Losses, more injuries have Devils singing the Blues

Posted on November 7, 2014 by hasan4978

Since I had other plans I watched almost none of Tuesday’s 1-0 home shutout against the Blues, and little of last night’s 4-3 loss in St. Louis.  Clearly I missed very little until the Devils’ sudden and unexpected three-goal outburst in the final 3:30 of last night’s game (by which time I was home anyway) that made a previously 3-0 walkover close in the end but of course our penalty kill of doom struck yet again giving up two more goals last night after giving up the only goal in the shutout loss on Tuesday.  People can talk about all our injuries, the old guys’ ineffectiveness, Cory playing every game and I’ll get to all that but this horrendous joke of a penalty kill is the biggest reason why this Devils team is grinding its gears, now at 6-5-2 after being swept by the Blues, with a vitally important game in Detroit tonight.  Not only is the Devils’ PK dead last at 66.7% (18/54) but the 54 power plays in itself is among the highest number in the league.  When you face an average of 3.6 power plays a game and give up and average of 1.2 PP goals a game, that’s not a good sign.

If I had an answer to the Devils’ PK I’d be coaching them but clearly something’s not getting the job done whether it’s personnel (overplaying Bryce Salvador on the PK among other things), tactics or whatever…something’s got to change for this team to even be competent at killing a penalty.  Taking less penalties would help too.  Even our bad PK is far from the only problem with this team now though.  As usual, scoring’s an issue – until our three-goal outburst last night with two of the goals coming from Michael Ryder and the other one from Marek Zidlicky, the only player the Devils had in last night’s lineup with more than two goals on the season was rookie defenseman Damon Severson, who had an off night last night – with him and Ryder being absolutely undressed on Tarasenko’s goal in the final seconds of the first period last night – see above.

Offensively as a whole, the big-name guys in our lineup are largely not producing.  After a brief offensive revival last season, Travis Zharkov is back with a vengeance (if anyone remembers one-time Devil Vladimir Zharkov doing everything to find a way not to score, that’s not a typo) with a pitiful one goal and four points in thirteen games.  Not that Czech nation’s been much better.  Jaromir Jagr’s only had two goals in his first thirteen games, Patrik Elias one goal – on Opening Night – and seven points.  Despite getting a ton of icetime with the top six this season, Danius Zubrus only has two points (both goals).  Tuomo Ruutu, by contrast has three points (two goals) in twelve games despite playing on the fourth line for 7-8 minutes a night and being a healthy scratch once this season already.  Having a fourth liner making north of $4 million would be a good luxury to have if you had better options but we don’t right now.  If anything Ruutu is probably a better option than at least one of the options playing a top six role right now…as much as I love Zubie, it’s been over for him since early last season.  Even recent recall Steve Bernier got a top nine slot over Ruutu last night, but amazingly enough that worked out with Bernier providing screens on two of the late goals.  It does seem as if our coach has the same blind spot for Ruutu as one-time Devil coach Brent Sutter had for Zubrus way back when Zubrus was treated as a fourth-liner and not deserving of it.  Now he is.

Even with our offensive woes, you do have to factor in the recent spate of injuries to our recent goal drought.  Adam Henrique missed last night’s game with an undisclosed injury and became the fourth forward from the opening night lineup (after Mike Cammalleri, Martin Havlat and Jordin Tootoo) to be MIA.  Henrique and Cammalleri have been arguably our top two offensive players this year.  That doesn’t even include defenseman Jon Merrill, also shelved the last two games with an apparent hand injury.  His loss isn’t helping the PK much by the way, but it wasn’t exactly that great with him either.  As far as the scoring goes, when you lose that many forwards and considering Reid Boucher showed he’s still not ready earlier in the season, options are limited.  Those options became even more limited with Ryane Clowe leaving last night’s game in the first period with an undisclosed injury.  I don’t want to say the C word, but man if this is another one that’s got to be it for him for good <shudder>.  With all our supposed depth I didn’t think we’d be seeing the likes of Mike Sislo again but fifteen games into the season here we are with both Bernier and Sislo recalled from the AHL to attempt to plug the gaps in our forward core.

A bone of contention with some fans and pundits is the fact Cory Schnieder’s started every game this season and will start his fifteenth straight in Detroit, after never being a #1 in his career it seems as if the Devils are determined to pay back the difference from last year where he played too little.  I can’t even fault the Devils yet though since the schedule’s been light in terms of games played and back-to-backs up to this point.  Our lone back-to-back before tonight, there was two days off before and after it, and Cory’s play has actually picked up in recent games after a slow start.  Clearly by any metric though he’s getting the ‘#1 treatment’ where you can’t sit him during a losing streak, and the Devils’ modest two-game losing streak could balloon if they don’t carry over their late surge into Detroit tonight.  It would be nice to start Keith Kinkaid at some point now that we’ve taken him away from getting regular work in Albany, maybe against a Zach Parise-less Minnesota would be more ideal for the kid to make his starting debut – assuming we aren’t on a four-game losing streak by then with having a game in Boston on Monday night.

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Chris Mueller sent down to Hartford

Posted on November 6, 2014 by Derek

A day later, the Rangers sent down forward Chris Mueller to Hartford. In seven games, the center posted a goal and assist while doing a solid job on faceoffs (38-and-26). Obviously, it’s disappointing for him because he did nothing wrong. Alain Vigneault even used him on a power play unit taking advantage of his right-handed shot. Mueller’s only goal came on the man-advantage in a comeback win over the Devils.

What it likely means is that Derek Stepan will be activated for Saturday’s game at Toronto. Obviously, that’s exciting. Stepan can certainly help offensively as well as defensively. Don’t forget, he’s a strong two-way playmaking pivot who plays power play and penalty kill. It’ll be interesting to see how much rust he has. Also, with Rick Nash going well alongside Derick Brassard and Mats Zuccarello, I would suggest playing Chris Kreider and Marty St. Louis with Stepan. Kreider definitely could use a boost.

With Mueller back down, that probably means Kevin Hayes sticks around and centers the third or fourth line. I’d like to think Vigneault will give Hayes a shot with Anthony Duclair and Carl Hagelin. But he could deploy Dominic Moore instead and have Hagelin and Lee Stempniak play together. Would a fourth line of Hayes, Duclair and Tanner Glass work? We’ll see.

Interestingly enough, Ryan Malone stays as an extra. Who would’ve thought? I think Mueller is a better fit. He earned it. But keeping Malone around isn’t the worst thing in the world for a team that lacks size. Vigneault can always plug him in.

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Brassard’s OT Winner Lifts Rangers Past Red Wings

Posted on November 6, 2014 by Derek
Brassy! Derick Brassard celebrates his overtime winner with Rick Nash. AP Photo by Frank Franklin II/Getty Images

Brassy! Derick Brassard celebrates his overtime winner with Rick Nash.
AP Photo by Frank Franklin II/Getty Images

Last night’s game had a bit of everything. It featured two Original 6 teams on Rivalry Night. The Rangers and Red Wings combined for seven goals and four power play goals with overtime hero Derick Brassard notching the winner at 1:50. His fifth of the season lifted the Rangers to an important 4-3 win at MSG.

It raised their record to 6-4-2 putting them in a three-way tie with the Devils and Islanders. All three Battle Of New York clubs have 14 points through a dozen games. Most notably, it allowed the Blueshirts to conclude a four-game home stand 2-0-2 picking up six of eight points. Following a visit to Toronto for Hockey Hall Of Fame weekend, they return home for three hosting Edmonton, Pittsburgh and Colorado. With a majority of games at MSG in the first half, they must take advantage. So far, they’re 4-2-2 at home.

The Rangers overcame a Tomas Tatar tying power play goal with 7.7 seconds remaining. Undisciplined penalties nearly cost them. I still don’t know what refs Steve Kozari and Tim Peel saw. On a nationally televised game, they were brutal. That included missed calls on both sides with Carl Hagelin getting away with hi-sticking Danny DeKyser and Johan Franzen catching Hagelin with a cheap shot as payback. They also erroneously called Marc Staal for a hooking minor before sending Marty St. Louis to the box with Justin Abdelkader joining him for embellishment. Staal was later nabbed for holding leading to Tatar finishing off a beautiful Andrej Nestrasil cross ice feed.

”When they scored the tying goal, we just stayed positive,” Brassard said in the winning locker room while donning the Broadway Hat. ”We talked to each other on the bench and we got it done.”

”You never want it to happen that late in the game,” Rick Nash added while scoring his team-leading 10th to open the scoring. ”But you have to give credit to our guys. We regrouped and came out pretty good in overtime.”

Without Ryan McDonagh, wins aren’t easy to come by. Alain Vigneault continues to lean heavily on Dan Girardi, who logged over 30 minutes for the third consecutive game. As usual, he’s stepped up assisting on Brassard’s winner while playing his usual gritty game. That included blocking four shots. He and Staal combined for eight of the team’s 17 blocks. Matt Hunwick had another strong game assisting on two goals including a great outlet that resulted in a sweet St. Louis finish on a breakaway. Kevin Klein returned but was shaky covering up the puck in the crease which led to a penalty shot. However, Henrik Lundqvist bailed him out by getting a glove on Gustav Nyqvist’s high tester. It was also Klein accidentally setting up Jakub Kindl’s power play tally that put the Wings on the board.

A Louis Louis Louis: Marty St. Louis celebrates his breakaway goal on Jonas Gustavsson in the second period. AP Photo by Frank Franklin II/Getty Images

A Louis Louis Louis: Marty St. Louis celebrates his breakaway goal on Jonas Gustavsson in the second period.
AP Photo by Frank Franklin II/Getty Images

At the time, the Rangers led 2-0 on goals from Nash (PPG) and St. Louis (3rd in 2 games). Conor Allen took a bad penalty. Not surprisingly, he didn’t see many shifts afterwards. For the game, Allen got 12 shifts logging 8:46 with a minor penalty and three hits. Are they really going to give 36-year old veteran Tomas Kaberle a shot? I’d rather not contemplate that scenario.

Playing their second game in two nights, the Red Wings were sluggish early falling behind. If not for the play of backup Jonas Gustavsson, they don’t get a point. Facing his fellow Swede countryman, The Monster was good finishing with 26 saves. That included highway robbery on Nash when he made a cat-like glove save in the final minute of the second period. By that point, the game was tied. Playing in his first game of the season, Daniel Cleary scored just 13 seconds after Kindl when he surprised Lundqvist short side. Neither ref saw it. Video review confirmed the goal. To Detroit’s credit, they responded by dictating play with a relentless forecheck to get the game tied.

Lee Stempniak put the Rangers back up when he took a wonderful Dominic Moore pass and converted a two-on-one rush for his first goal in nine. It also was his first point in seven. Chris Kreider got the secondary assist. Outside of that, the second-year forward wasn’t noticeable. As talented as he is, Kreider still struggles with consistency. Anthony Duclair outplayed him despite playing on the fourth line. Duke gets chances every game. He hit the post on a power play yet only received 12 shifts (9:39).

Despite allowing three including Tatar’s tying marker he had no chance on, Lundqvist made some big saves. The Rangers were under siege for long stretches. They were outshot 13-5 in the third. But Lundqvist held them in and deserved the win in regulation. Only penalty trouble prevented it.

”I felt like we had a little more energy. They played last night and we tried to take advantage of that,” Lundqvist said.

”Our guys are battling hard,” Vigneault noted after coaching his 900th NHL game. ”In overtime they took a penalty and we were able to make our power play count.”

NY Puck 3 Stars:

3rd Star-Jakub Kindl, DET (power play goal, assist)

2nd Star-Rick Nash, NYR (power play goal-10 goals in 12 games, dominant)

1st Star-Derick Brassard, NYR (game-winning PPG at 1:50 of OT, assist-11 Pts in 12 games for Brass)

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Klein and Zuccarello Back In, McIlrath Sent Down

Posted on November 5, 2014 by Derek

When the Rangers take on the Red Wings for a special 8 PM start on Rivalry Night, they’ll get two players back. After missing Monday’s game, both Kevin Klein and Mats Zuccarello will return. Klein replaces Dylan McIlrath, who was sent down to Hartford. Zuccarello is back in for Ryan Malone, whose days might be numbered.

Conor Allen remains with the club and is in for a second straight game. How Alain Vigneault constructs the pairings remains to be seen. On Monday, he had Matt Hunwick with Dan Girardi and Michael Kostka with Marc Staal. Klein is better than Kostka, who can slide down to the third pair with Allen. But does Vigneault trust them together?

As for McIlrath, it appears he’ll never get a chance as long as Vigneault is coaching. AV simply has no use for a big, physical defenseman who has trouble skating. McIlrath was selected in the first round of 2010. There’s no question he struggled against St. Louis getting victimized by Vladimir Tarasenko, who scored again in a win over the Devils. However, you have to be willing to let young players learn from mistakes. The Rangers have zero toughness. That’s the one element McIlrath brings battling Blues enforcer Ryan Reaves in an entertaining scrap.

It’s hard to say what his future is. Maybe he’ll have to go elsewhere. Is he fully ready? How can we know when the organization has zero faith. Look at the way they treated J.T. Miller and Jesper Fast. Granted, neither distinguished themselves. Miller was brutal before getting sent down. That’s another first round pick who might need a change of scenery. Vigneault seems more than happy with his guy Tanner Glass, who’ll continue to play in a limited role despite minimal value. Even more, he was on for the Blues tying goal.

It is what it is. Henrik Lundqvist is back in net. Detroit is playing the second of a back-to-back. It remains to be seen if Jimmy Howard will oppose him. But they should be tired after losing at Ottawa last night. These are the games the Rangers must take advantage of.

As for Tomas Kaberle, I could care less. It is ridiculous that Vigneault would rather have him over one of our prospects. But also speaks to the dire straits the club is in.

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Devils Put Scott Clemmensen On Waivers, Recall Keith Kincaid

Posted on November 4, 2014 by Derek

The Devils put Scott Clemmensen on waivers Monday. The veteran backup will go to Albany and finally get to play. He hadn’t gotten one start. Cory Schneider has started all 11 games posting a 6-3-2 record with a 2.83 goals-against-average and .909 save percentage. The 37-year old Clemmensen struggled in relief allowing 4 goals on 17 shots in two appearances.

“I’m not saying I’m not surprised they’re sending me down from a negative sense. I’m saying from a logical standpoint, this being Nov. 3 and not having gotten a start, it makes sense from a philosophical standpoint,” Clemmensen told NJ.com’s Rich Chere yesterday.

“We discussed it before practice. As soon as I clear, I’m going down. That’s my understanding,” he added.

With the Devils hosting the Blues tonight, Schneider will make his 12th start. He’ll face backup Jake Allen with St. Louis in the second of a back-to-back. They defeated the Rangers 4-3 in a shootout last night. Vladimir Tarasenko notched the winner.

New Jersey recalled Keith Kincaid from Albany. He’ll backup Schneider tonight. However, with the Devils having a back-to-back Thurday at St. Louis and Friday at Detroit, the 25-year old netminder could get a start. He went 4-0-1 with a 1.95 goals-against-average and .931 save percentage in Albany. The Devils also have back-to-backs on 11/10 at Boston and 11/11 against Minnesota.

For the Devils, there are two lineup changes. Defenseman Eric Gelinas is back in for injured Jon Merrill and forward Steve Bernier replaces Reid Boucher. Game time is 7:30 at Newark due to NBCSN.

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Tarasenko shoots Blues past Rangers 4-3

Posted on November 3, 2014 by Derek
Vladimir Tarasenko celebrates his shootout winner. Getty Images/AP Photo by Kathy Kmonicek

Vladimir Tarasenko celebrates his shootout winner.
Getty Images/AP Photo by Kathy Kmonicek

Another hard fought game. Another shootout loss. The Rangers lost for a second straight time in the skill competition, dropping a 4-3 decision to the Blues at MSG. This one hurt more because they actually scored three goals. Marty St. Louis came alive tallying twice including the tying and go-ahead tallies to put the home team in position to sweep St. Louis. Instead, the Blues responded 1:16 later with Jay Bouwmeester rifling one far side on Cam Talbot.

Just like Saturday, they had so many chances to win but didn’t. The overtime was largely controlled by the Blueshirts with St. Louis and Rick Nash all over the ice. In fact, they thought they had the winner when St. Louis send in Nash on a break only to see his shot which had Brian Elliott beaten ring off the goalpost before being covered up by the St. Louis starter. So many close calls. Earlier in the contest, they had Elliott down and out but Kevin Hayes and Chris Kreider couldn’t score through a maze of Blues who prevented the puck from going in.

Truth be told, it was another strong effort from a shorthanded team without six regulars including Mats Zuccarello. An actual power play goal was scored on home ice for the first time. Kreider deflected home his third from Matt Hunwick and Anthony Duclair to give the Rangers a 1-0 lead in the first period. Ryan Malone was also in front screening Elliott. In for Zuccarello, he played on the fourth line.

If not for Elliott, it easily could’ve been 2 or 3-0. The Rangers completely outplayed the Blues outshooting them 15-4 and outchancing them. In a period where Dylan McIlrath had seven penalty minutes including an entertaining scrap against Ryan Reaves, the Blues invited trouble by taking undisciplined penalties. They practically dared the Blueshirts to blow it open. But a lack of finish along with strong netminding from Elliott prevented it.

The second was a role reversal with St. Louis imposing their will. Using a ferocious forecheck due to their size and strength, they forced Cam Talbot to come up big. Most of the period, the popular Rangers backup was up to the challenge making several big saves. He did everything possible to win this one. None of the three goals he allowed were his fault. In only his second start, Talbot came to play. Unfortunately, there was nothing he could do on Vladimir Tarasenko’s tying power play goal. With Hunwick off for interference, Tarasenko took a Kevin Shattenkirk feed and flew up ice blowing past McIlrath and pulling a Forsberg tuck for his seventh.

On that one, McIlrath and partner Conor Allen got a lesson from a very talented skill player who is on the verge of stardom. He also left Tanner Glass in the dust. That’s what happens when you are down four starting D with one of your top four in the box. Alain Vigneault played them and their costly mistake resulted in Tarasenko tying it up. Depending on how long Kevin Klein is out, McIlrath and Allen will learn on the job. Unless Glen Sather makes a deal with John Moore still serving a suspension.

St. Louis surged ahead thanks to a fortunate bounce. Patrik Berglund had a Barret Jackman shot double deflect off him past a helpless Talbot at 3:50 of the third. Instead of letting it get to them, a determined Blueshirts dominated the next few shifts. After coming close, persistence paid off when on a great shift, Carl Hagelin set up an open St. Louis for a sweet finish in front. It was his first goal in five. Ironically, he told Al Trautwig that you do press when they don’t go in. In a twist of fate, Joe Micheletti called his goal before it happened. Full credit.

The third was so wild and crazy that it was impossible to predict. Each team took chances going for it. It was the kind of entertaining game that didn’t require a shootout. One that kept you on your toes. I only wish I could’ve been there with Dad, Justin and his friend Mike. Following a strong St. Louis cycle, Derick Brassard cleared the zone and passed for Nash at the St. Louis blueline. He quickly centered a beautiful backhand across for a cutting St. Louis for another sweet finish. The way he played, it deserved to be the winner. I had called him out along with Kreider. Both played incredible. Kreider easily could’ve had a hat trick. If only he had buried some other chances.

In what can best be described as a crushing sequence, the Rangers failed to score at one end and then got burned at the other. Tarasenko again started it and this time it came against Hunwick and Dan Girardi. He and Jori Lehtera combined to set up a wide open Bouwmeester for a rocket off the far post that tied it 1:16 later. Despite some unbelievable chances at both ends, Elliott and Talbot kept it even entering OT.

During the 4-on-4, the Rangers had every opportunity to win. Still on a power play due to a Shattenkirk slash at 19:23, they just couldn’t beat Elliott. Like Ondrej Pavelec, he shut the door. Despite holding a 6-2 shots edge, they went to a shootout. Stop if you’ve heard this before from resident Devil blogger Hasan. Skill competitions can make or break you. Even this early, getting extra points is valuable. The Rangers are in trouble if they need to rely on it to get wins.

Similar to Saturday, Lee Stempniak put them up with a slick backhand tuck five-hole on Elliott in Round 2. But Talbot blew Steen’s wrist shot which clearly frustrated him. After Elliott stoned Nash, that super skilled guy Tarasenko blew one past a helpless Talbot sending the Blues to the win.

Right now, it’s going to be tough. The Rangers have Detroit Wednesday. Even if Derek Stepan returns, they still have to figure it out. Every regulation/overtime win they get now is huge. At 5-4-2, they are facing their first crisis. Sure. They got a point. But the first tiebreaker is ROW. The division is by no means getting away. Outside of Pittsburgh, no one’s stepped up. But the Devils are finding ways to win. The Rangers need to or they’re digging themselves a hole that will be hard to get out of.

NY Puck 3 Stars:

3rd Star-Brian Elliott, STL (36 saves incl. 14/15 in big 1st)

2nd Star-Marty St. Louis, NYR  (2 goals-2nd, 3rd, 4 SOG, +2 in 21:52-by far his best)

1st Star-Vladimir Tarasenko, STL (highlight reel goal-7th, assist and shootout winner)

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Ryan Malone In For Mats Zuccarello

Posted on November 3, 2014 by Derek

Updating tonight’s lineup, it’s official. Mats Zuccarello is a scratch. Ryan Malone will take his place. Here’s an opportunity for the recently waived veteran to seize. He gets a second chance after clearing waivers this afternoon.

The goalie match-up is Cam Talbot versus Brian Elliott. Elliott was in the first time allowing 3 goals on 25 shots including Rick Nash’s winner with 1:50 left in regulation.

I’ll be real curious to see how Alain Vigneault handles the third pair of Conor Allen and Dylan McIlrath. Does he treat them with kid gloves and rely heavily on the top four or will he have the balls to play them? It should also be interesting to see if Chris Kreider snaps out of it. He’s been underwhelming and isn’t getting any criticism. Two goals in 10 games isn’t what’s expected.

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Stepan Takes Full Contact, Zuccarello Questionable For Blues

Posted on November 3, 2014 by Derek

The Rangers are back at it tonight when they host the Blues at 33rd and 7th. They look to rebound from a tough 1-0 shootout loss to Winnipeg, who ironically shutout Chicago in regulation Sunday. The Jets took 7 of 8 on their road trip. Go figure.Be that as it may, New York faces a physical St. Louis team hell bent on revenge. The Blueshirts defeated them 3-2 in the season opener. Rick Nash got the winner with 1:50 left in regulation.

Both clubs are struggling offensively. Each has played 10 games. Remarkably, the Rangers have scored 2 more goals (27-25) than their opponent. Nash easily paces them with nine goals. He’s the only player with more than two. Chris Kreider, Martin St. Louis and Mats Zuccarello are off to disappointing starts. They’ve combined for just five goals. Zuccarello didn’t take the morning skate due to an injury and is a “game-time decision.” Recently waived Ryan Malone actually practiced on the second power play unit with Conor Allen. Malone cleared waivers and might be in if Zuccarello can’t go.

Meanwhile, Derek Stepan took the morning skate full contact a day after wearing the yellow no-contact jersey. As badly as the offense has looked, they shouldn’t rush him. Maybe he returns for Detroit Wednesday. We’ll see. They can certainly use Stepan’s playmaking and strong two-way play. He’s the number one center for a reason. Don’t forget they’re 5-4-1 with basically one offensive pivot. So far, they’ve survived. Can they tread water without Ryan McDonagh for at least a month? How much will Alain Vigneault play Conor Allen and Dylan McIlrath? Probably the bare minimum. I’ll put the over/under at 12 shifts and 10 minutes.

For the Blues, Vladimir Tarashenko leads them with six goals followed by Jaden Schwartz (5). Five of Tarashenko’s six have come in two games during a current St. Louis four-game win streak. That was highlighted by his first hat trick in a 4-3 overtime win over Dallas on Oct. 29. No other Blue has more than two goals including captain David Backes and Alex Steen. They’re without Paul Stastny, who was placed on the injured reserve with a shoulder injury. He’s only played in four games. Team USA shootout ace T.J. Oshie is out with a concussion and didn’t travel on a road trip that includes a stop at New Jersey tomorrow.

St. Louis also boasts defensemen Kevin Shattenkirk and Alex Pietrangelo. Pietrangelo is one of the best in the league while Shattenkirk is lethal offensively. Jori Lehtera is by far their best faceoff man entering with an 84-and-56 mark. Maxim Lapierre is also strong going 42-and-27. The Blues have gotten good goaltending from duo Brian Elliott and Jake Allen. Elliott is 4-2-1 with a 1.96 goals-against-average and .919 save percentage. Allen is 2-1-0 with a 1.34 GAA and .944 save percentage.

Considering that they have a back-to-back, it wouldn’t surprise me if Allen got the call. Cam Talbot is starting for the Rangers. It’ll be his second start of the season and first since a 5-2 drubbing on Oct. 11 at Columbus. He allowed four goals on 23 shots. In what was a forgettable home opener the following night, he also replaced Henrik Lundqvist stopping all 12 shots in relief. It would be nice to see Talbot give a strong performance. He wasn’t sharp in preseason and it carried over in his one start. The schedule has allowed Vigneault to play Lundqvist the vast majority. That’ll change. They’re gonna need Talbot.

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Sharks Deal Islanders Third Straight Loss

Posted on November 2, 2014 by Derek

The Islanders were defeated by the Sharks 3-1 Saturday night at HP Pavilion. Logan Couture scored the game-winner with 8:10 left in regulation. James Sheppard added an insurance marker with 4:25 remaining to put it away.

It was the Islanders’ third straight loss. After a perfect 4-0-0 start, they’ve dropped five of seven. On a five-game road trip, they’ve been outscored 8-1. Offense has dried up. Kyle Okposo was the lone goalscorer in a game that saw the Isles outshot 31-20. Okposo’s goal was a beautiful move and sweet finish giving his team their only lead in the first period. Nick Leddy and Johnny Boychuk assisted.

A hi-sticking minor penalty on Ryan Strome allowed the Sharks to draw even. On somewhat of a broken play, Tomas Hertl was the beneficiary of a Tommy Wingels deflected pass that came right to him for an easy finish. Matt Nieto got the other assist.

If not for Jaroslav Halak, it could’ve been ugly. The Sharks peppered him throughout including 17 shots in a busy first. Halak had struggled coming in but was outstanding finishing with 28 saves. He stoned Joe Pavelski twice in the second to keep the game tied. The difference was the San Jose offense. Throughout, they controlled the puck and forechecked. Joe Thornton created some tough chances and forced Halak into a difficult glove stop with under 13 seconds left in the second.

With the game still tied, Couture neatly redirected a Justin Braun wide shot inside the crossbar. Marc-Edouard Vlasic moved the puck to Braun at the right point. He let go of a shot which Couture was somehow able to deflect past Halak. With over four minutes to go, San Jose took advantage of a neutral zone turnover. Andrew Desjardins and Adam Burish combined to set up a wide open Sheppard for a gimme at 15:35 to put it out of reach.

A positive for the Islanders was the play of Halak, who finally looked like the goalie Garth Snow traded for and signed. He wasn’t to blame on any goal and made the big saves to give his team a chance. Top defenseman Travis Hamonic also returned after missing four games. He hit the post on one opportunity. Paired with Lubomir Visnovsky, Hamonic took 24 shifts logging 22:00 with three blocked shots and a minus-one rating. With him back, that should aid the blueline. It allows Calvin de Haan to play third pair with Thomas Hickey.

The concern for the Isles is John Tavares’ play has slipped. After starting on fire with nine points (2-7-9) in the club’s first four- all wins- he’s 2-1-3 and minus-five over the last seven. Not coincidentally, the team’s record is 2-5-0. When the Islanders captain isn’t going, others must pick it up. Snow brought in Mikhail Grabovski and Nikolay Kulemin to provide offense. While Grabovski’s done his part with six points (3-3-6) in eight games, Kulemin has a goal and five helpers but nothing over the past three. Most notably, he got a boarding major and game misconduct that led to two Winnipeg power play goals in a frustrating 4-3 home loss.

The Islanders are missing Josh Bailey, who’s missed the last four with a broken hand. Off to a good start with two goals and two helpers, he’s looking to return in a week. Penalty killing ace and speed demon Michael Grabner is still recovering from sports hernia surgery. Unsurprisingly, Cory Conacher has one goal and one assist so far. He’s not dependable. Most of the offense has been supplied by Tavares, Okposo, Brock Nelson and Frans Nielsen. Boychuk and Leddy have also contributed from the back end.

In 11 games, Strome has seven assists but is still without a goal. They haven’t gotten much from bruisers Cal Clutterbuck or Matt Martin and Casey Cizikas is without a point so far. Coach Jack Capuano needs more from his supporting cast. Strome and Anders Lee are likely candidates.

The Islanders (6-5-0) are off until Wednesday when they visit Anaheim. That’s followed by a tough back-to-back at Stanley Cup champ Los Angeles. They’ll conclude the Western road swing at Arizona on Saturday, Nov. 8.

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Rangers To Recall Conor Allen and Dylan McIlrath

Posted on November 2, 2014 by Derek

With a depleted blueline, the Rangers are set to call in reinforcements from Hartford for tomorrow’s home game against the Blues. They’re expected to recall defensemen Conor Allen and Dylan McIlrath. Both were scratches for today’s Hartford game. They were 4-3 winners over Worcester. Goal scorers included Chris Bourque, J.T. Miller, Chris Bourque and Jesper Fast. Cedrick Desjardins made 36 saves as the Wolf Pack improved to 6-2-1.

Thus far, Allen has posted two goals and three assists in eight games with Hartford. The 24-year old from Chicago debuted with the Rangers last season getting into three games. A solid skating defenseman, he’ll likely be paired with McIlrath. In eight contests, the Rangers 2010 first round pick leads the Wolf Pack with 21 penalty minutes. A big imposing right-handed D listed at 6-5, 230, McIlrath made his Broadway debut last year participating in two games with seven penalty minutes. That included his first NHL scrap against Calgary enforcer Brian McGrattan seen below.

With setbacks to Ryan McDonagh and Kevin Klein, the stakes are higher. With the Rangers captain suffering a left shoulder separation, he’s expected to miss three to four weeks. As for Klein, he sustained a left foot contusion. X-rays were negative which is encouraging. But he won’t play tomorrow. Also on the injury front, Derek Stepan practiced in a non-contact jersey and remains out. Dan Boyle is also skating without contact.

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