By qualifying Kakko, the Rangers have options

Posted on June 14, 2024 by Derek

It didn’t take long for the Rangers to make a decision on Kaapo Kakko. On Thursday, they re-signed Kakko to the qualifier for one year, $2.4 million.

The 23-year-old Kakko posted 13 goals and six assists for 19 points in 61 games this season. He missed 21 games due to a leg injury. He spent most of his return on the third line.

In the postseason, Kakko had a goal and an assist in 15 games. Similar to what happened two years ago, he was a healthy scratch for one game in the Eastern Conference Final. He voiced his displeasure over being out of the lineup for Matt Rempe in Game 2. It was understandable.

Following Jimmy Vesey sustaining a separated shoulder against the Panthers, Kakko played the remainder of the series. Aside from a brief cameo with Mika Zibanejad and Chris Kreider, he was mostly on the third line. Unfortunately, they failed to produce enough.

Kakko is at a crossroads in his career. He’s yet to establish himself as a top six forward. Having failed to score 20 goals in any of his first five seasons, the right wing knows that he must be better.

Peter Laviolette gave him the keys to the first line at the start of 2023-24. However, his failure to establish more offense with Zibanejad and Kreider in the Rangers’ first 11 games led to him being moved down the lineup. A place he’s been throughout his five years as a Blueshirt.

By qualifying him, the Rangers have set themselves up for one of two scenarios. They can try to package Kakko in a deal that would benefit both parties. It hasn’t worked out well. He could benefit from a change of scenery.

If they fail to move him, the Rangers can let Kakko play out the next season. If he can improve his performance, then maybe he stays put as part of another run. If he doesn’t, they have an affordable young player who can be moved at next year’s trade deadline.

The second option feels like the more likely scenario. They don’t have to force a trade this summer. Unless another team offers something worthwhile, they can wait and see how things play out.

Kakko is still a reliable checking forward who can play in the top nine. When they selected him with the number two pick behind Jack Hughes in the 2019 NHL Draft, it was with the hope that Kakko would evolve into a scoring forward. Unfortunately, that hasn’t happened.

The Rangers didn’t handle Kakko right in his rookie year. He struggled mightily and probably would’ve benefitted from some time in Hartford. The organization was top stubborn to admit they made a mistake. It hurt his development.

When he achieved career highs in goals (18), assists (22), and points (40) during 2022-23, it looked like he was on the right track. But he couldn’t follow it up.

Instead, Alexis Lafreniere was the breakout player this season by scoring 28 goals with 29 assists for 57 points. Lafreniere grew in stature during the playoffs by tying for the team lead in goals (8) while adding six helpers for 14 points to finish fourth in scoring.

One former high pick looks poised to become a star. The other is still a question mark. Where they go from here is anyone’s guess.

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League hypocrisy a hollow reminder on Player Safety

Posted on June 12, 2024 by Derek

On a quiet Wednesday in June, hockey has only a few games left. That depends on if the Oilers can respond at home starting tomorrow night. They trail the Panthers two games to none, having been held to only one goal.

The Oilers are finding out what the Rangers learned in the last round. Offense is hard to come by against the stingy Panthers. Even boasting Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl hasn’t been enough to beat Sergei Bobrovsky. He was brilliant in Game 1 and strong in Game 2.

Admittedly, I haven’t caught any of the first two games of the Stanley Cup Finals. However, I saw enough highlights on both social media and NHL Network. The Panthers cashed in on Oilers’ mistakes to take Game 1. They dominated Game 2. Evan Rodrigues scored twice in the third period to break open a tie game.

That’s not what’s been discussed on the two off days before Thursday’s game. Instead, Draisaitl has been front and center. During the third period of Game 2, he delivered a questionable hit on Aleksander Barkov that forced him to leave the game.

They called it a two-minute minor for roughing. The problem was that Draisaitl made head contact. As he went for the hit, he came upwards due to his foot leaving the ice. It was more of a charge than roughing. By elevating, he delivered an illegal hit that put Barkov at risk.

The second angle shows it better. It easily could’ve been a five-minute major and game misconduct. Earlier in the contest, Warren Foegle was assessed a five and a game for kneeing Eetu Luostarinen. That might’ve affected the call on Draisaitl.

In a high stakes game, the officials are less likely to eject a key player for a dirty play. During the postseason, we’ve seen Sam Bennett get away with injuring Brad Marchand in the second round. His rabbit punch to Marchand went unpenalized. Marchand missed multiple games.

With the Panthers getting encouraging news on Barkov yesterday, the league decided not to even address the Draisaitl hit. There wasn’t even a fine. When it comes to player safety, there’s definitely a double standard. An established star is given a lot more leeway.

Imagine if Matt Rempe had made the same hit. He’d have gotten the gate and been suspended multiple games. His size and strength work against him. Even when he made a conscious effort to deliver clean checks during the playoffs, he was called for some very iffy penalties. The rookie was on a short leash. That impacted how Rangers coach Peter Laviolette used him.

Too much of how the Department of Player Safety operates depends on whether a targeted player suffers an injury. If they were good at their job, Draisaitl would be out for Game 3. Instead, he didn’t even have a phone hearing.

George Parros is the current man in charge. A former enforcer who made his living using his fists, he has a Princeton education. It doesn’t seem to be being put to good use. There’s still too much inconsistency when it comes to disciplining players for their actions.

It’s almost like the league plays politics. Certain players can get away with more. That’s part of the hypocrisy. It frustrates fans of the sport. Judging from some of the responses on the Draisaitl hit, many felt that he deserved to be suspended a game.

The Rangers employ Jacob Trouba. He could’ve been suspended for an elbow that grazed Rodrigues’ chin and neck last round. He was lucky that it didn’t make head contact. Trouba was fined $5,000. Otherwise, he’d have gotten the rest of the series for that elbow.

Trouba plays on the edge. Even when he doesn’t make contact on some of his attempted big hits, it causes a reaction. He nearly decapitated Martin Necas in the second round. He ducked out of the way at the last moment.

Trouba’s risky play finally caught up to him during the winter. During a game against the Golden Knights on Jan. 26, he elbowed Pavel Dorofeyev in the head on a faceoff. He was suspended for two games and forfeited $83,333.34 to the Players’ Emergency Assistance Fund.

Making a player accountable for their actions is the best way to keep them in line. It didn’t stop Trouba from taking some dangerous risks. If he remains a Ranger, he’ll have to be more careful moving forward.

By the same token, when the league turns a blind eye to its other stars, it reflects poorly. There must be more consistency. Draisaitl will play in tomorrow’s crucial third game for Edmonton. They need both him and McDavid to figure out the Panthers’ defense and solve Bobrovsky.

Of course, it’s better to have Draisaitl in for such a pivotal game. Will the Panthers seek retribution? Boasting Matthew Tkachuk and Bennett, they aren’t shy about taking liberties. Ask McDavid about some of the scrums so far.

Panthers coach Paul Maurice is keeping things close to the vest regarding Barkov. He returned to practice earlier today. Maurice wouldn’t divulge anything.

The Panthers are two wins away from delivering the franchise’s first Cup. Winning should be the priority. A win in Game 3 would probably finish off the Oilers. It’ll be interesting to see what happens.

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Tough decisions ahead for Drury and Rangers

Posted on June 8, 2024 by Derek

On Friday, Rangers team president and general manager Chris Drury answered questions about a successful season. He was also asked about whether the core is capable of winning a championship.

Drury chose his words carefully. A calculated executive who never reveals much to the press, he didn’t divulge anything substantial. When it comes down to how the team is run, Drury is very good at keeping things close to the vest. Nobody really knows what he’s thinking.

“We’re looking at a lot of different things and there are different ways to get to where we want to go,” Drury said. “To me, really nothing is off the table.”

With the Stanley Cup Finals beginning tonight, it’s an eerie feeling. There’s not much excitement to watch the Panthers take on the Oilers. At least for many fans who support the Blueshirts.

I’m not particularly interested in seeing two other teams battle for the Cup. Coming so close stings. Even if the Panthers were the better team, ultimately defeating the Rangers in six, it doesn’t matter. A record-setting season that included the most wins (55) and points (114) in franchise history ended two victories shy of playing for the Cup.

It wasn’t a failure. They had an outstanding season. Peter Laviolette came in and did a great job. His trust in Alexis Lafreniere paid off. Lafreniere flourished on their best line with Vincent Trocheck and Artemi Panarin – achieving career bests in goals (28), assists (29), and points (57). He followed that up with a good postseason by scoring eight goals with six helpers for 14 points. The eight all came at even strength to lead the team.

Lafreniere’s improvement was the best thing to happen. The former 2020 top pick now looks ready to take the next step in his career. At times during the playoffs, he was the Rangers’ best skater. The highlight reel goal he scored on Sergei Bobrovsky in Game 3 is probably the goal of the playoffs. He played like a star.

Despite Adam Fox being restricted due to re-injuring his knee in the first round, the Rangers got past the Hurricanes in a hard fought six-game series to reach the Eastern Conference Final. Fox was still able to improve his offensive play with four assists against the Panthers. But he didn’t score a goal in the postseason.

Offense from the blue line was an issue. K’Andre Miller and Jacob Trouba had the only two goals from the back end. Both came while shorthanded. There still were moments like Ryan Lindgren setting up Chris Kreider for his natural hat trick that clinched a thrilling come from behind 5-3 win in Game 6 to stun the Hurricanes. It was a great play by the defensive defenseman, who’s been a warrior for this team.

There was the astonishing spin a rama from Fox when his backhand feed set up Lafreniere’s tying goal in Game 4. Unfortunately, they fell in overtime on Sam Reinhart’s power-play goal. That swung the series in the Panthers’ favor.

Igor Shesterkin was unbelievable. He made so many great saves against the supremely skilled Panthers from high danger areas. Shesterkin gave the Rangers every chance to win the series. He set himself up for a big payday. It’ll either come later this summer or sometime next year. The Rangers can’t afford to let him get to unrestricted free agency.

As disappointing as Panarin was against the very detail oriented Panthers, his season ranked as one of the greatest in Rangers’ history. The 49 goals and 120 points were career highs. Only Jaromir Jagr had more points (123) in a single season for the Blueshirts.

Trocheck was their most consistent  forward. It wasn’t just the 25 goals, 52 assists, and 77 points. It was his overall play. He was dominant on faceoffs, winning 58.7 percent. He went 57.8 in the postseason while pacing the Rangers with 20 points (8-12-20).

It was a struggle for Mika Zibanejad in the third round. He didn’t score and only had two assists. That directly impacted sidekick Kreider, who finished with a goal and an assist. If only they received more production from the two senior leaders.

It didn’t help that the right wing became a revolving door. After some early success in the first two rounds, Jack Roslovic was ineffective against Florida. That caused Laviolette to try some different combos. Nothing worked. Eventually, Filip Chytil was moved back to center the third line for Game 6. Alex Wennberg was used on the first line.

If Drury decides to stick with this core that’s come up short, then he must solve the lack of a top line right wing. Ever since trading away Pavel Buchnevich to the Blues, he hasn’t been able to find a suitable replacement. Frank Vatrano was the best fit as a rental in 2022. They even tried Patrick Kane, but he was limited due to his hip.

It still falls on Zibanejad and Kreider to have more of an impact at 5-on-5. They spent far too much time in their zone against Aleksander Barkov. Even if Zibanejad was correct that they didn’t get scored on when matched up, they were dominated. There was hardly any forecheck or offense created.

What if they brought back Mats Zuccarello? As good as he still is, defense isn’t a strength. He also turns 37 in September.

Kaapo Kakko remains an in-house option. But as he noted on breakup day, they weren’t very good when together earlier in the season. They were on for only two goals for and one goal against in the first 11 games. Drury will have to decide whether to keep Kakko this summer. He can be qualified for $2.4 million. It’s a very affordable price for a player who’s still just 23.

There will be a tough decision on Lindgren, who’s a restricted free agent. Do they take him to arbitration or re-sign him to an extension? Lindgren earned $4 million in 2023-24. His average cap hit was $3 million.

The defense partner of Fox is 26. However, the taxing style he plays makes him a risk to sign long-term. He’ll want over $5 million for five to six years. Is it wise to invest in an undersized defenseman who already has played through injuries? If I’m Drury, the most I’d offer is four years at around $5.25 million. That’s fair.

Braden Schneider is also an RFA. He remains a third pair defenseman with second pair potential. They don’t have to sign him long-term. It can be a bridge deal.

A better skater than Trouba, whose play suffered against the Panthers, Schneider fits in well with K’Andre Miller. Miller reads and reacts better when paired with Schneider. However, he still leaves something to be desired. While he’s capable, there are still some decisions he makes that can improve.

Zac Jones is signed for another year. He took a step in the right direction. Jones has the speed and skating to transition the puck well. He improved defensively. It would be a wise decision for Jones to begin next season on the third pair. He definitely could’ve replaced Erik Gustafsson, who wasn’t effective against Florida.

If they were open to making a change to a defense that spent too much time in their end, would Drury entertain a trade? Trouba’s no-movement clause becomes a 15-team no-trade list on July 1. When asked about the captain, he had nothing but praise for him.

“Jacob’s been an excellent captain and leader for us. Comes to play hard every night. It’s hard enough to get through one playoff series, let alone 3, without having players, or a specific player, banged up. He gives us everything he can every single night.”

With two years remaining on a seven-year contract that pays him an average cap hit of $8 million, the 30-year-old Trouba has shown regression. He isn’t very mobile and frequently gets caught out of position. The Panthers applied heavy pressure on him. That resulted in some turnovers. He took a league worst 11 penalties in the postseason.

Some of that can be attributed to playing on a bad ankle that he broke in March. As expected, Trouba made no excuses for his play. He’s very accountable. A high character player who leads with big hits and key blocks, he’s an important part of the core. While the idea of moving him is intriguing, it might not be in the Rangers’ best interest. It could hurt team chemistry.

Maybe if Trouba remains a Ranger, the better question is whether he should have a reduced role. Playing on the third pair with Jones seems like a good idea. He wouldn’t face as much quality competition. Trouba’s still a good penalty killer who logs key minutes. Sheltering him at even strength makes sense. Especially if the skating remains an issue.

I doubt that Drury would move Lindgren. Unless negotiations turn ugly, that remains unlikely. Only he knows what the team’s plans are.

There also is the center question. If Zibanejad and Trocheck are the top two, is Chytil a good number 3? An injury prone player who has a concussion history, nobody knows what Chytil’s future is.

An exciting player who possesses speed, skating, and skill, the 24-year-old was limited to 10 games during the season. He had six assists. He surprisingly returned for the playoffs. But the Rangers were careful not to overplay him. They managed him. Chytil didn’t register a point in six games. He played on the wing for five of those six. An area he’s not accustomed to.

When they extended him during 2022-23 for an AAV of $4.44 million through 2026-27, it was with the hope that he could build on the career best 22-goal, 23 assist season he posted. Chytil turns 25 in September. He still isn’t consistent on faceoffs. However, most of his zone starts are in the offensive zone. A wise way to use him.

What can be expected? That’s hard to predict. If Chytil avoided the injury bug, he certainly could upgrade the Rangers’ offense. But he’s not a big checking center who can match up. That’s why Zibanejad frequently goes against opponents’ best. We saw how much Barkov limited his effectiveness.

Barclay Goodrow again raised his level in the spring. A gritty player who is more than just statistics, which the Corsi community overlooks, Goodrow often starts his shifts in the defensive zone. A strong penalty killer who teamed up with Trocheck to form a strong tandem, he remains a trusted player. A locker room leader that’s won before, Goodrow probably will stay put.

The fourth line definitely missed Jimmy Vesey. He suffered a separated shoulder during Game 2 on a vicious Ryan Lomberg hit. Even though he’s a secondary role player, Vesey plays with edge and wins puck battles. He is a good player who brings energy to his shifts. Vesey was also used on the penalty kill.

If they’re to get heavier, Matt Rempe has a place on the roster. For a former sixth round pick, the 21-year-old handled himself with so much poise. Whether he was in the lineup or not, his attitude never wavered. The quality he has is something that is exciting for teammates, coaches, and fans. He really is a terrific kid.

Rempe’s popularity make him a fan favorite. It isn’t only about the hits or toughness he brings. He knows how to play the game. A solid skater for his size, he knows where to go. He was effective on the forecheck and did a good job screening goalies. An area the Rangers aren’t good at aside from Kreider, who makes his living tipping in shots.

Will Cuylle certainly needs an increased role. He spent too much time on the fourth line against the Panthers. His skating ability and unique combination of grit and physicality should make him a good player. He isn’t shy about shooting the puck, either. Cuylle obviously has to be given more ice time next season. There’s a lot to like about the way he plays.

What about in-house candidates? Brennan Othmann proved he wasn’t ready. In his first full pro season with the Wolf Pack, he scored 21 goals with 28 assists for 49 points. But he finished a minus-24. In the Calder Cup Playoffs, he had a goal and four assists.

At 21, the former 2021 first round pick has to prove himself. We’ll see how he progresses during rookie prospect camp this summer. Maybe a strong training camp can make a difference. Much will depend on the Rangers’ off-season.

Brett Berard also had a good first pro year in Hartford. He had 25 goals with 23 assists  and a minus-23 rating. In the playoffs, Berard had a goal and five assists. A former 2020 fifth round pick, the Providence College product makes up for his lack of size with speed and grit. He could be the classic overachiever. Time shall tell.

Adam Edstrom was a pleasant surprise after being called up. He scored twice in 11 games. Edstrom provided more size and strength to the fourth line with Rempe. He’s 23. Edstrom should definitely be considered for a roster spot next fall.

With $12 million in cap space, the Rangers know that Lindgren will take up a chunk. That’ll leave approximately $7 million for Kakko and Schneider. If they spend a combined $4.3 million on both, there won’t be much wiggle room. They would be able to add a solid depth player.

The ultimate question is, do they want to run it back. I’ve highlighted the flaws of the current roster. There’s room for growth due to Lafreniere, Cuylle, Rempe, and Kakko if he stays.

Are they constructed well enough to end a 31-year drought? That’s an answer only Drury can provide.

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Rangers have interesting decision on Kakko

Posted on June 5, 2024 by Derek

Kaapo Kakko was very candid about his season at breakup day. The 23-year-old right wing indicated that he likes it here. He thinks that the Rangers have a great chance to win.

Considering the year they had, that isn’t debatable. Under Peter Laviolette, they finished with the league’s best record to win the Presidents’ Trophy. For the second time in three years, they advanced to the Conference Finals. Unlike 2022, when they blew a 2-0 series lead before losing in six games to the Lightning, the Rangers were up 2-1 before falling to the Panthers in six.

For Kakko, it was a disappointing season. Year 5 didn’t go as expected. After setting career highs in goals (18), assists (22), and points (40) in 2022-23, the former 2019 second pick wasn’t able to follow it up.

At the start of 2023-24, Laviolette gave him the opportunity to play on the first line with Mika Zibanejad and Chris Kreider. In the first 11 games, Kakko scored once and had an assist while on the line. There wasn’t enough production from the trio to keep them together. Laviolette shifted Kakko down to the third line.

“All those games we played together never worked out that well. If you’re playing those minutes, you have to score some goals also, and I feel we never scored that much. So, I can’t say I didn’t get the chance with those guys,” Kakko told reporters on Tuesday at the Rangers practice facility in Tarrytown.

He finished a two-year contract that paid him an average cap hit of $2.1 million. A restricted free agent this summer, Kakko said he would like to stay.

“We’ll see about all the things here. I like it. Like the team’s great. Everyone wants to win. I feel here is a chance to win. I think next season, it’s gonna be about the same team. So, I like it here.”

Kakko missed 21 games in the winter due to a lower-body injury. After tallying two goals and an assist in October and November, he posted 11 goals and five assists for 16 points in his last 41 games – totaling 13 goals and six assists for 19 points over 61 games this season.

For the postseason, he played on the third line with Alex Wennberg and either Will Cuylle or Jack Roslovic. He and Filip Chytil were reunited once for the Rangers’ final game against the Panthers. Unfortunately, he wasn’t able to produce offensively. He finished with a goal and an assist in three rounds.

When Laviolette opted to dress Matt Rempe for Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Final, Kakko became the odd man out. He expressed some frustration at being a healthy scratch. He returned to play the last four games of the series. Despite doing some good things in the offensive zone, he wasn’t able to get on the score sheet.

In 2022, as a 21-year-old, he was a key part of the Kid Line with Chytil and Alexis Lafreniere. They provided energy and secondary scoring during that run. Kakko had two goals and three assists for five points. He still was a healthy scratch for Dryden Hunt in Game 6 against the Lightning. It was mystifying.

It probably wasn’t fair that Kakko sat out against the Panthers in Game 2. That’s exactly the decision Laviolette made. Had Jimmy Vesey not gone down with a separated shoulder on a Ryan Lomberg hit, who knows what would’ve happened. Although Roslovic was effective in the previous rounds, he could’ve been the odd man out had Vesey stayed healthy.

I’d like to believe Kakko would’ve played over Roslovic. His size and strength are better attributes when you face a big, tough opponent like the Panthers. Kakko wasn’t shy about finishing checks. He played more physically in his third postseason. It might not be something he’s comfortable with. But he did it.

Still only 23, Kakko has already played 300 career games. He’s totaled 57 goals with 60 assists for 117 points. As disappointing as the offense has been, he’s become a dependable defensive forward. He usually does a good job on the backcheck. There were moments when he came back and cleared the puck away from the front of the net against the Panthers.

The question is what is best for Kakko. In his final press conference of a successful season, Laviolette took some of the blame for not getting more out of Kakko. He feels that Kakko can be a top six forward.

“In my conversation with Kakko, I took my responsibility. As a coach, I didn’t find it with him. I think he’s a good player that we were all hoping would take another step. My responsibility as a coach is to unleash these players as well.

I’ve got to find a better way to get him involved. I think there’s responsibility for him, for what he brings to the table and what he brings to the game. Next year’s a new year. I do think he has the ability to be a top six forward. … I do think he can be that player. And that’s my job and his job to make that happen,” Laviolette stated.

With the off-season ahead, Rangers team president and general manager Chris Drury will again have to answer the question about who can fill the hole on the right side of the first line.

If he decides not to make any significant changes to the core, then Zibanejad and Kreider need someone who’s capable of producing consistently at 5-on-5. They can’t have another season like the past one. Their inability to score at even strength eventually cost the team a chance to play for the Stanley Cup.

With a little over $12 million in cap space, the Rangers have some interesting decisions to make on Kakko, Ryan Lindgren, and Braden Schneider. All are restricted free agents with Lindgren a top priority. A year away from unrestricted status, he indicated that he wanted to be here. It’ll be interesting to see what that contract will look like.

If the Rangers decide to keep Kakko, it would probably cost around $2.5 million over one year. The thing is that there might be some interest from other teams. If the two sides mutually decide to move on, it might be in Kakko’s best interest. He could have a more prominent role on a rebuilding team. A lot will depend on the market. You don’t just throw away Kakko for nothing.

Some would argue that they should’ve gone all in on Jake Guentzel. That would’ve meant packaging Kakko and Brennan Othmann along with a first round pick. There was no guarantee. Something the Hurricanes found out in the second round. Guentzel probably would’ve been a rental. It remains to be seen if he’ll re-sign with Carolina.

The Rangers aren’t expected to re-sign Wennberg, Roslovic, or Blake Wheeler. Erik Gustafsson isn’t guaranteed a spot. Zac Jones can easily replace him.

I’d imagine that they’ll want to extend Igor Shesterkin. He’ll be entering the final year of his contract that pays him a bargain,  $5.67 million. The 28-year-old proved that he’s arguably the best goalie. His performance in the second and especially the third round were remarkable.

Shesterkin should be in line to double his salary next summer. He could be looking at a ballpark figure of $12 million per year. That’s an awful lot of money. It doesn’t look like the Rangers have any choice. Long-term deals on goalies are always risky. We saw what happened with Henrik Lundqvist towards the end of his brilliant career.

However, without Shesterkin, the Rangers would be sunk. They can seriously contend for the Cup over the next few years. We’ll see if both sides decide to get it done. There’s plenty of time.

Sooner than later, we’ll have a better idea of Kakko’s future.

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Criticism of banged up Blueshirts misguided

Posted on June 5, 2024 by Derek

On Tuesday, the Rangers held their final day of the season in Tarrytown. Breakup day is always harder after getting eliminated from the playoffs.

Given the special season they had, it isn’t easy to stand at their lockers and answer questions from the media. These close-knit Blueshirts came close to their goal. Unfortunately, they ran out of gas against the Panthers in a closely fought six-game series. It’ll be another tough summer ahead after not winning the Stanley Cup.

As is customary, some key players revealed the injuries they played with during the run to the Conference Finals. Rangers captain Jacob Trouba admitted that he suffered a broken ankle during March, which led to him missing 11 games. He told reporters that a kidney-sized bean chunk came off.

“It’s not an excuse or anything by any means, I was ready to play,” Trouba said after clearly struggling against the Panthers. “It was an interesting one to play with. It was different than other injuries I’ve come back from in the past.”

When he returned, Trouba initially played with regular partner K’Andre Miller. However, his struggles resulted in coach Peter Laviolette having him play with Erik Gustafsson on the third pair. Outside of being reunited with Miller at the conclusion of the second round and part of the Eastern Conference Final, he played with Gustafsson.

Trouba and Gustafsson were both responsible for Sam Bennett’s goal in Game 6. As easy as it is to pin that loss on the captain, the Rangers were shut out by Sergei Bobrovsky until Artemi Panarin scored with 1:40 left in regulation.

The offense failed to deliver in the last two games. In Game 5, the Rangers were held in check by the stingy Panthers’ checking. A missed opportunity on a power play proved costly in a tie game in the third period. Eventually, Anton Lundell scored in transition by using Braden Schneider as a screen to beat Igor Shesterkin with 9:38 left.

It wasn’t until after Bennett scored an empty netter that Alexis Lafreniere banked in a Mika Zibanejad shot pass to make it 3-2 with 50 seconds remaining. An icing on the next faceoff finished them off.

Between the failure of the top players to produce at 5-on-5 and the power play unable to provide any consistency, it was the offense that let down the Rangers.

The glaring mistakes of Trouba, Gustafsson, Schneider, Miller, Ryan Lindgren, and Adam Fox were magnified due to the lack of goal scoring.

It was never more evident than when Zibanejad forced a pass to Blake Wheeler in the first minute of overtime in Game 4. That turnover forced Wheeler to hook Aleksander Barkov from behind, leading to Sam Reinhart’s power-play goal in sudden death. That proved to be the turning point of the series.

Even a brilliant shorthanded goal from Chris Kreider couldn’t ignite the Blueshirts to a win in Game 5. A splendid play started by Kreider led to Zibanejad pushing the puck up for Kreider to move in and fake out Bobrovsky for a sweet backhand finish to give them a 1-0 lead early in the second period.

Gustafsson negated a 5-on-3 when he went after Niko Mikkola for bumping into Shesterkin. They still let a 5-on-4 advantage slip. Eventually, a turnover allowed the Panthers to quickly transition and get the tying goal from Gustav Forsling.

Aside from Trouba playing hurt, Adam Fox confirmed that he reinjured his knee during the first round. It occurred when he took a knee on knee hit from Capitals defenseman Nick Jensen in Game 4. Fox was never the same. His skating suffered. The injury limited his offense and affected him defensively.

“It was a little bit of a tough situation,” he said. “When you’re on the ice, whether you’re 100 percent, 70 percent, 50 percent, you’re not going to make the excuse of, ‘Oh I didn’t play up to the standard because of this and that.’ I think everyone’s always a little banged up this time of year.”

Despite his struggles, he still had a mesmerizing setup for a Lafreniere tying goal in the third period of Game 4. He spun around and sent a backhand pass for Lafreniere to tip in. It was a remarkable play.

Fox looked to be getting better in Game 6. He was much more involved. However, the Rangers found it difficult to get inside on the Panthers. He finished the postseason with eight assists. Half came in the Eastern Conference Final.

Lindgren cracked a rib in Game 6 against the Hurricanes. He used the off days to recover. It was business as usual for the Rangers’ ultimate warrior. Number 55 has a lot in common with a former No. 5. Dan Girardi always played bruised and battered. Lindgren is cut out of the same mold.

Jimmy Vesey confirmed the obvious. The big hit he took from Ryan Lomberg in Game 2 was a separated shoulder. Encouraging is that he doesn’t need surgery. He’ll begin rehabbing it this summer.

“It was tough to miss the last bit of the year,” Vesey said. “Obviously, as a team we start in September and it’s a long regular season and a long journey to get to the playoffs. It was brutal to not be out there with my teammates. … Everything’s fine, it’s going to recover, but unfortunately I just needed some more time to get back into a game.

“When you’re up 2-1 in the series, everything’s like, ‘Take your time.’ And then it flips and you’re facing elimination. As a player you want to be out there. I wanted to try. I was willing to do whatever I had to do to try to play, but trainers and coaches decided that it probably wasn’t worth the risk of me further injuring it.”

Of course, there was criticism from displeased fans on social media. They couldn’t understand why Trouba played if he wasn’t that effective. Calling a player ‘selfish’ for playing through an injury is misguided. Especially when it’s a team leader.

Was it selfish when he sacrificed his body to block shots? It wasn’t a good postseason for Trouba. He took way too many penalties and was culpable on some goals against. Maybe Laviolette and his teammates value him a lot more than any fan who follows the team.

It isn’t easy to play significant minutes. Could they have put Zac Jones in for Trouba? Probably. But would you have trusted Gustafsson with Jones? If there was a move to be made, it was inserting Jones for Gustafsson, who was ineffective against the Panthers. How many pucks did he throw away to avoid contact?

With Fox’s mobility hindered, Jones’ speed could’ve come in handy. Especially with a blue line that wasn’t too fast. There wasn’t enough offense from the defense. Fox led all Rangers’ defesemen with eight points (assists). Trouba was second with seven points (1-6-7). Both he and Miller scored the only goals while shorthanded. Gustafsson had three assists, and Schneider had two assists.

If Laviolette had made the move for Jones, how much would he have helped? Were the Rangers a seventh defenseman away from beating the Panthers? Realistically, the answer is no.

Of the 13 forwards that played, only three had good series. Lafreniere led the Rangers with four goals. Vincent Trocheck paced them with six points (2-4-6). Barclay Goodrow scored three goals, including an overtime winner in Game 2. Panarin finished with a goal and three assists for four points. But he was limited by the Panthers, who took away time and space. Neither Zibanejad nor Kreider recorded a point at 5-on-5.

Shesterkin posted a 2.25 goals-against-average (GAA) and .930 save percentage in a losing effort. He was brilliant. Even with facing more high danger chances, he stood tall to give the Rangers a chance to win.

In 2015, the Rangers lost an eerie Eastern Conference Final to the Lightning in seven games. There was no such thing as momentum.

After getting shut out 2-0 in Game 5, the Rangers went into Tampa and beat the Lightning 7-3 in Game 6. Derick Brassard posted a hat trick and five points in the win. Then came Game 7.

After failing on two power plays in the second period, the Rangers fell flat in the third. Alex Killorn beat Henrik Lundqvist less than two minutes in. Ondrej Palat added some insurance as the Lightning shut out the Rangers 2-0 to take the series.

The Lightning won the last three games at Madison Square Garden. The road team won five of the seven.

Following the series elimination, it was revealed that five defensemen played with injuries. Similar to Trouba, who was blasted, Girardi and Marc Staal were the whipping boys for losses by fools. Ryan McDonagh played with a broken foot.

Unlike the reaction yesterday, they were called warriors. Most people realized that it was the offense that failed to deliver in Games 5 and 7. A lack of adjustments on home ice didn’t help. It was a missed opportunity.

If they had Mats Zuccarello, they likely advance to a second straight Stanley Cup Final. He was skating. We’ll never know what would’ve happened.

Unlike that series, the Rangers were beat by a better team. By going after the organization, it comes off as sour grapes. Every team that makes it this far has players playing banged up. It’s what separates hockey from the other major sports. They should be lauded and applauded.

It doesn’t give enough credit to the Panthers, whose best players were superior to the Rangers. They executed better at 5-on-5, on special teams, and defensively. That’s why they’re playing for the Cup.

More class should be shown by our fans. It was a great season. Let’s try to appreciate what they accomplished.

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Laviolette had a hard time replacing Vesey

Posted on June 3, 2024 by Derek

It was the second period of Game 2. Panthers forward Ryan Lomberg caught Jimmy Vesey with a big hit in open ice that injured the Rangers forward.

Vesey never returned for the remainder of the series. That night, the Rangers overcame his loss to pull out a 2-1 overtime win at The Garden. Barclay Goodrow won the game with 5:35 left.

It was obvious that the high hit Vesey took was a serious injury that ended his season. Whether it was the shoulder or forearm, he was writhing in pain. His loss was felt by the Rangers in the Eastern Conference Final.

Although he played a secondary role as a trustee checking forward who could kill penalties, Vesey was a key player on the fourth line. He had good chemistry with Goodrow and Matt Rempe. Their energy was infectious. It galvanized the team.

An outsider might not understand Vesey’s value. It was his combination of skating and grit that were key ingredients to the fourth line’s effectiveness. Losing him hurt the team’s depth.

Tried as he did, Rangers coach Peter Laviolette never was able to replace Vesey. For some games, Will Cuylle slid down to play with Goodrow and either Rempe or Jonny Brodzinski. Cuylle needed to have a bigger role. He was better suited for the third line.

Facing a very heavy team in the Panthers, Laviolette shortchanged himself by limiting Cuylle’s minutes. He got less than nine minutes over the last two games. Hardly enough for a young player who brought size, speed, and physicality.

The Rangers needed more of that. Jack Roslovic and Filip Chytil were ineffective against the Panthers. Laviolette never found the right fit for Mika Zibanejad and Chris Kreider. By moving Alex Wennberg up for Game 6, it was an admission that Chris Drury failed at the trade deadline.

To his credit, Roslovic had an impact earlier in the playoffs. He picked up two assists in the Rangers’ 5-3 comeback win over the Hurricanes in Game 6 to advance to the Conference Finals. However, he was ineffective against the stronger Panthers.

Chytil never quite fit on the right side with Zibanejad and Kreider. Eventually, Laviolette shifted Chytil back to center for Saturday’s game. Had he been healthy, Vesey probably would’ve gotten a look on the first line. That’s how out of wack things got.

A role player like Vesey shouldn’t have dramatically changed the lineup. It did because he was good on the forecheck. An area many Rangers struggled at against a tough opponent.

Laviolette even had Goodrow play up with Chytil and Kaapo Kakko. He went away from what worked all season. Goodrow was a fixture as the checking pivot. He helped supply valuable depth.

It didn’t make sense to move Wennberg up. He would’ve been better suited on the fourth line. Maybe Cuylle could’ve been tried with Zibanejad and Kreider. His aggressive style might’ve opened up the ice for them.

Laviolette tried different combinations. After having success with Roslovic in the first two rounds, he went away from it. That was due in large part to the matchup against Panthers Selke winner Aleksander Barkov.

The first line had its struggles. They didn’t score a goal at 5-on-5 against the Panthers.  Chytil was tried on the right wing. The trio were unable to generate any consistency. The lack of a forecheck hurt. They were unable to cycle pucks and create enough pressure.

For the most part, Artemi Panarin wasn’t used much with Zibanejad and Kreider. Laviolette only double shifted him occasionally. When it became apparent that they were unable to get inside during the third period in Game 6, maybe Laviolette should’ve loaded up. It couldn’t have hurt their chances.

Laviolette was so dependent on the Panarin, Vincent Trocheck, and Alexis Lafreniere line that he probably resisted the urge. Playing Wennberg with Zibanejad and Kreider was out of character. It didn’t give the team the best chance.

With Rempe hardly utilized, Laviolette went back to Brodzinski on the fourth line. He centered Cuylle and Roslovic. In all honesty, Goodrow was a much better fit. From an energy standpoint, he was one of the most effective players. Even though he was moved up to play with Chytil and Kakko, he only played 11:46. There were just two penalties called.

The Rangers missed Vesey’s grit. He complemented Goodrow and Rempe, who was effective when Laviolette played him. It wasn’t enough against the punishing style of the Panthers. It isn’t like Rempe was incapable of taking regular shifts. For his massive size, he’s a good skater who understood his role. He knew where to go defensively.

When looking back at the six-game defeat, they lacked enough size and strength. There weren’t enough drives to the front of Sergei Bobrovsky’s net. His job was much easier than Igor Shesterkin, who had to deal with way too many Panthers in his path.

With the season over, the Rangers can reflect on what they were unable to do to win the series. They’ll have to get tougher next season.

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Change could come to likable core this summer

Posted on June 2, 2024 by Derek

It’s an overcast first day in June here in the Big Apple. There’ll be no more hockey played at Madison Square Garden this summer. Instead, it’s what could’ve been.

After the Rangers were eliminated by the Panthers in a closely fought Game 6 last night, I took a walk around the block. It was a nice evening for it. In that peaceful moment, you could feel a cool breeze. It was a perfect way to gather my thoughts.

So often, we get too caught up in our teams. The 2023-24 New York Rangers made you care about hockey again. Compared to the previous spring, when the end was anticlimactic, these Rangers played with passion. They fought hard under coach Peter Laviolette.

There were too many exciting comeback victories to list during the season. The resolve of this team made them easy to root for. It was the polar opposite of 2022-23. Laviolette’s voice proved to be the right fit. He gets his flowers for the job he did.

Nobody ever would’ve predicted that they would finish with the league’s best record to win the Presidents’ Trophy. The Rangers proved that they were the best team in the Metropolitan Division. They backed it up by sweeping the Capitals and taking out the Hurricanes in six games to reach the Final 4.

Unfortunately, they were up against a very proven Panthers team that played for the Stanley Cup a year ago. They lost to the Golden Knights in five games. Paul Maurice’s club looks determined to deliver the franchise’s first championship.

The biggest difference between the Panthers and Rangers in the Eastern Conference Final was the Cats’ ability to impose their will. They were relentless on the forecheck and defended well in front of Sergei Bobrovsky. The Rangers found it tough to get to the slot area and net.

Ultimately, the Cats clawed their way past the Rangers in six games to return to the Stanley Cup Finals. Their combination of size, speed, and strength was too much for the Rangers to overcome. It showed in how their aggressive style overwhelmed the Blueshirts at times.

Stars Artemi Panarin and Mika Zibanejad found little time and space to make plays. Adam Fox, who showed a lot of heart, playing on one leg, was unable to have an impact. It all added up to the Rangers’ three best skaters combining for a single goal with nine assists. Chris Kreider only had a shorthanded goal and helper in a crushing Game 5 loss.

There wasn’t enough offense from the Rangers’ best players. A core that’s been together for three straight playoffs might see a change coming this summer. In 2022, the offense dried up in the last four games to the Lightning in the same round. For six games, the Rangers totaled 12 goals. Hardly enough production to beat Bobrovsky.

Alexis Lafreniere scored four of the dozen. He was the Rangers’ most dangerous forward. However, in Game 6, he was held without a shot. Vincent Trocheck had two goals with four assists for a team-leading six points. He led by example throughout the season. Barclay Goodrow was an overtime hero in Game 2 and scored twice in Game 3. Alex Wennberg got the overtime winner in a wild 5-4 win last Sunday.

As it turned out, that was the last celebration of the season. After defeating the Rangers on a Sam Reinhart overtime winner in Game 4, the Panthers scored three straight times to grab a 3-2 victory in Game 5. Lafreniere made it interesting. But it was too little, too late.

The Rangers attacked more yesterday. But they fell behind due to a defensive breakdown. Sam Bennett buried a one-timer following an Erik Gustafsson turnover in the neutral zone. He and Jacob Trouba got toasted. It was a backbreaking goal because it came in the final minute.

Close calls from Jack Roslovic and Zibanejad will be replayed for a while. Who knows how it would’ve gone had either scored.

Instead, Vladimir Tarasenko put away an Anton Lundell feed in front with 10:52 left in the third period. That proved cruel due to Panarin finally scoring with 1:40 remaining. The Rangers got nothing afterward.

It isn’t easy to figure out what’s next. The Rangers have a good core that’s come close. However, it’s now 31 years and counting without a Cup. Time is ticking. Can they really consider running it back when their star players continue to come up small in big spots?

Igor Shesterkin was heroic in defeat. Without his incredible play, the Eastern Conference Final would’ve ended much sooner. At 28, he’s a year away from unrestricted free agency. With a bargain cap hit of $5.67 million through 2024-25, Shesterkin can write a blank check. That’s how remarkable his level was in the postseason.

This summer, the Rangers have decisions on a few key players. They include Ryan Lindgren, Braden Schneider, and Kaapo Kakko. All are restricted free agents.

Lindgren is a year away from unrestricted status. They must decide if he’s worth signing long-term. Considering the tenacious style he plays, they might want to see if he’s amenable to a team friendly deal between four to five years. Players like Lindgren don’t age well. That should be an interesting negotiation.

Schneider doesn’t have much bargaining power. He finished up an entry-level contract. The Rangers can sign him to an affordable deal that’s more short-term.

Kakko is more of a question mark. Having wrapped up a bridge deal that saw him make an AAV of $2.10 million, the Rangers can qualify him for $2.4 million.

The 23-year-old former 2019 second pick expressed frustration after being a healthy scratch for Game 2. He was right that everyone wants to play in the playoffs. A strong possession player who’s never scored consistently, Kakko has a secondary role on the Rangers. It’s not what he envisioned at this point.

His career best season was in 2022-23, when he posted 18 goals and 22 assists for 40 points. In an injury plagued 2023-24, Kakko struggled to score. He finished with 13 goals and six assists in 61 games.

Kakko has played exactly 300 career games. He’s totaled 57 goals and 60 assists for 117 points. A reliable defensive forward who’s never established himself in the top six or gotten top power play, it might be in his best interest to seek a trade. Supposedly, there are a few teams interested.

He might need a change of scenery. From a Rangers’ perspective, Kakko is affordable. They can keep him for another year and see if he can improve. More than likely, he could be traded to a team that can give him a better opportunity.

Blake Wheeler, Wennberg, Roslovic, Gustafsson, and Chad Ruhwedel are unrestricted. It’s doubtful that anyone will be back. Zac Jones is ready to take over the sixth defenseman role for Gustafsson. Unless Laviolette still wants Gustafsson to return, they’ll probably move on.

Next summer, Lafreniere and K’Andre Miller are RFA’s. Might the Rangers be interested in locking up Lafreniere, who started to blossom this postseason? That could make sense. Miller was better in the playoffs but remains inconsistent.

Shesterkin should be the top priority. Getting him extended makes sense. Do they really want to wait?

Currently, the Rangers have over $12 million in cap space. What will Chris Drury decide? Is there a move to be made that could change the dynamic of the team? Look at how much of an impact Matthew Tkachuk had on the Panthers. Even Bennett helped mold them into a much tougher team.

The Rangers’ biggest stars all have no-movement clauses. Trouba is signed another two years with an $8 million average cap hit. Panarin makes $11.64 million per year through 2025-26. Zibanejad is signed through 2029-30 with an AAV of $8.5 million. Kreider has a more affordable $6.5 million cap hit for another three years.

If they do decide to move on from a core player, it’ll be to change how they play. The Rangers must become a heavier team that’s harder to play against.

It’s only June 1. We’ll have a better idea what management thinks when the heat intensifies.

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Rangers’ special season ended by tougher Panthers

Posted on June 2, 2024 by Derek

There won’t be a championship to celebrate this summer. The Rangers had their special season end last night by the Panthers in Sunrise.

The Panthers took Game 6 by a score of 2-1 to eliminate the Rangers from the playoffs. For the second straight year, they defeated the Presidents’ Trophy winner. This time, it came in the Eastern Conference Final to advance to the Stanley Cup Finals. They’ll return there and try to finish the job.

Ultimately, the Rangers ran into a better team. There’s no shame in losing to the battle tested Panthers, who proved to be tougher in a closely fought six-game series.  All but one game was decided by a goal. Even Game 1 was 1-0 before the Panthers put it away.

Despite getting outplayed for long stretches, the Rangers had plenty of chances to come out on top. In the end, they’ll look back at the third period of Game 5. Anton Lundell’s go-ahead tally helped the Panthers take a 3-2 series lead. Sam Bennett’s empty netter stood as the winner due to Alexis Lafreniere scoring his fourth goal with 49 seconds left. From there, the Panthers locked it down.

On Saturday night, it was a similar end result. Even though they outplayed the Panthers for most of the first period, the Rangers fell behind in the last minute. An Erik Gustafsson turnover in the neutral zone led to Bennett taking a return feed from Evan Rodrigues to put the Panthers ahead.

Following Gustafsson’s giveaway, Jacob Trouba went for a hit on Bennett. He slipped the puck to Rodrigues and got open in the slot for his fourth goal of the series. The Rangers still had players back in the area. But Barclay Goodrow was unable to pick up Bennett, who proved to be the Panthers’ best forward in the series. His rugged play combined with scoring and setting up key goals hurt the Rangers.

Peter Laviolette’s lineup adjustments didn’t work. He moved Goodrow onto the third line with Filip Chytil and Kaapo Kakko. Aside from a couple of effective shifts spent in the offensive zone during the first period, that line was on for both Panthers’ goals.

Alex Wennberg moved up to play with Mika Zibanejad and Chris Kreider. Although they looked good early on, nothing materialized. It was a frustrating series for Zibanejad, who didn’t score a goal. He was shut down by the stingy Panthers’ defense, which also clawed Artemi Panarin. Aside from a shorthanded goal, Kreider wasn’t a factor either.

Igor Shesterkin again was heroic in defeat. As the game went on, he made some terrific saves to give his team a chance. After stopping 34 shots in Game 5, he made 32 saves in Game 6. He was the best player in the series. Winning coach Paul Maurice had high praise for Shesterkin’s performance in the postgame.

He posted a 2.25 goals-against-average (GAA) with a .930 save percentage in the series. The amount of high danger chances he faced was absurd. Shesterkin stopped almost everything. It took a couple of fluke goals for the Panthers to beat him in Game 5.

Eventually, the Panthers kept plugging away to finally get to Shesterkin. He had no chance on either the Bennett goal (one-timer) or Vladimir Tarasenko’s series clincher (put away). They’ll still be talking about Shesterkin’s performance this postseason. He was remarkable.

If anything can be learned, it’s that the Rangers weren’t strong enough to win the Stanley Cup. They lost too many physical battles against the bigger Panthers, whose tenacious style wore them down.

Florida’s diligent checking and superb penalty killing took away the Rangers’ biggest weapons. They found little open space to make plays. The power play suffered. It was the Panthers who held the edge in special teams. They also were the better team at 5-on-5.

Even though they spent less time defending on Saturday night, the Rangers were unable to get inside on the Panthers. It was mostly one and done. No forward had more than one shot on goal through two periods. The Panthers left the points open for defensemen to shoot the puck on Sergei Bobrovsky. He handled it with ease.

The best opportunities to score came from Jack Roslovic and Zibanejad. On a delayed call, Roslovic missed the net on a wide open rebound. Later in the game, a bouncing puck took a carom in front for Zibanejad. But it bounced up, forcing Zibanejad to miss completely. That summed up his series.

You never got the impression they would score. That’s how well the Panthers defended. Bobrovsky saw everything. He finished with 23 saves.

The Rangers could only muster six shots in the third period. They struggled offensively. Even with Adam Fox playing his best game, it was hard to get shots through. The Panthers blocked 23 shots. Aaron Ekblad led them with six. He had a very good defensive series. Partner Gustav Forsling made several key defensive plays to break up chances. He was the best defenseman in the series.

Shesterkin robbed Tarasenko on a dangerous rebound with a pad save in which he stretched out. He did everything possible to keep the Rangers in it.

On a play where K’Andre Miller got caught out of position, Lundell skated in and passed across for a Tarasenko finish on the doorstep to make it 2-0 with less than 11 minutes remaining. Neither Braden Schneider nor Chytil picked up Tarasenko. It was another case where they had players back but failed in coverage.

The small details add up in a long series. The Panthers were way better at that. They’re a well coached team by Maurice. Ever since he took over, they’ve become a much different team. Adding Matthew Tkachuk changed their identity. They’re no longer soft. They all play the same hard-nosed style. The Rangers were unable to match it.

As time wound down, it looked like Bobrovsky would have the easiest shutout. But with Shesterkin on the bench, Vincent Trocheck got the puck over for an open Panarin, who finally scored his first goal of the series with 1:40 left in regulation.

It was one of the rare instances when Panarin had enough room to fire a laser by close friend Bobrovsky. There was enough time for the Rangers to force overtime.

However, the Panthers played splendid team defense. Bobrovsky only had to make one stop on Zibanejad from long range. The rest was superb checking.

On another dump in, Niko Mikkola killed off the remainder of the game. It was a cruel ending.

Ultimately, the Rangers were beat by a better team. One intent on winning the Cup. The way the Panthers play, it’s going to be tough for either Edmonton or Dallas to beat them. Florida now gets a week off.

As for the Rangers, a lot has been said by many observers. It’s too much. There are too many fickle fans who love to play the blame game. Trouba is the new target. It reminds me of all the ridiculous Dan Girardi chatter after they lost to the Kings for the Cup. Everyone’s an expert.

How about taking a step back to enjoy what made this season so special. The Rangers weren’t expected to finish with the league’s best record. They weren’t even supposed to win the division. There was cautious optimism going in.

Nobody knew they’d break the franchise record for most wins and points in a single season. Who had Panarin scoring 49 goals and 120 points? Trocheck was the best center they had. He did everything well. Lafreniere followed up his breakout season by scoring eight goals in the playoffs. He was by far their best forward against the Panthers. Goodrow again silenced the critics by scoring in the clutch.

Of all the Rangers teams, this was my favorite. They were fun to watch and exciting. Their never say die attitude was what made them so easy to root for. They were never out of games. Nobody thought they’d make it here. The season was a success.

Was it perfect? Of course not. Anytime you fall short of your ultimate goal, it’s disappointing. In the end, they got worn down by a better opponent. They kept battling until the final buzzer.

I don’t know what the off-season will bring. But I’ll always have another forever memory with Dad seeing them win a great Game 2 in the Conference Finals on a perfect Goodrow shot in overtime. Instead of worrying about what comes next, enjoy the hot weather. Take a break.

The Rangers gave us a lot to be proud of. They deserve to be appreciated for the season they had. Whatever they decide won’t be for a while. It was a fun ride.

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Do or Die: Core’s legacy on the line for Blueshirts

Posted on June 1, 2024 by Derek

Plenty has been said since Thursday’s 3-2 loss in Game 5 to the Panthers. Does this team have the gumption to go into Sunrise later tonight and win an elimination game the way the 1994 Rangers did in the same round?

It’s 30 years later. There’s no Mark Messier to back up a guarantee the way he did on May 27, 1994. The captain posted a natural hat trick in the third period of Game 6 to stun the Devils 4-2 at the Meadowlands. That was a lifetime ago.

It’s the last time the Rangers won the Stanley Cup. They, too, won the Presidents’ Trophy. They still had to stare down playoff extinction. Falling behind 2-0, they were a goalpost away from losing that memorable series in six games.

Instead, Messier dropped a pass for Alexei Kovalev, who scored late in the second period. Then came the fateful third when Messier took over. He tied the game by beating Martin Brodeur on a backhand. Then, he slammed home a rebound of a Kovalev shot to put the Rangers ahead. Following a timeout by Devils coach Jacques Lemaire, Messier fired the puck down and scored into an empty net to complete the legendary hat trick.

The Rangers still needed double overtime  before Stephane Matteau banked in a wrap-around off Slava Fetisov to give them a dramatic 2-1 win in Game 7. They defeated the Canucks in another nerve racking seventh game to win the franchise’s fourth Cup.

There are questions surrounding the current Rangers who fell behind the Panthers 3-2 following Game 5. Does this core have the guts to stave off elimination on the road? Can they respond to the challenge? If so, which player will lead them?

“We look at it as an opportunity… Winning the Stanley Cup is not supposed to be easy, and it’s these kind of moments that really form a team into a team that can become a championship team,” Vincent Trocheck told reporters regarding the pressure his team faces.

Trocheck’s been the most consistent Rangers skater in the series. His five points lead them in scoring against the Panthers. Linemate Alexis Lafreniere has four goals entering tonight’s match. He’s been very noticeable throughout due to his explosive speed and skill. Barclay Goodrow has three goals, including an overtime winner in Game 2.

In order for them to win, the Blueshirts need their best players to step up. In Thursday’s 3-2 loss, Chris Kreider scored a shorthanded goal for his first point of the series. Mika Zibanejad set it up. He also picked up his first point. Both would add helpers on a Lafreniere goal with 49 seconds left. There’s no doubt that both need to produce more in Game 6.

Artemi Panarin remains without a goal in the Eastern Conference Final. Bottled up by the checking of the Panthers, he’s found it tough to find time and space. They’ve marked him a lot by having three players surround him. Panarin more than anyone must fight through to make a difference. Three assists isn’t enough. He needs to score. There were opportunities last game. He missed on a one-timer off a set play.

In many ways, this feels like a legacy game for Panarin. He was good against the Hurricanes, scoring twice and adding six assists. Both goals were game-winners. That included the overtime winner in Game 3. There’s no doubt that he’s found it hard to get shots through against the stingy Panthers. They’ve blocked their share of shots. Panarin’s also missed wide.

If he wants to change the narrative that he isn’t a playoff performer, tonight would be a good start. He had a career high 49 goals during the regular season. So far, he has only four in the postseason. None over the last eight games. Panarin will be under the microscope.

Zibanejad faces similar scrutiny. He’s been the biggest disappointment in the series. While it’s true that going up against Aleksander Barkov is no easy task, he needs to be better. His struggles both at even strength and on the power play have hurt the Rangers. His one-timer from the left circle hasn’t been up to par.

Some of his decisions with the puck haven’t helped. In the first minute of overtime in Game 4, it was his bad pass that handcuffed Blake Wheeler, causing a breakaway for Barkov. Wheeler was forced to take a penalty. The Panthers won it on a Sam Reinhart power-play goal.

Speaking of the power play, with it firing blanks, might Peter Laviolette decide to finally give Lafreniere a look on the top unit? He’s been their hottest player. If he was put on it, you could make the argument for Zibanejad to come off. He hasn’t been effective. There’s nothing wrong with shifting him to the second unit. It could create better balance.

One of the issues Laviolette faces is what to do with his lineup. Filip Chytil hasn’t had enough of an impact to unlock Zibanejad and Kreider. They were a little better in Game 5. However, Chytil also saw some shifts on the fourth line. Laviolette tried both Jack Roslovic and Will Cuylle. Nothing has worked.

Roslovic was ineffective playing with Alex Wennberg and Kaapo Kakko. Cuylle is a better choice to play on the third line. He brings size, strength, and speed. Maybe Roslovic doesn’t fit for this series.

What about Matt Rempe? He got four shifts for a total of 2:43 of ice time on Thursday. Hardly enough to have an impact. Does he come out of the lineup? If so, is it for Wheeler or Jonny Brodzinski? Brodzinski is the better skater. He had some chemistry with Goodrow and Jimmy Vesey.  Vesey is week-to-week with an upper-body injury suffered on a Ryan Lomberg hit in Game 2.

The defense won’t change. Adam Fox has looked a bit better in the last two games. He’s making better plays with the puck. Defensively, it’s been a struggle due to his lower-body injury. Ryan Lindgren has been steady and the warrior we expect.

I’d imagine Laviolette will keep Braden Schneider with K’Andre Miller. They were better. Jacob Trouba played with Erik Gustafsson, who really struggled. Does Laviolette have the guts to  bench him for Zac Jones in the biggest game of the season?

The Rangers are still around thanks to Igor Shesterkin. He’ll need to be at his best to have any chance of reaching a Game 7. Think Mike Richter. Shesterkin has been brilliant. But he can’t do it alone.

It’ll take full effort from all 18 skaters to get a win in Florida. Heart and guts. We’ll see what they’re made of.

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Panthers take Game 5 to put Rangers on brink

Posted on May 31, 2024 by Derek

Despite a better effort, the Rangers lost to the Panthers 3-2 in Game 5 at Madison Square Garden on Thursday night. They now are on the brink of elimination.

In what was a very evenly played game, the Rangers had the better of the play over the first half. Unlike Games 3 and 4 at Florida, they were sharper.

Able to use their speed to get through the neutral zone, they generated more offense than the last two games. For most of the first period, they spent more time playing in the offensive zone. That led to better chances.

After being held to one shot in Game 4, Artemi Panarin came out firing. He had a better showing, finishing with four shots on goal and 11 attempts. If only one had gone in. While he was much more active, Panarin was held without a point.

The Panthers’ Eetu Luostarinen put the Rangers on a power play when he slashed Alex Wennberg in the neutral zone. However, they were unable to take advantage. Panarin missed wide and had another shot blocked. It was a frustrating night for him.

Sergei Bobrovsky made some key saves early on. He stopped 11 shots in a busier first. The Rangers outshot the Panthers 11-8.

The best chance for the Panthers came on a turnover. Sam Bennett got to a loose puck in front and hit the goalpost. He would be heard from later.

K’Andre Miller was called for roughing Vladimir Tarasenko in the offensive zone. That negated a three-on-two rush. Vincent Trocheck had just passed the puck to a wide open Panarin when the refs blew the play dead. Miller got his glove up on Tarasenko, who went down and sold it.

Shesterkin was called on to make a big save on a tricky Sam Reinhart tip-in of an Aleksander Barkov shot pass. That was the only dangerous opportunity the Panthers had on the power play.

Moments later, Shesterkin stopped Kevin Stenlund in front. The Panthers’ fourth line caused problems. They have been very effective since coach Paul Maurice inserted veteran Kyle Okposo and Steven Lorentz. Okposo has played well in limited duty.

A bad giveaway from Erik Gustafsson led to Okposo getting a shot on Shesterkin that he handled. Gustafsson really struggled last night. He threw away pucks and was credited with a team worst four giveaways.

Peter Laviolette continues to play him over Zac Jones, who is really needed. His skating could help the Rangers get out of their zone and transition quickly. With their backs against the wall, Laviolette should consider making a change. Gustafsson avoids contact and hasn’t had a good series.

Late in the period, Bobrovsky stopped Trocheck, Adam Fox, and Lafreniere to keep it scoreless. 

Less than a minute into the second period, Miller got called for his second penalty when he tripped Carter Verhaeghe. It was accidental. But the Panthers went on their second power play.

It was the Rangers who struck on the penalty kill. Taking advantage of a bad Matthew Tkachuk turnover inside the blue line, Kreider intercepted it and fed Mika Zibanejad. He then pushed the puck ahead for Kreider, who used his strength to get away from a chasing Reinhart and break in on Bobrovsky. He went to the backhand and tucked it in for his third shorthanded goal of the postseason.

Kreider’s three shorthanded goals matched Mark Messier for the most in franchise history during the postseason. Most importantly, it was his first goal of the series. Both he and Zibanejad recorded their first points on the play. It came at a good time.

The Rangers had a chance to add to their lead. Fox was taken down by Okposo. On their second power play, a turnover allowed Stenlund to get a shot on Shesterkin that rebounded right to Niko Mikkola, whose backhand was stopped. His momentum carried him into Shesterkin for a goalie interference minor. A scrum ensued. Gustafsson negated a potential 5-on-3 by roughing Mikkola behind the net.

Still on a 5-on-4 advantage, Kreider fired a high, rising shot that knocked off Bobrovsky’s mask. He went to the bench for repairs. When play resumed, the Rangers won a faceoff and had two good setups. But Zibanejad’s one-timer missed the mark. Panarin then sent a shot wide. Neither has been able to make a difference. That’s why the power play has struggled.

After the power play failure, the Rangers searched for more offense. But on a play inside the Panthers’ blue line, Trocheck had a dump in go awry. It led to a turnover. A quick counter started by Aaron Ekblad led Bennett into the Rangers zone. He slipped a pass ahead for Gustav Forsling, whose backhand went off Shesterkin and in to tie the score.

On the goal, Lafreniere had a miscommunication with Fox in coverage. He didn’t stick with Forsling, who then split both Fox and Ryan Lindgren for the goal. Fox probably could’ve closed the gap.

Another Gustafsson misread led to Jacob Trouba taking a penalty. He went for a big hit, which allowed Anton Lundell to move in and draw a holding the stick minor. But the Rangers held firm on the penalty kill.

After an icing, the Wennberg line was pinned in against the Tkachuk line. Able to forecheck the puck, they came very close to grabbing the lead. Shesterkin made his biggest saves on Tkachuk and Bennett in tight.

That was part of the Panthers grabbing the momentum. Once outshot 14-8, they turned it around. By the conclusion of the period, they had 13 of the last 16 shots to take a 21-17 lead.

In the third, they came out with more intensity. Looking to get the next goal, Florida piled up shots on Shesterkin. He made a pair of stops on Lundell, including denying him on a between the legs rebound. He then stopped Vladimir Tarasenko.

There was a lot of one and done for the Rangers. Despite being urged on by the crowd, who chanted, “Let’s Go Rangers,” they couldn’t raise their level.

It started to resemble the third period of the last game. The Panthers kept pressing. They were continuing to get shots through on Shesterkin, who did all he could. For the game, he finished with 34 saves.

Kaapo Kakko drew a tripping minor on Mikkola behind the Florida net. That sent the Rangers to their third power play. It felt like do or die.

Kreider had a tip-in on a Zibanejad shot pass that Bobrovsky made a tough pad save on. With the power play winding down, Wennberg got free in the slot for a good opportunity. But his wrist shot was stopped by Bobrovsky.

The Wennberg line was applying pressure on the Panthers during a shift. However, Kakko missed a rebound in front. That led to a quick transition in the opposite direction.

Luostarinen passed the puck up for Lundell. He then cut in and used a sliding Braden Schneider as a screen before firing a wrist shot past Shesterkin to give the Panthers the lead with 9:38 left in regulation.

Schneider went for the shot block. But by kneeling down, he was in Shesterkin’s path, which made it hard for him to pick up Lundell’s shot. He also allowed Tarasenko to get to the net and cause a problem for Shesterkin. Lundell beat him underneath for the Panthers’ second goal.

The Rangers tried to respond. A long Panarin shot was turned aside by Bobrovsky. He couldn’t get one to go. Panarin remains without a goal in the series. He hasn’t scored since Game 3 of the second round against the Hurricanes. It’s been a tough stretch.

Bobrovsky would also make saves on Lindgren and Fox. The trouble for the Rangers was there was a lot of one and done.

After Barkov was stopped by Shesterkin, Reinhart had the game on his stick. But somehow, a quick reacting Shesterkin made an acrobatic glove save to rob Reinhart.

The Panthers began to play back and take away the neutral zone. The best opportunity the Rangers had was when Fox took a tough shot from a sharp angle that went off Bobrovsky’s glove and wide.

With 2:36 remaining, Shesterkin went to the bench for a 6-on-5. Laviolette opted not to use his timeout. Despite getting some attack time, the Rangers were unable to set up a shot. Instead, a loose puck came to Bennett. After he gave Zibanejad a shot, he skated in and fired into the vacated net past a diving Fox to make it 3-1 with 1:52 left.

It seemed over. Following a timeout, the Rangers eventually got set up and made it interesting. On a Zibanejad shot pass, the puck banked off Lafreniere’s skate and in to cut it to 3-2 with 50 seconds left.

Incredibly, the Rangers iced the puck off the faceoff. That killed precious seconds. By the time Lafreniere dumped the puck in the corner, Mikkola kept it there as time ran out. No Ranger could free it up and create one last shot. That summed things up.

The Panthers are a heavier team who defends well. They’ve twice been the better third period team. It came in Games 4 and 5. That’s why they take a 3-2 series lead back home with a chance to clinch on Saturday night.

The Rangers played well enough to win. But in the third period, they got outplayed by a determined opponent who knows what it takes. The Panthers made the Stanley Cup Finals last year. They don’t panic. Their experience is why they’re one win away from making it back.

It’s going to take a lot of heart and determination for the Rangers to win Game 6. They’re going to have to win the battles. They need more traffic in front of Bobrovsky. They also can’t make as many mistakes in their end.

Laviolette’s decision to reunite Miller with Schneider worked. They weren’t stuck in their end as much against Barkov. However, Schneider’s mistake in transition proved costly. He screened Shesterkin on Lundell’s winner.

Gustafsson back with Jacob Trouba was not too good. Mostly due to Gustafsson coughing up pucks. Trouba came back with a stronger effort. But it didn’t matter. Laviolette loves Gustafsson. But inserting Jones for him is the move to make.

As far as Filip Chytil goes, he’s had little impact. It isn’t easy to return after missing so much time due to a concussion. Complicating matters, Jack Roslovic has been ineffective in the series.

Matt Rempe took only four shifts (2:43). That’s not enough to make an impact. What’s the point of playing him if the coach won’t use him? He praised Rempe’s work in Game 3. It makes no sense.

The loss of Jimmy Vesey has hurt the Rangers’ depth. It doesn’t help matters that Will Cuylle saw only 8:44 in 12 shifts. He plays with energy and has speed and grit. He should be playing more.

The Panthers’ depth has been the difference. They all play the same way. It isn’t easy for the Rangers.

Shesterkin has to be nearly perfect for them to win. If they’re to pull this off, they must play from in front. I don’t mean just getting one goal, either. It’s a tough challenge ahead. We’ll see what the Rangers are made of this weekend.

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