Battle Of Hudson

Hertl’s Night: Sharks rookie Tomas Hertl celebrates a hat trick. His four goals were part of a Sharks 9-2 rout over the Rangers.
AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez

If the Rangers were looking to ride momentum, they were hit by a Shark attack. In particular, Tomas Hertl. The 19-year old Czech had a night to remember scoring four goals in San Jose’s 9-2 blowout of the listless Blueshirts. It was a memorable performance by the former 2012 first round pick who lit it up at the Shark Tank. His four goals were the most by a teenager since Jimmy Carson did it as a King in 1988.

Playing in only his third career game, Hertl matched a Sharks franchise record tying Owen Nolan with his four goal outburst. That gives him six so far. Not a bad way to start for the rookie.

From a Ranger perspective, it was a night to forget. They didn’t have it following a solid 3-1 win over the Kings. It started out promising thanks to Brad Richards’ power play goal. After Brad Stuart was in the sin bin for an elbow on Rick Nash that injured him, San Jose was called for a bench minor handing the Rangers a two-man advantage. Richards finished off his third in two nights. A welcome sign. It also came on a 5 on 3. If only they could’ve frozen the game right there. 😛

Unfortunately, the Ranger power play returned to who they are giving up a shorthanded goal to Marc-Edouard Vlasic. Dan Boyle followed suit when his point shot beat Henrik Lundqvist thru a screen. They could’ve been down more but the Rangers snuck out of the first period trailing by one.

With the Sharks coming at them in swarms, they self destructed allowing three goals in 1:23. Consecutive tallies from Matt Nieto and Hertl chased Lundqvist. It got no better for Marty Biron with Logan Couture taking full advantage of a weird carom to make it 5-1. Before the second was done, Hertl notched his second from Joe Thornton. The Sharks outscored the Rangers 4-0 and outshot them 23-8.

Of all people, Derek Dorsett beat Antti Niemi on a mini break finishing it off with a nice backhand deke. It was his first as a Ranger. However, the celebration was short lived. Upset with Stuart for his cheap shot on Nash, Brian Boyle went after him and got an extra for unsportsmanlike conduct. It didn’t take long for Hertl to complete the hat trick getting to a loose puck in front slamming it past Biron. He was left all alone by Ryan McDonagh and Dan Girardi. They were brutal as was the entire D.

Hertl wasn’t done. He took a Jason Demers feed at center and blew past Mike Del Zotto for a highlight reel goal that’ll make the highlight reel. In a word, remarkable. Hertl shot between his legs beating Biron for his fourth. Awe inspiring stuff from a really skilled young player. I’m still shaking my head. How he was allowed to pull that off is stupefying. Chalk it up to a brutal game from our team. Justin Braun concluded the scoring with another power play goal. He too was left unguarded by our top penalty killers. What were they doing out so late? It was 8-2. Never mind.

”The Sharks were on top of their game,” Alain Vigneault said. ”It’s tough to understand, at this point, how we can play so well last night and play this way tonight. My favorite response from Vigneault was when some foolish reporter asked what he thought of Hertl’s game. In his best Tort impression, he coldly said, “He had a good game,” and stared into space.

A defiant Ryan Callahan told John Giannone there were no excuses. “We got embarrassed tonight. We have to realize that and respond. The effort has to be there and get better.”

There’s really nothing else to say. That’s why he’s the captain. The entire team stunk. It’s nice to see Richards scoring. Nash didn’t sound too optimistic.

”It just didn’t feel right,” Nash said also indicating that he had a headache. ”I could feel it. Any time you get a head shot you’re concerned. It’s not a good feeling.”

Assuming he doesn’t suit up Thursday at Anaheim, does Jesper Fast get back in? The Rangers will heed on the side of caution with Nash. It doesn’t sound good.

Rick Nash celebrates Brad Richards’ goal with Derek Stepan.
AP Photo/Gus Ruelas

Ryan Callahan returned and so did the Rangers. After three days off, they returned for Game 2 of 82 at Staples Center. Led by their emotional captain, the Rangers gave new coach Alain Vigneault a victory by crowning the Kings 3-1.

On the game’s opening shift, Callahan delivered a big hit on LA defenseman Robyn Regehr. Playing throughout with Brian Boyle and Taylor Pyatt, Captain Cally provided a lift. His teammates followed suit with the kind of yeoman effort Garden Faithful have grown accustomed to. They went toe to toe with one of the league’s toughest teams and prevailed.

The Rangers won because their best players showed up. The top line of Brad Richards, Derek Stepan and Rick Nash dominated. Not coincidentally, they scored the team’s first two goals at even strength. Richards scored twice. Nash had two assists and Stepan helped set up Richards’ first. The trio had a great night combining for five points, nine shots and a plus-four. It was the kind of inspired effort Vigneault wants to see daily. Most encouraging was the play of Nash, who led the Rangers with six shots. He was hard on the puck and easily could’ve popped a couple. Nice to see him give max effort.

Richards just looks much better. He is faster and playing more confidently. He’s skating and creating. Oh. And Vigneault had him play center and take some draws. He responded by going 6 and 2. Stepan went 6 for 11. If I was skeptical of having two of our top three centers on the same line, I’m not anymore. The trio worked well together. Who knows? Maybe AV knew.

In their home opener, the Kings came out aggressive. Playing their physical style, they generated some good chances early forcing Henrik Lundqvist to be at his best. He was up to the challenge. Especially against top shooter Jeff Carter (6 SOG). The ex-Flyer along with Mike Richards were LA’s best two players. They were dangerous throughout. Remarkably, the Rangers were able to keep Anze Kopitar quiet. Credit Ryan McDonagh and Dan Girardi. The shutdown tandem blocked five of the Rangers’ 16 shots. Unlike the season opening loss, they saw more shifts than Marc Staal or Mike Del Zotto probably because Vigneault runs a different bench. Anton Stralman had a shade under 16 minutes while John Moore played 11:49. Like Tort, AV leaned heavily on his top four. The best asset he has.

Richards’ first came thanks to some Stepan hustle. A back check forced a turnover leading to a two on one with a sliding Jonathan Quick denying Nash. However, Richards pounced on the rebound to put the Rangers in front 1-0. He increased the lead to two thanks to some luck. In on an odd man break, Richards centering pass deflected off a King skate past Quick for goal number 2.

But before they could breathe, Joe Micheletti jinxed it. Noting how well the Rangers were playing defensively, Girardi turned the puck over to Mike Richards who set up Jake Muzzin for his first. Like clockwork. No wonder everyone hates Micheletti. Next time, shut up.

The game remained 2-1 entering the third. What happened next is probably one of the most bizarre plays in hockey. With Benoit Pouliot off for tripping, Boyle won a defensive draw to McDonagh. McDonagh cleared the puck down the ice. With Quick out to play the puck off a carom, he inadvertently allowed the puck to trickle off his pads right into the net. Stunned amazement from Sam Rosen and everyone else. An emotional Quick buried his head against the net. The odd McDonagh shorthanded goal quieted the arena. It really was weird eerily reminding of Martin Brodeur against Anaheim in ’03. To Quick’s credit, he responded to playful cheers by waving to the crowd after making a save. I loved it.

On this night, Lundqvist was better making 28 saves including 14 in a busy third. Hank was razor sharp. Aside from the two oddities, Quick was good too. But that goal he gave up is going to make the blooper reels. It happens. Even to a former Conn Smythe winner who’s a top five goalie.

HARD HITS

–Mats Zuccarello had himself a game. He might not have hit the score sheet. But it wasn’t from lack of effort. Zucc always hustles. He’s relentless. He forechecks vigorously and hustles back. He’s a much more complete player. He played with Derick Brassard and Pouliot, who was thwarted.

-In his season debut, Arron Asham was strong winning a scrap over Kyle Clifford. The rugged forward looked hungry when he was out for 14 shifts (9:41). He played on the fourth line with Dominic Moore and Derek Dorsett, who saw some PK time.

-I really liked Boyle’s game. He was strong on the puck forechecking effectively. He delivered five hits and registered four shots while going 8 and 7 on faceoffs. Boyle used his size well.

-Overall, the Rangers were 32 for 57 on faceoffs. Moore went 8 and 5 with only Brassard (4 for 10) losing more.

-Kings out-hit the Rangers 40-28. Dwight King had six with Matt Greene adding five.

-Rangers were 0 for 3 on the power play. It really was scary with them not generating much while forcing Lundqvist to stop the Kings shorthanded. He got lucky with a shot from Trevor Lewis hitting the post. The penalty kill got the job done killing both LA power plays with ease.

-Rookie Jesper Fast was a healthy scratch. My guess is he’ll go back down to Hartford by the weekend. No sense wasting him.

The news of Ryan Callahan’s impending return Monday against the Kings isn’t earth shattering. Unless you were living in a cave, the Ranger captain was going to be back for the second game of the season. He’s the emotional leader who lays it all on the line. They certainly can use more edge following a 4-1 loss to the Coyotes.

With Carl Hagelin (LTIR) out for at least the next nine games, the organization didn’t have to clear room. That didn’t matter. After only one game, J.T. Miller was sent down to Hartford. It’s a curious move. After Marc Staal, it was the 20-year old forward was the team’s second best player during preseason. In the season opener, he took 16 shifts registering a shot and taking a minor penalty in 11:58. While it’s true he wasn’t noticeable, why did Alain Vigneault emphasize giving kids a look during camp? What’s the point if Miller was only getting one game.

I understand the concept of wanting him to get more ice-time. The Wolf Pack begin their season tonight against Norfolk and Albany tomorrow. That’s back to backs for Miller to play in and continue to develop. There’s nothing wrong with it. I just don’t understand why Vigneault lied. He made it sound like the Rangers younger players would have a chance to play. Instead, it’s more of the same from an organization that seems content going with vets. Jesper Fast also had a good camp earning a spot. How was he rewarded? By taking 13 shifts (10:13) on the fourth line. Meanwhile, Vigneault favorite Taylor Pyatt got 21 shifts (15:14) including over two minutes of penalty kill. I can’t recall John Tortorella using him that much on the PK. Derek Stepan didn’t get one shift shorthanded. Maybe it was because it was his first game.

To be blunt, Pyatt didn’t deserve to play over Arron Asham. Asham is hardly a fan favorite but was noticeable during exhibition meshing well with Miller on an energy line. Even if I didn’t like the signing last year, he should get another opportunity. Don’t forget he left a good impression last Spring scoring twice to match his entire regular season output. Even if Vigneault likes Pyatt due to coaching him before in Vancouver, it’s mind boggling. Because Glen Sather gave him two years and is paying him $1.55 million, he stays. How much net presence is Pyatt going to give them?

By fielding essentially the same roster as last year, the Rangers don’t have much team speed. If Vigneault is going to continue the Brad Richards left wing experiment, that leaves Brian Boyle and Dominic Moore as their bottom two centers. The team’s best strength is down the middle. However, it could be much better if Richards shifts back to center allowing Vigneault to have a top three of Stepan, Derick Brassard and Richards. It’s never bad to have Boyle shift to the left side on a checking line with Moore. Each can win face- offs.

The biggest difference is the Rangers boast more organizational depth. With Marek Hrivik, Chris Kreider, Danny Kristo, Oscar Lindberg and Miller all in Hartford, it gives them more options if some vets struggle. Besides, they possess more speed and skill which Vigneault has preached. For now, it’s a bit stale until Hagelin returns. Callahan’s addition will provide a lift. Nobody plays with more passion. As long as he isn’t being rushed back, he should benefit from a more attacking style. Don’t forget he is the team’s best power play weapon. With a more creative look, Captain Cally should be a lock for double digit power play goals.

Regardless, a long road trip continues. It’s all about survival.