Devils’ latest home-ice embarrassment brings their organizational ills to light

Posted on February 23, 2024 by hasan4978

If you want to know what it’s like to simultaneously want to rant about your team and just don’t really give a fig anymore, try being a Devils fan this year. With expectations high after a franchise-best total of wins last year and a memorable first-round win over the Rangers followed by an offseason of re-signing key forwards Jesper Bratt and Timo Meier, it seemed as if all the pieces were in place for another run at least into mid-Spring hockey if not further. With the Devils sitting seven points out of the last automatic division playoff spot and five points behind Tampa for the final wild card, time is running out for this team to even start to come close to living up to expectations.

Every time I think the Devils are finished, the pack comes back to them and they fluke their way to a couple of wins – a la the post-All Star break mini-surge. And every time I think we’re at least on the path back to relevance they crash into a wall, like the Kings loss last week after said surge, or the simultaneous body blows of losing to the Caps and Rangers this week after their outdoor series win on Saturday. It almost seems like that game was our Stanley Cup for this year, given how the team’s responded before and after the Flyers game.

Even with how angry this team has made me this season, you can’t fault them for losing to the Rangers last night in a vacuum. They do look like the best team in the league at this point, and last night’s game definitely had a 2015 feel to it where they were on top of the world and we looked like a bunch of bums. They aren’t going to ultimately miss the playoffs because of losing to the Rangers, they’ll miss because of all of the garbage teams and mediocrity they’ve lost to this season, particularly at home. Among others, we’ve single-handedly kept an aged Caps team in the playoff hunt with no fewer than three losses to them this season, including two at home. Just winning two of those games would have us squarely on the bubble while the Caps would have been more or less eliminated by now, nearly ten points back.

As big of an embarrassment as the Devils have been on-ice this season, recapping the last two games and the hideous power play last night aren’t worth my time, especially since they’ve become a bigger one off-ice, which is really the source of my angst at this point. It’s one thing to be underperforming and have an off year, quite another to have zero accountability from top to bottom in this organization and I’ll start at the top, or at least as top-down as hockey operations gets – GM Tom Fitzgerald, which is quite frankly where it needs to start. I know some will say it should start with the owners, but these owners strike me as pretty hands-off when it comes to judging results and probably hands-on in other picayune and annoying ways, but I’m not there and don’t work with them so that part is just conjecture.

What is not conjecture is Fitz’s cowardly behavior this season, first of all not publicly facing the music himself for an underperforming team on the ice, or for the shame of employing two of the five people charged in the 2018 Hockey Canada scandal. After a 2022-23 regular season and off season where Fitz couldn’t find enough podcasts to go on and take all the back patting for the Devils’ turnaround, the silence has been deafening this year. Other than one lousy half-hour press conference announcing his own extension, conveniently timed less than twenty-four hours before the Hockey Canada fallout came to light. Even with the outdoor game, it was franchise legend Martin Brodeur who was the public pointman and not Fitz, almost as if he was using Marty as a human shield to avoid coming out of the bunker.

Not only does Fitz fail to stand up and be accountable himself, but he refuses to hold anyone else accountable for this season. I’m not even sure he buys that anything is wrong, to be honest. Apart from ‘injuries and goaltending’ at least, which yes is A factor but hardly the only factor. Not when you continually underperform against bad teams and get off to hideous early starts game after game. Not when your power play has been allowed to rot at a league-worst pace for the last two months without any real change to the personnel or structure with last night’s embarrassment of not even getting a good chance on a five-minute major early in the contest a perfect prism for how sorry this power play is. Not when people like Luke Hughes make mistake after mistake without so much as sitting a shift (with last night being the nadir of a poor last several weeks for the younger Hughes), while god forbid Alex Holtz doesn’t have a tape-to-tape pass he gets thrown back in the doghouse.

God forbid he should ever hold the coaches accountable for the team underperforming much less any players, this was once an organization where coaches of first-place teams would get canned because the team still wasn’t living up to high standards. Now it’s find every excuse under the sun to avoid throwing anyone under the bus, and blame the media the rare time where they actually dare to level any criticism at the organization. Specifically our so-called head coach Lindy Ruff, who attributed our poor power play recently to an unlikely source.

Oh you mean the NEW JERSEY media, who basically isn’t even allowed to ask questions in a critical way? That media?! If you don’t believe me, ask NJ.com beat guy Ryan Novozinsky, who got clapped back at by the coach twice in two seasons basically for the sin of asking why a certain player’s icetime was low in a given game (last season Jesper Bratt, this season Holtz) and got frozen out of even being able to ask a question last night. If Lindy thinks Novo and the NJ media is so bad, I’d love to see him try to coach in Toronto or Montreal where he and Fitz wouldn’t be able to get away with hunkering down and giving zero figs about answering to anyone. Not to mention our local broadcast team who’s always veered on the blind homer side but even a guy like Bryce Salvador seems to have been leaned on after an earlier-season rant about the team needing to have more passion – now he’s just as much of a company man as Dano and everyone else is. Even last year when I wanted Lindy fired, I always had respect for him as a person but I’ve lost a lot of that this year, he’s become just as defiant and whiny as anyone else without any of the right answers all year long when he hasn’t even been asked the tough questions for most of it.

My beef with the off-ice personnel doesn’t even end with Lindy, Fitz or the rest of our lousy coaching staff though. You would like to think a team that spends up to the cap and where money’s no object with these owners – at the very least that they would also have the best medical personnel money could buy. Instead, our crack medical staff continually okays injured players to come back in the game after they’ve had their bell rung, and they wind up leaving later the same night with Nathan Bastian being the latest example yesterday. He gets taken out by a predatory hit to the head, then is allowed to go back on the ice in the second period only to get taken out for good after another hit up high. It’s one thing when this happens to a fourth liner, but it’s also happened to both our franchise centers this year as well. The one with Nico Hischer against the Sabres early in the season was particularly galling since it led to a much longer stay on IR, before the whole ‘needing to win every game’ mindset should have even been a thought.

So let’s see, there’s no accountability for the GM, for the coaches or for the medical team. Now let’s get to the players, where there’s selective accountability on a good night, and none at all most other nights. My annoyance with this coach’s singling out of Holtz time and again is well documented at this point, I’m tired of urinating into the wind. Holtz in himself is small potatoes anyway, compared to the larger issue of the amount of mistakes and dead efforts from the rest of the roster. Where are the bag skates and benchings?! I’d love to see Jacques Lemaire get a month with this group, they’d get a reality check very quickly. Our collective arrogance as an organization in the wake of last year has manifested itself into a ‘we’ll give effort when we need to’ mindset, which is absolutely the wrong one to have.

Part of me attributes the lack of consequences for Luke specifically screwing up time and again the last several weeks to the fact he’s Jack’s brother, and Jack publicly standing up for Lindy is a big reason he kept his job two years ago. The Hugheses cannot be allowed to run the team though, especially when neither is playing well to begin with. Luke may have crashed into the rookie wall weeks ago, but something also hasn’t been right with Jack since about mid-December. It’d be one thing if you could just attribute that to playing hurt and for the first time our so-called coach threw that out as an excuse last night, but that also doesn’t explain Jack losing his head against the Ducks and Kings getting into it with other players and the refs, or losing his mind at home against the Flyers in late December with two hideous game-losing turnovers.

Not that they’re the only ones, I could name several people by name that I think have coasted this year starting with our ‘glue guy role player’ Dawson Mercer, who went from a 27 goal, 56 point +22 season last year to a meager 26 points and -17 in 56 games so far this year. He’s gone from a guy you had to long-term extend to one you clearly should bridge. Speaking of a guy that we might have been better off seeing more from before extending, where in the world of Carmen Sandiego is Timo Meier? Yes, I know – he’s hurt, playing his off wing, Lindy doesn’t like him – at some point the player needs to produce too. Ten goals and a -25 in 43 games just isn’t good enough for our highest paid forward. Is Ondrej Palat alive this year? 8 goals and 22 points in 46 games just isn’t good enough (neither is the lack of leadership which was supposed to be his calling card), and that’s before I even touch the regression from ‘key’ members of the defense like John Marino and Jonas Siegenthaler pre-injury.

Yes we know the goalies suck, despite Nico Daws’ heroic two weeks stretch where predictably our brilliant head coach overplayed him until he ran out of gas and now he’s been capsized just like he was two years ago, with this same staff. With Akira Schmid struggling in Utica, our options for this weekend are either a fried rookie, a raw rookie in recently signed Isaac Poulter or a possibly returning at less than 100% Vitek Vanecek, who was the worst goalie in the league this year AT 100%. Every single goalie on our roster the last few years struggling and regressing goes back to coaching once again, so does continually putting guys out of their best position like Timo at LW or Jack at wing. There’s plenty of anger to go around for everyone though.

As such I likely won’t be writing for a while, I need a mental health break from the Devils right now (and really in general, but there’s less options for getting a health break from a stressful new job at my old company where the new owner is quite honestly even more dense – and certainly more of a whip-cracker – than the people running the Devils). Last night I snapped and left after the first period, which isn’t usually something I’d entertain but given just how awful the events of the first period were and how pathetic the team has been for most of the year I knew how the script would turn out, and I didn’t want to do or say something I’d regret the rest of the night when I was already on my last nerve, a la Billy Crystal as a ref in Forget Paris during the scene where he snaps, ejecting everyone and their grandmother from the arena.

I was supposed to go to tomorrow’s game but took a punt and sold my ticket a couple hours ago, after I’d already sold Sunday’s game weeks ago expecting to go twice in three days this week before what could be a last-straw game against the Lightning. Might as well take advantage of the market prices as long as possible before ticket prices you would think crater post-deadline (my next home game is now March 5, three days before a trade deadline that should veer more toward being a seller than anyone would have ever predicted before the season). I’m not sure how much things will improve by then either for the team or myself off the ice, but at least with the Devils their course should be known by then one way or the other. If it’s being a seller like I’m starting to expect at this point, the good news is the pressure will be off the games by then and I’ll just go to watch my last several games and see my arena friends as much as possible before a long summer. If this team still has an illusory chance at the playoffs, maybe I’ll be able to sell a couple more games at a decent price and extend my leave.

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Brodzinski earned a well-deserved new contract with Rangers

Posted on February 22, 2024 by Derek

For Rangers center Jonny Brodzinski, it took a while to establish himself as a regular in the NHL. The 30-year-old veteran has been part of the organization for four years.

On Wednesday, he was rewarded by the Rangers with a well-deserved two-year, $1.575 million contract extension that’ll take him through 2025-26. It’s a one-way deal.

A former Kings 2013 fifth round pick who totaled 54 games over parts of three seasons (2016-17 thru 2018-19), most of his success came in the American Hockey League (AHL).

While with the Sharks, he played in three games. Brodzinski fared well for the San Jose Barracuda by tallying 14 goals with 16 assists for 30 points in 44 games during 2019-20.

When he signed with the Rangers, it was mostly as a depth forward who could help provide experience for the Hartford Wolf Pack. Since 2020-21, Brodzinski has totaled 56 goals and 73 assists for 129 points in 113 games for the Pack. He’s certainly been a good addition, helping prospects such as Will Cuylle and Brennan Othmann develop in the AHL.

He’s also filled in admirably when he’s been called up by the Rangers. After getting into 44 combined games over the last three seasons, Brodzinski has been a mainstay on the roster since December. In 37 games, he has four goals and 11 assists for 15 points this season.

He’s had recent success while centering the third line with Cuylle and Kaapo Kakko. A line Rangers coach Peter Laviolette put together before the All-Star break, they’ve become a cohesive unit that can forecheck effectively against opponents.

Since Jan. 27 when he posted a goal and an assist versus the Senators, Brodzinski has three goals and two assists for five points over the last eight games.

During that same stretch, Cuylle has two goals and three assists for five points. Kakko has three goals and three assists for six points, including a five-game point streak entering Thursday night.

By retaining Brodzinski, the Rangers have recognized his contributions to the lineup. His teammates were very happy for him yesterday at practice.

It’s a good thing for a hard-working player who’s persevered. He never gave up.

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Shesterkin lifts the Rangers past the Stars

Posted on February 20, 2024 by Derek

For one night, Igor Shesterkin turned back the clock. The former Vezina winner channeled his 2021-22 form when he carried the Rangers to within two victories of playing for the Stanley Cup.

In an outstanding performance from start to finish, Shesterkin made 41 saves to lift the Rangers to a 3-1 win over the Stars at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday night. It improved the Rangers to a perfect 7-0 in February. Backdating to Jan. 27, they’ve won a season high eight games in a row.

By continuing their winning ways, they lead the Metropolitan Division by six points over the Hurricanes. The Rangers have 26 games remaining on the schedule. The Canes have 27 left. There’s one regular season meeting left between the teams on Mar. 12 in Raleigh.

For a while, it’s been a two horse race for first place in the division. If they can continue to get the kind of goaltending Shesterkin supplied tonight, give the edge to the Blueshirts. This was the same quality he provided in the second round to eliminate the Hurricanes two years ago.

Shesterkin Delivers In Clutch

Throughout the game, Shesterkin delivered in the clutch. He came up with several big saves to rev up the home crowd who saluted him with trademark, “Ig-or, Ig-or” chants.

The 28-year-old starting goalie had the glove working against one of the league’s best teams. The Stars entered play, leading the Central Division over the Avalanche and Jets. They were looking to rebound from consecutive 4-3 losses to the Oilers and Bruins in extras. They put forth a good effort by outshooting the Rangers 42-25.

Ultimately, Shesterkin was the difference between winning and losing. In what was his best game of the season, he stopped the offensive-minded Stars in their tracks. None were better than his acrobatic save to deny Tyler Seguin of tying the game with 4:18 remaining in the third period. It was pretty clutch.

After Stars defenseman Miro Heiskanen got a tricky shot on Shesterkin that he kicked out, he was on his back when he stuck out his blocker to prevent Seguin from tying it late in regulation. It was a desperation save. Afterward, Shesterkin admitted that he got a little lucky.

That concentration was supreme. It was one of 17 saves he made during a Stars’ third period onslaught. They tested him often. He wouldn’t budge. His consistency was the biggest key to the Rangers coming out with the victory. It was his fourth straight win. However, unlike giving up five goals on 41 shots to the Islanders in a wild comeback win at the Stadium Series this past Sunday, Feb. 18, this was vintage Shesterkin.

He stopped 31 of 31 shots at even strength to match his jersey number. He also stopped 10 of 11 shots while shorthanded. The only one that beat him was a wide open Heiskanen tally on a Jamie Benn pass with Shesterkin out of the play in the second period.

The Stars’ best shooters couldn’t solve him. Wyatt Johnston certainly created some dangerous chances. But Shesterkin made the key saves to keep him off the scoreboard. Benn and Seguin had their opportunities. They were shut down. Mason Marchment tried to go high glove following a Braden Schneider turnover. Shesterkin didn’t bite.

It was a brilliant game. Hopefully, it’s one that Shesterkin can build upon. He’ll see Jack Hughes and the Devils next on Thursday night at The Prudential Center. You know he’ll be geared up. Especially with the Devils desperate for points.

Fox Gives Rangers the Lead

In what can best be described as a wide open first period that saw both Shesterkin and Scott Wedgewood come up with good saves, it was the Rangers who grabbed the lead thanks to Adam Fox.

On a scramble behind the net, Artemi Panarin retrieved a loose puck and then came out and found an open Fox for his ninth goal of the season with 12:14 remaining in the period.

The warrior-like Ryan Lindgren picked up a secondary assist. After needing 10 stitches to repair a cut stemming from taking an accidental follow-through to the face in Sunday’s win over the Islanders, Lindgren suited up by wearing the full face mask helmet. That’s who he is.

Despite the Stars holding a 10-6 edge in shots, they were unable to beat a sharp Shesterkin. He was in a zone early.

Kakko Stays Hot

During an action-packed second period that saw both sides trade chances at each end to combine for 29 shots (15-14 Stars), only two goals were scored. The first came from the suddenly hot Kaapo Kakko.

Following a Vincent Trocheck tripping minor in the offensive zone that ended a power play, the Stars and Rangers skated four aside. During it, both Erik Gustafsson and K’Andre Miller kept the puck alive in the Stars zone. Taking a Gustafsson feed, Kakko surprised Wedgewood by firing a wrist shot high blocker to the short side to put the Rangers up 2-0 with 11:37 left in the period.

The goal extended Kakko’s point streak to five straight, matching a career high set back in 2021. Dating back to Jan. 26, he has four goals and three assists for seven points over his last nine games. Even with his name still mentioned in trade rumors, Kakko’s picked up his game. His hard work earned him a promotion from Rangers coach Peter Laviolette. He moved him up to the top line and sent Jimmy Vesey down to the third line. A well-deserved reward for Kakko.

The 2-0 lead was short-lived. On the Stars power play, they struck less than a minute later to make it a one-goal game. Benn got to a Joe Pavelski rebound in front and redirected a pass right to Heiskanen for an easy goal with Shesterkin out of the play.

The score would remain the same headed to the third period.

Igor’s Time to Shine

The third period was all about one player. Shesterkin. It was Igor’s time to shine.

The Stars controlled most of the play. They gained the Rangers zone without much resistance. Despite plenty of puck possession and an abundance of scoring chances, they were blanketed by Shesterkin. He wasn’t having it.

There were strong denials on Seguin and Benn early in the period. He stopped Johnston on a dangerous opportunity. Johnston was the best Star in the game. He dominated most shifts with his speed and skill. However, he couldn’t beat Shesterkin.

Then came the two highway robberies on Seguin. After he had a shot in front stopped, Seguin thought he had the tying goal only to watch in disbelief. A diving Shesterkin reached out with his blocker to make the save of the game with 4:20 left.

Eventually, the Stars lifted Wedgewood for an extra attacker with over two minutes remaining. Following a timeout, Chris Kreider and Mika Zibanejad made key defensive plays to get the puck out to Trocheck, who hit the open net with 1:41 to go.

For good measure, Shesterkin made four more saves, including a trio on Jason Robertson. It was his night. He shined bright under the spotlight in the Big Apple tonight.

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Late Comeback gives Rangers an exciting overtime win over Islanders to take Stadium Series

Posted on February 18, 2024 by Derek

When the NHL rolled out the welcoming mat at Met Life Stadium for the 2024 Stadium Series, they got exactly what they wanted in the second game of a big weekend.

After the Devils took care of the Flyers on Saturday night, this afternoon was all about the historic rivalry between the Rangers and Islanders.

For over 50 years, the blood rivals have battled for supremacy in New York City. Prior to the start of the game, hockey legends Mark Messier and Bryan Trottier came out hand in hand to drop the ceremonial first puck at center ice before over 79,000 excited fans who braved ice cold temperatures to witness the marquee event.

Introduced by Jets and Giants players, the Rangers and Islanders came out to the ice at The Meadowlands. A football field was successfully turned into a hockey rink by dedicated workers who deserve plenty of recognition. They’re the biggest reason the event was a rousing success.

Before they made their entrance with NYPD police officers in a fitting tribute, the Rangers were visited by guest speakers Messier and Stanley Cup winning coach Mike Keenan in the locker room. Keenan and Messier gave excellent speeches about what it means to represent the city and be successful.

The best part was when NYPD police captain Conor McDonald and Mom Patti Ann introduced the starting lineup. It was enough to give you chills. The Steven McDonald Award is given annually to the New York Rangers player who goes above and beyond the call of duty.

Former NYPD patrolman Steven McDonald remains an important part of the Rangers organization. After being paralyzed from the neck down on July 12, 1986, he battled for over 30 years as a quadriplegic in a wheelchair who forgave his attacker. He passed away in 2017. His spirit lives on through wife Patti Ann and son Conor. The Rangers have given out the prestigious award near the conclusion of every season since 1987-88.

The Rangers couldn’t have picked anyone better to handle the pregame festivities. If you watched the video above, you’ll appreciate how excited the players were during the intro of the starting lineup. They were energized.

Promising Start Turns Ugly

Once the puck was dropped, the Rangers got off to a promising start, thanks to some hard work from the third line. After taking the puck from Jonny Brodzinski, Kaapo Kakko made a good cross ice pass to an open Erik Gustafsson for an open shot that snuck through Islanders goalie Ilya Sorokin with Will Cuylle screening in front. The goal came less than 90 seconds into the contest.

Only a second later, Rangers rookie forward Matt Rempe, who made his NHL debut, squared off with Islanders enforcer Matt Martin at center ice. Rempe got off some good shots early. He used his size to his advantage over the smaller Martin, who came on late before both went off for fighting majors. It was a spirited bout that pumped up the crowd.

Despite Rempe impressing his new teammates with the fight, it was the Islanders who grabbed the momentum. Brock Nelson got free from Ryan Lindgren in the slot to tie the score less than three minutes later. Scott Mayfield set up the goal with a good feed that Nelson buried past Igor Shesterkin for his 23rd goal of the season.

It didn’t get any better for the Rangers. After Mayfield was escorted off for boarding Barclay Goodrow from behind, Alexis Lafreniere negated the power play by taking down Casey Cizikas to lead to a four-on-four. On the next shift, Bo Horvat took a Noah Dobson feed and got behind K’Andre Miller. He then beat Shesterkin from distance to the blocker to give the Islanders a 2-1 lead.

Almost immediately, the Islanders cashed in on a power play when Dobson and Nelson combined to set up Mat Barzal for a power-play goal that suddenly made it 3-1. The goal came only 16 seconds after Horvat’s.

At that point, Rangers coach Peter Laviolette had seen enough. He took a timeout to try to regroup his team. Although they picked it up a little bit, they didn’t get enough shots on Sorokin. The Islanders controlled most of the play by outshooting the Rangers 18-7. Shesterkin made a few key saves to keep them down two at the end of the period.

Trocheck Sparks Better Second Period

Initially, the second period didn’t start well. An ill-advised Chris Kreider hooking minor behind the Islanders’ net put the Rangers in a three-goal hole quickly. Over a minute into the frame, Pierre Engvall had his shot tipped in by Islanders captain Anders Lee to put them up 4-1.

However, it would also be Lee who took a slashing minor on Mika Zibanejad that gave the Rangers some life. Facing the league’s worst ranked penalty kill, they took advantage. Adam Fox passed across for an Artemi Panarin one-timer that Vincent Trocheck redirected past Sorokin to give the Rangers a much needed power-play goal. That cut the deficit to two with still over 14 minutes left in the period.

The game remained 4-2 for a while. Both sides generated scoring chances. However, the goalies were good. In particular, Shesterkin improved his play. He came up with several big saves to give the Rangers a chance at the comeback. He stopped 16 of 17 shots in the period.

With the Rangers still trailing by two late in the period, a strong shift from Lafreniere led to Trocheck’s second goal of the game. Following a Ryan Lindgren shot, an aggressive Lafreniere kept the play alive. The puck came to Trocheck, who was able to bat it out of midair over the goal line to cut the deficit to 4-3 with 1:36 left.

Lindgren Goes Down on Romanov Goal

At the start of the third period, an unfortunate turn of events led to the Rangers falling back behind the Islanders by two. Defenseman Ryan Lindgren went down on a follow-through in the corner. A Dobson shot came right to Alexander Romanov for an easy goal that put them ahead 5-3 with over 18 minutes remaining.

Lindgren was escorted off the ice to the Rangers locker room. He didn’t return. Afterward, Laviolette didn’t provide any update. It won’t be known if Lindgren will miss any time. The Rangers host the Stars on Tuesday night at Madison Square Garden. They then visit the Devils this Thursday.

Furious rally forces overtime

Following the Romanov tally, it was the Rangers who raised their level. They carried most of the play with their forecheck. For a while, it didn’t look like they’d get rewarded. However, they benefitted from some undisciplined Islanders’ penalties. A furious rally forced overtime.

With Trocheck and Romanov off for matching roughing minors, Barzal hooked down Miller to give the Rangers a power play. On it, Trocheck returned from the penalty box. He fed Panarin up top for a wrist shot that Kreider tipped in for his fourth goal over the last two games. His 28th of the season came with 4:08 remaining in regulation. That made it a one-goal game.

Another Mayfield penalty this time for tripping Lafreniere proved costly for the Islanders. With 2:28 left, the Rangers lifted Shesterkin for an extra attacker. They had a six-on-four advantage. The big risk was that the Islanders could shoot for the empty net without having to worry about icing. Fortunately, they missed on their one attempt.

Finally, the Rangers got set up on the power play. Lafreniere came out with the puck and passed it to Fox, who quickly dished it across for a Zibanejad one-timer that tied the score with 1:29 left in regulation.

Suddenly, the game required overtime. It wouldn’t last long.

Panarin Wins It

On what can best be described as a gift, Dobson lost the puck in front of his own net. That allowed Panarin to steal the puck. With Dobson falling into the Islanders’ net to knock off it off, Panarin took a shot that deflected off both Dobson and Sorokin. The puck went over the goal line only 10 seconds into overtime.

The question was whether it counted. Initially, the refs waived it off. However, Panarin’s shot was the continuation of the play and went off two Islanders. According to the rules, the goal counts in that instance.

Following a video review in Toronto, they correctly ruled that Panarin had a good goal. He was awarded the overtime winner to give the Rangers an unbelievable 6-5 win in overtime.

The victory was their seventh in a row. It also marked the first time Laviolette won an outdoor game. Previously, he was 0-3-1. It was either the Rangers’ perfect record in outdoor games or Laviolette’s winless record on Sunday. Something had to give. It wasn’t pretty. But they got the win for their coach to improve to 5-0 in outdoor games.

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Devils’ roller-coaster season back on the upswing after a big stadium series win over the Flyers

Posted on February 18, 2024 by hasan4978

For one memorable night outdoors at least, the magic from the Devils’ 2022-23 season was back. In what was certainly a must-win game for the Devils’ chances to stay in the hunt for a top three finish in the division (and a critical game in the wild-card hunt), the Devils stayed two steps ahead of the Flyers for most of the night in a 6-3 win. Certainly, our player of the game was a Devil named Nico with European background…which one though? While the captain set the tone with a breakaway goal on the first shift of the game and would go on to add another goal and an assist for a dominant three-point night, Daws was the backbone in goal making 45 saves – including keeping the Devils’ advantage during the second period when the Flyers outshot New Jersey 20-4 in the first eleven minutes and had gotten to within 2-1 after Tyler Toffoli had doubled the Devils’ early lead in the first period.

Daws’ performance was doubly impressive considering it was his fourth game in six nights, thanks in part due to the mysterious lower-body injury suffered by Vitek Vanecek either during or just after the All-Star break. With Akira Schmid’s poor form this season continuing in Utica it was Daws thrust into the spotlight for all four games this week and he sent a message to GM Tom Fitzgerald loud and clear…go trade for something else, I got this.

If anyone last April had suggested that Daws was the true goalie of the future in the organization moments after Schmid dominated the Rangers in the Devils’ first-round playoff series, they would have been committed. Especially with Daws coming off acetabular labrum surgery last offseason that kept him out of anyone’s net until December when he made his return for Utica. Just two months later he completed a four-game stretch with 127 saves of 135 shots (a .941 save percentage) and led the Devils to three wins in their last four games, making a slice of history along the way last night.

It should have been four wins in four games if not for the Devils’ typically mediocre home form coming back to bite them again on Thursday night in a terrible loss to a bad Kings team that had just gotten pumped 7-0 by Buffalo. Daws was one of the few on the team to show up for that game but even he could do nothing about the poor defense that led to the two goals against, or the lack of offense that resulted in one lousy goal. Maybe we should move back to the Meadowlands if we’re gonna continue to be this bad in Newark, hah. The homecoming aspect of playing back at the East Rutherford complex right by the shell of our old arena didn’t even occur to me until yesterday morning.

If I had any thoughts of going to the game last night, they were pretty much dashed by Thursday’s meltdown which ensured the Devils lost at home to all three horrible California teams this year, along with Montreal and Columbus among others. My newly-found – or rather returned – optimism after our mini-unbeaten streak which led me to give them standing applause before the Kings game turned back into angry booing by the end of it. Clearly I made the wrong choice skipping the Seattle game and going Thursday night, as evidently it was the wrong choice to go to the Yankee Stadium outdoor game instead of last night. How was I to know they’d have one ten years later that would be much better on the ice (and off-ice too with the production value of these stadium series games)?

Still, even if I was more inclined to go last night…the ‘8 PM’ (which was more like 8:20 or so) start time and long intermissions due to the performances led to an 11:10 finish. Great if you’re home and can get to bed right after, not so much so if you’re trying to get out of a stadium with 70,000 people and waiting for a NJ Transit train after the game just to get back to Secaucus, then from there getting back to South Orange before driving home the last twenty minutes. Even doing that after a win like last night would have been annoying and likely getting home closer to 1 AM, albeit on a weekend but still it wasn’t something I needed to do after a stressful week at work, heaven forbid last night was just another crappy Devil performance I’d really have been ready to punch things.

Pretty much the only advantage of the Yankee Stadium game ten years ago was it was in the afternoon. At least with this game in New Jersey the team was able to celebrate its New Jersey roots from everything between Jake Clemons of the E Street Band playing the national anthem on saxophone to the Devils’ embracing of the Sopranos theme on their way into the arena (while the Flyers in turn went with the only real choice in Rocky).

At least the Devils earned a slice of redemption for that embarrassing performance at Yankee Stadium ten years ago where they got blitzed in the second period to the tune of five straight goals in a 7-3 loss to the Rangers. While the two Nicoes were certainly the stars, a lot of supporting actors played important roles too. It’s hard to tell what would be more shocking in a vaccum – Nate Bastian having two goals in just over eleven minutes or Brendan Smith having a goal, an assist and a +4 last night but neither one was something you’d put anything more than a five-spot on (at most) in any kind of prop bet or whatever. Luke Hughes also surprisingly led the team in icetime with just over 25 minutes last night, then again we actually had a few power play chances in the game. You wouldn’t know it by our inefficiency on it…ESPN showed a damning stat where we were at like 30% on the PP in early January and first in the league, while since then we’re at 8% and 31st in the league. That’s one thing that’s going to have to improve if the Devils want to continue a playoff push.

And who would have thought we’d get six goals in a game without a peep from Jack (just one assist and five shots in 21:05 last night)? So long as he doesn’t allow himself to get frustrated like he did Thursday night or in other games this year – a la the 5-1 Ducks game where he spent more time complaining to the refs than playing – the goals should come again sooner or later. Ideally sooner cause while last night certainly helped the Devils’ playoff chances, they still sit five points behind the Flyers with two games in hand, and two points behind the Wings for the wild card spot. Not insurmountable by any stretch but the clock’s ticking and the rumors about Fitz making a big deal for Calgary’s Jacob Markstrom only intensified last week, hence my comment in the second paragraph. Sure, a better goalie than Vitek would be nice and a different vet to relieve the burden on Daws but at what cost? I guess that remains to be seen.

Well, at least last night’s game kept one of the two doors to the playoffs open because losing in regulation would have put us nine points back of Philly, which would have been…difficult at best to overcome. Now it’s a matter of finding more consistency – for all our talk about the system change, the last two games were pretty much same old Devils defensively this year, it’s just that Daws stepped up in both games and the offense did so last night. Hopefully last night’s game is finally THE one that the team uses as a springboard. If not now, when? Maybe the secret is to embrace the Jersey in us the way Nico did last night, evidently on and off the ice…

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Cuylle Becoming a Key Factor for Rangers

Posted on February 16, 2024 by Derek

The New York Rangers continued their hot start since returning from the All-Star break with a 7-4 victory over the Montreal Canadiens on Thursday night at Madison Square Garden. They improved to 5-0 in February, giving them six straight wins dating back to Jan. 27.

In a game that included Chris Kreider recording the sixth hat trick of his career, Will Cuylle had a goal and assisted on a Kaapo Kakko goal. The 22-year-old forward is continuing to show improvement in his rookie season.

A strong player around the net, he has become a key factor for the Rangers. In a 2-0 shutout over the Calgary Flames on Feb. 12, it was Cuylle who put in a rebound of a Kakko shot for the game-winner in a lowscoring contest. He did what he does best by going to the net for the only goal the Blueshirts needed this past Monday. Igor Shesterkin made 29 saves to earn his first shutout of the season.

Cuylle Helps Spark Turnaround

During the first part of last night’s game, the Rangers struggled to get going against the Canadiens. In a quiet first period that saw Blake Wheeler suffer a serious leg injury, they looked like their minds were elsewhere after seeing their teammate carried off the ice on a stretcher. It was understandable. Nobody ever likes to see a player get hurt.

Following a delay, the Canadiens grabbed the lead. Jake Evans was left alone in front to put in a Josh Anderson rebound past a helpless Jonathan Quick. The culprit was Adam Fox. He blew the coverage. Although he had a big game with four assists, his defense hasn’t been on par. That’s an area that must improve. Fox isn’t alone. The Rangers allowed the Canadiens to hang around in the third period due to inconsistent play defensively.

In the second period, it took a while for the Rangers to turn it around. Having struggled to beat Habs goalie Sam Montembeault, they finally flipped the script by scoring four times over a four minute and 10-second span.

Kreider started it by burying a Mika Zibanejad feed from the high slot to tie the game with 8:51 remaining in the second. Cuylle helped spark the turnaround by scoring for the second consecutive game. Over a minute later, he parked himself in front and redirected a Ryan Lindgren pass to make it 2-1. It was his 10th goal of the season.

Most of Cuylle’s goals have come while providing the grunt work. Listed at six-foot three, 210 pounds, the first-year player will do whatever it takes to provide some energy during shifts. He leads all rookies with 174 hits. He finishes checks and isn’t shy about getting in opponents’ faces when things get testy. His work ethic is one of his best qualities.

It isn’t a coincidence that Cuylle has been part of the Rangers’ resurgence. Since Peter Laviolette put Kakko on the third line with Jonny Brodzinski and Cuylle, it’s been their consistent play that’s helped improve the team’s scoring depth. Able to establish a forecheck by outworking opponents, they’ve done a good job at working below the dots. Their effectiveness has led to Laviolette giving them more shifts. They’ve rewarded the coach.

Zibanejad Scores Shorthanded

For Mika Zibanejad, 2024 hasn’t been good enough. He entered last night with only two goals since the New Year. In fact, it’s been two months since his last goal at five-on-five.

An important player to the team’s success, Zibanejad picked a good night to score a key goal. Following Cuylle’s tally, the Rangers were killing a Vincent Trocheck high-sticking minor penalty. While on the kill, Zibanejad drew a delayed call. With the extra attacker out, he took a Fox pass across and scored a shorthanded goal to give the Rangers a 3-1 lead with 5:17 left in the second.

It was an instance when he shot the puck. Something he hasn’t done enough of. Hopefully, that can be a confidence boost for the number one center. Zibanejad also added two assists to record a three-point game. That included a primary helper on Kreider’s third goal of the game to put the Blueshirts up 6-3 in a wide open third period.

Vesey a Possibility on First Line

With Wheeler down, it’ll be up to Laviolette to decide who should play on the first line. Zibanejad and Kreider have had their issues producing at even strength. Wheeler had improved his play recently. Unfortunately, it looks like his season is over. If it’s as bad as it looked, it could be the end of an outstanding career. Hopefully, it isn’t.

Laviolette mixed and matched following the injury. He tried Alexis Lafreniere and Jimmy Vesey on the top line. Vesey might be a good fit. He’s played with both Zibanejad and Kreider before. He plays a straightforward game and works diligently in the corners. If he’s moved up, the Rangers will look to Matt Rempe. He was recalled from the Hartford Wolf Pack this morning.

It’s doubtful that Laviolette would want to break up his best scoring line. Lafreniere has fit in nicely with Artemi Panarin and Trocheck. The chemistry they have makes it hard to split them up. With Kakko playing better since being put on the third line, Vesey makes the most sense to move up. He’s got 12 goals and is a good complementary player who goes to the dirty areas.

Youth Movement part of Philosophical Change

With Tyler Pitlick clearing waivers yesterday to be assigned to Hartford, it looks like the Rangers could have a new fourth line. Barclay Goodrow remains the center who doubles on the penalty kill. Adam Edstrom played in his third NHL game last night, receiving 15 shifts (10:05). He also played in the 2-0 win over Calgary.

The 23-year-old former 2019 sixth round pick adds size to the roster. He’s six-foot seven and 234 pounds. A solid skater, Edstrom looks like he’ll have a role on the checking line moving forward. With Rempe up to add even more physicality, the Rangers just became tougher.

The fact that they’ve let two veterans go and given opportunities to younger players shows a philosophical change in the organization. They’ve gotten younger. Something that had to happen. It’s a welcome change for a team that sometimes prefers more experienced players. This should create excitement for fans who’ve wanted to see the kids given the opportunity to show what they can do.

Drury to Explore the Market

It isn’t to say that Rangers team president and general manager Chris Drury won’t explore the market to see if he can upgrade. With less than five weeks away from the NHL trade deadline on Mar. 21, Drury will work the phones to see who’s available.

The loss of Wheeler means that the Rangers will probably be looking for a first line right wing. Vesey can fill in for the time being. But he’s better suited in a checking role. Much will depend on the cost. After seeing what Elias Lindholm went for, it’ll be an interesting decision for Drury.

If Brodzinski can continue to fill in well centering the third line, then the Rangers might not need to overpay for a center. Is Adam Henrique really worth a first round pick and a prospect? We’ll see if there’s a reunion with Frank Vatrano. It all depends on how things go.

At the very least, things have gone much better this month. The Rangers have widened their lead to eight points over the Carolina Hurricanes. There’s no reason to panic.

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Have the Devils figured it out too late?

Posted on February 12, 2024 by hasan4978

I figured the least I could do after playing hooky from going to the Devils game tonight was write about what’s apparently going to be no worse than their second best home game of the year (and about what’s been happening on and off the ice lately). Currently the home side is up 3-0 on the Kraken after two periods despite some late hairy moments towards the end of the period it’s pretty much been a dominant Devils game, a rarity this year – particularly in Newark. After one of those ‘look good in a loss’ games at Carolina on Saturday, one thing seems painfully obvious…the system overhaul that was talked about before that game was way, way, way overdue.

Apparently it was obvious to everyone except this coaching staff that you needed to simplify things with a revolving forward core due to injuries, young defensemen and violently shaky (at least until the last two games) goalies. Finally it seems as if that change has been made, the main question now is…has it come too late? Before tonight’s games, the Devils sat six points out of the final wild card spot and eight points behind the Flyers for the automatic third division spot. With around thirty games left in the season and far fewer before the trade deadline, it’s basically now or never if the Devils are going to go on a season-saving surge towards the playoffs.

Admittedly, last week back from the All-Star break pretty much broke me in terms of enthusiasm for the cause, if I wasn’t already broken before that. Sure, the Devils started off with a surprising win against the Avs with a ton of players out of the lineup – Jack Hughes would come back from his long injury layoff for the next game against Calgary and Tyler Toffoli missed the game due to illness in addition to all of our other missing players elsewhere – but even that game was filled with annoyance. Granted, for two periods I was actually enjoying watching a team with no expectations overperform, since that’s been the inverse of what most of this season has been about. It was nice to actually clap the team off the ice instead of boo them off. 

Of course, then in the third period the Devils decide to turtle with a 3-1 lead, get stupid (with Luke Hughes getting plastered showing off behind his own net leading to a layup goal #2) and yet again get rancid goaltending on goal #3 that invetiably tied the game after that – despite Vitek Vanecek actually having one of his better games around that horrid unscreened wrister which made me snap. Even after John Marino somehow pulled a Bobby Orr with just over two minutes left in regulation and scored flying through the air, and after Erik Haula scored an empty-netter I somehow missed as I was walking out of my section at the final horn I was still annoyed that the Devils had reverted back to form and needed yet another moment of talent to overcome their painful deficiencies. 

Another hideous home loss against the Flames on Thursday proved that point, yeah I know they ‘played better’ and Vitek gave up three bad goals – spare me, nobody deserves any slack for this team’s rancid home form against mediocre and poor teams. At least I wasn’t at that fiasco, shockingly I think I still have above an NHL .500 record at the Rock this year which makes me feel a little better after opting out of going tonight. Even if I missed one of the apparent better home games, I’ve also managed to miss fiascoes like Thursday night and the 5-1 Ducks game in December.

After that, there was no way I was watching Saturday’s expected embarrassment at Carolina. The fact Vitek had his best game of the season and the Devils still found a way to lose (and in OT, no less) might have actually been more annoying than seeing 6-3 on the scoreboard. Even Vitek playing on Saturday – his third game in five days – after stinking up the joint against Calgary on Thursday just showed once again nobody in this organization is ever held to account for anything. Except Alex Holtz, I suppose. Missing the playoffs without even attempting to do anything to shake up the room would be unforgiveable, but Fitz has turned into Joe Douglas 2.0 before my eyes. Patience is a virtue, except when it turns into enabling and being too in love with the guys who had a great regular season and won ‘one’ round of the playoffs last year.

Apparently the system change is going to be our version of making a coaching change, so I suppose the last two games have been the new system bounce. Forget about actually seeing accountability for Vitek being the worst goalie in the league this year, that ain’t happening at this point – especially with the in-house options not doing all that much better anyway. Akira Schmid’s continued to stink it up in Utica while Nico Daws was also awful in his last three starts before the break. At least he seems to be okay tonight, now that he’s finally playing due to a ‘lower body injury’ for Vitek. I don’t want Fitz to get raked over the coals in a trade, but sometimes you have to just cut your losses and send a message the way the Oilers did earlier this year when they waived their goalie and fired the coach. And look at them now.

And as I’m typing Seattle scores to cut the lead to 3-1 halfway through the third…OH BOY. Didn’t look like a great goal for Daws to give up either, enhancing the point of the previous paragraph ironically. Of course Holtz made a mistake of his own on that shift, probably sending him back to the scratch box when Mr. Magoo Lindy Ruff plays 11-7 in Nashville tomorrow with Brendan Smith coming back into the lineup. While I’m nervously waiting to see just how hairy the Devils make this finish I might as well finish this blog with the off-ice stuff.

Of course in the annals of bad timing, season ticket renewals couldn’t have come at a worse time this year with the team struggling at home and falling out of the playoff race. If the MetLife game on Saturday wasn’t already massive, the current positioning of the Devils and Flyers just makes that game even more meaningful beyond two rivals playing on the outdoor stage. Really the Flyers could all but finish us off with a win Saturday, unless we somehow hold on to this game and win the next two but even then a loss on Saturday would be a four-point game since we’re likely going to have to beat out at least one of Philly or Detroit for a playoff spot. 

And the Devils pick now to have their season ticket holder drive, laughably advertising playoff ticket access while sneaking in massive increases across the board underneath the hype machine. If I didn’t luck into cushy aisle seats right behind the net in 120 years ago, I’d have likely peaced out of season tickets long ago but I know I’ll never get that seat again if I give it up so I’ll likely have to eat this increase too. As it is I had to cut back from two to one ticket since the friend who was going to games with me before the pandemic hasn’t gone to nearly as many since, ironically going to one ticket lessens the number of games I have to worry about selling a single seat since I do go to around 2/3 of games a year and with the ability to trade in a few games for credit I don’t have to worry about the secondary market too often.

As I close this out, the Devils mercifully hang on to beat the Kraken…hooray for small miracles. They have to find a way to actually (gasp!) win a road back-to-back tomorrow then beat the skidding Kings at home Thursday before I take any kind of a ‘playoff push’ seriously. With so-called lesser teams coming up now, they’re gonna need a massive surge to get back in the mix before the trade deadline although with how passive Fitz has been this year it wouldn’t shock me if he just sat it out even if we were clearly out of the playoffs by then. A lot of trust that was earned last year has been broken again with this organization, hopefully this week is the start of repairing that. Otherwise we’ll be left to lament one of the most disappointing seasons in franchise history imploding before March.

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Rangers Respond Out of the Break

Posted on February 10, 2024 by Derek

A week off is all the Rangers needed to get back on track. After struggling in January, they’ve responded by taking the first three games out of the break. Going back to a win over the Senators on Jan. 27, they’ve won four straight – allowing them to extend their lead to six points over the Hurricanes for first place in the Metropolitan Division.

They followed up an overtime win over the Avalanche by defeating the Lightning 3-1 on Feb. 7. After a scoreless first period, they got production from depth players. Jimmy Vesey snuck a backhand through Andrei Vasilevskiy to give the Blueshirts a 1-0 lead early in the second period. It was his 10th goal of the season.

With Jonathan Quick (17 saves) getting it done in the net for the third consecutive time, the Rangers would add a key insurance marker late in the second. Some strong work from Blake Wheeler and Chris Kreider led to Jonny Brodzinski getting his second goal in three games. He came on to replace Mika Zibanejad. Kreider fed him a pass, and Brodzinski was able to beat Vasilevskiy for a two-goal lead.

Sergachev Suffers Horrible Injury

During the second period, the game was overshadowed by a horrible injury to Lightning defenseman Mikhail Sergachev. On a reverse hit by Alexis Lafreniere, Sergachev caught a rut in the ice and landed badly. He had to be taken off on a stretcher. On the Rangers’ bench, Lafreniere was emotional. It was a clean play with an unfortunate result.

A day later, the Lightning announced that Sergachev underwent successful surgery to stabilize fractures to the tibia and fibula in his left leg. Hockey fans wished him all the best in his recovery.

It definitely affected the Lightning. Their minds seemed to be elsewhere. Vasilevskiy allowed two bad goals. His teammates struggled mightily to get anything established. The Rangers held them to just four shots in the period.

Quick Comes Up Big

The Lightning were a different team in the third period. They carried most of the play for a good portion. That forced Quick to come up big. He stopped eight of nine shots to win his third straight start.

After Brandon Hagel cut the Rangers’ lead to one, Quick made some crucial saves to keep them ahead. All season, he’s delivered. That’s why Rangers coach Peter Laviolette stuck with him on Wednesday. He could’ve gone back to Igor Shesterkin. But Quick played so well against Colorado that it made sense to ride the hot hand.

Following a successful penalty kill of a Mika Zibanejad penalty, Vesey sealed the victory with an empty netter. That gave him 11 goals on the season, matching his total for 2022-23. He’s been a solid depth player since returning for his second stint with the Rangers. Vesey works diligently and has been reliable.

Zibanejad Gets Overtime Winner in Chicago

It’s been a tough season for Zibanejad. The Rangers’ number one center hasn’t scored consistently. Despite still being close to a point-per-game player, the 30-year-old has to be better down the stretch. He got the overtime winner in a 4-3 win over the Blackhawks on Friday night.

Before that happened, the Rangers blew a two-goal lead in the third period. Following an Alex Vlasic unassisted tally early in the first period, Lafreniere buried a good K’Andre Miller pass across for his third goal in four games. Artemi Panarin picked up the secondary assist.

Over a minute later, Adam Fox set up Chris Kreider for his 24th of the season to put the Rangers in front. With Boris Katchouk struggling to get back to the Blackhawks’ bench, Caleb Jones pushed him in the direction. Jones was caught out of position, allowing a patient Fox to find Kreider for an easy finish.

In the second period, Brodzinski scored his third goal in four games to put the Blueshirts ahead by two. Will Cuylle drove to the Chicago net for a rebound of a Kaapo Kakko shot. With Petr Mrazek down, Brodzinski steered in the rebound for his fourth of the season.

However, the Blackhawks rallied to tie it up in the third period. With the Rangers sitting back, it nearly cost them. They were outshot 12-3. Goals from Nick Foligno (deflection) and Jason Dickinson (tip-in) forced overtime. There was nothing Shesterkin could do on either goal. In his first start since Jan. 26, he finished with 28 saves on 31 shots to earn his 20th win of the season.

In overtime, Lafreniere got a breakaway on Mrazek. But as has happened often, he was robbed of a sure goal. Lafreniere tried a backhand deke, but Mrazek reached back to make a great glove save.

A little later in the three-on-three, Zibanejad was able to score his 16th of the season to win the game. On a nice passing play started by Fox, he moved the puck to Kreider, who then found Zibanejad in the right circle for a good wrist shot that beat Mrazek upstairs for the overtime winner. It was his first goal in eight games. His last one came on Jan. 18.

Hopefully, that can get Zibanejad going. In the third period, Laviolette even tried him with Panarin and Lafreniere. He flipped centers on the top two lines. Vincent Trocheck took shifts with Kreider and Wheeler. It was mostly about trying to spark Zibanejad. The Rangers didn’t play well in the period, either. So, Laviolette tried something different.

Blueshirts Have the Weekend Off

After winning games on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, the Rangers have the weekend off. They return home to prepare for the Flames on Feb. 12.

Calgary is in town to complete a three-game visit to the metro area. After defeating the Devils on Thursday night, they face the Islanders this afternoon. Then, get a day off before taking on the Rangers at Madison Square Garden.

New acquisition Andrei Kuzmenko has goals in his first two games since coming over from Vancouver in a trade that sent Elias Lindholm to the Canucks.

Rookie forward Connor Zary has played himself into the Calder race. With a goal and assist in the Flames’ win over the Devils, he’s up to 12 goals with 14 assists for 26 points on the season. A former first round pick in 2020, Zary has developed well in his first season. He’s also a plus-17 in 41 games.

The Flames aren’t a contender in the West. They already unloaded Lindholm. Earlier in the season, Nikita Zadorov was traded to the Canucks. Chris Tanev should be available before the trade deadline. He’s a defensive defenseman who blocks shots. Keep an eye on him.

Calgary still boasts a good nucleus that includes Nazem Kadri, Blake Coleman, Mikael Backlund, Jonathan Huberdeau, Andrew Mangiapane, Noah Hanifin, Rasmus Anderson, MacKenzie Weegar, and Jacob Markstrom. They’ve won three in a row entering Saturday.

If the Blueshirts can win on Monday, that would be five in a row. We’ll see if they can keep it going.

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Laviolette faces an interesting goalie decision

Posted on February 6, 2024 by Derek

Following their feelgood win over the Avalanche on Monday, the Rangers were back to work at practice in Greenburgh. As they prepared for the Lightning who visit Madison Square Garden tomorrow night, coach Peter Laviolette faces an interesting goalie decision.

It seems that he’s undecided on who to start for the Rangers’ second game after the break. Arthur Staple of The Athletic reported that Jonathan Quick was the first goalie off earlier today. Considering how well he’s played, which included a super 32-save performance that earned him the game’s first star on Feb. 5, it isn’t surprising that he might be thinking about sticking with the hot hand.

When pressed about it, Laviolette said, “There’s kind of a long-term plan and there’s a short-term plan, and at times those things change.”

It doesn’t necessarily mean that he won’t go back to Igor Shesterkin. However, it’s hard to ignore how well Quick’s played this season. He also got the start versus the Senators before the All-Star break. It was the 38-year-old veteran netminder who kept his team in it after they fell behind 2-0 on Jan. 27. They came back to win 7-2 over the Senators to stay in first place. Quick made 29 saves.

For the season, Quick’s up to 11-4-2 with a 2.35 goals-against-average (GAA) and a .918 save percentage. He also has the Rangers’ only two shutouts. Nobody could’ve predicted it. Especially with Quick coming off his worst season.

It was a frustrating one that saw the greatest Kings’ goalie in franchise history sent to the Blue Jackets on Mar. 2, 2023. Columbus is basically the Siberia of the NHL. Quick never even played a game. He was rerouted to the Golden Knights, where he won a third Stanley Cup. It was a nice reward for a well-respected player who’s always personified class on and off the ice.

Although he played a little better in Vegas by winning five games while posting a 3.13 GAA and a .901 save percentage, there was nothing to indicate that he’d turn back the clock. It says a lot about his character and determination. Quick’s a very competitive player who battles as hard as any goalie. His style is a bit unorthodox. Having Rangers goalie coach Benoit Allaire work with him has definitely helped revitalize his career.

Allaire was praised by 2023 Hall of Fame inductee Henrik Lundqvist during his acceptance speech in Toronto. He also had success with former Rangers Cam Talbot and Antti Raanta. Even MSG Networks’ Steve Valiquette credits him for the time he spent as a backup in the Big Apple.

Unlike those predecessors, Quick’s got an impressive resume that includes a Conn Smythe and was largely responsible for both the Los Angeles Kings’ Cups. Unfortunately, the Rangers became a victim two years after the Devils had a similar fate. Quick outplayed Martin Brodeur and Lundqvist in the Stanley Cup Finals. That’s how clutch he was in Hollywood.

For his career, he’s up to 386 victories. That’s 14 away from 400. A significant number that only 13 goalies have achieved. Quick trails Ryan Miller by five for the most wins by an American born goalie. If he doesn’t make the Hockey Hall of Fame, he’s certainly a lock for the US Hockey Hall of Fame.

Where does all this leave Shesterkin? Despite having a down season, the 28-year-old Russian is considered by many to be one of the league’s best goaltenders. However, the numbers don’t lie. Despite a 19-12-1 record, he’s posted a mediocre 2.86 GAA and a .899 save percentage.

With 32 games left on the schedule, Shesterkin must rediscover the form that won him a Vezina in 2021-22. He can’t keep alternating between one good game and two pedestrian ones. The inconsistency boils down to him, allowing soft goals at inopportune moments. The Rangers need him if they want to have any chance this spring.

Maybe taking part in the All-Star Game festivities can reinvigorate him. He’s too good to be so wildly inconsistent. There are $5.67 million reasons for Shesterkin to perform better. As hard as it is to believe, next season will be a contract year. There’s a lot riding on the line. What happens for the rest of this season could help the Rangers organization decide what they want to do over the long haul.

It’s hard to envision Shesterkin wearing another jersey. That could become a reality in 17 months. Imagine the keys being handed to Dylan Garand. The former 2020 fourth round pick is 11-6-3 with a 2.75 GAA and a .908 save percentage in his second pro season with the Hartford Wolf Pack. Garand’s only 21. He’s probably another year away.

Regardless of what Laviolette decides for Wednesday night’s game against the Lightning, it’s still going to come down to Shesterkin. He’ll determine how the remainder of the season goes.

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Quick and Lafreniere deliver a big win for Rangers over MacKinnon, Avalanche

Posted on February 6, 2024 by Derek

For 51 minutes, nothing got past Alexandar Georgiev. The former Ranger was again dialed in for the Avalanche, who were holding onto a 1-0 lead that Nathan MacKinnon provided in breathtaking fashion.

With every big stop Georgiev made against the Blueshirts, it looked like the result was a forgone concluded. That was until Artemi Panarin flipped the script by scoring his team-leading 31st goal off a faceoff with less than nine minutes left in regulation. Panarin’s clutch goal, along with Jonathan Quick’s splendid play, allowed the Rangers to pick up a huge come from behind 2-1 win over the Avalanche.

Quick was stellar in holding the explosive Avs to one goal. He made 32 saves on 33 shots, including a big one that led up to Alexis Lafreniere scoring at 1:53 of overtime to give the Rangers the victory. After Quick stopped Devon Toews on a MacKinnon setup, he came way out of the net on the next sequence to make a risky pass up for Mika Zibanejad. Zibanejad then made a between the legs drop for Lafreniere, who made a great move and shot that went far side on Georgiev to win the game.

The risk paid off. Lafreniere’s 13th goal of the season gave Quick his 11th win of the season. At this point, it’s been the brilliant play of Quick that has the Rangers leading the Metropolitan Division with 32 games remaining. With the Hurricanes idle, they moved four points up. Carolina has two games at hand. The Rangers are up to 65 points with the Hurricanes at 61.

It was a feelgood victory. It came against a Western heavyweight. The Avalanche certainly created their chances by attacking during the first two periods. MacKinnon extended his point streak to 14 by making a great rush in transition to beat Quick with a laser that went off of Braden Schneider for a one-goal lead for Colorado.

If there’s an area the Rangers excelled at, it was on the penalty kill. They were aggressive during three successful kills on the dangerous Avalanche power play in the first period. Chris Kreider was stopped twice on shorthanded bids by Georgiev. Even a bogus call on Lafreniere didn’t deter the Rangers. They got it done.

Both Quick and Georgiev were busy making tough saves in a wide open first period. The Avalanche held a 14-11 edge in shots. They only were able to get one past Quick. It took a perfect play by MacKinnon to score his 32nd goal to tie Nikita Kucherov for first in league scoring.

Afterward, Quick made the critical stops on MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen to give the Rangers a chance. It’s what he’s done all season. His play has been consistent. At 38 years young, the affable American born goalie has outplayed Igor Shesterkin. He’s a big reason for why the Rangers are where they are in the standings. So much for preseason.

It’s Quick who’s delivered in the biggest moments. Rangers goalie coach Benoit Allaire has again helped a goalie become better in the twilight of their career. Quick deserves all the credit for all the work he’s put in. He’s been a great teammate and valuable member. Where would this team be without him?

If the first period was defense optional, the second period was the polar opposite. The issue for the Blueshirts is that they could hardly muster anything against a more stingy Avalanche defense. There wasn’t much happening at even strength. Panarin was bottled up. Even sidekick Vincent Trocheck couldn’t find much space to work with.

The first line in name only was again neutralized. Neither Zibanejad nor Kreider could get much done at five-on-five. Blake Wheeler played mostly with them until Laviolette made a key change when the game was on the line. He got better as it went on.

The only line that generated anything was the one centered by Jonny Brodzinski. It was the third line that featured Will Cuylle and Kaapo Kakko, which did a good job of applying forecheck pressure in the second half of a dull second period. The Rangers were held to six shots. Quick made 10 more saves to keep it close.

If there was one change in the third period, it was the Rangers showing some resiliency. Instead of giving up, they built momentum during each shift. With the Avalanche backing up a little bit due to Georgiev continuing to make the key saves, that allowed the Blueshirts to be in attack mode. The Avs dumped the puck in more and tried to protect a one-goal lead.

With Georgiev denying Zibanejad on a one-timer, it looked like the strategy would work. However, Laviolette wisely moved Panarin up to the first line following a stoppage. The gamble paid off. After a Zibanejad faceoff win, K’Andre Miller and Schneider combined to get the puck to Panarin. He wisely skated to the middle of the ice and fired a wrist shot that banked off MacKinnon past Georgiev to tie the score with 8:43 left in regulation.

Speaking of Miller, he had a better night. Though he got beat by the magnificent MacKinnon late in the first, he was much better throughout the game. Paired with Schneider, Miller played a more active game – making better plays defensively while creating offense. For a while, I’ve suggested Miller and Schneider as a pair. The idea of moving Erik Gustafsson up to play with Jacob Trouba, who’ll return on Wednesday, makes sense. We’ll see what the coaching staff decides when the Lightning are in town.

Zac Jones also had another good showing filling in. He didn’t make any glaring mistakes while teamed with Gustafsson. Jones is the odd man out. However, he’s done a nice job since returning to the lineup. All six defensemen played over 18 minutes. Ryan Lindgren returned and logged 19:44 alongside partner Adam Fox (22:18). That’s the kind of balance needed moving forward.

There were no penalties called after the first period. That made it a better game. Especially when things picked up late. After Panarin evened the score, it was pretty obvious that it would require overtime. Thankfully, there were some fireworks.

Quick made saves on MacKinnon and Toews. He then made a great read to cover for a Zibanejad turnover that could’ve had a bad ending. It was as risky as it looked. His pass to Lafreniere got through. Lafreniere then worked a give and go with Zibanejad. He got the puck back and maneuvered around and beat Georgiev with a great snapshot high blocker for the overtime winner.

It’s exactly the start the Rangers needed to the second part of the season. They earned it against one of the league’s best teams. Let’s see what they do for an encore tomorrow night against Nikita Kucherov and the Lightning.

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