Kreider’s Improvement A Key To Rangers Success

Posted on February 17, 2015 by Derek
Chris Kreider leaps in the air celebrating a goal during last night's Rangers comeback win over the Islanders. AP Photo by Kathy Kmonicek/Getty Images

Chris Kreider leaps in the air celebrating a goal during last night’s Rangers comeback win over the Islanders.
AP Photo by Kathy Kmonicek/Getty Images

When Chris Kreider decides to play, no one can stop him. In his second year, the Rangers 2009 first round pick is starting to figure it out. During last night’s 6-5 come from behind win over the Islanders, he was a factor scoring a goal and assisting on Derek Stepan’s goal that cut the deficit to 5-4. His aggressive forecheck forced Islander defenseman Johnny Boychuk into a turnover leading directly to Martin St. Louis’ tying goal.

Only 23, Kreider is still developing. The 6-3, 226 pound left wing has been a key to the Rangers success. When he tallies a point, they’re 18-4-1. In fact, they’ve won 15 of their last 16 when he hits the score sheet. For the emerging power forward, it’s about consistency. In 53 games, he has 14 goals, 17 assists and 31 points. The 14 goals rank third on the team and 31 points are sixth. His 79 penalty minutes rank first and 117 hits are third.

When Kreider uses his combination of size and game breaking speed, opponents are at his mercy. The plays he can make at top speed are breathtaking. For example, the breakaway goal he scored at Arizona in which he took a hard Stepan pass and flew past Michael Stone and deked Mike Smith with a sweet backhand finish with little real estate. In Monday’s win over the Islanders, he beat Jaroslav Halak with a long wrister and used his speed to back up the Islander D before making a perfect drop for Stepan’s goal that turned the game around.

When he is going, the Rangers are a better team. Nobody can deny the impact he is capable of. Kreider has great chemistry with former USA World Junior Championship 2010 gold medal teammate Stepan.  They read off each other well. Whether it’s in transition or on the forecheck, the American duo are two of the club’s top six forwards who are a big part of the present and future. For now, they play with elder statesman St. Louis, who’s unrestricted after the season. Of the trio, Stepan’s been the most consistent with 39 points (10-29-39) in 41 games including three yesterday. St. Louis erased a 15-game goal drought with the game-tying goal.

Of the three, Kreider is physically the most imposing. His return from an injury that helped turn around the second round series against the Penguins. While most observers allude to Kreider injuring Montreal starter Carey Price in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Final, they neglect to mention his impact on the series. Kreider had eight points (3-5-8) helping the Rangers advance to the Stanley Cup Final. In their five-game series loss to the Kings, he was one of the few players who was effective posting a goal and two assists.

It’s still a work in progress for him. Undoubtedly, Kreider still has off nights. He also has been at fault on a couple of dangerous hits that were penalized including a major and game misconduct against the Wild on Oct. 27. At times, his size and speed can result in such incidents. So far, he’s been lucky not to receive a fine or suspension. He also has had several run ins with goalies leading to many labeling him ‘dirty.’ He must learn to control himself and try avoiding such collisions. Otherwise, he’ll get a bad reputation.

Lately, Kreider is on the right track. With six points in his last 10 and 19 over the last 21 since a New Year’s Eve win at Florida, he’s becoming a more consistent threat. Opponents must take note. As he continues to improve, the better off the Rangers are.

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Rangers score three unanswered in third to stun Islanders 6-5

Posted on February 17, 2015 by Derek
Ryan McDonagh (far side) scores the first of two with Tanner Glass and Dominic Moore screening in front. The Rangers rallied to defeat the Islanders 6-5 in a wild game. AP Photo by Kathy Kmonicek/Getty Images

Ryan McDonagh (far side) scores the first of two with Tanner Glass and Dominic Moore screening in front. The Rangers rallied to defeat the Islanders 6-5 in a wild game.
AP Photo by Kathy Kmonicek/Getty Images

This one was as wild and unpredictable as it gets. For a while, it looked like it would be a repeat of the first three meetings. Not this time. Showing resiliency, the Rangers twice rallied back from two-goal deficits to stun the Islanders 6-5. It was their first win in four tries in the Battle Of New York. More importantly, they cut the Isles’ division lead to two with two games at hand.

Using a three-goal barrage in a dominant third period, they earned it by getting to Jaroslav Halak. Entering the contest, he had only allowed four goals in the first three games. All Islander wins. However, the Rangers solved Halak getting six by him on 42 shots. Derek Stepan and Martin St. Louis scored 1:37 apart to tie it and then Kevin Klein notched the game-winner with 4:32 left in regulation. Despite severely outplaying the Islanders, they still had to survive a Josh Bailey chance off the crossbar in the final frantic seconds.

”I’m sure it was a fun game to watch. Not so sure either coach feels that way,” Stepan diplomatically observed after having his best game since returning from the flu. He recorded his 10th goal and two assists.

His line with St. Louis and Chris Kreider combined for seven points (3-4-7) and a plus-seven rating. The elder statesman, St. Louis snapped a 15-game goal drought putting together a two-point night. His first multi-point game since Jan. 18. Kreider scored for a second straight game and was instrumental throughout. His finger prints were all over the Rangers’ fourth consecutive win allowing them to go a perfect 4-0-0 on their road trip. The fifth time in franchise history they’ve swept a four-game road trip.

”That was a real gut check for us,” Ryan McDonagh said after recording his first two-goal game. ”It feels really good right now. It’s great how we stuck together.”

It wouldn’t have been possible without a huge save from Cam Talbot. Shaky throughout, he made the biggest stop of the game denying Casey Cizikas on a breakaway with the Islanders already leading 2-0. Talbot atoned for a gaffe on the game’s opening shift when his giveaway behind the net allowed John Tavares to score his team-leading 26th just 11 seconds in. Before they knew what hit them, Frans Nielsen beat Marc Staal to a Travis Hamonic rebound giving the Isles an early two-goal lead with Nassau Coliseum rocking.

For most of the first period, it was deja vu all over again. The Islanders dominated with their size and speed generating chance after chance. In fact, they peppered Talbot with a dizzying 22 shots. If he doesn’t stone Cizikas, it could have been a very different game. Instead, a rare good shift from the Rangers fourth line allowed Dan Girardi to find McDonagh wide open in the slot for a huge goal cutting the deficit to 2-1 with 5:25 remaining. Before the goal, McDonagh got away with a penalty. Undetected, he buried his sixth with Tanner Glass in front of Halak. He actually had a good game along with Lee Stempniak, who picked up a secondary helper on the goal.

”We just kept fighting and fighting,” Talbot explained after stopping 38 of 43 in improving to 5-1-1 since taking over the number one goalie for injured starter Henrik Lundqvist. ”The mindset is to just stop the next one. They’ve been scoring in bunches.”

It was one of those games you so rarely see in today’s NHL. Neither team played much defense. Both goalies were beatable. There were plenty of mistakes by each side. It was a classic rivalry game between bitter rivals. Fire wagon hockey. The teams combined for 11 goals and 85 shots. Every goal came at even strength. There weren’t many power plays with the Rangers 0-for-2 while the Islanders went 0-for-3 even though one of their goals came after a penalty expired.

The second period was frantic. Each side scored twice. Like they had at the start, the Islanders struck first when Johnny Boychuk intercepted a Klein clearing attempt firing a rocket past Talbot to put the Long Island hosts ahead 3-1 at 1:20.

Undeterred, the Rangers kept coming. First, Kreider took a Stepan pass in the neutral zone and beat Halak with a long wrist shot from the left circle cutting it to one at 3:07. Only 23 seconds later, J.T. Miller kept a puck in and passed across for McDonagh, who let go of a slap shot from long distance that eluded Halak at 3:30 to tie it.

Ryan Strome celebrates a goal with teammates Brock Nelson and Travis Hamonic. AP Photo by Kathy Kmonicek/Getty Images

Ryan Strome celebrates a goal with teammates Brock Nelson and Travis Hamonic.
AP Photo by Kathy Kmonicek/Getty Images

But Stepan took his second minor of the game going off for tripping to give the Islanders a power play. Even though they couldn’t score on it, they were able to go back ahead after it expired when a Travis Hamonic shot deflected off Brock Nelson in front rebounding off Talbot to Ryan Strome, who deposited it as both Girardi and McDonagh watched. It was the first of two for Strome, who would also score what looked like a crusher early in the third to give his team a two-goal lead.

Despite some undisciplined penalties including a bench minor for a second consecutive game, the Rangers kept pressing. They easily could’ve tied it in the second. Even though he didn’t get on the score sheet, Rick Nash was dominant offensively with a game high seven shots. That included a goalpost after the Isles’ first goal when he had Halak dead to rights. However, his line was victimized for a couple of goals against.

Two straight Islander penalties gave the Rangers chances late in the second and at the beginning of the third. Unable to take advantage despite heavy pressure, they got burned when Dan Boyle lost control of a puck at the Islander blueline. After he fell down, Strome and Nielsen came the other way on a two-on-one with only Matt Hunwick back. A perfect give-and-go resulted in Strome going top shelf for his second of the game at 3:43 giving the Isles a 5-3 lead.

At that point, I had it. It just felt like it would be another missed opportunity. This was different than the first three games. The Rangers were in it and dictating the play after a awful first. Even though I didn’t think it was over, I decided to leave and go to the gym. I muttered to Dad, “Maybe they’ll show some heart.” I doubt he heard me. I was in a jovial mood. 😛

By the time I reached the gym, Stepan had finished off a Kreider back pass on just a great rush for his 10th closing it to 5-4 at 6:25. As I parked, St. Louis then buried his 15th from Stepan and Marc Staal tying it up at 8:02. But really, Kreider made the play forcing Boychuk into a turnover. Even though Boychuk contended that he was tripped, that’s not how I saw it on the replay. It was just a good play by Kreider, who took advantage of a very poor decision from Boychuk. The end result was Stepan setting up St. Louis for an easy finish.

After listening to the much more tolerable MSG radio team of Kenny Albert and Dave Maloney for a couple of minutes, I decided to go do my workout. I figured, ‘It’s not like I’m going to see it anyway. Either they’ll complete the comeback or not.’ As I was getting to a machine, Klein scored his ninth from Derick Brassard. It was a great forecheck by Brassard and St. Louis, who also got a helper. Brassard skated around the Isles D before finding Klein for a perfect shot far side on Halak to make it 6-5 Rangers at 15:28.

”We were down by two twice and the guys battled back,” Klein said after extending his point streak to six straight with a goal and assist. ”It was a wild one. We wanted to play a more defensive style against these guys.”

They may not have succeeded in slowing down the Islanders, who were without a top six forward in Kyle Okposo and a top four defenseman in Calvin de Haan even though that was curiously Jack Capuano’s decision. But for once, the Rangers showed tremendous character against a good team they’ll have to go through. Halak was fighting the puck all night. The Isles didn’t play lock down defensively. They were outscored 3-1 and outshot 18-6 in the third.

NY Puck 3 Stars:

3rd Star-Ryan Strome, NYI (2 goals-11th, 12th, 5 SOG, +2 in 18:53)

2nd Star-Chris Kreider, NYR (goal-14th, assist, 4 SOG, 2 hits, +3 in 15:22)

1st Star-Kevin Klein, NYR (goal-9th, game-winner, assist, 2 hits, 3 blocked shots, +1 in 19:01)

Notes: Eleven different Rangers recorded a point. Five had multi-point games including Stepan (1-2-3), Klein (1-1-2), Kreider (1-1-2), McDonagh (2-0-2) and St. Louis (1-1-2). Seven Islanders recorded a point led by Strome’s two goals, Nielsen’s goal and assist and Hamonic’s two assists. Despite scoring 11 seconds in, Tavares was minus-two while matched up against the Rangers’ third line. … Islanders outhit the Rangers 43-29 led by rookie Anders Lee’s 8. Carl Hagelin recorded seven for the Blueshirts. … Islanders won 35-of-62 faceoffs led by Nielsen (12-and-6). Dominic Moore paced the Rangers going 6-and-4. … McDonagh led all skaters in ice-time with 25:42.

… Rangers improved to 34-16-5 with 73 points tying the Pens in points but going ahead due to more ROW (32-29) and one game at hand. They have the most ROW in the division two better than the Islanders (30). The Islanders dropped to 37-19-1 with a division-leading 75 points in 57 games. They’re back at it tonight at Carolina. … The Rangers get two days off before hosting Vigneault’s former team Vancouver Thursday.

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Hunwick Stays In Over John Moore

Posted on February 16, 2015 by Derek

Earlier, I forecast that John Moore would pair up with Dan Boyle for tonight’s game. Instead, Alain Vigneault has other ideas.

Matt Hunwick will stay in the lineup and work with Boyle on the third pair against the Islanders. Interesting considering that I felt he struggled mightily against the Coyotes. So, Moore is the odd man out. The 24-year old defenseman hasn’t established himself under Vigneault. After only moderate success last season posting four goals and 11 assists with a plus-seven rating in 74 games, Moore has only four helpers and is plus-four in 34 contests in Year 2.

Moore performed better under former coach John Tortorella. After coming over with Derick Brassard and Derek Dorsett for Marian Gaborik at the 2013 trade deadline, he tallied a goal and five assists with a plus-nine rating in 13 games.

For some reason, he fared better under Tortorella. Vigneault is a good coach who’s gotten the most out of other players. It’s surprising that Moore hasn’t developed under him and he still doesn’t trust him. Is this another Michael Del Zotto? Moore is restricted this summer. The Rangers can certainly use an upgrade on the blueline before the March 2 deadline.

Updating the D pairings for tonight:

McDonagh-Girardi

Staal-Klein

Hunwick-Boyle

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Rangers and Islanders set for Round 4

Posted on February 16, 2015 by Derek
Isles' Celebrate: The Islanders celebrate Nikolay Kulemin's goal in a rousing 3-0 shutout of the Rangers at MSG. AP Photo by Kathy Willens/Getty Images

Isles’ Celebrate: The Islanders celebrate Nikolay Kulemin’s goal in a rousing 3-0 shutout of the Rangers at MSG.
AP Photo by Kathy Willens/Getty Images

Tonight, the latest installment of the Battle Of New York takes place at Nassau Coliseum between the Rangers and Islanders. It’s a classic battle between bitter rivals. So far, the rivalry has been one sided. The Islanders have won all three meetings outscoring the Rangers 13-4.

After sweeping the first two at MSG by a combined 10-4, they defeated the Rangers 4-1 on Jan. 13. Only Carl Hagelin’s late goal prevented Jaroslav Halak from a second consecutive shutout. Halak enters tonight’s match with a 1.33 goals-against-average having allowed only four goals on 111 shots (.964 save percentage). This time, he’ll face Cam Talbot, who so far is 4-1-1 with a 2.67 GAA and .904 save percentage since taking over for injured starter Henrik Lundqvist. Lundqvist was treated rudely by the Isles permitting 13 goals on 97 shots. Talbot is 1-0-0 at the Coliseum making 22 saves in a 3-2 win on 10/29/13.

The difference so far has been the Islanders’ depth. They have gotten contributions from everyone. In the season series, they boast 11 different goalscorers compared to the Rangers’ 3. John Tavares and Mikhail Grabovski lead the Isles with two goals. Defenseman Johnny Boychuk has four points (1-3-4) and is plus-six. Only Rick Nash (2 goals), Hagelin and Derick Brassard have tallied for the Blueshirts. Illustrating the difference, top pair Ryan McDonagh and Dan Girardi are a combined minus-six while Marc Staal is also minus-three. No Ranger defenseman has registered a point while the Isles boast four- Boychuk (4), Travis Hamonic (2), Calvin de Haan (2) and Nick Leddy (1).

The story so far has been the Isles’ ability to dominate the neutral zone taking advantage of Rangers turnovers to establish their forecheck. They also have a huge advantage due to their fourth line of Matt Martin, Casey Cizikas and Cal Clutterbuck. A physical trio that has given the Rangers fits. Coach Jack Capuano can confidently roll four lines. He also can take advantage of Alain Vigneault’s faith in fourth line Tanner Glass, Dominic Moore and Lee Stempniak. Look for him to expose that match-up. The Isles have also gotten good support from rookie Anders Lee and sophomore Ryan Strome. While Strome has hit a slump, Lee has 18 goals and is third among rookies. He also has a rookie high six game-winners.

Each team brings a winning streak into play. The Islanders have won four straight while the Rangers have reeled off three in a row. Neither has played great but found ways to win. The Isles lead the Metropolitan Division with 75 points in 56 games. They’re two up on Pittsburgh and four clear of the Rangers, who have 71 points in 54 games. Interestingly, they have one more regulation and overtime win (31) to the Isles’ 30. ROW is the first tiebreaker. So, if they can figure out how to beat the Islanders tonight and March 10, they can put themselves in better position.

They can at least feel better about themselves due to the emergence of rookie Kevin Hayes. He brings a three-game goal streak and a five-game point streak (3-4-7) into play. While Martin St. Louis has struggled badly without a goal in 10, the play of Hayes, Hagelin and J.T. Miller has given Vigneault a solid third line that can forecheck. They have dominated puck possession lately and been factors during the win streak. It is that line that could make a dent in the previously impenetrable Isles’ D.

Meanwhile, Nash continues to roll scoring his 35th in a 5-1 win at Arizona. He paces the team in scoring with 55 points (35-20-55) along with plus/minus (25), shorthanded goals (4) and game-winners (6). Nash has scored in 28 games. The Rangers record is 21-7-0 when he scores. When Nash tallies a point, they’re 26-8-3. Nash currently trails Alexander Ovechkin by one goal for the Rocket Richard. Ovechkin scored twice in the Caps’ win over Anaheim Sunday giving him a league-leading 36. Nash is tied for 10th in scoring with 55 points. He’s tied with Tyler Toffoli for the league lead in shorthanded goals (4) and ranks fourth in shots-on-goal (204).

Tavares leads the Islanders in scoring with 55 points including a team best 26 goals, 11 power play goals and 22 power play points. The Isles are still without assist leader Kyle Okposo, who’s on the mend with a detached retina. He still ranks second in team scoring with 44 points (14-30-44). The Isles boast tremendous balance with eight different players in double digits in goals including Lee (18), Brock Nelson (15), Nikolay Kulemin (11), Josh Bailey (11), Strome (10) and Frans Nielsen (10).

In his first year on Long Island, Halak boasts a 31-11-0 record with a 2.40 GAA, .912 save percentage and four shutouts. With a win tonight, he can tie the single season franchise record joining Billy Smith, Chris Osgood and Rick DiPietro.

For the Rangers, Dan Boyle is expected to return to the lineup after missing his 17th game. He’ll likely replace Matt Hunwick who had a bad game at Arizona. That means John Moore stays in and will pair up with Boyle. Jesper Fast (knee sprain) remains out. So, there shouldn’t be any other changes.

Rangers Lines

Kreider-Stepan-St. Louis

Nash-Brassard-Zuccarello

Hagelin-Hayes-Miller

Glass-D. Moore-Stempniak

McDonagh-Girardi

Staal-Klein

J. Moore-Boyle

Talbot

Skapski

As for the Islanders, it looks like Capuano will stick with the same lineup that’s had success during their win streak. De Haan remains out with a upper body injury. Michael Grabner will miss his fifth straight game. In one unsurprising move, they activated defenseman Matt Carkner and waived him. He cleared and was loaned to Bridgeport.

Islanders Lines

Lee-Tavares-Bailey

Grabovski-Nielsen-Strome

Kulemin-Nelson-Clutterbuck

Martin-Cizikas-McDonald

Leddy-Boychuk

Strait-Hamonic

Hickey-Visnovsky

Halak

Johnson

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Leafs deal Franson and Santorelli to Predators

Posted on February 15, 2015 by Derek

The rebuilding of the Maple Leafs is underway. Today, they traded defenseman Cody Franson and forward Mike Santorelli to the Predators in exchange for Olli Jokinen, prospect Brendan Leipsic and a first round pick.

Toronto unloaded potential unrestricted’s Franson and Santorelli. The Leafs wanted to keep Franson but apparently his demands were too much. The 27-year old is earning $3.3 million in his final year. In 55 games this season, he has six goals and 26 assists for 32 points. He returns to the team that originally drafted him in the third round of ’05. Ironically, the Predators traded him to the Leafs on July 3, 2011 with Matthew Lombardi for Robert Slaney, Brett Lebda and a 2013 fourth round pick (Zach Pochiro). Note: Pochiro’s draft rights were dealt to the Blues for a 2013 seventh round pick (Janne Juvonen) and 2014 fourth round pick (Viktor Arvidsson).

Speaking of homecomings, Santorelli also returns to the team that selected him. Originally a 2004 sixth round pick by Nashville, he spent parts of two seasons in Music City before finding success in Florida, Vancouver and Toronto. He also played 10 games with Winnipeg before moving to Vancouver. In 57 contests this season, Santorelli has 11 goals and 18 assists for 29 points. Once thought as a potential Rangers target, he’ll fill a nice depth role for the Cup contending Preds.

Looking at it from a Nashville perspective, it’s a no-brainer. Already boasting Calder front runner Filip Forsberg, Hart and Vezina candidate Pekka Rinne and perennial Norris candidate Shea Weber, the Predators lead the league with 82 points. Boasting a strong blueline that also features Roman Josi and Seth Jones, they get even stronger with the offensive minded Franson. Adding a versatile depth forward in Santorelli should only make them deeper.

For Toronto, they had to start rebuilding. Once GM Dave Nonis determined he couldn’t re-sign Franson, he had to get what he could for him. It’s all about Leipsic and the first round pick. A 20-year old center in his first pro season, Leipsic totaled seven goals and 28 assists for 35 points in 47 games for AHL affiliate Milwaukee. The Winnipeg, Manitoba native was drafted by Nashville in the third round of 2012. Getting a first round pick for Franson is a good return.

As for Jokinen, he reportedly isn’t pleased and might not report to Toronto. Nonis has already hinted that he could move Jokinen again at the deadline. Signed to a one-year deal worth $2.5 million, the 36-year old vet center has struggled posting only three goals and three assists in 48 contests. An experienced player with size, he can help a contender in a small role. It’s worth noting that Jokinen has only made the playoffs once putting up five points (2-3-5) for Calgary in 2009. He has played 1,217 games and only appeared in six postseason games.

With just over two weeks until the March 2 trade deadline, things should heat up. The Leafs also have forwards Daniel Winnik and David Booth available. Winnik could be a potential target for the Rangers. A solid checking forward who could fill a void on the fourth line. He has 24 points (6-18-24) and is plus-13 in 57 games on Toronto. He only makes $1.3 million. If the Rangers finally decide to waive Tanner Glass, it’s a fit. Glass’ cap hit is $1.45 million.

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Steve Montador Dead At 35

Posted on February 15, 2015 by Derek
RIP Steve Montador: The passing of former NHL defenseman Steve Montador at age 35 is very sad and humbling for hockey. sports.yahoo.com/Getty Images

RIP Steve Montador: The passing of former NHL defenseman Steve Montador at age 35 is very sad and humbling for hockey.
sports.yahoo.com/Getty Images

Former NHL defenseman Steve Montador passed away at age 35 this morning at his home in Mississauga, Ontario. According to a police report, he was found unconscious and later pronounced dead. The cause of death isn’t known. There will be an autopsy.

Montador was a hard nosed player who spent a decade in the NHL playing for six teams. That included the ’03-04 Flames who made a Stanley Cup Final appearance. After only getting into 26 games during that season, he played in 20 postseason games and matched his output with a goal and two assists.

“It is with deep sorrow that we mourn the passing of Steve Montador. Steve will always be remembered to us as a member of the Flames family. We are very proud that he wore the Calgary uniform over six seasons and also of his important contributions during that period both on and off the ice. We would like to express our sincere condolences to the Montador family. This is a terrible loss of a wonderful young man; a great teammate known for his big heart and character. He will be missed by all who had the pleasure to have known and worked with him.”

Following the lockout, he was traded to the Panthers where he had success setting career bests in goals (8), assists (15) and points (23) in ’07-08. He would also spend a year with Anaheim posting 20 points and a career high 125 penalty minutes before moving to Boston.

Montador signed with Buffalo and spent two years putting up solid numbers including achieving new personal bests in assists (21), points (26) and plus/minus (11) in ’10-11. He also appeared in the first round tallying a helper in six games. His final NHL season came in ’11-12 with Chicago where he put up five goals and nine assists with a plus-four in 52 games. He spent part of ’12-13 with Rockford of the AHL and concluded his career with Zagreb Medvescak of the KHL in ’13-14.

Unfortunately, Montador battled off ice issues dealing with anxiety and depression stemming from concussions. Head injuries have become common with players who have lost their lives at a young age. While it doesn’t appear to be an extreme case such as Derek Boogaard, Wade Belak or Rick Rypien, it is indeed a scary time for NHL tough guys.

“I can see why people have a hard time with a number of different things and being taken away from something they love to do and not sure if you’d ever get back the chance,” he said at the time, according to CSN Chicago in a TSN article. “There’s a lot of uncertainty, a lot of fear, a lot of anxiety and depression that comes with that.”

It is very sad and begs the question of what’s next for hockey. It’s not just about fighting. But about the illegal hits that cause concussions. The NHL Department Of Player Safety works hard on disciplining guilty culprits. Is the message getting through? Hockey is a tough sport full of athletes who show bravery in defiance of pain. Perhaps there should be more caution. These guys lay it on the line every night. No one should put their long-term health at risk. The fact Montador played last year and is dead a year later is humbling.

Could it have been prevented through scientific study? My gut tells me yes. Our deepest thoughts and condolences go out to Montador’s family. 😦

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Video Of Day: Nash scores number 35

Posted on February 15, 2015 by Derek

It seems like every game, Rick Nash does something incredible to get fans out of their seats or bar stools. He scored another beauty during last night’s Rangers 5-1 win over the Coyotes. His league best 35th proved to be the game-winner. Nash leads Alexander Ovechkin by one for the Rocket Richard. Joe Pavelski is third with 31.

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Talbot comes through in Rangers win over Coyotes

Posted on February 15, 2015 by Derek
Talbot Time: Cam Talbot makes a save on Antoine Vermette. AP Photo by Rick Scuteri/Getty Images

Talbot Time: Cam Talbot makes a save on Antoine Vermette.
AP Photo by Rick Scuteri/Getty Images

The final score said Rangers 5 Coyotes 1. If not for the play of Cam Talbot, it could’ve been a different story. For a second straight game, the valuable backup who took over for an injured Henrik Lundqvist was strong making 34 saves in their third consecutive victory. None bigger than his clutch stop to deny Tobias Rieder on a penalty shot with 13:40 left in regulation to preserve a one-goal lead.

”Cam’s been the backbone of our team,” goalscorer Rick Nash said after beating Mike Smith 1:19 into the third period to break a 1-1 tie. His league-leading 35th was a beauty. He took a Kevin Klein outlet and broke in on Smith beating him short side off the goalpost.

For two periods, nothing separated these teams. Even with a heavy puck possession advantage at times, the Rangers could only muster one goal on Smith. Chris Kreider, who was flying all night- took a hard Derek Stepan feed and went around Arizona defenseman Michael Stone and went backhand deke for his 13th at 55 seconds of the second.

To their credit, the Coyotes fought back. They got some great chances but a sharp Talbot held them off as long as he could. Finally, trade target Antoine Vermette beat Tanner Glass to a loose puck in front and jammed home his 13th from Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Lucas Lessio. Glass was abysmal most of the game. Every time Alain Vigneault sent him out, the Yotes countered and got scoring chances. One which they converted. Vigneault emphasizes rolling four lines. But you cannot have Glass and Lee Stempniak out at the end of a period in a tie game. They almost got burned.

The difference between the Rangers and Coyotes is talent. Our team has it while they don’t. Arizona has some nice players. Lessio and Rieder impressed. On the blueline, they boast two studs in Ekman-Larsson and Keith Yandle. But there’s little else especially with Martin Hanzal out for the season. Shane Doan is near retirement. Until wiz kid Max Domi gets to the Desert, it’s going to be a long climb. Most disturbing was how many Ranger fans celebrated our four-goal third period explosion. The Yotes drew 14,719 at Gila River Arena. If only they had more fans. A better team would help. They’ll be sellers at the deadline.

The third was where the difference in skill level was on display. First, Nash broke in and fired a rocket off the bar for number 35. After Talbot stifled Rieder’s five-hole attempt, Derick Brassard took an awful delay of game minor. It didn’t matter.

Instead, Kevin Hayes scored another highlight reel goal. This time, it was his first career shorthanded goal. A game removed from a brilliant rush and finish at Colorado, he stole the puck inside his own blueline and broke in with Glass of all people. Using Glass as a decoy, Hayes was able to take advantage of Ekman-Larsson’s stick breaking. Faking pass, Ekman-Larsson went down and Hayes fooled everyone by shooting catching Smith leaning to make it 3-1 with 8:06 remaining.

A couple of minutes later, Marc Staal scored into a vacated net from Derek Stepan and Martin St. Louis. That line with Kreider, who was a beast buzzed for a long time. Finally, during a wild scramble Stepan pushed a loose puck to Staal for an easy one-timer with Smith out of position.

During another bizarre sequence where the Coyotes were lost defensively, Stempniak took a Dan Girardi feed in the slot and had his shot bank off Smith and in. It was his first goal since Jan. 8. Also his first point in 14 games. Astonishingly, Glass actually was on the ice for two Rangers goals making him a plus. His first plus-rating dating back to Nov. 23 when he picked up his only point in a win over Montreal. He’s a team worst minus-16. No other current Ranger on the roster is a minus.

Most notably, the game was a milestone for Vigneault who became the 21st coach to win 500 games.

”I feel very privileged and fortunate to have all those good players through the years,” Vigneault said.

For all the flak I give him, Vigneault is a good coach. He’s done well with the roster. Especially allowing Hayes to grow as a player. His rapid improvement could be the key to our chances this postseason. When the Rangers visit the first place Islanders tomorrow, it’s that Hayes line with Carl Hagelin and J.T. Miller that could be a big difference from the first three lopsided meetings. Their ability to skate, forecheck and create offense could put the Islanders on the defensive.

Talbot will make his seventh straight start. So far, he’s 4-1-1 with a 2.67 goals-against-average and a .904 save percentage. While the numbers aren’t overly impressive, he got little support in at least four. The Rangers haven’t played well in front of him. They are still guilty of too many turnovers and defensive lapses. They’ll need to be at their best to finally solve the Islanders.

NY Puck 3 Stars:

3rd Star-Kevin Klein, NYR (2 assists, 6 hits, 2 blocked shots, +1 in 22:48-remarkable)

2nd Star-Kevin Hayes, NYR (1st career shorthanded goal-10th of season, +1 in 16:15-dominant)

1st Star-Cam Talbot, NYR (34 saves incl. a momentum turning save on Rieder penalty shot)

Notes: Dan Boyle missed his 17th game due to illness. John Moore filled in taking 23 shifts (16:45) going plus-one with 3 missed shots and 2 hits. He and partner Matt Hunwick were an adventure with each getting caught leading to dangerous Arizona chances. Fortunately, they didn’t cash in. … Stepan had a strong game tallying two assists and winning 7 of 13 faceoffs. Much better work from him in the circle.

 

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Insulting fans’ intelligence

Posted on February 15, 2015 by hasan4978

As the Devils’ season crashes and burns, are we seeing the final days of Jaromir Jagr in NJ? (TSN.ca)

Fifteen more days.  That’s how long Devil fans have to wait until the NHL trade deadline when hopefully perhaps Lou Lamoriello will start recouping assets (re: picks) to start rebuilding from the trainwreck that is the 2014-15 season.  Of course as of a few days ago Lou was still giving no indication he’d be willing to move anyone and still apparently coaching as if he’s trying to coax a miracle run into the playoffs – latest evidence being Cory Schneider starting both ends of a road back-to-back in Chicago and Nashville.  Right now the Devils are still a full twelve points out of the second wild card spot with Boston having a game in hand and four other teams in between the Devils and Boston, if you want to fool yourself into thinking there’s a chance.  For there to be a chance, the Devils would have to get around 22 wins in their last 26 games.  If you’ve watched even one Devils game over the last month you know that’s just not happening.  If it wasn’t for the presence of Schneider, it quite honestly wouldn’t shock me if the Devils lost 22 of their last 26 games and anyone that watches this team bloody well knows that.

Granted you can say Lou has to put on a public front till the deadline but some of their decisions right now are just scaring me.  If they are going to sell off assets at the deadline they’re sure picking a weird way to go about it, given the way they’ve dramatically cut Jaromir Jagr’s icetime in recent weeks (including on the PP) in favor of offensive powerhouses like Jordin Tootoo and Steve Bernier.  Jagr recently gave the indication that if he’s going to play limited icetime he might as well get traded, or something to that effect and really I can’t blame him.  Scratching Michael Ryder in a number of recent games certainly didn’t help what little value he might have left, especially when he got scratched when the Bruins supposedly had scouts at the Rock to watch him.

They clearly don’t think Eric Gelinas is a big part of their future anymore given the way he’s played and the way he’s been marginalized even when he’s been in the lineup – having his own PP time cut drastically this year.  If they are going to eventually trade him though, scratching him several straight games then throwing him back in there on the road against tough opposition in Chicago and Nashville is not exactly the way to build back up his stock.  It’s more like you’re trying to make the kid fail.  And I get he’s been bad and I get at this point he looks more like Derek buddy Michael Del Zotto or fellow former Devil Kurtis Foster than a player that can be an everyday defenseman, but this team is out of the race anyway…what’s the point of playing retreads like Mark Fraser or Peter Harrold?  Clearly they don’t help the defense much either given the rising shot totals game after game.

It’s not even just those decisions that’s led me to calling the coaching staff The Three Stooges but just the day-in day-out things that if this were another organization they’d literally be accused of tanking.  Putting goal-scoring winger extrordinare – the only one on this team – Mike Cammalleri as a third-line center.  Having Tootoo on the power play at the expense of Jagr and Adam Henrique, who granted has been a giant dissapointment himself the last few months.  Throwing backup Keith Kinkaid to the wolves in Montreal last weekend on the rear end of a back-to-back (with Toronto at home on the front end of it) while giving Schneider the easy home game, then giving Schneider both ends of the road back-to-back this weekend.  Playing a regressive system where you’re routinely getting outshot by 15-20 per game.  Honestly for all of former coach Pete DeBoer’s issues, he looks like a mensa member compared to this group of Hall of Famers that all look like utter bafoons with the product they roll out on the ice night in and night out.

Obviously some blame has to go onto the players themselves too, they clearly were quitting on DeBoer and they’ve gone through the motions even with the GM behind the bench far too often the last few weeks which is frightening enough.  Many of them won’t be here after next year or shouldn’t be here after this year anyway, so that could be a part of the problem.  I get the Devils are a bad team and have zero chance at the playoffs but come on…you’re still professional athletes with a lot of games remaning this season.  You have to do better than getting outshot 21-3 in the first period last night in Nashville!  Or losing a home game to EDMONTON, where you get dominated in the last two periods!  Not to mention any number of other dead man walking performances in the last several weeks – against good and bad teams alike.

Maybe the 2011 run with Jacques Lemaire behind the bench skewed my expectation level over what to look for in the second half of a lost season but I’ll say this, Lemaire wouldn’t have tolerated this garbage the way DeBoer did, or the way the current staff including Lou has.  This is partly where I think this organization is insulting fans’ intelligence a bit.  When you have Lou last night in front of the media saying ‘well if we just gave this kind of an effort all season we wouldn’t be losing’.  Really?  The kind of effort that leads you to being outshot 21-3 in a period?!  I get the last two periods didn’t completely stink, which is shocking in itself – not that I watched most of last night’s debacle, but still are we going to just ignore the fact the first period happened at all?  Or Monday in the Oilers debacle when Lou came close to calling out the team for a bad second period, but then said the effort was ‘better’ in the third.  Really?  You had FIVE SHOTS ON GOAL!  Against Edmonton, in a period where you were trying to come from behind.  Did the Oilers suddenly die and become the ’76 Canadiens with Larry Robinson and Serge Savard patrolling the blueline?  Come on, Lou.

It’s not just hockey ops that’s feeding into fallacies these days, the MSG broadcast from what I’ve heard this season has been atrocious.  I say from what I’ve heard pretty loosely, since I haven’t actually watched a road game all the way through since the Ranger game at MSG just after the coaching change, and most of the home games I go to so thankfully I’ve been away from the deteriorating broadcast this season (funny how the broadcast has mirrored the team itself, a former standard-bearer becoming a laughinstock).  I get you’re trying to sell a product and you want people to actually watch the last twenty-five games but to continually update ‘the playoff race’ or act like this team has a chance at the postseason is just silly.  Steve Cangialosi’s assertion last night that the Devils probably needed to sweep the homestand to have a chance was even laughable.  A chance at what?  They’re nine hundred points out, behind five teams and haven’t had more than a three-game winning streak in two years!  Most of the casual fans who would buy your bs turned the product off long ago because it’s so god-awful and most of the diehard dopes that are still watching just roll their eyes.

It seems as if ownership and the ticket department is also in denial, sending out next season’s invoices – many of them with raises of like 20% from last year.  Now I get Devil sth ticket prices are still enviable compared to MSG or the new arena in Brooklyn next year with an Islanders team people actually want to watch, but it’s just the optics of raising prices to such an extent after a third straight playoff-less season that are all wrong and show how out of touch ownership is.  My tickets this year were $27 a game.  Next year they’ll be around $32.50 per game (including a 7% Newark tax which had been included in the ticket cost every year in the past, whereas now it’s a further add on along with the $3 increase I already got on just the flat ticket price).  When I first became a sth in 120 during the ’11-12 season my tickets were $22.  So essentially I’ve already had a 50% increase in the space of four seasons and the Devils really have to watch it considering the upper bowl used to be a ghost town when sth’s were priced in the high $30’s there before the big slash happened after our first playoff-less season in the last few years.  I haven’t renewed yet but probably will at some point simply because of three words – location, location, location.  Sitting behind the net on the aisle in the 100’s is among the best seats in the building, even if I don’t always like some of the dopes around me.  Not to mention the tenure benefits in terms of rewards and access to player events aren’t insignificant and if I wasn’t mad at just about everyone and anyone associated with the team right now I’d show my appreciation for that part of it at least.

Now if I wasn’t sitting on the aisle right smack behind the net in what’s still one of the cheaper sections?  It’d probably be a different story in terms of renewal.  Cause let’s face it, you can get cheaper tickets on a night-in and night-out basis on the secondary market, especially while the team continues to lose.  Not only is it easier to find cheaper tickets on the secondary market, but it’s also harder to sell them – which is a bit of a juxtaposition – but this year the Devils put a codicil on your season tickets that if you sold more than half they had the right to take action including disabling barcodes.  Next season that codicil becomes even more onerous saying if you sell more than five games you could have tickets disabled with no refund…with the caveat (according to one sth rep) that this doesn’t apply to TicketExchange sales.  Only to other secondary market online sites like StubHub which the team doesn’t profit from.  Apparently the Devils do spend ‘significant’ resources tracking online sites to see what tickets sell but I don’t really know how they can track StubHub sales – aside from digital tickets – now that StubHub lets you leave the seat numbers off your tickets.

I get wanting to protect the value of season tickets, but how exactly does it help protecting the value if you’re going to restrict it to such an extent or put the squeeze on secondary market sales?  Especially when on your own market (TicketExchange) the floor you can sell a pair for is something like $55 – including the hidden costs which only show up when you’re purchasing tickets – but you only clear around $35 from it.  For games like Tuesday against the Sabres that floor’s just not realistic, no matter how much you try to artificially influence the market people will always find other underground methods of buying and selling tickets, or worse not be able to and eventually realize just how much money they wind up eating by not selling tickets.  Especially when it’s above the floor you yourself price these games at – the Sabres game for me has a ‘sth cost’ of $15 per ticket.  Plus let’s face it, there isn’t exactly a waiting list for Devils tickets.  Maybe you could pull off this crap at MSG where you could always comp a celebrity to fill empty seats and sell out every game, but when you have a limited fanbase you can’t do things like raise tickets and then tell people what they can and can’t do with their tickets.

Even given all that, let’s face it – I still like going to games (as bad as the product’s been this year), I still like all the other add-ons sth’s get, and I still foolishly believe this team can turn around sooner rather than later IF Lou returns to reality and starts improving the forward core during the draft and planning for next year at the deadline instead of feeding into the fools’ gold of chasing a playoff berth they’ll never get.

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Video Of Day: Kevin Hayes Undresses the Avalanche

Posted on February 13, 2015 by Derek

Our Video Of Day is none other than impressive rookie Kevin Hayes undressing the Avalanche for a highlight reel goal during last night’s Rangers’ 6-3 win. He went end to end and around two Avs before pulling off a sweet deke and forehand finish past Semyon Varlamov.

Hayes looked like star teammate Rick Nash, who also got into the high wire act with his league best 34th. While I haven’t located the video for that, I did come across a cool moment before the game. Nash was nice enough to take a selfie with a lucky fan by the glass. A very cool moment that that kid won’t soon forget.

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