MacKenzie Skapski gets second start against lottery driven Sabres

Posted on March 14, 2015 by Derek

Three weeks ago, MacKenzie Skapski celebrated his first NHL win in a successful debut by making 24 saves in a 3-1 win against the Sabres. The 20-year old 2013 sixth round pick looks to go two for two at Buffalo when he makes his second start tonight.

Since Henrik Lundqvist went down to a sprained blood vessel, it’s been mostly Cam Talbot who has carried the Rangers to a 13-2-3 record vaulting them ahead of the Islanders into first in the Metro. Currently tied in points (91) with Montreal and Tampa Bay, they’re also first in the East due to less games played. Although the Lightning own the most regulation and overtime wins (40) in the conference, they’ve played three more games. The Rangers have 39 ROW, which is three better than the Canadiens who visit Long Island.

With Talbot making the last nine starts posting a 7-1-1 mark, Alain Vigneault finally found a day to rest the valuable backup who’s increased his trade value if Glen Sather decides to shop him at the NHL Draft. The Rangers are playing the first of a back-to-back this weekend with the Panthers visiting MSG tomorrow for a special 5 PM start. Talbot will be back in.

In the mean time, it gives Skapski the spotlight to shine. Even if it’s against the team with the worst record chasing Connor McDavid and Jack Eichel, he still has to perform. Even if the Sabres aren’t winning games, they still compete hard for Ted Nolan. They lost in a shootout 4-3 to the Leafs Wednesday. A game they came back in. Tyler Ennis scored his team best 17th and Matt Moulson notched his 10th. They’re winless in five (0-4-1) last beating Vancouver 6-3 on Feb. 26.

Wins have been hard to come by for a rebuilding franchise. At the deadline, GM Tim Murray stayed busy unloading Michal Neuvirth to the Islanders, Chris Stewart to the Wild, Brian Flynn and Torrey Mitchell to the Canadiens and Drew Stafford to the Jets. In a challenging year that’s seen them go 19-42-6 with a league worst 44 points, Buffalo has traded their top two goalies with Jhonas Enroth going to Dallas. They also made an intriguing blockbuster sending Tyler Myers to Winnipeg for Zach Bogosian in a bigger deal.

Currently, the Sabres chief competition for the number one overall pick should come from Edmonton (48 points) and Arizona (50 points). Carolina (58) and Toronto (60) round out the NHL’s five worst teams. If they do win the Draft Lottery and wind up with McDavid, he’ll team with 2014 first overall pick Sam Reinhart to form a 1-2 punch. They were teammates for Canada’s gold medal team at the World Junior Championship.

While there hasn’t been a whole lot positive for the Sabres, Ennis has had a good year pacing them in scoring with 37 points. He is the team leader in goals (17), points (37) and power play points (12). In the first year of a contract that pays him an average cap hit of $4.6 million, the former 2008 first round pick is one of the few building blocks. Along with promising second-year forward Zemgus Girgensons, who’s third in scoring with 30 points (15-15-30), they’ll be viewed as leaders along with Moulson.

Former 2010 Wild second round pick Johan Larsson is currently playing on the top line with Ennis and Moulson. He tallied a career high three points (1-2-3) in the loss at Toronto. Larsson has goals in two straight along with 12 hits. He was acquired with goalie Matt Hackett, a Minnesota 2013 first round pick (Nikita Zadorov) and a Minnesota 2014 second round pick (Vaclav Karabacek) for Jason Pominville and a 2014 Buffalo fourth round pick (William Lagesson). That could be one of those deals that turns into a steal for the Sabres. Pominville is signed with the Wild through 2018-19.

For Buffalo, it’s all about the future. Boasting a plethora of prospects that include Jake McCabe, J.T. Compher, Hudson Fasching, Gustav Possler, Justin Bailey and Cal Petersen, they are set up over the long term. Both 2013 first round picks Zadorov and Rasmus Ristolainen are already on the team’s blueline.

It’s a long climb to the top.

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Gomez writes emotional first-person account of his career

Posted on March 14, 2015 by hasan4978

Scott Gomez has proven this season he’s indeed ‘not done’ as an NHL player (NJ.com photo)

Normally, doing a blog almost entirely about another blog is a bit unconventional. However, both the Players’ Tribune blog itself, and specifically their most recent piece by the Devils’ own Scott Gomez is definitely worthy of the fifteen minutes-half hour it will take you to read through it:

http://www.theplayerstribune.com/not-done/

You’ve probably heard of the Players’ Tribune since it was founded by none other than Yankees legend Derek Jeter.  In a nutshell, it features many athletes writing first-person accounts of their career or of specific events in it with their own voice – and from what I’ve seen of this site, they aren’t watered down versions of events either.  While it might not be breaking new ground on paper, it’s definitely far more substantive than Twitter or most everyday local and national interviews.  In a player’s autobiography, you may have to read through hundreds of pages of family life and background stuff before you get to what really interests you as a sports fan…the nitty-gritty of the athlete’s career.  These blogs cut to the chase and are quicker reads but informative nonetheless.

Take this piece on Gomez, which is particularly poignant given that for better or worse I’ve followed Gomez’s career for fifteen years since he was a happy-go-lucky teenage rookie in 2000.  Reading something written by say, Russel Wilson is nice and one of the few pieces on the site I’d read before this one, but by the same token when you’re reading something from one of ‘your own’ as a sports fan it certainly makes more of an impression.  Especially given the ups and downs in Gomez’s career, which definitely make a good narrative.  While everyone knows of the highs and lows in Gomez’s career, his account of it is more or less a soul-bearing experience, and provides some revealing behind the scenes nuggets.  I’ll just highlight a few quotes and comment on them, starting with the lead itself:

Early in my career, I’d hear about guys with long scoreless droughts and just think, How’s that even possible? It made no sense to me.

But then there I was, sitting on the bench for the Montreal Canadiens, watching our home fans in the stands dancing around in sombreros and singing “Happy Birthday” in honor of my one-year goal drought.

By that point, I was fully aware of my poor play. My lack of scoring was the subject of TV reports, newspaper columns and, yes, its own website. But it was at that moment, serving as the butt of a bad joke for 20,000 fans at the Bell Centre, that it hit me hardest.

“Holy s***, I’m that guy now.”

While everyone knew about the infamous year plus long goalscoring drought (and the infamous website referenced) during Gomez’s Montreal days, I didn’t actually realize his own fans were mocking him to such an extent.  Reading that I went ‘wow, that’s just mean’, although ironically Gomez also talks in the article about how he didn’t want to be pitied and it hurt when even his closest friends were feeling sorry for him during the down years of his career.  Of course that wasn’t the beginning or end of Gomez’s career, just the nadir.

Thankfully as a Devil fan I got to see many of his best days from 2000-2007 when he was a key cog on two Cup winning teams.  Back then, he was definitely one of my favorite players. Certainly, I loved how he was able to thread the needle with his passing and rush end-to-end like a daredevil.  I was never much of an athlete but always had good peripheral vision myself, so I could appreciate a great pass as much as or even more than a great goal.  Part of my affinity towards Gomez was also personality-based, it was a bit refreshing to see someone overtly outgoing, happy and having fun compared to the dull, introverted persona many athletes adopt to avoid contreversy.

Of course then free agency happened, and everything changed when he went to the rival Rangers.  To his credit he’s unapologetic for moving on, while at the same time understanding the feeling of many Devils fans who booed him every time he touched the puck after he left:

To a hockey fan, signing a contract with the Rangers after spending several years with New Jersey probably sounds like treason. But the truth is that most of my teammates were happy for me. They understand as much as anybody that this is a business.

That’s not to say it was an easy decision. I played on the same team with some guys for seven years. We grew up together. We were like family. There’s no question that I felt a certain loyalty to them and the organization. But at the same time, we’ve all seen the other side of it. We’ve watched our friends get cut. We’ve seen guys buy a house and then get traded a couple of months later. When you see those things, you learn very quickly how important it is to take care of yourself when you can.

Ironically, Gomez was himself traded just two years into his big contract, and after a good initial season in Montreal came the steep descent into rock bottom a couple years later. After the 2012 lockout, Gomez was bought out shortly thereafter and moved onto San Jose.  I do recall reading rumors at the time that Gomez was considering a comeback here, and he in fact talked about that decision, to choose the Sharks over a return here in 2013.

Lou was the first person I called when I made the decision to go to the Sharks. He tried to talk me out of it. He wanted me back in New Jersey. He said he wasn’t going to let me fail. I should have listened to him, but at that point I was so set on trying something new that I didn’t hear him out. I thought getting a new start would build my confidence, but what I probably needed was some familiarity. At that point my mind was made up and I just wanted to get the hell out of the east coast.

Unfortunately the reunion would have to wait a couple of years as Gomez struggled, bouncing from San Jose to Florida a year later with little success.  Many thought his career was done after last season.  It turned out however, that the seeds for his career revival were planted in those last games down in Sunrise:

My final six games with the Panthers, they had a few injuries and I got into the lineup. I figured this was my last hurrah in the NHL, so I went full-out balls to the wall. I decided I didn’t care about fitting in whatever scheme was in place; I just grabbed the damn puck and played my style of hockey. I figured in a few months, I’d probably be in a TV booth so I left everything out there. My ice time jumped from 6 minutes to 17 minutes and I played better than I had in years. At that point, the people closest to me got in contact and told me the same thing: You’re not done.

Fittingly, Not Done is the title of the piece and represents not only fact but an atitude. Everyone knows about the fact Gomez returned on a tryout contract, eventually finding a spot in the lineup in December and proving he still belonged in the league.  However, it wasn’t just a matter of coming home to familiarity for him although it certainly helped – he had to work at it too, training with reknown fitness coach Vladimir Bure (a former Olympic swimmer and father to NHL HOF’er Pavel Bure).  As Gomez writes, those sessions not only became good for him physically but also mentally, helping him believe he could still play at a high level, even as he had to wait around a couple of months for his opportunity.  To date, Gomez has 27 points in 44 games for the Devils – which might not seem that impressive except that he’s less than ten points off the team lead on an offensively-challenged Devils team, and just one assist behind Adam Henrique for the team lead in that category, despite not being on the roster the first two months of the season.  Gomez’s 27 points is also his highest point total in a season since 2010-11.

Amazingly, his career has come full circle.  Once a popular player in New Jersey, then a notorious figure after going to the Rangers and an object of pity after that, he’s become beloved again – one of the few bright spots in an otherwise dissapointing season.  In doing this blog, I intentionally left out commenting on a lot of his Devils-related stuff so as not to spoil it for anyone who hasn’t read the piece yet, but suffice it to say Gomez even after leaving never lost his regard for Lou or the organization.  Perhaps the Gomez story also helps illustrate why so many Devils eventually wind up coming back to the organization. Even if you aren’t a Devils fan though, this is a compelling narrative nonetheless.  As Gomez himself says without it being hyperbole, he’s experienced the highest highs and the lowest lows of hockey.

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Klein out three to four weeks

Posted on March 13, 2015 by Derek

The Rangers got bad news on defenseman Kevin Klein. He’s expected to be out three to four weeks. In typical fashion befitting of how James Dolan runs The Garden, the organization is terming it an “upper body” injury.

Why bother with honesty? That’s not how MSG is. They keep you in the dark about injuries. Even if some rumors suggested Klein had a broken left arm, we don’t really know the seriousness of his injury. He suffered it in the final minute of Wednesday’s 3-1 win over the Capitals after blocking a Alexander Ovechkin shot.

Without Klein, I documented in the previous post how important Keith Yandle becomes. His acquisition now looks genius by Glen Sather because it’s insurance. Though he has no points so far in five games, he has played better defensively than expected. If only he could get it going offensively. The power play has struggled. Dan Girardi has the only PPG over the last five. A stretch that’s seen the Rangers go 4-0-1 with Cam Talbot allowing five total goals.

It’ll be interesting to see how Alain Vigneault handles the minutes for our top three. With 16 games remaining, the Rangers are first overall in the East with 91 points. Chasing a President’s Trophy, they visit Buffalo tomorrow. That could be 20-year old rookie MacKenzie Skapski’s second game. Ironically, his only NHL start came against the Sabres making 24 saves for his first career win- a 3-1 triumph on Feb. 20. With Florida visiting Sunday, it’s very likely with Talbot back in for the Panthers.

At the moment, there’s nothing new to report as far as call ups. That means Matt Hunwick will step into the lineup and play third pair. Considering how they stepped up since Henrik Lundqvist’s vascular injury, it presents another challenge. We’ll see how they do the final month looking to lock up home ice.

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Injured Ranger defenseman Kevin Klein returns to New York

Posted on March 12, 2015 by Derek

After limping off the ice with 41 seconds left in last night’s 3-1 win over the Capitals, Ranger defenseman Kevin Klein returned to New York today where team doctors are examining his left arm. He blocked a Alexander Ovechkin shot and was in pain as he went to the locker room. X-rays are being taken.

If it is serious with the possibility of a broken arm, it would be a big blow to the blueline. Klein has been a consistent performer in his first full season with the Rangers. After coming over from Nashville last year for Michael Del Zotto, he’s fit in seamlessly. Klein performed well in last year’s playoffs playing a steady role on the third pair. This year, he’s stepped it up offensively setting career bests in goals (9) and points (26) while pacing the Rangers in plus/minus (24). He’s actually tied with Rick Nash.

Coach Alain Vigneault has been able to use Klein with Marc Staal in a top four role and rotate him with Dan Boyle. Klein’s versatility allows Vigneault to also team him with new acquisition Keith Yandle on the third pair. He’s even sent Klein out for some shifts with Ryan McDonagh. That speaks to how well he’s played. A gritty stay at home type with a low key approach, he’s been an unsung hero.

Nash is a lock for the Steven McDonald Extra Effort Award. But if it was given to a player who has gone above the call of duty and not Team MVP, Klein would be a good choice. If he is out for an extended period, it’ll be hard to replace him. He’s a reliable player with a right-handed shot that allows Vigneault to have balanced D pairs especially since Yandle arrived. Assuming he’s out for Buffalo Saturday, that means Matt Hunwick goes back in.

The Rangers will probably be forced to recall someone from Hartford. Conor Allen would probably be the best bet. He’s a lefty as opposed to former first round pick Dylan McIlrath, who struggled mightily in a brief stint.

Whatever happens, you have to hope Klein won’t be out longer than a month. The playoffs start soon.

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Islanders re-sign Boychuk for seven years $42 million

Posted on March 12, 2015 by Derek
Rookie Anders Lee celebrates his 23rd goal with Johnny Boychuk during the first period for the Islanders. AP Photo by Kathy Kmonicek/Getty Images

Rookie Anders Lee celebrates his 23rd goal with Johnny Boychuk during the first period for the Islanders.
AP Photo by Kathy Kmonicek/Getty Images

In a move that should give them staying power when they relocate to Brooklyn, the Islanders made big news by re-signing defenseman Johnny Boychuk to a seven-year $42 million. After dealing away two second round picks (2015 & 2016) plus a conditional 2016 third round pick to Boston for the veteran, they locked up their best defenseman to a long-term deal. In the final year of a deal that pays him $3.6 million, Boychuk will make nearly double earning $6 million per season.

The 31-year old Boychuk is having a career year with seven goals, 25 assists and 32 points. The 25 helpers and 32 points pace all Islander D. He also is plus-17 with four power play goals. For Team President and GM Garth Snow, who also locked up Nick Leddy to a seven-year deal worth $38.5 million, it was a no brainer. While Leddy recoups from an upper body injury that could sideline him up to two weeks, he took care of business with Boychuk. Boasting a top four that also features Travis Hamonic and Calvin de Haan, the Islanders are in good shape.

“Johnny’s influence in our dressing room, both on and off the ice, has been immeasurable,” Snow said in an interview on the team site. “His veteran presence is an asset that we are thrilled to help lead our club.”

“Ever since I came to the Islanders, the organization has been incredible to both myself and my family,” Boychuk said. “I am proud to be an Islander and look forward to competing every night in front of such a passionate fan base for many years to come.”

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Talbot stones Capitals to move Rangers into first

Posted on March 12, 2015 by Derek
Kiss Cam: Chris Kreider kisses Cam Talbot's helmet following his 28-save performance in the Rangers' 3-1 win that moved them into first. AP Photo by Alex Brandon/Getty Images

Kiss Cam: Chris Kreider kisses Cam Talbot’s helmet following his 28-save performance in the Rangers’ 3-1 win that moved them into first.
AP Photo by Alex Brandon/Getty Images

There was a defining moment when the Capitals were on a power play and about to tie the game up. Only Nicklas Backstrom shook his head in disbelief following a remarkable glove save by Cam Talbot, who preserved a one-goal lead leading to Backstrom saying something to Talbot. It was the biggest save of what was another stellar night for the red hot backup who stoned Washington in leading the Rangers to a 3-1 win that moved them into first.

Talbot stopped 28 including all 16 Caps shots in a tired third that saw the Rangers hang on in the second of a back-to-back. Their third straight win followed up an emotional one-goal triumph over the Islanders sending them to the top of the Metropolitan Division with 91 points. The identical amount Montreal and Anaheim have. The Rangers deserve a ton of credit for catching up to take their place as the league’s number one ranked team. By virtue of 39 regulation and overtime wins along with games at hands, they now are in the hunt for the President’s Trophy.

During a challenging part of the schedule that has them on a five-game road trip with one last stop at Buffalo this weekend, they’re 3-0-1 having taken seven of eight points. Dating back to a dominant 4-1 home win over Nashville, the Rangers have picked up nine of 10 points since the deadline trade for Keith Yandle. While the former Coyote has yet to contribute offensively, his addition has strengthened the blueline making it much stingier for opponents. That includes league leading sniper Alexander Ovechkin, who after scoring his 45th struggled to hit the net and was frustrated.

Even with them nursing a one-goal lead in another tight checking game that may as well have been a playoff preview, they never panicked. Talbot was the last line of defense making every clutch save. He’s allowed five goals in his last five starts. The way he was seeing the puck, the Caps would’ve needed a huge break to even the match. They certainly tried with Troy Brouwer crashing into the net searching for a rebound that wasn’t there. That’s cause Talbot didn’t allow many. Whatever he saw, he stopped. It was like he imitated Henrik Lundqvist against an opponent who’s seen this act before.

From the outset, the Caps intention was to get the puck deep and finish every check. That was the strategy coach Barry Trotz wanted. Even though they got some good hits in, they still had trouble with the Rangers’ superior speed which made a difference the first two periods. In particular, the cohesive third line did most of the damage by scoring twice. Off a Caps mishap, Dan Boyle set up Kevin Hayes in front causing Braden Holtby to leave a rebound that Carl Hagelin deposited for his 15th at 8:20.

But Boyle went off for interference which meant the Caps biggest weapon. Not so much the power play but that guy wearing number 8. Indeed, Ovechkin struck for his league-leading 45th when off a Evgeny Kuznetsov set up, his shot deflected off a diving Jesper Fast going to the right of Talbot and in. It was also his league-leading 21st power play goal. Joel Ward picked up the secondary assist on Ovechkin’s goal that tied it at 11:43.

When the teams played five-on-five, the Rangers had the edge due to their speed. Even on a night the top line of Rick Nash, Derick Brassard and Mats Zuccarello were shutdown by Matt Niskanen and Karl Alzner, they were able to go back ahead thanks to the Hayes line. Off another Caps turnover, Hayes stole the puck, faked shot and passed for an open J.T. Miller, who went top shelf for his seventh at 16:34. Even though Miller only played 9:33 in 23 shifts, he was effective on both ends.

The Rangers ran into penalty trouble before the conclusion of the first. Following an undetected cheap shot from bruiser Tom Wilson, Dominic Moore went back at Wilson getting nabbed for interference with 56 seconds left. Tanner Glass was out and warned Wilson, who accomplished his goal taking one of their best penalty killers off the ice. Complicating matters, Ryan McDonagh high-sticked Marcus Johansson with 14 seconds left leading to a Caps 5-on-3 that spanned the first and second periods.

At the start of the second, Washington set up Ovechkin three times and he missed the net on all three one-timers by a wide margin. The one set up they did get was down low to a wide open Backstrom at the doorstep. He fired and Talbot stretched across and robbed him point blank making a huge save on the goal line. They reviewed it briefly in Toronto but they confirmed the obvious. Talbot made the save of the game.

”I just kind of instinctively reached back, and luckily, it ended up in my glove,’ “To take away their momentum on their power play, which they feed off so much, was a big momentum boost for us, that’s for sure.”

Part of that was the Caps tactics. Curtis Glencross didn’t take kindly to a clean Dan Girardi shoulder to Jay Beagle earning a roughing minor. But the Ranger power play was woeful again misfiring in three attempts managing only one shot. So much for Yandle solving the power play issues. They’re 1 for 13 since he came over and Girardi scored the one at Detroit. It’s the same old story with way too much passing and not enough shots.

Following the Caps’ penalty kill, Ovechkin took a run at Miller catching him up high with a dangerous hit resulting in an illegal check to the head minor. Glass drew an unsportsmanlike conduct for getting into it with Tim Gleason following the incident. For once, Alain Vigneault looks pretty smart having Glass in there for a second consecutive game. It was a rivalry game and a bit heated. To Glass’ credit, he continues to play better. I would still figure James Sheppard returns to the lineup Saturday in Buffalo. Vigneault likes to keep everyone fresh.

The Rangers outshot the Caps 12-4 in the second. But they’re failure to take advantage of Washington’s lack of discipline could have come back to bite them. With not much left in the fuel tank, they ceded territory in the third. The fresher team, Washington came hard from the very first shift searching for the equalizer. By that point, it was too late. Talbot was a brick wall turning away all 16 shots.

”He made four brilliant saves that were Grade-A and kept us right there,” Vigneault said while adding ”and we were able to pull it off.”

Happy St. Louis: Goalscorer Martin St. Louis gets a high five from Keith Yandle. AP Photo by Alex Brandon/Getty Images

Happy St. Louis: Goalscorer Martin St. Louis gets a high five from Keith Yandle.
AP Photo by Alex Brandon/Getty Images

With Washington opening it up more, it was only a matter of time before the Rangers cashed in on their aggressiveness. As we noted in an earlier post, the second line had been silent. They were better in the third. Fittingly, it was Chris Kreider and Martin St. Louis who combined on a crushing insurance goal with 2:27 left in regulation. Kreider intercepted a John Carlson pass at the New York blueline and flew literally breaking in two-on-one and dishing across for a perfect St. Louis finish top shelf. St. Louis’ 19th was his first point in eight. Kreider made it happen ending a three-game pointless drought.

That put the finishing touches on another win. This one allowing the Rangers to improve to 31-7-3 over the last 41. At one point, Anaheim led the league in points by a lot. There was also a time where it was an uphill climb. That’s no longer the case. The Rangers are finally at the top of the standings. With 16 games remaining, home ice is there for the taking. And the pressure that will come with it promises to be a whirlwind the like we haven’t seen in this area since that special year.

What happens when Henrik Lundqvist comes back? Talk about a pressure cooker. The brilliant play of Talbot has allowed him to rest up. The countdown is on.

BONY 3 Stars:

3rd Star-Ryan McDonagh, NYR (4 hits, 4 blocked shots, +1 in 37 shifts-20:51)

2nd Star-Kevin Hayes, NYR (2 assists, 2 SOG, +2 in 23 shifts-10:40)

1st Star-Cam Talbot, NYR (28 saves incl. 16/16 in 3rd-CamBot)

Notes: Kevin Klein took a puck to the left arm and left the contest in the final minute. He’ll have x-rays tomorrow. If he is lost for any significant time, it would be a big blow. … Beagle suffered an “upper body injury” according to Trotz. … The Caps were minus defensemen Mike Green and Brooks Orpik. … The teams combined for 64 hits with the Caps holding a 34-30 edge led by Wilson’s 6. Girardi and Glass shared the Ranger lead with 6 each. … Blocked shots were 20-15 Rangers paced by McDonagh’s 4 with Fast blocking 3. Carlson led everyone with 6. … Faceoffs were in favor of the Caps 38-29. Eric Fehr dominated going 12-and-3. Despite no points in an eighth straight, Derek Stepan went 12-and-11.

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What Should The Rangers Do With Martin St. Louis

Posted on March 11, 2015 by Derek
Marty St. Louis celebrates his goal with Rick Nash and Marc Staal. AP Photo by Frank Franklin II/Getty Images

Marty St. Louis celebrates his goal with Rick Nash and Marc Staal.
AP Photo by Frank Franklin II/Getty Images

It’s an exciting time to be a Rangers fan. They’re playing their best hockey. After defeating the Islanders 2-1 in the final regular season meeting at Nassau Coliseum, they pulled within a point of first place. With 89 points and 38 regulation and overtime wins (ROW) in 65 games, they’re in great position to win the Metropolitan Division. If they can win at Washington tonight, they’ll take over first and still have three extra games remaining.

Astonishingly, they’ve gone 30-7-3 over the last 40 games. Even without Henrik Lundqvist, they haven’t missed a beat. Due in large part to Cam Talbot and the continued big season from Rick Nash, the Rangers look like a Stanley Cup contender. Lately, they haven’t been scoring as much relying more on Talbot and a remade defense thanks to the addition of Keith Yandle. Being able to win tight low scoring games is a plus this time of year. It proves why they made a trip to the Stanley Cup Final last year.

If there is one concern with a month left, it’s the play of Martin St. Louis. Acquired at last year’s trade deadline for former captain Ryan Callahan plus two first round picks including 2015, the former Hart winner has been streaky this season. In the final year of a contract that pays him $5 million, the soon to be 40-year old is being counted on for offense. His 18 goals rank second and 44 points are third on the team.

Overall, that’s not bad. Playing a top six role on the second line with Derek Stepan and Chris Kreider, he has done his part. However, St. Louis has also gone through cold stretches which are alarming. Entering tonight’s match at Washington, he’s without a point in seven straight. Making matters worse, Kreider is without a point in three straight and was taken off the line by coach Alain Vigneault in the third period last night. J.T. Miller replaced him.

If they’re to have success this postseason, the Rangers can ill afford for two/thirds of the second line to have off nights. Fortunately, Kevin Hayes’ accelerated development has taken pressure off. The rookie scored a brilliant tying goal in Tuesday’s win. His continued improvement along with Miller and old reliable Carl Hagelin has given Vigneault a strong third line that forechecks vigorously and chips in offensively. The acquisition of James Sheppard has also solidified the fourth line. Dominic Moore continues to fly under the radar quietly putting up six goals and 19 points while winning key faceoffs. Rookie Jesper Fast has been steady. Even Tanner Glass has improved.

While you can make the argument that this team is four lines deep, they’ll need more out of St. Louis. As he provided last Spring scoring and setting up big goals with the team rallying around him following the death of his Mom, St. Louis is a locker room leader who’s respected. Kreider has learned from him as has Stepan, whose production has been affected by his linemates’ struggles. He also is without a point in seven. The difference with Stepan is you still notice him. One of the team’s best two-way forwards, he shows up defensively and makes big plays like breaking up a dangerous Islanders’ chance in the final half minute. He also has teamed with Nash to form a dangerous penalty killing tandem that have combined for five shorthanded goals.

When St. Louis and Kreider aren’t scoring, they’re not as noticeable. Especially Kreider, who is probably one of the worst defensive forwards on the team. The second-year left wing still struggles in the defensive zone with giveaways. Something Vigneault doesn’t tolerate despite his more aggressive approach. He still had Kreider out on the power play despite the demotion. Vigneault understands the value of using his players to their strengths. He also hasn’t hesitated to switch Kevin Klein to the second pair with Marc Staal late in games over Dan Boyle.

With St. Louis, he still competes. You do have to wonder what the Rangers plan is this summer. Already having re-signed Mats Zuccarello to a four-year $18 million contract, they must bump up Stepan significantly. A bargain at an average cap hit of $3.075 million, he is earning $3.85 million this season. Despite missing the first month, he ranks fourth in team scoring with 43 points (11-32-43) in 51 games. He should have good leverage and get between five to six million.

Team President and GM Glen Sather also has a decision on Hagelin. Currently making $2.4 million, the underrated 25-year old Swede has put together a good year. Despite playing mostly with Hayes who went through some growing pains, Hagelin has 14 goals and 15 assists for 29 points and a solid plus-16 rating in a checking role. He continues to be a pest shorthanded using his dangerous speed to bother opponents. Just ask the Islanders. While he might not be more than a top nine forward, he’s proven his value and can be counted on. Unless there’s another player who the organization believes can replace him, he should be re-signed. That’ll mean a bump up in salary.

The only other restricted’s the club has are Fast and Miller. Perhaps Fast moves up to the third line if Sather decides to trade Hagelin to shed salary and recoup a pick. Much depends on what happens with Pavel Buchnevich. When they parted with Anthony Duclair for Yandle, it signaled that they would like to bring Buchnevich over from Russia. The 2013 third round pick had a big year with Cherepovets Severstal of the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) tallying 13 goals and 17 assists for 30 points in 48 games. A significant total for a 19-year old in a pro league. The club also signed 2013 third round pick Adam Tambellini. He’s totaled 45 goals and 34 assists for 79 points in 65 games for the Calgary Hitmen of the Western Hockey League (WHL). A high scoring league.

The Rangers are committed to all six of their defensemen including Yandle, who can become unrestricted the following summer. They already re-signed Talbot for another year. But the way he’s played, he could be trade bait with an attractive $1.45 million salary for ’15-16.

What does it all mean for St. Louis? Unless he improves down the stretch and delivers a similar performance to the 15 points (8-7-15) he had last postseason, the popular veteran could be the odd man out. Unless he’d be willing to take a pay cut to finish his career on Broadway, it’s hard to see him returning. But it’s awfully hard to replace a top six forward with his skill set and experience. They already sacrificed Duclair, who could’ve been his replacement.

Whatever the Rangers decide, it’ll be one worth following this summer.

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Rangers top Islanders 2-1 to win final regular season meeting at Nassau Coliseum

Posted on March 11, 2015 by Derek
In Cam We Trust: Victorious goalie Cam Talbot is congratulated by Marc Staal and teammates after making 29 saves to lead the Rangers past the Islanders 2-1 in the 126th and final regular season meeting at Nassau Coliseum between bitter rivals. AP Photo by Kathy Kmonicek/Getty Images

In Cam We Trust: Victorious goalie Cam Talbot is congratulated by Marc Staal and teammates after making 29 saves to lead the Rangers past the Islanders 2-1 in the 126th and final regular season meeting at Nassau Coliseum between bitter rivals.
AP Photo by Kathy Kmonicek/Getty Images

Since the Islanders came into the NHL, they’ve played in one barn. That it’s coming to an end is one of sports sad stories. For more than 40 years, Nassau Coliseum in Uniondale, Long Island has been home to a proud franchise that won four consecutive Stanley Cups. For the Rangers, they have been part of one of the biggest rivalries spanning four decades. In what was the 126th and final regular season meeting, the Rangers topped the Islanders 2-1 to win in enemy territory. By winning the final two, they finished 54-63-8-2 against their arch rival.

In the latest installment of the Battle Of New York, the story was goaltending and tight checking. Unlike the most recent meeting- a whirlwind 6-5 comeback win on Feb. 16, this one was much lower scoring and more like a playoff series. If there is to be a final act that includes games at the Coliseum, it might not come off until the second round. If it does, it could prove memorable for a rivalry that hasn’t seen a playoff match-up since 1994. A Rangers first round sweep en route to their first Cup in 54 years.

The Rangers are 2-0-1 in their last three yet have only scored four total goals. The biggest reason for it has been the steady play of Cam Talbot. After struggling early replacing injured starter Henrik Lundqvist, Talbot has been at his finest turning aside 86 of 90 shots giving the Rangers five of a possible six points to close within one point of first place. After shutting out Chicago in a 1-0 overtime win, he made 29 saves to put his team in great position to win the Metropolitan Division.

In improving to 41-17-7, the Rangers are up to 89 points in 65 games. They’re now at 38 regulation and overtime wins. Two better than the Islanders, who have played four more games and only have 13 left. By comparison, idle Pittsburgh has 86 and 35 ROW with 16 games remaining. Fourth place Washington is locked into the first wildcard with 82 and 33 ROW with 15 left. Ironically. the Rangers will see the Capitals next in a back-to-back later tonight in D.C.

Rookie Anders Lee celebrates his 23rd goal with Johnny Boychuk during the first period for the Islanders. AP Photo by Kathy Kmonicek/Getty Images

Rookie Anders Lee celebrates his 23rd goal with Johnny Boychuk during the first period for the Islanders.
AP Photo by Kathy Kmonicek/Getty Images

Throughout, Talbot had to be sharp. Especially in a first period controlled by the Islanders. As they’ve done during the season series, they started off well scoring the first goal again. Rookie Anders Lee was able to slip one past Talbot for his 23rd. During a strong forecheck, Brock Nelson and Ryan Strome combined to work the puck to Lee, who escaped Dan Boyle’s check and surprised Talbot with a stuff in at 9:35.

Boosted by the goal, the Islanders carried the play outshooting the Rangers 13-7. They were unable to extend their lead due to Talbot, who kept his team in it. His teammates picked it up in a better second. They were able to get the game tied thanks to another highlight reel goal from wiz kid Kevin Hayes.

Rookie Kevin Hayes is congratulated by Marc Staal and Carl Hagelin after tying the game in the second. AP Photo by Kathy Kmonicek/Getty Images

Rookie Kevin Hayes is congratulated by Marc Staal and Carl Hagelin after tying the game in the second.
AP Photo by Kathy Kmonicek/Getty Images

After a power play expired, Rick Nash made a great defensive play on Lubomir Visnovsky freeing up the puck to Mats Zuccarello. Zuccarello made a great headman feed springing Hayes, who outskated and outmaneuvered Thomas Hickey before turning around and deking Jaroslav Halak with a sweet forehand finish. The play was indescribable. Basically, Hayes used his size, strength and speed to avoid Hickey, who took Halak out allowing Hayes an easy finish for his lucky 13th at 11:35. 

”I wanted to fake backhand to see if he bit on it,” Hayes explained after ending a four-game scoreless drought. ”The defenseman bit on it, and I stopped. He went by and I knew I was one-on-one with the goalie. I just faked one way and went the other.”

Talbot made his biggest save on Josh Bailey with 1:23 left denying him on a breakaway. Bailey forced Marc Staal into a turnover at the Ranger blueline. Breaking in on Talbot, he tried to go five-hole but Talbot patiently outwaited him on his deke and backhand covering up the dangerous chance.

”I was just trying to stay patient,” Talbot said. ”I think he just tried to open me up a little bit. He did, but luckily I had my stick there.”

That kind of patience has resulted in Talbot’s best play as a pro. Over his last four starts, he’s 3-0-1 with a 0.99 goals-against-average, .965 save percentage and a shutout. Since taking over for Lundqvist, he’s 11-2-3. As a team, the Rangers are 12-2-3 without their best player. Talbot’s responsible for keeping them alive for the division and possibly the top seed in the East. Though I’m not exactly fond of finishing first and drawing likely wildcard Boston in the first round. Not that the Caps are any better. The East is much improved and will prove more challenging this Spring.

Ultimately, the difference was a fluky Nash goal less than three minutes into the third. In what can best be described as a lucky bounce, Nash took a Derick Brassard feed and took a shot from the right circle that deflected off Strome’s skate past Halak for his team-leading 39th. It was his first goal against a goalie since Feb. 20. One he’ll take.

”It was a real lucky goal,” Nash said after recording a goal and assist. ”I was thinking about dumping it, and then I saw I could get the blue line.

”I pulled up and I saw three of our guys going to the net. I just shot it anywhere in the direction of the net, and lucky enough it went in.”

Shortly after, the Rangers killed a Brassard holding minor. They also failed on an abbreviated power play midway through the stanza. With Brian Strait off for high-sticking, Keith Yandle took down Frans Nielsen denying a shorthanded opportunity canceling the man-advantage which eventually gave the Islanders a 5-on-4 for 46 seconds. They were unable to capitalize due to strong penalty killing.

The Islanders’ best chance came when Talbot had a mishap behind the net. It led to a great opportunity for Okposo but a diving block by Staal broke it up. Following a couple of aggressive Ranger forechecks killing precious time, Islander coach Jack Capuano pulled Halak for an extra attacker with over a minute left. They had good puck possession for the first half a minute but never got the shot they wanted.

”A tough one to lose like this,” Halak said after making 20 saves. ”We have plenty of hockey left and we need to do a better job. … I thought we played better than them.”

The Rangers were able to keep John Tavares off the board. The league’s leading scorer entered on a tear with seven points over his previous three games. Reunited with sidekick Kyle Okposo, who returned after missing 22 games due to eye surgery, the Isles’ captain only had one shot and lost 9-of-17 faceoffs. Josh Bailey remained on the top line allowing Lee to move down to the second line with Strome and Nelson. Michael Grabner sat out.

”We know we can be better,” Tavares said. ”There’s a lot of areas that we can be better in.”

Notes: For the first time all season, the Islanders were without Nick Leddy. The defenseman suffered an injury in Monday’s win at Toronto. Nothing new has been reported. Brian Strait took his place finishing minus-one with three hits, three blocked shots and two giveaways in 24 shifts (16:57). … The one change for the Rangers was Tanner Glass in for James Sheppard. He took 15 shifts (8:48) and had two more shots than Chris Kreider. Kreider was demoted to the fourth line by Alain Vigneault. J.T. Miller took his place on the second line. Vigneault even trusted Miller in the final minute sending him out. A real eye opener. …

As a team, the Isles blocked 25 shots led by Johnny Boychuk’s five. The Rangers had 14 with ultimate warrior Dan Girardi pacing them with four. … In the final meeting, the teams combined for 63 hits with the Rangers holding a 32-31 edge led by Staal’s four. Matt Martin led the Isles with 5 including a heavy cruncher on Zuccarello. He also collided hard with goalscorer Hayes which looked curious. He made little attempt to stop sending Hayes into the goal. He just shrugged it off celebrating his goal. … Faceoffs were in favor of the Isles 32-23 with Nielsen a dominant 10-and-2. Hayes went 4-and-3. Derek Stepan was .500 (7-for-14). … The Islanders (43-22-4) get two days off before hosting Ottawa Friday and Montreal Saturday.

BONY 3 Stars:

3rd Star-Anders Lee, NYI (goal-23rd, 3 SOG, +1 in 14:15-bright future)

2nd Star-Rick Nash, NYR (game-winner-39th, assist-23rd, 5 SOG, 8 shot attempts, +1 in 18:34-dominant)

1st Star-Cam Talbot, NYR (29 saves incl. 12/13 in 1st-tremendous)

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Okposo to return versus Rangers, Tavares run at Hart

Posted on March 10, 2015 by Derek
Kyle Okposo (inset) celebrating a 4-goal performance returns tonight after missing six weeks due to a torn retina. Getty Images

Kyle Okposo (inset) celebrating a 4-goal performance returns tonight after missing six weeks due to a torn retina.
Getty Images

When Kyle Okposo went down, it was uncertain when he’d return for the Islanders. After suffering a detached retina, the original expectation is that he’d miss two months. Of course, that was optimistic given how scary an eye injury is. As we know from Marc Staal on the Rangers side, it’s hard to predict when or if a player will be able to come back.

 “It was definitely a scary thing,” Okposo told reporters in an interview on the team site. “The doctor told me my vision wasn’t guaranteed to come back. At that point, you start realizing what’s important, not just hockey, but the rest of my life.”

Thankfully for the Islanders and Okposo, he’s been medically cleared to return after missing six weeks. The ’06 first round pick was on fire when the injury occurred. He had seven points over his last three games including a 4-goal game highlighting a home win over the Penguins. His last game was Jan. 19 against the Flyers.

The 26-year old right wing was almost a point a game with 44 points in 46 games including 14 goals and 30 assists. Teaming with emerging Hart candidate John Tavares, Okposo had formed a 1-2 punch on one of the NHL’s highest scoring teams. Lately, coach Jack Capuano had used Josh Bailey on the top line with rookie Anders Lee. If Okposo goes right back on the line, Capuano can drop Bailey to the second line. Who comes out? Michael Grabner played on the third line and deadline pickup Tyler Kennedy debuted in Monday’s come from behind 4-3 overtime win at Toronto with a goal and assist on the third line.

The Islanders went 12-7-3 without Okposo. Due in large part to Tavares, who scored a highlight reel goal to beat the Leafs the Islanders have remained first in the Metropolitan Division. He enters tonight’s final regular season match-up against the Rangers at Nassau Coliseum red hot with seven points (3-4-7) over the last three taking over the league lead in scoring with 72 points (33-39-72). Tavares has 14 points (5-9-14) in the last 10. In the 22 games Okposo missed, he’s 12-15-27 with two game-winners and a plus-nine rating.

Tavares’ play has been nothing but brilliant. Already having surpassed his previous best of 31 goals in ’11-12, he’s on track to eclipse the 81 points he put up that year. With 14 games remaining, he should get it in his sleep. The way he’s going, 90 points is possible. Don’t forget the Islanders captain had 66 points in 59 games last year before a torn MCL at the Winter Olympics ended his season. At 24, he’s elite and has moved into the MVP race with Alexander Ovechkin. Carey Price remains the front runner. Rick Nash and Pekka Rinne are still candidates but have dropped off.

In what will be the final regular season meeting between the Rangers and Islanders in Uniondale, it should be a barn burner. The Islanders come in with 90 points tied with the Canadiens for most in the East. However, they’ve played two more games and four more than the Rangers, who have 87 and one more regulation and overtime win (37). It’s more important for the Islanders. A win in 60 minutes would give them a five-point cushion and tie them in ROW. A loss and the division is in the Rangers’ hands with the Penguins at 86 points and 16 left lurking behind.

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Devils to honor the 1995 Stanley Cup team

Posted on March 7, 2015 by Derek

Later today, the Devils will honor the 1995 Stanley Cup team. As Hasan previewed, many former players will be back participating in an alumni game prior to hosting the Flyers. The perfect opponent considering that’s who they defeated in a hard fought Eastern Conference Final before sweeping the Red Wings to win the franchise’s first Cup.

The most famous words came from legendary Hall Of Fame broadcaster Mike “Doc” Emrick. It’s pretty cool to think that the former Devils play by play man still had the call with ex-Rangers color analyst John Davidson when the game aired on Fox. For all the complaints about the glow puck era and robots, they still teamed the best tandem possible giving the metropolitan area a leg up when it came to TV broadcasts.

In the video above, you’ll get to relive the final couple of minutes as Devil fans counted down until their team finally delivered a championship. Two things stand out. Former Crash Line member Mike Peluso fighting back tears on the bench as the final moments were realized. And of course, Emrick who got to make the signature call. As the buzzer sounded, Doc said:

“The championship to New Jersey. The Devils have won the Stanley Cup!”

Just recalling it watching downstairs with my family after finishing my first year of college at Fairleigh Dickinson in Madison, New Jersey I was excited for my dorm mates. I didn’t hold anything against the Devils. It was their time to win. They came so close in one of the greatest series against the Rangers a year earlier. That’s why I never bought into the whole Red Wings being overwhelming Cup favorites. It was the Devils who tasted bitter defeat in as well played a Conference Final as there ever has been. They had the experience and it showed.

From the leadership of captain Scott Stevens along with veterans Ken Daneyko, Bruce Driver, Tommy Albelin, Claude Lemieux, John MacLean, Stephane Richer and key additions Neal Broten and Shawn Chambers, it wasn’t surprising that the Devils won. Not with future legend Martin Brodeur along with Scott Niedermayer, who became fixtures on three Stanley Cup winners. And not with Bobby Holik and Randy McKay, who also were integral parts of the first two championship teams. Don’t forget Sergei Brylin also got his start and would become a bigger part of the next two Cups. There also were a couple of USA mainstays in Bill Guerin and Brian Rolston who were key parts of that championship roster. Valeri Zelepukin also was on that team.

Coached by Jacques Lemaire with assistant Larry Robinson, they were a team. Every part was used. Or as Colin Campbell once coined, ‘interchangeable.’ Maybe Davidson summed it up best when he referenced how all 25 players on the roster played a role. That was why the Devils won eventually becoming one of the most successfully run franchises under GM Lou Lamoriello.

Looking back, it’s amazing to think that was so long ago. Sometimes, I still can’t believe it’s been 13 years since I worked for ESPN. But that feels like a lifetime. Just imagine how fun it will be for players, coaches and fans tomorrow when they reunite. Last year, the Rangers celebrated 20 years. However, they really didn’t do anything special to commemorate it. Not with the current team so close to winning. Maybe down the road.

Today is about the 1995 Devils. The first of three championship teams delivered to New Jersey at the old Brendan Byrne Arena in The Meadowlands at Exit 16 W. It may as well have been Championship Plaza.

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