Rangers edge Islanders 2-1 to sweep Stadium Series

Posted on January 30, 2014 by Derek
Fans take in an epic scene as fireworks are set off at the event's conclusion. Getty Images/Frank Franklin II

Fans take in an epic scene as fireworks are set off at the event’s conclusion.
Getty Images/Frank Franklin II

The enormity wasn’t too much for the Rangers. Featured as part of the Coors Light Stadium Series, they held up their end of the bargain by winning both games. After putting up a touchdown and extra point against the Devils Sunday, they won in more conventional fashion against their classic New York rival- edging the Islanders 2-1 to sweep the two games at Yankee Stadium.

Playing in 19 degree temperatures with a wind chill that made it feel close to zero, the Rangers and Islanders faced off before 50,027 who braved the winter elements to cheer their heroes. When it comes down to it, Islanders/Rangers will always be the RIVALRY here. Sure, the Devils play a close second but they don’t compare to our more classic rival. Even if you want to throw in their three Cups and success, you can’t substitute the Hudson rivalry for the one between Manhattan and Long Island. Over forty years of sheer hatred. Only the Islanders get the hate from our fans who still chant, “Potvin Sucks” while the other side is more creative than our Jersey neighbors. If ever both teams met in the playoffs again, it would stand alone.

In keeping with a theme from the first game, the ice wasn’t ideal. In more of a feeling out opening period that lacked quality chances and wasn’t fluid, the puck was bouncing for both sides. Perhaps that along with several whistles made the first 20 minutes barely watchable. At least there was no delay. What it lacked in flow was made up for by the goalies. Henrik Lundqvist (30 saves) and Evgeni Nabokov (32 saves) were razor sharp. The Islanders got the only two power plays early but got nothing accomplished. A big theme was the Ranger penalty kill which went a perfect four for four. Lundqvist turned aside 10 Islander shots in the first but had plenty of help from a disciplined PK unit featuring strong work from Ryan McDonagh and Carl Hagelin. Each made some defensive gems that kept the Islanders from setting up.

Brock Nelson is congratulated by teammates including Calvin de Haan for his goal. Getty Images/Frank Franklin II

Brock Nelson is congratulated by teammates including Calvin de Haan for his goal.
Getty Images/Frank Franklin II

Perhaps the slow start was predictable. You figured there was an adjustment period for Islander players. The funny aspect was while the majority of theirs got much better, the Rangers struggled throughout the first half. In the first, they kept the Islanders to the outside including a dangerous top line featuring John Tavares, Thomas Vanek and Kyle Okposo. That changed quickly. If they’d been able to finish around the net, they easily could’ve had three goals. A big part of why that didn’t occur was Lundqvist, who was at his absolute best. It took a perfect shot to beat him. With the team in front of him more turnover prone, the Islanders kept getting great chances. At one point, they led 8-1 but it remained scoreless until Cal Clutterbuck intercepted a pass and set up rookie Brock Nelson for his 10th.

Following a bad pinch by Kevin Klein, the Islanders applied offensive pressure. Just when they were about to get out of trouble, a sloppy turnover caught our D disjointed. A late recovering Klein forgot about Nelson, who made no mistake set up from Matt Donovan and Clutterbuck. Clutterbuck really made the play with his hustle. He made a pass while being checked to the ice which resulted in his team taking the lead. Nelson’s goal came at 18:33 of the second. The way the Rangers were playing along with how impressive Nabokov looked in his return from injury, who knew if they’d even score? Prior to the goal, they had put together a few shifts where they tested Nabokov with the best attempt coming from Rick Nash. A ridiculous spin o rama backhand which Nabokov padded away.

On a night where the top line didn’t come through, it was the Rangers’ secondary scorers who were big factors. Following Nelson’s tally, Alain Vigneault went to the cohesive third line of Derick Brassard, Mats Zuccarello and Benoit Pouliot. Whenever they’ve needed a spark at even strength, that trio has delivered. Everyone knows how good Zuccarello has been but since Vigneault put him with Brassard and Pouliot, they’ve been instrumental. So, it wasn’t a shock that they were in on an odd tying tally. Off a relentless cycle, Brassard got to a rebound and pushed the puck to Pouliot who buried it. For a brief moment, it looked like Nabokov had it. But it was free and Pouliot notched his ninth from Brassard and Zuccarello at 19:13. The Islanders led for a whole 30 seconds. A microcosm of their season.

Tied up after two in large part due to Lundqvist (24 of 25 stops), all they had to do was win one period. The Islanders were better for a majority. Unable to take advantage of their opportunities, it came back to haunt them. Maybe all the old Yankee ghosts from the old Stadium were on the Rangers’ side. They might’ve been the road team in the series, but it didn’t show in the results. If there was an irony of sorts, it had to be when Dan Carcillo put our side ahead. Against the Flyers in 2012, it was Mike Rupp scoring twice. Now Carcillo. Acquired from LA for basically a song, the antagonist has been nothing short of a godsend. I can’t believe I just typed that. Since coming over from Hollywood, he’s provided that missing toughness ingredient and contributed. The fourth line with him, Dominic Moore and Brian Boyle are cohesive and actually have added exactly what Vigneault was searching for.

Throughout, Marc Staal was our best defenseman making several smart reads in his own zone. His defensive work along with a big Boyle hit led to a four on two rush. Carcillo worked a give and go with Moore resulting in a low shot caroming off a screened Nabokov right to Carcillo, who steered it home for his third at 4:36. It was a simple play that started in their end. Good team defense and transition resulted in the fourth line combining for the game-winner. Staal jumped up to make it four on two which served as a distraction in front.

After falling behind, the Islanders didn’t get many chances to tie it. They were outshot 14-6. It mostly had to do with disciplined defensive hockey from the Rangers, who for the most part kept their dangerous Bronx host to the outside. Jack Capuano pulled Nabokov for an extra attacker with over a minute remaining. Following a Derek Stepan icing with 18 seconds left, the Islanders came close. Okposo missed one chance but Tavares carried the puck behind the net and centered again for a wide open Okposo, who couldn’t bury it. Instead, he sent it wide. The whistle blew for a Boyle minor penalty with 2.8 seconds left. One last faceoff. The Rangers won it back and ran out the clock to prevail. Cool fireworks were set off and the two bitter rivals met at center ice and shook hands. A nice lasting image.

 

If there was a favorite player, it would be Nabokov. Why would I select an Islander? Because not only was he really strong but wore the cool hat over his helmet for the duration. When asked about it by Stan Fischler afterwards, he said “I love the hat. I’ll get you one.” I also liked his answer about losing the game. He pointed out that it was nice to play in but that tomorrow the sun will be up and it’s time for his team to get back to work. In an amusing way, it kind of reminded me of Ilya Bryzgalov without the universe. It must be a Russian goalie thing.

STADIUM NOTES: Despite being held without a goal, Nash led the Rangers with five shots and missed another three. Linemate Chris Kreider was also good on the cycle registering three shots. For the Islanders, Vanek was dangerous also taking five shots and missing three. He was denied twice by Lundqvist. … Rangers blocked 17 shots with Dan Girardi pacing them with four. Staal had three. Ryan Callahan made a sliding block. In his second game back from a concussion, Lubomir Visnovsky led the Isles with four blocks. Donovan blocked two. … Islanders won the faceoff battle 34-27 with Tavares strong going 13 for 20. It mostly came against Stepan, who struggled losing 18 of 26. The Rangers’ best was the fourth line combo of Boyle (4 for 5) and Moore (4 for 7). … Both teams missed the net quite a bit. The Islanders missed it 17 times while the Blueshirts had 11 misses. With it being on choppy ice, there were giveaways. The Rangers had 11 and the Islanders 10.

BONY 3 STARS:

3rd Star-Marc Staal, NYR (3 blocked shots, hit in 29 shifts-20:01-stellar defensively)

2nd Star-Evgeni Nabokov, NYI (32 saves incl. 26/28 in last 2 periods-huge upgrade)

1st Star-Henrik Lundqvist, NYR (30 saves incl. 14/15 in busy 2nd-best player)

Posted in Battle News, NY Islanders, NY Rangers | Leave a comment

Devils get snowed under outdoors

Posted on January 27, 2014 by hasan4978

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Instead of recapping yesterday’s game, which was either an utter disaster or an extra-satisfying rout depending on which side you were rooting for, I’ll just give an overview of the experience of yesterday’s game since I was one of the 50000 plus that went.  I wasn’t going to go for the longest time to this game – mainly because I didn’t feel like spending all day going to and from Yankee Stadium and half the day sitting in the cold and whatever other weather took place with an anticipated pro-Ranger crowd.  Of course I finally caved and went, mainly because you can’t guarantee me the Devils will get another one of these games, at least not anytime soon.  Plus I had to try at least once to brave the cold and see how I did with it.  And lastly, just from a pure Devil perspective this was a big game yesterday…maybe not a playoff game the way NBC tried to sell it as, but certainly a pivotal four-point swing game.

With all that in mind I set off Sunday, feeling mostly prepared other than my conspicuous lack of facial covering.  I tried to remedy that by finding a ski mask but after a snowy Saturday (and perhaps because of the two outdoor NHL games in this area) there were no ski masks to be found at either Dick’s or Sports Authority on route 10, and the Livingston Mall’s Modells was still closed at 10 AM so I had to bypass that store and the search for facial covering.  I felt pretty well prepared on the whole though, bulking up with an undershirt, long-sleeved shirt and Devils sweater underneath my Devils lacket.  I wore two pairs of pants – sweatpants underneath my jeans, and two pairs of socks as well.  With my cotton Devils hat and scarf (which I wound up not using anyway) in tow, I was all set to go to the train station and wound up meeting with an older couple I frequently talk with at games.  They were relieved when I told them the game wasn’t actually starting at 12:30 since they’d planned to take the earlier train but missed it due to forgetting their tickets.  It is kind of a misnomer for the advertisements to say the game starts at 12:30 when it’s in fact the pregame show that starts at 12:30 along with warmups…thankfully I realized that and didn’t go in super early myself.

After getting to Penn Station, the three of us took the 2 train up to 149th street before hopping on the 4 for one stop with me correctly predicting that the 4 would be a sardine can from my experience going to Yankee games.  Their suggested way of going from the 2 to the 4 was better than my usual way of taking the 1/2/3 one stop and then the 7 one stop before getting to the 4 for the majority of the ride though, so that was at least one good thing that came out of going to the city yesterday.  I wasn’t checking my phone, but while on the 2 we heard about the impending delay due to ‘sun glare’.  That wouldn’t happen even in a baseball game.  Funny thing is my first impression was that the sun glare was causing the ice to melt (with the tarp going on over the field) but that wasn’t the case.  At first the NHL said the game would be delayed at least a half hour and possibly more, then did an about face and started warmups twenty minutes after the initial scheduled time.  A bait-and-switch Henrik Lundqvist later alluded to when he said he was napping after being told of the initial delay then a little out of it after he had to wake up suddenly.

Whatever aggravations the brief delay caused the players or the fans who were already at the stadium, it was a boon to me since I had time to go with my friends to McDonald’s across the street from the stadium and still make it in time for warmups to begin.  I’d initially planned not to eat there, having a big breakfast but with the delay and how late the game would end I figured I didn’t want to go till after 6 not eating at all.   After a quick burger/fries/drink lunch I got inside the arena in time for the tail end of the Jersey Boys’ pregame performance.   Once warmups started I stayed in my seat for at least ten minutes before walking around a bit.  Much to my surprise, I thought my row was in the extreme back of 106 (I thought it would be a couple rows from the back) so at least standing wouldn’t be an issue.  Being just two seats from the aisle, I was also free to go in and out of the section pretty much without having to crawl over a million people.  It turned out that the first intermission was a fiasco though, with not even standing room available in the concourse since fan traffic was that congested.  Bathroom lines even in the pregame were long as a couple of the stalls but eventually I found a non-filled one and it turned out I was pretty much done with moving around during the game.  I’d initially planned to visit some people I knew in the bleachers and the upper level during the game but with the inability to move at all during the first intermission I had to pass on seeing anyone else yesterday.

Although yesterday wasn’t THE Winter Classic, the NHL did their best to put on the same type of production with the pregame entertainment of the Jersey Boys and first intermission of Southside Johnny and the Jukes, as well as all the pomp and circumstance of introducing the teams onto the ice.  Having the snow logos of the Devils and Rangers with the fresh show from Saturday on the ground was a nice touch, along with the fireworks, flyover and Kevin Clark introducing the Devils’ lineup.  Unfortunately as the game started I found my view wasn’t entirely perfect – above picture during warmups as evidence.  I was back far enough to see the whole rink…but with my vantage point at almost ice level still I couldn’t see the puck and thus know where the play even was.  At least the crowd itself was fairly split, maybe even slightly tilted toward the Devils early which I suppose makes sense in a way since outdoor games are more rare for us than they are for Ranger fans.

Despite not having the ski mask I wanted, I was pretty much fine during the first period with no breeze – or at least if there was one, I didn’t feel it from below the overhang.  Things looked great for a time on the ice, with the Devils jumping to a 3-1 lead after two goals from Patrik Elias and one from Travis Zajac though you could feel the momentum shift when Martin Brodeur gave up a soft goal to Marc Staal – who for some reason seems to chip in with goals against us every season.  I don’t want to hear about the change of direction on the shot either, it was a 5 MPH floater that was around icelevel throughout, it should not have beaten Marty low through the legs period.  Even up 3-2 after twenty minutes it felt like we were behind.  I had the feeling even then (much like Lundqvist had about himself) that Marty might be getting himself pulled in a tie game a la the ’12 playoffs against Florida in a similar situation.

Two things happened in the second period I did not expect, one it got about ten degrees colder (or so it seemed to me) and started to snow flurry through the entire period.  And the second was that the Devils just flat out quit on the game.  Jaromir Jagr admitted as much after.  That was a non-competitive NHL effort and usually that doesn’t happen with a Pete DeBoer team.  We had seven shots in the second period but I demand to see video evidence of them.  With the Devils shooting towards my end I didn’t see much action by me the entire period.  As goal after goal went by Marty I was alternatly annoyed and saddened.  He had the Brett Favre look like I’m too old to be out in this freezing weather.  And where I’ll agree with Derek is I don’t want to hear from Marty about deflections and crazy bounces, or from Brodeur’s defenders on that either.  He’s done as a starting goalie in the NHL, or at least he should be done as starting goalie on the Devils.  Through his last fourteen starts he has a GAA of 3 and a save percentage of .882.  That’s fourteen starts over a two-month stretch while Cory Schnieder‘s fifth in the league in save percentage and second in the league in GAA (.927 and 1.86 respectively).  If there was any doubt remaining there can be no doubt left now…the Devils must ride Schnieder for at least 75-80% of the starts the rest of the way if they want to have any shot of making the playoffs.  Maybe more if neccesary.  I’m not second-guessing giving Marty this game, which he did earn as a lifetime service award but DeBoer really needs to leave no doubt that it’s Cory’s cage now.  When the head coach has quotes like ‘save percentage is misleading’ that alarms me.  No it isn’t, not when there’s a clear difference in save percentage and play between two guys on the same team.

After not one, not two, not three but four Ranger goals in the second period I was thoroughly disgusted with the team, getting colder and more paranoid about the snow falling.  Fearing a messy drive home, I peaced out early and left after the sixth goal.  In spite of a train snafu going back (I wound up reboarding the 4 train at 149th street) I did manage to make it back to Penn Station in time to catch the 4:11 train back to NJ.  That should have been the end of my odyssey, with only a program and a souvenir shirt as reminders of a total no-show outdoor game.  Getting back to South Orange before 5 I went to start my car…and it wouldn’t start.  And worse, my phone stopped working in the cold too, despite having around 20% battery left.  After walking around for ten minutes trying to figure out where and how to get help I finally asked a couple of firemen for assistance.  And one of them did bring a battery charger, but that didn’t work either. So with their help I was able to call the police, who gave me a number for a local towing company.  Finally the driver got there but his booster cables didn’t work either.  After a good number of attempts I had to give up and have him tow it…but he talked me into trying one more time, and miracle of miracles it started.  Irony of ironies I wound up getting home around the same time I would have had I stayed for the entire game and had a working car.  On the one hand it just piled more crap onto a mostly lousy day but on the other hand I’m glad I didn’t get a win marred by something like that.

Would I do it again?  If by it you mean sit out in the cold to watch a sporting event…yes, though it won’t be a hockey game.  Pretty much the only way I’d go out in that type of cold again for a game is if the football Jets ever found themselves in an AFC Championship game at home.  In spite of everything that happened I’m glad I did it once though.  Probably I would have toughed out the third period and stayed for the finish if not for the snow and worrying about my drive home, though I did partially have the feeling of screw this, if they’re not going to compete then I’m outta here during the second intermission.  Of course it was a lot less crowded in the concourse on the way out, though plenty of fans besides me made their exit at that point, even Ranger fans.  I wanted to drive to the stadium to save some time, but ultimately decided against it which was a good thing since there was apparently major traffic getting in.  Maybe another time I’ll try it.  At least yesterday wasn’t as traumatic as my first visit to the new Yankee Stadium – known to Met fans as the Luis Castillo popup fiasco.  Ironically the cold, which was my biggest worry at different times turned out to be the least of my concerns although by the end of the second period I was also regretting not having boots as my feet got cold in spite of the double layer of socks.  I taped the game with my DVD recorder but am not sure I have the heart to watch it again, even with Doc Emrick broadcasting.  I will eventually get around to reading the game program though.

Posted in Devils, NHL, NY Rangers | 3 Comments

Unlike Marty, Henrik Gets It

Posted on January 27, 2014 by Derek

When yesterday’s first installment of the Coors Light Stadium Series at Yankee Stadium was over, you had two opposite number 30’s of a unique Hudson rivalry giving different assessments of the frigid conditions. Make no mistake about it. The ice wasn’t ideal for either side. There was no distinct advantage for the Rangers or Devils. A half hour delay probably didn’t help.

If there’s one thing you can take away from the Rangers’ 7-3 victory over the Devils, it was the reaction of both goalies. Whenever Henrik Lundqvist is matched up against Martin Brodeur, it’s a scintillating game that increases ratings. While fans of either side are separated by their allegiances to each, the hockey world stops to watch. Especially given the nature of the event. Lundqvist doesn’t have his adversary’s resume. At age 41, Brodeur has three Stanley Cups, four Vezinas and has won two of three Battle Of Hudson playoff series including an exciting 2012 Conference Final that avenged his worst loss in 1994. It doesn’t get much better for the future Hall Of Famer.

Lundqvist has also accomplished plenty in his nine-year NHL career. Since coming over from Frolunda, the 31-year old Swede has a Vezina, Olympic gold medal and is closing in on Rangers franchise records for wins and shutouts. With 294 victories, he’s seven shy of matching Mike Richter and his 48 shutouts trail Ed Giacomin by one. Barring a setback, the likeable Rangers goalie will become number one in both categories this year. Signed to a record extension that makes him the highest paid backstop in the sport, the pressure is immense. It’s no secret that the franchise has been jinxed since winning their fourth Cup 20 years ago. Boasting one of the league’s best in net gives them a puncher’s chance of winning another. They were close two years ago but didn’t get it done.

The thing that separates Hank from Marty is his class. To quote one of my favorite lines from Trading Places, “Class is not something you buy.” There’s no doubt that both netminders struggled yesterday with the elements. It was a mental battle. The way each handled it was different. Of course, you can argue the same for their respective teams. The Devils got off to a fast start scoring three of the game’s first four goals. Patrik Elias beat Lundqvist twice and Travis Zajac took advantage of an pick play by his teammate.

”I was half asleep, mentally somewhere else, but then I regrouped and I am happy with how I finished,” Lundqvist later admitted.

”I’m not going to lie, when they scored the third one, I had a bad feeling about it. My first thought was, ‘Am I going to be able to finish this game? Then you kind of regroup and tell yourself, ‘I need to stop the next shot. That’s it. There is no other way to do this.”’

One thing about Hank that makes him human is his ability to be truthful. In what’s been his most challenging season, he’s 18-18-3 with a 2.54 goals-against-average (GAA) and .914 save percentage. Hardly the numbers we’re used to seeing from a man called the King. Even after signing his megadeal, he wasn’t the same player. Alain Vigneault was able to keep the team afloat thanks to the stellar play of rookie Cam Talbot. Without his 10 wins, who knows where they’d be? Eventually, the former Canucks bench boss was able to work Lundqvist back in full time when the calendar year changed. He’s found his form and settled in. What is most admirable is his admission that he didn’t feel good about his game. Most stars of that magnitude come up with excuses. Not Henrik.

On the flip side, you have Brodeur. Arguably the greatest goalie to ever play boasting unbreakable records, he has had a brilliant career spanning 20 years. Astonishingly, Marty’s been durable throughout with only a couple of injuries in recent years showing that even the best can break down. It’s been an up and down season for the Devils’ backbone. Following yesterday’s performance in which he allowed six goals on 21 shots in a rare appearance due to the play of Cory Schneider, Brodeur is 13-11-4 with a 2.52 GAA and .899 save percentage. He’s not used to this. Unfortunately, Schneider’s time has come which could finally spell the end for Marty. He’s hinted that he might want to continue his career elsewhere. It would be odd to see him in any other jersey. Boasting 682 wins, the all-time great could reach 700.

If there is a flaw, it’s his egotistical nature to deflect losses. Nobody hates the Rangers more. Part of it is he plays for a franchise that doesn’t get the notoriety despite having more success. Since Brodeur entered the league, the Devils boast three Cups and five Finals appearances. You can make an argument that his best accomplishment was outdueling Lundqvist at 40 to get New Jersey to its first SCF since winning their third championship in 2003. He has tremendous pride. Sometimes, he doesn’t always say the right thing. For example, before the season making an underhanded remark about Lundqvist’s goalie pads. A cheap shot. Predictably, Hank had no response. Then you have his postgame reaction yesterday.

”You rely a lot on instinct, and poise, and I couldn’t close my glove, it was so cold,” Brodeur said referencing the ice as the worst he’s ever played on.

”Most of their goals went in off our players, or a stick or skate, and that happens. It was just one of those nights.”

He even mentioned that he couldn’t catch pucks which might explain how Marc Staal’s routine shot eluded him. It still came off wrong. Like sour grapes from one of the game’s best. Excuse me for stating the facts. The ice was bad for both sides. As goal scorer Dominic Moore said, the Rangers adapted. That’s what you must do when such a marquee event in cold and snowy conditions takes place. You didn’t hear Pete DeBoer complain much afterwards. He sarcastically joked that the snow threw his team off. But he raved about being part of it calling it one of the best experiences he’s ever had. That’s the appeal.

It’s about keeping perspective. This wasn’t a heated series. Of course, valuable points were up for grabs. Had the Devils won in regulation, they would’ve tied the Rangers in points and vaulted over three teams into second. Maybe the oddest moment was seeing the two teams shake hands. Something the Ducks and Kings avoided following Anaheim’s second straight win over LA in the signature game at Dodger Stadium. The hatred is more intense. There’s much more of a chance those bitter Western rivals meet this Spring. A warm thought for us East coasters with another once in a lifetime event, the Super Bowl coming this Sunday at Met Life Stadium. For New York and New Jersey, this is a special week. One that should be remembered and cherished.

Posted in Battle News, Battle Of Hudson, Devils, NY Rangers | Leave a comment

Six goal explosion gives Rangers Stadium Series win over Devils

Posted on January 27, 2014 by Derek
An epic scene at Yankee Stadium for Part I of the Stadium Series between Hudson rivals New Jersey and New York. All photos credited to Frank Franklin II/Getty Images

An epic scene at Yankee Stadium for Part I of the Stadium Series between Hudson rivals New Jersey and New York.
All photos credited to Frank Franklin II/Getty Images

On one of the biggest stages, the Battle Of Hudson was renewed at Yankee Stadium for the first part of the Stadium Series. They had a tough act to follow with the Ducks and Kings putting on a good show at Dodger Stadium with legendary broadcaster Vin Scully introducing the teams with Kings great play by play man Bob Miller. They got the game’s Greatest, Wayne Gretzky and Kiss, who really was an odd fit in Hollywood. Detroit Rock City?!?!?!?!?! 😛

A Devil fan takes in the scene at Yankee Stadium. Photos by Frank Franklin II/Getty Images

A Devil fan takes in the scene at Yankee Stadium.
Photos by Frank Franklin II/Getty Images

Yesterday, it was the Rangers and Devils turn. Even if I missed the entire show due to work priorities in search of a new car, I had the marquee event covered with plenty of text updates from the Rangers and Twitter with tweets from all hockey fans. It made my shift that much more fun. Just seeing part of Saturday’s team practices along with pre-game interviews was plenty. Then you had amazing photos of a hockey spectacle at the ballpark in the Bronx. Even if it’s not the original Stadium, this was a sight to behold. When you have players, coaches, broadcasters and even trainers raving about it, you realize the magnitude of such an event. Full props to all the entire crew who worked so hard to put it together. Those are the true heroes that made it possible. And of course, the fans who came out in droves despite icy cold conditions that even included a 30-minute delay and awe inspiring snow.

At least for one side, the pretty white stuff worked like a charm. Despite being the “road team” in a New York venue where from all indications there were more red and black represented, the Rangers stormed back to take Part I of the Stadium Series 7-3 over the Devils before a record 50,105. Just chatting with friends on Facebook and Twitter who went was enough to put a smile on my face. Of course, it helped to hear all the crazy goal texts during a second period explosion that saw the Rangers light up Martin Brodeur for four goals on 11 shots. When it concluded, that ended the 40-year old legend’s day. He was chased after giving up six and admitted that the conditions weren’t the best. If he doesn’t have my sympathy, it’s because for such a great player he comes off very bitter. No disrespect Marty. But the ice was the same for everyone including our winning netminder Henrik Lundqvist, who took special joy in coming out on top. You know how much it meant to him personally. There’s no love lost between them. That’s on Brodeur, who time and again always makes excuses whenever he loses to our side. Enough already. It was a once in a lifetime event. The least you can do is show class like the rest of your teammates.

Putting Brodeur’s sore feelings aside, it was a wild and unpredictable game. Two of the NHL’s lowest scoring teams combined for 10 goals. At one point, the Devils led 3-1 before they collapsed. It was classic pond hockey. Early in, Ryane Clowe sprung Patrik Elias, who beat Lundqvist stick side for the first of two goals. Elias has always been my favorite Devil because he plays the game the right way and doesn’t say anything controversial. If someone scored two for the Devs, I’m glad it was him. I would’ve settled for his Czech mate Jaromir Jagr too. As for Clowe, he’s played his best hockey since returning. Nice to see him back healthy.

Jaromir Jagr carries the puck during at Yankee Stadium. Photos by Frank Franklin II/Getty Images

Jaromir Jagr carries the puck during at Yankee Stadium.
Photos by Frank Franklin II/Getty Images

It only took a few minutes for the Rangers to respond getting it from an unlikely source in Dominic Moore. Able to get to a Anton Stralman rebound off Eric Gelinas in front, he steered home his fourth. The fourth line has chipped in since Alain Vigneault put Dan Carcillo with Moore and Brian Boyle. That strength along with the power play are the most notable differences from last year. Oddly enough, all seven goals came at even strength. The lone power play goal came off the hot stick of Elias. With Jagr carrying the puck through the zone, he drew all four Blueshirts before making a sweet dish in front for Elias (ninth). Ryan McDonagh and Dan Girardi both got victimized on a day where defense was left in the dugouts. Jagr made another good play for the Devils’ third of the period, passing for Travis Zajac who buried his eighth at 16:07. What else would you expect from number 68? But before they could hold a two-goal lead, Marc Staal’s point shot snuck through Brodeur 52 seconds later for a momentum changer.

Ranger goal scorer Carl Hagelin is congratulated by Marc Staal during the second period at Yankee Stadium. Photos by Frank Franklin II/Getty Images

Ranger goal scorer Carl Hagelin is congratulated by Marc Staal during the second period at Yankee Stadium.
Photos by Frank Franklin II/Getty Images

The real damage came in a dominant second where the Rangers’ transition game took full advantage of some favorable bounces and Devil mistakes. Mats Zuccarello was able to score the first of two when John Moore’s pass hopped right to him at 2:48 evening the score. Nearly 10 minutes later, he was the beneficiary of a nice cross-ice feed from Derick Brassard burying his 15th. The play started due to a bad pinch by Gelinas. Caught on the play by Benoit Pouliot, it allowed an odd-man rush which resulted in the eventual winner. Over two minutes later, Carl Hagelin’s innocent looking turnaround shot deflected past Brodeur increasing the Ranger lead to 5-3. His hustle allowed him to beat out an icing and record his 12th. Stralman started the play with a clean hit that forced a turnover. He had two assists and was an unsung hero. If they had any hopes of a comeback, the Devils needed to get out of the second down two. Instead, Rick Nash came in on another odd-man break and his centering feed banked past Brodeur for his team-leading 18th. I guess when you’re hot, you’re hot.

”They changed their game in the second period,” Jagr said. ”They were flying into our zone, and we didn’t react to it.”

With his team trailing by a field goal, Pete DeBoer had no choice but to pull Brodeur and insert number one goalie Cory Schneider. The former Canuck who Lou Lamoriello acquired at last summer’s draft has been nothing short of sensational winning five of his last eight starts posting a 0.96 GAA and .961 save percentage. He understood why Brodeur got the start. Ironically, it was his 100th versus the Rangers. Considering the special significance with it possibly his final year, one gets why he played. Though you have to wonder what Hasan and other Devil fans were thinking during the fateful second. By the time Schneider entered, it was too late. He only faced five shots in the third and stopped four.

Derek Stepan goes one on one with Corey Schneider and scores on a penalty shot at Yankee Stadium. Photos by Frank Franklin II/Getty Images

Derek Stepan goes one on one with Corey Schneider and scores on a penalty shot at Yankee Stadium.
Photos by Frank Franklin II/Getty Images

The one Schneider allowed was on a penalty shot. Since teaming with Nash and Calder hopeful Chris Kreider, Derek Stepan has had a resurgence. He came in on a four-game point streak (2-4-6). In order for the team to have any success in the second half and beyond, they need their top center to play like one. Lately, Stepan has found his groove. That trend continued when he stripped Zajac and broke in on Schneider forcing the Devils’ two-way center to take him down. It was a clear cut penalty shot which he earned. Making the script even better, Stepan went one on one with a hot goalie and fired a perfect laser stick side for his 10th. It was an exclamation point on a memorable weekend for the NHL.

”Within 16 hours, two of the most-revered venues in sports welcomed more than 100,000 fans to sit under the sky and enjoy two of the fiercest rivalries in the National Hockey League,” league commissioner Gary Bettman praised. “The games were spectacular, the images were unforgettable, and the sheer energy our sport creates was unmistakable.”

Stadium Notes: A dozen different Rangers recorded a point. Six players had two points including Brassard (2 A), Dom Moore (1-1-2), Staal (1-1-2), Stepan (1-1-2), Stralman (2 A) and Zuccarello (2 G). The D pairing of Staal and Stralman combined for four points and a plus-eight rating. … The Rangers won the faceoff battle 37-29 highlighted by Brad Richards, who won 12 of 18. Zajac was the Devils’ best going 12 of 19. … Six different Devils hit the score sheet. Both Elias (2 G) and Jagr (2 A) each finished with two points. Clowe (A), Mark Fayne (A), Marek Zidlicky (A) and Zajac (G) each had a point. … Rangers increased their lead to four over the Devils. With 59 points, they remain second in the Metro three ahead of Columbus and Philadelphia. The Devils and Hurricanes each trail by four and the Caps are five out. The Islanders are nine back with 28 games left. … The second installment of the Stadium Series is Wednesday at 7:30 PM. Freezing temps are expected that could be below 10 degrees.

BONY 3 STARS:

3rd Star-Derek Stepan, NYR (penalty shot goal-10th, assist, +2 in 16:07-8 points in last 5)

2nd Star-Stralman/Staal, NYR (1-3-4, +8-stand out performances from underrated second pair)

1st Star-Mats Zuccarello, NYR (2 goals-14, 15, +2 in 17:46-Mr. Clutch)

Posted in Battle News, Battle Of Hudson, Devils, NY Rangers | 2 Comments

Schneider caps off another Devils win

Posted on January 25, 2014 by hasan4978
Cory Schnieder gets game's first star in 2-1 win over Caps

Cory Schneider gets game’s first star in 2-1 win over Caps

In sports you always want to head into big games playing well.  While the Devils’ 2-1 win last night over an Alex Ovechkin-less Caps team wasn’t artistic by any stretch, it did put a bow on the Devils’ recent 5-1-2 surge heading into tomorrow afternoon’s matinee at Yankee Stadium against the Rangers.  Whether it was looking ahead to the Sunday game, looking past a Caps team without its marquee player, or just a general letdown after their seven-goal outburst on Tuesday, the Devils were certainly sloppy and unopportunistic at times.  However, goaltending proved to be the difference as Cory Schneider was a rock in net, making 31 saves and only allowing Jason Chimera‘s third-period deflection to get past him – while at the other end Michael Neuvirth allowed Stephen Gionta‘s slapshot to squirt through him at 4:57 in the first period. Neuvirth settled in after that, but that one bad goal ultimately proved decisive in a matchup between two of the East’s ten bubble teams currently bunched within seven points of each other for the final five playoff spots.

In fairness to Neuvirth, coach Adam Oates hasn’t settled on one goalie for most of the season, using minor league callup Phillip Grubauer as his number one for a solid month while Braden Holtby struggled and Neuvirth was hurt earlier in the season.  Ironically it seems while the Caps’ goaltending is getting more unsettled, the Devils’ is becoming more stabilized with Schnieder continuing his recent roll during an eight-game stretch with a GAA of 1.09 and a save percentage of .961.  Coach Pete DeBoer admitted a certain level of conflict over who gets tomorrow’s key start.  Most signs still point to Martin Brodeur getting the game for what he’s meant to the Devils over the last two decades but from a purely unsentimental perspective you could understand if DeBoer chooses to go the other way considering the Devils are still on the outside looking in of the bubble at the moment.  A regulation win tomorrow would put them above the Rangers on percentage points though (since the Devils have played a game less but would have the same number of points), so clearly this game’s much bigger even than two rivals playing an outdoor game in front of the country on NBC.  For his part, Schnieder understands the dilemma:

It’s a special game and Marty has been a big part of this franchise. He’s gotten a lot of wins for us this year. Whether he (DeBoer) picks him or me, I don’t think it changes the way we feel about it. We both trust each other and respect the way we’re playing. If he chooses me, it’s great, but this is a game that would probably mean a lot to Marty, having never played an outdoor game in his career.

As much as I want to see Cory continue to get a chance to take the puck and run with it for the rest of the season, I still wouldn’t want to see anyone other than Marty lead the team out tomorrow.  I’d understand it if DeBoer took the purely macro point of view that we need the game so play Cory while he’s hot, but sometimes there are reasons for exceptions.  While it’s not the biggest regular season game the Devils have ever played from a purely hockey-related perspective (that honor will probably always go to John MacLean‘s OT winner in 1988 that put the Devils in the playoffs for the first time), it most certainly is going to be the regular season game that gets the most attention.  And while the Rangers will have played three outdoor games as a franchise by the end of next week, this will probably be the Devils’ only chance at an outdoor game for a long time.  Or at least I’ve been telling myself that to prod myself into going tomorrow, despite the forecasts that seem to be getting colder by the day as Schnieder himself wryly observed in his on-ice interview last night after getting the game’s first star.

It’s probably not an accident that our lineup is also getting more stabilized during this stretch too with the joint returns from injury by Patrik Elias and Damien Brunner, though the Devils did finally send Reid Boucher down and promoted leading Albany scorer Joe Whitney to the parent club for the first time.  Whitney wasn’t really noticeable in his nine minutes, which isn’t a good thing when you’re trying to make an impression.  Well okay he was noticeable considering he makes the Giontas look tall, but that’s about it.  For better or worse our defensive core seems to have stabilized too with a resurgent Eric Gelinas re-claiming the sixth defense spot from Jon Merrill, now a healthy scratch the last two games.  Adam Larsson it appears is stuck in Albany until after the Olympic break and presumably after GM Lou Lamoriello can make a move to unclog the logjam of defensemen, soon to include a recovering Peter Harrold as well. Predicting what the Devils will do in terms of roster moves is usually an exercise in futility but probably when Harrold is fully healthy, Merrill will be sent down to play over the break which would be the right thing for him and the team.  He didn’t look terribly out of place during his time but he certainly wasn’t a finished product either (the same could be said of Boucher up front).

Our special teams have certainly been much better then last year.  Restoring Gelinas to the lineup’s helped our power play maintain a top ten ranking though putting Brunner on the point has been an underrated move the last few games as well.  Brunner, as it turns out played the point a lot in Detroit and Switzerland so unlike most of our forwards, he’s comfortable there.  Yet it was the other power play unit who excelled early in the second period last night, creating our second goal at 1:45 with a nice tic-tac-toe play from Travis Zajac and Jaromir Jagr to Adam Henrique, a play that must have made former Devils assistant Oates wince, since after all we have returned to a read and react playmaking style similar to his own power play which he ran here for two seasons.  Despite some hairy moments – particularly in the second period where we allowed a two-on-none (no that’s not a misprint) and another breakaway, Schnieder stood tall only allowing Devil-killer Chimera’s goal in the third period which put the noose around our neck the rest of the night with a one-goal lead.  Fortunately the Caps couldn’t kick out the platform and we got a stay of execution in spite of a tense final minute where both teams used their timeouts but it was the Devils who prevailed despite Ryane Clowe hitting the post on an empty-net chance.

I don’t really want to look back on last night’s game anyway.  Now that it’s here I’m starting to look forward to tomorrow, especially since MSG’s broadcasting the outdoor practice at noon as an appetizer before tomorrow’s main course.  In fact I’m looking forward to the NHL’s three outdoor games over the next week as a whole though tonight’s Ducks-Kings showdown in Dodger Stadium will be more of a odd curiosity than anything else to see how they can keep the ice cold considering the 80 degree weather in LA.  Part of me wishes we could have THAT kind of outdoor game lol…but last night was just as cold as Sunday will supposedly be and I didn’t really feel cold walking to the car except for my face and my hands, the latter of which will be rectified by my winter gloves tomorrow, the former I’ll have to try and get out to buy a ski mask today assuming it doesn’t snow too bad later.

You hope from a purely TV perspective the game tomorrow gets some of the viewership the NFL would normally get on Sundays considering this is the only weekend since September there isn’t any real football to watch, though it’s having trouble selling out – part of the reason I’m sure we’re not getting another game – although this isn’t all the Devils’ fault despite calling it a sellout prematurely and holding back too many tickets to the winter game trying to entice people to buy season seats (in the meantime people who wanted to go just jumped the gun and bought on the secondary market and now there’s nobody making plans to go at this late date), or Devil fans’ fault, since it’s not like our fanbase is anywhere near the Bronx anyway.  It normally takes me forty minutes to drive to and from Newark, it’ll take like two hours to get to and from Yankee Stadium via mass transit.  Plus Ranger fans get two of these games in a week and already had their Winter Classic in Philly a couple years ago as well, so the demand isn’t there from their perspective either.

Clearly the NHL overdid it this year trying to keep all the local teams happy, though personally it probably would have been cool to have this initial game at Yankee Stadium followed by Rangers/Isles at Citi Field, since there’s no way the Wednesday night game’s coming anywhere close to a sellout in the 50000+ seat cathedral anyway plus at least you’re tapping into the Isles’ fanbase more in Queens.  At least from the other side of it, they were able to give an outdoor game to a lot of teams that probably wouldn’t get it under ‘normal’ circumstances, although curiously Minnesota’s still waiting for its outdoor classic.

What makes tomorrow more fun besides the rivalry itself is the meaning it has for both teams.  A month and a half ago it looked as if this might be a Knicks-Nets type matchup of two bad teams who probably aren’t going to make the playoffs but at least the local hockey teams have all surged since then, making the outdoor games themselves more meaningful.  Really, that’s what these games are about in the end when you take away the freezing cold, the novelty (though it’ll be nice) and attention, in the end what matters most is it’s a big four-point game that could swing the playoff race.  Either fanbase could well look back on tomorrow’s game as the one that kept its team out of the playoffs – though Devil fans will probably look back more on the 0-8 shootout record, but I digress.  With the Rangers having lost two in a row and the Devils facing a tough three-game in four night midwest/south trip, the two points are imperative.  Especially if you can keep the other team from gaining one, making it a four-point swing instead of a two-point swing.

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Singing The Blues

Posted on January 24, 2014 by Derek
Alex Steen scores his 26th as Ryan McDonagh, Chris Kreider and Henrik Lundqvist watch helplessly. Getty Images/Kathy Willens

Alex Steen scores his 26th as Ryan McDonagh, Chris Kreider and Henrik Lundqvist watch helplessly.
Getty Images/Kathy Willens

The Rangers lost their second straight game falling to St. Louis 2-1 last night. It definitely looked like a winnable game. Sure. The Blues are one of the league’s best and everyone knew they’d be tough to beat following their mistimed blowout at New Jersey. However, it was their third game in four nights. Our team still should’ve won. Instead, they’ll take a two-game losing streak into the Stadium Series. The first part comes Sunday against the Devils at Yankee Stadium. Part II next Wednesday versus the Islanders.

The trouble with losing games is they didn’t get any brownie points. Even though I’m against the current system, not at least getting this one or a frustrating Islander loss into overtime hurts. It’s stopped their momentum. Even with Rick Nash continuing his hot stretch by extending to a four-game goal streak, it wasn’t enough to win. They wasted three Nash goals in the last two home games. With things so tight, they can ill afford to follow their best play so far with a cold one. Especially with what’s coming up. The Devils and Islanders remain behind in the standings but have more games left. So do the suddenly white hot Blue Jackets- 5-2 winners to pull within a point. At least the Flyers suddenly have cooled off. But the Hurricanes won again and are playing better.

Since I missed this game due to a late shift, I was able to catch the replay on MSG. Costly mistakes were the difference. A blown coverage led to Alex Steen’s 26th in the first. Neither Ryan McDonagh nor Dan Girardi took him in front. Steen was completely forgotten about and Chris Kreider was too late. That allowed a stingy defensive team to grab an early lead. Against a team that had their worst game of the season, that was a bad recipe. Even with them generating chances on Jaroslav Halak, it took a perfect play to beat him late in the second.

On a strong forecheck that McDonagh helped keep alive, he worked the puck to Derek Stepan. Stepan has played much better. He made a great centering feed for a wicked Nash one-timer that blew past Halak for the equalizer. Brad Richards had a golden opportunity to put them in front but his point blank chance went off Halak’s mask with time to spare. There were other opportunities on the power play but the Rangers missed wide a couple of different times. You can’t afford not to cash those.

The Blues made the most of theirs early in the third. With Nash off for a questionable slash, Kevin Shattenkirk’s one-timer thru a perfect David Backes screen beat Henrik Lundqvist. Backes won the faceoff clean and it took only nine seconds for Alex Pietrangelo to set up Shattenkirk’s power play blast. A diehard Ranger fan growing up who idolized Brian Leetch, Shattenkirk had his own cheering section at the game.

Prior to that tally, the Rangers blew a man-advantage. They received one more but couldn’t solve Halak, whose best save of the period came on Ryan Callahan at even strength. After getting 28 shots through on Halak, they only managed seven in the deciding period. Even with Lundqvist pulled, they didn’t get it tied. They applied pressure but were defended well by a Cup contender. After missing consecutive games, Lundqvist returned from illness finishing with 23 saves. Halak had 34.

Notes: Newest Blueshirt Kevin Klein debuted. Wearing number 8, the former Nashville defenseman split time with John Moore and Marc Staal. He took 24 shifts with one shot, takeaway and two blocked shots in 15:46. The player he was traded for, Mike Del Zotto also debuted for Nashville in their 2-1 win at Vancouver. Wearing No.18, he had 17 shifts registering a shot, two blocks, a hit and takeaway. Contrary to Joe Micheletti’s assertion, he didn’t look out of place pairing with rookie Seth Jones.

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Rangers trade Del Zotto to Nashville for Klein

Posted on January 22, 2014 by Derek

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A day after suffering a bad loss to the Islanders, the Rangers made a move sending defenseman Mike Del Zotto to Nashville for Kevin Klein. The timing was a bit surprising considering they had played better. However, it was no secret that Del Zotto was on the block. A scratch a few games earlier this year, he’d played better since returning to the lineup. A point Alain Vigneault emphasized following the deal.

Of course, any time a first round pick is traded it’s sad. Especially one with Del Zotto’s talent. Selected by the club 20th overall in the ’08 Draft, Del Zotto lasted five years on Broadway. He finishes with 26 goals and 95 assists for 121 points in 292 games. Among the highlights was a good rookie year in ’09-10 when he tallied 37 points (9-28-37) as a 19-year old and made the All-Rookie Team. After struggling during a second season in which he split time in New York and Connecticut, Del Zotto put together his best year in ’11-12. He set career bests in goals (10), assists (31), points and plus/minus (20) helping the club win a division, the East’s top seed and advance to the Conference Finals. That included a couple of big goals including the series clincher in a hard fought seven-game second round series against the Caps.

Despite postseason success in which he registered two goals and eight assists, Del Zotto has been inconsistent since. During last year’s shortened season, he totaled three goals and 18 assists. He was only able to add a goal and helper in 12 postseason games last Spring. Despite that, there was still optimism with Vigneault replacing John Tortorella behind the bench. The organization was hoping that would result in increased production. Instead, he struggled in Vigneault’s system and became a scapegoat. While more established teammates struggled just as much during a mediocre first half, he found himself a healthy scratch nine times. In the overall landscape, it didn’t make much sense. Especially when the trade rumors started. It only hurt his value.

I guess it’s fitting that all Glen Sather could muster was a solid but unspectacular physical defenseman in Klein. Interestingly enough, he’s 29 and is signed through 2017-18 with an annual cap hit of $2.9 million. While he won’t blow you away in any area, Klein’s a right defenseman who knows how to play his position. He also is a good teammate willing to drop the gloves if needed.

“Ever since we lost (Michael) Sauer we’ve been short right-handed shots,” Sather told Jim Cerny of Blueshirts United. “Right-handed shooting defensemen in the National Hockey League are hard to find. If you look around the league there aren’t many teams that have three or four right-handed shooters. That was one of the goals we were trying to solve by making this kind of a deal.”

By acquiring Klein, it allows Vigneault to balance out the D lines. Both Del Zotto and John Moore are the same age and played the same position. The left side. With Del Zotto earning $2.5 million and set to become restricted this summer, they decided now was the time to move him. Even if it meant not receiving equal value. They have no one to blame but themselves. Especially Vigneault, who didn’t do Sather any favors. At the very least, it allows Moore to shift back to his more familiar side and allows Klein to slide in on the right.

With the Rangers taking on more salary over the long haul, what exactly does it mean for Dan Girardi and Anton Stralman? Both right defensemen are up this July and can leave. Obviously, Girardi will cost more. He currently earns $3.4 million and will likely command nearly double if he hits the market. Given the price with Stralman a cheaper alternative, he could be the odd man out. But if they lose him, what are they going to do? Don’t forget Marc Staal is up in 2015.

Complicating matters, Ryan Callahan also turns unrestricted this summer. He makes $4.875 million and will also command over six million. With Brian Boyle and Derick Brassard also potential UFA’s, it’s anyone’s guess what the roster will look like this Fall. They can amnesty Brad Richards, who ironically leads them in scoring. With Chris Kreider and Mats Zuccarello also key Group II’s along with John Moore, figure that to happen. Even with the salary cap increasing, it’s hard to be optimistic about the team’s future. Expect more changes.

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Devils ambush Blues in a flurry of goals

Posted on January 22, 2014 by hasan4978

Something was clearly in the air last night, and not just the foot plus of snow that was dumped on many parts of New Jersey.  Against a St. Louis team that came into Newark with the third best record and best goal differential in the league, the Devils put together one of their most dominant performances in a long time – scoring twice within the first three minutes and never looking back in a shocking 7-1 rout.  Perhaps it wasn’t a huge surprise the Devils played a great game with a fully healthy lineup, as Patrik Elias was in his third game back from injury and Damien Brunner returned from a monthlong stay on IR last night with dramatic success, earning the game’s first star with a goal and two assists.  Despite the fact the Devils still can’t seem to get back into a playoff position they have played better on the whole with a 9-3-4 record in their last sixteen games, though that gets marred by losses to Buffalo and Phoenix within the last couple weeks.

For Cory Schnieder, seeing a whole seven goals up on the board (after getting just 37 goals of support in his first 23 starts) must have made him feel the way Bubba’s mom did in the movie Forrest Gump when Forrest sent her half the profits from his shrimping company and she fainted.  Schnieder has played well though, particularly since the Christmas break with just eight goals allowed in seven starts and an unreal .960 save percentage.  His overall numbers have improved to 8-9-7 with a 1.88 GAA and .926 save percentage.  And if you want to know how Schnieder has a losing record with splits like that, just refer back to the first part of this paragraph.  Even the wins have finally picked up for Cory though, with a 4-1-2 record in those seven post-holiday starts, and getting the call for five of the last seven games has again put him in the lead jockeying for position to be #1 in the Devils’ net.

While the Devils’ future in net is getting brighter by the day, the Blues’ need for a proven commodity there is intensifying after both Jaroslav Halak and Brian Elliott allowed multiple goals last night, with the crowd mocking Halak in the third period after Eric Gelinas scored from center ice – see above – for the Devils’ seventh and final goal of the evening.  St. Louis and Philly continue to prove year after year that it’s not always easy finding a true #1, even if you can seemingly plug in guys and get numbers.  Whoever was in goal, scoring seven and rolling four solid lines is certainly encouraging though.  Perhaps it was a sign this game would break the mold of tense, low-scoring affairs when Mark Fayne of all people opened the scoring firing a 5-MPH wrist shot through traffic that deflected past Elliott at 2:27.  Fayne’s goal was helped in no small part by the cycling caused by the newly formed Zubrus-Elias-Brunner line, which was a smashing success last night contributing to two of the seven goals.  With Clowe-Henrique-Ryder a fixture, rookie Reid Boucher has at least temporarily been moved out of purgatory and in a prime spot with Travis Zajac and Jaromir Jagr.  And last but not least, the fourth line of CBGB is now actually a fourth line again.  Each line did their part last night.

Just twenty-four seconds after Fayne’s goal, Ryan Carter scored off a rebound to give the Devils a two-goal lead that looked like a mistake when I first turned the game on after a few minutes.  One of my only two moments of consternation last night came when Alex Steen of the Blues scored off a rebound to cut the Devils’ lead to 2-1 at 8:47 but just a minute and forty seconds later, the Devils restored their two-goal lead when a Boucher centering pass deflected off Jagr and past Elliott for the Czech legend’s sixteenth goal of the season.  It would be the last shot Elliott saw last night, as he was pulled for Halak – who would fare little better against a suddenly rolling Devils team.  New Jersey’s power play started cranking it up in the second period, with Marek Zidlicky cleverly faking a shot, then dishing off to Ryan Clowe, who fired in a wrister from the side of the net just sixty-three seconds into the second period.

For all the talk about Clowe’s contract, concussion issues and depressed offensive numbers last year, he’s certainly been a force since his return – both physically and on the scoreboard.  If the rout wasn’t on before, it surely was now after Clowe made it 4-1.  Gelinas combined with Henrique for the fifth goal, again on the power play when Gelinas slipped a pass through a defender to Henrique, who beat Halak one-on-one in front of the net.  My second moment of consternation came however when Henrique missed the third period, reportedly after blocking a shot earlier in the second.  Hopefully it’s not serious as it would be nice to see a fully healthy lineup until the Olympic break at least.  Especially with Henrique’s play finally picking up after being paired with Clowe and Michael Ryder.

Brunner scored the Devils’ third straight power play goal at 1:18 of the third, getting a just reward for his return to the lineup after Elias found him wide open to Halak’s right for a one-timer.  Gelinas’s goal set off razzing and chants of ‘Cory’s Better!’ from the 2000 hearty souls that braved the elements to come.  At least they got a two-and-a half hour highlight reel of a game out of it, and Gelinas himself played a strong game finally getting semi-regular minutes again with the return to a 6-D, 12-forward lineup.  Jon Merrill was the odd man out last night, and with defenseman Peter Harrold set to return soon, something’s gotta give with seven defensemen currently on the roster and Adam Larsson still lurking down in Albany.  With the Olympics looming, making sure Merrill and Larsson are able to go down to the AHL during the break and get more playing time is also a consideration since you’re ineligible to be sent down if you play 15 or more of the last 20 games before the break.

Of primary concern right now is the standings though, with the Devils still sitting a point out of the playoffs behind a surging Blue Jackets team that’s won seven in a row and has two games in hand.  Coach Pete DeBoer even referenced that fact when pressed on the fact he hasn’t officially named a Stadium Series goalie for Sunday yet, although he allowed ‘sentimentality’ will be a factor and I’d still be shocked if Martin Brodeur wasn’t in net for that game.  Even if Schnieder plays Friday and wins another crucial game against the Caps before the outdoor show.  It’s a shame that last night’s game was marred by the snow that kept nearly 10000 fans from attending, and only 2000 did make it.  All were invited to sit in the lower bowl from early in the game, and everyone who didn’t attend got the ability to turn their tickets in for vouchers to a later game at least.

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Islanders outclass Rangers in 5-3 win

Posted on January 21, 2014 by Derek
My Favorite Martin: Islander forward Matt Martin celebrates a goal in the club's 5-3 win over the Rangers at MSG. Getty Images/Frank Franklin II

My Favorite Martin: Islander forward Matt Martin celebrates a goal in the club’s 5-3 win over the Rangers at MSG.
Getty Images/Frank Franklin II

There are always going to be nights like this. When it comes down to it, throw everything out when it comes to this rivalry. Despite two highlight reel Rick Nash goals that had them out to a 2-0 start, the Rangers were outclassed by a more determined Islanders, who scored five of the last six to win 5-3 at MSG. The better team won tonight. The Isles were hungrier and won all the battles. Even when they fell behind early, you never felt the Rangers had control. They just made too many mistakes and eventually got burned.

”Division games are huge this time of year. It’s nice to beat these guys,” Islander captain John Tavares said after recording three assists to up his point total to . ”They got those two early goals, but I think for the most part we were the better team. We did a good job … and finished off the game. Big win. Character win.”

The Isles’ best players showed up. In particular, lethal top line trio Tavares, Kyle Okposo and Thomas Vanek ran rampant throughout combining for seven points. Their imprints were all over it. A real turning point came when Kevin Poulin robbed Chris Kreider of a certain goal. Poulin had a strong night finishing with 30 saves. Several were gems that gave his team a chance. Following Kreider’s near miss, the Islanders came the other way and scored thanks to a brilliant no look backhand Tavares feed to a wide open Matt Martin. It was his first goal in 39 games. He came off the bench unchecked and buried his third past Cam Talbot.

Still leading 2-1, the Rangers connected on the power play thanks to some work in front from Kreider. A Derek Stepan wrist shot hit the goal post and caromed off Poulin right to Kreider, who stuffed home his 13th. Brad Richards added a helper. The goal was a direct result of Brian Boyle goading Martin into a silly rough. It was kind of a cheap call but our side took full advantage.

Following a good kill of Benoit Pouliot’s second minor, the Blueshirts got caught napping on the second Isles’ goal. On the first, top pair Ryan McDonagh and Dan Girardi were the guilty party. Not to sound like a broken record but they again were victimized when neither bothered to take immortal Islander defenseman Thomas Hickey in front. He tapped in a beautiful Okposo centering feed for his third. There was nobody even close. The Ranger coverage was abysmal the entire night. They got into the wrong style game against a dangerously talented opponent who suddenly is up to 49 points. They still trail the final wildcard by five due to Columbus defeating LA. Toronto also won. New Jersey also moved up to 53 points with their stunning blowout of St. Louis. I can’t wait to see Hasan’s recap. Especially with those same Blues next up for us on Thursday.

Continuing a theme, another blown assignment led to Colin McDonald pouncing in front for the tying goal. Talbot made a good save on a Tavares try but left a rebound which McDonald blew past his glove. On the play, it was a defensive breakdown by Mike Del Zotto and Marc Staal. Staal just stood there and Del Zotto fell down in front which allowed McDonald all day. It was indicative of the whole night. One team tried to take shortcuts while the other despite their own defensive deficiencies, were relentless.

Even an early power play in the third couldn’t stem the tide. It wasn’t for lack of chances. They had plenty but couldn’t bury one more past a steady Poulin. Nash had a couple of close calls for a hat trick. On one, he had a step on Vanek, who hustled back to break it up atoning for a turnover. Nash was also set up by Stepan down low but a sliding Poulin came across for a big leg save. Usually, when you blow so many opportunities, it comes back to bite you.

”We wanted the two points, and we put ourselves in a good position to get them,” Nash said. ”We didn’t get the job done.”

”You’re up 3-1 and you think maybe you can get through the period and play a good solid third, but we didn’t,” Richards said. ”We made some mistakes. Some nights other teams will capitalize, and some nights you get away with it. We didn’t get away with it.”

A very undisciplined bench minor that brought back ugly memories from last year was their undoing. Kreider came onto the ice too soon during a regrettable change. In fact, the Rangers had seven out. Even if you’re not a math major, that’s a failing grade. The more opportunistic team made them pay dearly with a great play that resulted in Vanek’s game-winner coming with 4:38 remaining. Frans Nielsen started it with a shot pass to Tavares, who like a lacrosse player one touched it to an open Vanek for a layup. Again, the Rangers overcommitted defensively and were completely fooled.

”The secondary guys came up big,” Jack Capuano said. ”Our top line struggled a little bit in the first, but they came around. Your best players have got to be your best players. We were fortunate with that break with the too many men, but we were able to capitalize.”

They still had plenty of chances in the final frantic minute to force overtime. For a minute and a half, they pressed the Islanders by keeping the puck in. With Talbot off for an extra attacker, they seemed to have the Islanders at their mercy. But their Long Island opponent was grittier diving all over the ice to block shots and break up passes. The Rangers weren’t fast enough in their decision making, allowing the Isles to get set. That passive approach resulted in a deserved fate. They lost because they were outhustled from start to finish. But the Islanders won because they wanted it more. A common theme that always plays out in this rivalry. Maybe next time, they’ll match their intensity. Two more cracks at it next week before January closes.

BONY 3 Stars:

3rd Star-Rick Nash, NYR (2 goals-team leading 16-9 in last 9 games, Nashty)

2nd Star-Kevin Poulin, NYI (30 saves incl. 13 in busy 3rd-stole it)

1st Star-Kyle Okposo, NYI (2 assists incl. brilliant set up for Hickey, dominant effort)

Posted in Battle News, NY Islanders, NY Rangers | Leave a comment

Islanders and Rangers face off for first of three

Posted on January 21, 2014 by Derek

A traditional rivalry will heat up the last 11 days of January. Starting tonight, the Islanders and Rangers will battle each other three different times. The first installment is at Madison Square Garden with heavy snow falling. Part II is slated for next Wednesday in the second part of the highly anticipated Stadium Series in the Bronx. The final part will take place again at MSG on the last day of the month.

For two bitter rivals who hate each other on the ice and in the stands, it could have a huge impact in the standings. Currently, the Blueshirts sit second in the Metro Division with 57 points one ahead of Philadelphia, five on Columbus and Washington, six up on New Jersey and eight on Carolina. The Islanders still have some work to do. They’re 7-2-1 over their last 10 to hike their point total to 47. They trail the Rangers by 10 but are just five off of the wildcard cutoff. The Blue Jackets sit in the final spot breaking a three-way tie due to the ROW tiebreaker with Detroit and Washington.

There’s plenty at stake. In fact, these three games over an 11-day span will conclude the season series. The two Battle Of New York archrivals split the first two with the road team prevailing in each. The Rangers took the first meeting 3-2 at The Coliseum on 10/29 and the Islanders exacted revenge by winning 5-3 at The Garden on 12/20. Given how tight the playoff race is, expect these games to be slugfests. Neither wants to lose ground. At this point, it’s more critical for the Islanders. They’re out of playoff position and must leap over several teams. The Rangers want to ride the momentum that’s seen them win seven of their last nine (7-1-1) and post a 9-2-1 mark over the last dozen.

With Henrik Lundqvist out sick, Cam Talbot gets his second consecutive start. He’ll be opposed by Kevin Poulin. The Islanders have made two changes to their lineup. Forward Peter Regin is in for Eric Boulton and vet defenseman Radek Martinek replaces Matt Carkner. Guess Jack Capuano figures Matt Martin is enough for Dan Carcillo. Alain Vigneault will stay with the same lineup that’s found chemistry. In an intriguing subplot, the Rangers scrambled for a backup signing journeyman David LeNeveu. Here are projected lines.

NY ISLANDERS

Kyle Okposo-John Tavares-Thomas Vanek

Peter-Regin-Frans Nielsen-Cal Clutterbuck

Josh Bailey-Brock Nelson-Michael Grabner

Matt Martin-Casey Cizikas-Colin McDonald

Andrew MacDonald-Brian Strait

Calvin De Haan-Matt Donovan

Thomas Hickey-Radek Martinek

Kevin Poulin

Anders Nilsson

NY RANGERS

Chris Kreider-Derek Stepan-Rick Nash

Carl Hagelin-Brad Richards-Ryan Callahan

Benoit Pouliot-Derick Brassard-Mats Zuccarello

Brian Boyle-Dominic Moore-Dan Carcillo

Ryan McDonagh-Dan Girardi

Marc Staal-Anton Stralman

Mike Del Zotto-John Moore

Cam Talbot

David LeNeveu

Posted in Battle News, NY Islanders, NY Rangers | Leave a comment