Rangers Lose Bizarre Shootout To Pens After Boyle’s No Goal

Posted on November 16, 2014 by Derek

The next time the Rangers go to a shootout, can they decline? Following last night’s bizarre 3-2 shootout defeat to the Pens, they might consider it. An exciting game between the old Patrick Division rivals had the oddest conclusion.

Following a wild overtime, the clubs went to the skill competition to decide the outcome. After Henrik Lundqvist stopped Kris Letang, out came Dan Boyle. He appeared to score the winner going around Marc-Andre Fleury’s poke check and going forehand deke off the right post and in. Following teammates congratulating him, the Rangers headed for the locker room. But as they were, a horn sounded twice. I didn’t think much of it but wondered why. With both teams leaving, suddenly the play was under review.

Apparently, Toronto found something. On Boyle’s attempt, the puck hit the post and deflected off his stick while he was down resulting in a double deflection. Even after seeing the replay, I couldn’t pick it up. It looked like it just went off the goalpost and bounced in. Not surprisingly, I lost it on Twitter and got called out by angry Pens fans who were right. It took me until following the Hurricanes choke job in a devastating loss to the Seminoles to realize the puck actually did go off Boyle’s stick. Maybe I didn’t want to believe it. Even though it was one motion, it was correctly reversed.

Suddenly, out came Sidney Crosby followed by the rest of the Pens. Of course, the only thing I could think of was said by my brother. Only Crosby would lead his team back out on a bizarre call that snatched a shootout win from the Rangers to the jaws of defeat. You can’t make it up. As soon as Henrik Lundqvist came back out, I uttered ‘Game over.’ There was no way they were winning after that. When Brandon Sutter came out and beat Lundqvist five-hole, it confirmed the obvious. Once Fleury stopped Rick Nash’s backhand, it dealt the Rangers another shootout loss. They’ve dropped their last four. Lundqvist is responsible for three including the last two.

The game itself was so well played, it didn’t deserve a shootout. Most games that require overtime don’t. But this is what the NHL has become. A league reliant on skill competitions to decide crucial extra points. It is what it is. It would be nice to come out on top. For years, we’ve been spoiled by Lundqvist. He just hasn’t been successful this year dropping to 1-3. Overall, the Rangers are 1-4. You hope these lost points don’t prove costly. With the Pens and Islanders off to great starts, they’re digging themselves a hole. At 7-6-4 with 18 points, they’re tied with the Devils for fourth in the Metro with the Caps and Flyers right behind. At some point, they’re going to have to put together a good stretch.

Playing a second time in five days, the Rangers and Pens put on a good show. There was a bit of everything. A seesaw first period saw the teams combine for three goals. Blake Comeau put Pittsburgh in front when his wrist shot from the right circle fooled Lundqvist. It came off a turnover with Evgeni Malkin and Patric Hornqvist setting Comeau up. But just 15 seconds later, ex-Pen Lee Stempniak beat Crosby to a rebound and backhanded in his fourth. A good forecheck by Carl Hagelin set up a Dan Girardi point shot that caromed off Fleury right to Stempniak for the equalizer.

Derick Brassard drew a slashing minor on Steve Downie. As good as the Pens penalty kill has been, they’ve gotten victimized by our listless power play. Go figure. It was Brassard who made a great saucer pass across to Marty St. Louis for his fifth goal in the last seven. After a slow start, he’s really found it. Nash drew a secondary assist. They had a chance to increase their lead but failed to take advantage of another power play including the first 1:43 of the second.

Afterwards, a more aggressive Pens grabbed the momentum. They began dictating with a strong forecheck. Generating quality scoring chances and attacking the net, they forced Lundqvist into some difficult stops. He was up to the challenge. Unfortunately, an errant Boyle pass resulted in Malkin tying it with a laser. Partnered for a second consecutive game with John Moore, Boyle simply fanned on a pass which went right to Nick Spaling who did the wise thing dishing across for Malkin’s seventh which Lundqvist got a piece of. It was his brilliance that allowed the Rangers to get a point. He was under siege in the second stopping 14 of 15 shots.

The third was more even. It also was physical. The Pens attacked Lundqvist’s crease. One such instance saw Crosby fall on top of our goalie. An obvious goalie interference that the refs missed. The Pens captain also slammed his stick against the glass earlier in protest after not getting a call. Sometimes, I really can’t stand him. I get it. He’s their leader but the way he goes about it is sickening.

There was a scary moment. Malkin caught a leaning Girardi with a vicious hit behind the Ranger net. It was simply a case of Girardi playing a puck and Malkin leaning into him with a clean shoulder that made heavy contact to the chest. Danny G stayed down and had to be helped off the ice. Partner Marc Staal stepped up for him and went after Malkin. It led to matching roughs even though Malkin’s hit was clean. Amazingly, Girardi returned in overtime. He must be Superman. Hopefully, he’s okay. In retrospect, it probably should’ve been a Pens power play. Fortunately, it wasn’t. But the four on four saw Crosby battle John Moore in front for an extended shift. To his credit, Moore did a solid job. Lundqvist denied a low Crosby shot.

On the opposite end, Fleury was superb. If not for some big saves in the first, it easily could’ve been 4-1 Rangers. Both netminders shined. Lundqvist finished with 36 saves while Fleury had 29.

The overtime was entertaining. They took both Hagelin and Kris Letang off for matching slashes. Though I didn’t see what Hagelin did. That led to some 3-on-3. Chris Kreider was actually out and tried to use his speed. He had one good chance when he broke in and was tripped up by a diving Rob Scuderi. After Fleury stopped him, a sliding Kreider fell into the Pens goalie. Sam Rosen and Joe Micheletti thought penalty shot but the replay clearly showed that Kreider wasn’t in the clear. It was the right call.

Rewarded a four-on-three, the Rangers weren’t aggressive enough. They tried to be too fine. Forcing passes, it allowed the Pens to clear the puck and even get a dangerous shorthanded opportunity when Letang came out of the box. Lundqvist robbed him with a great glove save. I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention that he also stoned Crosby off the opening draw of extras making a pad save. Like I said, Hank was brilliant. It’s a shame he lost.

In the shootout, Derek Stepan scored for a second straight game going five-hole on Fleury to give the Rangers a 1-0 lead after Round 1. But Crosby evened it with a quick wrister low blocker. Then Fleury denied Mats Zuccarello with a nice poke check. After Lundqvist stopped Letang’s backhand, there was Boyle’s No Goal. Just bizarre. Then the teams came back and the Pens took full advantage with Sutter winning it.

NY Puck 3 Stars:

3rd Star-Marc-Andre Fleury, Pens (29 saves incl. 12/14 in 1st)

2nd Star-Evgeni Malkin, Pens (goal-7th of season, assist)

1st Star-Henrik Lundqvist, NYR (36 saves incl. 27/29 1st 2 periods)

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One step forward, one giant leap backward for Schneider, Devils

Posted on November 16, 2014 by hasan4978

Cory Schnieder can only watch as the Devils give up another lead last night

It’s amazing how one game and one night can change your entire perspective on things.  After Friday night, when Cory Schneider was the hero in Washington with a 1-0 shutout win and had two excellent puck-stopping games in a row, it looked as if he finally broke out of his early-season funk and was playing like the goalie many expected him to be once he finally got a full-time starting job this year.  And with Mike Cammalleri and Martin Havlat back in the lineup it looked as if better days were just around the corner offensively as well.

Then last night’s trainwreck happened.

Once again Schneider allowed a killer soft shortside goal.  Once again the PP failed, now completing the role reversal on special teams (early in the season when our PK was historically bad, our PP was good…now it’s just the opposite now that the PK has finally been fixed).  And once again, the Devils blew a lead and both points at home to a Colorado team that has been playing sub-mediocre for most of the season.  If our 8-8-2 overall record wasn’t troubling enough just digest this stat, the Devils are 5-4-1 when scoring the first goal.  That means games are a virtual coinflip even after getting out to a lead, which is pretty inexcusable.

Of course your number one lead protector is your goaltender, and Schneider continued his wild inconsistency within games last night.  Even with less than twenty games played so far it seems as if at least half of them have been ‘Cory had a great game BUT gave up a bad goal, or BUT mishandled the puck for a goal against’.  I’m tired of the buts at this point, true upper-echelon goalies (what Cory was supposed to be given his career numbers) don’t have ‘great game…buts’.  Our last two home games epitomized Cory’s season, particularly last night.  On Tuesday he made some of his best saves of the season, but spoiled his own shutout by giving away a goal to Ryan Carter with his puckhandling of doom.  Last night, Cory’s moment of doom came in the third period with the Devils up 2-1 and after playing a spotty game finally gaining momentum after Eric Gelinas’ tiebreaking goal with 11:39 remaining.  In fact the goal he allowed to Eric Johnson minutes later could have actually been the worst he allowed all season, which is saying something – a soft wrister from the boards that squirts through the legs tying the game and killing our momentum.

With the Devils trying to put a good streak together before the Western Canada swing this week, last night’s loss to a struggling WC team at home was a killer.  Of course, it was just another sign of a mediocre team doing what mediocre teams do.  Early in the season when the defense and PK were struggling, a batch of goalscoring (particularly on the power play) was carrying them.  Now that the defense looks better and the PK woes have magically been solved since Bryce Salvador’s undisclosed ‘injury’, the PP has gone from stud to dud with only an empty-net goal by Travis Zajac against Minnesota being a successful conversion in the last several games.  Overall the offense has blown a tire as well, managing no more than two (non-empty net) goals in any of the last five games.  The last time the Devils scored more than three goals in a game?  October 11, in Florida – the second game of the season.  Injury excuses can only take you so far, look at teams like the Ducks and Blues who have continued to get points in spite of a MASH unit up front at different times this season.

Despite an 8-8-2 record, desperation is starting to creep in as the glow from a 6-3-2 start has been blown away in an Avalanche of bad defeats.  I was just waiting for coach Pete DeBoer to slip up last night and say how we were playing in a tough building.  Sadly it wouldn’t be too far from the truth these days, only our building’s getting tougher on our own than the opposition.  While I wasn’t on the premises last night (I had a friend’s baby party to go to) I was told some of the yahoos up near my section were getting really impatient with Cory starting ‘We want Marty!’ chants, which made me doubly glad I didn’t go to last night’s disaster.   Would it really shock anyone if ‘Marty’s Better’ chants soon started after Cory’s next bad goal allowed?  Well no **** Marty’s better, you’re talking about arguably one of the five greatest goalies ever, but he’s 42 and not on that level anymore.  As much as I’ve complained about Cory’s play at some point you have to get behind these guys, or at least not actively turn on them.  It’s not as if Cory’s going to start playing better with the crowd giving him **** in intros or with drunken clowns upstairs expecting a 25-year old Marty to walk through the door.  How about just being thankful you had two great decades of goaltending instead of expecting the next guy to seamlessly carry that standard of greatness.

Perhaps the only similarity this year between Cory and Marty in his prime is the insane workloads, with Cory getting his 18th straight start and no sign of a break anytime soon.  At this point it wouldn’t shock me if Cory played through Thanksgiving, though after turkey break there’s a stretch of 13 games in 23 days where you’d have to figure a backup should get at least three of them.  Who gets the first backup starts is anyone’s guess though…will Kinkaid ever get an NHL start?  Now he’s been on the bench for two prolonged stretches (in 2013 and this year) when the starter’s gotten in every game.  Will Scott Clemmensen get the first shot at it now that he’s gotten some of the rust off his game in Albany?  Or will the Devils get desperate and sign/trade for someone, even (shudder) Marty, which would really make the yahoos crazy and give the tabloids fresh meat.

More importantly, will it even matter?  With the offense going cold and not all of the defensive issues leaving the building when Sal put on a suit and tie, it’s not as if the team’s playing well enough to survive less than near-perfect goaltending.  October darling Damon Severson’s become a November concern, following the pattern of Adam Larsson’s rookie year as some of us who didn’t want to totally buy into the hype feared it might.  Though Severson led the defense in icetime last night(!), he was a -3 and generally hasn’t looked that great lately, exhibit A last night’s first goal where he chased Gabriel Landeskog around the net putting both he and Gelinas on the same side of the ice and leaving the right side wide open for a tap-in goal by John Mitchell.  Gelinas and fellow offensive d-man Marek Zidlicky is a disaster of a pairing waiting to happen and though Seth Hegelson’s gotten off to a nice start in his career he’s still green.  Of course with how desperate our overrated head coach is to ride a hot hand, Hegelson will probably get twenty minutes a game anyday now.  Offensively, can someone – anyone besides Mike Cammalleri start scoring consistently?  Patrik Elias’s career worst scoring drought has continued, since he hasn’t gotten a goal since Opening Night.  The only Devil besides Cammalleri in last night’s lineup with as many as four goals is Michael Ryder, who scored half of them in our too little, too late binge in St. Louis.

I would say this is a good time for the team to be heading on the road except that their first game’s against Winnipeg Tuesday, and their speed usually is problematic for us.  The the Devils face another surprise team in Calgary on Friday before going to Edmonton on Saturday, scene of one of the worst losses we suffered last year.  Then they conclude the trip in Vancouver on Tuesday before coming home for Thanksgiving.  Hopefully by then the Devils themselves won’t be coming home as stuffed turkeys.

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Another Shootout Fail: Early Observations On Rangers

Posted on November 14, 2014 by Derek

I didn’t catch the first period of last night’s game. However, I was able to see the final two-plus including overtime and the latest shootout debacle. The Rangers were defeated by the Avalanche 4-3 in the skill competition. They lost for a third straight time in the shootout dropping their record to 1-3.

That Henrik Lundqvist was victimized tells you these are different days. As the Rangers are finding out, having Henrik doesn’t guarantee the extra point. He fell to 1-2 and took full responsibility even if the two shooters who beat him pulled off great moves. Both Nathan MacKinnon and Alex Tanguay deked Lundqvist to death. He admitted that he wasn’t patient enough despite some supreme skill.

It is what it is. At the end of the day, they came away with a point against a horrible defensive team that basically relied on Semyon Varlamov to bail them out. At one point, he didn’t have to stand on his head. A flat first period had Colorado in front on the strength of a Matt Duchene goal. He really is tremendous to watch giving Marc Staal and Dan Girardi fits. His speed and playmaking was on display scoring and setting up goals while creating dangerous opportunities.

Outshot 18-6 through an early portion of the second including 6-0, the Rangers finally turned it around. A wild middle stanza saw them spring to life outscoring Colorado 3-1. They outshot the Avs 10-4 the rest of the period. Kevin Hayes continued to shine. A dominant shift saw him draw a delayed call and then score his second from Dominic Moore and Matt Hunwick. Using his size and skill, he drove the front of the net for what would’ve been a hooking minor. Instead, the Rangers maintained possession. Kevin Klein reset in the neutral zone and then handed for Hunwick, whose shot Moore tipped right to Hayes for an easy finish at the goal mouth.

With the game knotted, Duchene worked some magic forcing a sliding Girardi to break up a scoring chance. However, he and Erik Johnson stuck with it setting up Tanguay for a sweet tip past Lundqvist. Amazingly, it was the veteran’s seventh goal. Who says you can’t go home? Tanguay is the only active player left from Colorado’s 2001 Stanley Cup. Fittingly, Patrick Roy is the coach. He really is a lot of fun showing plenty of emotion. Considering the run and gun style they play, you can see why.

Trailing 2-1, the Rangers drew even thanks to Derek Stepan, who converted a two-on-one for his first with 4:41 left. It came via a four-on-four. Following an iffy Dan Boyle boarding call that caught Johnson turning, a hustling Carl Hagelin forced Tanguay to hook him down. During a recent stretch, Hagelin has been playing well. He’s really skating and has been in on goals. Someone asked me recently what does Hagelin bring. You’re seeing it. A sloppy Colorado turnover led directly to Stepan skating in with Rick Nash. Using Nash as a decoy, he fired past Varlamov. I’m always asking him to shoot. For once, he listened.

After Boyle returned, the Blueshirts had a brief power play. Then Tanguay came back making it full strength. However, they maintained puck possession in the Colorado zone. On a bizarre night that saw former Ranger Dale Weise score on a penalty shot in a Habs’ win over the Bruins, John Moore and Mats Zuccarello combined to set up Girardi in front for a sweet finish that put the Rangers ahead with 2:58 remaining. It was incredibly odd to see Danny G look like a forward scoring. Aside from Klein’s three goals, Girardi became the second Ranger defenseman to score this season.

In the third, they had a chance to put it away but didn’t take advantage of a power play. Instead, a Jesper Fast holding minor allowed the Avs to tie it. MacKinnon caught a break when his shot pass for an open Duchene deflected off Girardi slipping past Lundqvist, who was anticipating the pass to Duchene. It was a bad break.

There were still plenty of chances to win. But Varlamov wouldn’t allow it. Aside from Johnson, his defense is non-existent. No wonder he nearly won the Vezina last season. Honestly, I feel he should’ve due to how poorly the Avs play in front of him. It’s like Christmas for opponents. That’s why they eventually fell in seven games to the Wild in the first round. Altogether, Varlamov stopped 30 including two in a more conservatively played overtime. But in the skill comp, he was better than Lundqvist.

Curiously, Alain Vigneault opted to shoot second. A change he later revealed was due to the last two shootout losses. It didn’t work. In Round 1, MacKinnon put on a series of dekes before finishing to give the Avs a 1-0 lead. After Varlamov stopped Zuccarello, Lundqvist denied Duchene. Stepan, who was their best player then wristed one home evening it after two frames. Then Tanguay turned back the clock with more fakes along with a beautiful finish. Vigneault had Lee Stempniak take the final shot but he was unable to beat Varlamov- allowing the Avs to skate off with a win.

Just a couple of quick observations:

-There was plenty of chatter on Twitter about Fast due to his penalty costing them. Everyone wants to see Anthony Duclair play. But it’s obvious that the coaching staff doesn’t fully trust him. They should just do him a favor and send Duke back to Quebec City. He’s wasting away in the press box. Development is best and that would include the U-20 World Junior Championships. My favorite prospect tournament. He should be a part of it for Canada.

-I’m really impressed with Klein. Who knew he could also add offense while playing a capable stay at home D? When the deal was made sending Michael Del Zotto to Nashville, I felt they could’ve done better. I didn’t feel MDZ got a fair shake from AV. However, with the way it turned out and the latest Del Zaster about his off ice shenanigans, kudos to Glen Sather. Klein has really stepped up with Ryan McDonagh out.

-Hayes is a keeper. His combination of size, skating and skill is fun to watch. It would be nice if he thought shot more but you cannot question his ability to hold onto the puck and make plays. He’s also solid defensively. He’s still learning. But the Rangers made the right decision keeping him over J.T. Miller. Speaking of which, if Duke goes to the Remparts, do we see JT again?

-One other thought on Fast. He just came back up. The criticism he received is understandable because Duclair is a better prospect. However, we shouldn’t be so quick to judge. Fast is older. It’s important to develop him and see if he can become a regular. What they’re trying to do is make him a defensively responsible forward first. He isn’t a bad fit on the fourth line. Duclair belongs in the top nine or back in juniors. Case closed.

-When you see Stepan put together the kind of games he did over the last two, it shows that he’s maturing into one of the Rangers’ leaders. Vigneault chose him as an alternate for a reason. When D-Step was vocal about wanting to take on more responsibility following the trade of former USA linemate Ryan Callahan- who btw visits MSG along with Brian Boyle and Anton Stralman Monday- it proved what he’s about. Stepan isn’t the most talented but his uncanny ability to see the whole ice and play solid two-way hockey makes him worth the new contract next summer. While there’ll be criticism for what he’ll earn (5.5-6 million), it’s market value. Even more, D-Step is similar to Callahan. Not just about fancy stats. Intangibles.

-If Hayes excels on the third line, a top three of Stepan, Brassard and Hayes is solid. While none of the trio will ever be mentioned in the same breath as Crosby, Malkin, Kopitar, Toews or Getzlaf, few teams are able to land such franchise players. Outside of 2003 with the failed Hugh Jessiman selection, the Rangers haven’t tanked but rather rebuilt through solid scouting in later rounds. Maybe it’s time to credit the organization. Of course, they probably want a do over on taking Dylan McIlrath over Cam Fowler. So do a few other teams. It happens.

-I can’t wait to see tomorrow’s rematch against the Pens. While they need more wins and must put together a good stretch in the second half of November to gain ground, I’m curious to see how Pittsburgh responds. Will we see a more edgy game? For the Blueshirts, they’ll see a different team Saturday. Can they raise their level in the rematch and step up against Tampa in Callahan’s homecoming? It will be a good litmus test. They need points but also must find consistency. We’ll get more definitive answers the next few days.

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Islanders fly under radar as big tests await

Posted on November 13, 2014 by Derek
Jaroslav Halak has stopped 39 straight shots posting consecutive shutouts during the Isles' four-game win streak. AP Photo by Kathy Kmonicek/Getty Images

Jaroslav Halak has stopped 39 straight shots posting consecutive shutouts during the Isles’ four-game win streak.
AP Photo by Kathy Kmonicek/Getty Images

The Islanders continue to fly under the radar in the metropolitan area. After a strong start, they slumped. After falling to Winnipeg at home, consecutive defeats at Colorado and San Jose had fans and media wondering if it was time to push the panic button. As usual, coach Jack Capuano was the target.

Since that three-game losing streak, they have responded with four straight wins. It started with a hard fought overtime win over Anaheim. Captain John Tavares snapped out of it tallying twice including the game-winner on a four-on-three power play. His shot through a Kyle Okposo screen got past emergency Ducks starter Jason LaBarbera. A one-time Ranger, LaBarbera was an emergency recall with John Gibson suffering a groin injury in warm ups. Of course, many will say the Isles got lucky. But good teams take advantage. They did and built off it.

Able to follow it up with a shootout victory a night later over the defending champion Kings, they got strong goaltending from backup Chad Johnson (29 saves). Ocho Cinco turned away Anze Kopitar and Jeff Carter while Okposo and Frans Nielsen beat Jonathan Quick. Those two wins allowed them to go 2-1-0 in California. No small feat. They then got a Nielsen goal with 2:31 left in regulation to blank the Coyotes. Jaroslav Halak stopped 19 shots to post a shutout. After a disastrous start, the Isles finished a tough road trip 3-2-0.

Ryan Strome gets congrats from the bench after scoring his first of the season. AP Photo by Kathy Kmonicek/Getty Images

Ryan Strome gets congrats from the bench after scoring his first of the season.
AP Photo by Kathy Kmonicek/Getty Images

They returned to Nassau Coliseum Tuesday avenging a blowout loss by putting up a six-spot on the Avalanche in a 6-0 dismantling. The game featured six different Islander scorers. That included two from defensemen with Nick Leddy getting his fourth and Travis Hamonic notching his second. The other four came from depth forwards with youngsters Anders Lee and Ryan Strome each tallying while vets Nikolay Kulemin and Casey Cizikas hit the score sheet.

Most impressively, they outshot Colorado 46-20. That allowed Halak to post a second consecutive shutout. In the two, he only had to stop 39. On some occasions, goalies see that many in one night. So, what’s the difference? Hamonic alluded to it after the win.

”This was probably our most complete game this season,” the Isles top defenseman told the Associated Press. ”We want to be as strong at home as we’ve been on the road. Now we have to work on playing even better.”

”We’re creating good habits,” Capuano stated with his team on the right track. The Isles are second in the Metro Division with a 10-5-0 record, trailing first place Pittsburgh by one point. ”Our attention to detail was really good. I was impressed that we stayed with it all night.”

With more of an emphasis on defense, they’re playing smarter hockey. Tavares also pointed out that he felt by being more responsible in their end, that’s how they’re getting chances. That wasn’t the case earlier. Basically, they were winning by outscoring opponents in more of a run and gun that left both Halak and Johnson out to dry. Even though they got away with it, that riskier style came back to bite them. Of the Isles’ first six wins, five saw them allow three goals-or-more. In the last four wins, they’ve permitted three total. Big difference.

”This was a blueprint for how we have to play,” said Strome after scoring his first of the season to go with nine helpers in Year 2. ”We have a lot to be proud of tonight. Getting almost 50 shots is really impressive.”

Most notably, they’re getting contributions throughout the lineup. Tavares leads them with 16 points. However, sophomore Brock Nelson’s improvement has him one behind while Okposo has 14 proving last year’s breakout wasn’t a fluke. The additions of Johnny Boychuk and Leddy have boosted defense corps giving it more stability and offensive capability. Fully healthy, the unit is better balanced allowing Capuano to micro manage his top six.

Even more, they’ve survived injuries to top nine forwards Josh Bailey and Michael Grabner. Playing well enough, there’s no reason to rush either back. Just how capable will they be once Bailey and Grabner return? General Manager Garth Snow had a good summer. Key additions such as Kulemin and Mikhail Grabovski have supplied Capuano with the kind of depth he hasn’t had. It’s resulted in a better attack.

The Islanders fly down to the Sunshine state where they’ll battle the Panthers Friday and Lightning Saturday. A pair of home and homes dominate afterwards with the Bolts returning to Long Island next Tuesday followed by a pivotal back-to-back against the Pens. Facing two of the league’s best in four of their next five, that should be a good litmus test. We’ll get a better idea of what they can be.

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Schneider, Cammalleri throw the Devils a life preserver in Wild win

Posted on November 12, 2014 by hasan4978

After four straight defeats dropped the Devils below .500 they faced if not a must-win, then something very close to it last night against the Wild…especially with the other locals winning big last night.  With pressure mounting and captain Bryce Salvador joining the walking wounded with an undisclosed lower body injury, coach Pete DeBoer started Cory Schneider in goal for the sixteenth straight game (and four games in six nights in four cities).  If Cory had been playing well this would have  been one thing, but he’d already been rocky in the last three games – getting pulled in two.  This was certainly a decision that had the potential to backfire badly, especially given Cory’s own comments after Monday’s loss in Boston which suggested he would be open to having a break.

However, last night’s game proved to be what the doctor ordered in more ways than one as Schneider was the player of the game making several outstanding saves in a 3-1 triumph, only being his worst enemy on a puckhandling snafu in the third period that gave Ryan Carter (yes the former Devil) a shorthanded goal early in the third period that turned a solid 2-0 game into a shaky one-goal one.  Still, Cory responded to the pressure well – especially following his mistake when the Devils didn’t play very well in the third.  Devils winger Mike Cammalleri echoed the sentiments of many last night:

This has been a little bit too long for us here, so there was definitely a sense of urgency in our room and I thought nobody exemplified that better than our goaltender.  He was by far our best player tonight and there was a lot of will there, I think, by him. He decided that we were going to win the game, it seemed, and that was it.

If anyone else deserved to be a star of the game last night though it was Cammalleri himself, who scored what turned out to be the winning goal at 9:53 of the second period, playing nearly twenty-two minutes including some key shorthanded time and being Johnny On The Spot when a Jaromir Jagr shot rebounded right to the winger on the side of the net and he put home the rebound for his sixth goal of the season, a total even more remarkable considering Cammalleri had just come off a six-game absence from a suspected concussion.  Cammalleri also had a few other chances to pad his goal total last night but hit a crossbar and a post, though as he wryly observed afterward it’s a good thing those goals weren’t neccesary.

It’s impossible to overstate how neccesary Cammalleri’s presence has been to the team, considering the recent losing streak started with him out of the lineup.  In addition to his return, Martin Havlat also played last night for the first time in three weeks and coach DeBoer also intimated after the game a couple other players were close to returning as well (re: center Adam Henrique and defenseman Jon Merrill).  With both Merrill and Salvador out last night, rookie Seth Hegelson was called up from Albany and played in his first NHL game.  Though Hegelson only played a hair over six minutes they proved somewhat eventful as he took a penalty and on the plus side had three hits and got his first NHL point on Tuomo Ruutu’s opening goal at 5:42 of the second period, firing a shot that the vet winger deflected past Darcy Kuemper.

Perhaps the true benficiary of Salvador’s absence last night was defenseman Adam Larsson, who saw his icetime spike from 12-13 minutes to over 18 – including a bunch of shorthanded time as he, Andy Greene and Damon Severson were the only defensemen that were on the ice for the Wild’s four power plays last night.  And for once, the Devils killed off every penalty.  Fellow Swede Jacob Josefson also played some on the PK and played well but made his biggest contribution on the aformentioned opening goal where his speed helped the Devils keep possession in the Wild zone (though Josefson would not be credited with an assist on Ruutu’s goal).  It would be nice if his icetime started going into four digits though – Josefson only played 9:47 last night despite a couple of shorthanded shifts.  Ironically though Ruutu – the goalscorer – had the least amount of icetime on the fourth line and among Devil forwards last night.

And yes I’ll admit it, I thought DeBoer should have been fitted for a straitjacket playing Cory yet again last night but after he stopped a point-blank chance by Marco Scandella early in the first period I had a good feeling.  Helping the cause ironically enough, was the continued absence of former Devil Zach Parise, out several games with a concussion of his own.  Clearly the Wild power play missed him for they weren’t able to solve the easy riddle our PK has been up to this point in the season.  Through two periods and the start of the third, it felt like it was going to be a workmanlike victory.

Then IT happened.

On a three-minute power play caused by a Charlie Coyle high stick while the Wild were on their own PP, a puck came into the Devils zone just beyond the reach of Carter but Schnieder inexplicably threw the puck toward the boards with a backhand to nobody.  Carter alertly got the puck and then fired a quick turnaround shot on net while Schnieder was still getting reset in the cage and the puck squirted by him for yet another episode in the ‘misadventures of the wandering Cory’ miniseries, which is going into syndication soon.  Ironically that goal led to two unusual occurences in the crowd – one was the modest cheers that broke out when Carter was announced as the goalscorer (see, Devil fans do treat certain departing players with respect after all), and two was the crowd going psycho every time Cory tried to play the puck after that.  I was feeling it myself screaming ‘STOP!!!’ at the top of my lungs the first couple of times Cory wandered out of his cage again after that.  Even Cory couldn’t resist poking fun at himself in the postgame saying how he made it interesting for the crowd with the goal in the third.

At the time of course it wasn’t a laughing matter, and I had a sinking feeling we’d blow this game as we’ve blown so many others the last few years.  Perhaps we would have but Cory stepped up and took everyone starting with himself off the griddle, even making a save on a two-on-zero at one point shortly after the goal.  For a while it seemed the rest of the Devils were in shock but Cory held firm and finally Travis Zajac sealed the game in the last minute with an empty-net goal (making it two goals and three points in two games for Zajac, who only had one goal and four points before Monday).  Cory had turned a smattering of pregame boos (!) into unanimous cheering by game’s end with a reel of saves worthy of its own YouTube – see above.

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Rangers Dominate Pens

Posted on November 12, 2014 by Derek
Marty St. Louis celebrates his goal with Rick Nash and Marc Staal. AP Photo by Frank Franklin II/Getty Images

Marty St. Louis celebrates his goal with Rick Nash and Marc Staal.
AP Photo by Frank Franklin II/Getty Images

Whatever was wrong over the weekend didn’t carry over last night. Responding with the same character they demonstrated in a memorable second round comeback from 3-1 down, the Rangers dominated the Pens easily winning 5-0 to end a two-game losing streak.

It was much needed. Especially following a listless performance that led to a closed door players only meeting Sunday. All we were looking for is a little more passion. From the very first shift, the Rangers showed they were ready to do battle with the division-leading Pens who entered on a seven-game win streak. By night’s end, that along with all the goals and a lengthy penalty kill streak were over. So outplayed, they looked lost or still suffering flashbacks.

Derick Brassard, who scored one of the five goals on the power play- pointed out that they were ready because they knew who they were up against. Similarly, Henrik Lundqvist who was brilliant making 33 saves for his third shutout, noted that even up four after two periods, he didn’t feel safe.

”You never know. They can turn things around so fast,” he said after earning number one star.

”A hockey game can change so fast. You have to be smart, especially when you play one of the best teams.”

Perhaps the biggest play of the night was made by Tanner Glass. The much maligned forward saved a goal when he got his stick on a loose puck that slipped behind Lundqvist. At the time, the game was still scoreless despite the Rangers outshooting the Pens 9-3. They buzzed around Marc-Andre Fleury’s net from the outset forcing him into some difficult stops. Despite zero help from his team, he kept his team in it as long as possible. What if the Pens had grabbed the lead?

”It would have given us a big boost,” Penguins coach Mike Johnston said, ”but at the same time, we didn’t have the intensity we were talking about to get on those loose pucks.”

From a psychological standpoint, it might’ve really given them a boost. Instead, Sidney Crosby and teammates showed frustration. It was as if it was a repeat of the second round. In fact, Crosby threw down Mats Zuccarello less than a minute in taking an undisciplined penalty. Even though they didn’t score on the power play, the Rangers looked so good testing Fleury that it became apparent what kind of game it would be.

 

”Not one guy in this room was happy or was going to accept the way we played the last game,” Marc Staal said after picking up two assists and rebounding from a poor effort against Edmonton. ”We wanted to respond. We know what kind of team we are. We just have to get the confidence to play like that consistently.”

Mats Zuccarello gets congrats at the bench following his goal in the first period. AP Photo by Frank Franklin II/Getty Images

Mats Zuccarello gets congrats at the bench following his goal in the first period.
AP Photo by Frank Franklin II/Getty Images

What kind of team were they? The kind that won every battle, outscored and out-checked a bewildered opponent who entered with only two regulation losses. That included winning key faceoffs. Less than a minute after Glass saved a goal, Derek Stepan won an offensive draw cleanly back to Zuccarello, who rifled home his third drawing first blood. It didn’t take long for Marty St. Louis to strike steering in a beautiful Rick Nash pass for his fifth which led to Johnston calling timeout.

It didn’t work. Instead, off some strong work from ex-Pen Lee Stempniak, a Kevin Hayes pass tipped out to Kevin Klein, who blasted home his third at 14:47 for a 3-0 lead. Since his poor start, Klein has been much better. Credit Alain Vigneault for making a change on the opening draw restoring Klein with John Moore, who had a good return following his suspension. His skating and puck movement allowed Vigneault to drop down Michael Kostka (17 shifts-11:58) and Matt Hunwick (20 shifts-15:30). Hunwick spent part of the game with Dan Girardi, who also was reunited with Staal.

Everything clicked. That included Jesper Fast, who dressed in place of Anthony Duclair and played on an effective checking line with Glass and Dominic Moore. They generated forecheck and Glass even had a couple of scoring chances to go with a game high six hits. However, he did catch Simon Despres from behind drawing a boarding minor. It looked like more of a charge but the heavy hit was a penalty regardless. Even with the anti-Glass contingent still out in full force on Twitter, Stepan stole the puck from Kris Letang and set up Nash for a shorthanded goal. It was his league-leading 12th.

Even on a night Hayes had a goal wiped out for an erroneous incidental contact from Toronto, Brassard scored on the ensuing power play for the only goal in the second. He took advantage of an untimely Steve Downie roughing minor driving a high riser from the left circle past Fleury. So far, Brassard has six goals and seven assists in the first year of a new contract that pays him an average of $5 million over the next five seasons. Aside from some defensive mishaps, he’s earning it.

There was one scare when Chris Kreider accidentally collided with Stepan. Earlier in the contest, he also ran into Blake Comeau. Sometimes, Kreider doesn’t pay attention. He needs to be more cognizant and keep his head up. Thankfully, Stepan was able to joke about it afterwards as was his linemate.

All in all, it was by far the Rangers’ best performance so far. They upped their record to 7-6-2. Next up are the struggling Avalanche, who were buried by the Islanders 6-0. That’s one they’ll want to take care of tomorrow with a rematch against the Pens in Pittsburgh Saturday.

NY Puck 3 Stars:

3rd Star-Dan Girardi, NYR (assist, 3 SOG, 3 blocks, 2 hits, +2 in 23:37)

2nd Star-Derek Stepan, NYR (assists, 11-and-7 on draws, +2 in 16:37)

1st Star-Rick Nash, NYR (league-leading 12th, 2 assists, 6 SOG, +2 in 16:23)

 

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Game Preview: Rangers face big test against Penguins

Posted on November 11, 2014 by Derek

Tonight, the Rangers host the Penguins at 33rd and 7th. They try to avoid a third straight loss. Coming off a lost weekend that featured a dreadful showing Sunday against Edmonton, they must be much better or suffer the consequences against one of the league’s best.

The Pens have won seven in a row. Still fuming from last Spring’s second round elimination, they’ll look to exact revenge. As usual, they’re the highest scoring team pacing the NHL with a whopping 4.11 goals-per-game. By contrast, they’ve only allowed 27. Marc-Andre Fleury has won 9 of 11 starts with a 1.90 goals-against-average, .931 save percentage and three shutouts.

The team in front of him helps. Sidney Crosby leads the league in scoring with 24 points. Half the production has come on the number one ranked power play clicking at a ridiculous 37.5 percent. They’re 21-for-56. Pittsburgh’s top five scorers which also include Patric Hornqvist, Evgeni Malkin, Chris Kunitz and Kris Letang have produced mostly on the man-advantage. For the Rangers whose penalty kill is tied for 18th (79.6 percent), it’s simple. Stay out of the penalty box.

As lethal as the Pens are on the power play, they’re equally impressive on the penalty kill boasting the third rated unit. So far, they’re 46-for-52 (88.5 percent) including an active streak of 37 straight kills. Pittsburgh has scored one shorthanded goal with key checking center Brandon Sutter responsible. Curiously, Crosby and Malkin have not been asked to kill many penalties. New coach Mike Johnston has allowed his horses to focus on playing even strength and power play, opting to go mostly with Sutter, Craig Adams, Marcel Goc, Pascal Dupuis and Nick Spaling. Blake Comeau can also play PK. He’s used Crosby, Hornqvist and Kunitz sparingly. A philosophical difference from Dan Bylsma.

The Pens top tandem of Letang and Paul Martin see a bulk of the minutes with each playing power play and penalty kill. Of course, Martin is the better defensive player. So, the Rangers may want to attack Letang. Depending on which line Alain Vigneault uses unless he decides to play Marc Staal and Kevin Klein against Crosby. That in itself is an intriguing subplot. The Pens accused Staal of thuggery last Spring. Will they seek retribution with antagonist Steve Downie? That largely depends on the balance of the game.

It would help if the Rangers had Ryan McDonagh. But we won’t see him until December at the soonest. Dan Boyle indicated that his hand is still hurting but wants to play either Thursday against Colorado or Saturday at Pittsburgh. John Moore returns after a five-game suspension. He’ll slot in on the third pair with Michael Kostka. Meanwhile, Dan Girardi stays with Matt Hunwick. I wonder if during the course of the game, Vigneault changes to Girardi and Staal matching them against Crosby. But with Malkin, it’s pick your poison.

This game is also the return of Jesper Fast. Instead of Vigneault trying him with Kevin Hayes and Carl Hagelin, he’ll be on the fourth line with Dominic Moore and Christmas ornament Tanner Glass. You had to figure Glass wasn’t coming out with it being his former team. Plus AV has a man crush on Glass since he played for him in Vancouver. You cannot make it up. So, Anthony Duclair sits. Correcting something I said in a recent post, the Rangers can send Duclair back to Quebec City at any time. Maybe they should just do it already instead of screwing around.

If they are gonna give Fast a chance and Vigneault won’t commit to Duclair, then just let him play back in junior. Enough shenanigans. If they do that, the Rangers can recall J.T. Miller or Oscar Lindberg. If they’re going to play Fast, then play him and I don’t mean on the fourth line. Instead, Lee Stempniak is back with Hayes and Hagelin.

Your projected lines:

Chris Kreider-Derek Stepan-Mats Zuccarello

Rick Nash-Derick Brassard-Marty St. Louis

Carl Hagelin-Kevin Hayes-Lee Stempniak

Tanner Glass-Dominic Moore-Jesper Fast

Marc Staal-Kevin Klein

Matt Hunwick-Dan Girardi

John Moore-Michael Kostka

Henrik Lundqvist

Cam Talbot

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Rangers recall Jesper Fast, Malone and Allen To Hartford

Posted on November 10, 2014 by Derek

Following Sunday’s bad home defeat to Edmonton, coach Alain Vigneault hinted at changes. Two of them came today. The Rangers recalled forward Jesper Fast and reassigned Ryan Malone and Conor Allen. Malone has been the odd man out of Vigneault’s rotation. As for Allen, he goes back to Hartford with John Moore returning tomorrow against Pittsburgh.

Fast returns and hopefully gets a real chance. In 11 games with the Wolf Pack, he tallied a goal and eight assists. In the Rangers’ first three contests, he had no points and averaged over 12 minutes. He can play penalty kill. I wonder if Vigneault will give him an opportunity and sit Christmas ornament Tanner Glass. Glass is a role player who adds physicality, kills penalties and nothing else. I doubt he comes out with his former team visiting Broadway.

After serving a five-game suspension for a dirty hit, Moore is back in tomorrow. That should aid the third pair. For now, he’ll slide in with Michael Kostka, whose days are numbered with the impending return of Dan Boyle. Following the Pens, Colorado visits Thursday and then the Blueshirts travel to Pittsburgh Saturday. Figure Boyle plays by the weekend.

The forward combinations I’d like to see would look like this.

Chris Kreider-Derek Stepan-Marty St Louis

Rick Nash-Derick Brassard-Mats Zuccarello

Carl Hagelin-Kevin Hayes-Anthony Duclair

Jesper Fast-Dominic Moore-Lee Stempniak

That lineup would have balance. It hinges on Hayes and Duclair, who Vigneault moved up to the third line last night. Following a change, Hayes dished for Hagelin who scored his fourth. Hayes had arguably his best game pacing the team in shots (5) while delivering 3 hits and showing improvement in the faceoff circle going 8-and-10. Duclair received over 12 minutes and had two shots. He also got a power play shift (47 seconds). To Vigneault’s credit, he’s continued to use Duclair on the man-advantage. Now, he should have a bigger role.

It should be pointed out how poorly the Rangers were over the weekend. Lackadaisical mistakes and poor coverage won’t cut it against the Pens. Try that tomorrow and they’ll get their doors blown off. The attitude of the team following a locker room meeting was one of disappointment. Marc Staal referred to the Edmonton loss as wake up call. Henrik Lundqvist wasn’t buying it referencing the Wild comeback from 3-0 down after two periods. He’s right. It’s about time they show some urgency. We’ll see how they respond tomorrow.

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Pouliot’s Revenge: Rangers Embarrass Themselves In Loss To Oilers

Posted on November 10, 2014 by Derek
Welcome Back Benoit: Oiler goalscorer Benoit Pouliot celebrates his game-winner with teammate Justin Schultz. Getty Images/AP Photo by John Minchillo

Welcome Back Benoit: Oiler goalscorer Benoit Pouliot celebrates his game-winner with teammate Justin Schultz.
Getty Images/AP Photo by John Minchillo

If Saturday wasn’t an eye opener, maybe the Rangers got the message following a dreadful showing at home. Playing their second game in two nights, they looked lifeless in an embarrassing 3-1 loss to the Oilers. That concluded a lost weekend. Against two beatable opponents, they managed to come out with no points falling to NHL .500 (6-6-2). Good thing the division is so mediocre.

This was disgraceful. There’s no other way to slice it. Facing a backup goalie, they managed only 21 shots on Viktor Fasth, who let’s face it. He didn’t have to work. In fact, they were lucky to even be down 2-1 entering the third period. If not for the play of Henrik Lundqvist (30 saves), it would’ve been a laugher for an opponent more likely to be in the lottery.

At least it was enjoyable for Benoit Pouliot. Playing in his first game against the Rangers, he played very well earning first star honors with the game-winning goal and an assist. It also wasn’t too bad getting to play with Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Jordan Eberle on a dominant Edmonton first line that skated circles around lethargic Blueshirts. It was a night to forget for Marc Staal and Kevin Klein. Both were culpable on Edmonton’s first two goals. They got token help from lazy forwards who again resorted to stick checking. Nobody took the body.

”Our effort was unacceptable,” Staal said after a closed door meeting that many referred to as a ‘wake up call.’ ”We were out of sorts all over the ice and we were losing battles. It’s tough to win a hockey game that way.”

”When the energy isn’t there, it’s hard to play this game,” a disappointed Lundqvist, who didn’t mince words. ”We need to raise our level. There’s no way around that.”

Right now, they’re a mess. Too often, they are discombobulated. In this one, few played with any passion or purpose. The end result was deserved. When Alain Vigneault hints at lineup changes following mixing things up in the third, you know it’s bad. The most writhing indictment came from MSG rover John Giannone, who reported that assistant coach Ulf Samuelsson ripped into them after the second. To summarize, he called the first two periods the worst of the season. Adding further insult, Samuelsson said ‘We’re getting outplayed by Edmonton in our building. It’s embarrassing.‘

What’s so worrisome is their response. The Rangers went the first half of the third without a shot earning jeers. It wasn’t until Tanner Glass got a shot on Fasth with nine minutes left that prompted sarcastic cheers. When it’s the much maligned 12th forward, that’s bad. Vigneault flipped Marty St. Louis and Mats Zuccarello. He also put together a third line of lone goalscorer Carl Hagelin, Kevin Hayes and Anthony Duclair. A line I suggested in this space in a recent post. Dominic Moore and Lee Stempniak were dropped to the fourth line.

It was a memorable return for Pouliot. With the game three minutes in, he made a nice recovery of a loose puck and combined with Eberle to set up Nugent-Hopkins in front for a tap in. Derek Stepan was a step slow allowing Nugent-Hopkins to finish his fifth. Pouliot took advantage of a Klein giveaway and his line pounced.

The Rangers responded with their best play. Eventually, Hagelin scored in a second straight when he took a Hayes drop pass and had his shot ricochet off Jeff Petry by Fasth inside the post. Hagelin and Hayes were two of a handful who showed up. In particular, Hayes played one of his most active games leading the Rangers with five shots and earning 19 shifts (16:32). He nearly scored on a Edmonton giveaway but Fasth denied him twice.

Despite finishing the first strong, the Rangers vanished afterwards. Completely outplayed, they continued to turn over the puck and allow dangerous chances only to be bailed out by Lundqvist. Unfortunately, he couldn’t deny Pouliot who beat him with a clean wrister from the right circle off a nifty Nugent-Hopkins feed. Nugent-Hopkins did most of the work abusing Staal as defenders went to him leaving Pouliot wide open. His low wrister beat Lundqvist five-hole for his second goal. Entering, he was without a point in four. By night’s end, he upped his season total to 2-4-6. He also came back hard to deny a Klein opportunity.

”It was fun to be back and great that we came out with a win,” Pouliot pointed out. ”Last year was awesome for me. Of course playing against guys I had a great time with, I wanted to do well.”

There’s really not much left to say. Outside of a Chris Kreider late rush that resulted in a reputation goalie interference call with 4:06 left in regulation, there wasn’t much to get excited over. The only thing I can think of is a great glove save by Lundqvist on Justin Schultz in the second. He did his part. If his teammates don’t adjust, Tuesday could be ugly. The Pens are on a roll and very capable of humiliating them. You know they’ll be out for revenge.

Notes: John Moore served the final game of his five-game suspension. He’ll be back tomorrow probably for Conor Allen. Since Vigneault prefers pairing up a lefty and righty, figure Michael Kostka to stay with Allen going down. … Stat of the Night: Giveaways Oilers-5 Rangers-12 … Edmonton controlled faceoffs winning 57 percent (39-for-58). Mark Acrobello (10-and-4) and Boyd Gordon (13-and-7) paced them. Derick Brassard was 9-and-9 while Stepan improved slightly going 8-and-11. Hayes also was better going 8-and-10. … Typically, there wasn’t much hitting with the Oilers having 19 to the Rangers’ 17. Mats Zuccarello (4) shouldn’t be your leader followed by Hayes (3).

NY Puck 3 Stars:

3rd Star-Henrik Lundqvist, Rangers (30 saves incl. 12/13 in lopsided 2nd)

2nd Star-Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Oilers (goal-5th of season, assist, 5 SOG, +2 in 20:40)

1st Star-Benoit Pouliot, Oilers (goal-2nd of season, assist, +2 in 18:06)

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Game Preview: Pouliot returns as Oilers visit MSG

Posted on November 9, 2014 by Derek

A night after a frustrating loss at Toronto, the Rangers return to MSG where they’ll host the Oilers. It’s the return of Benoit Pouliot. Pouliot was an integral part of last year’s run. After a slow start, he became a fixture with Derick Brassard and Mats Zuccarello on the third line. He achieved career bests in assists (21), points (36) and power play goals (7). Pouliot produced five goals and five assists in the postseason.

His combination of size, speed and forechecking was a good fit. He created space for his linemates complementing them. Alain Vigneault used him with success on the second power play unit. Pouliot played a similar role to Chris Kreider screening in front and scoring garbage goals. Last summer, he signed a five-year $20 million contract with Edmonton. He got rewarded.

Similar to last season, he’s off to a slow start. In 14 games, he has only a goal and three assists. After posting a goal and helper in a win over one of his former teams Montreal on 10/27, Pouliot is without a point in four straight and minus-three. With leading scorer Taylor Hall out, he’s getting a chance to play with Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Jordan Eberle. Neither is ripping it up either. But each is dangerous. If the Rangers play like they did last night, watch out.

Viktor Fasth gets the start over Ben Scrivens, who has a 2-1-0 career record with a 2.00 goals-against-average, .943 save percentage and a shutout against the Rangers. Instead, Fasth will get the chance to face countryman Henrik Lundqvist, who got a rare night off. It’s a struggling backup who gets the call.

Offense hasn’t been the issue for the Rangers, who scored four times last night. It’s the defense. They’ve allowed 11 goals in the last three. In fact, outside of Lundqvist sharing a shutout with Ondrej Pavelec in a shootout loss, they’ve given up three-or-more in four of the last five. Dating back to a 4-3 overtime win at New Jersey, they’ve yielded 21 goals over the last seven. Their record is 3-2-2.

If they don’t clean it up defensively, it won’t matter who’s in net. Granted. Injuries to Ryan McDonagh and Dan Boyle haven’t helped. Neither has the suspension to John Moore, who is eligible to return Tuesday against Pittsburgh. Vigneault has leaned heavily on Dan Girardi and Marc Staal while showing faith in Matt Hunwick, who had his worst showing yesterday. A costly turnover led to Leo Komarov’s winner. A play that saw Carl Hagelin, Dominic Moore and Lee Stempniak fly the zone like they were playing pond hockey.

That kind of lackadaisical defensive play has been a theme. The forwards aren’t doing a good job. Despite getting a bundle of scoring chances with Rick Nash burying his 11th, his line with Brassard and Marty St. Louis was lousy in their end. They didn’t take anyone on a couple of Leafs goals. There also was the dreadful sequence with Zuccarello throwing the puck away that lead to a Peter Holland shorthanded goal. On the play, Zuccarello chased Komarov but Hunwick forgot about Holland leaving him wide open.

There’s been way too much of that. It’s not Rangers hockey. Regardless of who is out, the forwards know better. Vigneault has gotten a lot from Girardi, Staal, Hunwick and Kevin Klein. He also rolled third pair Conor Allen and Mike Kostka, who were victimized on Roman Polak’s tying goal. Once Moore and Boyle return, both are out. Thankfully, it’s coming soon.

With the 6 PM faceoff around the corner, it should be interesting to see how they respond. How long will Vigneault stick with the odd fourth line of Anthony Duclair, Tanner Glass and Kevin Hayes? Is the third line good enough? The bottom six remain in limbo. We’ll have more after the game.

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