Battle Of Hudson

Following last night’s disappointing loss to Winnipeg, there was plenty of frustration afterwards from the Rangers. Twenty-eight games into Alain Vigneault’s first season, they’re a .500 team. Astonishingly, their record is 14-14-0. In today’s NHL, that’s literally impossible. Of the 30 teams, they’re one of two that don’t have an overtime/shootout loss. Colorado is the other. However, under Patrick Roy the Avs are off to a 19-6-0 start in a more competitive Western Conference. Overachieving instead of underachieving. Big difference.

”We’re definitely not getting the traction that I know we want,” Vigneault said after his team failed again to reach two over .500. ”The only way we’re going to get traction and get better is by playing more consistent hockey. Is this team a .500 hockey club? We’re certainly playing like one.”

Most baffling is the lack of consistency. Understandably, getting off to a bad start made it more difficult. Losing Rick Nash didn’t help. He remains the single 30-goal scorer they have. By far the most talented forward, he’s looked good since returning scoring four goals. He had a three-game goal scoring streak snapped last night. It wasn’t for lack of chances. He finished with a team high seven shots and was dangerous throughout. When he’s not scoring, others must step up. In their 5-2 win over Vancouver, it was a coming out party for rookie Chris Kreider. He recorded his first career hat trick against ex-coach John Tortorella which had him seeing red.

On a low scoring team that’s been held to two goals or fewer 17 times, Kreider has six goals tying him with the team’s best defenseman Ryan McDonagh for third. Ryan Callahan and Brad Richards each have seven pacing the club. When Glen Sather fired Tortorella, it was for two reasons. The first was because he felt they needed a different mindset that would result in increased offense. The second was due to him losing the room. Even if Slats felt he fell short of the team’s goal of winning a Stanley Cup. Ironically, a year removed from the franchise’s first Conference Final showing since last century. It was the Team President and GM who changed the roster. Even though I’m a Brandon Dubinsky supporter, bringing in Nash was a no brainer. With Tim Erixon barely playing for Columbus, the trade is basically Dubinsky and Artem Anisimov for Nash. You do that every time.

It was Sather’s other decisions which had a negative impact. By not re-signing Brandon Prust, he risked losing the team identity. Prust was a warrior who took on all comers. A look at the lack of team toughness since and it’s no wonder the Rangers have become so easy to play. Good teams either outwork them or bully them like Boston. A look at two frustrating losses to the Devils is proof that they’re not the same team. Sure. Most of the core remains with Callahan leading the way. There are 12 holdovers from the ’11-12 team that finished first in the Eastern Conference and won their first division since ’95-96. They include Brian Boyle, Callahan, Michael Del Zotto, Dan Girardi, Carl Hagelin, Kreider, Henrik Lundqvist, McDonagh, Richards, Marc Staal, Derek Stepan and Anton Stralman. However, gone is the resilient style that got them within reach of the Cup Final. Even in Games 5 and 6, the Tortorella Rangers fought valiantly rallying from three-goal and two-goal deficits before losing to the Devils.

One look at how the current team plays when trailing in the third period and it’s clear as day. They no longer claw back. When do they ever get a game tied up with a goalie on the bench? Not under Vigneault who preaches offense. A positive at least is the 14 wins are all in regulation and overtime which at last check is the number one tiebreaker. But earning extra points can be valuable. The Devils are the polar opposite with five overtime/shootout losses. That doesn’t include big overtime wins over Anaheim and Los Angeles. They squeeze every ounce out of minimal talent carried by Jaromir Jagr. It’s ironic considering what he did for the Rangers post-lockout. Even at 41, he still leads by example.

The Rangers boast plenty of team leaders featuring Callahan, Girardi and Staal, who’s having a dreadful year. There’s plenty of experience to draw on. But why are they struggling to string together wins? Defensively, they’re not as good playing a higher tempo. Defensemen have been caught up ice or out of position. Not just Del Zotto. Staal is minus-seven with three points. Whatever the reason, he has been a big disappointment. Forwards aren’t always coming back. Or they’re committing egregious turnovers like the one Derick Brassard had that led to Winnipeg’s second goal. Brassard has picked it up offensively but has had a penchant for bad giveaways. He’s not the same player who led them in scoring last postseason.

In order for this team to be successful, everybody must contribute. That includes character guys such as Boyle and Dominic Moore. They work hard and bring energy. Both win faceoffs and are strong penalty killers. However, one combined goal isn’t enough. Neither is Benoit Pouliot’s two goals and five points. Not what Sather brought him in for. He’s a talented former first round pick who can be streaky. Unfortunately, we haven’t seen it. Instead, he’s had a penchant for taking bad penalties and vanishing acts. Vigneault hinted that he might be a scratch for Thursday at Buffalo. That’s after Pouliot put together back-to-back solid efforts. Go figure.

There’s a lot wrong. Justin Falk plays on the blueline due to a lack of toughness. He then proceeded to get pounded by Anthony Peluso. Del Zotto was minus-three following a power play goal Saturday. John Moore has been a healthy scratch the last two. He has an identical amount of points (5) to Del Zotto. Derek Dorsett’s the toughest guy on the roster and is a middleweight. The list goes on. Basically, it’s the rock solid play from Lundqvist and Cam Talbot that’s kept them afloat. It must change soon.

Olli Jokinen celebrates a goal in the third period with teammates.
AP Photo/Kathy Willens

One step forward. One step back. That’s the Ranger season so far in a nutshell. Two days removed from Chris Kreider’s hat trick performance against former coach John Tortorella’s Canucks, they were brutal during a deflating 5-2 loss to Winnipeg at lifeless MSG. How else to sum up a night’s frustration? Aggravating, disappointing and lackadaisical all come to mind.

There’s no rationale for why they had a stinker coming off such a statement game. Then again, this is what the Rangers are. Twenty-eight games into Alain Vigneault’s first year, it’s a mediocre 14-14-0 clinging onto third in a weak Metro Division backed by the Devils’ 3-2 loss at Montreal. That includes an inexplicable 5-6-0 record at a remodeled Garden lacking in atmosphere. Whatever the reason, James Dolan’s renovation has backfired. No one is intimidated by the World’s Most Famous Arena. Or to quote a buddy, the World’s Most Renovated Arena. Whenever opponents are asked about playing at the Garden, they’re filled with excitement. Perhaps that’s because the Rangers and Knicks wave the welcome mat so easily. What ever happened to defending your turf?

Gone are the days when the building had pulsating energy with our fans inspiring its own. Instead, it’s been replaced by empty seats and a more comatose environment. That’s still no excuse for the Blueshirts to play so uninspired against a beatable opponent. Of course, it was basically like facing themselves. Winnipeg entered 12-12-4 without injured power forward Evander Kane. No matter. Leave it to the Rangers to give up a first goal to John Albert (who?) and fourth liner Chris Thorburn’s first two points (2 assists) of the year. Even more appropriately, ’10-11 ghost Olli Jokinen tallied twice including the game-winner and insurance marker that spoiled rookie Cam Talbot’s second consecutive start. He also allowed over two goals for the first time in eight starts and of course got predictably blamed. As if Henrik Lundqvist would’ve done better the way the team played. Appalling.

”I thought I felt all right, still not where I wanted to be,” Talbot lamented after making 25 saves in a losing effort. ”Four goals is not going to cut it. I can’t expect the guys to go and score five goals for me every night.”

Of course, he is being a team player here. It had more to do with how poor the Rangers were defensively. They were careless with and without the puck paying dearly for sloppy turnovers and dreadful coverage. The stat sheet says they outshot the Jets 37-30. Whoopee. That gets you nowhere when you don’t pay attention to every detail. The night got off to a promising start when Mats Zuccarello deflected home a Ryan McDonagh point shot for his fourth just 2:49 into the match. It extended Zuccarello’s point streak to four and kept McDonagh’s recent offensive surge rolling. Speaking of which, he was their best player. If only others mounted the energy Mac Truck brings more consistently.

Despite grabbing a 1-0 lead, the Rangers fell into bad habits. It was the Jets who came back with consecutive strong shifts. Even with our team buzzing, Ondrej Pavelec kept them at bay. Another mediocre goalie who turned into a star on Broadway. He finished with 35 saves and was named the game’s third star. No disrespect. But haven’t we seen this script before? They had no trouble chasing Roberto Luongo and putting up five against the former coach. The one a misguided press treats like Scrooge despite the team’s only appearance in the Conference Final since ’97. Makes about as much sense as the MSG apologists who apparently blamed the lack of atmosphere due to a “non-conference opponent.” Winnipeg abused us when they played in the East too as the Atlanta Thrashers. Selective memory.

Once the Jets found their sea legs, they had no problem figuring out a soft defense that’s been exposed plenty playing a more wide open style. That’s the risk. It still doesn’t fully explain undisciplined turnovers and lazy backchecks. The first two Winnipeg goals were point blank chances. Devin Setoguchi converted his seventh on an odd-man rush. Guess who set it up. Jokinen. He fed Setoguchi, who let go of a laser that tied it. Ironically, a one-sided scrap might’ve woken them up. Since Vigneault inserted Justin Falk into the lineup, he’s been in to supply needed energy and toughness. In for John Moore again, he made the mistake of challenging Anthony Peluso, who proceeded to destroy him with several rights. Maybe it wasn’t such a good idea.

A horrible giveaway from Derick Brassard led to Winnipeg’s second goal of the middle stanza. As talented as he is, sometimes Brassard still shows why Columbus gave up on him. He’s had several bad turnovers that have led to goals against. I guess old habits die hard with former coach Scott Arniel as a current Ranger assistant. A blind giveaway inside the Jets’ blueline allowed Dustin Byfuglien to push the puck ahead forward for Albert, who broke in and beat Talbot top shelf. If there’s an area he has to work on, it’s stopping breakaways. He needs to challenge more. Despite that, he came up with several key saves which allowed Ryan Callahan to finally score a goal. The captain had been struggling recently. But sheer determination resulted in his seventh on a goal mouth scramble set up by Brad Richards and Benoit Pouliot.

With the game knotted after two, you would’ve thought the Rangers buoyed by Callahan’s huge goal would come out and dominate the third. Not this team. They didn’t register a shot the first six minutes. Eventually, they generated opportunities. For the most part, the lines were good offensively except when it came to finishing. Rick Nash had a few close calls. Derek Stepan failed on a breakaway. And Chris Kreider passed up a chance to shoot instead trying to feed a cutting Stepan. When they’re not going well, they tend to overpass and not shoot. Simple is more effective. I didn’t like that aspect of their game.

Jokinen’s game-winner was a bad break. An odd dump took a funny carom. The next thing you know, Setoguchi and Thorburn combined to set up Jokinen, who beat Talbot from in front with nobody on him. Of course, Talbot didn’t make any excuses.

”Their guy just kind of rimmed it back behind the net,” he said. ”I think it hit his skate right behind and ricocheted off and went out front. It actually did hit my stick, but it ended up right back at front.

”That’s my fault. I’ve got to put it right back to the corner,” he added.

Outside of McDonagh and Anton Stralman, the blueline played like crap. Mike Del Zotto was on for three goals against including Jokinen’s put away which came with 1:54 left. Regarding Del Zotto, the first two goals weren’t his fault. However, he screwed up by getting caught pinching. The Jets countered with Jacob Trouba sending Michael Frolik on a two-on-one with Jokinen. After Talbot looked to have the initial save, Jokinen slipped it thru the five-hole for the crusher. It was the only bad goal he gave up. Yet all you hear from some of our fans is how Lundqvist should’ve started. It reminds me of the same warped logic for blaming Jokinen for his failed shootout miss that eliminated us against the Flyers. What about the goalie? He lost to a journeyman in a glorified skill competition.

”Obviously, he didn’t make the same amount of saves that he had done in the past,” Vigneault duly noted, ”but we certainly made his life challenging by how we played in front of him.”

For good measure, Blake Wheeler added an empty netter. Ironically, my Dad went because he couldn’t sell the ticket. But he left after two because he saw it coming. Had I gone, we’d have stayed. My next game is my birthday on Sunday against the Capitals. Knowing our luck, Troy Brouwer will score the winner. Oh joy.

BONY 3 Stars:

3rd Star-Devin Setoguchi, WPG (goal, assist, +2 in 14:02)

2nd Star-Ryan McDonagh, NYR (assist, 2 SOG, 2 takeaways, Even Rating in 24:22-also made a great keep on Callahan tally)

1st Star-Olli Jokinen, WPG (2 goals-5th, 6th incl. GW, assist, 5 SOG, +3 in 15:23)

Kreider’s Revenge: A jubilant Chris Kreider celebrates one of his three goals against former coach John Tortorella’s Canucks. The 22-year old rookie recorded his first NHL hat trick highlighting the Rangers’ 5-2 win at MSG Saturday.
AP Photo/Bill Kostroun

By show of hands, how many could’ve predicted this? John Tortorella’s return to MSG was a coming out party for Chris Kreider. He entered yesterday’s game against the Canucks with only three goals. By the end of it, he celebrated his first career NHL hat trick at Tortorella’s expense. Poetic considering last year’s struggle that contributed to his dismissal.

To be fair, Kreider admittedly played hurt and wasn’t the player he is now. In fact, he didn’t even make the roster out of camp. That included a poor showing in preseason which prompted Tort’s replacement Alain Vigneault to send Kreider down to Hartford. Don’t tell the Tort bashers, who certainly came out of the woodworks with the 22-year old rookie’s breakout performance that highlighted a 5-2 home win. They would have you believe he held him back. Not every kid comes up and tears it up right away. He’s been building confidence and finally got some puck luck highlighted by two deflections including the hat trick midway through the third.

”I would have struggled trusting me, too,” Kreider was quick to point out after entering having scored five goals in his first 43 NHL games. ”I was playing through an injury. There are no hard feelings, I learned a lot from him.

”I had a pretty positive experience on the whole. At the end of the day, it’s two points and we’re happy to come away with the win.”

The maturity he demonstrates is admirable. Unlike part of a slanted media that conveniently forgot his surprising run under Tortorella during the 2012 playoffs out of Boston College, Kreider understands that it’s been an uphill battle to reach this point. In another cruel twist, Vigneault put him on the identical line Tortorella created last second round against Boston. Realizing that the lines had gone stale, Vigneault reunited Kreider with Derek Stepan and Rick Nash. A brilliant move. The cohesive trio combined for eight points and a plus-nine rating dominating the Canucks at even strength. Nash scored for the third straight game and added two helpers while Stepan recorded two assists.

Somewhat overlooked was the performance of rookie goalie Cam Talbot. Finally making his Garden debut, the unflappable Talbot made 35 saves in improving to 6-1-0 in seven starts. Due to a shift at work and Thanksgiving get together with my Mom, I didn’t get to see the game. However, it sounded like Talbot made some key stops including 14 in a busy first.

”A couple of our players made some great defensive efforts, and when that wasn’t there, Cam made some great saves,” Vigneault stated while expressing surprise at seeing the Sedins on the opposite side.

”I gain a lot of confidence, and confidence in the guys in front of me, too,” Talbot said. ”They’ve been playing really great in front of me. I’m just trying to stop the puck and not let them down because they’re doing a great job of getting me in games and getting me leads.”

Unlike most games where offense is at a premium, Kreider had plenty in store for his former coach. He got the goal fiesta started at 12:37 of the first period. After Stepan won a loose puck along the boards, Nash swept it to a wide open Kreider, who whipped a wrist shot by Roberto Luongo. A couple of minutes later, he took full advantage of Zach Kassian’s delay of game minor. This time, he parked in front of Luongo and deflected home a Ryan McDonagh shot for his second of the game. Former Tort whipping boy Brad Richards added an assist. In another delicious irony, the Ranger power play clicked scoring twice in three chances. That had to eat at former assistant Mike Sullivan.

”I’m not going to lie to you, it’s a little weird for me coming back here,” Tortorella expressed. ”Once the game starts, it’s about playing and trying to find a way to get a win. That’s my job, to try to get some traction with this hockey club. Once that starts, it’s just, ‘Let’s go.”’

It only got worse for Tortorella’s Canucks. Nash scored 17 seconds into the second increasing the lead to three, chasing Luongo (3 GA on 10 shots). It was his fourth goal since returning and increased his goal streak to three. Stepan and Dan Girardi picked up assists. Another Canuck penalty was punished. This time, Vigneault target Mike Del Zotto converted his second from Mats Zuccarello and Derick Brassard. It had to feel extra sweet for Del Zotto, who’d been a healthy scratch the last two and five of the last eight. He was reinserted for John Moore, who sat out along with Taylor Pyatt. He was replaced by a healthy Derek Dorsett, who wasted no time in the third fighting Tom Sestito.

David Booth broke up Talbot’s shutout bid with 4:10 left in the second from Mike Santorelli and ex-Blueshirt Dale Weise. The crowd saluted Talbot with chants of “Cam.” Full credit to Vigneault for giving the kid a chance. After an impressive camp, he’s run with it since Marty Biron retired. Biron now works as an MSG analyst and must be getting some satisfaction out of seeing Talbot’s development.

The only leftover drama was whether Kreider would complete the hat trick. He’d already recorded his first two-goal game. Why not make it three?!?!?!?!?! With 10:22 remaining in the third, he did just that when he got in front of an Anton Stralman point shot and neatly redirected the puck past Canuck backup Eddie Lack. The hand eye coordination it takes is off the charts. The most notable difference with Kreider since he returned is his willingness to go to the net. He’s not only willing to throw the body which Tortorella preached. But get the jersey dirty. For a young player with his combination of size, speed and strength, that’s a must. Hopefully, tonight’s success will be a harbinger of things to come for a talented young player capable of making a difference.

Former Vigneault pupil Daniel Sedin concluded the scoring fittingly with a power play goal in garbage time. Brian Boyle ended the match by trying to fight Kevin Bieksa. Why I have no clue. All in all, a memorable day for Kreider and important bounce back win for the good guys.

BONY 3 Stars:

3rd Star-Anton Stralman, NYR (assist, 2 hits, 2 blocked shots in 26 shifts-20:50-vastly overlooked defenseman’s career was revived by Tortorella)

2nd Star-Rick Nash, NYR (goal-4th, 2 assists, 5 SOG, +3 in 15:54-Nashty!)

1st Star-Chris Kreider, NYR (1st career hat trick-4, 5, 6, 6 SOG, 3 hits, +3 in 14:31-a coming out party)

Brian Boyle takes a beating from Zdeno Chara.
AP Photo/Winslow Townson

What a waste the first two periods were. For 40 minutes, the Rangers competed with the Bruins and led 2-1 in this Black Friday Thanksgiving showdown on NBC. They were ahead because they responded well early. Following Brad Marchand’s opener at 11:42 of a wild first, Rick Nash and Ryan McDonagh tallied 1:22 apart- making it three goals in a 2:44 span.

Nash’s third was an awesome individual effort. After retrieving the puck from Brad Richards behind the net, he came out and went around two Bruins including Selke recipient Patrice Bergeron to fire an off balance laser past Tuukka Rask. Just a tremendous play from a very skilled player. It marked the second straight game with a goal. Carl Hagelin picked up the other assist.

Taking advantage of poor Boston coverage, McDonagh snuck in from the point and beat Rask through a Benoit Pouliot screen. A great effort by an underwhelming player who finally did something worthwhile. Derick Brassard set it up with Ryan Callahan earning a helper. It gave Brassard points in two consecutive games. He’s had a better bounce to his step. Callahan also was more noticeable but still isn’t burying any.

Leading by one, the Blueshirts were handed a couple of power plays by the Bruins. But typically after getting two in Florida, they got nothing accomplished. They were 0 for 5 and didn’t register any shots on three straight. Impossible unless you’ve been a fan of this team so long. Failing to get that third goal came back to bite them.

The game became chippy early with the Bruins taking exception to a nothing Nash finish on Torey Krug. Adam McQuaid got an extra for roughing. Unlike our soft team, Boston has plenty of ammunition who will stand up for each other. It was a stark contrast that reared its ugly head late in the second period. With the Rangers quietly nursing a 2-1 lead, renown cheap shot artist Milan Lucic threw Anton Stralman into Henrik Lundqvist following a whistle. It led to an ugly scrum. Brian Boyle took exception to a David Krejci slash and was intercepted for his trouble by Zdeno Chara. The Bruins captain proceeded to beat him easily in a one-sided fight that awoke TD Garden. It was an embarrassment.

”I feel it’s been a while since the last time we’ve had a fight like that,” Rask pointed out after only being forced to make 17 saves. ”It usually happens in the blink of an eye. It gives a team a boost and really wakes up a crowd, a crowd gets really loud. I think as a team – I can’t say we woke up – but it definitely gave us an extra boost and we never looked back after that.”

Just what the Rangers needed. An angry Boston team who was coming off a blowout loss to Detroit. Now, they fumed. Much like last Spring, the bigger and stronger team took over the game. Using an aggressive forecheck, they dominated the end of the second and the entire third. At one point, shots were 9-1. By that point, they’d not only drawn even on a Bergeron bank shot off Dan Girardi’s skate. With under nine minutes to go, Chara stepped into a Krejci pass from the point and beat an unscreened Lundqvist. It was one of those shots he should’ve had. Instead, it went through him and gave the Bruins the lead for good. Another deflating moment that should’ve been prevented. The more you watch Henrik this year, the more you wonder where his head is. Contract?

”I don’t think we played the way we needed to in the second or the third,” critiqued Callahan. ”They seemed to be all over us and they eventually get the tying goal and the winning goal there. We’ve got to be better in the second and third. It wasn’t good enough.”

The Rangers went out in a whimper. They never threatened. Even an undisciplined Boston bench minor with 4:34 remaining resulted in zilch. Sadly, I barely paid attention to the power play. As if I expected the worst. That’s what this team does to you. Where no game is the same. They may have won the other night with a garbage performance. But that doesn’t cut it against a legit Cup contender.

A scrambling Henrik Lundqvist gets a surprise visit from teammate John Moore.
AP Photo/J Pat Carter

Make no mistake. Henrik Lundqvist was the biggest reason for this win. The final score was Rangers 5 Panthers 2. But it was far from indicative of tonight’s gobble fest on Turkey Eve. It was the brilliant play their goalie that allowed them to escape with their third win in four on a five-game road trip that concludes in Boston on Black Friday.

Playing against a young, faster opponent, the Rangers took them lightly. It could’ve been very different if not for some strong goaltending from Lundqvist during a lopsided second period. Ahead on a first period power play goal from Derick Brassard, they looked gassed. A determined Panthers got the first seven shots of the second while dominating territorially. Even with Alain Vigneault scape goating frequent target Mike Del Zotto, the team was sloppy throughout. The D turned over the puck repeatedly. However, they were bailed out by Lundqvist (31 saves).

Looking much sharper than Monday’s nightmare in Tampa, he stopped the Panthers in their tracks. In particular, he was strong with 12 saves during the middle stanza which propelled the Blueshirts to a 2-0 lead. Despite getting badly outplayed, they increased their lead thanks to a wise shot by Brad Richards that deflected off a Florida defenseman past Tim Thomas. The unassisted goal was a prime example of what our shooters need to do. Instead of overpassing as Mats Zuccarello was later guilty of, just take the shot. To quote the Great One, “You miss 100 percent of the shots you don’t take.”

It certainly applies with this team. In the third, Florida continued its shooting gallery at Lundqvist. Some of their shots missed the net while a dozen others were blocked. Brian Boyle’s sliding block of one attempt exemplified how they have to play to win. Considering how ugly most of the game was, the old Tort philosophy was a key factor. They spent an awful lot of time in their end. The Panthers dominated in face-offs winning 37 of 61 (61 percent). If you’re going to do it that way, rely on your best player (Hank) and do the little things that don’t show up on the stat sheet.

The Panthers certainly helped the cause. A blind giveaway to our top finisher Rick Nash led to a layup for his second goal since returning. Up to that point, he’d been kept in check. But he only needed one opportunity and made the most out of it. That’s all we can ask for. Nash is the one legitimate goal scorer on the roster.

Of course, our D made it interesting allowing two goals less than four minutes apart. With John Moore battling in the corner, he got the puck to Zuccarello. But a blind giveaway to Brad Boyes allowed him to feed Scottie Upshall cutting it to 3-1 with 7:32 left. Zuccarello slammed his stick on the top of the net in frustration. It was a silly turnover that gave Florida momentum. A few shifts later, Nick Bjugstad skated around Ryan McDonagh and snuck a backhand five-hole on Lundqvist for an unassisted tally suddenly making it a one-goal contest with 3:43 remaining. For as much credit as he gets, it was horrible D by McDonagh. Contrary to popular belief, he’s not a top 10 defenseman yet. Give it more time. Lundqvist fell asleep on it.

Fortunately, a good forecheck led to a hooking minor on Panthers rookie Aleksander Barkov. One of the themes from earlier was a beautiful power play goal scored by the second unit. On it, John Moore started the play with Derek Stepan dishing for Zuccarello, who one touched it for a sweet Brassard finish. Funny how when I call out guys, it works. 😛 Chris Kreider is also on that unit. He’s been more quiet lately but a strong shift following Florida’s second tally reestablished momentum. On the man-advantage, he parked in front of Thomas distracting him on a Moore shot. The rebound went to Kreider, who inadvertently deflect off his skate right to a much happier Zuccarello in front for his third. That second power play goal restored order with 1:28 left. Carl Hagelin scored into an open net to wrap it up.

The Del Zotto Principle: It wasn’t the prettiest victory. Ryan Callahan struggled again. The D still got caught pinching too much even without Del Zotto. Marc Staal in particular was shaky. For as much blame as Del Zotto gets after being a healthy scratch for a fifth time, what about Staal? He’s supposed to be one of the team leaders. His play has been anything but steady. Just once, I’d like to see Vigneault show some consistency.

It’s not just Del Zotto, who appears to be on his way out. The blueline has underperformed. Replacement Justin Falk didn’t have a strong game taking a bad penalty and falling down which led to a chance against. He did block two shots and deliver three hits in 21 shifts (12:04). The dilemma is this. If they move Del Zotto, what exactly can they get in return? It’s not like they’re showcasing him.

When Vigneault goes with Falk and Moore, that puts more pressure on McDonagh and Dan Girardi. Each took 27 shifts and had over 26 minutes. Isn’t that what our fans used to complain about with Tort? AV is falling into the same pattern. Anton Stralman saw 30 shifts (20:32) along with Staal (18:40).  It’ll be interesting to see how their top four hold up over an Olympic season.

BONY 3 Stars:

3rd Star-Erik Gudbranson, Fla (4 shots, hit, +2 in 30 shifts-20:57-steady throughout)

2nd Star-Scottie Upshall, Fla (5th of season, 5 SOG, takeaway, -1 in 19:26-best Panther)

1st Star-Henrik Lundqvist, NYR (31 saves incl. 12/12 in big 2nd-aside from the late hiccup dominant)

It’s a busy Turkey Eve in the NHL. There are 13 games tonight with 26 teams in action. That includes all four Battle Of New York teams. The Sabres play host to the Canadiens while the Devils are at The Rock for the Hurricanes in a home and home that concludes Friday in Raleigh. The Islanders look to snap a three-game losing skid when they host the Jets at Nassau Coliseum. Those three games all go off at 7 EST.

Meanwhile, the Rangers continue their five-game road trip with a visit at the Panthers in Sunrise. They’re looking to avoid a two-game losing streak following a disappointing effort that resulted in a 5-0 shutout defeat at the Lightning. It was so uninspiring that Alain Vigneault went out of his way to critique a listless performance referencing how they watched Martin St. Louis. The former Hart winner put on a show scoring twice and setting up another after being honored for playing in his 1,000th game. When the soft spoken coach calls it “a St. Louis love fest,” that’s not a ringing endorsement. Neither are the team’s offensive struggles. They’ve been shutout five times and been held to two goals or less in 15 of their 24 games. A point not lost on Vigneault.

“(Monday night’s 5-0 loss to the Lightning) was our 24th game, and in 15 of  those games we’ve scored two goals or less,” Vigneault told Daily News reporter Pat Leonard following yesterday’s practice. “That’s a pretty good chunk if you want a segment that tells  you what you have. There’s a chunk there that tells us we’re not scoring a lot.  Maybe we’ve got to play even tighter to the vest than we are and go into games  with that mentality of (trying to win) 2-1.”

At basically the quarter mark, the offensive-minded coach is already hinting at playing a more defensive style similar to former coach John Tortorella. That’s disturbing. When he was here, he tried a higher tempo but rebuffed after seeing mixed results where the D was getting caught. Similar results have the Blueshirts a mediocre 12-12-0 sitting in third place of the Metro a point ahead of the Devils. Brad Richards also came away frustrated following Monday’s loss, referencing missed scoring chances.

Taylor Pyatt returns to the lineup tonight. Hopefully, it’s for Benoit Pouliot or we have a problem. Like many Ranger bloggers, I’ve complained about Vigneault’s faith in Pyatt. But one thing you can’t question is his effort. Something you can’t say for Pouliot, who looks like another Glen Sather mistake. At least it’s only for a year. With Pyatt healthy, the Rangers finally sent down J.T. Miller. He was a healthy scratch four straight games and had just a goal and assist since his recall. Dwindling ice-time and not playing wasn’t helping his development.

“You always wonder where a guy can fit in,” Vigneault said. “Can he fit in your  top-six or top-nine or your bottom-six? And with J.T., I haven’t figured out yet  what exactly he is. Is he a top-six forward? Is he a top-nine or is he a third-  or fourth-line player? He’s a young player who has a tremendous amount of  upside. How that is going to unfold and how that is going to develop, we’re not  quite sure. I am sure about one thing, though: You can’t develop if you don’t play.”

I fail to understand why they didn’t make this move before last weekend so he could play for Hartford. As it turned out, they would’ve been better off keeping Brandon Mashinter up. With this organization, you never know what the thought process is. The Wolf Pack have been struggling mightily and definitely could’ve used Miller recently when they were getting shutout four times.

In any event, it doesn’t impact what happens with the big club. It’s up to some of the established players to start producing. Ryan Callahan has slumped with one assist and an uncharacteristic minus-four rating over his last five. He’s also taken a couple of undisciplined penalties where he wasn’t moving his feet. It caused Vigneault to drop him off the Richards line. He finished the other night with Derick Brassard. Probably the most mystifying player on the roster. With just nine points (4-5-9), it’s not the production they’re expecting. With Rick Nash healthy and the lineup deeper, he must pick it up.

Carl Hagelin has also predictably slowed down. He’s not a point-per-game type. Chris Kreider has played well but must find the back of the net more regularly. Three goals in 17 games isn’t enough. Mats Zuccarello has two. Goal scoring is an issue. In order for them to turn it around offensively, they all must do a better job finishing. Brian Boyle isn’t a goal scorer. He has one goal so far. Even he can chip in more.

Good offense can start from the blueline. Outside of Ryan McDonagh, no one else has produced. The clock is ticking on Mike Del Zotto. John Moore has shown flashes but is tied with Del Zotto and Dan Girardi with four points. The combination of Marc Staal and Anton Stralman are being used as a shutdown pair. Unfortunately, Staal’s play has suffered. He was beaten badly by St. Louis. With just two goals and a helper, that isn’t enough production to merit his inconsistency. Stralman has been steady defensively. But two assists isn’t enough. In the past, he’s shown an ability to contribute.

Overall, this roster isn’t as talented as the one Vigneault had in Vancouver. There are no Sedins, Kesler or offensive type defensemen such as Jason Garrison that can aid the offense. Maybe he didn’t know what he was getting into. For years, the Rangers have lacked a true offensive D who can control the power play and carry the puck. Del Zotto is their most talented but remains an enigma. Will they give up on him? It’s hard to say. What kind of value does a struggling young defenseman have? I’d rather see Vigneault give him added responsibility and see if he responds. When Staal went down the last two seasons, Del Zotto elevated his level.

As far as Henrik Lundqvist, there’s nothing to discuss. He had a dreadful night. Move on. I probably would’ve started Cam Talbot tonight and saved Hank for Boston. I’m guessing Vigneault didn’t want the media asking more silly questions. So, he’s going back to Lundqvist and expecting a money performance. There’s no goalie controversy. In fact, it’s a big plus to have two good goalies. Especially in an Olympic year.

The real dilemma is what Vigneault can do with the roster. He must get more out of our core. There’s no reason they can’t score more with everyone healthy. Contrary to popular belief, there’s enough depth to have three capable scoring lines. Tortorella accomplished it with Brassard. AV wanted the challenge. We’ll see if he can get it turned around.