actually figure out an alternate solution before the lines start to get crowded.  The sorry, we can’t do anything line doesn’t work for unsuspecting people who’ve been in food lines several minutes or more during intermission.  Finally the cashiers started writing down card numbers and names to charge your food card after the fact, after the food lines had cleared out for the most part.  It’s not as if the machines didn’t work on Opening Night either, but nobody’s food card worked at the second game I was at last Friday or apparently at the previous game against Nashville either.  So it took them two games to figure out a solution to the problem and the machines still aren’t fixed?!

Another supposed season ticket holder perk was seperate entrances dedicated to sth’s, but it turns out the Devils remove said entrances by 6:30 because of increasing foot traffic.  That doesn’t exactly do people a lot of good if you’re only getting to the arena between 6:30-7 the way most working people do, hence why foot traffic increases in the half hour immediately before the game.  It isn’t baseball where you can sit around and try to catch balls in BP, the only real incentive for getting to a hockey game before 6:30 is to eat/drink and see other people.  The sth entrances don’t really affect me since I usually go in the less crowded back entrance anyway, I can’t imagine a sth entrance being more convenient than that – but for people coming in via NJ Transit who are closest to the big front entrance it would be nice if this perk did what it was supposed to as well, especially with the new metal detectors at every entrance.

Also quite ironically it seems like the sales department’s gotten even more secretive (not less) since new ownership’s come aboard.  Prior to this year every season ticket holder got a chart detailing what their game was ‘worth’ both at the box office and with sth pricing and in most seasons – including this one – you can actually buy extra tickets at season ticket holder pricing.  Which would be a nice perk except that to get the chart this year you have to actually ask your rep to e-mail you one.  Even after you get the chart though, there’s no guarantee you can actually figure out what your pricing is since there are like 23425 different colors including multiple ones in every section and multiple ones of a similar color shade.  All this made it far more of a project than it needed to be just to get my friends a pair of lower-level seats for Opening Night.  You would think ticket sales would want to encourage people to spend more.  Maybe they’re just afraid people will see their true pricing and vomit.  Of course, the other factor is box office prices can also change at the drop of a hat the way they did for the early February game against Edmonton once it turned out there was going to be a certain legendary former Devil goalie getting a number retired on that night.

Even in the offseason though, ticket ops were pretty secretive during their relocation event when season ticket holders come to the arena.  In the past we were able to see seats that were available.  Presumably cause they didn’t want to sticker half the building this year, they no longer put available stickers on seats at the most recent relocation event, instead you had to go to your rep and have him or her run a bunch of locations through an ipad just to see what was available, without pricing listed of course.  Not that I really wanted to move from my aisle behind the net location anyway but it would have been nice to see if there were similar seats available at a different price point since my row is basically right at the cutoff point before prices decrease a few bucks a game for the people immediately behind me.  And instead of being able to see your rep and ask questions during a game outside the Fire Lounge where they had the sth ‘lounge’ last year, now this year you have to go upstairs in a hidden corner of the resturant to find the sth lounge this year.

Albeit all these are small inconveniences in the end, but if you are going to raise prices, decrease benefits (the previous few years’ sth barbeque was replaced with an open practice with no other player meet and greets on the schedule yet for this year) and have a declining team you’d better at least show some form of customer service if you want to have any hope of retaining people through bad seasons who aren’t just season ticket holders by rote because they like their location, the people they’re with and/or are old enough not to want to deal with the secondary market.  I love my location but honestly another price increase combined with the decreasing customer service may finally push me onto the StubHub plan.  Of course I’ll lose tenure, but is getting the ability to sit in a suite for a couple games – or whatever rewards I pick from their limited rewards chart – worth the other aggravations?  I guess I’ll find out this year.

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Fans’ treatment of waived Glass was sad

Posted on October 20, 2015 by Derek
Glass Half Full: Tanner Glass celebrates his first goal with Kevin Hayes and Matt Hunwick. AP Photo by Adrian Wyld of The Canadian Press

Glass Half Full: Tanner Glass celebrate a goal last season with teammates Kevin Hayes and Matt Hunwick.
AP Photo by Adrian Wyld of The Canadian Press

Earlier today, the Rangers put forward Tanner Glass on waivers. It was a move expected due to the team boasting more depth. Unlike last season when the 31-year old Glass got into 66 games and participated in all 19 postseason contests, he only appeared in two of the team’s first seven games. He was a healthy scratch the past three.

The writing was on the wall. Even with coach Alain Vigneault opting to keep Glass on the roster following preseason, it was a numbers game. The Rangers weren’t going to keep 14 forwards forever. Especially with Glass carrying a expensive $1.45 million cap hit that squeezed the team’s cap.

When former GM Glen Sather signed him to a three-year contract in the summer of 2014, it was a mistake. One which he made before overpaying for Mike Rupp and Donald Brashear. I’ll refrain from discussing Derek Boogaard. A person gone too soon due to personal demons. There’s a lawsuit from former players against the NHL pertaining to their knowledge on the damage concussions cause. A serious issue the league faces moving forward.

As for Glass, he’s spent nearly a decade playing for five different teams. That includes the Panthers, Canucks who were coached by Vigneault, Jets, Pens and Rangers. He wasn’t a classic tough guy never amassing more than 115 penalty minutes in a season. That coming under Vigneault in ’09-10. He also was part of the team that lost in the Stanley Cup Final to Boston.

As soon as he signed with the Rangers, Twitter exploded. The negative responses to the Glass signing never stopped. I critiqued the move too. I couldn’t understand signing him for three years. But that’s what Sather did. When Glass played most of last season, it was due to the coach. Vigneault used Glass on the fourth line and in a penalty killing role. The same way he was used by Pittsburgh in ’13-14. He played 67 games for them and participated in eight during the postseason. Pens captain Sidney Crosby raved about him. That’s all you need to know about Glass.

Every time Vigneault dressed him, it resulted in ugliness from Ranger fans. Despicable behavior that was child like. In particular, a faction of bloggers who emphasize Corsi. These bloggers push their agenda. The latest target is Dan Girardi, who has struggled thus far. So have Ryan McDonagh and possession favorite Dan Boyle. So much for consistency or emphasizing a consistent body of work over a decade for the Rangers iron man. Granted, Girardi is breaking down from the taxing style he plays. One which unappreciative Corsi bloggers can’t stand. As if he hasn’t been a integral part of the team’s success.

Unfortunately, this is how ugly social media has become. Where we frequently resort to bashing players who sacrifice every day for the good of the team. We’re all guilty of it. That doesn’t make the fans’ treatment of Glass right. He was unfairly blamed for everything. Whenever the Rangers lost last year, the easy target was a “fourth liner” who played a small role.

In the final two home losses to the Lightning in the Eastern Conference Final, the Rangers scored no goals. They were shutout twice. Bigger stars Rick Nash, Martin St. Louis, Chris Kreider, Derek Stepan and Derick Brassard failed to perform. The power play was a disaster. So too was Vigneault’s offensive system that never adjusted to loathsome Tampa coach Jon Cooper’s defensive system that took away the stretch pass and stood up at the blue line.

Henrik Lundqvist also allowed a tough goal to Alex Killorn in the third period. Ondrej Palat added a insurance marker which allowed the Lightning to make history defeating the Rangers at MSG in Game 7.

What’s often forgotten by fan bloggers is that you win and lose as a team. In sports, too often we look for scapegoats. The fact Glass was on the ice for a goal against didn’t make it any easier. In hockey, coaches dictate match-ups. Well, Vigneault was supposed to with the last change at home. In truth, he got out-coached. Something that’s happened to him before in big games.

Just don’t expect fan bloggers to pin it on a successful coach who’s taken the team to a Stanley Cup Final and the Final Four his first two years. This isn’t a knock on Vigneault. He’s a good coach who’s had success in Vancouver and New York. After coming close to winning the Cup twice, he wants to flip the script. It remains to be seen if he’ll get over the hump here on Broadway.

Now, the same faction who are celebrating Glass’ demise won’t have him to kick around anymore. They’ve already moved on to Girardi. A player that lays it on the line nightly. It’s understood that his contract along with Staal’s are albatrosses. They’re getting older and their bodies are breaking down. Along with McDonagh, all three are coming off injuries. Staal and Girardi had surgery. McDonagh a broken foot. It could explain their slow starts.

The Rangers have played seven games. They’re 4-2-1 which is good enough for first place in the Metro Division. There’s 75 remaining. It’s a long season. It would be nice for every person who calls themselves a fan to support every player. It might be time for less Twitter.

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Rangers Bounce Back: Raanta shuts out Sharks 4-0

Posted on October 20, 2015 by Derek

https://twitter.com/NYPuckBONY/status/656263240029249540

Antti Raanta’s first start was a rousing success. The former Hawk stopped all 22 shots in a 4-0 Rangers victory over the Sharks. He didn’t have to stand on his head. But made timely stops before a better team took over.

In what was their best effort so far, the Blueshirts methodically beat a good opponent to end a three-game losing streak. Marc Staal and Jesper Fast each tallied their first goals in the win. Mats Zuccarello scored a power play goal while Viktor Stalberg also netted his first.

After starting out a little shaky defensively, the Rangers settled down and played a strong overall game. Unlike Sunday where there were too many passengers, every player gave a good effort. That included better play from Staal, Dan Girardi and captain Ryan McDonagh. Staal was a standout with a goal and assist while making better decisions in his end. He earned the game’s third star. Kevin Klein was a standout defensively.

Another struggling player Derick Brassard got things started when he recovered a Fast pass behind the net and passed for an open Staal, whose shot looked to deflect off Fast in front. At least that’s how it looked from my vantage point in Section 419. It was my first game. It felt great to be back. MSG was fairly quiet. Not surprising considering all the Mets talk. Plus the Giants were playing against their kryptonite the Eagles. Luckily, I didn’t see much of that debacle.

The Rangers did a good job testing Martin Jones. The new Sharks starter entered red hot having allowed just one goal. A late power play tally at the Devils. Unfortunately for my fantasy team, it wasn’t his night. That was mostly due to the Blueshirts doing a better job cycling the puck and getting traffic in front. On the Staal goal, Fast did the dirty work.

Midway thru the second, Rick Nash parked himself in front of Jones allowing Zuccarello to convert on the power play. Off a feed from Dan Boyle, Zuccarello fired in front with the puck again seeming to deflect past Jones. I thought Nash got a piece but it remained credited to Zuccarello for his fourth.

The Sharks didn’t have many chances after the first. Raanta’s best stop came on Joe Pavelski, who was set up by who else but Joe Thornton off a rush only to be denied by the new backup. He didn’t get any chants. But I tried to serenade the Finn with “Raa-nn-tt-a! Raa-nn-tt-a!” chants. Maybe it’ll catch on.

Even though Chris Kreider didn’t score, he did something positive setting up Fast’s tally at 3:47 of the third that made it 3-0. Off a rush started by a Keith Yandle outlet, Kreider used his speed to get the puck to a cutting Fast who beat Jones. If he didn’t score earlier, this time it was definitely his goal.

With the contest all but decided, a perfect Staal outlet allowed Stalberg to cut in and beat Jones off the rush with 3:16 left. It was a nice reward for a hard working player who so far has fit in. Whether it be on the third or fourth line, I like Stalberg. I can’t explain what happened in Nashville or why his scoring dropped off. But so far, so good.

Rather than make more drastic changes, Rangers coach Alain Vigneault stuck with the same lineup he used against the Devils. The lone exception being Raanta making his Rangers debut which finally allowed Henrik Lundqvist to rest. Well deserved. I wonder what he must’ve felt watching his teammates play better in front of the backup. Hopefully, they’ll remember to do that when Anthony Duclair and Max Domi lead the Coyotes into MSG Thursday.

As for myself, it was nice to see old friends. It’s always the same people I catch up with. I’m glad there are still some regulars left that we’re friendly with. Without it, there’d be no point. Sure. It’s nice to go see hockey live. It’s a great spectator sport. But without your friends, it’s not the same. Ever since MSG did the renovation, there are less and less familiar faces. And way too many new ones who show up late and then don’t wait for the whistle due to the lack of security in the Blue Seats. I really resent MSG for what they did.

But at least we’re still able to have fun. I had a couple of Molson Canadians and talked with a older buddy who’s been going a lot longer than the 20 years I have with my Pop, brother and his friend. The food of course costs too much. At $11.50 a pop for beer, yikes. The hot dogs are now over six bucks. And it’s still the same crap if you don’t want to go downstairs which I didn’t. I just wanted to enjoy the game and have my brews and food while catching up with everyone.

My favorite part is always when tourists visit our section. I’ve met some cool ones. This time, it was a German family that were in to visit their son who’s attending school for three months in the city. So, they were seated next to me. It was a good conversation. I explained some of the rules including goalie interference. I always like talking to those fans and rival ones like my friend’s buddy who’s a Sharks fan. So we were discussing all the autographs on his teal jersey which included Adam Graves, Thornton, Owen Nolan, Evgeni Nabokov, Logan Couture and Scott Hannan to name some.

It’s funny because when I was speaking with another guy I know from the old Section 411 days, I was telling him that I come for the socializing. The hockey is an added bonus. I’m glad they played a good game. It was much needed. It was just nice to see them put together a full 60-minute effort.

BONY 3 Stars:

3rd Star-Marc Staal, Rangers (goal-1st of season, assist, +2 in 18:10)

2nd Star-Antti Raanta, Rangers (22 saves for 1st shutout as a Ranger)

1st Star-Jesper Fast, Rangers (1st of season, assist, +2 in 16:24)

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Devil Derby: Devils embarrass Rangers to get first win

Posted on October 18, 2015 by Derek
Henrik Lundqvist skates off in disappointment after the Devils beat the Rangers 2-1 in overtime at MSG. AP Photo by Adam Hunger/Getty Images

Henrik Lundqvist skates off in disappointment after the Devils beat the Rangers 2-1 in overtime at MSG.
AP Photo by Adam Hunger/Getty Images

Embarrassment. That’s what this was. The Rangers couldn’t even manage to beat the Devils on home ice becoming their first victim. Lee Stempniak’s overtime winner was the difference in a Devils 2-1 win in the 3-on-3 roller derby. His goal with 1:53 left made a winner of new coach John Hynes, who won behind the bench for the first time.

Honestly, it was fitting that Stempniak won it. A player who wasn’t too bad here last year that Glen Sather cast away to Winnipeg in a cost cutting move. Stempniak won a job out of training camp and plays on the Devils top line. He is a hard working player that gives a honest effort. That is why the Devils won. They outworked a listless Rangers team who went through the motions following a good first period.

There really isn’t much to say. Alain Vigneault changed every line and even started Henrik Lundqvist a sixth consecutive time. It still didn’t matter. The Rangers only beat Cory Schneider once. That came early with their most consistent skaters combining for the lone goal. Rookie Oscar Lindberg forced a turnover on Adam Larsson causing a two-on-one with Derek Stepan. He fed Stepan, who cut in and beat Schneider with a backhand at 3:12 to erase a 116:27 drought.

They could’ve had more in the first but Schneider made some key stops to keep the Devils in the game. That’s what he’ll have to do all season. He finished with 26 saves including eight in the opening stanza that saw the Rangers have a 9-6 shots advantage. Derick Brassard had a good start creating chances with new line mates Chris Kreider and Jesper Fast. Unfortunately, Brassard and Kreider were again up and down.

It’s now six games into the season and neither Kreider nor Rick Nash have a goal. That’s nuts. Kreider did have four shots including one dangerous chance which narrowly missed with Schneider getting a piece of it. He also used his speed during the 3-on-3 derby to create a opportunity. As for Nash, he only had one shot with his best chance coming early in OT off a Stepan set up.

But a diving Schneider got a piece of it and then help from new Devils captain Andy Greene. It was his hustle and backhand clear with the puck heading in that saved a goal. Just a fantastic defensive play. Greene was the best defenseman in the game. Following a Stepan shot off the crossbar, his pass to Adam Henrique started a 2-on-1 with Henrique threading the needle to Stempniak for a one-timer past Lundqvist sending the Devils to their first victory.

That’s two straight games the Devils got a point in. They also played a solid home game against the Sharks taking them to a shootout before losing on a Brent Burns tally. After an 0-3-0 start, they’re 1-0-1 in the last two and have shown improvement under Hynes. They play hard for the rookie coach. New Jersey might not possess much talent but their effort is unquestioned. After a slow start, they outplayed the Rangers and got just reward.

The Blueshirts were sleepless in a miserable second. A J.T. Miller in the neutral zone led directly to Henrique tallying his Devils leading third from Mike Cammalleri and Damon Severson. Lundqvist mishandled a low shot with his defensemen out of position. Henrique went to the net beating Dan Girardi and Marc Staal for an easy finish that tied it at 1:52.

Afterwards, the Devils speed gave a shaky Rangers D fits. They forechecked well and caused turnovers. There wasn’t a whole lot to like from a Rangers perspective. Ryan McDonagh struggled on the power play in the third giving away the puck. Keith Yandle also had a second straight tough game aside from a power play shot. Girardi was on all fours for Henrique’s goal. Staal continues to look slow. Dan Boyle was okay battling hard and created opportunities in the offensive zone. Kevin Klein was fine battling Kyle Palmieri in a scrap. He did take one of those silly delay of game penalties that handed the Devils a 5-on-3 for 1:36 in the third.

The Devils two-man advantage at the start of the third was unwatchable. That’s about the best way to describe the entire period. It was sleepless depressing hockey. The Devils didn’t manage a shot on their power play. Severson and Eric Gelinas were too casual. Nothing developed allowing the Rangers to have an easy kill.

The Rangers were just as bad seeing their own shadow on their two chances. The fact that the first didn’t come until less than 10 minutes left in regulation on a Jordin Tootoo hi-stick is sad. As usual, Vigneault and Perry Pearn clone Scott Arniel trotted the same personnel out. They continue to go with four forwards and one defenseman. It’s not working. McDonagh and Kreider both had equally baffling giveaways for easy clears.

Lindberg didn’t see any power play time. He only got 16 shifts (12:30) which was the second lowest behind Viktor Stalberg (10:40). Would it kill the coaching staff to try different players on the man-advantage?

The two Devil penalties gave the Rangers momentum. They put together some good shifts spending time in the Devil zone. But were unable to beat Schneider. After the teams combined for one shot in the first seven minutes, there were a dozen the rest of the period. The Blueshirts outshot the Devils 8-5.

For the first time this season, the Rangers played 3-on-3 roller derby to decide the extra point. While Vigneault went with two forwards and a defenseman, Hynes initially had one forward and two defensemen before altering the strategy. Stepan and Nash had the best opportunities with Nash getting robbed by Greene. Lundqvist’s best save came on Palmieri off a 2-on-1 sliding across to deny the Devil with Miller sleeping.

With the Rangers pressing, Stepan tried to beat Schneider high stick side. But the puck rang off the goalpost allowing the Devils to counter. With Nash and Stepan caught flatfooted, the Devils came 2-on-1 against Yandle with Henrique nicely dishing across to Stempniak for the winner past a sprawled Lundqvist.

BONY 3 Stars:

3rd Star-Lee Stempniak, Devils (1st of season in 3-on-3 derby for winner at 3:07)

2nd Star-Adam Henrique, Devils (goal-3rd of season, assist)

1st Star-Cory Schneider, Devils (26 saves)

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Is Vigneault panicking?

Posted on October 17, 2015 by Derek

After losing two consecutive games, Rangers coach Alain Vigneault changed every line in Saturday’s practice. Here are the new lines:

The first notable change is flipping Rick Nash and Chris Kreider to different centers. Both are off to poor starts. Nash and Mats Zuccarello are now penciled in with Derek Stepan, who has been sharper than Derick Brassard. So, Stepan centers the top line. Brassard is between Kreider and Jesper Fast. The same Fast who was a healthy scratch twice for Tanner Glass. Odd.

“When we used him in a bigger role last year, he was very effective. I’m hoping he’ll be able to compliment Brass and Kreids,” Vigneault told Sean Hartnett on the explanation for trying Fast on the second line. He had success in the playoffs with Stepan and Kreider as a complement forcing the turnover that led to Stepan setting up Ryan McDonagh’s overtime winner in Game 5 of the second round against the Capitals.

Also switched is slumping forward Kevin Hayes. If not for a horrible goal allowed by Sergei Bobrovsky, he’d also have no goals. Hayes has been moved back to center the third line with J.T. Miller and Oscar Lindberg. All three can take face-offs. Each also has speed and are good on the forecheck. So, it should be interesting to watch.

Vigneault demoted Viktor Stalberg to the fourth line. He has been good so far. He’ll play with Dominic Moore and Jarret Stoll, who returns to the lineup for Emerson Etem. So, Etem got one game. Not enough in my opinion. He and Glass are the extras.

While the forward lines are all changed, Vigneault took my advice on the defense pairs. With McDonagh and Girardi struggling, he broke them up. McDonagh will play with Kevin Klein while Girardi will work with Keith Yandle. A welcome change that puts him away from top assignments and should get him more offensive zone time. Marc Staal and Dan Boyle are now the third pair. At this point, that’s where they should be.

We’ll see how long Vigneault sticks with his new lineup. In a bit of a head scratcher, he also decided to start Henrik Lundqvist a sixth straight time against the Devils for Sunday’s equally perplexing 1 PM matinee. I don’t get it. Is he that desperate for points already?

The Rangers play a back-to-back with the Sharks visiting Monday. Why have Lundqvist go against the weaker opponent? It seems like a desperate move. Granted. He’s easily been their best player and is the only reason they are 3-2-0. Lundqvist has stood on his head so far with his team forgetting to play any D. He’s been brilliant. But he’s 33 and shouldn’t have to work this hard early.

If you can’t start your backup against the lowly Devils, what’s the point? Antti Raanta is now gonna debut against San Jose. A much better team that’s off to a great start. The Sharks are without Logan Couture who is out four to six weeks with a fractured right fibula. But they’re still formidable under new coach Pete DeBoer with new starting goalie Martin Jones playing extremely well.

We’ll see how all of AV’s moves pan out.

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