Blueshirts Survive Again, Hold Off Caps 4-3 to force Game 7

Posted on May 11, 2015 by Derek
Henrik Lundqvist makes one of 42 saves denying Alex Ovechkin. He's the reason the Rangers prevailed 4-3 forcing Game 7. AP Photo by Nick Wass/Getty Images

Henrik Lundqvist makes one of 42 saves denying Alex Ovechkin. He’s the reason the Rangers prevailed 4-3 forcing Game 7.
AP Photo by Nick Wass/Getty Images

If we didn’t know any better, you’d swear the Rangers are trying to give their fans anxiety attacks. In finding a way to survive another elimination game, the Blueshirts held off the Caps 4-3 to take Game 6 at wild Verizon Center.

There’ll be a Game 7. It’ll be played Wednesday at MSG in what should be a raucous environment. The Rangers ensured it by clinging onto a one-goal lead for dear life after the Caps mounted a furious rally that cut a 4-1 third period lead down to a single goal with 8:37 still left in regulation.

In what amounted to a rope a dope strategy, they sat back too much and allowed the Caps to bring the kitchen sink. Thankfully, Henrik Lundqvist didn’t budge even after permitting goals off the sticks of Evgeny Kuznetsov and Joel Ward. Under siege throughout, he stopped 42 of 45 shots. Astonishingly, the Caps attempted 96 shots. Fifty-one of which never made it to Lundqvist. As a team, the Rangers turned back the clock to the Tort days blocking an astounding 34 shots while forcing another 17 Caps misses. Despite out-attempting the Rangers 96-55, Washington never was tied.

A big performance from Chris Kreider allowed his team to seize early control. He scored twice in the first period helping the Rangers build a two-goal lead. Both goals were incredible given the circumstances. The first came following a strong opening shift from the Caps’ third line of Jay Beagle, Troy Brouwer and Andre Burakovsky. A smart Jesper Fast clear off the boards allowed a flying Kreider to break in on Braden Holtby. With Matt Niskanen on him, he had enough strength to stay with it scoring a highlight reel goal 40 seconds in. In between Kreider’s next goal which came with one second remaining in the first period, the Caps and Rangers put on a show.

Finally, there was lots of offense. Uncharacteristically, the teams combined for 37 shots in a very entertaining period. There wasn’t much defense played. It was all about the goalies. At one end, the Rangers applied heavy pressure. Using a forecheck that started from behind the Caps net, they generated a ton of opportunities. Holtby made some huge pads stops on J.T. Miller and Dominic Moore to keep his team only down one. At the opposite end, Lundqvist saw more action than he’s seen throughout. The Caps came in swarms. Particularly their second line of Kuznetsov, Jason Chimera and Joel Ward, who coach Barry Trotz took off the top line moving Marcus Johansson up with Nicklas Backstrom and Alex Ovechkin. Those moves worked making the Caps more dangerous. They just weren’t able to beat Lundqvist early.

A bad penalty from Troy Brouwer with 3.6 seconds left proved costly. He roughed Carl Hagelin knocking his helmet off. As bad as the Rangers power play has been, they somehow made the most out of those 3.6 seconds. Off a well executed faceoff win from Derek Stepan, Derick Brassard got a tricky low shot that Holtby couldn’t control leaking right to Kreider who buried the rebound with 0.3 seconds left. Video review confirmed that his shot went in beating the buzzer for his third goal in two games. That put the Rangers up 2-0 after one.

Any thoughts of an easy game were erased right away at the start of the second. On a great shift by the Caps’ new second line, Lundqvist fought off a Ward shot but it caromed right to Chimera who beat Kevin Klein to the rebound scoring just 28 seconds in to cut the deficit to 2-1.

Following the goal, Hagelin got nabbed for roughing up Brouwer who sold it by putting his head up. But the Rangers penalty kill didn’t buckle. Even with Ovechkin getting one of those patented wrist shots which Lundqvist stopped. The Caps did a better job activating their defensemen. In particular, John Carlson who actually led them with seven shots. They also set up Mike Green but he was limited to just one in four attempts. Niskanen registered two shots out of eight attempted.

As hard as it is for Ryan McDonagh and Dan Girardi to match-up against Ovechkin, it was the Caps’ second unit which gave the Rangers fits. Ward’s big body made them tougher to check for the second pair of Marc Staal and Klein. Combining his grit with Chimera’s speed and Kuznetsov’s skill made them a tough assignment. They were the Caps’ most effective line. Not coincidentally, they combined for all three Washington goals.

The Rangers weren’t able to generate much in the second. It was mostly Caps who pressed the action with a relentless forecheck. They held a 18-4 edge in shots but still found themselves behind thanks to Lundqvist. There’s been games where he’s allowed less but quite honestly this was his best game of the postseason. The amount of traffic he dealt with and the quality of shots was insane. There was this one save he made on Brouwer that was unreal. I don’t know how he stopped it. That’s what Hank does when his team needs him most.

Finally, Rick Nash celebrates his first goal of the series with teammate Derick Brassard. Game 7 is Wednesday at MSG. AP Photo by Alex Brandon/Getty Images

Finally, Rick Nash celebrates his first goal of the series with teammate Derick Brassard. Game 7 is Wednesday at MSG.
AP Photo by Alex Brandon/Getty Images

Entering the third, I sent out a tweet that basically said that Rick Nash needed to score a goal for them to win. Either him or Martin St. Louis. Sure enough, they combined for a huge goal 54 seconds in when Nash took a St. Louis centering pass in front and patiently out-waited Holtby tucking home a forehand for his first goal of the series (2nd overall). Brassard got the secondary helper getting the play started.

Dan Boyle is congratulated by Marc Staal and Tanner Glass following his big goal that proved to be the winner in the Rangers' hair raising 4-3 win over the Caps to take Game 6. AP Photo by Nick Wass/Getty Images

Dan Boyle is congratulated by Marc Staal and Tanner Glass following his big goal that proved to be the winner in the Rangers’ hair raising 4-3 win over the Caps to take Game 6.
AP Photo by Nick Wass/Getty Images

The goal gave them a huge lift. Up two, they played with confidence. Able to keep the Caps to the outside, the Rangers had the better of the play. Eventually, another strong shift down low resulted in a goal from Dan Boyle. On just a tremendous shift by the fourth line including Tanner Glass who covered for a pinching Marc Staal who kept the play alive, J.T. Miller worked the puck to James Sheppard who made a perfect backhand saucer pass for a Boyle one-timer top shelf increasing the lead to 4-1 with 15:36 left.

Everything seemed fine. Kreider had a chance for the hat trick but Holtby gloved it. Suddenly, the Caps played more desperately. They sent in all five skaters and began an all out assault. Their forecheck forced Ranger mistakes. Finally, a Stepan giveaway led directly to Kuznetsov coming out and firing one past Lundqvist at 7:40 from Karl Alzner and Ward.

Back in it, they didn’t stop. It was only a matter of time before Ward got inside position on Klein getting to loose puck and putting it past Lundqvist less than three minutes later to suddenly cut it to 4-3 at the 10:33 mark. At that point, coach Alain Vigneault had seen enough using a rare timeout to stop the Caps’ momentum. While it didn’t prevent them from coming awfully close to tying it, it allowed his team to regroup.

The final 9:27 felt like an eternity. There were moments where I looked at my brother and told him there’s no way they could survive unless they generated a couple of shifts in the Caps zone. It was crazy. Washington seemed like they had an extra man the whole time. As Doc Emrick would describe, the total chaos didn’t stop Lundqvist from denying Ovechkin and Carlson. It didn’t prevent our D from blocking shots. They had to. It was desperation mode. At one critical juncture, a big Ovechkin hit on McDonagh sent him to the locker room. I thought he wasn’t returning fearing it was his left shoulder. But the captain returned just in time.

You knew there was gonna be at least one more hair raising moment. That occurred when the refs mistakenly sent Sheppard off for delay of game with 2:40 left. To the naked eye live, it was obvious that his clearing attempt touched the glass before going out of play. However, the call was erroneously made by one of the linesmen. So, the Caps had a great opportunity on the power play.

Unable to beat Lundqvist with a 5-on-4 in the early portion, Trotz went for it pulling Holtby for an extra man to give his team a two-man advantage. But the Rangers penalty killers did a good job allowing Lundqvist to see the shots including a Carlson attempt with no one in front. As much pressure as they got, they couldn’t beat our goalie when it counted. He wouldn’t allow it.

There’s one more game left in what’s been a epic second round series. Every game has been decided by one goal. That’s the Rangers’ specialty. They’ve now managed to play all 11 games this postseason with one goal the difference. Dating back to last year’s Stanley Cup Final versus the Kings, they have set a playoff record with 13 consecutive one goal games. If that’s what’s required for them to advance, fine. I hope they have one more big game in them. It will be the hardest to win against a very tough opponent.

BONY 3 Stars:

3rd Star-Chimera–Kuznetsov–Ward, WSH (combined for 7 points, 15 SOG, +9-any doubt they’re back together for Game 7)

2nd Star-Chris Kreider, NYR (2 goals incl. a PPG with 1 second left in 1st-3 goals in last 2-the bigger the game, the better he gets)

1st Star-Henrik Lundqvist, NYR (42 saves incl. 34/35 thru 2-money performance from the King)

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The thoughts of a anxious Rangers fan

Posted on May 10, 2015 by Derek

Alright. I’ll be honest. I’m nervous about tonight. It’s another one of these survival games for our Blueshirts. The puck drop is supposed to be 7:08 PM but from reporters on twitter it might be delayed due to NBC. Ugh.

If you’re not anxious about Game 6 after how the Rangers stared elimination in the face Friday and pulled off a miraculous 2-1 heart pumping Game 5 home win at a rocking MSG, you’re either immune or a robot. It’s impossible not to feel some nerves for this one at Verizon Center. I hope all our players are ready to do whatever it takes to get this series back to The Garden for Game 7.

As passionate and diehard fans, all we can do is watch. Cheer and support our team till the end. They know what’s at stake. Ironically, it’s Mother’s Day for Game 6. It was a year ago that Martin St. Louis scored the game’s first goal in a emotional home win over the Pens forcing Game 7. That one is fondly remembered. On the one-year anniversary of his Mom’s death Friday, he played well and probably should’ve had at least a goal if not for Braden Holtby. Maybe he gets one tonight and inspires the team to another big win in an elimination game.

Elimination games are tough. Every shift matters. Every key play. Every mistake magnified. The Rangers must play patient, smart and disciplined. They will have to withstand the Caps’ start. You know Alex Ovechkin and Nicklas Backstrom will be flying. They must be ready for anything. Henrik Lundqvist must be better than Holtby. Ryan McDonagh and Dan Girardi must be strong defensively as must Marc Staal and Kevin Klein.

Derek Stepan, Chris Kreider and Jesper Fast must carry positive momentum forward from Friday. They weren’t perfect but were matched mostly against Ovechkin, Backstrom and Joel Ward. Ultimately, the trio helped save the season with Stepan finally getting some work done with his drop to Kreider with 1:41 left and his perfectly executive fake eliminating the Caps D for McDonagh’s emotional overtime winner.

In a game of this magnitude, it would be nice to Rick Nash finally get that big goal. He remains stuck at one for the playoffs. Even though he’s working hard and has done some strong work defensively while setting up a couple of goals, this is what the Rangers got him for. He needs to be a factor. Derick Brassard usually plays his best in these games. And he’s been the offensive catalyst again with a team-leading five goals.

Kevin Hayes must shoot the puck. Enough of the skating and figure eights. He’s not Alex Kovalev. Simplify it. Carl Hagelin must not only use his speed but be a royal pain in the ass for Holtby and the Caps D. Dominic Moore has done some good things since being moved to that line. He must be his usual pesky self and win key draws.

J.T. Miller has sparked the fourth line creating chances for Tanner Glass while James Sheppard has worked hard. They must put their hard hats on and stay out of the box.

Keith Yandle and Dan Boyle have to play smart. Make good decisions with the puck. Be stingy in one-on-one battles. Don’t cough it up. Make smart pinches. If there’s a lane, take the shot.

Alain Vigneault will continue to roll four lines. I’d still love to see him move Nash up to the top power play unit. If it comes down to the nitty gritty, he can’t be afraid to double shift his best players. Roll the dice.

It’s another game that’ll be hard on the stomach. Drink water. Have oxygen masks. Take some deep breaths. Here we go.

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Canadiens force Game 6 in 2-1 win over Lightning

Posted on May 10, 2015 by Derek

In the other Eastern Conference Semifinal series, things have changed quickly. The Canadiens who once trailed the Lightning 3-0 won their second in a row tonight edging the Bolts 2-1 at Bell Centre.

The difference was a P.A. Parenteau goal coming with 4:07 left in regulation. It was a great response to Lightning captain Steven Stamkos’ second tally of the postseason. He tied the game 6:26 prior when he was able to get to a loose puck off an Anton Stralman shot and beat Carey Price with 10:33 remaining.

Prior to Stamkos’ goal, Price had committed highway robbery stoning Valtteri Filppula on the doorstep. He had the Hart and Vezina front runner down but Price got a piece of Filppula’s shot with his glove sending it over the net.

Trailing 1-0 on a Devante Smith-Pelly tally back in the first period, the Lightning took some penalties which helped the Canadiens build momentum. Montreal’s power play didn’t score on any of their three man-advantages but had much better looks with both P.K. Subban and Jeff Petry hitting posts. Tampa netminder Ben Bishop kept his team in it with some key saves.

The Habs were able to hold Tyler Johnson off the score sheet for the first time in the series. That’s been a tough assignment in the playoffs. Johnson’s clutch play burned Montreal with his buzzer beater winning Game 3 that put the Lightning three games up. However, Montreal responded by blowing out Tampa 6-2 for their first win in nine games this season.

This one was tighter. The Lightning were able to finally solve Price thanks to a Stamkos win in the offensive zone. Some good work from Alex Killorn got the puck back to Stralman, who moved around a Canadien and wound up. Price made the initial stop but Stamkos was there for the rebound.

With their season on the line, the Habs took advantage of a Bolts’ turnover. Subban found Parenteau open in the slot and his one-timer beat Bishop high glove. From there, they did a good job defensively including the final minute when Bishop went to the bench for an extra attacker. Tampa wasn’t able to get one last shot with a scrum breaking out which featured childhood buddies Subban and Stamkos getting tangled and Max Pacioretty wrestling with Johnson.

Remarkably, it’s the first time in franchise history that the Canadiens have gotten to Game 6 after trailing a series 3-0. Now, the pressure is squarely on the Lightning who at least get two days off before they return home Tuesday. They better win that one. They don’t want to go back to Montreal for a Game 7.

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Kreider delivers in clutch

Posted on May 9, 2015 by Derek
Chris Kreider jumps into the arms of Derek Stepan and teammates after scoring a clutch tying goal with 1:41 left in Game 5. The Rangers stayed alive with Ryan McDonagh providing the overtime winner with Kreider screening in front. AP Photo by Julie Jacobson/Getty Images

Chris Kreider jumps into the arms of Derek Stepan and teammates after scoring a clutch tying goal with 1:41 left in Game 5. The Rangers stayed alive with Ryan McDonagh providing the overtime winner with Kreider screening in front.
AP Photo by Julie Jacobson/Getty Images

Since his playoff baptism under former coach John Tortorella in 2012, Chris Kreider has delivered some big goals in the clutch. He came through again last night scoring the tying goal with 1:41 left in regulation.

The Rangers won Game 5 thanks to captain Ryan McDonagh beating Braden Holtby at 9:37 of overtime to stay alive against the Caps in the second round series. They don’t reach tomorrow’s crucial Game 6 without Kreider. The recently turned 24-year old former 2009 first round pick not only took a perfect Derek Stepan drop pass and buried a one-timer past previously impenetrable Braden Holtby. He also screened Holtby on McDonagh’s winner which took a home bounce off Caps defenseman Tim Gleason.

No stranger to the playoffs, Kreider already has an impressive postseason resume. Since 2012, no Blueshirt has scored more goals. His clutch goal Friday gives him three this playoffs and 14 since the club’s run to the Conference Finals under Tortorella.

Last year when they fell behind the Pens 3-1, Kreider was a big factor in their second round comeback. After returning for Game 4, he keyed the Rangers Game 5 win at Pittsburgh with a goal and assist. He was a physical force in their six-game series victory over the Canadiens totaling eight points (3-5-8) while accidentally knocking out Carey Price on a hard drive to the net. One that Canadian media choose to remember differently. They forget that Kreider was tripped by Alexei Emelin. There wasn’t much he could’ve done to prevent it.

Of course, Kreider is now known as a “goalie killer.” That goalie killer hasn’t lived as much on the edge this Spring. However, he’s remained one of the Rangers’ most physical players. After being held in check by the Caps, he was more aggressive in Game 5. Using his size and speed to get in on the forecheck, he delivered six hits and was more purposeful. That included a clean takeout and recovery of a puck behind the net nearly setting up Stepan for a goal.

It’s that kind of talent Kreider possesses. If he ever puts it altogether, he could become a dominant force. He’s one of their most dangerous forwards. Only Rick Nash has the size and strength to ward off defenders. But he’s been kept off the score sheet despite battling hard. Kreider is the more physical player who brings a lot to the table.

For the Rangers to force a Game 7 back at The Garden, they’ll need another big game from the former Boston University standout. He can have tremendous impact. Even in low scoring defensive games, he’s hard to contain. Without him, they’re not playing tomorrow.

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Still Alive: Rangers rally late to stun Caps in overtime

Posted on May 9, 2015 by Derek
Mac Delivers: Ryan McDonagh is mobbed by teammates Derek Stepan and Jesper Fast after his overtime winner kept alive the Rangers season. AP Photo by Julie Jacobson/Getty Images

Mac Delivers: Ryan McDonagh is mobbed by teammates Derek Stepan and Jesper Fast after his overtime winner kept alive the Rangers season.
AP Photo by Julie Jacobson/Getty Images

They’re still alive and ticking. The Rangers lived to fight another day by rallying late to stun the Caps in overtime 2-1 at a raucous MSG. Chris Kreider’s tying goal with 1:41 left in regulation sent the building into bedlam. Ryan McDonagh’s first career playoff overtime goal at 9:37 of sudden death won Game 5 in dramatic fashion.

The late heroics allowed the Blueshirts to stave off elimination. By never giving up and doing it the hard way, they improved to 9-0 in their last nine elimination games at home. It looked like it was in serious jeopardy when a bad Keith Yandle pinch led directly to a Caps two-on-none with Curtis Glencross having his rebound carom back and chipping the puck over an outstretched Henrik Lundqvist for a 1-0 lead with 9:06 remaining.

They trailed despite playing well enough. The different to that point was the sensational play of Caps goalie Braden Holtby. As he’s done throughout the tightly contested series, he made some clutch stops including denying Martin St. Louis twice of sure goals off great set ups. His ridiculous glove save off a Rick Nash feed from behind the net in the second period was enough to make me wonder if they’d ever beat him again. Holtby finished with 41 saves.

Lundqvist was just as good making 28 saves. None were bigger than a right pad denial of a dangerous Evgeny Kuznetsov chance with two and a half minutes left. Kuznetsov used his blistering speed to outhustle our D to a loose puck and was in but his backhand was thwarted by Lundqvist who also held the right post and stopped a rebound.

Unable to solve Holtby, it looked like the Rangers would fall short. Even with Lundqvist only permitting eight goals in five games, it seemed like they would never score. To their credit, they kept pushing. The key sequence came when a Caps clear fell short of icing. Astonishingly, that allowed Yandle to make a good bank pass to Derek Stepan at the Caps blueline. Caught in a change, Stepan carried the puck and then spun off the D and made a great drop for a quick Kreider one-timer that finally beat Holtby to tie the game.

On the goal, he wasn’t screened. But there were players in front and Kreider made a perfect shot inside the far goalpost. That’s what it took to finally get one by him. Credit Stepan for making a great read. Earlier in the period, Kreider set him up after a great forecheck. But Stepan missed wide. He stuck with it in a big way.

”The outcome speaks for itself,” Kreider said after scoring his big goal that saved the season. ”It’s the kind of game that sheds a few years off your life, though. It’d be nice if we can pop one in early, take the pressure off of Hank, off our ‘D,’ off ourselves, off our fans, off our coaches.”

Before the teams reached OT, there were a couple of close calls at both ends. Lundqvist was forced into a difficult stop on Jason Chimera off a Kuznetsov set up. As time wound down, Holtby had to deal with a tricky backhand from Dominic Moore. That’s the kind of effort both teams gave.

In sudden death, the Rangers were a little tentative at the start. From our seats in Section 419, you could tell they were feeling the pressure. And why not. One mistake is all it would take for it to end. But it never came. Despite some early Caps zone time, Lundqvist made two stops and the defense never buckled.

A jubilant Rangers celebrate their Game 5 2-1 overtime win over the Caps. AP Photo by Kathy Willens/Getty Images

A jubilant Rangers celebrate their Game 5 2-1 overtime win over the Caps.
AP Photo by Kathy Willens/Getty Images

Prior to McDonagh’s heroics, a nervous fan screamed out “‘Please get to the 10-minute mark.'” That explains how tense it was in the stands. No one wanted to go home.

It was a strong play by rookie Jesper Fast that caused a Caps turnover inside their zone. A hard forecheck resulted in him stealing the puck and passing across for Stepan at the left circle. Instead of shooting, he quickly dropped for McDonagh, whose shot deflected off Tim Gleason’s glove by Holtby for the exciting OT winner.

”It’s a good sign for us that we found a way to win this game under immense pressure,” McDonagh said after finally getting his clutch shot to go for his first point of the series.

”It was passed to Stepan and it looked like he was going to shoot it,” Holtby said. ”I lost him a bit with bodies in front. I saw that he dropped it back and don’t know where it went. I heard it hit a stick and then that was it.”

When he scored, my section went nuts. Everyone was mobbing each other. It was similar on Kreider’s tying goal. Our section was loud all game and never wavered despite it looking lost. The building was alive throughout and really helped the Rangers out. I’ll bet our players appreciated it.

During warm ups, both my brother and I talked about the game. He said he wasn’t too nervous. I felt similarly until the first period remained scoreless. We both felt they needed to jump on the Caps. Even with 16 shots including some good opportunities, they couldn’t beat Holtby. On one glorious chance, he made an unreal save to rob St. Louis on the doorstep.

The Caps got better as the period went on. They tested Lundqvist, who was up to the challenge denying all 13 shots. They also had the benefit of two power plays to the Rangers’ one. Their best chance came when Mike Green was all alone but Lundqvist made a sliding pad save to deny him.

The second was mostly Rangers with them holding a 12-5 edge. They continued to attack at every turn pinching the D. But as usual, the Caps limited most of their second opportunities. Holtby made the save of the game when he flat out stoned St. Louis. Off a Derick Brassard faceoff win, the puck was worked to Nash behind the net and in one motion he dished for a wide open St. Louis, who from 15 feet went high glove only for an aggressive Holtby to grab it like a cat. Unbelievable.

Every Ranger forechecked hard. The new fourth line featuring J.T. Miller with Tanner Glass and James Sheppard had a few good shifts. For all the flak Glass got during the season, he’s been consistent in the postseason. He hasn’t taken a bad penalty and has delivered clean hard hits while even getting chances. Amazingly, it was his shot that caromed off Holtby right to Brassard with a wide open net. But Brassard missed. I don’t know how. Green dove but it didn’t look to hit his stick.

The Caps nearly went ahead with a couple of minutes left. Matt Niskanen’s high shot went in but ref Kevin Pollock immediately waved it off due to Joel Ward interfering with Lundqvist. Basically, it was incidental contact. But seeing replays, it was close.

The frustration continued into the third. When your team is facing elimination in a scoreless game against a hot goalie, you’re just waiting for the other shoe to drop. That came when Kevin Klein had his shot blocked. Yandle made a poor read pinching. With all three forwards caught deep, there was no one back. Once Tom Wilson backchecked and Matt Niskanen pushed the puck off the boards out to Glencross, it became a nightmare.

Somehow, another Caps support player had put them in front with under 10 minutes left in the Rangers season. Glencross, who was a healthy scratch for a game in the first round had given them a one-goal lead. You knew they were going to sit back and just try to protect it. Considering how they’ve executed, it looked bleak.

Even with the Rangers applying pressure, the minutes and seconds ticked off fast. Before you knew it, there was under three to go. When Kuznetsov slipped around, I feared the worst. But Lundqvist wasn’t ready to go home yet.

”We are still alive,” he told Pierre McGuire at the winning bench. ”Being in their shoes, we’ve been there. Going home now there is a lot of pressure for them. I know for sure they don’t want to come back here for another game. So we’ll try to use that to our advantage.”

As bad as Yandle’s been, he made a great read using the boards to head man Stepan which caught the Caps in a change. With them still scrambling, Stepan passed back for Kreider who buried it. It was like the whole building breathed a sigh of relief. Like thank God it’s going to overtime. Then, the thoughts are please win.

Credit Fast for forcing a turnover and having the presence to find Stepan, who changed the shot taking it away from the Caps shot blocking. McDonagh finally got a clean look and won it.

Now, it’s onto Game 6 at Verizon Center. The game will start at 7 PM Sunday. For the Rangers to win, they’ll need to come with the same effort. As Lundqvist noted, the Caps play well at home and feed off their crowd. They don’t want to come back for Game 7. So, the Rangers must ramp it up even more. The pressure’s on the Caps. It should be interesting.

BONY 3 Stars:

3rd Star-Braden Holtby, WSH (41 saves incl. 28/28 first 2 periods-matched Lundqvist again)

2nd Star-Ryan McDonagh, NYR (scored at 9:37 of OT-1st career OT winner, 4 blocked shots, +2 in 31 shifts-25:12-blanketed Ovechkin with partner Dan Girardi)

1st Star-Derek Stepan, NYR (2 primary assists, 4 SOG, +2 in 32 shifts-25:01-by far his best game of the series)

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A Letter To The Rangers

Posted on May 8, 2015 by Derek
The Rangers have done a lot of celebrating this year. The President's Trophy isn't the ultimate goal. AP Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images

The Rangers must deliver their best performance starting tonight to save their season.
AP Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images

Dear NYRangers:

You’ve given our fans plenty to cheer about all season. You’re facing a tough opponent who has made it difficult to score. That’s why you find yourselves in this predicament.

It’ll take every ounce of energy during shifts for tonight’s Game 5 to come out victorious. You must summon up the strength and show extra urgency to save the season. That means all 18 skaters and our goalie coming together for a common cause.

You’ll need to not only take the play to the Caps but go that extra mile to score on Braden Holtby. That means using your greatest asset. Your team speed to outhustle their D in front of the net. Get to those loose pucks and capitalize on second chances. That means burying them.

Most importantly, don’t stop skating. Show patience when it’s needed by waiting for the Caps’ players to go down and then skate to open space and get shots through. Make it count. When you have puck possession, drive the net and you’ll get rewarded. The extra commitment will pay off.

For the players who were part of last year’s special group, you’ve been here before. You know what it takes. Draw on your experience and stay positive. Don’t stop believing. Play with the same poise under pressure. Let them know that getting that fourth game will take a monumental effort.

To win, you must play with intelligence. Make smart decisions with the puck. Limit mistakes. Stay disciplined. To Henrik Lundqvist, you have played well in this series but haven’t been perfect. Like you did last year, you must be a brick wall to give your team a chance.

To the coaching staff. Think outside the box. If it’s not working early, don’t be afraid to make necessary adjustments. Roll the dice. Put our players in the best position to win. If that means changing it up, so be it. Your loyalty will be tested. Please remember that ultimately, it’s about winning. The season is on the line.

The fans are ready. We still believe in you. Leave it all out there.

True Blueshirt,

Derek Felix Section 419

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A new day: Shero becomes Devils’ fourth GM

Posted on May 7, 2015 by hasan4978

Clearly the news on Monday afternoon was the end of Lou Lamoriello’s 28-year tenure as Devils GM but going forward the focus now will be on Ray Shero, just the fourth GM in the 33-year history of the Devils.  Of course Shero has big shoes to fill, and it’s not realistic to expect him to be similar to Lou in every way personality-wise or with general philosophy.  It’s not too much of an exaggeration to think that a sea change like this is going to affect everything from off-ice stuff (most likely more player/coach access for media and fans, for starters) to on-ice decisions.  To what degree remains to be seen, and whether you believe or care if Lou was forced out or not, he did endorse his supposed hand-picked choice in every way:

“I think we’ll be the beneficiary of [this hire] as an organization,” Lamoriello said. “The one thing that has been consistent in this organization and with every conversation I’ve had with Ray was the ability he has. He has no ego and knows the logo is the most important thing and when you get that that’s a good feeling; a very positive thing happened today.”

Certainly, Shero’s no rookie and every hockey fan knows he was the GM of the Penguins from 2006-2014.  During his tenure the Penguins made the playoffs every one of his eight seasons, winning a Stanley Cup and two Eastern Conference Championships.  Yes, he fell into a good situation with Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Marc-Andre Fleury and Kris Letang already in place but make no mistake about it, Shero’s a hockey lifer with plenty of positive credentials.  Shero was the assistant GM of Ottawa from 1993-98 and an expansion Nashville team from 1998-2006 when both organizations started their rise to perennial playoff teams, and as most tri-state area fans know, he has a revered hockey name as dad Fred Shero was a HOF coach with the Flyers (winning two Cups) and Rangers (making the 1979 Finals), and also worked briefly with the Devils organization as a radio color commentator.  Current GM Ray’s history with former GM Lou goes back to Ray’s college days as a player when he played against Lou’s Providence teams.  As Ray joked at his introductory press conference he’s been interviewing for this job since 1980.

Shero’s tenure with the Penguins wasn’t perfect, to be sure.  This summary from the Hockey News shortly after he was fired last Spring gives a five best/five worst list of moves from his tenure as the Penguin GM:

http://www.thehockeynews.com/blog/the-five-best-and-worst-moves-of-the-ray-shero-era/

Obviously being in a situation with so many talented players led to a lot of win-now trades, such as the Murray one referenced in the post above.  Indeed if you look at the Penguins’ draft record, you notice three things – one, they essentially didn’t have a 2008 draft with their first pick being at the tail end of the fourth round (with other high picks in other years missing as well).  Two, Shero picked a lot of defensemen early despite a crying need throughout the last few years for more wingers capable of playing with their superstar centers.  And three, their draft record save a few hits like defenseman Olli Maatta really wasn’t that great overall.  Our organization needs quality forwards by any means necessary and besides Jordan Staal – drafted #2 overall – they really don’t have much to show in their last decade of drafts up front.  Kind of like our drafts, defensemen heavy but not a lot of skilled forwards.

http://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/draft/teams/dr00007475.html

Ironically his record in Pittsburgh is a lot like Lou’s recent records…fairly good with trades for the most part, somewhat spotty on big contract signings (though they don’t have as many onerous contracts for older players as we do, they do have the oft-injured and one-dimensional Kris Letang signed forever to big money, and they offered Staal a ridiculous contract before he turned it down – and to their credit they worked out a good trade for him), good on defensemen drafting and bad on forwards drafting.  Perhaps the main thing to remember though, is Shero certainly can get smarter at his second job much the way Lou himself did after his first few years here.  He wasn’t Lou The Great from 1987-1993 though he had his share of good moves, it wasn’t till 1994 where the organization itself was able to take the next step.

What all this means for the organization going forward is anyone’s guess.  Off ice, clearly few organizations restricted player and coach access like Lou, who didn’t allow Twitter accounts (which I agree with), didn’t have open practices (which I don’t agree with) and had a bunch of other rules and regulations that may or may not be relaxed under the new regime.  Whether the players are allowed to grow facial hair or wear high numbers remains to be seen.  In this day and age it is hard to expect new-school players to be decidedly old-school, even harder when you don’t have the cache of a Lou Lamoriello to enforce that culture.  Very little of that stuff is important to me as a fan, I just want to see the team win and feel having a team-first culture is still possible even without everything that made Lou what he was – although I admit it will be nice to see the Devils on shows like 24/7 and NHLN team shows, if that’s in the cards for future seasons.  Of course I’m not looking forward to the day of the inevitable third jersey but us and Detroit have been the only outliers, every other hockey fan has to deal with mostly abominations of third jerseys to this point.

On-ice, Shero in his first few interviews (see the Devils’ website or YouTube for links to all of them) played his cards close to the vest, though he did indicate he wasn’t looking for any quick fixes which I agree with.  Between not having enough forward talent and the defensemen still needing some time to mature, this team isn’t ready to win and reckless moves aren’t going to serve any purpose but to prolong the cycle of rebuilding.  However, this team can be infinitely more competitive next year with a series of calculated moves.  Of course Shero’s first major move will probably be the coaching decision, which will be telling to see what kind of direction he sees for the franchise.  While former Penguin coach Dan Bylsma is a popular name of speculation for obvious reasons – Shero hired him, they won a Cup together and he wasn’t around long enough to fire Bylsma – sometimes the easy narrative isn’t always what gets written.  While the new GM admits he’d prefer to have a coach in place before the draft late next month, he’s certainly not going to rush a timetable.  Especially given more big-name coaches could be available in the next few weeks.  Perhaps a good coaching hire, the right picks, trades or both on draft day in June and the right UFA signings in July could turn us into a playoff contender again, which right now looks pretty good.

I admit it we all got spoiled as Devil fans, not so much expecting the team to contend for a title every year but in being dismissive of 100-point seasons where we lost in the first round.  At times, especially during 1996-99 and 2008-2010 the regular season felt like waste when the team would have great seasons and then blow up in the first round of the playoffs.  However even seasons like that are infinitely better than last year when the team was basically out of it from the middle of December on.  If you’re going to watch/attend/read about 82 games a year it’d be nice to have something to play for.  Blowing up a team entirely and committing to a five-year rebuild plan sounds nice on a video game, but not when you’re actually waiting five years in real life for something that isn’t even a guarantee to work.  Islander fans are still waiting for their playoff series win since 1993, and Panther fans are still waiting for a first playoff series win since 1996 and both have gone through countless ‘rebuilds’.

Despite all that I’m not one of those fans who are forever going to lament the good ol’ days and curse the fact Shero isn’t like Lou…expecting Shero or anyone else to walk out of here with Lou’s track record is an exercise in futility.  However if Shero can get this team back to consistently winning and perhaps eventually win another Cup of his own, he won’t have to apologize to anyone.  In the end, that’s the goal and that’s the part of Lou’s legacy I do hope Shero carries on.

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Video(s) Of Day: Tyler Johnson stuns the Canadiens

Posted on May 7, 2015 by Derek

While the Rangers were finding another way to lose to the Caps, the Canadiens lost to the Lightning in the worst way imaginable. They one upped us losing to Tampa with a second left to fall behind 3-0 in the series.

Imagine being a second away from overtime in a game you fought back in and controlled. Imagine needing it after dropping the first two games on home ice to a opponent you can’t beat. You cannot make it up. With only 11 seconds left in a tie hockey game, a careless Canadiens turnover at the Tampa blueline allowed Ondrej Palat to come in transition with Victor Hedman, who found Conn Smythe candidate Tyler Johnson for the Game 3 winner at a wild environment in Tampa. How wild? Try this on for size.

Awesome fan reaction in the newly featured #MyPlayoffsMoment. These are fun to watch when they don’t involve your team losing. The Lightning are one win away from the Conference Final.

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Lack Of Adjustments From Coach Hurting Rangers

Posted on May 7, 2015 by Derek
Teammates surround Washington Capitals left wing Andre Burakovsky, from Austria, after his game-winning goal as New York Rangers defenseman Ryan McDonagh (27) skates nearby, during the third period of Game 4 in the second round of the NHL Stanley Cup hockey playoffs, Wednesday, May 6, 2015, in Washington. The Capitals won 2-1. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Caps mob Game 4 hero Andre Burakovsky following his second goal. Rangers captain Ryan McDonagh can only watch in disappointment. AP Photo by Alex Brandon/Getty Images 

In case you were living in a cave, the Rangers are officially on life support. Thanks to another frustrating performance, they’re now in the same predicament they were in this round last year. After falling to the Tort-Trotz Caps 2-1 on a pair of goals from 20-year old Andre Burakovsky (you can’t make it up), they face an uphill battle starting Friday.

No one likes funerals. Hopefully, the Rangers remember to bring some good twigs that include goals. More than one would be nice. At the moment, they’re running out of answers against a Caps team who has surrounded Braden Holtby by blocking every shot possible. On a night he made 28 saves, Washington blocked 25 shots. The Rangers out-attempted the Caps 66-49. The trouble is 37 never made it to Holtby who continues to outplay Henrik Lundqvist in a bizarre low-scoring series.

Facing a disciplined opponent that has continued to keep most of their chances to the outside, the Rangers have managed only five goals on 126 shots. They haven’t been able to get to Holtby who remains a brick wall. Sadly, Lundqvist has permitted seven goals on 113 shots. That hasn’t been good enough. It’s remarkable that he can perform well but hasn’t gotten enough support.

Every game the Rangers have played has been decided by one goal. The difference in this series is they’ve been on the wrong side three out of four times. Even worse, they’ve lost those in bad fashion. Whether it be with Joel Ward’s Game 1 stunner or Jay Beagle’s fluke goal from behind the net or Burakovsky coming out of nowhere to toast invisible captain Ryan McDonagh 24 seconds into the third, they’ve all hurt big time.

Why are they losing this series? Well, for starters Alain Vigneault is getting outcoached by Barry “Tort” Trotz. Yeah. I’m going to refer to him as that given how his team playing. They’re executing Trotz’ defensive strategy perfectly. Vigneault has had no answer. Outside of one lineup tweak moving Dominic Moore up to the Kevin Hayes line with Carl Hagelin while as predicted sliding J.T. Miller to the fourth line with Tanner Glass and James Sheppard, Vigneault has shown too much reluctance to make changes during losses.

The biggest question I have for the coach is how does he not double shift Rick Nash down the stretch while shortening the bench. What the heck was the fourth line doing out with five-plus minutes left? The sad aspect is Miller actually set up Glass for a quality chance with Holtby sliding across to pad away his low shot. At some point, you have to roll the dice. Vigneault hasn’t been willing to ride his horses. Even with Derek Stepan and Chris Kreider having bad nights, he never once tried Nash with them for a shift.

It is just mind boggling how Vigneault hasn’t been able to push the right buttons. That includes a power play so abominable, you wish they could decline it. They only had one and it came early with Karl Alzner off for tripping. Paging the coach. Why isn’t Nash on the top unit? How does he explain leaving his best scorer on the bench for the entire first half? Even if he’s not finishing, he’s a threat. More than you can say for Martin St. Louis, who despite playing another good game setting up their only goal is just shot. The effort is there but he is one dimensional. Sad to see from a great player who looks every bit his age of 39.

Vigneault finally threw the towel in on Keith Yandle quarterbacking the power play. That’s how hesitant he’s been. If it’s cause he’s still banged up, so be it. Yandle has been a colossal bust. He had a couple of good moments against the Pens but it’s been an awful second round. Even the Rangers’ best McDonagh has been pitiful. He was beat for Ward’s game-winner and was victimized by Burakovsky after just a brutal turnover to start the third when you knew one goal would be enough for the Caps to win.

The best chance they got was Hagelin awarded a penalty shot with 11:59 left in regulation after being hooked from behind by Mike Green. Unfortunately, his deke and backhand was snuffed out by Holtby, who snatched it with his glove preserving the lead to thunderous cheers from Verizon Center who chanted his name. He deserved it.

You can toss out the puck possession because like a broken record, it meant nothing. Something I’ve harped on. To all the fan bloggers who live and die with Corsi. It’s meaningless unless they score. The Rangers haven’t gotten to Holtby. Sure. They earned some rare second chances with Jesper Fast hustling to get off a quality shot that the Caps netminder handled. There were a few others but again, it wasn’t enough.

If you throw aside the extra possession along with a strong first period, the Rangers got largely outplayed in the second. That was despite Nash making a great defensive play that led to St. Louis feeding an open Derick Brassard for a sweet finish top shelf with Alex Ovechkin lolly gagging. They even had golden opportunities to go up two with Nash coming close to beating Holtby followed by a bizarre sequence where the Hayes unit had Holtby down but never beat him. That about sums it up.

When you fail to take advantage of such chances, it usually comes back to bite you. As soon as the Caps turned it up, the Rangers were on the defensive. It’s Washington’s relentless forecheck that’s forced Lundqvist to make tougher saves than Holtby. That’s because they get inside and bring traffic finding rebounds. On one big shift, Ovechkin got two heavy shots on Lundqvist which he thwarted. One left a juicy rebound that was cleared by St. Louis.

Once again, it was the Caps third line which wreaked havoc. Game 3 hero Beagle along with hefty truck Troy Brouwer did the heavy lifting on a dominant shift. Dan Girardi tried to make the right play going up the wall to Kreider but he got outmuscled by Burakovsky who in one motion came off the wall and had enough room to beat Lundqvist unscreened to tie it. On the play, Stepan was taken down causing the Rangers bench to flip. But that’s besides the point. Kreider shouldn’t have gotten muscled off the puck and Lundqvist should’ve had it. Even on a night where he was ultra sharp, he gave up a crusher. This isn’t on him if they fail to come back. It’s about the team around him and a punchless offense under a coach who this isn’t supposed to happen under. Ironically, it happened to the Canucks when they won the President’s Trophy getting ousted by the bigger Kings.

Vigneault has his defensemen pinching at every turn. But the Caps have done a great job neutralizing McDonagh. He hasn’t much space when activated. Yandle’s struggles are well documented. As much as fans have killed him, Dan Boyle is the only defenseman who has been able to carry the puck up ice and gain the zone. For all his shortcomings, he has skating ability. it would be nice if he could actually keep pucks in at the point and get shots through. When Glen Sather signed him over Anton Stralman, I hated it.

Will the Rangers quit? They basically did with 34 seconds left. In just a mystifying sequence after tagging up on a delayed offside, they dumped the puck in and not one Blueshirt was close to any Cap allowing them an easy clear. That led to one final rush and then a pile up on the side boards that ran off the final eight seconds.

You have to wonder where they’re heads are at. When you have Brassard admitting that “they seem to have an answer for everything,” referring to the Caps, it is a ringing indictment.

Are they done? It sure seems like it. Is this the same group that rallied from a 3-1 deficit last year? Hardly. Gone are Stralman, Brian Boyle, Benoit Pouliot. Mats Zuccarello isn’t playing due to a concussion. They even miss Derek Dorsett and Dan Carcillo, who contributed a lot more than the current fourth line Vigneault constructed.

The Rangers are not as tough to play against. Sure. They can skate and when they control possession, they’re effective. However, they’re softer defensively and easier to forecheck. A defenseman like Stralman who was so good at coming out with pucks along the boards and either skating it out or making the right pass is sorely missed. A tenacious checker like Boyle, who always upped his game in the postseason now stars in a similar role for Tampa, who went up 3-0 on Montreal thanks to Conn Smythe candidate Tyler Johnson. Pouliot was a strong forechecker who teamed with Brassard and Zuccarello to form their most consistent line.

It’s not fair to judge kids like Hayes, Miller and Fast so early in their careers. They are still learning. I’ve liked a lot of what I’ve seen from Hayes and Fast. Their battle level has been excellent. Some of the Rangers’ best opportunities have been created by each. Miller is still a work in progress. He really doesn’t belong on the fourth line. Maybe it’s time to reunite him with Stepan and Kreider. Fast can shift back to Hayes and Hagelin.

As for Nash, it’s now nine games and he’s still stuck on one goal. The effort is unquestioned. He is around the puck more and is attempting more shots. His attention to detail is superb. He did help set up Brassard’s goal. You have to look at Stepan and be disappointed. He hasn’t been consistent. Neither has Kreider despite his physical presence. At this point, both should be performing better and need to for them to have any chance at a comeback.

So, what can the coach do better? Coach. Don’t be afraid to try different combos. He has nothing to lose. At this critical juncture, Vigneault needs to do whatever it takes to get his team to Game 6. That goes double for his struggling players.

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Keys For Rangers Tonight

Posted on May 6, 2015 by Derek

The Rangers are facing their first adversity of the playoffs. Up against a tougher opponent, they enter tonight’s Game 4 trailing the Capitals two games to one. They don’t want to return to MSG Friday in a 3-1 predicament. It’ll be harder to come back on the Caps than the Pens last year due to their physical grinding style.

So, what must happen for the Blueshirts to even the series? They must manage the puck better. The Caps are playing a disciplined defensive style by sitting back in the neutral zone and standing up at their blueline. The Rangers have been guilty of turnovers that plays into Washington’s hand and allows them to counter attack. Being a puck possession team means adjusting on the fly. Tape to tape passes and effective usage of the boards can aid their attack.

So can chipping pucks behind the Caps D and using their team speed to recover them and generate higher quality chances on Braden Holtby. When they have forechecked, they’ve been effective. However, there needs to be more traffic in front of Holtby. Defensemen need to shoot the puck when given the opportunity. There’s been too much hesitation due to the wall the Caps put up in front of their goalie. The same goes for the forwards.

Taking low shots through traffic should lead to second opportunities. The Rangers must do a better job driving the net and finding the loose change. Chris Kreider and Rick Nash have the ability to park their bodies in front of Holtby. There needs to be more urgency. Speedy grinders Carl Hagelin and J.T. Miller are capable of winning battles. Ditto for Jesper Fast.

The centers as a whole must be better. Outside of Derick Brassard, the production hasn’t been there. Derek Stepan needs to pick it up. He’s going to get paid this summer like a top line pivot. If it’s Fast with Stepan and Kreider, so be it. They have to do more and that falls on Stepan. He’s the smart two-way playmaker who determines what kind of game they have.

Kevin Hayes has been okay on the cycle but he can produce more as can Hagelin. They are key elements to the offense. In a series where scoring is down, the Rangers’ depth players must come through. That goes double for Miller who has been all but invisible. If he continues to struggle, perhaps Alain Vigneault bumps up Dominic Moore who’s an effective grinder that wins faceoffs and battles in the corners. Miller can be shifted to the fourth line if necessary.

Much has been made of Nash’s inability to finish. He has one goal in eight games this postseason. However, his five points are tied with Brassard for first in team scoring. Admittedly, Nash knows he must find the back of the net. He was better in Game 3 attempting 15 shots with seven reaching Holtby. If he continues to use his size and skating, it should come.

Martin St. Louis is without a goal in eight with two assists. He had his best offensive game Monday. He was more involved on the forecheck and had one of the best chances getting stopped by Holtby on a breakaway. He’s experienced enough to deliver. He must stay aggressive and look to shoot. That makes him a better threat.

Offensively, the Rangers blueline hasn’t done enough. Ryan McDonagh had a good first round totaling four points in five games against Pittsburgh. He hasn’t been able to make an impact against Washington. He’s their best defenseman and is looked upon as a team leader. The Rangers captain needs to deliver a big performance.

Obviously, Keith Yandle has struggled in this series. He isn’t creating enough offense and has been culpable defensively. If Vigneault decides to keep him with Dan Boyle, he must limit their starts in the defensive zone. They are offensive players who are most effective in the offensive zone. That means changing them on the fly if needed. Something that’s harder to do on the road. I would mix and match each with Marc Staal and Kevin Klein. Neither is strong enough on the boards. They need help.

The power play remains an enigma. Vigneault needs it to be more proactive. That means winning key offensive draws so they can effectively set up. It falls on Brassard and Stepan to win those faceoffs. If it means using Moore or Miller just to get possession, so be it.

The man-advantage needs to be think shot first. Being more aggressive will put the Caps on their heels. Having Kreider as the net presence on the top unit with Nash on his off wing, either Stepan or Brassard on the opposite side with Boyle and McDonagh at the points would give them more shooting options. If they use Stepan on the left side and have Boyle on the left point with McDonagh on the right, that makes it easier to one-time the puck.

Maybe try Brassard with St. Louis on one point with Yandle manning the other and have Miller and Hayes up front. Or maybe have Brassard run one point since he is more instinctive and not afraid to shoot. Of course, drawing penalties would help. Two power plays isn’t enough.

Henrik Lundqvist has been fine allowing five goals on on 83 shots. He still hasn’t delivered a money performance. You can make the argument in Games 1 and 3, he could’ve had both game-winners. He wasn’t set for Joel Ward’s stunner and did recover in time and cover the post on Jay Beagle’s bank shot off Yandle. He might need to be perfect tonight. Lundqvist has always responded well to a loss. Expect a big game from the Rangers’ franchise player who participated in a team record 100th postseason game Monday.

For the Blueshirts to prevail, they must show urgency for all 60 minutes. In Game 3, they did it at the start and with 10:00 left in the third. They must be relentless. Get pucks deep and finish checks. Work the Caps defense. They are working hard at blocking shots and keeping the Rangers on the perimeter. Make them work harder. By winning the board battles and driving the net, they’ll start to draw penalties and make life more difficult on Holtby.

They must not show panic. They’ve been here before. It’s time to meet the challenge.

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