Video Of Day: Tavares scores on nifty backhand

Posted on January 19, 2015 by Derek

When you’re hot, you’re hot. Among the many highlights during an Islanders’ 7-4 home win over the Flyers, team captain John Tavares continued his brilliant play scoring this beauty above on the power play. His team-leading 21st came with 7.6 seconds left in the second period giving the Long Island hosts a 5-2 lead. It proved to be the winner.

Tavares leads the first place Islanders in goals (21), points (46), power play points (19) and is tied with rookie Anders Lee for game-winners (5). He’s quietly sneaking into the Hart Trophy discussion. With the Isles a league best 31-14-1 with 63 points, could this be the year Tavares brings home the hardware? He’ll get plenty of competition from Evgeni Malkin, Sidney Crosby, Ryan Getzlaf, Rick Nash and Pekka Rinne.

On Martin Luther King Day, 10 different Islanders registered points. Nikolay Kulemin tallied twice with a helper. Michael Grabner, Josh Bailey, Nick Leddy and Lee scored. Johnny Boychuk registered two assists and was plus-four. All-Star Jaroslav Halak made 25 saves for his 25th win which tied him for second in the NHL with Ducks’ netminder Frederik Andersen.

The Islanders will now have over a week off before a 1/27 showdown with the Rangers at Nassau Coliseum. They lead the Metropolitan Division by five over the Penguins and seven clear of the Rangers and Capitals.

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Pre-All Star break potpourri

Posted on January 17, 2015 by hasan4978

In a season of dissapointments – Scott Gomez’s return has been one of the few things worth celebrating for Devils fans (yes, really!)

It’s been a struggle to find something new to write about the Devils lately, or really something worthwhile to write about.  To a degree I’ve felt a bit detached from the team lately with the light home schedule (I’ve only been at home home game the last two weeks and it’ll be nearly two more before the Devils return home after the All-Star break), and the fact I wasn’t able to watch their last two road games even – well I could have watched the LA game but staying up for a weekday West Coast game isn’t worth it when the team’s 900 points out of a playoff spot.  I did listen to much of the Ducks game Friday on the radio unfortunately, which was a virtual no-show for two periods further marred by an upper-body injury to goaltender Cory Schneider which knocked him out after the first period, though supposedly he’s feeling better today.

Honestly at this point the whole rest of the season is just waiting for the other shoe to drop in early March when the trading deadline comes, after the first shoe already hit the floor with the post-Christmas firing of coach Pete DeBoer.  So far the on-ice results since the coaching change have been mixed, by and large the team has played somewhat better than it did for most of the season, yesterday’s no-show in Anaheim notwithstanding.  Perhaps the biggest positives with the coaching change have both been defensively – as a unit allowing fewer shots than they were early in the season, and also individually the development of former #4 overall pick Adam Larsson.

I’ve railed countless times on the prior administration’s shackling of the 22-year old Swede the last three years and it’s no accident Scott Stevens on his first day back behind the bench as a co-coach publicly complimented Larsson and let it be known he would get a more extended opportunity.  For the most part he’s responded, stepping up his game playing 25 minutes a night with Andy Greene.  Now even when he makes a mistake – such as getting stripped behind the net on the John Tavares game-winning goal last Friday – he was publicly supported and thrown right back on the horse, responding with a strong game in LA as the Devils surprisingly rubbed out the defending Cup champs on the road in a 5-3 game which wasn’t even that close.  With Larsson finally re-establishing himself as a top four defenseman for the first time since his rookie season our top four on defense will be something worth watching in the second half once Damon Severson returns from his ankle injury after the break.  Having a solid vet like Greene with three kids in Larsson, rookie Severson and second-year man Jon Merrill all showing promise (backed up with solid goaltending from Schneider and rookie Keith Kinkaid) at least provides a light at the end of the tunnel of a sorry season.

Of course offensively it’s a different story…between injuries, dissapointments and age there isn’t really very much to hang the hat on right now other than the stunning feel-good return of Scott Gomez.  Thought washed up by many including me after he’d washed out of Montreal, San Jose and Florida the last few years, he returned to the Devils this summer on a tryout essentially waiting around for an opportunity for two months after the preseason.  Since being signed in early December, he’s turned back the clock a bit with fourteen points in twenty-two games, playing first-line minutes for the first time in years.  Maybe his career being on the line made him hungry again, but honestly it just seems like…he’s rejuvanated being back here, a la Petr Sykora in 2012. Gomez may have been the 26th Devil to return to play for the team but even in a bad team season, his comeback may actually prove to be one of the more successful ones (since Claude Lemieux was a part of cup #2 in 2000 anyway).

Still it’s telling that a 35-year old center on a one-year deal represents a bright spot in this Devils forward group.  Or Steve Bernier’s return to being a solid role player this year after having an off year last year that led GM Lou Lamoriello to publicly chide Bernier after re-signing him to a one-year deal.  At least free-agent signee Mike Cammalleri’s added goal-scoring (potting 14 in thirty-four games) – when he’s played.  Unfortunately he’s living up to his track record in that area too, missing 12 of the first 46 games this season.  Sadly, this season might prove to be the end of the road for Jaromir Jagr as his production’s dipped this season with just nine goals and twenty-five points in 43 games, and now he’s missing the west coast trip before the break due to illness.  Patrik Elias has also struggled with injuries and other than his three-point milestone night against the Sabres, his season really hasn’t been anything to write home about either with six goals and twenty points in thirty-six games with an onerous -15.  I don’t really want to go through all the forwards right now though, it’s just too depressing.

With only one more game before the break (also a west coast tilt, this time with the Sharks), my attention span’s going to wane further.  Elias’s token inclusion in the goofball All-Star game the NHL has isn’t enough to pique my interest there.  Most of my attention around the NHL lately has been limited to checking my fantasy team’s stats.  Maybe I’ll write a little on my fantasy team during the week-long All-Star break, though really the crux of the matter is my team’s in third place – after being in first for most of the season – in a fourteen team league despite an offense that ranks near the top in almost every category, because my Kings goaltending has been surprisingly pedestrian and my goaltending numbers are among the worst in every category except shutouts.  Of course the Devils of all teams lighting up Martin Jones on Friday bemused me, as did one of my competitors getting two straight shutouts from Ryan Miller and rocketing past me into first by a fair margin.

That said I am going to the Prudential Center not once, but twice this week amazingly enough.  So I guess I won’t be entirely detached…the AHL team’s playing at the Rock on Wednesday so that’ll be interesting.  It was fun a few years ago watching the minor leaguers when they beat Hartford on a late goal I think by Nick Palmeri (the answer to the trivia question who was the third guy on a line with Ilya Kovalchuk and Travis Zajac during our futile surge in 2011), amazingly enough.  This time they’ll be playing the Islanders’ affiliate, and once again the AHL version of the Devils are a borderline playoff team, so every game can make a difference.  Of course at the AHL level it’s as much about the prospects developing as it is about winning, if not more so.  Still, you want to at least re-establish a winning culture somewhere in the organization.  There’s no game at the Rock Friday of course, but I got an e-mail invite for a season ticket holder screening of the movie Red Army on the arena’s scoreboard – if you’ve never heard of the movie, the quick synopsis is it’s an inside look at the Russian hockey team and culture during the cold war.  I’d actually wanted to see that movie but it only played in limited screenings way out past Manhattan so it really wasn’t worth making a $30 trek between train ticket and movie ticket.  It’s nice of the Devils to show it here though, even if only like five other people are going to show up in all likelihood.

Sadly those two events probably will be more fun than I have at most Devil games this season, where I’ve only seen four wins in the fourteen games I attended (and one of them was the ‘shootout win’ against the Jets where I was in the parking lot by the conclusion because I couldn’t bear to watch 0-18 become 0-19).  Oh well, most years the Devils have been good to me in terms of wins to games attended.  At this point it’s sort of like an AHL mentality where the development of players on the roster is going to take precedence over hoping for wins.  Truth be told however, this long break between home games couldn’t have come at a better time given the struggles this season.  Especially now with the opportunity to get nostalgic with the news that the Izod Center  – formerly Continental Airlines Arena and Brendan Byrne Arena – will apparently finally be closing its doors in the next month or so.  I’ll save going down memory lane for next week though.

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Video Of Day: Reto Berra scores a goal

Posted on January 17, 2015 by Derek

Occasionally, you get really cool moments. Last night, Reto Berra became the 11th goalie in AHL history to score a goal. The Lake Eerie Monsters goalie’s celebration is one to behold. His goal made the score 4-1. The Monsters defeated the Chicago Wolves 5-1.

Berra joins an exclusive list of AHL goalies who scored. They include Darcy Wakaluk, Paul Cohen, Robb Stauber, Christian Bronsard, Jean-Francois Labbe, Chris Mason, Antero Niittymaki, Seamus Kotyk, Drew MacIntyre and Chris Holt.

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Kreider deserved suspension

Posted on January 17, 2015 by Derek

In Thursday’s 3-0 loss to the Bruins, Chris Kreider boarded Carl Soderberg shoving him from behind with excessive force into the glass. The dangerous play occurred with 13:47 left in the third period. As seen in the video above, it led directly to Soderberg’s teammate Chris Kelly stepping in and fighting Kreider. Commendable on Kelly’s part.

In his second full season, Kreider has been inconsistent. Expected to be the Rangers’ power forward, he has nine goals and 12 assists for 21 points which ranks sixth in team scoring. His play has picked up lately. He scored the game-winner in the Rangers’ 2-1 victory over the Blue Jackets Friday night. A game he shouldn’t have participated in. Lately, he’s using his size and speed. He’s back to taking the body. Sometimes, that means controversial hits like the one from behind on Soderberg. He leads the Rangers in penalty minutes (69) and ranks second in hits (87).

Listed at 6-3, 226 pounds, the 23-year old Kreider is developing a bad reputation for cheap hits. Earlier this season, he leveled Wild defenseman Jonas Brodin from behind injuring him. It got Kreider ejected for a boarding major. That was a similar play to the one against Soderberg. In both sequences, he was trying to get in on the forecheck and recklessly shoved defenseless players from behind. Both were vulnerable. On each, he was appropriately called for boarding. The difference being he didn’t get a game misconduct at Boston. Rather a quick response from Kelly, who did the right thing.

Given how big and fast he is, Kreider might not realize his own physical strength. At some point, the Rangers coaching staff needs to get in his ear about using better judgment. He plays on one of the team’s top two lines with Derek Stepan and Martin St. Louis. They need him on the ice. Not in the penalty box.

It is my opinion that Kreider should’ve been suspended for the hit on Soderberg. It was a repeat of the incident with Brodin on 10/27/14. Amazingly, Kreider didn’t even receive a call from the NHL. The first time, the league probably ruled that the appropriate call was made tossing him. The second easily could’ve been a suspension. Instead, he got off the hook. Perhaps due to only being in his second year, Kreider didn’t pay. Next time he might not be so lucky.

During the same game, Bruins antagonist Brad Marchand slew footed Derick Brassard. A player with a dirty reputation, Marchand was suspended two games for a dangerous play in which he didn’t bother to go for the puck. Instead, he deliberately kicked the feet out sending Brassard flying. Luckily, he wasn’t hurt. Marchand is a repeat offender. This is his third suspension. He’s been suspended for two games and five. Some could say he got off light. If Brassard had been injured, there’s no doubt he would’ve received more.

Unfortunately, that’s what you get from a inconsistent league. How they determine who gets suspended and fined is a mystery. In this case, the Rangers benefited. Kreider helped them snap a two-game losing skid. Hopefully, he doesn’t continue to put himself under the radar.

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Video Of Day: Okposo scores four goals

Posted on January 17, 2015 by Derek

Saturday’s Video Of Day is none other than Kyle Okposo’s four goals highlighting an Islanders’ come from behind 6-3 win over the Penguins last night at Nassau Coliseum. In a first place battle, Okposo was front and center helping the Isles rally back from 2-0 and 3-2 deficits to move three points ahead of Pittsburgh and into first overall in the East.

The Isles trailed 3-2 at the end of two periods after Pens’ captain Sidney Crosby scored with under five seconds left. But in the third, Okposo scored three consecutive goals as the Islanders outscored the Pens 4-0 en route to another victory. Ironically, it was his first career hat trick that gave the Isles the lead for good. Taking a perfect cross ice feed from Josh Bailey, Okposo fired a laser upstairs with 8:09 left in regulation. He would later add his fourth on a power play to put it out of reach. Michael Grabner added an empty netter.

For the first time in franchise history, the Islanders have won 30 of their first 44 games. They’re 30-13-1 with an East best 61 points. They lead the conference by one point over the Lightning. Their next opponent is another contender. In a back-to-back, they visit the Canadiens on Hockey Night In Canada. Montreal has 57 points. It should be another good test. It’s already been a big week for the Isles after shutting out the Rangers 3-0 and doubling up the Penguins on Bryan Trottier Night. They go for their fifth win in a row.

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Locking Up Staal The Right Decision

Posted on January 16, 2015 by Derek
Marc Staal checks Sidney Crosby from behind in Game 3. Tribune Review/Chaz Palla

Marc Staal checks Sidney Crosby from behind in Game 3.
Tribune Review/Chaz Palla

According to the New York Post’s Larry Brooks, the Rangers are close to re-signing Marc Staal. The 28-year old defenseman and the club are discussing a new six-year deal that could average between $5.6 to 5.9 million per season. Staal is earning $5.45 million in the final year of his contract.

In 41 games this season, Staal has one goal and six assists with 28 penalty minutes and a plus-five rating. After playing 72 games in 2013-14 while excelling in the playoffs, he hasn’t missed a game. Having him healthy is a plus for coach Alain Vigneault because it allows him to have a dependable top four he can count on. With Staal, it’s more than statistics. One of the team leaders, he logs important minutes at even strength and on the penalty kill. He uses his long reach to recover and make key defensive plays. He’s also third on the team with 66 blocked shots.

There’s been some debate about whether it’s wise to lock Staal up. While I’ve been hesitant, the Rangers can’t easily replace him. This is a top four defenseman who has been a core player. He’s an alternate captain who leads by example. Staal is also one of the most vocal players. Win or lose, he’s at his locker answering questions. While it’s easy to critique his shortcomings, one thing you never can question is his effort. When asked to play a key role, he has always elevated his play in the postseason. Whether it’s blanketing Sidney Crosby or scoring a clutch power play overtime winner, Staal’s always done what was asked by the coaching staff.

Are there concerns giving him a long-term contract with a full no-trade clause the first three years? Of course. But you could say that about anyone. If the Rangers had a young blueliner who could replace Staal, it would be easier to trade him or let him walk this summer. John Moore isn’t that guy. He has played better since Vigneault reinserted him but remains a project. Defense prospect Brady Skjei is in his junior year with the University Of Minnesota. He’s at least a year away.

Even with Kevin Klein’s breakout, it is a no-brainer re-signing Staal. He’s that second left-handed defenseman that balances out the back end. When you can have Klein playing third pair with Moore while Staal works with Dan Boyle, it’s a huge advantage that most teams don’t have. The Rangers are built from the goal out. Team defense is a big reason for their success. Without it, they don’t make the Stanley Cup Final last year.

One other point on Staal. When the contract gets done, he becomes the highest paid defenseman on the Rangers. Some have accurately pointed out that he shouldn’t make as much money as Ryan McDonagh. However, he’s similar to Dan Girardi who Glen Sather doled out an average of $5.5 million for last year. He’s older and can turn unrestricted. The Rangers faced a tough decision choosing Girardi over Ryan Callahan. With Slats able to acquire Martin St. Louis, they chose wisely even if it meant surrendering a first round pick.

Look at it this way. The Capitals handed out a similar contract to former Pen Brooks Orpik, who’s 33. They also invested in Matt Niskanen. I’d much rather keep our players than go out and overpay a free agent who’s not familiar with Vigneault’s system. Boyle was a good signing because he knows St. Louis and has improved the power play. Even if I still wish they could’ve kept Anton Stralman, I understood the rationale.

Of course, there’s concern with the other players Sather must decide on including St. Louis and Mats Zuccarello. With Derek Stepan, Carl Hagelin and Moore up as key restricted’s, the organization faces some tough decisions. J.T. Miller and Jesper Fast are also Group II. Who stays and who goes? We’ll get into that at another time.

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Bruins pose good test for Rangers

Posted on January 15, 2015 by Derek
Cam Talbot acknowledges the home crowd after being selected 1st star during his shutout of the Canes. AP Photo by John Minchillo/Getty Images

Cam Talbot acknowledges the home crowd after being selected 1st star during his shutout of the Canes.
AP Photo by John Minchillo/Getty Images

The Rangers have lost only twice over the last 15 games. Tuesday’s 3-0 defeat to the Islanders stopped a five-game win streak. It put them seven points out of first place. Combined with the Caps’ latest victory- a 1-0 shutout of the Flyers- they trail third place Washington by four. They do have three games at hand including tonight’s latest test when they visit the Bruins.

Winners of four straight, Boston is finally healthy. Zdeno Chara is back to his nasty self dropping Cedric Paquette in a win over the Lightning. Boston got two goals from 2014 first round pick David Pastrnak. Since his recall, he’s scored four times with a pair each in victories over the Flyers and Bolts. He’s playing on a line with David Krejci and Brad Marchand. Claude Julien has reunited Milan Lucic with Patrice Bergeron. The bruising power forward has responded with six points (3-3-6)over his last four games and has nine over 10.

Carl Soderberg quietly has 20 assists and 29 points anchoring the third line. With interchangeable forwards Reilly Smith, Loui Eriksson and Chris Kelly, Julien has a lot of options. He can still send out Daniel Paille and Gregory Campbell on the fourth line.

The key ingredient is Chara, who missed significant time. Partnered with emerging blueliner Dougie Hamilton, that gives Boston a formidable tandem that can play offensively and defensively as well as any in the league. Torey Krug continues to put up points with five assists over his last four and nine points in 10. The Bruins definitely miss Johnny Boychuk, who’s been a big part of the Islanders’ resurgence. But they still boast a strong top four with vet Dennis Seidenberg healthy.

2014 Vezina winner Tuukka Rask has had a down season. He’s won 18 games with a 2.49 goals-against-average, .913 save percentage and only one shutout. However, he has won his past three starts allowing six goals on 83 shots. No coincidence that it’s come with the team improvement.

Currently, the Bruins have 52 points and sit fourth in the Atlantic. They’re tied with the Rangers in points but have played four more games. Both Original Six clubs sit in the wild cards three ahead of the Panthers and five up on the fading Leafs who lost again last night at Anaheim. Unless something unforeseen happens, it looks like the Eastern playoff picture is pretty set with nine teams vying for eight spots. The Rangers want to take advantage of their extra games to make up ground on teams ahead of them. They can still catch the Pens and have three left with the Islanders all at Nassau Coliseum.

With it being a back-to-back, Cam Talbot gets the call tonight ending Henrik Lundqvist’s streak of 38 consecutive starts against the Bruins. His career mark is 21-10-2 with a 1.85 GAA, .937 save percentage and six shutouts versus Boston. Talbot came on in relief of Lundqvist Tuesday stopping all 12 shots in the third. He’s won his last two starts including a 28-save performance in a 4-3 win over the Kings. Talbot is 4-3-1 with a 2.06 GAA, .929 save percentage and three shutouts.

As mentioned in yesterday’s blog, Derek Stepan is out with a upper body injury. Alain Vigneault has tweaked the lines. Derick Brassard stays with Rick Nash and Mats Zuccarello while J.T. Miller moves up to center Chris Kreider and Martin St. Louis. Dominic Moore will center the third line with Carl Hagelin and Lee Stempniak. That leaves Kevin Hayes anchoring Tanner Glass and Jesper Fast. Basically, it’s a demotion for Hayes who struggled against the Isles. Glass has been much discussed. He has sat out the last six. Vigneault wants to see him in on the forecheck. He must keep it simple. If that means not always going for the big hit, so be it. If he does, he better make sure he finishes his check.

I won’t get into the silly nonsense over Glass. When the Rangers signed him, it was a big mistake. But like Taylor Pyatt, he’s a Vigneault guy. That’s why he’s on the roster and played most of the season until recently. How much can the same ‘expert bloggers’ continue to cite Corsi with Glass, who isn’t that kind of player? It has gotten downright loathsome. Twitter is filled with garbage tweets about a bit player who really doesn’t have much impact. When our best players perform, the team excels. End of story.

Updating the Bruins lines, Lucic is playing with Krejci and Pastrnak. Here are their projected lines along with the Rangers below:

Boston Bruins

Lucic-Krejci-Pastrnak

Marchand-Bergeron-Smith

Kelly-Soderberg-Eriksson

Paille-Campbell-Cunningham

Chara-Hamilton

Seidenberg-McQuaid

Krug-Miller

Rask

Svedberg

New York Rangers

Kreider-Miller-St. Louis

Nash-Brassard-Zuccarello

Hagelin-Moore-Stempniak

Glass-Hayes-Fast

McDonagh-Girardi

Staal-Boyle

Moore-Klein

Talbot

Lundqvist

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Stepan injury cause for concern

Posted on January 14, 2015 by Derek
Stepan To The Rescue: Derek Stepan makes the save of the game tucking the puck under Henrik Lundqvist. AP Photo/Bruce Bennett

Stepan To The Rescue: Derek Stepan makes the save of the game tucking the puck under Henrik Lundqvist.
AP Photo/Bruce Bennett

During last night’s 3-0 shutout loss to the Islanders, Rangers center Derek Stepan barely saw the ice the final two periods. He took a slash from Matt Martin early injuring his hand. Coach Alain Vigneault only used him sparingly including for a 31-second shift on a late power play in the second. That was it. He took only 11 shifts logging 6:55.

Afterwards, the Rangers termed it as a ‘upper body injury.’ They’re not fooling anyone. With Vigneault all but assuring Stepan won’t play tomorrow at Boston, that means J.T. Miller shifts back to center. He moved Miller up yesterday. He had a bad night with a giveaway leading directly to the Isles’ second goal. Miller remains a project in his first full season. Since returning, he has posted five goals and five assists while adding a physical presence to the fourth line. He’ll need to raise his level if Stepan’s out the next week. He is traveling with the team on a three-game road trip.

With Miller likely to center Martin St. Louis and Chris Kreider, that leaves Derick Brassard to stay intact with Rick Nash and Mats Zuccarello. Vigneault has continued to use rookie Kevin Hayes as the club’s third line center despite his lack of faceoff success. With two helpers over his last six, Hayes can use a goal. He and linemates Carl Hagelin and Jesper Fast struggled at even strength against the Isles.

If that line is getting stale, I’m not sure how much Tanner Glass can help. A healthy scratch the past six games, he only has one assist in 29 games this season. The Rangers need more from the fourth line physical winger. Without Stepan, it puts Vigneault in a bind. Dominic Moore is the only dependable faceoff guy who’s winning over 50 percent. That could mean an increased role with Lee Stempniak. Perhaps Vigneault will plug Moore for key defensive assignments.

Assuming Stepan needs a week to recover, that hurts one of the league’s best offenses. He might not be a wiz in the faceoff circle but Stepan’s the Rangers’ most dependable center who Vigneault can lean on in any situation. He plays all three zones and is a key penalty killer who has teamed with Nash for all four of the club’s shorthanded goals. Stepan has also produced at nearly a point-per-game clip tallying 27 points in 28 games. Despite missing a dozen, he ranks second on the team in assists (21) and is fourth in scoring. He also has been a key trigger man on the power play with eight power play points.

There’s not much he can’t do. This season, he has proven capable of being more consistent offensively while not missing a beat defensively. Outside of faceoffs, Stepan’s one of the most underrated defensive forwards in the NHL. A darkhorse for the Selke, he’ll probably never get his due with the award favoring bigger name stars such as Anze Kopitar, Jonathan Toews and Pavel Datsyuk. But if you ask those with knowledge, Stepan means a great deal to the Blueshirts. Hopefully, he won’t be out too long.

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Islanders MSG domination of Rangers is good for rivalry

Posted on January 14, 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

There were a lot of headlines coming out of last night’s Battle Of New York won convincingly by the Islanders 3-0 over the Rangers. The first is that the Islanders are for real. At every turn, they’ve proven themselves.

Facing a blood rival that swept a three-game Californian trip and entered winners in 13 of 14, it was the first place Metro-leading Isles that imposed their will. Following a scoreless first period in which the Rangers hit three posts, it was the Islanders who came out with aggressive determination. They dominated every aspect of the second outscoring the Rangers 3-0 and outshooting them by a healthy 19-12 margin to break it open.

They did it by winning faceoffs and continuing to take the play to their opponent who showed lethargy. The Rangers couldn’t keep up against a bigger, stronger rival who were quicker to every loose puck. The Islanders won all the key battles including rookie Anders Lee beating Dan Girardi in front to a rebound for his 11th from Calvin de Haan and Travis Hamonic. Previously, they had a Cal Clutterbuck goal waived off due to a correct ruling of ‘incidental contact’ on Casey Cizikas but were undeterred.

Nikolay Kulemin took full advantage of a costly turnover from J.T. Miller firing home his eighth to give the Isles a 2-0 lead with 3:29 left. Even when they were in the penalty box, good things happened. With Hamonic sitting for cross-checking, Frans Nielsen broke in and beat Henrik Lundqvist for a crushing shorthanded goal with 40.9 seconds remaining.

That took the wind out of the Rangers’ sails. With Alain Vigneault forced to shorten his bench due to a hand injury to Derek Stepan on an undetected Matt Martin slash, the Blueshirts tried their best but only managed six harmless shots on Jaroslav Halak in the third. Halak made 27 saves becoming the first Islander goalie to post a shutout win at MSG since Billy Smith on December 17, 1975. It was Halak’s fourth shutout. He’s 23-8-0 with a 2.22 goals-against-average and .917 save percentage. He would be a deserving All-Star replacement for injured Red Wings’ starter Jimmy Howard.

Considering that the lone Isles representative is captain John Tavares, it makes sense to add Halak who has been the backbone of the Long Island franchise’s resurgence. Full marks to GM Garth Snow for acquiring him last summer and getting him re-signed. Along with the no-brainer of adding veteran defensemen Johnny Boychuk and Nick Leddy last September, Snow has had a great year. He also signed Kulemin and Mikhail Grabovski adding quality forward depth.

The development of super sophomores Brock Nelson and Ryan Strome have helped transform the Islanders into a contender. No longer is it all on Tavares or sidekick Kyle Okposo, who trails his linemate by two points for the team lead. Unlike past seasons, they expect to win and are approaching things differently. That includes improving to 2-0 at MSG with the next three meetings at Nassau Coliseum.

”For us, it’s about getting the two points. To play a team that is playing so well, and for them to come off the trip they came off, it gives the guys confidence that they can play against good hockey teams,” coach Jack Capuano said.

”We kept our heads on our shoulders and played our game,” Lee added. ”On the road you want to play a simple game and really wear them down.”

They executed to perfection. For the Rangers, they were out of sorts. They missed their chances in the first including an odd sequence where leading scorer Rick Nash made a great move and hit a post and Derick Brassard had a wide open net and hit another post. That was the kind of frustrating night it was.

“We couldn’t get out of our own end,” Nash said. “When we did, we couldn’t get it deep. We fed right into their game plan.”

“They definitely deserved to win,” Lundqvist stated after being pulled in favor of Cam Talbot for the third. “I thought I had it; I felt really good, made a lot of good saves, but when you do face that many scoring chances, some bad things are going to happen.”

The loss put the Rangers seven points behind the Islanders, whose 59 lead the Eastern Conference. They still have three games at hand and will see their nemesis again at the end of the month on Jan. 27. The remaining two are Feb. 16 and Mar. 10. All three at the Coliseum in its final season. A historic building full of nostalgia since the Isles’ inception. It has been a special rivalry but one lacking in recent years due to neither team being good at the same time. This time, that’s not the case which could mean the first playoff series between them since 1994.

It isn’t so bad that the Islanders dominated the first two at MSG. It means they’re finally back. With so much season left, there’s plenty to look forward to. If last night’s fireworks at the end with Dan Boyle socking Clutterbuck is any indication, the Battle Of New York will only intensify. Get your popcorn ready.

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Rangers Hold Off Sharks 3-1 to sweep California

Posted on January 11, 2015 by Derek

This one was impressive. Even with the predictable hanging on at the end, the Rangers had enough in the tank to defeat the Sharks 3-1 allowing them to complete a California sweep. They did it on heart and thanks to a money performance from Henrik Lundqvist. His 30 saves allowed him to become the first NHL goalie to win 20-or-more his first 10 seasons.

They won because of yeoman efforts like the one Mats Zuccarello had when the Sharks pulled Antti Niemi for an extra attacker. Twice, he hustled back and made key defensive plays including the latter allowing Rick Nash to come out with the puck and use sheer power and determination to tie Tyler Seguin in the Rocket Richard race with his 26th. It was that kind of commitment that they have exhibited in winning 13 of 14 to stay right on the heels of the Pens and Islanders. The Isles lead them by five with a huge match coming at MSG Tuesday. That should amount to a must watch.

The Blueshirts got it done thanks to a big first period from Chris Kreider. He set up and scored the winner. He and Derek Stepan combined to set up Martin St. Louis for his 14th. Then, Kreider used his big body in front to redirect a Dan Girardi feed for his eighth. Kreider has gotten back to using his size, speed and strength. When he does that, he’s a heck of a player.

It wasn’t pretty because it didn’t have to be. All the fancy stats don’t matter as long as you win. The Rangers got killed by the Sharks on faceoffs losing 38 of 59. But they still were able to prevail due to strong defense and better goaltending. That wins in the Spring. Though it would be nice if they had a dependable faceoff guy. A subject for another day.

They overcame an apparent Zuccarello goal that was waived off on the ice in the third. The play in question had Nash feed Zuccarello, who was robbed by a cat-like Niemi reflex glove. Refs Brad Meier and Dan O’Halloran ruled it no goal. But MSG replays showed that the puck was in the web of Niemi’s glove showing daylight beyond the goal line. However, as they had earlier in upholding Nathan MacKinnon’s goal in the Avalanche game against the Stars, Toronto upheld the decision ruling it “inconclusive.”

I don’t have a problem with that. It’s what they have in place. At some point, the league needs to reevaluate such lengthy reviews. Especially if it determines the opposite of the original call. Ultimately, it’s about getting it right.

Earlier in the period, the Rangers blew a golden opportunity on a four-minute power play. Following the Zuccarello ‘no goal,’ Dominic Moore took a holding minor. Karlsson was able to finish in front from James Sheppard. Instead of being up 3-1, they led only by one. Predictably, the Sharks pushed hard. There was a close call when Patrick Marleau had a step on the D but ex-Shark Dan Boyle was able to recover at the last split second to force Marleau wide. It looked like he was going to score. That was a crucial play by Boyle, who got a video tribute during a stoppage and a nice ovation from the crowd.

The bottom line is they did enough to win. When you’re able to get consistent efforts from top to bottom, it means you’re a winning team. The Rangers are a contender. That much is certain. With everyone continuing to win, the question is where will they wind up? Matches like Tuesday against the Islanders will go a long way to determining that. Especially if it means the difference between having home ice for an all important Game 7. There’s a lot of season left. Let’s enjoy it.

NY Puck 3 Stars:

3rd Star-Kevin Klein, NYR (SOG, 3 attempted, 3 blocks, +1 in 25 shifts-18:10-tremendous)

2nd Star-Chris Kreider, NYR (8th of season, assist, 3 SOG, 3 hits, +2 in 15:57)

1st Star-Henrik Lundqvist, NYR (30 saves for 20th win-NHL record 10th straight year with 20 wins)

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