Rangers Make the Quick Choice for Avalanche

Posted on February 5, 2024 by Derek

Believe it or not, the New York Rangers play a hockey game later tonight. For the first time since Jan. 27, they’ll return to the Garden ice to host the Colorado Avalanche.

Although they’ve played 49 games, the second half of the season begins in February. Following the All-Star break, it’s a chance for the Rangers to restore order. They struggled in January by posting a 5-6-2 record.

Hopefully, they can build upon a 7-2 win over the Ottawa Senators. If they want to hang onto first place in the Metropolitan Division, they’ll have to play better hockey. With a two-point lead on the Carolina Hurricanes, the Rangers will immediately be tested this week. After taking on the high-powered Avalanche, they’ll face the Tampa Bay Lightning on Wednesday, Feb. 7.

Going up against the top two Hart candidates at home should present an immediate challenge. First up is Nathan MacKinnon. The Avs’ star center has 31 goals and 53 assists for 84 points. That includes a 13-game point streak. Over that span, he’s tallied 12 goals and 16 assists for 28 points. Dating back to Nov. 20, he’s only been held off the score sheet once.

It’ll be a tall order for the Rangers, who’ll play without Jacob Trouba, who’s serving the remainder of a two-game suspension for elbowing the Golden Knights’ Pavel Dorofeyev on Jan. 26.

That means Rangers coach Peter Laviolette could tinker with his defense. He was interested in taking a look at Ryan Lindgren with Braden Schneider on the third pair. However, that’ll have to wait until Trouba returns in two days. It’ll be interesting to see who K’Andre Miller pairs with tonight. He’s struggled over the past month. Too many unforced mistakes have led to goals against. It could be that he works with Schneider. Unless Erik Gustafsson draws the assignment.

Connor Mackey was recalled from the Hartford Wolf Pack. He gave a good account in the win over Ottawa. It was his clean hit on Tim Stutzle that led to Brady Tkachuk obliging him in a fight. At the moment, the Rangers trailed 2-0. They responded by scoring seven unanswered goals to get a much needed victory.

Related: Rangers Enter The Break With A Win Over Senators

With Zac Jones also having a good game by notching a goal and an assist versus the Senators, he’ll be in the lineup. Jones usually works with Schneider when he’s inserted into the lineup. It’ll depend on what Laviolette prefers.

The Rangers normally like to use the checking line to match up against opponents’ top scoring lines. If Laviolette opts for that matchup, it’ll be up to Barclay Goodrow, Jimmy Vesey, and Tyler Pitlick to handle the Avs’ potent first line that features MacKinnon, Mikko Rantanen, and Jonathan Drouin. Even without Val Nichushkin (NHL Player Assistance Program), the Avalanche remains an explosive team.

While MacKinnon and Rantanen do the heavy lifting along with former Norris winner Cale Makar, they’ve gotten strong support from Drouin, Ross Colton, Logan O’Connor, Miles Wood, and Devon Toews. Ryan Johansen hasn’t been too good. Former Devil Zach Parise is expected to make his Avalanche debut.

If the first line that features Mika Zibanejad and Chris Kreider can get untracked, you can make the case that the Rangers should be able to match the Avalanche. Zibanejad will have Blake Wheeler on the right side. Wheeler had goals in consecutive games prior to the break. For the season, he has nine goals with 11 assists for 20 points. While that’s not anything substantial, he’s been a better fit on the top line.

Kaapo Kakko, who scored goals in two straight games, will remain on the third line with Jonny Brodzinski and Will Cuylle. The Rangers are hoping Kakko can build on it. In 28 games, he has five goals. If he can provide more offense, that would help improve the Rangers’ scoring depth.

The second line remains intact. It’s been mostly Artemi Panarin and Vincent Trocheck scoring and setting up the big goals at five-on-five. Alexis Lafreniere broke a six-game scoring drought with his 12th goal of the season in the come from behind win over the Senators. Lafreniere has to find more consistency. He’s on that big line for a reason.

With most of the focus on MacKinnon, Laviolette has decided to start Jonathan Quick tonight. Quick has had a good season – winning 10 games while posting a 2.43 goals-against-average (GAA) and .915 save percentage. He brings a 20-8-2 career record with a 2.31 GAA and .913 save percentage versus the Avalanche. We’ll see if he’s up to the challenge.

By playing Quick tonight, Laviolette will save Igor Shesterkin for the Lightning on Wednesday. He’ll have to contend with Nikita Kucherov. The league’s leading scorer. His 32 goals and 53 assists for 85 points are one ahead of Mackinnon.

Both games are 7 EST. If they want to change the perception around the league, the Rangers must answer the bell starting later.

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All-Star Banter: Rangers observations and more

Posted on February 3, 2024 by Derek

It’s been a while since the Rangers played a game. There hasn’t been much happening. The extended break included All-Star weekend in Toronto. I didn’t watch it.

I guess the way the game is set up doesn’t interest me. I preferred the old East versus West format. North America vs. The World was cool. I’m not too big on what they did to the Skill Competition. But some fans still enjoy it. That’s good.

Team McDavid came back to win a semifinal. Ultimately, Auston Matthews won MVP of the tournament. I guess it’s only fitting that the game’s best goal scorer took home the trophy. The Maple Leafs have to win at something.

Igor Shesterkin and Vincent Trocheck each represented the Rangers. Shesterkin had a better weekend. Hopefully, he can bring some of the joy he had with Jeremy Swayman to the second half. Shesterkin and Swayman did a Bruins style celebration during Friday’s skills. He stopped Connor McDavid on a two on none on Saturday.

Connor Bedard attended the All-Star festivities. He even posed for a photo with Sidney Crosby. One day, that could be a valuable picture. Who am I kidding? They’re probably hawking it already. At least I have a Bedard junior card I purchased last year. I also have a Matvei Michkov stored away. The future Flyer continues to do well in the KHL. He has 14 goals with 19 assists for 33 points for HC Sochi.

With Bedard still out with a broken jaw, the NHL rookie race isn’t exactly great. Bedard leads all rookies in scoring with 33 points (15-18-33). Wild defenseman Brock Faber is second with 29 points (4-25-29). Marco Rossi is third with 28 (13-15-28). Injured Blue Jackets forward Adam Fantilli is fourth with 27 (12-15-27). Devils defenseman Luke Hughes is fifth with 26 (8-18-26).

It’s too bad that both Bedard and Fantilli are injured. They were really starting to get it. Rossi and Faber are bright spots in a down year for Minnesota. Both Hughes and Simon Nemec have provided the same excitement in an otherwise disappointing season for the Devils. Without Jack Hughes and no consistency in the net, they don’t look like a playoff team. But the Flyers were skidding at the break. An outside team could squeak in.

As for the Rangers, they’re about as flawed a first place team as there is. A lousy January exposed them. There’s been too much fundamentally wrong to consider the Rangers a contender. That’s why I’m glad Elias Lindholm wound up in Vancouver. Andrei Kuzmenko, two former third round picks, and a first round pick was a considerable payment for a rental. But the Canucks have a good chance to make a deep run this season.

The Canadiens also got a first round pick from the Jets for Sean Monahan. As much as I like him, that’s overpayment. Monahan can help Winnipeg as a depth checking pivot. We’ll see how the Jets fare later this spring. They boast Vezina favorite Connor Hellebuyck and big scorers Kyle Connor and Mark Scheifele. Cole Perfetti has taken the next step in his development.

If the Rangers want to improve an area of their roster, then they should look to get tougher. That doesn’t mean a brawler, either. But a stronger forward who can forecheck and drive opponents nuts. The Rangers seriously are lacking in that department. They also are in need of a third line center now that Filip Chytil’s season is officially over. Adam Henrique is available. But at what cost?

I’ll be honest. If I were the general manager, I’d be in search of younger talent. Not older veterans. The Rangers already have that. Only Kaapo Kakko, Alexis Lafreniere, and Will Cuylle are forwards under 30 on the roster.

We know Kakko’s name has been mentioned by Darren Dreger. I’d only trade him if it were for a younger player at a similar age. I’ve always liked Arthur Kaliyev. He’s got the shot that could aid a group that can use another player capable of scoring goals. LA just made a coaching change. We’ll see what happens.

If they really decided to take a different tact, I’m in favor of going after Shane Pinto. A local kid who’s a center playing for Ottawa, the 23-year-old hasn’t shown much rust following a lengthy suspension for gambling. We still don’t know what he did. Transparency is optional when it comes to the league.

Pinto is cheap, too. He signed for $800,000. A right-handed center who can win faceoffs, he’d add something to the roster.

I don’t think they’ll be in on Jakob Chychrun. There’ll likely be bigger contenders interested – driving up the price. If the Rangers could get Ottawa to take back K’Andre Miller in a package, that would be a good starting point. I’m not counting on it.

The Rangers host the Avalanche on Monday, Feb. 5. They must contend with Nathan MacKinnon, who’s having an MVP season. He’s second in scoring right behind Nikita Kucherov. They’re 1-2 for the Hart. With the Lightning playing their way back into contention, Kucherov will compete for his second MVP. He’s carried the Bolts. MacKinnon has a better supporting cast that includes Cale Makar, Mikko Rantanen, and Devon Toews. If they matchup, Shesterkin and Alex Georgiev are a storyline. Both were All-Stars despite not the best numbers. The starter versus the former backup.

If they’re to improve their chances, Mika Zibanejad has to play better at even strength. He and Chris Kreider are counted on. There isn’t much else to add. If he stays, Kakko will need to continue to light the lamp. So must Lafreniere, who’s been underwhelming in the goal department since December.

Rangers coach Peter Laviolette might want to play Cuylle more minutes. He plays with the necessary edge needed to make the team harder to play against. Cuylle is effective on the back boards, finishes checks, and isn’t shy about shooting the puck or driving the net. It’s too bad they can’t clone him.

Adam Fox must return to his Norris form. Maybe the extra time off will help. He didn’t look fully healthy since returning in late November. It remains to be seen what Laviolette will decide with the defensive pairs. Obviously, they’ll need Miller to regain his confidence. His lackluster play had a direct effect on Jacob Trouba. Braden Schneider also can play better than the up and down first half he had.

The lack of scoring depth remains a pressing issue. Frank Vatrano could also be available. He scored a goal and had three points in his first All-Star Game. I’d steer clear of Vladimir Tarasenko. He hasn’t exactly lit it up in Ottawa and would cost too much.

If the Rangers don’t make a big move, maybe they can look from within. Adam Edstrom looked the part in a cameo before getting hurt with Hartford. Brennan Othmann remains a promising first-year pro who could get recalled when the weather warms up.

At the very least, the sun came out today. I got out to one of my favorite parks. It wasn’t bad out at all. There’s more good weather on the horizon. Just in time for hockey to return.

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Rangers announce that Chytil is out for the season

Posted on January 28, 2024 by Derek

In disappointing news, the Rangers announced that Filip Chytil is out for the remainder of the season. Unfortunately, it was expected after he had a setback related to his previous injury near the conclusion of practice on Friday.

The team statement reads as follows:

“Following a thorough evaluation of Filip Chytil after his recent setback from an upper body injury, it has been confirmed he will be out for the remainder of the season. The organization’s top priority throughout this process has been Filip’s health and we will continue to fully support him in his recovery with an aim to return for the 2024-25 season.”

The most important thing is Chytil’s health and well-being. Right now, hockey is secondary. When dealing with concussions, it’s very tricky. As I echoed before when he flew back from Czechia to ramp up workouts with the team, there was a lot of concern. You’re dealing with the unknown. Thankfully, due to concussion protocol, teams are extremely cautious in handling recovering players.

At this point, it’s hard to predict what will happen with Chytil. He’s 24 and gets paid handsomely by the Rangers. There’s no way of knowing if he’ll ever return to playing hockey. All that matters is how Chytil feels day to day. Hopefully, he will progress and make a full recovery.

Now is not the time to play general manager. The Rangers will have $4.43 million in cap space to work with between now and Mar. 8. However, I’m not going to make any suggestions in this post.

This is all about Chytil. A good guy who played a key role in the Rangers’ run to the Eastern Conference Finals in 2021-22, I can only wish him all the best moving forward. It’s a humbling day, which only feels appropriate considering the yucky weather outside.

All we can do is hope for the best. Chytil is a young man with so much ahead in his life. That’s what’s most important.

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Rangers enter break with a win over Senators

Posted on January 28, 2024 by Derek

Playing for the final time before the All-Star break, the Rangers got a much needed win over the Senators on Saturday night. After spotting Ottawa a 2-0 lead, they scored seven unanswered goals to come out with a 7-2 victory.

It was just their second win over the last six games (2-3-1). A tough stretch that included a bad loss in overtime to the Sharks on Jan. 23. Following a dismal showing on Friday against the Golden Knights, the Rangers again looked like they were headed for a rough night.

K’Andre Miller’s struggles continued in the first period against the Senators. It was his giveaway that led directly to Brady Tkachuk opening the scoring at 11:43. He threw away the puck to Claude Giroux, who picked up his 700th career assist on Tkachuk’s tally.

Despite leading in shots 12-7 for the first period, the Rangers weren’t all that sharp. They fumbled away a late power play by overpassing the puck. It was again the first unit that wouldn’t take any shots. In particular, Adam Fox. After having his pass intercepted by Mathieu Joseph, Fox got beat by the Senators forward down the ice. Fortunately, it didn’t become a shorthanded goal.

Trailing by one, the Rangers started the second period on the wrong foot. A Mika Zibanejad high-sticking minor resulted in Thomas Chabot and Drake Batherson combining to set up a wide open Jakob Chychrun for an easy power-play goal that put the Senators ahead 2-0. It was again Miller who was partly responsible for a goal against. He was out of position with Chychrun all alone in front to beat Jonathan Quick.

With nothing going right, Rangers defenseman Connor Mackey delivered a clean hit on Tim Stutzle. That drew the ire of Tkachuk, who immediately responded by challenging Mackey to a fight. The emergency recall from Hartford – who played for the suspended Jacob Trouba – held his own against one of the game’s toughest power forwards.

It was the Rangers who responded well to Mackey’s scrap. They got some much needed energy on the bench. It showed on the ice. In less than a six-minute span, they scored four straight goals to turn the game around.

Alexis Lafreniere got it started by getting to an Artemi Panarin rebound and banking a puck off Joonas Korpisalo to make it 2-1. It was only his second goal over the last 16 games. Lafreniere’s 12th of the season came at the right time.

Less than three minutes later, Chris Kreider surprised Korpisalo with a long wrist shot that the Ottawa goalie whiffed on. That tied the score. Following a Zibanejad faceoff win, Kreider skated into the Senators’ zone and beat Korpisalo for his 23rd goal of the season.

On the next shift, Zac Jones got involved. Playing for Ryan Lindgren, he made a good cut to the Ottawa net to finish off a nice Panarin pass in front for his first of the season. That gave the Rangers the lead.

Over two minutes later, Jones wasn’t done. Taking a pass from Will Cuylle, he had his shot deflected in front by Jonny Brodzinski to give the Rangers a 4-2 lead. It was his first goal since Dec. 10. Coincidentally, that was a two-point game in a win over the Kings. Brodzinski also picked up an assist in the third period last night for his second two-point game of the season.

The goal chased Korpisalo. He allowed four goals on 17 shots. It’s hard to believe the Senators gave him a five-year contract for $20 million. He was responsible for helping the Rangers get back in it. The goal to Lafreniere was bad. He was caught off his goalpost. The Kreider goal was brutal. Aside from that, the Senators are a bad team that can’t defend. Not even relic Jacques Martin can fix that.

There was no defense by Ottawa on an easy Blake Wheeler goal that made it five second period goals for the Blueshirts. On a play in transition started by Kreider, he moved the puck up for Zibanejad, who easily found Wheeler on the doorstep for his second goal in two games.

The Rangers added a pair of goals late in the third period to put the exclamation mark on the victory. Panarin scored an empty netter, and Kaapo Kakko got his second in two games. Hopefully, he can build on that when play resumes on Feb. 5 against the Avalanche.

As lopsided as the game became, it would be easy to omit the play of Quick. When his team fell behind, Quick was stellar. He made a few timely saves to give them a chance to get back in it. Without the consistent play from the 38-year-old goalie, the Rangers wouldn’t be where they are in the standings. He’s won 10 games while posting a 2.43 goals-against-average (GAA) and .915 save percentage.

It’s Quick, who’s been the better netminder up to this point. You could make the argument that he should get more starts than “All-Star” Igor Shesterkin. It’s a credit to him for how well he’s played. Goaltender coach Benoit Allaire definitely has helped Quick. That’s why he’s considered the best in the business.

The Rangers enter the break, still leading the Metropolitan Division by two points over the Hurricanes. They have 63 points in 49 games. The Hurricanes have 61 in 48. With the Flyers falling off, it looks like it could be a two horse race for the division.

As good as Saturday’s win was, it doesn’t mean that much unless the Rangers rediscover the form they had over the first two months. They haven’t been hard to play against over the last seven and a half weeks. Handling the Senators is one thing. It’ll be interesting to see how the Rangers fare against the league’s better teams. They’ll get tested by the Avalanche and Hart frontrunner Nathan MacKinnon a week from tomorrow.

There’s still plenty of work ahead. Rangers team president and general manager Chris Drury will have over a month to decide if he should go all-in this season. With Filip Chytil unlikely to return following his latest setback, the Rangers have two pressing needs. A third line center and a first line right wing. How they play in February will determine if Drury decides to buy at the March 8 trade deadline.

There are 11 games next month. The toughest games are against the Avalanche and Lightning following the break. The Rangers will also visit the Islanders on Feb. 18. Then, they’ll host the Stars on Feb. 20. They’ll play the Devils on Feb. 22. After visiting the Flyers, they’ll conclude February with a home and home series against the Blue Jackets.

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Shesterkin’s season one to forget

Posted on January 26, 2024 by Derek

At almost the All-Star break, the New York Rangers are continuing to struggle mightily. A big reason for a poor stretch that’s lasted seven weeks is the inconsistent play of Igor Shesterkin.

The former 2021-22 Vezina winner is a shell of himself. He barely looks recognizable in the net. Even when the team was winning games, Shesterkin was underperforming. At least there were some games when he made the key saves.

Whatever is going on, it needs to stop. The 28-year-old starting goalie has continued to allow soft goals during a disappointing season. Facing the Vegas Golden Knights for a second time in eight days, Shesterkin has given up at least four goals in lopsided defeats. On Jan. 18, he let in four goals on 25 shots in a 5-1 loss. It wasn’t any better on Friday night. He gave up four goals on 19 shots in a 5-2 defeat at home.

After a Blake Wheeler goal had the Rangers tied after one period, Shesterkin proceeded to allow consecutive goals to Keegan Kolesar and Jonathan Marchessault over a 46-second span to put the Blueshirts in a two-goal hole early in the second period.

While mistakes were made by his teammates, Shesterkin is the last line of defense. He’s expected to make the big stops at critical moments. Instead, he gave up a bad goal to Kolesar that went through him. Following a turnover by Artemi Panarin inside the Rangers’ blue line, Kolesar skated in and beat Shesterkin with a wrist shot over the glove.

Kolesar isn’t exactly known as a goal scorer. You’d never know it by how he’s done against the Rangers. In two games this season, he’s beaten Shesterkin twice in Vegas wins. Kolesar has only scored four goals in 2023-24. Half have come at the expense of the Rangers’ netminder.

It was back in the first period that another Knights’ source of offense was unexpected. A Paul Cotter shot banked off Sheldon Rempal to give Vegas an early 1-0 lead. On that one, Shesterkin gets a pass due to the puck deflecting off of Rempal in front. He beat Rangers defenseman Braden Schneider, who’s another player that hasn’t had a good season.

Following Kolesar beating him on a breakaway, Marchessault was able to tip in an Ivan Barbashev shot that put the Golden Knights ahead 3-1 with under 16 minutes to go in the second period. That goal really deflated the fans at Madison Square Garden. There was little energy in the building.

Making matters worse, the Rangers had a lot of one and done in the second period. After they outplayed the Knights in the first period by holding a 15-6 edge in shots, they were unable to match that effort. Instead, they took a couple of penalties. Even though the Knights’ power play struggled, it took time off the clock.

When they created a good scoring chance, Adin Hill was there to make the big save. He denied Alexis Lafreniere on a backhand one on one. The slumping forward could only shake his head in frustration. Lafreniere has one goal over his last 15 games. It’s not going in for him.

He gets opportunities almost every game. At some point, he needs to bury one to turn his season around. He has 11 goals in 48 games. That’s hardly enough production for a player who’s been featured on the Rangers’ best scoring line with Panarin and Vincent Trocheck. They need more from the former 2020 top pick.

Early in the third period, the Knights put the game away. Following Shesterkin giving up a rebound of a Barbashev shot, Marchessault beat K’Andre Miller to sweep the puck in for his second of the game at 2:11. Miller got caught watching on the play. It was another glaring example of poor coverage from the slumping defenseman. He’s had a miserable January.

With the game over, Kaapo Kakko scored his fourth to cut the deficit to 4-2 with 1:06 left. It was too little, too late. Marchessault completed the hat trick by scoring into a vacated net with 30 seconds remaining.

Somehow, the Rangers have reverted into the mess they were last season. They don’t defend well enough and aren’t getting good goaltending from Shesterkin. They struggle to score at even strength. In the playoffs, 5-on-5 is where most of the play will be. They’re lucky the Hurricanes and Flyers aren’t playing well. Otherwise, they’d be looking up in the Metropolitan Division standings.

It’s nice that Wheeler scored a goal. But when is Mika Zibanejad going to do something? He’s the key to the top line. Fifteen goals in 47 games don’t cut it. Neither does seven even strength goals. There are too many key players who are underachieving. Both Zibanejad and Shesterkin top the list.

At least they can’t blame Nick Bonino. With one more game versus the Ottawa Senators tomorrow night, the Rangers have a chance to at least finish this month on a better note. Given how Brady Tkachuk has dominated them, I wouldn’t put any money on it.

At the very least, Shesterkin should have Saturday off. Jonathan Quick will likely get the start. Maybe he gives the Rangers the best chance right now. It’s a pretty humbling thought at this juncture.

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Chytil suffers a setback in practice

Posted on January 26, 2024 by Derek

Filip Chytil suffered a setback in practice for the Rangers. With only a couple of players remaining near the conclusion, Chytil was in pain on the ice for at least five minutes. Zac Jones and Jake Leschyshyn, along with some of the training staff, had to assist him off the ice.

Initially, there was no indication by any reporters on what caused the injury to Chytil. However, it was reported by multiple sources that it’s related to the previous injury he suffered on Nov. 2.

Obviously, Chytil’s well-being comes first before anything else. It was a big concern when he returned from Czechia to participate in team practice. Even skating in a no-contact red jersey couldn’t prevent another upper-body injury. As USA Today’s Vince Mercogliano asserted in his tweet above, the most important thing is Chytil’s health. If, as feared, it’s a concussion, that would be the fifth of his career.

At this point, it’s hard to imagine the Rangers letting Chytil return this season. The 24-year-old center’s hockey career is in jeopardy. I never want to consider such doomsday scenarios. However, here we are. You can only hope for the best moving forward for Chytil. We’re talking about his livelihood.

Selected by the Rangers with the 21st pick in 2017, Chytil is in his sixth season. After posting a goal and two assists in a nine-game cameo during 2017-18, he scored double digits in goals over his first two full seasons.

Following a pair of disappointing seasons in which he posted an identical eight goals with 14 assists for 22 points, Chytil set new career highs in goals (22), assists (23), points (45), and plus/minus (15) in 2022-23. That followed up a strong 2022 postseason. He had seven goals and two assists for nine points while centering the Kid Line with fellow first round picks Alexis Lafreniere and Kaapo Kakko. They played a pivotal role in helping the Rangers reach the Eastern Conference Final.

In a first round defeat to the Devils, Chytil tallied a goal and three helpers for four points. Rewarded by the Rangers with an extension worth an average cap hit of $4.44 million through 2027, he’s in the first year of that contract. He registered six assists in 10 games before suffering a concussion on an accidental collision with Hurricanes forward Jesper Fast. Chytil is on the long-term injured reserve (LTIR).

With it looking grim, the Rangers probably should plan ahead without Chytil. After waiving Nick Bonino, they’re in the market for a third line center. Jonny Brodzinski can’t be asked to fill that role. Barclay Goodrow is the matchup center on the checking line that Rangers coach Peter Laviolette likes to use versus opponents’ top scoring lines.

It’s definitely been a tough couple of days for the organization. Bonino cleared waivers. The Rangers won’t assign him to the Harford Wolf Pack until following the All-Star break. Now, it looks like they’ll be without Chytil for the remainder of the season, including playoffs. A possibility before the latest setback.

The Rangers host the Golden Knights at 7 EST later tonight.

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Rangers to place Bonino on waivers

Posted on January 25, 2024 by Derek

On Wednesday, the Rangers recalled forward Jake Leschyshyn from the Wolf Pack. The move was one that hinted at something else happening.

A day later, Nick Bonino didn’t participate in team practice. The reason was personal. As it turned out, the Rangers are set to place Bonino on waivers.

Signed last summer by Rangers Team President and general ganager Chris Drury, the well-respected veteran pivot was reunited with coach Peter Laviolette. He also played for him with the Predators between 2017-18 and 2019-20.

Bonino was brought in to play a checking role for the Rangers. Initially, that’s how he was utilized. He anchored the fourth line between Barclay Goodrow and Jimmy Vesey. For a while, they were an effective trio who spent time in the opponents’ end while playing well defensively.

When Filip Chytil went down with a concussion on Nov. 2 that altered the lineup. Laviolette chose to have Bonino move up to center the third line. He played with Will Cuylle and Blake Wheeler. Eventually, Wheeler was moved up to the first line to play with Mika Zibanejad and Chris Kreider. Prior to getting hurt on Nov. 27, Kaapo Kakko spent some time on the third line.

After some initial success, the third line struggled to contribute offensively. Bonino was miscast in a top nine role. He didn’t have the skating or speed to make it work. Even after Jonny Brodzinski provided a spark, they weren’t doing enough to be considered a third line. The injuries to Chytil and Kakko hurt the Rangers’ scoring depth. Even with Kakko back in the lineup, the bottom six forwards remain a concern.

When the Rangers lost to the Kings on Jan. 20, Laviolette scratched Bonino. Tyler Pitlick replaced him on the fourth line. Following the game, Laviolette indicated that he liked how the trio of Goodrow, Vesey, and Pitlick played. That might’ve been a hint that something was up.

Bonino returned to the lineup the last two games. In a 3-2 overtime loss to the Sharks on Jan. 23, Bonino was on for two goals against in the third period. That included losing a faceoff – leading to Ryan Carpenter tying the game. Even though he played over 13 minutes, it was another game where he struggled.

The decision to waive Bonino wasn’t an easy one. A gritty player who led all Rangers’ forwards in blocked shots with 78, he always put in an honest effort. However, very bad puck possession metrics were hard to ignore.

“He met with Chris Drury this morning… It’s the decision that was made… I’ve worked with Nick for a quite a few years going back to Nashville. I can’t speak enough about him as a person. He’s just a good guy, a good teammate. It’s a tough day,” Laviolette told reporters following practice.

In 45 games as a Ranger, Bonino finished with one goal and four assists for five points and a minus-12 rating. He won 51.0 percent of faceoffs and served a role on the penalty kill. A good guy who’s played 868 career games, Bonino could be claimed by another team. If not, he’d be assigned to the Wolf Pack in the American Hockey League (AHL).

No matter what you thought about Bonino, it’s a tough day. Any time a high character player is told they’re no longer needed, it isn’t something to celebrate. You wouldn’t know it by some of the reactions on social media. Have a little class and respect.

As far as the lineup goes, Laviolette had Wheeler back with Zibanejad and Kreider. Kakko skated with Brodzinski and Cuylle. Filip Chytil skated in a red no-contact jersey. He subbed in on the third line. A hint that if he’s cleared to return, perhaps a Chytil, Cuylle, Kakko trio could comprise the third line. We won’t know until after the All-Star break.

As expected, Goodrow centered the checking line with Vesey and Pitlick. The Rangers should be lining up this way when they host the Golden Knights on Friday.

Kreider-Zibanejad-Wheeler

Panarin-Trocheck-Lafreniere

Cuylle-Brodzinski-Kakko

Vesey-Goodrow-Pitlick

Regarding the defense, there’ll be one change. Laviolette’s decided to split up Ryan Lindgren and Adam Fox. Instead, Erik Gustafsson will pair up with Fox. Lindgren will shift to the third pair to work with Braden Schneider.

By making this move, it appears Laviolette wants to see more puck possession from the top pair. Gustafsson certainly checks the boxes due to his skating and offensive instincts. The Rangers don’t spend enough time in opponents’ ends. Maybe they can help Zibanejad and Kreider find their game. They’re still together despite less than ideal numbers.

For now, Laviolette will keep K’Andre Miller and Jacob Trouba together. They remain the Rangers’ matchup pair that draws most of the tough assignments. Despite a noticeable dip in their play, they’re being given more time to see if they can rediscover the form that worked earlier in the season.

The Rangers play two games before the All-Star break. After hosting Vegas tomorrow night, they’ll take on the Senators on Saturday night. It’s important for them to get things moving in the right direction. We’ll see how the lineup changes go.

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Devils extend & promote Fitz, Hockey Canada scandal hits the fan with McLeod and Foote being ‘given leave’

Posted on January 24, 2024 by hasan4978

I was hoping not to have to write again before this weekend at least when the All-Star break was upon us unless some major news broke. In fact, two pieces of major news have broken in the last two days on polar opposites of the spectrum. It’s hard to even know where to begin although if I begin with the bad news first, nobody’s gonna care about the good of GM Tom Fitzgerald being extended. Plus, the news of that (conveniently) dropped yesterday before the crap hit the fan on the long-whispered about Hockey Canada juniors scandal with major implications for the Devils on the ice and several individuals off of it.

So, staying with a chronological order yesterday the Devils announced both a multi-year extension of GM Tom Fitzgerald and a new title of president of hockey operations. Clearly the team’s improvement on the ice the last two years after a 2.5 year rebuild when Fitz first took the job earned him additional job security and stature in the organization. I’m not gonna lie, haven’t even watched the presser with Fitz and co-owner David Blitzer yet although FF’ing through YouTube I noticed it began after the ten minute mark, so it’s actually twenty-four minutes long as a PSA.

From what little I have read on Twitter it doesn’t seem like anything else noteworthy or unexpected was said by either party, apart from the obligatory question on head coach Lindy Ruff where Fitz re-emphasized his belief and trust in him. There really isn’t much to say, for my criticism of Fitz not turning up until yesterday to answer the questions (and irony of ironies at this being what brings Fitz back in front of the cameras) by and large he has done a good job to this point, in spite of some more recent moves not working out as well as could be hoped for at the moment. He has earned the right to see this through a bit longer though, no beef with any of that.

Now, let’s get to the…news that I’ve alternately been wary of and yet hoping it eventually does hit the fan. Whispers started a few days ago that something might be coming down when fellow NHL players Dillon Dube and Carter Hart were both given leave of absences from their teams over the weekend, since both were among the players on the 2018 Canadian junior team that has been involved in a sexual assault scandal. We have not just one, but two such players in breakout center Mike McLeod and defenseman Cal Foote, who were both absent from a team function yesterday and practice today before an ominous Tweet confirmed what we all feared:

While officially the players haven’t been named, reports are that five players have been told to turn themselves into the London, Ontario police to be charged with sexual assault. Given that McLeod, Foote, Hart, Dube and overseas player Alex Formenton have all been put on leave by their teams in the last few days, it’s as obvious as the sun in the sky which five players have been named in these reports. Not only do I hope that these players will receive a just punishment if it’s proven they were involved in this or any other type of heinous crime, but I also hope that Hockey Canada is made to be punished for their attempts to cover it up. This alleged incident happened in 2018, and we’re only finally getting the wheels of justice going in early 2024.

I don’t even want to go through the motions of ‘innocent until proven guilty’, even though false accusations are possible and have happened before. Still, something like this which has been investigated for multiple years and now finally charged, you gotta think there’s something to it, especially with all the apparent money and time Hockey Canada spent trying to keep this scandal under wraps. As we’ve seen, there’s an ugly side of hockey culture out there that intersects with normal jockbro culture and incidents like this or the Kyle Beach scandal are a sad inevitability when you have this type of behavior covered up and dismissed for far too long. 

I don’t even want to get into semantics over which of these players were active participants, and who was merely an accessory, if anyone – to me everyone is pretty much equally culpable in this kind of thing whether you were an active participant during the assault, helped cover it up or just didn’t say anything at all. This isn’t the kind of thing where you deserve any commendation for not ratting out your friends, this is, you’re either bigger than that or practically as guilty as they are.

In terms of the Devils themselves, I don’t even want to discuss it – but you can’t sugarcoat the fact that this is going to hurt the team on the ice. Due to multiple long-term injuries on our blueline, Foote suddenly was thrust into the top six whereas odds were he was just going to be another AHL player once we signed him this offseason while McLeod was in the middle of a breakout season, one of the few guys overachieving on this Devils team. 

Of course, none of that matters in the grand scheme of things but the team isn’t going to stop playing, and at this point the Devils have to prepare as if McLeod and Foote are no longer a part of the team. Neither one is under contract after this season, so it makes it easier to move on in case of convictions – or even just a protracted trial where this is hanging over everyone’s heads until a verdict. Hopefully there is a speedy and correct resolution for all of this mess, the wait has already been too long for the victim to have her day in court.

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Laviolette needs to make changes to struggling Rangers

Posted on January 24, 2024 by Derek

One step forward. Two steps back. That sums up how the New York Rangers have been going for the last six weeks. After coming back to defeat the Anaheim Ducks on Jan. 21, they blew a two-goal lead in the third period – falling to the San Jose Sharks 3-2 in overtime on Tuesday night in San Jose.

It concluded a disappointing 1-2-1 road trip. The only win came thanks to a third period rally over the Ducks. In the three losses, the Rangers scored only four goals. They opened the four-game road trip with a 5-1 loss to the Vegas Golden Knights. Then, they were defeated 2-1 by the Los Angeles Kings. Aside from a four goal barrage against the Ducks, the Rangers’ offense was underwhelming.

The continued over reliance on the Artemi Panarin, Vincent Trocheck, Alexis Lafreniere line at even strength isn’t enough to win consistently. Neither is throwing their eggs all in one basket when it comes to the first power play unit that features Panarin, Trocheck, Mika Zibanejad, Chris Kreider, and Adam Fox.

Although they scored twice against Anaheim, the power play has become stale. They went 0-for-3 against the Sharks last night. That included a man-advantage late in regulation with the game tied at two. The Rangers failed to register a shot. It was mostly the top unit that failed to capitalize on a penalty Jimmy Vesey drew with under six minutes left in regulation. There was too much passing and not enough shooting. The same problems that plagued the power play last season.

When opponents know what’s coming, it makes it easier to defend against the Rangers’ five-on-four. The biggest difference is Panarin’s willingness to take open shots. His nine power-play goals are tied with both Kreider and Trocheck for the team lead. However, there’s still too many instances when they tend to force passes across for Zibanejad in the left dot. With four right-handed shots, they can get predictable.

It doesn’t help matters that Zibanejad can’t seem to hit the net. His struggles are hurting the team. For the season, he has 15 goals in 46 games. The breakdown is seven at even strength, seven on the power play, and one shorthanded. That he has such a low number when the Rangers play at even strength is a big concern. Zibanejad needs to do a better job at five-on-five. He’s counted on for production. Unless something is wrong, it doesn’t make sense that he’s not scoring goals.

Throughout the season, Rangers coach Peter Laviolette has stuck with his line combinations. It’s only during games that he’ll occasionally adjust the lines if things aren’t going well. Still without Filip Chytil (concussion), who’s set to return to New York after progressing back home in the Czech Republic, the Rangers have had less offense from the third and fourth lines. It’s challenging to score goals when Nick Bonino is playing mostly as the third center while Jonny Brodzinski is anchoring the fourth line.

Laviolette prefers to use Bonino’s line for matchups against opponents’ best scoring units. It’s usually Bonino between Barclay Goodrow and Vesey. However, Laviolette tried Tyler Pitlick in place of Bonino against the Kings.

Brodzinski plays with Will Cuylle and Blake Wheeler. They’re really supposed to be the third line, but that’s not how they’re used. The trio were effective in the win over the Ducks thanks to their willingness to create chances off the forecheck. Cuylle had a big game-tying goal on a deflection of a Jacob Trouba shot. He plays with lots of energy and physicality. Something the Rangers need more of in an otherwise vanilla lineup. There isn’t enough size or grit. That makes them vulnerable against tougher opponents.

After making an impact on Sunday night with his eighth goal and drawing a penalty that led to Panarin’s game-winner, Cuylle only received 11 shifts and 9:52 of ice time against the Sharks. Make it make sense. He’s a player who consistently plays hard. Cuylle isn’t shy about throwing his weight around. He leads the Rangers in hits with 125, which also paces all NHL rookies this season. He’s a player who plays aggressively on the forecheck and makes things happen. Why isn’t he playing more? That’s best left for the coach to explain.

At one point, Cuylle was part of the second power play unit. He was a good fit due to his willingness to crash the net. If he’s open, he’ll take the shot. Why should Wheeler play over him? He’s clearly at the end of his career. That isn’t a critique. He plays an honest game. But the wheels aren’t there anymore. Wheeler should just be used at even strength as a role player.

There’s also the question of why won’t Laviolette consider changing the power play. Zibanejad isn’t getting it done. How about making a switch. Move Lafreniere onto the first unit. He supplies more grit and is another lefty shot who can one-time the puck from the right side. It would be a new wrinkle for opponents to deal with.

Move Zibanejad down to the second unit. It could provide better balance. They’re not used enough. Perhaps it could provide a spark for Zibanejad, who at times tends to overthink things. Erik Gustafsson stays on the point. Keep Brodzinski on it. Kaapo Kakko and Cuylle would fill it out. Featuring Zibanejad would mean not having the top unit out for so long. They overstay their shifts. A similar issue they had under former coach Gerard Gallant.

While it’s easy to point out most of the success for the Rangers’ second ranked power play (28.1 percent) is due to the established stars, they haven’t been as effective lately. It can’t always be the same players doing most of the heavy lifting. There needs to be a better balance. There’s enough time left in the season to fix it. The Rangers can’t succeed unless the scoring depth improves.

There’s also the defense. It’s easy to see that K’Andre Miller hasn’t been the same player since the New Year. He’s committed too many mistakes and been caught on for goals against. He and Trouba have had their games slip. Trouba had a brutal night at San Jose. He turned over pucks and was bailed out by Igor Shesterkin.

Maybe Laviolette should consider altering his defensive pairs. Fox and Ryan Lindgren haven’t been consistent either. It might not hurt to try splitting the top four up. Gustafsson had a bad giveaway that led to a Nico Sturm goal early in the third period last night. The Sharks tied the game when one-time Ranger Ryan Carpenter tipped in a Jan Rutta shit off a faceoff.

Gustafsson has good possession numbers. However, he’s had a few hiccups recently. If he’s banged up, then they should sit him. Zac Jones can step in and play on the third pair with Braden Schneider. Jones can also fill in on the second power play unit.

There’s only two games left before the All-Star break. The Rangers host the Golden Knights this Friday, Jan. 26. They then visit the Ottawa Senators on Saturday, Jan. 27. Their next game won’t be until Feb. 5 versus the Colorado Avalanche.

It’s time for Laviolette to make some adjustments to his struggling team.

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Cuylle Sparks Rangers in Comeback win over Ducks

Posted on January 22, 2024 by Derek

On a night that they fell behind by two goals in the first period, the Rangers rallied back for a 5-2 win over the Ducks in Anaheim. The victory halted a two-game skid that could’ve been more.

Usually, most of the accolades go to the team’s established stars. While they did receive power-play goals from Vincent Trocheck and Artemi Panarin, whose team-leading 28th proved to be the game-winner with less than six minutes remaining in the third period, it was the gritty play of Will Cuylle who provided the spark for the Rangers’ comeback win.

Even though they held a huge edge in attempts (79-36), the Rangers had issues getting shots through on Ducks’ backup goalie Lukas Dostal for the first two periods. Despite controlling most of the play, they only led 18-10 in shots after 40 minutes. They were able to change that in a strong final period that saw them outscore the Ducks four-zip and out-shoot them 15-8 to get a much needed victory.

None of it would’ve been possible without the determination of Cuylle, who got rewarded for his hustle. With the Rangers still trailing the Ducks 2-1 with less than 10 minutes to play, a good forechecking shift from Cuylle, Jonny Brodzinski, and Blake Wheeler led to Cuylle tying the game.

Cuylle was parked in front of Dostal when Jacob Trouba took a shot from the right point that Cuylle tipped in for the game-tying goal with 9:50 remaining in regulation. His eighth goal of the season was a critical one for a team that had lost six of their last eight games. They desperately needed a win against an inferior opponent that is one of the league’s worst teams.

“He was excellent all night,” Rangers coach Peter Laviolette told reporters following the game. “He’s moving his feet, he’s physical, he’s around the net, he’s getting to the net. We haven’t had enough of that presence around the net, so it’s been a topic of conversation. He’s battling all the time to get in there. He’s willing to pay the price to get there.”

It was also Cuylle’s hustle that drew a Mason McTavish tripping minor with under six minutes to go in a tie game. He drove to the net and was taken down. That led directly to Panarin, scoring the game deciding goal on the power play with 5:37 left in the contest.

After going 0 for 2 on the man-advantage, the Rangers got back in the game when Trocheck finished off a Chris Kreider pass in front to cut the Ducks’ lead to one with 2:02 left in the second period. The goal was set up by a smart dump in from Adam Fox. He sent a bank pass off the back boards that came right to Kreider, who fed Trocheck for the momentum turning power-play goal. Fox made a good read to get the Rangers back in it.

On their next five-on-four, it was again the combination of Kreider and Fox that netted positive results. After he received a pass up top, Fox found a wide open Panarin for a quick one-timer that gave the Rangers the lead. He snuck around the net to escape the Ducks’ penalty killers. That allowed Panarin enough room to score the go-ahead goal.

Less than two minutes later, Kreider took a Mika Zibanejad feed and steered in his own rebound past Dostal to make it 4-2. That was enough to get the victory. It came at a good time. Both the Flyers and Hurricanes lost on Sunday. The Rangers now have 60 points. That’s four more than the Flyers and five ahead of the Canes.

Jimmy Vesey added an empty netter with less than a minute left. It was his first goal since Jan. 4.

The Rangers scored five unanswered goals to earn the win. Igor Shesterkin (16 saves on 18 shots) wasn’t too busy. It was his 19th victory of the season.

The Ducks got a pair of Henrique goals in the first period to take a 2-0 lead. On the first one before a minute had gone by, K’Andre Miller got victimized when he was overaggressive on Troy Terry. That allowed Terry to slide the puck down to Leo Carlsson, who then found Henrique in front for his first goal of the game.

Henrique added his second when a Terry shot went off of Ryan Lindgren for a rebound that the former Devil squeezed in to give the Ducks a two-goal lead.

Before Cuylle tied the game in the third period, the Ducks had a McTavish goal overturned due to a successful coach’s challenge by Laviolette for offside. Had it counted, the Rangers would’ve been down 3-1 with less than 15 minutes remaining.

It’s a good thing they were successful. Alexis Lafreniere didn’t pick up McTavish on a rebound in front. Lafreniere has to do a better job defensively. Especially when he’s not scoring.

Erik Gustafsson returned after missing the last game. He played 15:55 while partnering with Braden Schneider. Zac Jones was a healthy scratch. Laviolette reinserted Nick Bonino for Tyler Pitlick.

Kaapo Kakko missed a few shifts in the second period, with Laviolette searching for offense. He only played 8:08. Kakko must get more ice time than that regardless of the game situation.

The Rangers conclude the four-game road trip when they visit the woeful Sharks on Tuesday night, Jan. 23. They can salvage a split after looking like they might fall to 0-3 before the furious third period rally against the Ducks last night.

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