Hughes making an early case for the Hart after putting on a show in Belmont

Posted on October 20, 2023 by hasan4978

Right now it’s a good news, bad news situation for the Devils. The bad news is they’re basically a three-man team – the good news is those three players are REALLY good. I’m talking of course about defensive triggerman Dougie Hamilton (three goals through four games including a big PP goal late in the first period tonight to break the lock Ilya Sorokin put on the Islanders’ goal), Jesper Bratt who’s off to a flying start with eight points in his first four games including three assists tonight, and of course Jack Hughes who’s already making an early case to be the Hart frontrunner with no fewer than ten points in his first four games, capped off by tonight’s OT winner in a wild 5-4 showdown.

Individual brilliance, and the Devils’ ridiculous effectiveness on the PP (all four regulation goals came with the man advantage) are glossing over our issues right now, and they’re a plenty. Lack of secondary scoring for one, not to mention injuries starting to creep in with Erik Haula already out for tonight’s game and captain Nico Hischier getting knocked out after two periods tonight, forcing Mike McLeod to play major minutes in the third. To be fair, the Devils did play better tonight than in the first three games in spite of the injuries – and in spite of getting outscored 4-0 with at least five Islander skaters on the ice but a familiar bugaboo came back to bite the Devils early and often – goaltending.

Yes it’s early in the season but it’s mildly concerning we’ve had back to back clunkers from Vitek Vanecek on Monday against Florida and now Akira Schmid tonight in Belmont. To be fair, I saw very little of Monday’s game but from all accounts Vitek gave up at least a couple of clunkers in that game and almost every goal Schmid gave up tonight looked like a clunker. They aren’t exactly proving GM Tom Fitzgerald wrong so far in kicking the tires on potential goaltending improvements this offseason. Of course, one of them is off the board at the moment with Connor Hellebuyck re-upping in Winnipeg as they double down on a mediocre team.

I do think we’ll see better from both Vitek and Schmid, closer to the first two games of the season than the last two. I was out for most of Monday’s game, the first time I even looked at a score it was 3-0 Florida after two periods. I sighed and didn’t turn it on until our third-period junktime surge turned serious as the Devils nearly tied the game after going down 4-0, finally coming up short in a 4-3 defeat. At least you felt maybe the spigot on our offense would finally start to flow after that late surge – of course the NHL being what the NHL is, somehow we went from having three games in four days to having one game over the next eight days (tonight).

If nothing else, you can’t really accuse the Devils of being boring this season. I actually kind of wanted to go tonight to check out the Islanders’ new arena, but you pretty much have to drive there and pre-purchase a parking spot. Or spend over an hour on trains (after driving a half hour to South Orange to take the train into Penn Station in the first place) with two connections before going on a shuttle or walking to the arena from the LIRR stop. I did figure out that I’d probably be getting home after 12:30 if I had gone the train route and who the heck knows about driving – allegedly it’s slightly over an hour from my location but again, that’s not accounting for finding parking on the way in or traffic on the way out. All told it probably would have cost close to $100 adding in the cheapest game ticket possible, with inconvenient travel and given all the Devils games I already go to that’s not really appealing.

Entertainment wise it might have been worth it on the one hand, given how crazy the game turned out to be. We outshot the Isles 13-8 and outplayed them in the first period but Schmid gave up the first of his bad goals when Brock Nelson picked a corner after getting a far side shot in transition. Shockingly a power play that scored four goals on the night actually fired blanks on their first man advantage – but Dougie took it upon himself to get the Devils off the schneid with five shots on net in the opening twenty minutes, culminating in one of his patented bombs for a power play goal in the final minute of the period.

It should be said it was a nice play by Timo Meier to enter the zone and get the puck to Dougie, this after a poor start to the season and multiple bad penalties on Monday led to him being benched for most of the third period. It probably helped that he was finally put back on the right wing after playing left wing early, and it was nice to see him get on the scoreboard – hopefully the goals will come soon. Just ask Tyler Toffoli, who finally opened his account in New Jersey with another power play goal a mere twenty-one seconds into the second period on a wrister through traffic after Jack made a nice zone entry and laid the puck off to Toffoli in shooting range.

Unfortunately it was Nelson who struck again less than two minutes later, this time taking advantage of some brutal Devils defending with Brendan Smith losing his stick and Luke Hughes turning the puck over in the defensive zone both contributing to a one-on-one situation giving Nelson time and space to beat Schmid five-hole. Almost as quickly as Nelson scored to tie the game, Luke would atone for his mistake on yet another Devils power play ripping home a slapper off a primary assist from big bro to get the lead back. All three goals came in the first 2:37 of the period and chaos was reigning supreme. Shockingly, over three minutes went by before the next goal – another hideous clunker by Schmid, who got beat by Horvat at literally a ninety-degree angle, if not a touch behind the goalline. It’s a one-timer you’d only see scored in the video game NHL94. Unfortunately, that real-life goal tied the game again.

Despite the NHL’s best efforts to game manage temporarily avoiding giving the Islanders a fifth straight man disadvantage by hitting up Timo with a phantom roughing retaliation in the second period, the Devils’ power play wouldn’t be denied for long. Our fifth man advantage of the night early in the third period saw our fourth goal scored, when a Jack tip-in put New Jersey back in front and gave the ‘elder’ Hughes his third point of the night. After everything that already happened, it seemed inevitable when the Islanders tied the game on an empty net situation with just 1:11 remaining. Giving the Isles a point might be annoying down the road, but for the moment it just served to set up the even more dramatic winner from Jack in OT, ending a wild night on the island.

With the game in hand concern turned to the update on Nico’s injury, which of course was not much of an update with it being termed an upper body injury and ‘we’ll see how he feels tomorrow’. At least the long breaks this week will help in managing our early-season injuries (which include defenseman Colin Miller getting injured despite not playing yet in the regular season).

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Lackadaisical Rangers get thoroughly outclassed by Predators in ugly loss

Posted on October 20, 2023 by Derek

The Rangers suffered a disappointing 4-1 loss to the Predators on Thursday night at MSG. They were thoroughly outclassed by a defensive minded opponent who took time and space away throughout the game.

Instead of building on a good home opener in which they defeated the Coyotes on Monday (Oct. 16), the Rangers couldn’t muster much against the Predators. They had some costly turnovers and mistakes in coverage that led to goals against.

Even Igor Shesterkin couldn’t bail them out. His fourth straight start ended with a mercy pull by coach Peter Laviolette after Predators forward Filip Forsberg beat him with a slap shot on the power play. He allowed four goals on 19 shots in 33:51 before Jonathan Quick replaced him with 6:09 remaining in the second period.

Costly Mistakes Hurt Rangers

For at least the first part of the opening period, the Rangers and Predators were scoreless. However, costly mistakes were the Rangers’ undoing. Unable to get out of their own way, they put themselves in an early hole.

On the Predators’ first goal, Tyson Barrie tipped a reverse pass up top for a Michael McCarron shot that Shesterkin left a rebound on. With Braden Schneider covering one man in front, defense partner Erik Gustafsson was too late to pick up Cole Smith. He was able to put in the rebound for his first goal of the game.

Coincidentally, the Rangers had a power play opportunity with Smith off for interference with Adam Fox. Instead of tying the score or even gaining some momentum from it, a self-inflicted wound allowed Smith to come out of the penalty box and score an unassisted breakaway goal to put the Predators ahead 2-0.

K’Andre Miller tried a low percentage saucer pass for Gustafsson at the point with the power play close to expiring. Unable to handle the hard pass, Gustafsson could only watch as Smith came in and beat Shesterkin for his second goal in 4:58.

Making matters worse, the backbreaking goal came with less than four minutes left in a lackluster period that saw the Rangers held to a paltry five shots-on-goal. The Predators squeezed the life out of them. A theme that continued the rest of the night.

The mistakes continued during the second period. With Fox off for his second hooking minor of the game, Predators center Ryan O’Reilly won a key offensive draw from Vincent Trocheck. He then was left wide open in the slot by Trocheck for a one-timer past Shesterkin for a power play goal. That put the Predators ahead by three.

Trailing by three, the Rangers didn’t make it any easier on Shesterkin. Another unforced error allowed Jusso Parssinen to come in on a breakaway. But Shesterkin was patient enough to shut down Parssinen’s backhand attempt to keep the Rangers within three.

Despite the clutch Shesterkin save, the Blueshirts kept shooting themselves in the foot. Artemi Panarin was sent off for high-sticking. He could only watch as Filip Forsberg was given too much space by the penalty kill. Eventually, he loaded up from the right circle and fired a laser by Shesterkin to end his night. It was the second power play goal allowed by the Rangers.

Predators Penalties Give the Rangers Life

With not much happening, the Rangers got some help from the Predators late in the second period. After Gustafsson was tripped up by Parssinen to put them on a power play, O’Reilly took down Trocheck to give the Rangers a five-on-three with 75 seconds left.

Following Mika Zibanejad missing the net on a one-timer and Trocheck missing an empty net, Fox had his centering pass for Chris Kreider bank off of Ryan McDonagh for a power play goal that cut the deficit to 4-1 with 42 seconds left in the period. On the remainder of the five-on-four, the Rangers couldn’t get any closer.

Unlucky Breaks Prove It’s not The Rangers’ Night

In the third period, the Rangers came close to making it interesting. On another power play drawn by Zibanejad, Panarin had a wrist shot hit the crossbar. Nashville goalie Juuse Saros then stopped Zibanejad. At least Panarin thought shot. He was one of the only bright spots in the defeat. He was credited with four shots and 10 attempts. Unfortunately, that included the crossbar.

With 8:05 remaining, the Rangers thought they had their second goal of the game. However, the zone entry by Panarin clearly showed that Will Cuylle couldn’t stay onside. Had he been able to hold the line, Trocheck would’ve had a goal where the puck bounced off him after a Saros poke check. Predators coach Andrew Brunette successfully challenged for offside.

There have only been four games played. So far, the Rangers have had four goals overturned on coach’s challenges. They’ve been unlucky in that department. However, all four reversals were the correct call. Hopefully, that changes in the Rangers’ favor when they embark on a tough Western road swing with stops at Seattle, Calgary, Edmonton, and Vancouver. They then will conclude the five-game road trip at Winnipeg.

Perhaps getting away can help them. They’re still figuring things out. Some team bonding could allow the players to get closer together. Playing away from New York City is one less distraction. After earning a hard fought one-goal victory over Arizona, they heard jeers in just their second home game. The fans can grow a bit impatient.

With the first game of the trip on Saturday night in Seattle, it’ll allow the Rangers to refocus. They know they weren’t good enough last night. Jacob Trouba emphasized why they didn’t deserve to win.

There won’t be any disagreement with what Trouba said. The Rangers were a step slow and ineffective. There were too many passengers. They got what they deserved.

It falls on the players to play with more consistency. Rangers coach Peter Laviolette will be looking for a much better effort starting on Saturday night.

“It’s frustrating and disappointing. Our speed was off. We’re talking about playing faster. And I thought we got away from ourselves with puck decisions,” Laviolette told reporters.

More will be expected the rest of the season. The Rangers can start by giving a better effort when they take on the Kraken. It’ll be important for them to set the tone. We’ll see how they respond.

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Shesterkin’s clutch save on Zucker penalty shot lifts the Rangers to win over pesky Coyotes in home opener

Posted on October 17, 2023 by Derek

The Rangers played their third game of the season tonight against the Coyotes before a capacity crowd at MSG. Thanks to some heroics from Igor Shesterkin, they won a tense home opener over the Coyotes 2-1.

In an entertaining game that had plenty of emotion during play, it came down to a penalty shot between Coyotes forward Jason Zucker and Shesterkin with 4:48 left. At the time, the Rangers were protecting a one-goal lead thanks to a Vincent Trocheck power play goal that came earlier in the third period.

They had locked down the neutral zone after Trocheck’s redirect of an Artemi Panarin shot with 11:34 remaining. A goal originally credited to Panarin was correctly changed to Trocheck after a conclusive MSG replay showed that he got a piece of it after it went off Arizona defenseman Travis Dermott.

On the key sequence that led to Zucker getting behind the defense that forced Barclay Goodrow to hook him from behind, a turnover by Nick Bonino forced the Rangers’ best player to stand tall under the bright lights. With the crowd serenading him with familiar “Ig-or, Ig-or” chants, Shesterkin patiently waited for Zucker to shoot for the short side and calmly made a right pad save to deny the former Pen from tying the game.

No save was bigger. For the game, Shesterkin made 26 saves on 27 shots to earn the victory. He was awarded the game’s first star by the media. Not only was he good when his team needed him to be. But he even got involved in a melee at the buzzer.

Coyotes forward Barrett Hayton went after Ryan Lindgren after a face-off that led to chaos. Shesterkin was right in the middle of it before the refs broke it up. Fifty-eight penalty minutes were assessed to the participants. It could’ve been worse. Luckily, no real punches were thrown. Shesterkin escaped unharmed. The last thing the Rangers need is for him to take such a risk. They can’t afford to lose Shesterkin at any point. He’s a great teammate who had Lindgren’s back.

Lindgren became a target for the ‘Yotes most of the game. When they introduced the players during the pregame festivities, Lindgren got a loud ovation from an appreciative crowd. They know how valuable he is to the Rangers. Without him, they struggled in a loss to the Blue Jackets. It’s important for the warrior known as Lindy to stay healthy. He’s the glue of the team.

The reason the Coyotes went after him was due to an undetected high elbow that caught a player in front of the benches. Lindgren was fortunate not to get caught. That didn’t stop the Coyotes from taking liberties with him. Earlier in the game, he was hobbled after absorbing a tough hit. But being who he is, Lindgren returned to the game without any trouble.

On an emotional night, he did something out of character that put the Rangers down two men late in the second period. After Alexis Lafreniere got the original call for slashing Nick Schmaltz, Lindgren got an unsportsmanlike conduct minor for firing a puck in the direction of the officials. Frustration boiled over due to a Shesterkin outlet for a potential Panarin breakaway being accidentally foiled by referee Kelly Sutherland. Panarin banged into Sutherland, ruining a big moment. Afterward, he apologized to Panarin.

With the crowd booing, the Coyotes suddenly had a full five-on-three in a tie game. They’d controlled most of the play in the second period. However, the Rangers’ three penalty killers delivered. Peter Laviolette went with defensemen Jacob Trouba and K’Andre Miller while Goodrow and then Nick Bonino were the forwards.

Shesterkin made a crucial stop on Sean Durzi. He’d also get some help from the goalpost on a Schmaltz one-timer. Shesterkin stopped Clayton Keller. Trouba blocked a Durzi shot and cleared the puck down to end the second period to cheers.

The Rangers killed the remaining 41 seconds at the start of the third period. Shesterkin made a save on a Keller shot after it expired.

If both Lindgren and Trouba were particularly good defensively, then the gritty play of a determined Bonino was instrumental. He was brought in for exactly this kind of game. Bonino was a factor defensively. He blocked three shots and went 4-and-1 on face-offs in 10:45. That included 2:46 shorthanded. He was even used by Peter Laviolette for a late defensive shift. The coach went with his best two defensive centers, even having Trocheck take a defensive draw while Mika Zibanejad was on for the same shift. That led to them killing some of the clock.

Arizona entered Monday night off a shootout win over the Devils last Friday. Rookie Logan Cooley showed flashes of why he’s considered one of the top rookies to watch. His skating and game-breaking speed were a factor during some shifts. He picked up an assist on a tying power play goal from Keller in the second. He also turned K’Andre Miller into a statue to break in and force Shesterkin to make a point blank save in the third with the game still tied. He’s going to be a good player.

The storyline of Cooley and Will Cuylle was fun. As predicted, Sam Rosen and Joe Micheletti cracked a few jokes during the broadcast about both rookies. Their names are pronounced similarly. While big things are expected for the Coyotes first-year player, the Rangers have to be pleased with what they’ve seen from Cuylle. He continues to get involved. He nearly had Trocheck for a goal in the second. But Trocheck hit the outside of the post.

MSG public address announcer Joe Tolleson introduced everyone who was part of the Rangers organization. There was a moment when you thought he’d announce the ushers and concession workers. The highlight was goalie coach Benoit Allaire responding to well-deserved cheers by smiling and waving to the fans.

After John Brancy belted out a nice rendition of the national anthem, hockey was played at 33rd and Seventh. Both teams started well. Shesterkin made an early stop on Hayton. Then, Coyotes backup Connor Ingram shut the door on Panarin from the left circle. On a good offensive shift from new alternate captain Adam Fox, the top line came close. But Kaapo Kakko’s backhand was denied by Ingram, who, like most backup goalies, played well against the Rangers.

For most of the opening frame, the game was played on even terms. However, a Coyotes mistake led directly to the first goal. On an aggressive pinch from Travis Dermott, Miller moved the puck past him up for Kakko. He then sent Zibanejad on a two-on-one, where he easily passed across for a Chris Kreider finish with 5:49 left. It was his team-leading fourth and first at even strength. Kreider and Zibanejad should form their own company. That’s how good they play together.

Immediately after the goal, Trocheck got his usual penalty out of the way by interfering with Cooley. After a couple of Shesterkin saves, Matias Maccelli evened it up when he slashed Bonino. The teams played four aside before an abbreviated Rangers power play didn’t get much done. Laviolette tried Kakko and Filip Chytil with Trocheck, Panarin, and Fox. That was a different wrinkle. It looks like he’s more open to giving the younger players a chance.

Late in the period, Blake Wheeler actually made himself noticeable by nearly slipping a stuff-in attempt around the net past Ingram. But he kept it out.

After outshooting the Coyotes 13-10, the Blueshirts were their own worst enemy in an uneven second period. After a few misses that included Cuylle for Trocheck off the outside of the post, Braden Schneider took a bad penalty for holding Cooley. He was caught flat-footed and grabbed the rookie.

For most of the Arizona man-advantage, the Rangers’ penalty kill did a good job limiting them. However, a good keep in by Sean Durzi resulted in a nice passing play started by Cooley over to Schmaltz, who found Keller in the right circle for a one-timer that beat Shesterkin at exactly five minutes. The Coyotes showed some poise with the puck. That’s what led to the tying goal.

Following Travis Boyd clanking the goalpost, Miller had a nightmare defensive shift. After a giveaway, he then stopped skating and held Jack McBain to give the Coyotes a second straight power play. Fortunately, a strong penalty kill got the job done. Bonino had a diving block during it. That’s how he plays the game. It’s why he’s won before.

The penalties hurt the Rangers. They had no shots up to that point and were outplayed by the ‘Yotes. However, they did earn a power play when Dermott held Trouba’s stick. They created three scoring chances. Following a heavy Zibanejad one-timer hitting the far post, he had a shot deflected by Trocheck that Ingram made a good save on. He also stopped Panarin.

With the contest tied, Cooley then made a strong rush and moved around Miller to get in on Shesterkin. But he made the big kick save to keep it even. For the period, he made eight saves. The Coyotes held a 9-4 edge in shots.

During a shift, Lindgren got away with an elbow on a Coyotes player. A scrum involving Lafreniere and Liam O’Brien ensued. It’s a good thing no punches were thrown. O’Brien is one tough customer.

Then, an aggressive Shesterkin tried to catch the Coyotes in a line change. His lead pass for Panarin looked like it would become either a breakaway or two-on-one. Instead, Panarin was mystified when he banged into Sutherland, who couldn’t avoid the collision. Sutherland felt the wrath of the Garden. While that went on, Lafreniere took an undisciplined slashing minor on Schmaltz. He didn’t have a particularly good game.

What made it worse was Lindgren losing his cool by getting the unsportsmanlike conduct to make it a full five-on-three for Arizona with 1:19 left in the second. But with the crowd fired up, the Rangers responded by getting a couple of saves from Shesterkin. The work from Miller and Trouba was outstanding. Goodrow cleared a puck, allowing Bonino to hop on. That was the turning point.

Once they killed the remainder, it felt like they’d find a way to win. One thing that didn’t make sense was Coyotes coach Andre Tourigny opting not to use Cooley on that five-on-three. He went mostly with shots, which got predictable.

Matt Dumba cross-checked Lindgren to put the Rangers on the power play. After Ingram got across to rob Zibanejad on his deadly one-timer, Panarin decided to take the shot from the left circle. The puck went off Stecher, and then Trocheck managed to tip it in past Ingram with 11:34 remaining to give the Rangers a 2-1 lead.

Shesterkin made it hold up. He stopped all eight Coyotes shots in the third. None were bigger than the Zucker penalty shot. He wasn’t about to allow a goal in that spot. Shesterkin is now a perfect four for four on penalty shots in his career.

The Coyotes lifted Ingram with over a minute to go. It almost led to an empty netter. But the ‘Yotes recovered in the nick of time. Keller came close by throwing a puck towards the front. But it never reached the net. Interestingly, Cooley wasn’t used on the six-on-five. The Rangers didn’t mind.

A phantom icing was called just as the buzzer sounded. It looked like the Coyotes player stopped skating. The game probably was over. Instead, they went to review it and put 0.5 seconds back on. It didn’t make sense. What followed was predictable. Knowing it was over, Hayton went after Lindgren. It turned ugly fast. Luckily, no one got hurt. The teams don’t meet again until March 30, 2024.

THREE STARS OF THE GAME

3rd Star ✨️ Connor Ingram, ARI 26 saves on 28 shots

2nd Star ✨️ Vincent Trocheck, NYR scored game-winning power play goal at 8:26 of the third period, strong defensively in 17:09

1st Star ✨️ Igor Shesterkin, NYR 26 saves on 27 shots, including the penalty shot stop on Jason Zucker with 4:48 remaining

The Rangers have the next two days off. They host the Predators on Thursday at 7 EST.

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Hard Hits: Matthews and Leafs off and running, Bedard living up to the hype, Hockey Lifer Stan Fischler

Posted on October 16, 2023 by Derek

It’s only been the first week of hockey. Auston Matthews already decided to remind everyone how special he is. The superstar led the Maple Leafs to two wins on home ice. He recorded hat tricks in both games to highlight a good weekend for Toronto.

The former Hart winner looks like he’s on a mission to prove the doubters wrong. It’s an important season for the Leafs. William Nylander is in the last year of his contract. If they’re finally going to make it work with a strong core that includes Mitch Marner, Matthews, Nylander, Morgan Rielly, and John Tavares, there’s no time like the present. It’s Stanley Cup or bust.

In their two victories over the Canadiens and Wild, they scored a dozen goals. Matthews accounted for half. At 26, the former 2016 top pick already has over 300 goals. He’s up to 305 with 80 games left in the new season. A two-time Rocket Richard winner who’s hit 40 or more goals in five of seven years, the San Ramon, California native could one day set the new record for most goals by an American born player. He’s currently ranks 25th, trailing Blake Wheeler by seven goals. He’ll soon pass him and keep moving up a list that includes all-time leader Mike Modano (561) and unsigned free agent Patrick Kane (451).

For Matthews, it’s all about redemption. Although he played a big role in helping the Leafs finally advance out of the first round over the Lightning, he wasn’t good enough in the second round against the Panthers. After tallying five goals and four assists versus Tampa, he was held without a goal, and only two assists versus Florida. He wasn’t alone either. Marner had just three points while first round hero Tavares went without a goal and a single helper. Nylander had two goals and an assist in the second round.

By adding gritty forwards Tyler Bertuzzi and Max Domi, the Leafs should be more balanced. Each will contribute offensively while mixing it up. Speaking of that, newcomer Ryan Reaves hasn’t been shy about dropping the gloves. He has fought in both games. First, against Habs behemoth Arber Xhekaj. Then, against Wild tough guy Marcus Foligno. The energetic Reaves has provided spunk to a team that needs it.

Their next game is Monday night when Connor Bedard gets his first taste of playing in front of the passionate Leafs fanatics. So far, the Blackhawks have been competitive. The 18-year-old phenom has a goal and two assists in three games. He’s shown signs of brilliance. In a loss at Boston, Bedard easily could’ve had two or three goals instead of just the first of his career. He was dangerous during most shifts.

The slick moving center with an array of moves that include dangles and changing the shooting angle on goalies looks to be the real deal. He’s had no problem getting off his quick release. Bedard has 16 shots-on-goal to lead all rookies. His vision is superb. He’s excellent at reading the play. He knows when to shoot or pass. It won’t be long before he has a breakthrough.

If Bedard looks to be living up to the hype, we’re also keeping an eye on Coyotes freshman Logan Cooley. In his NHL debut, he recorded two assists in a 4-3 shootout win over the Devils.

Selected by the ‘Yotes third in 2022, the 19-year-old center looks like he’ll have something to say about the Calder race. After spending one year at the University of Minnesota, the former Team USA standout is being counted on by coach Andre Tourigny for top minutes. Cooley will make his MSG debut against the Rangers on Monday night.

How much fun will long-time Rangers TV voice Sam Rosen have with calling both Cooley and Blueshirt rookie Will Cuylle [Cool-ye]? He and Joe Micheletti will be sure to crack a few jokes during the broadcast. How many times will Rosen confuse the two? The over/under is five.

Rosen is in his 40th season as the play-by-play man of the Blueshirts. He started in 1984 while being mentored by legendary voice Jim Gordon. Rosen hosted in the studio starting in 1982 before replacing Gordon in the booth. After originally teaming up with Phil Esposito, who eventually took over GM duties during 1986-87, Rosen formed a dynamic duo with former Rangers goalie John Davidson. They spent two decades partnering while having great chemistry. The good-natured relationship made them a must listen for Rangers fans.

Since Davidson left MSG Network following the club’s return to the playoffs in 2005-06, Rosen has teamed with Micheletti. Astonishingly, it’s their 17th season together. With Rosen now 76, it remains to be seen how much longer he plans to call games. The recipient of the Foster Hewitt Memorial Award was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2016. He’s currently the longest tenured active broadcaster in the NHL.

It’s a pity that hockey historian Stan Fischler still hasn’t been recognized by the selection committee in Toronto. He’s been involved with hockey for over seven decades. The affable man with a keen sense of humor has been a broadcaster, author, and fixture. He’s responsible for many former interns graduating to careers in the industry. As a former intern who once worked as a statistical researcher for ESPN, I’m thankful for my time with the Maven.

A true gentleman whose stories date back to the Original Six. Even at 91, he’s still involved with the sport publishing The Fischler Report as part of The Hockey News. The dedication he’s had is what makes him a legend.

Even during tough times living with his family in Israel, he still finds a way to keep things light. If you haven’t read last week’s column, please do so. The first part really puts things in perspective. Every day we get is precious. Enjoy it.

The Battle of Hudson sends our best wishes to Fischler and the many innocent families who live in Israel and Palestine. My hope is that good will prevail over evil. Let there be peace in the Middle East.

For more posts from The Battle Of Hudson, please subscribe via email below.

Thank you for reading.

Derek Felix can be followed on Twitter at NewYorkPuck. His email is kovy274hart@yahoo.com.

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Rangers fall flat in loss to Blue Jackets, second period proves costly

Posted on October 15, 2023 by Derek

What started out promising didn’t last long. In a game that included three overturned goals, the Rangers fell flat in a 5-3 loss to the Blue Jackets at Columbus.

Ultimately, a poor second period proved costly. It was eerily reminiscent of last season. One of the bugaboos was the failure to show up in second periods. This time, Peter Laviolette got to see it up close from the bench. It was a big difference from two nights ago.

Facing an opponent that isn’t expected to challenge for the postseason, the Rangers melted down. It wasn’t so much a loss of discipline. Rather, the attention to detail was the issue. There were far too many instances where the forwards didn’t make the right play. They were guilty of sloppy turnovers that led to Columbus scoring chances and goals.

The poor stretch in the middle stanza offset a dominant third period that saw Laviolette double shift Artemi Panarin while benching an ineffective Blake Wheeler. They had full control of the final period, even getting the first 16 shots. However, they only scored once on reliever Spencer Martin before Justin Danforth put it away on a two-on-one.

If there was a bright spot, it was the active play of rookie Will Cuylle. He was a constant during shifts by continuing to make things happen. The hard work paid off when he scored his first career NHL goal to cut the Rangers’ deficit to two with 9:07 left.

Laviolette rewarded Cuylle by continuing to get him out for shifts with Vincent Trocheck and Panarin, who replaced Wheeler. The former Jet was put on the fourth line. He didn’t take many shifts, finishing with 12:07 overall.

Of the four centers, Trocheck had the best game. He finished the game with a primary assist on Cuylle’s goal while dominating on face-offs by going 16 for 24. So far, so good. He’s being utilized differently by Laviolette. Trocheck continues to receive top power play time (3:36). He’s taken a few offensive draws so far.

The game started off well with the Rangers quickly striking in the first minute. On a smart play, Erik Gustafsson got to a loose puck and had a pass bank in off a Columbus skate for his first as a Ranger. Adam Fox and Jimmy Vesey picked up the assists. Vesey was inserted to play over Tyler Pitlick. He was good even though Laviolette shortened the bench.

A few minutes later, it looked like the Rangers had another goal. Filip Chytil thought he scored to put them ahead 2-0. However, the Blue Jackets successfully challenged for offside. Instead, it remained a one-goal game.

A little later, Blue Jackets captain Boone Jenner put in a rebound for his first of the game to tie the score. During the play, Braden Schneider tried to reverse the puck to Zac Jones, who was in the lineup due to Ryan Lindgren being out. It didn’t work. That allowed Kirill Marchenko to center in front where first Johnny Gaudreau tipped the puck on goal. That allowed Jenner to beat Igor Shesterkin at 9:36.

Following a Shesterkin save on Cole Sillinger, Mika Zibanejad batted down a clearing attempt and beat Elvis Merzlikins with a wrist shot in close. However, yet another Blue Jackets challenge for offside was successful. The replay showed that on the Rangers entry, Chris Kreider was just ahead of the play. That wiped out another goal.

Rather than regaining the lead, the Rangers remained tied. Perhaps that was an ominous sign. Sometimes, it’s just not your night. Even crazier, the Blue Jackets thought they had a goal when Patrik Laine had a shot trickle through Shesterkin. However, a third video review clearly showed that a diving Jacob Trouba saved a goal by keeping it out. The puck never crossed the line.

But in a wild period that lacked consistency, Fox was sent off for taking down Liam Foudy. For a while, the Rangers penalty killers were getting it done. However, the Blue Jackets power play kept them pinned in for some extended time. Eventually, that led to them being exhausted.

Ivan Provorov passed across for a Gaudreau shot that Jenner tipped past Shesterkin for his second with nine seconds remaining on the five-on-four. He got in position on Jones to redirect it home for a 2-1 lead at 17:45. Jones’ partner Braden Schneider went out to Marchenko in the slot. Jones was late to Jenner, allowing him to do what he does best. Score from in front. He’s given the Rangers headaches due to his gritty style. His big game continued.

After Jenner’s go-ahead goal, the Rangers top line created some chances. However, Zibanejad was stopped by Merzlikins. Kaapo Kakko fired a shot wide on a late power play that carried over to the second period. The Blue Jackets killed the remainder.

In the second, the Rangers had seven more shots than the Blue Jackets. However, they couldn’t beat Merzlikins. He saw the puck well. A disappointment last year, he’s looking for a bounce back. In two periods before an illness forced him to exit the game, he made 24 saves with 17 coming in the second frame.

While Merzlikins handled the Rangers offense, he got run support from his teammates. In particular, Jenner. On what can best be described as a lousy shift by Kakko, he twice turned over pucks that led directly to Jenner completing the hat trick on another tip-in. Kakko hesitated to shoot the puck. Instead, he skated to the top of the blue line before losing the puck. In the defensive zone, his giveaway led to a Jake Bean shot getting deflected in by Jenner for a 3-1 lead with 7:30 remaining.

Less than two minutes later, Blue Jackets rookie defenseman David Jiricek scored his first career NHL goal to give them a three-goal lead. Laviolette looked less than thrilled.

It got even worse. The Rangers lost a lot of battles. Some poor decisions from veterans allowed the Blue Jackets to get odd man rushes. Both the top two lines were guilty of lackadaisical play. It was unacceptable.

It wasn’t until the last couple of minutes that they began to play better. Cuylle came close to scoring near the conclusion of the period. It was a hint of things to come.

At the start of the third, Merzlikins was replaced by waiver pickup Spencer Martin. That should’ve meant a big period for the Blueshirts. They certainly carried the play by outshooting Columbus 17-2. Unfortunately, Martin actually made some big stops. He was the unsung hero for the Jackets. It’s tough to come in cold.

Initially, Laviolette stuck with his original four lines, including Wheeler with Trocheck and Cuylle. That soon changed.

The Rangers had most of the puck possession dictating the terms. If the Blue Jackets were sitting back, it looked like they were running four corners. A basketball reference. It’s hard to run the clock out when you barely have the puck. They were lucky Martin handled a tough situation so well.

Gustafsson and Fox each tested Martin. Without Lindgren, Laviolette had Gustafsson work with Fox on the top pair. He was mostly good, scoring a goal and picking up a helper. He had one of those ugly turnovers when he threw a backhand up the middle for a Columbus quick hit. Luckily, it didn’t cost the Rangers a goal.

If there was a defense pair that struggled, it was Zac Jones and Braden Schneider. They were caught on for two goals against. Neither had strong games. Unsurprisingly, Jones played only 12:30. The one positive was his willingness to shoot the puck. He was credited with four shots-on-goal. Schneider hasn’t looked comfortable so far. It could take some time for him to adjust to the Laviolette system. He’s in his third year. There’s some pressure to meet expectations.

Once Laviolette decided to double shift Panarin, the Rangers dominated play. Both the second line with Chytil and Lafreniere and the third line that featured Trocheck and Cuylle created several quality chances. After coming close on a previous shift, Cuylle finally had his first goal.

After Gustafsson passed up for Trocheck, he made a good drop for Cuylle, whose wrist shot beat Martin to cut the deficit to 4-2 with 9:07 left in regulation. It was a well-deserved reward for Cuylle. He was the Rangers’ best player.

They continued to push for more. But Martin made some big stops, including on both Trocheck and Panarin. On a strong shift, Jacob Trouba had a one-timer hit the crossbar with under seven minutes left. It was that close to a one-goal game.

With the Rangers pressing the attack, they started to take some chances. Eventually, Panarin had a pass barely miss a pinching Trouba, which trapped him. That allowed the Blue Jackets to have an odd man break. On a two-on-one, Sillinger slid the puck across for Danforth, who went upstairs on Shesterkin to make it 5-2 with 4:06 remaining. There was nothing he could’ve done.

To their credit, the Rangers kept coming. Even back down three, with under four minutes left, it felt like they could come back. A late power play drawn by Trocheck allowed Laviolette to pull Shesterkin for a six-on-four. He took a timeout.

Following it, Panarin had a few attempts blocked. If there was something they could’ve done better, it would be simplifying the two-man advantage. There was some slight hesitation to take the shot. It wasn’t until Panarin threw a long shot with Trocheck and Kreider in front that Kreider put in a rebound for his third goal in two games. It didn’t come until there were 36 seconds to go.

It was too little, too late. Had they played with the same urgency during earlier portions of the game, maybe it’s a different result. Instead, they’ll return home for the Coyotes with a win and a loss.

Regarding the tired Lindgren alibi used by reporters and fans, Laviolette didn’t use it as an excuse. The players knew he was out on Saturday morning.

Good teams win without key players. It’s about time the Rangers do so when Lindgren misses games. That’s due to the rugged style he plays. It probably won’t be the only game he misses.

On Monday, the Coyotes visit Madison Square Garden. Logan Cooley had two assists in a shootout win over the Devils. He’ll be worth keeping an eye on. There’s a good chance that the ‘Yotes won’t be as bad as before.

THREE STARS OF THE GAME

3rd Star ✨️ Will Cuylle NYR scored 1st of career, 2 hits, 3 SOG, 5 attempts, +1 in 14:54

2nd Star ✨️ Elvis Merzlikins CBJ made 24 saves, including 17 in the second before leaving the game

1st Star ✨️ Boone Jenner CBJ recorded his second career hat trick, +2 in 17:48

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Laviolette should ride Shesterkin early

Posted on October 14, 2023 by Derek

In less than an hour, the Rangers will play their second game of the season when they do battle with the Blue Jackets at Columbus.

It’s a good chance to start the Peter Laviolette era with two wins. If they pay attention to the details as they had in a convincing 5-1 victory at Buffalo in the season opener, then it’ll likely go well.

Igor Shesterkin was good on Thursday, making 24 saves on 25 shots. The lone goal came off the stick of J.J. Peterka, who had a Jacob Trouba blocked shot, rebound right to him for the Sabres goal.

Without question, the 27-year-old Shesterkin is one of the best goalies in the world. A former Vezina winner who’s won a combined 73 games the previous two seasons, he’s a big difference maker in the net for the Blueshirts. The kind that can steal games. Similar to franchise legend and soon to be Hall of Famer Henrik Lundqvist.

Shesterkin has only been a full-time starter for three seasons. However, it should be noted that during the 2020-21 season, his first year as a starter was under a shortened schedule. The victory the other night was number 100 of his still young NHL career. He’s in his prime, which means more is ahead.

With the early part of the schedule allowing the Rangers to have off days, it would be wise if Laviolette decided to ride his starter for a stretch. Every win and point counts just the same now as in March and April. A message former bench boss Gerard Gallant didn’t always value by making some questionable goaltending decisions that made you roll your eyes.

After tonight’s game, the Rangers return for the home opener on Monday night when they host the Coyotes. They then will have another two days off before the Predators visit next Thursday.

Once they complete the brief two-game home stand at MSG, they’ll travel to the Pacific and Northwest for road games at Seattle, Calgary, Edmonton, and Vancouver. Every game is spaced out enough for Laviolette to consider playing Shesterkin.

When they leave the West Coast, they’ll conclude a five-game road swing in Winnipeg on All Hallows Eve. By then, Jonathan Quick probably will dust off his number 32 jersey as a member of the Rangers. Something that’s still hard to get used to. Hopefully, by then, the Kings’ legend will have gotten out the cobwebs.

It’s hard to say when Laviolette will decide to use Quick. Obviously, he didn’t look too sharp in preseason. But neither did Alexis Lafreniere. It’s still a concern that Chris Drury felt that the declining 37-year-old veteran was the best option to back up Shesterkin. Hopefully, those thoughts can be eased by November. If not, then there might be an issue.

For the Rangers’ ace, it’s full steam ahead. Shesterkin wasn’t pleased with his performance in 2022-23. He found it hard to live up to the high standards he set for himself. However, it wasn’t all his fault. The way the team played in front of him made one wonder if defense and backchecking were ever emphasized during practice. Eventually, that lack of discipline resulted in a bitter ending.

If the Blueshirts can stick to Laviolette’s system, which emphasizes a 1-3-1 neutral zone trap, it’ll be harder for opponents to find operating space. The Sabres were no match for the strict defensive system. They kept turning over pucks, fueling the Rangers’ transition. It was refreshing to see them on the other side for a change. It might not be pretty, but it’ll make life easier. Especially for Shesterkin.

They’ll be on the road often over the first month. There aren’t any back-to-back sets until after Thanksgiving. They’ll face the Flyers on Black Friday and then turn around to take on the Bruins. Both are 1 PM starts. That probably will be a scenario where both Shesterkin and Quick play.

We’ll see how Laviolette handles the goalies. For the time being, he should go with the player who gives his team the best chance to win.

Derek

Twitter: NewYorkPuck

Email: kovy274hart@yahoo.com

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Devils gain points in an opening home doubleheader that showed growing pains

Posted on October 14, 2023 by hasan4978

Until now I hadn’t actually watched the arena intro for the 2023-24 Devils, despite being at both home games on Thursday and Friday. Mostly out of laziness to be fair, since I left just early enough to arrive for intros at the home opener and for the national anthem last night. Of course, I’m not a big fan of 7:30 weekday starts but since our opener was on ESPN+, we have to be subject to the whims of TV execs. Not that TV execs always get it right, exhibit A the dopey Monday tripleheader. Sure, they actually managed to sell out Tampa’s arena for a 5:30 start but apart from it being a massive inconvenience for the local fans, who’s really watching any game on TV at 5:30?!

At least in this case I managed to remember it was a 7:30 start, as opposed to showing up early for a 7 PM game not realizing it’s a later start – as I’ve done on a couple of occasions in recent years. And fortunately, I was able to drive to the arena again – after my car issues late last season forced me to take the train to and from playoff games (and eventually get a new car). Thankfully traffic really wasn’t that bad for me either game, guess there’s something to be said for not getting caught in rush hour traffic.

I don’t usually go to back-to-back home games either, but given the fact I was already scheduled to miss Monday’s game and there wasn’t going to be another home game for a couple weeks I didn’t want to miss two of the first three after taking a pass on the entire preseason. In one respect, the Devils certainly made going to both games worth it from an entertainment standpoint and got me emotionally engaged in the season. And from a pure results standpoint, you’ll take three out of four points almost anytime. On the other, hopefully they started to take some lessons out of these two games from Detroit and Arizona.

If there was one frustration out of these two games, it was the extended slow starts in both. Against Detroit in the season opener they still looked like they were at preseason speed playing a team at regular season speed. Maybe that was part of the issue, the undefeated preseason on the heels of a franchise record winning season only added some more…arrogance to this team’s play? Particularly in the opener, it looked as if they were just waiting for Sweet Georgia Brown to play acting like the Globetrotters on ice with all the overpassing and reliance on skill. I guess teams like this will have periods where they overdo it on the skill, it’s a balance to be sure.

Thankfully, if the Devils themselves were a little slow to return to 2022-23 regular season form, Vitek Vanecek was not. My main fear of the Detroit game was if Vitek got racked, that could really put him in a bad place after his playoffs went horribly south. And it could have easily happened since he got no help in a first period where the Devils were outshot 14-6 and it wasn’t even really that close. However, Vitek brought back the memories of his shining regular season rather than his playoff stumbles with saves like this:

Unfortunately, help didn’t arrive in time for Vitek to finally give up the lead when a bad pokecheck led to a rebound goal by Daniel Sprong in front at 12:14 of the second period. If there weren’t boos by this point, there were certainly a lot of eyerolls like myself over how this was reminiscent of the early playoff games against the Rangers last year. Fortunately, the Devils found another gear after that goal – specifically Jack Hughes, who got his Hart candidacy off to a flying start with two goals (one on the power play) barely five minutes apart in the second period.

Somewhat amusingly, Hughes also torpedoed his Lady Byng candidacy in the same game with two minor penalties against Detroit – one short of his season long total from last year. That second penalty proved costly in the third, when Alex DeBrincat scored the tying goal on the power play. It has to be said both that it’s a bad retaliation penalty and typical garbage NHL officiating that their player gets to sit on Jack for a few seconds without attempting to move while a glancing slash retaliation is the only penalty called. Either call both penalties or call neither, be consistent! That’ll be a theme I come back to later.

With the game tied again in the third and the Devils’ top offensive forward already having scored twice it would be the Devils’ top threat from the blueline who would restore their lead when Dougie Hamilton did Dougie Hamilton things, scoring on a seeing eye slap wrister from the point, with just 4:23 left in the 3rd.

Then came a chaotic final three minutes where a Jeff Petry penalty with 2:40 remaining was followed barely ten seconds later by a dubious Jesper Bratt penalty, although he probably deserved it. You can’t really give the refs a chance to game manage cause they’ll take it. Still, a four-on-four isn’t the worst-case scenario with Devils skaters, especially when you have an empty net situation and Erik Haula put one in with the goalie pulled and barely a minute and a half remaining, all but icing it.

Still, this game was nutty enough that after I thought about going cross-arena to see my friends at the final whistle, I was like ‘nah, better not leave – with the way this game is going Detroit will score again and I’ll be biting my nails in the hallway’. Sure enough, that’s exactly what would have happened, after Robby Fabbri scored with just thirty-four seconds left to keep everyone watching until the final horn, which mercifully rang with the Devils still on top and Hughes, Vitek and Dougie a deserved three stars. Our most important players were our most important players in the opener, to borrow a Lou saying. Oh and I did get to see my friends on the way out at least, despite not leaving until the final horn. And I left the arena with one of the t-shirt toss t-shirts to boot, guess that proved to be a good omen!

Don’t really feel like going through last night’s shootout loss to Arizona much, especially since I only have about an hour or so before I have to go to my friend’s wedding, but that was another entertaining mess of a game where our chief bugaboos from the opener – lack of secondary scoring, slow starts and bad penalty killing – showed up again in spades. Hughes assisted on all three goals last night, great for his Hart candidacy (and great for Bratt, who had two goals as a result…though his breakaway hat trick attempt being stuffed in the third period proved costly) but eventually people besides Jack, Dougie and Jesper need to start pulling their weight when the games count.

It was 0-2 before that goal because this time, our slow start lasted thirty minutes and had us two goals down before the home team roared to life with three goals in barely over ten minutes toward the end of the second period. I even texted my friend this was 2001-esque, referring to the best offensive Devils team in history. And the penalty kill? Two more goals allowed last night after giving up one in the opener the previous night, and it didn’t help matters that on both unsuccessful PK attempts we had one of our main PK defensemen in the box (Jonas Siegenthaler and Brendan Smith). As usual, Smith’s penalty was particularly galling for it came in the offensive zone unnecessarily in the third period and inevitably Nick Schmaltz tied the game. At that point, I actually kind of wanted to see the three-on-three given how good the Devils were at it last year.

More referee selective game management proved our undoing in the end, though it didn’t directly cost us a goal. Still, when you see Ondrej Palat get cross-checked into the net late in regulation and two seperate Devils get tripped without a call on one shift in the OT you figure oh brother, the refs are going by playoff rules here. At least until a Dougie tripping penalty led to a Coyotes PP to end the OT. Are we game managing here or not? Again, BE CONSISTENT! If you’re gonna call that trip you should have called the two on us the previous shift! I’m not saying the refs necessarily had it in for us, but there’s a reason Lindy Ruff said (paraphrasing) there were a lot of strange calls on both ends to be fair after the game.

As positive as I was before the three-on-three is about how negative I was heading into the shootout. Even for our skill in the hockey aspects of the game, we just have not been good at that skills competition since the days of Parise and Kovalchuk pumping in goals every shootout. And as good as Akira Schmid was last night in his first start of the season, he looked like a statue on the two shootout goals against, while Timo Meier and Bratt predictably fired blanks and there went a point although if I’m being honest, one’s probably all we deserved last night.

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Othmann has a successful debut for Wolf Pack

Posted on October 14, 2023 by Derek

A day after the Rangers defeated the Sabres, their AHL affiliate was in action on Friday The 13th. It marked the first game of the AHL season.

The game was also the pro debut of top prospect Brennan Othmann. After a strong training camp where he impressed the team with a good preseason, the 20-year-old former 2021 first round pick was assigned to Hartford. It was the right move because it’ll allow him to play more consistent minutes in a main role.

If last night was any indication, the organization should be excited about Othmann’s future. He scored twice on the power play in a Wolf Pack 3-2 shootout win over Providence.

That included a tying power play goal with 2:40 left in regulation. He retrieved a loose puck and fired a wrist shot by Brandon Bussi at 17:50 of the third period to force overtime.

Earlier in the game, Othmann got his first AHL goal on the power play to tie it with less than five minutes remaining in the second period. On a good play from Jonny Brodzinski, he took a feed and buried a one-timer past Bussi at 15:03.

It was an instinctive play where Othmann got himself in a position to score the goal. He cut towards the net to receive a perfect pass from Brodzinski for the easy finish. It’s the instincts along with the skating that makes him a promising young player. He knows where to go for goals.

With the Wolf Pack trailing by one late in regulation, they were knocking on the door on the power play. Following a sequence where Bussi made some stops, a loose puck bounced right to Othmann. He didn’t wait long to shoot it past a sprawling Bussi into the top of the net for his second of the game.

The clutch tally allowed the Wolf Pack to reach extras. Neither team scored in overtime. In the shootout, Brodzinski scored in the first round. Louis Domingue stopped all three Providence shooters to get the win. He made 24 saves.

Othmann was named the game’s first star in his debut. It was a good way to start the season.

The Wolf Pack are back in action later tonight when they visit Springfield.

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Lafreniere gets ideal start in the first win

Posted on October 13, 2023 by Derek

No player has more attention on him than Alexis Lafreniere. Entering his fourth season, the former 2020 top pick must prove he’s capable of playing a significant role for the Rangers. So far, so good.

Following a disappointing preseason, the 22-year-old Lafreniere turned the page during Thursday night’s 5-1 win over the Sabres. Starting with Filip Chytil and Artemi Panarin on the second line, he played well enough to merit consideration for one of the game’s three stars. Had there not been some home cooking for lone Buffalo goalscorer J.J. Peterka, Lafreniere likely gets the third star.

Playing on the right side opposite of Panarin, he was a factor throughout the game. On a strong early shift, Lafreniere was the recipient of a Panarin dish across for the Rangers’ first goal of the season. On a quick transition started by Chytil, Panarin got to his own rebound and found a driving Lafreniere for the game’s first goal. He was in the right place at the right time.

Even better, the new scoring line showed early chemistry during the game. They dominated most shifts at five-on-five by out-attempting their opponents 14-4. Total shots favored the trio 10-1. They factored in on two of Rangers’ goals.

During the second period with the Rangers ahead by two, a disciplined Lafreniere forced Sabres defenseman Rasmus Dahlin into a turnover in the neutral zone. He was in the right position to catch Dahlin by surprise. He bodied up Dahlin to take away the puck. Then, he kicked it off a Sabres captain Kyle Okposo towards Panarin, who went in and beat Devon Levi for a 3-0 lead.

Before the key defensive play that led to Panarin scoring his 100th goal aa a Ranger, Lafreniere nearly had his second of the game. On a great dangle, he went around a Sabre and tried to beat Levi in close. But the Buffalo rookie made a good save to deny the bid.

Throughout the game, Lafreniere showed more confidence in his decision-making. He skated with purpose and was noticeable during shifts. A welcome change from preseason. He finished the game with three shots-on-goal, a hit, and the key takeaway that created the crucial third goal.

Lafreniere also filled in for Chytil by taking draws. With Chytil unable to, Lafreniere did well in the face-off dot by going 4 for 5. Last season, he took 76 and went 28 and 48. He did a nice job last night.

During the postgame, coach Peter Laviolette was pleased with Lafreniere’s play. He pointed towards the Canadian forward’s improvement in the last two practices leading up the season opener.

“To me, he took a step from those practices and brought it into the game. I thought that line was excellent,” he told reporters after the game. It showed that Lafreniere is putting the work in. He’s adjusting to what Laviolette wants to see. If that includes him playing his off wing to help the Rangers be successful, so be it.

Lafreniere’s strong game didn’t go unnoticed. After sacrificing his body by blocking eight shots, Rangers captain Jacob Trouba recognized his younger teammate by presenting him with the Broadway hat. It is an honor for the player who gets it because it demonstrates what the team is all about.

What makes it more special is that Lafreniere recently celebrated his 22nd birthday. He blew the candles out the day before last night’s win. He gave himself a good birthday present with the first goal, which should be a confidence booster. It showed in how he played.

His teammates also presented him with a birthday cake on Wednesday. It’s not a bad way to start the season. Lafreniere was all business in the winning locker room afterward.

“I think we played pretty well. Just try to be consistent this year. Everyone’s trying to learn as quick as we can. It was good today. The neutral zone was good. We created offense with it.

“It was good to get one early,” he said regarding his goal. “I didn’t do much on it. But great play by Bread. And when you play with guys like Bread, you just try to get open, and he’s gonna find you. That’s what I tried to do today. … Just try to not think too much and have fun.”

The final point is a good one. Lafreniere can’t put too much pressure on himself. Undoubtedly, it’s an important year. However, he’s always been a team oriented guy. It isn’t about individual statistics. It’s about improving and helping the team win games. Having fun matters. He looked like he did.

Of course, the Rangers want to see better results for Lafreniere. That’s why Laviolette is using him on the second line opposite Panarin with former Kid Line center Chytil. There should be familiarity. He and Chytil had good chemistry when they played with Kaapo Kakko. If they can make it work with Panarin, that would go a long way to a successful season.

The coach has made a commitment to his younger players. With Kakko playing on the top line with Mika Zibanejad and Chris Kreider, the former Kid Line are all playing in the top six. A stark contrast from the previous season. None are on the first power play. However, the second unit was used more than at any point under Gerard Gallant. That bodes well.

Laviolette also had to like what he saw from neophyte Will Cuylle. The former second round pick was active during shifts. By playing him on the third line with Vincent Trocheck and Blake Wheeler, it shows confidence in what the 21-year-old can do. He definitely isn’t shy about throwing his weight around. Ask Owen Power.

It’s only one game. But for one night, the Laviolette Blueshirts came to play. It started with Lafreniere. We’ll see what materializes.

Derek

Kovy274hart@yahoo.com

Twitter: NewYorkPuck

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Rangers win season opener in convincing fashion over Sabres

Posted on October 13, 2023 by Derek

One down. 81 to go. If they’re all like this, then it promises to be a good season under Peter Laviolette. In what was a dominant performance, the Rangers easily handled the Sabres 5-1 at KeyBank Center. They spoiled an emotional home opener before a packed crowd of 19,070 in Western New York.

Prior to the game, the Sabres paid tribute to Hall of Fame broadcaster Rick Jeanneret by dedicating a memorial to the man affectionately known as RJ. He passed away this past summer at age 81. For 50 years, he was the voice of Sabres hockey. They dedicated Rick Jeanneret Way to him outside the arena. He’ll never be forgotten.

Once the puck dropped, it was the Rangers who were the superior team. On Thursday night, they skated. They forechecked and backchecked. They scored goals. They defended well to make life easier on themselves. By the time the final buzzer sounded, Laviolette had his first victory in his first game behind the Rangers bench. He even showed some emotion when assistant Phil Housley congratulated him.

One thing was apparent early on. The new second line Laviolette put together had early chemistry. Despite hardly playing together in preseason, it was the line featuring Artemi Panarin with Filip Chytil and Alexis Lafreniere that got off to a fast start. After coming close moments earlier, the trio combined for the first goal of the season on a quick transition. Chytil led Panarin, who then whipped a perfect pass across for an easy Lafreniere finish at 3:47.

It was exactly the start Lafreniere needed. He put his struggles in training camp behind him. The recently turned 22-year-old had a good game, finishing with a goal and what should be an assist. During the second period, it was his defensive play that led to Panarin scoring his 100th goal as a Ranger. It looked like a takeaway and clear possession. The league has it as an unassisted goal for Panarin. We’ll see if that changes.

Following the early tally by Lafreniere, who smiled when seeing the replay on the bench, rookie Will Cuylle asserted himself. Continuing to carry over the aggressive style that earned him a spot in the top nine, he was very noticeable throughout the game. He wasn’t shy about finishing checks and going to the net. He almost had his first goal, but fanned on a pass from Vincent Trocheck. He’d later catch Owen Power with a heavy hit behind the Sabres’ net.

Sabres rookie Zach Benson hooked Adam Fox with under eight minutes left in the first period. The Rangers made the teenager pay for that mistake. In quick fashion, Mika Zibanejad passed over for Fox at the point. His wrist shot was tipped in by Chris Kreider for the first power play goal of the season. It took only 16 seconds for the Rangers to go up by two.

The assist for Fox was number 200. As noted during the broadcast on MSG Network, that made him sixth fastest defenseman to reach 200 in NHL history.

In the late stages of the first, both Igor Shesterkin and Devon Levi made some good saves to keep it at 2-0 Rangers. Shesterkin didn’t break a sweat in the second period. Even with Jordan Greenway throwing some tough hits, the Sabres had trouble getting through the neutral zone. The Rangers played a 1-3-1 to slow down the offensive minded Sabres. Tage Thompson found little operating room. Rasmus Dahlin had a tough time. So did the Buffalo crowd, which went silent halfway through the game.

If there was one highlight early for the Sabres contingent, it was a classic hip check delivered by Dahlin that sent Chytil flying. That was one to admire.

On the first shift of the second, Kaapo Kakko was hauled down by Jeff Skinner. Unlike the first power play, the second one didn’t get much accomplished. Instead, rugged defenseman Mattias Samuelsson blocked shots from Fox and Trocheck to help kill the penalty off.

Back at even strength, Benson made a good drop pass for Samuelsson. But he sent his shot wide. On the play, Fox went down to force Samuelsson to cut it fine. He was unable to hit the net from a tough angle.

Following a pad save from Shesterkin on a long wrist shot by Zemgus Girgensons, the Sabres created their best chance. On a rush, Erik Johnson snuck in as the fourth player. But his shot hit the crossbar. That close to a one-goal game.

Afterwards, the Sabres mustered nothing. They kept forcing the action into the teeth of the strict defensive system the Laviolette Blueshirts executed. It was as if they’d played for longer under the successful coach. The fans had little to get excited about.

With less than eight minutes remaining in the period, Lafreniere forced Dahlin into a turnover. He used his strength to take the puck away from the Sabres top defenseman. On the play, he appeared to kick the puck and push it ahead for an open Panarin wrist shot that beat Levi for a three-goal lead. After closely reviewing the scoring play again, the puck banked off a Sabre skate towards Panarin, who banked his 100th goal as a Ranger. Lafreniere might not get a point for it. But he made the play.

The Rangers remained in control until a fluky play finally woke up the home crowd. Owen Power had his shot blocked by a diving Jacob Trouba. However, the puck took a Sabres bounce right to J. J. Peterka, whose follow-up beat Shesterkin with 1:30 left in the period.

In the third, the Rangers ran into penalty trouble. With Chytil already off for tripping Girgensons, Trocheck tripped Peterka to give the Sabres an abbreviated five-on-three. After they didn’t score on it, Zibanejad made a great defensive play that led to a Kreider shorthanded goal with 8:26 left. He took a K’Andre Miller feed and made a strong rush towards the Buffalo net. With the Sabres scrambling, Zibanejad sent a brilliant pass for Kreider, who scored the first shorthanded goal of the season to make it 4-1.

Shesterkin did the rest by stopping all 13 shots to pick up his 100th career win. He made 24 saves on the night.

With the Sabres opting to lift Levi for an extra attacker down three, Zibanejad and Kreider won a defensive draw over to Trouba, who sent a sho down into the open net. That put the bow on a successful night. A nice reward for Trouba, who blocked a game high eight shots.

As a team, the Rangers finished with 23 blocks. They also dominated on face-offs by winning 38 of 60. Trocheck went 12 and 6 while Nick Bonino was 9 and 3. Even Lafreniere went 4 and 1.

Tomorrow, we’ll have takeaways on what made the first game such a success. The next game is Saturday at Columbus.

THREE STARS OF THE GAME

3rd 🌟 Alexis Lafreniere NYR 1st goal of season, 3 SOG, takeaway, +2 in 15:29

2nd 🌟 Artemi Panarin NYR 1st goal of season plus 🍎, 3 SOG, +2 in 15:44

1st 🌟 Chris Kreider NYR 2 goals including PPG and SHG, 🍎, 3 SOG, +2 in 14:28

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