Devils rebound by the margin of a shoulder against Isles

Posted on December 29, 2013 by hasan4978

Playing an Islanders team sitting in last place in the Metro division with 29 points (second worst in the NHL, only above the Sabres with 24 points in the new Atlantic), you would figure last night’s primetime showdown on Long Island would be an easy two points for even a struggling Devils team.  Especially with the Isles missing captain and scorer extrordinare John Tavares, out with a lower body injury.  Of course Devil fans know better.  None of these tri-state area games are ever easy, no matter who’s in the lineup or who’s playing well and who isn’t.  Last night’s game certainly followed that template, a tense (though not particularly entertaining) 2-1 Devil win over the Islanders that got New Jersey a much-needed two points while further burying the Isles, now sitting eleven points out of a playoff spot at the halfway point and well behind every other team in the Metro.

Parity reigns supreme when you look at the division standings, especially at 2-7.  Pittsburgh’s got a comfortable 13-point lead over the second-place Caps (whose own recent hot streak has been spearheaded with a third-string goalie playing the majority of games) but everyone else is jumbled together in a crowded race for the final two automatic berths:

2. Caps 44 points (38 GP), 3. Flyers 40 points (38 GP), 4. Devils 40 points (40 GP), 5. Columbus 38 points (38 GP), 6. Rangers 38 points (39 GP), 7. Hurricanes 37 points (38 GP)

That’s just the most striking signal of NHL parity.  Another one is last night’s scoreboard.  Literally every one of the eight games played including Devils-Isles was either decided by a single goal, or by a shootout.  With that kind of competitiveness in mind, there are no off nights allowed in the NHL.  As such any +2 point win (i.e. in regulation) is particularly valued.  Make no mistake though, the Devils did not play very well last night by any stretch.  Arguably for the second straight night their best player was by far their goaltender – this time Cory Schnieder, who finally got a reprieve of sorts for his bad month and just four wins in seventeen starts on the season.  He had to earn that reprieve though with a 30-save effort, since as usual the Devils’ offense went dry for the most part.

For the longest time it looked as if Adam Henrique‘s first-period goal would have to be enough.  While Evgeni Nabokov made his share of fine saves, the Devils’ offense was a bit compromised from the start given Pete DeBoer‘s bizarre experiment of putting Patrik Elias on a line with Steven Gionta and Steve Bernier.  A cynic would say you need to take a look at the icetime to tell whether Elias was demoted to the fourth line or Gionta/Bernier were promoted to the second.  Elias played 19 minutes and Bernier/Gionta played 15+ so clearly it was the latter.  Granted Gionta’s been playing very well since coming off of IR but I’m sorry, he just doesn’t have the offensive capability to be anywhere near a second line.  Neither really does Bernier though he played a little like he belonged in a top six role last year.  Not that Elias has been all that great himself lately, perhaps still feeling the effects from his back injury earlier in the season he’s struggled despite putting up some secondary points.

Our only offensive spark in the first two periods came from a resurgent Henrique, perhaps the benficiary of some luck from a gift horseshoe over Christmas (yes, really according to Chico Resch).  Ironically it was rookie Reid Boucher – benched Friday night – who made a nice feed over to Henrique for the opening goal at 11:37 of the first period.  Of course DeBoer being his usual self only played Boucher for 7:39 in the contest, and it was slow Ryane Clowe who replaced Boucher in the top six.  Honestly I understand why Clowe’s in the top six but if Boucher isn’t going to get real icetime then what’s the bloody point of having him up here anyway?  Might as well bring back Tim Sestito and play him since clearly he has more coachtrust than the kids.  It’s one thing to bench Boucher when he was lousy (and he clearly was that Friday) but now you bench him when he clearly got the message and showed a bit of spark early last night?  Unreal.

Honestly it’s nonsense like this that make it hard to really get excited about the Devils at this point.  Not to mention the joke of a prevent defense the Devils tried to play in the third period, allowing the Isles to take play to them in the first ten minutes (outshooing them something like 9-1 at one point) until finally the dam broke when Frans Nielsen scored after a turnover from Bryce Salvador – yes the captain finally returned last night…and played 23+ minutes – and a nice feed from a falling Kyle Okposo, ending the shutout and the Devils’ tenuous hold on a lead.  Although Salvador played okay all things considered it does make you wonder what’s the next move on defense.  If it wasn’t for Anton Volchenkov‘s ‘whole body soreness’ last night word was that Eric Gelinas was going to be the seventh D but play…at forward.  You really can’t make this stuff up.  If Volchenkov is healthy for Tuesday’s game against the Penguins does that mean Gelinas joins fellow kids Mattias Tedenby, Jacob Josefson and Reid Boucher in purgatory?  He has made his share of defensive mistakes lately but his offensive prowess and howitzer of a shot is just too valuable to sit.  Unless you’re DeBoer.

It was impossible not to be angry, annoyed and down at this point.  Predictably the Devils did pick it back up after being scored on (funny how sometimes the prevent only prevents you from winning), though they needed a fortunate bounce to get the lead back when Marek Zidlicky fired a shot that glanced off Travis Zajac‘s shoulder and past Nabokov.  Even after it was finally over and the Devils got their two points, it didn’t feel particularly inspiring.  Especially given what’s coming up on the schedule – both conference leaders Pittsburgh and Chicago for the next two games at home.  Probably I would feel a little better about the present if the future wasn’t constantly dumped on day after day around here.  At least Cory finally got another win, so there’s that, along with his startling admission after the game he needed to reset mentally and physically during the holiday after a brutal month and hard-luck start to the season – see above.  I have to admit I kind of know the feeling of needing to reset just watching this team.

I suppose compared to Isle fans we still have it good though…the fact Jack Capuano (who has one lockout playoff berth/exit to his credit) has the second-most wins in franchise history speaks volumes considering the fact Al Arbour retired two decades ago.  And at least our stadium’s nicer.  Too bad I won’t get to visit it Tuesday since the Devils have maintained their asinine tradition of having a New Year’s Eve matinee.  Some of us actually have to work on NYE weekdays…arrgh!  I’ll still probably recap that game at some point (provided it’s worth watching on tape on NYE after I get home) during the holiday since it’s our third straight pivotal division showdown.

Posted in Battle Of Hudson, Devils, NY Islanders | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Devils give sellout crowd a big, fat lump of coal

Posted on December 28, 2013 by hasan4978

In actuality, last night’s crowd of 16,592 (apparently the new sellout number) got an 18-by-24 inch size Andy Greene poster in the first post-Christmas game of the season…it was the game itself that was the lump of coal, as the Devils lost yet another shootout after a 1-1 tie that was extremely misleading.  Columbus dominated most of the game in terms of effort and creating chances, and only a turn-the-clock back performance from Martin Brodeur kept the game from being 5-1 or 6-1.  Especially in the first period where the defense was as bad as I’ve seen it since the John MacLean era error.  At times it was hard to tell whether they were lazy or just laughably inept.  Any way you slice it, having that kind of effort after a long break following an absolute blow-up in Chicago on Monday night is not a good sign.

Columbus’s goal was a fitting prism of everything that’s wrong with this team.  Of course it was the two ex-Rangers (Brandon Dubinsky and Artem Anisimov) that were key in the goal with Anisimov finding Cam Atkinson with a long pass to crank up the breakout.  Atkinson blew by Greene and found Dubinsky wide open in front of the net.  Amazingly, Brodeur made the save.  However, despite no fewer than four(!) Devils in the vicinity of the rebound somehow nobody saw the puck and eventually Anisimov located the rebound and put it past Brodeur to give Columbus what looked like the first of many goals on the night.  Being outshot 8-5 doesn’t do justice to how bad the period was.  In the first minute and a half we got a couple of weak shots on goal, in the last minute we finally had a good shift and got three on net.  In between it was a total black hole for seventeen minutes, and most of Columbus’s chances were great ones too.

For the longest time it seemed as if all Marty would be able to do is keep a terminal patient alive longer than they should have been.  If it wasn’t for the fact the rest of the game was such a trainwreck, his performance would have been a sight to see though.  Check out NHL.com’s highlights of some of his saves, particularly one on Mark Letestu in the first period on a virtual two-on-zero.  Or stonewalling that same player when he was able to walk in one-on-one around the defense.  Or stopping Dubinsky on yet another first-period breakaway and Atkinson on a second-period breakaway.  You get the picture.  It wasn’t much better in the second period either, as the Jackets outshot us 10-4.  Really the highlight of the first two periods was in the second intermission when some poor guy literally came within inches of winning the score-O competition and a new car.  After missing his first shot from the blueline, he hit his next one, then fired it in from center ice right down the middle and then went to the other blueline for the money shot trying to hit a tiny hole in a net barrier barely big enough to squeeze a puck in.  And his shot…wound up right smack next to the hole.

Columbus must have felt like Brodeur had that kind of barrier on the net for much of the night, though it didn’t look like the Devils were much threat to score against the immortal Curtis McElhinney, who really didn’t have much to do all night other than one nice glove save on Jaromir Jagr early in the second period.  A nearly minute-long five-on-three early in the third period looked like it would finally provide the finishing blow for this game but the Devils killed it off with some inspired defense (finally), including a diving clear from Adam Henrique.  For the third period it seemed as if Henrique turned back the clock to 2012 as it would be he that converted a rebound off a Marek Zidlicky shot at 5:45 of the third to tie the game.  Henrique literally was falling to the ice as he put the puck in the net for his seventh of the season.  After an initial spurt following the goal though, the Devils resumed going through the motions for most of the night.  Even when they finally dragged the game into overtime, they showed little resolve not even recording a single shot in the five-minute four-on-four.

Of course the game reached its predictable conclusion in the shootout but not without some contreversy as Pete DeBoer left Reid Boucher on the bench despite the fact Boucher has the only shootout goal scored by a Devil all season.  When asked after the game, DeBoer claimed it was because Boucher was cold from being benched in the third period and sarcastically smirked about it as if he was Bill Parcells.  Ironically one of the guys who did go in the shootout was Ryane Clowe, who was playing his first game in ten weeks.  Although he cited Clowe’s career record in the shootout he left the part out of the equation where Clowe was miserable in his first two shootout attempts this year and was again last night.  It was nice to get him back in the lineup for his physicality, but let’s face it he just is not the same offensive player he was three years ago when he was scoring far more frequently in both regulation and the shootout.  Not that it really would have mattered if Boucher shot or not, even if he’d scored it’s not like anyone else on this team looks like they’re capable of scoring in the skills competition.  Brodeur tried to give the team a chance, stopping the first two before Atkinson beat him – mercifully ending the game.

Perhaps what’s more interesting than the Devils’ play on the ice right now is the machinations off the ice with some injured guys coming back, including the expected return of captain Bryce Salvador tonight.  Salvador’s return probably spells the end for Mark Fayne, who was dreadful last night and really didn’t take advantage of his chance to return to the starting lineup over the last few weeks as much as I’d hoped.  DeBoer continues to screw around with the young players, either playing them too much (Jon Merrill gets treated like Chris Pronger, which incidentally is the same mistake Pete made with Adam Larsson his rookie year too) or not at all.  While Boucher deserved his benching for two bad turnovers, having a 20-year old kid play a shade over ten minutes a night is not doing him or the team any good here.  Although I do get tired of Jacob Josefson‘s lack of offense he never really got a fair chance to redeem his bad season last year after a good preseason in September, and having former first-rounders like him and Mattias Tedenby play seven minutes a night or get benched is what we have to look forward to with Boucher sadly.  And it’s imperative we do not screw up Boucher’s development.  He and current team USA player Stefan Matteau are the only potential top six/nine forwards in the pipeline at the moment.

Tonight’s game on Long Island is not only huge for the team as a whole, but for Cory Schnieder individually.  A lack of goal support and wins seems to have broken him, and he’s been miserable this month allowing 3+ goals in every game including the Chicago meltdown where he gave up two gag-worthy goals.  Worse, he sounded defeated after the game when referencing one of the goals that went off his glove his quote was, ‘that’s the kind of stuff that’s been happening to me all season’.  It doesn’t help when the guy gets put out there every start seemingly against an upper-echelon playoff team, frequently without goal support and asked more or less to be perfect.  Nor does it help when you get benched three straight games after your best performance of the season.  Still, he has to play better.  Sadly this game might not do him any favors since we invariably allow one or two Michael Grabner breakaways a night, and Cory’s allergic to stopping any kind of breakaway so that’d put us a couple of goals behind the eight-ball before starting.  Given everything that’s on the line for him and the team tonight though, they have to find a way to win.  Even if it’s another of these firewagon 4-3 games we usually seem to play against them.

Posted in Devils | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Talbot gets third straight start

Posted on December 27, 2013 by Derek
Cam Talbot gets a piece of Gabriel Bourque's shot en route to a 17-save shutout over the Predators. He improved to 5-1-0 with 2 shutouts all on the road. AP Photo/Mike Strasinger

Cam Talbot gets his third consecutive start when the Rangers take on the Capitals tonight.
AP Photo/Mike Strasinger

Following the Christmas break, the Rangers start a five-game road trip with a visit at classic Patrick rival Washington tonight. Interestingly enough, Alain Vigneault has decided to give Cam Talbot a third straight start. New York Post’s Larry Brooks had this tweet on Henrik Lundqvist.

Even I’m a little surprised that Talbot is in over Lundqvist. I would’ve thought Vigneault would go back to Hank following the holiday. He’s had enough time off to mentally refresh. It’s been his most challenging season to date. However, you have to believe he’ll turn it around soon. He’s too good not to.

By going with Talbot again, Vigneault is leaving himself open to criticism. While I admire his daring move, it isn’t best long-term. However, maybe he’s saying let’s ride the hot hand. Talbot allowed one goal two goals and won twice to get the Rangers back to 18-18-2. He seems to be unflappable and has the perfect mindset for a backup. The team responds by playing better in front of him. How else can you explain Cam allowing two or less in nine of 10 starts?

What if Cam plays well and the team wins again? Either way, we’ll see Lundqvist Sunday at Tampa. Unless hell has frozen over. Interesting to note the last Ranger visit at St. Pete, Hank was lit up for four goals replaced by Talbot. The Martin St. Louis show. The Rangers lost 5-0.

Vigneault’s done this before. Even with Roberto Luongo signed long-term, he wasn’t afraid to play Cory Schneider. Schneider of course was a former first round pick who was the heir apparent before the Canucks reversed course and dealt him to the Devils at last year’s draft in exchange for a first round pick (Bo Horvat). Talbot was more of an uncertainty entering the season. He’d spend the past three seasons in Hartford fine tuning his skills after being signed out of Alabama-Huntsville. Full credit to the Ranger organization for being right.

Aside from the goalie story, Brooks reported that it’s not out of the question that Marc Staal could return on the trip. Out since Dec. 11 with a concussion, he’s missed the last eight games. However, he’s been practicing and inching closer to a return. Certainly a good sign for the club. What that means for Mike Del Zotto who knows. As usual, he’s stepped it up in Staal’s absence. Increased minutes has always translated for the much maligned defenseman. I’d love to see him stay but he’s probably on the way out.

Ryan Callahan also skated. But he’s further away on the injured reserve with an MCL sprain. It’s been a tough year for the captain who also missed time with a broken thumb. Nobody plays with more heart. His tenacious style might not be cut out over the long haul. In the final year of his contract, the 28-year old is beloved in this town. The injuries probably hurt his Olympic chances. In a Team USA Preview I did for Olympic Hockey News, I opted not to select him. It’s probably better for the Rangers if he doesn’t get picked. They need a healthier Captain Cally.

Posted in Battle News, NY Rangers | 1 Comment

WJC 2014: Team USA 5 Czech Republic 1

Posted on December 26, 2013 by Derek

The 2014 IIHF U20 World Junior Championships got underway in Malmo, Sweden today. The day after Christmas is always exciting for hockey fans. It’s a chance to track their favorite prospects.

Team USA defeated Czech Republic 5-1. They got the first four Daniel Dolejs en route to a comfortable four-goal win. Five different Americans scored including captain Riley Barber, Will Butcher, Hudson Fasching, Jacob Slavin and Vince Hinostroza. Barber and Butcher each tallied power play goals 41 seconds apart in the game’s first 2:02.

Michal Plutnar erased Jon Gillies’ shutout bid with a PPG at 5:47 of the third period. Devils prospect Stefan Matteau was in the box for a slash. He’s on loan from Albany and is participating in his first WJC. Ironically, he was named Player Of The Game. Hinostroza put it out of reach by converting a breakaway with 2:11 remaining. He beat Dolejs with a nice backhand deke upstairs.

Also taking part was defenseman Steven Santini. The big physical blueliner the Devils took in last year’s second round is in his freshman year at Boston College. In 13 games, he’s fared well posting two goals and four assists along with 36 penalty minutes.

Rangers’ defense prospect Brady Skjei is also on the back end. The 19-year old 2012 first rounder is in his sophomore year with Minnesota. He’s coming along nicely with two goals and three helpers with 16 PIM over 16 contests. A solid skater who’s good defensively, Skjei should be a big part of the Blueshirts’ future.

Team USA has three holdovers from last year’s championship roster. They feature Barber, Gillies (23 saves) and Blackhawks’ property Ryan Hartman (assist). Here’s a boxscore.

We’ll have more on the day’s action later.

Posted in Prospect Watch, Team USA, WJC | Leave a comment

A New York Puck Christmas

Posted on December 25, 2013 by Derek
Christmas comes but once a year. Spread some holiday cheer to all our New York Puckers out there.

Christmas comes but once a year. Spread some holiday cheer to all our New York Puckers out there.

It’s a New York Puck Christmas. With that in mind, we give out our Christmas presents to Rangers, Devils, Islanders and Sabres. None of the four Battle Clubs (BONY) are in the playoffs. At nearly the halfway point, what’s on everyone’s Christmas List? Let’s find out!

1.Henrik Lundqvist-a sports psychologist and a DVD of the ’11-12 season.

2.Martin Brodeur-a lifetime contract and his own minted MB30 company.

3.John Tavares-40 goals and an actual supporting cast.

4.Ryan Miller-a new contract and Olympic Gold for Team USA.

5.Rick Nash-a goal streak and some heart.

6.Jaromir Jagr-the Devil captaincy and one more playoff run.

7.Kyle Okposo-a spot on Team USA.

8.Cody Hodgson-real linemates who can finish.

9.Ryan McDonagh-an oxygen mask and fuel tank.

10.Andy Greene-a contract extension and some recognition.

11.Travis Hamonic-some help on the back end.

12.Tyler Myers-a time machine back to ’09-10.

13.Mats Zuccarello-a big raise and his own Zucc fan club.

14.Patrik Elias-a new stick with more goals.

15.Evgeni Nabokov-an actual defense and real backup.

16.Matt Moulson-re-signed and named new captain.

17.Derek Stepan-a shot doctor.

18.Eric Gelinas-a spot on the All-Rookie Team.

19.Thomas Vanek-better production and off the Island.

20.Ville Leino-a goal and then an all expense paid trip to Rochester.

21.Chris Kreider-20 goals and a Calder nomination.

22.Cory Schneider-offensive support and some wins.

23.Frans Nielsen-better linemates and an ‘A.’

24.Mikhail Grigorenko-a trade to a smarter organization.

25.Ryan Callahan-a full body protector and a new deal.

26.Travis Zajac-more goals and a video message from Zach Parise.

27.Andrew MacDonald-some time on his feet and more offensive zone time.

28.Steve Ott-the removal of his ‘C’ and to stop playing like Sean Avery.

29.Dan Girardi-a Super G cape and more offense.

30.Adam Henrique-a DVD of 2011-12.

31.Michael Grabner-more games against the Devils and Rangers.

32.Drew Stafford-goals and to fulfill his contract.

33.Carl Hagelin-more confidence in his shot.

34.Michael Ryder-another 20-goal season.

35.Ryan Strome-his first career goal.

36.Tyler Ennis-20 goals and 40 points.

37.Brian Boyle-a new pair of hands.

38.Cam Janssen-2 more goals.

39.Lubomir Visnovsky-to get well soon and return.

40.John Scott-his own poster of Dion Phaneuf.

41.Derick Brassard-a better second half and new contract.

42.Dainius Zubrus-2 more years of Jaromir Jagr.

43.Calvin de Haan-an NHL point.

44.Luke Adam-better production.

45.Derek Dorsett-fight lessons from Darren Langdon.

46.Adam Larsson-a healthy New Year.

47.Josh Bailey-more consistency.

48.Christian Ehrhoff-a trade back to Vancouver.

49.Alain Vigneault-a contract with Dentyne.

50.Pete DeBoer-a visit from Andy Kaufman.

51.Jack Capuano-more wins so he keeps his job.

52.Ted Nolan-interim tag removed.

53.Glen Sather-a binocular.

54.Lou Lamoriello-a number one pick.

55.Garth Snow-a brain.

56.Pat LaFontaine-hires Neil Smith and gets last laugh on Charles Wang.

57.James Dolan-a visit to the Blue Seats.

58.Josh Harris-Rock ‘N Roll Part II blasted and chants of “You Suck” repeatedly.

59.Charles Wang-an extended vacation back to Shanghai.

60.Terry Pegula-a competitive hockey team.

61.Derek-Holiday cheer and a Winter Classic Dubinsky jersey.

62.Hasan-Holiday cheer and a Stadium Series Jagr jersey.

63.Brian-Holiday cheer and dinner with new Sabres coach Ted Nolan.

 

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE! 🙂

Posted in Devils, NY Islanders, NY Rangers | 1 Comment

NY Puck: Rangers Christmas Poll

Posted on December 24, 2013 by Derek

 

Mats Zuccarello sports the Broadway Hat in a recent Rangers win. Getty Images/rangers.nhl.com

Mats Zuccarello sports the Broadway Hat in a recent Rangers win.
Getty Images/rangers.nhl.com

At Christmas, the Rangers are 18-18-2 ranking fourth in the Metro with 38 points. They are tied with the Flyers in points but have played one extra game. While it’s been a disappointing year so far, there have been a few bright spots. Whose light has shined the brightest so far?

A.Ryan McDonagh (6-14-20 in 38 GP): The club’s top defenseman has added more offense. His six goals, 14 assists and 20 points are by far the most on the blueline. Even with a recent slump, Mac Truck ranks fifth in team scoring. He plays the most minutes and faces the league’s best and does it without taking many penalties (8 PIM). Without him, the Rangers would be in big trouble.

B.Brad Richards (9-17-26 in 38 GP): Tied with rookie Chris Kreider for first in goals (9) and leading the team with 26 points, he’s bounced back. Richards also leads the club in shots (119). It’s hard to argue with numbers. On a low scoring team, he’s produced. However, his play has slipped recently. With no goals in eight straight and only three helpers, Richie must pick it up following the break.

C.Cam Talbot (8-2-0, 1.60 GAA, .938 save percentage, 2 SHO in 12 GP): As we documented in a previous post, the rookie’s play in net has been huge. No one would’ve thought another goalie would be largely responsible for keeping the team afloat at almost the halfway point. In Cam We Trust.

D.Mats Zuccarello (8-17-25 in 37 GP): The most popular chant from the Blue Seats this season is “Zuu—ccc!!!!!” And for good reason. Since his benching, Zuccarello leads the Blueshirts with 25 points over the last 30 games. No longer an afterthought, the 26-year old pint sized Norwegian is the team’s most consistent forward. He combines superb skills with a tireless work ethic. Nobody plays with more guts than Zucc.

Vote on our poll above to select the Rangers Christmas MVP.

Posted in NY Rangers | 1 Comment

In Cam We Trust: Talbot’s play instrumental for Rangers

Posted on December 24, 2013 by Derek
In Cam We Trust: The play of rookie Cam Talbot has been instrumental to the Rangers so far. Getty Images/Frank Franklin II

In Cam We Trust: The play of rookie Cam Talbot has been instrumental to the Rangers so far.
Getty Images/Frank Franklin II

By show of hands, how many had Cam Talbot with two fewer wins than Henrik Lundqvist at Christmas? Who even knew he would replace Martin Biron as the Rangers backup? If there is one move that Alain Vigneault has been right on, it’s his faith in Talbot. All the 26-year old rookie has done is win eight of 10 starts allowing two goals or less in nine.

That included a second straight win in which he made 25 saves and stopped two of three shooters to highlight an important Rangers’ 2-1 shootout win over the Maple Leafs Monday night. Even after Toronto mistakenly counted Nazem Kadri’s goal with 1:24 left in regulation after no whistle despite the puck being under Talbot, he responded well to adversity winning his first NHL shootout.

”I would have been pretty devastated, especially with the game we played,” he told reporters after being named the game’s First Star. ”We deserved to win the game, and to get a goal like that against us could have really hurt us, but we kind of let it go, pushed forward and got the eventual game-winner.”

”In my opinion, that was the wrong call,” Vigneault pointedly remarked of the controversy that allowed Kadri to push the puck in following two David Clarkson whacks. “The referee told Brad (Richards) on the ice that if they didn’t score on the wraparound, then it wasn’t a goal. They didn’t score on the wraparound.

”The puck was underneath Cam’s pad. How (the reviewers) saw it differently, I’m not quite sure. You’ve just got to play through those things, and that’s what we did.”

They won because Talbot didn’t let it bother him. In an odd winter that’s seen Henrik Lundqvist sink following a record contract extension, it’s the poised play of Talbot that’s become part of the story. Even after going nearly three weeks without a start, he’s been sharp permitting only two goals on 51 shots in back-to-back victories over Minnesota and Toronto. The importance can’t be understated. It got the Blueshirts back to NHL .500 (18-18-2). They’re tied in points (38) with the Flyers for third in the Metropolitan Division. It was also crucial to get the extra point even if a dopey ruling by an inconsistent league allowed the Leafs to steal a point. They are fifth in the Atlantic with 41 clinging to one of the wild cards.

For some reason, the Rangers play better in front of Talbot. They looked like a different team the last two games that concluded a record nine-game homestand 3-4-2. Though it wasn’t what they had in mind, at least the conclusion had them in a different state of mind in time for Christmas. When pressed on who he’d decide to start on Dec. 27 at Washington, Vigneault wisely took the high road.

”It is safe to say that we’re leaving for the holidays on a much happier note,” he emphasized. ”It’s going to be a pleasant three days.

”My parents are 81 and 79. I haven’t been home for Christmas with my girls for eight years, so I am looking forward to that.”

Good for him. Sure. He’s come under fire in this space. However, anyone who thinks it’s a “goalie controversy” has lost their mind. For better or worse, Lundqvist is the starting netminder in the present and future. The numbers are ugly. He’s 10-15-2 with a 2.77 GAA and .906 save percentage. On the other hand, Talbot’s 8-2-0 in 12 appearances with a 1.60 GAA and .938 save percentage. He also has as many shutouts (2) as Lundqvist and should probably be leading the Rangers with three.

One season, Mike Richter got three less starts than backup Glenn Healy. That was ’95-96 when the Blueshirts won the Atlantic. Then coach Colin Campbell went with Richter in the playoffs. The Cup winning goalie made all 11 starts finishing 5-6 with a 3.27 GAA. That had more to do with the Rangers’ second round opponent, a high charged Penguins featuring Mario Lemieux and Jaromir Jagr. They were taken apart by two all-time greats. What gets lost in translation was an unpopular trade Neil Smith made dealing Ray Ferraro, Mattias Norstrom, Ian Laperriere and Nathan Lafayette to the Kings for Jari Kurri, Matty McSorley and Shane Churla. It hurt team chemistry.

Sometimes, you have a season where things don’t go according to plan. So what if Vigneault has to think over his Christmas dinner about who should start Friday. Those are the tough decisions a coach must make. My guess is he’ll go back to Lundqvist. Maybe a mental break will reenergize him. With a pivotal five-game road trip coming up, he’ll have to be in the right frame of mind when the Rangers resume play. They can’t make the playoffs without him.

At the very least, they know what Talbot can do. Without his brilliant play, who knows where they’d be.

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Happier Blueshirts hope win is a turning point

Posted on December 23, 2013 by Derek
Cam Talbot turns aside a shot during the Rangers' 4-1 win over the Wild. Getty Images/Seth Wenig

Cam Talbot turns aside a shot during the Rangers’ 4-1 win over the Wild.
Getty Images/Seth Wenig

One of their best performances of the year was punctuated by some strong quotes. Indeed, the Rangers finally had something to be happy about before Christmas. With one game remaining tomorrow against Toronto, they can conclude a record nine-game homestand with two straight wins. Something that’s been a rare occurrence so far.

”We owed the fans this one,” said winning netminder Cam Talbot after finishing with 24 saves. ”They’ve been supporting us quite a bit lately, and we haven’t really produced for them.”

”There is not a whole lot of time to think about it,” Talbot added regarding their 2-4-2 record on the current homestand. ”Just go out there and try to carry this game into tomorrow.”

Considering how cool he reacted, perhaps Talbot should get the nod against the Leafs. After allowing an early goal to Jason Pominville, he stopped everything else Minnesota through at him. The Rangers also played better making life easy for Talbot. A welcome sight that hasn’t been the norm. With Henrik Lundqvist struggling, there’s nothing wrong if Alain Vigneault decides to give his capable rookie backup the start. Maybe an extended holiday vacation will help recharge Lundqvist. After the break, the Rangers go on the road ending the calendar year at Washington, Tampa Bay and Florida. They also travel to Pittsburgh and Toronto and don’t return home till Jan. 6 for Columbus.

”He’s a young kid that’s learning the NHL game,” Vigneault said of Talbot while already hinting that he knew who would start next game. ”He came in here and did what we expect of our goalies and gave us a chance to win.”

”Our compete level, especially in the second period, was probably our best four-line, six-defense pairing in a long time,” the Rangers coach added.

Indeed, nobody played less than 11 minutes with Chris Kreider getting the least due to a few quiet shifts. Ironically, his fluke goal concluded the scoring in the Rangers’ 4-1 laugher over the Wild. Vigneault also had Mike Del Zotto paired up with Anton Stralman. They were solid defensively with neither making any notable mistakes including a more active Del Zotto. In fact, all three pairs including Justin Falk and John Moore were effective. Ryan McDonagh had a strong night recording an assist and going plus-two and partner Dan Girardi had his best defensive effort in quite some time.

”Probably our best game all year when it comes to playing a full 60 minutes and everyone contributing,” goal scorer Carl Hagelin accurately stated. ”We definitely needed one of these just to feel good about ourselves.”

There’s only one way to find out. Beat the Leafs- one of the teams in front of them for the wildcard and maybe the Rangers are on the right track. We’ll get a more definitive answer in 24 hours.

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Rangers dominate Wild in rare home win

Posted on December 22, 2013 by Derek
A jubilant Carl Hagelin raises his arms after scoring his eighth. Getty Images/Seth Wenig

A jubilant Carl Hagelin raises his arms after scoring his eighth.
Getty Images/Seth Wenig

The record nine-game homestand has treated the Rangers anything but nice. For once, they took advantage of Madison Square Garden by dominating the Wild with a convincing 4-1 win. It was only their second victory in eight and first in regulation since Dec. 5 against the Sabres.

Of course, they fell behind early. Jason Pominville tipped home his 17th from Ryan Suter 4:08 into the contest. Mikael Granlund beat Derek Stepan clean on a faceoff and Suter had all day before centering for an open Pominville at the side to beat Cam Talbot. Talbot was making his first start since Dec. 2. For a guy who hadn’t seen much action, he responded well making 24 saves. Even though he wasn’t challenged much by Minnesota after the first period, Talbot came up with a few timely stops which allowed his team to settle down. He also got help from the post on another Pominville opportunity.

On their second power play, the Rangers drew even thanks to Benoit Pouliot, who scored for a second straight game. Derick Brassard passed across for Ryan McDonagh, whose point shot was redirected by Pouliot for his fifth. The resurgent Pouliot has four points in his last four games. He’s been a lot more noticeable on the forecheck. In fact, his line with Carl Hagelin and J.T. Miller was the team’s best at even strength. Pouliot came close a couple of other times and Hagelin scored for the third time in the last four. Another bright spot was McDonagh, who recorded his first point in seven. He was much more active and better defensively finishing plus-two.

The Rangers also responded to seeing Mats Zuccarello hit by Matt Cooke. Cooke is no stranger to the physical stuff. He caught Zuccarello a hair late with a shoulder check. With Zuccarello in his face, defenseman John Moore came over and challenged him. Predictably, he received two minutes for roughing. At least Kyle Brodziak went with him for an unsportsmanlike conduct. As for the hit itself, there was nothing wrong with it. Cooke just finished his check. At least the Rangers didn’t sit and watch.

After mostly an even first, they dominated the second outscoring the Wild 2-0 while outshooting them 17-5. It was easily one of the best periods of the season. Following a strong penalty kill of a Brian Boyle hold, Derek Dorsett made an outlet for Boyle and then outraced Minnesota players to a loose puck centering for Hagelin, who buried his eighth top shelf on Niklas Backstrom. It was a nice play for sure but one a past prime Backstrom probably wanted back. Unfortunately, that was just foreshadowing.

Taking the play to the Wild, who are average without inspiring Hart candidate Josh Harding who battles MS, the Rangers generated plenty of chances on Backstrom. Eventually, they tacked on another when Zuccarello finished off a beautiful backhand feed by Brassard from behind the net. Nobody could’ve prevented that. Just a brilliant rush from Brassard and great vision finding the trailer Zuccarello, who made no mistake depositing his eighth to make it 3-1 with 1:25 left in the second. His performance this year has been nothing short of sensational. Zuccarello continues to flourish under Alain Vigneault and should be re-signed immediately. Don’t let him get to free agency.

Occasionally, you get a bounce. Every once in a while, there’s a miraculous goal no one could’ve predicted. That would be a classic understatement for Chris Kreider, who had some very good fortune with 7:14 to go in the third. Taking a headman from Rick Nash, who also was very active, he broke in on Backstrom and fanned so badly on his shot that it fooled the veteran Wild netminder. Somehow, the puck rolled underneath him allowing Kreider to score the easiest goal of his short career. On the stat sheet, it’ll say he scored his ninth just the same. He and teammates shared a good laugh during the oddest goal celebration. For Backstrom, he might want to consider retirement.

By night’s conclusion, something rare occurred. Aside from a win and two points, a happier MSG cheered their heroes. There were even the trademark “Let’s Go Rangers,” which hasn’t been heard too often. That’s what happens when you put forth the effort. Let’s hope they can remember that when the Maple Leafs visit tomorrow to finally conclude this homestand.

BONY 3 Stars:

3rd Star-J.T. Miller, NYR (3 SOG, 5 hits, 4 for 7 on faceoffs in 17 shifts-13:23-deserves recognition)

2nd Star-Derick Brassard, NYR (2 assists 2 hits in 15:33-starting to round into form)

1st Star-Mats Zuccarello, NYR (8th of season, 3 SOG, 2 blocked shots, +1 in 16:19-the Rangers’ MVP)

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Talbot starts, USA hopeful McDonagh ice cold

Posted on December 22, 2013 by Derek
Moore Goals: Defenseman John Moore celebrates his second period goal with Ryan McDonagh. AP Photo/Alex Brandon

It’s been a rough homestand for USA hopeful Ryan McDonagh.
AP Photo/Alex Brandon

When the Rangers host the Wild, there will be a different goalie in net. For the first time all homestand, rookie Cam Talbot gets the start. Henrik Lundqvist’s struggles have been well documented. Since he signed an extension, it’s been a nightmare. It’s not worth reiterating.

Here’s an opportunity for Talbot to provide a spark. It’ll be his first start since Dec. 2. That one was the first game he allowed more than two goals giving up four to Winnipeg. It also was his second consecutive start leading to silly whispers that there was a goalie controversy. Leave it to Glen Sather to emphatically silence it by extending Lundqvist for seven years, $59.5 million. Talbot did make one appearance replacing Lundqvist Dec. 12 allowing one in a loss to Columbus. How will our backup perform after hardly seeing any action? If it goes awry, you know who to blame.

Aside from the goalie story, there’s the suddenly pedestrian play of Ryan McDonagh to concern ourselves with. Easily the Rangers’ best defenseman, his increased offense was a nice boost. He still brings a team best six goals and 13 assists for 19 points pacing Ranger blueliners. Alain Vigneault has really leaned on him heavily since Marc Staal went down. He averages 24:12 TOI. Perhaps the extended ice-time is starting to have a negative effect. Over his last six games, McDonagh is without a point and a minus-eight. Dating back to a Dec. 7 loss to the Devils, he has 1 assist and is a minus-nine. A strange coincidence the Rangers have 1 win over the last seven. Against Calgary, McDonagh finished even.

His slump comes at a crucial time with Team USA scouts paying close attention. Even though there are several players better, McDonagh should be a lock for the Olympic roster in Sochi. If we had to guess the top six, it would be Ryan Suter, Dustin Byfuglien, Keith Yandle, Kevin Shattenkirk, Jack Johnson and McDonagh. Cam Fowler (4-17-21 +5 8 PIM) is making a strong case and resurgent Erik Johnson (5-8-13 +17 24 PIM) should be included. Interestingly, Andy Greene isn’t being considered despite similar numbers (6-14-20 +5 12 PIM) to McDonagh (6-13-19 -7 8 PIM).

Other strong candidates include rookie Torey Krug (8-10-18), James Wisniewski (2-17-19), Matt Niskanen (3-14-17), John Carlson (7-7-14) and Justin Faulk (2-13-15). There are plenty of choices.

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