Stempniak’s late heroics rescue Rangers past Coyotes

Posted on February 26, 2015 by Derek
Stemping Up: Lee Stempniak celebrates a goal with teammates. AP Photo by Frank Franklin II/Getty Images

Stemping Up: Lee Stempniak celebrates a goal with teammates.
AP Photo by Frank Franklin II/Getty Images

Since a good start, it’s been a tough first year on Broadway for Lee Stempniak. The likable 32-year old West Seneca, New York native has persevered despite being miscast on the fourth line. His first two-goal game of the season rescued the Rangers past the Coyotes 4-3 at MSG.

Stempniak’s second of the night came with 2:14 left in regulation lifting the Rangers into first place in the Metropolitan Division. With 82 points and a division-leading 35 regulation and overtime wins in 60 games, the defending Eastern Conference champs jumped ahead of the idle Islanders, who have their 82 in 62 with 33 ROW. They’re each three up on Pittsburgh and six ahead of Washington.

Facing one of his former teams for a second time in two weeks, Stempniak burned them with two more goals including the winner. In their 5-1 win on Valentine’s Day, he also scored giving him three markers in two games against Arizona. Playing a reduced role on a four line team, he made the most of his 14 shifts matching Chris Kreider with a team best two goals and five shots.

Unlike the first meeting, the Rangers climbed out of a 3-1 first period deficit to win their fourth straight. A sloppy first resulted in three goals allowed on 17 shots for Cam Talbot. In the shutout over Calgary, he only faced 21 shots. They fell behind immediately with Mark Acrobello tallying on the game’s first shift 44 seconds in.

Following a sluggish start, the Rangers replied back by scoring their first power play goal in the last seven games. They entered 0-for-15 in the previous six. A great passing play started by Mats Zuccarello lead directly to rookie Kevin Hayes moving in and making a beautiful cross-ice feed for a sweet Kreider finish for his team-leading sixth power play goal.

Reinserted into the lineup for Matt Hunwick, John Moore defended himself following a tough Kyle Chipchura hit by fighting the tough ‘Yote. He didn’t win but showed character. It wasn’t a bad night for Moore, who later assisted on Stempniak’s first during the comeback.

Penalty trouble put the Blueshirts down two by the end of the first. Following a Martin St. Louis trip of Shane Doan, Kevin Klein took a delay of game penalty leading to a 5-on-3 for the Coyotes. They took full advantage converting on both ends. It was Sam Gagner who finished twice in a 1:26 span. His first one came on a two-man advantage. With Marc Staal taking the pass away, he caught Talbot leaning with a high shot short side. The second tally came off a Michael Stone pass in front with Gagner able to snap one by Talbot at 19:20 making it 3-1.

After missing a game, Rick Nash returned from neck spasms. He nearly set up Derick Brassard at the buzzer. But Mike Smith made a sprawling stop. Had it gone in, it would’ve been reviewed. Smith has struggled this season. For almost two periods, he was sharp making some strong stops. However, he still allowed four goals on 38 shots. It was more due to his defense which isn’t that good despite boasting Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Keith Yandle.

Stempniak drew the Rangers within one when he got a piece of a Moore shot off a Dominic Moore faceoff win. It would’ve been John’s first goal of the season. Instead, he settled for the lone primary assist on Stempniak’s eighth at 5:33. Klein took another ill advised penalty with a hi-sticking double minor on David Moss. However, Arizona didn’t even get a single shot in four minutes.

The turning point came due to some awful officiating. After Stempniak drew a Stone holding minor with 1:06 remaining in the second, Brassard clearly caught a Coyote with a hi-stick drawing blood. It should have been a double minor. Instead, neither ref Greg Kimmerly nor Steve Kozari saw it. It was so obvious. That they didn’t even get together with the linesmen was an utter disgrace.

As if to prove a point, Kreider scored the tying goal with 14.5 seconds left further aggravating the Coyotes bench. Antoine Vermette won an offensive draw but his pass for Connor Murphy eluded him sending Kreider off to the races. He steered home his own rebound past a ticked off Smith, who predictably slammed his goalie stick. That they called Smith for a unsportsmanlike conduct penalty made it even worse. When the buzzer sounded, the refs spent a long time talking to Coyotes coach Dave Tippett. They did the same before the third probably admitting their big mistake.

Undoubtedly, it changed the game. Even if the Coyotes aren’t competing for a playoff spot, it wasn’t right. They entered losers of seven straight. There are way too many games that are poorly called. Refs are missing obvious stick infractions while calling the holds and hooks. The standard has slipped dramatically.

The only goal in the third came from Stempniak. On late with Hayes and Carl Hagelin, he got to a Hayes rebound that caromed off Smith and steered in a backhand for the go-ahead goal at 17:46. Smith broke his stick allowing Stempniak to follow up his own rebound.

Arizona pulled Smith and got one final chance when St. Louis was sent off for a hook with 1:21 left. Even with the extra attacker, they couldn’t beat Talbot who came up with his best saves. His defense did a good job clearing in front. The final desperation shot was deflected wide allowing the Rangers to celebrate the win.

BONY 3 Stars:

3rd Star-Sam Gagner, ARI (2 PPG’s-11, 12, -1 in 16:37)

2nd Star-Chris Kreider, NYR (2 goals-15, 16, 5 SOG in 15:18)

1st Star-Lee Stempniak, NYR (2 goals incl. game-winner at 17:46, 3rd, 5 SOG, +2 in 9:09)

Notes: Coyotes forward Henrik Samuelsson made his NHL debut. The son of Rangers assistant Ulf, he took 16 shifts with 1 shot in 9:33. … Arizona dominated the Rangers on faceoffs winning 43 of 68 with Vermette pacing them going 16 and 10. J.T. Miller went 3-and-3 for the Rangers. … Tanner Glass finished plus-one with four shots and three hits. … Stat Of The Game: Giveaways Coyotes 13 Rangers 16 … Rangers visit Flyers for a special 8 PM Saturday start on NBC in prime time.

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Jagr traded to Panthers for 2nd, 3rd round picks

Posted on February 26, 2015 by hasan4978

So long, Jaromir…we hardly knew ye (NJ.com)

Well that was certainly fast…twenty-four hours ago many of us were deluding ourselves to believe a playoff run might be possible.  And now after last night’s hideous 3-1 loss to Calgary ended that fantasy, the Devils traded Jaromir Jagr to the Panthers, one of the few NHL teams the future HOF’er hasn’t yet played for.  Don’t get me wrong, I’m thrilled we managed to get not only the Panthers’ second rounder this year (which could easily be a top 50 pick) but also a choice of third-rounders next year.  I just laugh when GM Lou Lamoriello still tries to maintain that we aren’t selling and may still add a player before the Monday deadline.  Actions speak louder than words, if you really felt you had a shot at the playoffs you wouldn’t trade Jagr to one of our ‘competitors’ for a playoff spot.  Even if Jagr clearly wanted out – which if you read his comments yesterday, you knew he wasn’t happy here with his reduced icetime in the second half and implied issues with assistant and ex-teammate Adam Oates.

Admittedly though, the Panthers surely paid a premium to get Jagr from us, both because they were essentially buying us out of the playoff race and because they’re desperate themselves to make the postseason (our first-round series with them in 2012 was their only playoff berth in the last fifteen years).  Lou himself admitted the return was too good to pass up – insert your own joke about how he’s the Godfather and got the offer he couldn’t refuse.  Honestly with how bad Jagr’s been in recent weeks I thought we’d get a conditional second-rounder at best, and maybe those were the offers from other teams.

Jagr’s drama yesterday and declining play since December aside, he was a good Devil for at least a year and a half and it was nice to be able to watch him play however briefly, and experience him as a person.  While in a sense it’s too bad that his tenure here will be a mere footnote given the lack of meaningful games he’s played here, you can’t really complain about a 2013-14 that exceeded everyone’s expectations, then the draft pick haul we got upon trading him this year.  Incidentally this is why you can never complain about an older player getting a one-year deal, best case they contribute to a winner and worst case you get what you can for them at the deadline.

Will dealing Jagr and falling out of the playoff race now mean that Marek Zidlicky okays a trade?  Will Lou now trade anything else that isn’t bolted down?  Stay tuned, and pay attention to Devils Twitter (how wonderful is it that the Devils managed to break the news of the trade on their own Twitter account before anyone else got wind of it)…with less than four days before the deadline, anything’s possible, as Toronto and Columbus just proved with their shocking blockbuster.

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Devils finally win four straight, cut playoff deficit to single digits

Posted on February 25, 2015 by hasan4978

Co-coaches Adam Oates and Lou Lamoriello try to keep the Devils’ fading playoff hopes alive

I admit it, I scoffed at the notion of the Devils still being alive when Steve Cangialosi said after the Devils got thumped four straight games that they probably needed to sweep the homestand to have a chance at the playoffs.  While it isn’t exactly time to eat crow yet after four straight wins have brought the Devils to within eight points of a spot, it is cooking in the oven.  It isn’t even so much that I thought sweeping the homestand was impossible with who we were playing (and arguably our two toughest games are still to come), though our four-game winning streak was the longest in two seasons.  Even aside from that, for the longest time it looked as if it would take close to 100 points to make the playoffs in the East but for some reason the Bruins have fallen apart and nobody else has stepped forward.  Shoot, the Panthers who are in front of us just traded Sean Bergenheim – which makes the notion of our not selling at the deadline even more ludicrous on the surface.

Honestly the Devils still aren’t even playing all that well, certainly not enough for me to believe yet that they can do what’s needed to be done in March to sustain this run, let alone tomorrow night or Friday.  Our homestand started in the most hair-raising way possible with the Devils needing a shootout to beat the worst team in the league, after they were only able to score one time against Michael Neuvirth in sixty-five minutes despite 35 shots on net.  Ironically our win against Vancouver on Friday looks better in hindsight after they managed to beat the Islanders, Rangers and Bruins around our game though we did get the benefit of playing them the night after their wild west shootout win in MSG.  After jumping on another bad team (Carolina) Saturday the Devils’ streak reached three in a row, a plateau they’d reached two other times this season without getting to four.  Fortunately they had another last-place team on the docket with the Coyotes coming to town Monday.  In a script that’s become farcically familiar over this second half, again the Devils got outshot by double digits and still won.

In fact the Devils have only outshot their opponent in three of the last twenty games (many of those times being outshot by double digits) and yet have managed to go 12-6-2.   To say goaltender Cory Schneider’s playing well would be an understatement.  After a slow start earlier this season, Cory’s really kicked it into high gear more than justifying the six-year extension he got this offseason despite never having been a day-in day-out starting goalie before.  Perhaps the most encouraging sign is Cory’s play has gotten better as the season’s gone on.  His splits of a 2.22 GAA and .926 save percentage are impressive enough considering the dumpster fire surrounding him most nights, but his month-to-month save percentage tells an even more remarkable story:

October .906, November .922, December .924, January .940, February .948

Having a .940 save percentage for any length of time is remarkable enough, let alone for two whole months.  Not only has his save percentage gone up but his quota of puckhandling mistakes have gone down, and clearly the new staff doesn’t ask Cory to go crazy playing the puck to begin with.  It seemed like the old staff wanted him to be Martin Brodeur with his stick and couldn’t adjust the system to account for the fact he wasn’t.  Thankfully for the moment at least, Cory’s quieted the doubters who were prejudiced against him earlier in the season because he wasn’t Marty.

Other than Cory, there have been few bright spots for a Devils team that has been out of the playoff hunt for the majority of the season but one of them’s been defenseman Adam Larsson’s play since the new year, shortly after the new staff came in and put him on the first pairing with Andy Greene.  In the twenty-one games of 2015, Larsson’s played an average of 23:21 a night with a goal, twelve assists and a +8 and has been one of the three stars of the game twice on this homestand already.  While his defensive improvement under Lou Lamoriello and Scott Stevens has been encouraging, his offensive improvement’s been stunning.  Larsson had 31 points in 149 NHL games before 2015, but his thirteen in the last twenty-one games show he can indeed be a two-way force.  Though he only got an assist on Tuomo Ruutu’s opening goal Saturday night, he fired a bomb of a shot we haven’t seen the likes of which since his rookie year when he scored a goal against the Flyers in the third period of Game 2 that arguably turned the series around.

While offensively the Devils have been littered with players having dissapointing years, free agent signing Mike Cammalleri has not been among them.  Despite missing a dozen games earlier this year, Camm’s managed to score twenty-two goals in the 48 games he has played, including four in the last three games.  Not only has he scored but he’s been a pro’s pro in every way playing in all situations (ES, PK, PP) as well as switching from wing to center in the second half of the season.  Other than Cammalleri, the Devils’ best forwards have been role players like Steve Bernier, Jordin Tootoo and Scott Gomez.  Tootoo in particular has benefited over the last few weeks from increased icetime over the last few weeks, even putting up a point in his last three games.  Tootoo’s fast becoming a fan favorite too as I saw a few of his jerseys last night at the Rock.  While attendance understandably wasn’t great, apparently the fans in attendance at least didn’t care about draft picks or selling off at the deadline.

Which leads me to my main pet peeves the second half of this season – fans who go overboard rooting for losses to get a higher draft pick or to sell off players at the deadline to get assets (picks) back.  Honestly on some level I can understand it, part of me was hoping Boston and Florida wouldn’t lose this week and provide Lou with an excuse not to sell, and clearly the Devils need their first-rounder to be an impact forward given the current lack of them in the system – just look at how Albany’s fallen off this season once they lost ‘their Cory’ (Keith Kinkaid, who’s been promoted here).  Even that stuff I can live with to a degree, so long as it’s not over the top the way it can get on message boards.

What really grates my gears is the idea that making the playoffs, or ‘sneaking into the last spot’ somehow isn’t worth it because of the belief that we won’t win in the playoffs anyway.  Resisting the urge to post the Herm Edwards ‘You play to win the game!’ clip, let us suspend reality for a moment and say the Devils get the last wild card in April.  If that ever happened, it would be because the Devils played well for a sustained period.  They’d have to…just look at the fact that going 12-6-2 has only brought us to eight points back.  We’d have to play even better in March to keep up the pace we’d need to make the postseason.  That isn’t sneaking in, that’s streaking in.  Assuming that happened, why couldn’t the Devils beat any team in the postseason?  Do I think they can beat any team in the postseason?  Right now no, but if the Devils were to go on a streak that would enable them to make the postseason your perspective has to change at that point.  This isn’t the NBA’s Eastern Conference where you’ll probably make the playoffs with a 34-48 record.  THAT is backing in.

Now do I think the Devils have any chance of playing that well through March and April with a harder schedule down the stretch?  Right now no, for reasons I already stated earlier.  But is it really that bad to like the fact you have the possibility of having meaningful games in March?  Am I not allowed to be a little bit selfish as a fan that’s going to the majority of these games, not wanting to go to fifteen preseason games in the second half of the season?  People can harp on the fact that not selling off at the deadline and not getting a higher pick theoretically hurts the future but let’s get real here…picks are a crapshoot for the most part with the possible exception of the big two this year anyway, and we had little chance of getting McDavid or Eichel regardless.  I’ve seen this franchise pick Zach Parise at #17 and Martin Brodeur at #20, why should I get wrapped up over the fact that we might be picking #14 instead of #7 this year?  Conversely, I’ve seen many high picks bust over the years although we haven’t had that many picks ourselves in the top ten over the last two decades.

As for not selling off at the deadline, at this point I actually think Jaromir Jagr’s getting traded either way since he’s clearly unhappy, being more marginalized (and the team’s winning with him getting less icetime too) and still has some name value.  I also think defenseman Marek Zidlicky probably doesn’t want to be traded and may well invoke his NTC even if Lou wanted to deal him.  After the big two, what’s there to really trade?  Maybe you get 3rds and 4ths for role players like Gomez, Tootoo and Bernier?  And trading them is kind of counterproductive cause you might want to re-sign one or two if not all of them, trading them makes that less likely.  Can you really get anything worthwhile for the shells of Michael Ryder or Martin Havlat at this point?   So as much as I wanted the Devils to sell off and recoup some picks, it might not even be that fruitful anyway.

Plus all the talk about picks ignores the fact that there are tangible benefits to ‘meaningless’ wins now.  Not the least of which is the fact Cory’s establishing himself as an upper-echelon goaltender.  You also kind of need the young guys on defense to take a step up.  People talk about draft picks, how about developing the younger players you already have?!  Right now this second half has been tremendously beneficial to Larsson, and defenseman Jon Merrill’s slowly rebounded from a spotty start.  It’s been a rockier road for Eric Gelinas, who after being a healthy scratch for two straight weeks was again benched last night after an ill-timed pinch.  Theoretically if you want the team to lose you want Gelinas to keep screwing up but how does that benefit the team’s future?  Up front it would at least be nice if guys who are actually going to be around next year start rebounding and get some confidence going into 2015-16.  I’ll leave my thoughts on the coaching for another day, but suffice it to say even an improved winning percentage isn’t convincing me anyone on this staff is a long-term coaching solution.  Still you at least have to find out what you have behind the bench with assistants Adam Oates and Scott Stevens, for better and worse.

Of course my entire rant could be meaningless within twenty-four hours if the Devils lose to Calgary again, the way they did earlier this season and late last season when a horrific 1-0 loss all but spelled the end of their playoff chances in 2013-14.  Hopefully history doesn’t repeat itself tomorrow.

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Without Nash, Rangers tighten up to shutout Flames behind Talbot 1-0

Posted on February 24, 2015 by Derek

This one won’t be fondly remembered for its excitement. Without Rick Nash, who missed the game due to neck spasms, the Rangers played differently. Following two ugly periods that featured way too many icings, rookie Kevin Hayes got the lone goal and Cam Talbot shut the door in a 1-0 win at MSG over the Flames.

Talbot stopped six third period shots en route to his fourth shutout. He made 21 saves altogether improving to 7-1-2 since Henrik Lundqvist’s injury. Despite giving up a lot of goals, he had been winning consistently. As a team, the Rangers are 8-1-2 since Lundqvist went down earning 18 of 22 points. They maintained pace with the Islanders remaining two points out of first. The Isles broke open a tie game with a four-goal third to beat the Coyotes 5-1. The Rangers have three games at hand.

The game wasn’t a Picasso because it didn’t have to be. Without Nash, coach Alain Vigneault moved Hayes up to the top line with Derick Brassard and Mats Zuccarello. The second and fourth lines remained intact. Rookie Oscar Lindberg made his NHL debut on the third line with Carl Hagelin and J.T. Miller. He was fine taking 16 shifts (8:18) finishing with two shots, three hits and winning two of five draws. He didn’t look out of place but is expected to go back to Hartford if Nash returns Thursday against the Coyotes.

Facing the Flames for a second time, the Rangers got an early power play and nearly scored. But Calgary goalie Karri Ramo slid across to rob Miller on the doorstep. It was an eventful night for Miller, who had his first NHL fight with Michael Ferland in the second. He didn’t win but got a couple of shots in before being taken down.

Vigneault opted for Matt Hunwick over John Moore in the continuing sixth defenseman rotation. Hunwick struggled during some shifts including a scary one in the final minute of the first following a dreadful Tanner Glass turnover. Why Vigneault insists on having his worst line and worst defensive pair out in the last minute of periods remains a mystery. He nearly got burned.

After the Rangers were credited with 10 shots to the Flames’ seven in a scoreless first, the teams played about as uneventful a second as possible. Aside from Miller’s scrap versus Ferland, there was nothing going on. The teams managed to combine for several icings in between the 17 total shots. Both netminders were sharp keeping the game scoreless after 40 minutes.

For a while, it looked like this one was destined for a shootout. But Brassard pounced on a Dennis Wideman neutral zone turnover and fed Hayes for a sweet finish with 17:00 left in regulation. Hayes stayed hot scoring for the fifth time over his last nine games. He then got a cool #PurpleHayes tribute from MSG during a stoppage. Playing against former Boston College teammate Johnny Gaudreau, Hayes had another strong game playing the left wing for the first time this season. He continues to improve and is eighth in rookie scoring with 27 points.

For a welcome change, the Rangers played well with the lead in the third. Instead of sitting back, they attacked and got better chances forcing Ramo to come up with some difficult saves. He finished with 28 in a losing effort earning the game’s third star. The Rangers outshot the Flames 10-6 and never were really threatened.

It was my first game since 12/8. A birthday win over the Pens. While there were lulls, it was still fun. Especially hearing someone yap “There’s some Corsi” in reference to Glass leveling a Flame with a big hit that lead to a Rangers scoring opportunity. Aside from a couple of predictable moments, he played a decent game registering four hits and even getting two shots on net. The first one a routine wrist shot from the right circle that Ramo easily squeezed to my amusement.

With his team nursing a one-goal lead, Vigneault chose to substitute Dominic Moore for Lindberg on the third line. Moore is defensively responsible and basically is the whole fourth line. He was dominate on faceoffs winning 10 of 11 while playing a smart two-way game. Despite being held back by Glass and Lee Stempniak, Moore’s still found a way to shine. A credit to how smart a player the former Harvard alum is.

Calgary made one last ditch effort with Ramo pulled for an extra attacker. They held the puck in a couple of times and moved the puck around but were unable to get a quality shot through. The Rangers defended well in front of Talbot making his life easy. It was the best they played since a Feb. 4 win over the Bruins.

BONY 3 Stars:

3rd Star-Kevin Hayes, NYR (goal-12th of season at 3:00 of 3rd, +1 in 18:33)

2nd Star-Karri Ramo, CGY (28 saves)

1st Star-Cam Talbot, NYR (21 saves for 4th shutout)

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Lindberg Assigned Number 48 as Rangers host Flames

Posted on February 24, 2015 by Derek

Per a tweet from Sean Hartnett, Oscar Lindberg has been assigned number 48 by the Rangers. I can’t think of many players who wore 48. At least we know of one who shall for tonight’s game against the Flames.

By no means should it be easy. Calgary has proven they’re for real. Still in a tight Western race for one of the final wild cards, they’re currently tied with the Kings and Sharks in points (68). Each trails the Wild by a point and are three behind the Jets and Canucks. It’s worth noting that the top three teams in each division automatically qualify for the playoffs. The wildcard should be a mad scramble to the finish.

The Flames boast Norris front runner Mark Giordano and Calder candidate Johnny Gaudreau, who teamed with Kevin Hayes at Boston College to form a great line. They’re still close and had dinner out last night. It should be an interesting reunion between two rookies with bright futures. Gaudreau is second among rookies with 44 points (15-29-44) while the emerging Hayes has moved up to eighth with 26 (11-15-26). That match-up is worth watching.

We are leaving for MSG now. My first game since a nice birthday win over the Pens on 12/8. I’ll have a full recap and review later.

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Rangers recall Oscar Lindberg

Posted on February 24, 2015 by Derek

Due to a flu epidemic, the Rangers have recalled forward Oscar Lindberg from Hartford for tonight’s game against Calgary. The 23-year old Swedish center could make his Broadway debut due to several players under the weather. Shocking considering how ice cold the temps have been. Will February ever end? Don’t answer that.

In his second season with the Wolf Pack, Lindberg has 16 goals and 20 assists for 36 points in 54 games. His 36 points rank second behind team leader Chris Bourque (45). Lindberg is third in goals with 16 trailing Bourque (20) and Danny Kristo (17). He has five power play goals, 50 penalty minutes and is plus-five.

Lindberg is on a similar path to Year 1. In his rookie season, he posted 18 goals and 26 helpers for 44 points over 75 games. Acquired from the Coyotes for Ethan Werek on May 8, 2011, it looks like he’ll finally play his first NHL game. Originally a Coyotes second round pick in 2010, Lindberg likely will start on the fourth line. Assuming he plays, Lee Stempniak probably moves up to the third line for Carl Hagelin, who is one of the players ridden with the flu.

Supposedly, it has also inflicted Mats Zuccarello and Derek Stepan. Lindberg is a center. So too is J.T. Miller who can move up if necessary. He’s had good chemistry with Hagelin and Kevin Hayes as a wing on the third line.

Injury Report: Updating the injured players, Jesper Fast is skating with a non-contact jersey. Henrik Lundqvist is taking low shots in practice with goalie coach Benoit Allaire monitoring his progress. Lundqvist has yet to be reevaluated by doctors for his sprained blood vessel. The time is coming soon. This Sunday, it’ll be three weeks.

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Canadiens and Ducks swap forwards: Sekac for Smith-Pelly

Posted on February 24, 2015 by Derek

In an interesting deal between two first place clubs, the Canadiens and Ducks swapped a pair of 22-year old forwards. Montreal sent Jiri Sekac to Anaheim in exchange for Devante Smith-Pelly. Each has played secondary roles and each are signed through next year before turning restricted.

In his rookie year, Sekac has seven goals and nine assists totaling 16 points in 50 games. Conversely, Smith-Pelly is already in his third year tallying five goals and 12 assists for 17 points in 54 contests. If there is a difference, Smith-Pelly is much more physical playing a rugged style. His 147 hits paced the Ducks. On the contrary, Sekac has 49 hits or just under one a game.

Overall, it looks like a deal that can benefit both sides. Both are solid players who can bring something to their new teams. For Montreal, I like it due to Smith-Pelly’s physical style. Already boasting a strong core, they’ll be even more difficult to play this Spring. Slumping lately despite a nice comeback shootout win over Detroit last night, Anaheim probably felt compelled to make a change. Sekac is well liked in Montreal. We’ll see how he does with the Ducks.

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Islanders lock up Nick Leddy to 7-year $38.5 million extension

Posted on February 24, 2015 by Derek

The Islanders re-signed defenseman Nick Leddy to a seven-year extension worth a reported $38.5 million. Acquired by Team President and GM Garth Snow from Chicago a day before the season, the 23-year old has fit in well under coach Jack Capuano. His eight goals pace all Islander defensemen and 25 points rank second behind another wise off-season pick up Johnny Boychuk (28).

Locking up Leddy is a wise investment. At 23, he continues to evolve as a player. While the length is always a risk, an average cap hit of $5.5 million is in line with other young blueliners. Teamed with Boychuk, he helps anchor the back end while contributing offensively. The top trio of Boychuk, Leddy and Travis Hamonic are a combined plus-39. With Leddy and Hamonic signed through 2017-18, that’s two-thirds of the top three.

Boychuk, who turned 31 last month, can become unrestricted this summer. Currently making $3.6 million in the final year of a deal originally signed with Boston, he’ll prove more difficult keeping. An Edmonton native, rumors have circulated that he could go home returning to play for the Oilers. Would he really want to be part of a rebuild for more cash rather than stay with a emerging playoff contender? That remains to be seen.

At least for now, the Islanders have made a sound commitment to a top four defenseman who’ll be a big part of their future. With second-year man Calvin de Haan still developing, that’s three-fourths of the club’s top four. The best aspect is Leddy, Hamonic and de Haan are all 24 and younger. With former first rounder Griffin Reinhart close to ready, they boast a quartet that should patrol the blueline for the next decade.

With vet Lubomir Visnovsky unlikely to re-sign and Brian Strait unrestricted, the look of their back end could change. However, Thomas Hickey is restricted and Matt Donovan is also Group II. Depending on if Snow can convince Boychuk to stay, the Islanders still should be solidified on D.

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Inside Statistics: Rangers 3rd Periods

Posted on February 23, 2015 by Derek
Carl Hagelin can't look as the Kings celebrate a goal. AP Photo/Kathy Willens

Carl Hagelin can’t look as the Kings celebrate a goal.
AP Photo/Kathy Willens

Dating back to last year’s Stanley Cup Final, the Rangers haven’t exactly been lights out in third periods. Presenting, further breakdown of their struggle to close out games.

STANLEY CUP BREAKDOWN (Unlucky 3rd) NYR vs LAK

GF  GA    Shots     SA     Shot Differential

Game 1    0     0            3        20            -17

Game 2    0     2            7        12             -5

Game 3    0     0           11         2             +9

Game 4    0     0            1         15             -14

Game 5    0      1            3         12             -9

Totals       0      3           25       61              -36

As I’ve illustrated, the Rangers inability to put away the Kings did them in. While it’s true they had a couple of crucial calls go against them, had they been a bit more aggressive in third periods, it might have been a different series.

Out of curiosity, I looked at their success in the previous two rounds against the Canadiens and Penguins. Most of it came during the first two periods. The Rangers scored more than once in a third just one time doing so in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Final- outscoring the Habs 3-1 en route to a 7-2 win. In fact, Chris Kreider scored their last goal in Game 3 with 29 seconds left in regulation forcing overtime. A game they lost 3-2. Ironically, P.K. Subban scored the lone goal in Game 4 forcing extras but Martin St. Louis played the overtime hero.

Including Games 5 and 6, the Rangers didn’t score a goal in the third period the final eight games of the postseason. However, it doesn’t mean they didn’t play well. When they needed a big third in the Game 6 clincher at MSG preserving a Henrik Lundqvist 18-save shutout, they dominated the Habs outshooting them 13-5. Only unknown quantity Dustin Tokarski gave them a chance.

In their stunning turnaround against the Pens, the Rangers scored only one third period goal during Games 5 through 7. A Kevin Klein empty netter sealing a 5-1 Game 5 win at Consol Energy Center to stave off elimination. They used quick starts in all three games scoring first in each. In fact, they outscored the Pens 9-3 in periods 1 and 2. Not coincidentally, they never trailed. The comeback from 3-1 down was eerily reminiscent of the one the 2000 Devils had against the Flyers in the Conference Final. They too never trailed.

So much of the way they play under Alain Vigneault is dependent on playing very aggressively from the start. It’s no coincidence that they’ve owned the first two periods. This season, they’ve outscored opponents 57-35 and outshot them 593-546 in the first period. In the second period, they outscore foes 58-54 but outshoot them 660-579. In the third, they’re plus-13 (63-50) but are outshot 550-522. Part of it could be going into protective mode. They’re 26-0-1 when leading after two.

However, it doesn’t fully explain why they go into a shell. Vigneault’s system emphasizes continuing to attack. It seems that whoever coaches them post-lockout, the Rangers are most comfortable sitting back. They played a more defensive minded style under former coaches Tom Renney and John Tortorella. It just seems odd that despite oodles of talent, they continue to struggle at times just getting shots in the third period.

As the season continues, we’ll have more to look at. It could just be that Lundqvist covered up a lot of mistakes. The Rangers aren’t as tight defensively. The loss of key personnel (A. Stralman, B. Boyle, Richards, Pouliot, Dorsett, Carcillo) has contributed. The top pair of Ryan McDonagh and Dan Girardi have been inconsistent. Second pair Marc Staal and Kevin Klein have been their most dependable while the third pair of Dan Boyle and either John Moore or Matt Hunwick remains problematic.

At some point, Glen Sather must address sixth defenseman. Vigneault still doesn’t trust Moore enough to play him regularly which is a failure on his part. No way should he be rotating with Hunwick. It’s bad for his development. That’s where they’ll have to see if they can pry a veteran D. Potential target Andrej Sekera from Carolina is a perfect candidate who turns unrestricted this summer. However, the cost could be high with a prospect and first round pick likely.

Due to the St. Louis trade, the Rangers lack a first round pick and don’t possess many prospects. Unless they want to part with J.T. Miller, who seems to finally be getting it, it’s a steep price to pay.

Depending on when Lundqvist returns, that will immediately upgrade them in net. Cam Talbot has won but continues to allow questionable goals and has posted a sub-3.00 GAA and is below .900 save percentage since taking over. Twenty-year old rookie MacKenzie Skapski won his NHL debut making 24 saves against the lowly Sabres. Not enough of a measuring stick for a kid in his first pro year.

The Rangers have the goalie to go far this Spring. It’s just a question of when is Lundqvist ready and how long will it take for him to get back in game shape. Hopefully, they’ll tighten up in front of Talbot and improve their third periods.

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Nash Bails Out Rangers In Shootout After Latest Blown Lead

Posted on February 23, 2015 by Derek
Winning netminder Cam Talbot is congratulated by goalscorer Martin St. Louis following the Rangers' 4-3 shootout win over the Blue Jackets. AP Photo by Kathy Willens/Getty Images

Winning netminder Cam Talbot is congratulated by goalscorer Martin St. Louis following the Rangers’ 4-3 shootout win over the Blue Jackets.
AP Photo by Kathy Willens/Getty Images

At least they won. After blowing a three-goal lead, the Rangers were bailed out by Rick Nash, whose shootout winner allowed them to edge the Blue Jackets 4-3 for their sixth win in the last eight. Without Henrik Lundqvist, they’ve managed to earn 16 of 20 points. Even with Cam Talbot struggling, they’ve only lost once in regulation since Lundqvist’s injury.

This one should’ve been much easier. But that’s not how they play. Despite what players say about getting off to quick starts and playing with leads, this team doesn’t do a good job protecting them. Forget the record. How many times can we see an Alain Vigneault coached team sit on the lead and not get shots in third periods? Is it a philosophical problem? Or is it like Martin St. Louis said. On the players to make plays.

 ”We talk all the time about trying to find ways,” St. Louis said after staying hot with a pair of goals giving him four in the last four games after going 15 straight without one. ”Obviously, up three goals, it’s not the way you are trying to get two points. We should have pulled away and closed it out.”

St. Louis’ rejuvenation is crucial to their success. There were moments where you didn’t notice him during an extended stretch. Finally, the 39-year old future Hall Of Famer is scoring. His two markers gave him 18 for the season. He has seven points over the last five. St. Louis and Derek Stepan are back in sync with the unlikely duo combining for 16 points (4-12-16) over a five-game stretch that’s seen the team go 4-0-1. Their scoring along with rookie Kevin Hayes’ (goal) rapid improvement gives them three lines that can put the puck in the net.

For the Blueshirts, it’s not about offense. There’s plenty. During a tough stretch where Talbot’s allowed three goals-or-more in seven of his last eight starts, they’ve managed to outscore the opposition 33-26. In his last eight, Talbot is 5-1-2 with a 3.19 goals-against-average and .895 save percentage. While part of that is due to the high risk style they play, Talbot has fought the puck since being forced into a starting role.

”We don’t want to give up any points to the other teams, but to get a win in the shootout was big for us,” Talbot admitted after making 27 saves and denying Cam Atkinson in Round 3 to preserve the win. ”The guys bailed me out huge.”

At the very least, the win pulled them within two points of first place due to the Islanders getting shutout by the Canucks 3-0. Despite no Lundqvist, they’ve won seven of 10 going 7-1-2 to move up to second in the airtight Metropolitan Division. Four points separate first from fourth. The Islanders are two up with 80. The Rangers have 78 and have three extra games left along with 33 ROW (regulation overtime wins) for first tiebreaker. By virtue of their 5-1 home win over the Panthers, the Penguins are third with 77 in 60 games played. The Capitals lost to the Flyers 3-2 remaining at 76 with 61 played. The Islanders have 21 games left while the Rangers have 24.

Even with them gaining in the standings, their defensive habits remain a work in progress. There are still too many correctable mistakes. Last year’s team wouldn’t have blown a three-goal lead. Due partially to a stronger supporting cast, they were stingier. That the Blue Jackets were able to methodically work their way back from a three-goal deficit after being severely outplayed in the first period despite it being a back-to-back speaks volumes.

Statistically speaking, the Rangers have outscored opponents in third periods 63-50. Their second period has been their worst with a 58-54 edge. They have dominated early outscoring opponents 57-35 in first periods. Here’s the catch. With the Jackets scoring the only goal in the third to tie last night’s game, they outshot the Rangers 8-1. Why it’s significant is because if you include that total, opponents have outshot the Rangers 550-522. While it doesn’t seem like a lot, compared to the first two periods it’s much worse. In first periods, they’re plus-47 (593-546) and in second periods, they’re plus-81 (660-579).

In what basically has become symbolic of how they play under Vigneault, the Rangers outshot the Blue Jackets 14-8 in the first and 16-11 in the second for a two period 30-19 advantage. What happened in the third? A similar result like Vancouver when they blew a one-goal lead with two minutes left. At least in that one, they scored twice after falling behind early in the third. The Canucks doubled them up in shots (12-6).

What is it about third periods that sees this team wear down? Is it the high tempo they play? Or is it not being as good fundamentally. There’s no doubt the ’14-15 edition isn’t as strong defensively. Losing Anton Stralman and replacing him with Dan Boyle was going to have an adverse affect. Speaking of which, why is the power play struggling? The Rangers had chances to put the Jackets away but failed miserably including a key one before David Savard’s tying goal eluded Talbot with 4:19 left.

It was also a Ranger four-on-three at the beginning of overtime that baffled after St. Louis drew a Fedor Tyutin trip nine seconds in. The usual result was over passing and not enough shots on Columbus backup Curtis McElhinney. A goalie who only was forced to make one save in the third after facing a two period onslaught. In a five-minute OT, he actually was forced to make some big saves stopping six Ranger shots.

Maybe the problem is psychological. They’ve played with leads before. Their record says they’re pretty successful going 26-0-1 when leading after two. Their .963 success rate ranks second in the NHL behind the Blackhawks, who are batting a perfect 1,000. In the regular season, the end result is what matters. As long as they’re piling up points, it’s fine. But something needs to change.

”We’ve got the standings up in the dressing room, so it’s hard not to see it,” Nash said after easily beating McElhinney with a twisted wrister in the third round. ”We’re worried about ourselves, worried about our game and our process and our game plan.”

Notes: Former Ranger Artem Anisimov sparked the Jackets back with a goal and assist. He finished off his fourth late in the second cutting the deficit to 3-2. … Rookie Marko Dano got the comeback started by burying a Nick Foligno pass less in short reply to St. Louis’ second that had the Rangers up 3-0. … Brandon Dubinsky was his usual pesky self hitting anyone in a Blueshirt including a near miss at St. Louis, who ducked in the nick of time. On the same shift, Dubinsky caught St. Louis and the two chirped before Chris Kreider came to his defense. … John Moore returned to the lineup for Matt Hunwick and had a minor penalty and two hits in 19 shifts (14:03). He had a scoring chance in OT but missed the net summing up his year.

MVP candidate Rick Nash beats Curtis McElhinney in Round 3 of the shootout giving the Rangers the win. AP Photo by Kathy Willens/Getty Images

MVP candidate Rick Nash beats Curtis McElhinney in Round 3 of the shootout giving the Rangers the win.
AP Photo by Kathy Willens/Getty Images

NY Puck 3 Stars:

3rd Star-J.T. Miller, NYR (2 SOG, 4 hits, 4-and-3 on draws in 16 shifts-12:51-played with confidence)

2nd Star-Artem Anisimov, CBJ (goal-4th, assist, 5 SOG, +1 in 20:09-nice to see Artie healthy)

1st Star-Martin St. Louis, NYR (2 goals-17th, 18th, +1 in 20:10-heating up at right time)

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