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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Devils season opens tonight fresh off an extension for Lindy Ruff

Posted on October 12, 2023 by hasan4978

Although we’re already two days into the NHL schedule, tonight is the official beginning of the season if you’re a Devils fan. To this point I’ve been detached and somewhat derelict in my duty as a fan to eat up all the hype around this year’s team. Part of the reason being I wasn’t around for any of the home preseason games, and barely watched a few minutes of any of them. It wasn’t entirely intentional but make no mistake, this was actually a preseason where there were very few questions about this team to begin with, and it was almost entirely about the main players getting game legs, new players getting used to the team and younger players like Alexander Holtz getting top line shifts to try and facilitate a long-awaited breakout season. All great things for the staff, lousy for fan entertainment although there should be no shortage of the latter when it counts, starting tonight.

I even said in my previous blog there were (barring injury) twenty-two definites on a twenty-three man roster and I was right…all twenty-two players I named were part of the Devils’ opening twenty-three and I’m not an insider or an expert on anything, aside from my own team perhaps. Who was the twenty-third, you ask? Journeyman Chris Tierney, who won a spot on the Opening Night roster and whom I’ve seldom heard of despite the fact he actually has played close to 600 NHL games. Congrats to him and more depth is always a good thing.

One of the quasi-long term questions I did have as a Devils fan finally got answered when the team announced a multi-year extension for coach Lindy Ruff a couple days ago.

How things change in a year, not just for the Devils and the fans’ outlook on the team but for the coach himself. It was basically a year ago where Lindy was under fire from all quarters, starting with the well-documented episode of fans chanting for his firing during the home opener, questioned by the media after two terrible losses to begin the season and doubted by management, who didn’t commit to him beyond his last contracted season and a team option that was eventually exercised this offseason.

It obviously did not look like Lindy was going to be a long-term coach early last year, but I was always conflicted on the whole Lindy question, mainly because of my regard for him as a coach and a person going back to his Sabres days. If he were a disagreeable sort like say, Brent Sutter (never mind being an actual snake like Joel Quenneville or Mike Babcock) then it would have been a lot easier to join in the chants for his firing. In this day and age where we do have at least two Cup-winning coaches being pariahs for different reasons, it was nice to see one of the genuine good guys in the sport have so much success last year and get rewarded for it, whether it was for my team or not.

Fans can feel however they’re going to feel about the head coach – in large part based on results, as Lindy knows all too well. What matters in the long run is how the players feel about him, and what he gets out of those players on the ice.

Franchise center Jack Hughes was the most vociferous in his support of Lindy publicly after a second straight poor season for the team in 2021-22 and to his credit, not only did 2022-23 prove him right but he did all he could personally to back it up, narrowly missing a 100-point season in a true breakout year for the 2019 #1 overall pick. Put the team success last year to the side for a moment, the fact so many younger players have had breakouts under Lindy – starting with Hughes, captain Nico Hischier and Jesper Bratt – have more than made his tenure (and this recent extension) worth it, whatever happens from here.

I thought about doing a proper season preview but truthfully once Tom Fitzgerald took care of business in late June and early July, we’ve known what this team is going to be (or should be) at least – a more refined version of last year’s team, which did amazing things despite being a work in progress throughout, going through a lot of ‘firsts’ together. I might have said this in a previous blog, but one of the biggest questions about this team is just how they handle the next step – being the hunted who everyone expects big things from as opposed to the dangerous upstart they were last year.

That will be another ‘first’ this team has to go through but Fitzy has done a very good job of making sure this team has enough leadership on paper to be able to handle that transition. From big FA signings like Ondrej Palat and Dougie Hamilton to big trades like John Marino and Timo Meier (which turned into a long-term commitment this offseason) and even filling in the margins with guys like Tomas Nosek and Colin Miller, there are no shortage of voices for the younger guys to listen to in the locker room, starting of course with the head coach himself who’s seen it all and pretty much done it all in his career, except of course for the one biggest thing…winning a Stanley Cup.

Although they’re completely different people – and coaches – it is actually a bit reminiscent of when Pat Burns came here, after it looked like his head coaching career was over. Burns was well-traveled and well-respected, but despite some deep playoff runs (including one Cup Final) with Montreal and Toronto he was out of work for nearly two years after being fired by Boston in 2000, and had never won a championship until his first year here in 2002-03, when Burns did an outstanding job willing the least talented of our three Cup teams to a division title and a seven-game upset over President’s Trophy winner Ottawa in the Conference Finals, before outlasting the Cinderella Ducks in seven games to finish the job.

In Lindy’s case, he also reached a Cup Final early in his career and that ended with a controversial finish – the Brett Hull skate in the crease that clinched the Cup for Dallas in triple OT of Game 6 in 1998. After that, the closest Lindy came to a Cup was 2006, when the Sabres (despite missing most of their key defensemen) took the eventual champion Hurricanes into a tied third period of Game 7 before a delay of game penalty for throwing the puck over the glass – I believe it was the first year of that asinine rule – led to the series-deciding power play goal. Ironic indeed that against the Hurricanes last year, it was yet another delay of game penalty that wound up sealing our series defeat when they took advantage of the power play in OT of Game 5.

After a long tenure in Buffalo and a shorter tenure in Dallas – both where some initial early success eventually gave way to a firing – it kind of looked like his head coaching career was over. He even took an assistant job with the Rangers, which you don’t generally see long-time head coaches do. Fortunately for Lindy (and for us) he still had at least one backer in a high place – former player Fitzgerald, who took over as the Devils GM full time during the COVID bubble period of 2020. While the joint announcement of hiring Fitz full-time and Lindy as the coach was portrayed as a package deal, it’s been clear the last few years that Fitz is a genuine backer of Lindy’s, despite the fact the organization was justifiably slow into offering Lindy another deal after his first two seasons here both led to seventh-place finishes way out of the playoffs.

Anyone reading this knows how the rest of the story panned out last year, up to this point at least. After our disastrous 0-2 start, the young Devils grew up in a hurry with a thirteen-game winning streak in November becoming the impetus for a team that set a franchise record for wins in a season. Chants of ‘Fire Lindy!’ early in the season turned into ‘Sorry, Lindy!’ about halfway through the streak and our resurgence with the coach’s personal arc proved to be one of the true feel-good stories of the year in the NHL.

And when the Devils’ season crested in the first round of the playoffs after a historic comeback over the rival Rangers, the coach called back to earlier comments about having a beer with the fans when he was asked after the series if he had any message for the fans?

‘Time to have that beer!’

Cheers, coach!

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Battle of New York: Rangers open the season at the Sabres

Posted on October 12, 2023 by Derek

The new season has arrived. There’s already been several games played over the last 48 hours. That included Blackhawks’ top pick Connor Bedard scoring his first NHL goal last night in a loss to the Bruins. It also featured a pair of hat tricks. Auston Matthews was outdone by Brock Boeser, who scored four times in a shocking Canucks’ 8-1 blowout of the Oilers.

On Day Three, it’s time for the Rangers to play their first game. They visit the Sabres in Western New York later tonight. It’s a Battle of New York upstate. On what promises to be an emotional scene with Buffalo honoring the memory of legendary voice Rick Jeanneret, it should be an interesting game.

If the Rangers expect more from themselves with new coach Peter Laviolette, then the Sabres have higher expectations after just missing their first postseason in over a decade. They believe last season was the beginning of their return to prominence. They should compete for the playoffs in an improved Eastern Conference.

With a young nucleus that features Tage Thompson, Alex Tuch, Dylan Cozens, Casey Mittlestadt, Rasmus Dahlin, Owen Power, and rookie netminder Devon Levi, the Sabres are a promising team that’s headed in the right direction.

Thompson established career highs with 47 goals, 47 assists, and 94 points. His 20 power play goals tied with the Rangers’ Mika Zibanejad for the third most in the league last season. His 47 goals ranked sixth. The 25-year-old from Phoenix centers a potent top line that includes Jeff Skinner and Alex Tuch. The trio will be a handful for opponents.

The Sabres also boast Cozens, who is fast becoming a two-way scoring pivot that can impact games. In only his third season, he set career bests in goals (31), assists (37), points (68), and paced Buffalo with two shorthanded goals. He’ll center the second line. Having signed long-term along with Thompson and key defensemen Rasmus Dahlin and Owen Power, Cozens is a big part of the resurgence in Western New York.

Dahlin is already one of the game’s best young defensemen. After signing an extension that will average $11 million per season beginning in 2024-25, the 23-year-old former top pick could challenge for the Norris. He posted a career high 73 points, including 58 assists in 2022-23. Dahlin improved his overall play with a plus-12 rating. He added a physical edge to his game.

With GM Kevyn Adams locking up 2021 top pick Owen Power over the long haul, the Sabres have the building blocks for a solid foundation on the blue line. Mattias Samuelsson is an overlooked player who keeps opponents honest. His role is similar to Ryan Lindgren for the Blueshirts.

In the off-season, Buffalo added steady veteran Erik Johnson. He should help stabilize a defense that struggled.

If they are to go anywhere, both the defense and goaltending must perform better. They’re banking on Devon Levi to solidify the net. For a player who won five of his first seven career starts, it’s a lot to ask of the 21-year-old.

Here’s how the Sabres will line up. They’ll play 11 forwards and 7 defensemen.

Jeff Skinner-Tage Thompson-Alex Tuch

J.J. Peterka-Dylan Cozens-Victor Olofsson

Jordan Greenway-Casey Mittlestadt-Zach Benson

Tyson Jost Matt Savoie

Keep an eye on Zach Benson. Passed up by several teams in the 2023 NHL Draft, the 13th pick made the team out of training camp with a superb preseason. Listed at only 5-9, 163 pounds, the highly skilled 18-year-old Benson is a fast skater who knows where to go. It’ll be interesting to see if the teenager can stick. He’s certainly opened a lot of eyes.

The Rangers are expecting more out of Kaapo Kakko and Alexis Lafreniere. Both start the season in the top six. The first time, they’ll get the chance to prove themselves in significant roles.

Each is coming off their best season. Kakko posted career highs in goals (18), assists (22), and points (40), while becoming more defensively responsible. He’ll have the opportunity to play with Mika Zibanejad and Chris Kreider on the top line.

Lafreniere finished 2022-23 with career bests in assists (23) and points (39). He also had a plus-10 rating. However, he didn’t have a point in the seven game first round defeat last spring. That led to criticism from both the media and fans. Honestly, nobody played well in that series. It was a debacle.

Entering his fourth season, Lafreniere is being given every chance to stick on the second line. Despite a disappointing preseason, he’ll start with Artemi Panarin and Filip Chytil. It’s make or break for him.

Chytil will also be counted on for more offense. After going 22-23-45 in 74 games, the former first round pick is capable of scoring between 25 to 30 goals. The question is whether or not he can avoid the injury bug that kept him out most of the preseason.

By bringing in Blake Wheeler, that should help improve secondary scoring. Something that became an issue last year. Wheeler will play with Vincent Trocheck and rookie Will Cuylle to begin the season. We’ll see what the 37-year-old veteran can do in a different role. Adding his leadership can’t hurt. He was the former captain in Winnipeg.

Cuylle impressed Laviolette during preseason. His ability to score gritty goals and finish checks should make him a good addition. It’s only his second pro season. If he can stick, that would help toughen up a roster that needs it.

For tonight, Tyler Pitlick will get the nod over Jimmy Vesey on the fourth line. It looks like Laviolette prefers his edge to Vesey’s speed. Barclay Goodrow and Nick Bonino round out what should be an improved checking line.

As noted during Wednesday’s preview, the defense remains the same. Ryan Lindgren and Adam Fox will start together. K’Andre Miller is still with Jacob Trouba. The only difference is that Erik Gustafsson will pair with Braden Schneider.

With Igor Shesterkin in goal, here’s how the Rangers will look.

Chris Kreider-Mika Zibanejad-Kaapo Kakko

Artemi Panarin-Filip Chytil-Alexis Lafreniere

Will Cuylle-Vincent Trocheck-Blake Wheeler

Barclay Goodrow-Nick Bonino-Tyler Pitlick

Ryan Lindgren-Adam Fox

K’Andre Miller-Jacob Trouba

Erik Gustafsson-Braden Schneider

Igor Shesterkin

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Rangers Preview: Make or break for core players under Laviolette

Posted on October 11, 2023 by Derek

It took only two years for Gerard Gallant to go from the penthouse to the outhouse at 4 Penn Plaza in Manhattan. It happened that quickly. One minute, the core players were two wins within playing for the Stanley Cup. The next, they were ghosts in a bitter first round exit that cost Gallant his job.

Now, they’re on their third coach. This time, it’s the no-nonsense approach of the experienced Peter Laviolette. No stranger to having success, he’s guided three different teams to the Stanley Cup Finals, winning it all in 2005-06 with the Hurricanes. He’s won 752 games with five different teams, including the rival Islanders at the beginning of his NHL journey. Now, the former Ranger returns with one goal in mind. It’ll be challenging.

It’s make or break for the Blueshirts. Either they buy into what Laviolette is selling, or there’ll be changes coming as soon as next summer. You only get so many chances to get it right in the Big Apple. Sheriff Lavy isn’t here to play favorites. As Alice Cooper famously said, “No more Mister Nice guy.”

The Eastern Conference is evolving. New teams featuring younger stars are on the rise. A couple could challenge for the playoffs in this season. Older rosters have already taken steps back due to how competitive it is. Both of those teams play in the Metropolitan Division. The Rangers will likely battle one of those classic rivals for the postseason. Getting off to a good start could be crucial.

When the puck drops tomorrow night in Buffalo, the Rangers will get a closer look at one of those younger teams that’s looking to break through. The Sabres have missed the playoffs every year since 2011. They’re knocking on the door. It’ll be a contrast on Thursday night between well established stars and emerging stars. A Battle of New York upstate.

Aside from having a new coach behind the bench, Rangers Team President and GM Chris Drury brought in proven checking center Nick Bonino to solidify the fourth line. He should add some grit to a roster that didn’t have enough of it last season. Tyler Pitlick will also be part of the fourth line that includes Barclay Goodrow. Pitlick is a hard-nosed player who is usually involved during shifts. So far, Pitlick gets the nod over Jimmy Vesey, who’ll supply energy when he comes in.

Drury made one change to the defense by bringing in Erik Gustafsson. A player familiar with Laviolette after having success in 2022-23 with the Capitals. He impressed in the preseason to win a starting role on the third pair. Gustafsson should also see some time on the second power play. The experienced Gustafsson will play unless something goes wrong. If so, Zac Jones will be ready. Is this his last chance with the organization? We’ll find out soon.

Jonathan Quick was a strange signing for the backup role behind Igor Shesterkin. For some reason, the Rangers went out of their way to bring the former King to New York City. He has yet to prove capable of filling the void left by unsigned veteran Jaroslav Halak. That one will be followed closely.

A player Drury targeted was Blake Wheeler. The former Winnipeg captain passed up an opportunity to play back home in Boston to become a Ranger. He’s excited about it. Former Jets teammate Jacob Trouba had a role in recruiting Wheeler. Now, they’re reunited. Wheeler has had a very good career. He’s totaled 312 goals and 922 points over 15 years. After starting in Boston, he became a star with the former Thrashers and Jets. It’ll be interesting to see what he has left. He’ll start on the third line.

There’ll be one new fresh face. Will Cuylle proved himself with a strong preseason to make the roster. He scored 25 goals in his first full pro season with Hartford. The 21-year-old from Toronto earned a spot in the top line. He will play on the third line with Wheeler and Vincent Trocheck to start the season. Fans have already taken to his tenacious style. Cuylle likes to drive the net and get the jersey dirty. That is definitely an area that was lacking with last year’s roster.

With only a few changes due to the salary cap, the Rangers are banking on a nucleus that features Mika Zibanejad, Chris Kreider, Artemi Panarin, Adam Fox, Ryan Lindgren, K’Andre Miller, Jacob Trouba, and Igor Shesterkin to prove that they’re capable of delivering a championship for the first time since 1994. Too many of the established stars had vanishing acts last spring. They left Shesterkin out to dry in the first round loss to the rival Devils. That won’t be tolerated.

It could be the younger pieces who determine how good this team is. That would be Filip Chytil, Kaapo Kakko, and Alexis Lafreniere. The former Kid Line are at different points in their careers. Chytil is being tried as the second line center. If he can coexist with Panarin and, for now, the iffy Lafreniere, that could go a long way to having a successful season. Lafreniere has much to prove following an uninspired preseason. He might still be adjusting to playing the right wing. There are no excuses. Either he produces consistently or gets traded.

Kakko will begin the season playing with Zibanejad and Kreider on the top line. When he was tried there occasionally, it looked like the trio had some chemistry. The problem was that he didn’t score enough to make it work. He looked more confident during camp. Kakko’s skating has improved. A strong puck possession player who’s defensively responsible, he must be more instinctive. If he’s open, take the shot. He rotated in practice with Trocheck on the first power play yesterday. But Kakko’s expected to be on the second power play unit. That’ll include former line mates Chytil and Lafreniere.

For now, at least, Laviolette will stick with the top two defense pairs as they’ve been before. He experimented during the preseason by trying K’Andre Miller with Adam Fox while getting a glimpse of Ryan Lindgren with Jacob Trouba. Even Braden Schneider saw some time with Lindgren, who’s in a contract year. We’ll see how that plays out. It has a similar feel to Dan Girardi during a more successful era of Rangers hockey. They kept him. He then became the scapegoat for the Stanley Cup loss in 2014 and other shortcomings by misguided fans. That’s how fickle the fan base can be.

With Gustafsson slated to pair up with Schneider, who’s entering an important stage in his young career, it’s Lindgren and Fox on the first pair. Miller and Trouba are on the second pair. They usually draw most of the match-ups. There were too many instances last year where they got victimized. We’ll see how it goes under Laviolette.

The Rangers will live and die with the brilliant Igor Shesterkin in the net. He’s as good as it gets. The former Vezina winner was inconsistent for most of the last season. However, he finished strong to post a new career high in wins (37) while playing in a career best 58 games. His next victory will be his 100th. He won a combined 73 the last two seasons.

As great as he is, there can’t be as many uncontested chances. There were far too many times where he was left alone. The amount of odd man rushes, breakaways, and players left unguarded was absurd. Shesterkin is the one player the Rangers can ill afford to lose. He’s the most valuable Blueshirt. Protect him at all costs.

Jonathan Quick has already been mentioned once. If he can’t do better than the pedestrian numbers he posted in 2022-23, Louis Domingue could be recalled. That’s not exactly a ringing endorsement. Dylan Garand shouldn’t be rushed. He’s only entering his second pro season. Goalies take time to develop. He didn’t exactly dominate his first year in Hartford. A good playoff showing isn’t enough to push him. Neither is parts of two preseason outings in relief. Hopefully, Quick can find it soon.

What are the keys to a successful season?

A. Established stars show up most nights and play more consistently. That includes showing a pulse against tougher competition. Too often, they were paper tigers. That won’t work.

B. The continued growth of the younger core. Let’s face it. If they want to surprise hockey pundits who have written them off, then it’s up to the younger players to take the next step in their development. There have been good moments. Doing it more consistently is crucial. The scoring can’t always fall on the vets.

C. An improved defensive system that sees both defensemen and forwards back check while being on the same page. The biggest reason for the playoff failure was the way they played defensively. Adjusting to Laviolette’s system is the key. The preseason wasn’t it. There needs to be better communication during shifts.

D. Improved depth factors in. When you add proven vets to the roster, they’re brought in to contribute. Adding scoring depth along with a stronger forecheck are key areas to any good team. That means better consistency from those role players.

E. Special teams play at a more consistent level. Although the power play still ranked well last year, too often, they were a one trick pony. It can’t always be fancy. Extra passes only work when you have opponents scrambling. Simplifying it will take time. Shooting the puck when it’s open is one area that has to improve. Getting consistent traffic in front is another. Don’t over rely on one unit. The second must have a defined role and contribute. The penalty kill should be effective since most of the personnel are the same. They added another defensively responsible player who can aid them in winning key defensive draws and checking.

F. Improvement at five-on-five and even strength. It goes without saying that to be successful at winning, the way a team plays at five-on-five is essential. Too often, they were over reliant on the power play. That can win you games during the season. But in the playoffs, it’s different. Establishing a consistent forecheck that can create both quality scoring chances and goals are areas Laviolette wants to see. It can’t always be off the rush or on the power play. Being able to dictate the tempo should help net better results.

G. Discipline must be better. If there was one area that fell off, it was the lack of discipline they showed. It was even on display during the exhibition part of the schedule. The players can’t take unnecessary reaction penalties during both play and scrums. Those are the ones you usually get burned on. Part of having an identity is having discipline. That needs to change.

H. The new coaching staff makes good in-game adjustments. Too often, that didn’t happen last season. Having a hands-on coach who’s willing to adjust on the fly when things aren’t working can benefit the team. Laviolette is more of a disciplinarian. If a player is dragging, he shouldn’t be afraid to make changes. Most interesting will be what assistant coaches Phil Housley, Dan Muse, and Michael Peca bring to the bench. It should be a different strategy than the predecessors.

I. Line familiarity. It’s important to have patience at the beginning of the season. Seeing if the lines can gel is something that has to happen. There seemed to be early chemistry with three different line combinations by the conclusion of preseason. That should be allowed to carry over. If it’s still there, that would be a good sign. There can’t be too much panic. By the mid-point of the season, they shouldn’t be still trying to figure it out.

By now, we should have a better understanding of what the 2023-24 New York Rangers look like. If they can follow the nine points made above, then they should be a good team that’s competitive. It’s hard to imagine that they’ll compete for the Metropolitan Division. Both the Hurricanes and Devils will be tough due to what they have.

However, this roster should finish in the top three to guarantee themselves the playoffs. That isn’t to say that they won’t get stiff competition from the Penguins and Islanders. They’ll need to win each season series. If they can do it against their most hated rival, that’s a step in the right direction.

It probably won’t be easy due to a more competitive field. The Rangers should again wind up with over 100 points. It’ll be how they perform in the postseason that determines whether they’re successful.

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NHL Preview 2023-24: Hockey adventure begins

Posted on October 10, 2023 by Derek

The seeds have been planted for a new season. Pumpkin picking is going on, too. What does 2023-24 have in store for hockey fans? It promises to be an excellent adventure. Party on, dude!

On the first day of the new season, Connor Bedard makes his NHL debut when the Blackhawks battle Sidney Crosby and the Penguins. It could be a passing of the torch. But even at 36, Crosby is still one of the game’s best players. Without injuries and the pandemic, he’d be close to 700 goals and 2,000 points. Can Erik Karlsson get the Pens back to the playoffs for one more run?

There’s plenty of excitement surrounding Bedard. He blew the competition away in juniors and showed some flashes during preseason. Now, he’ll be asked to turn around the Blackhawks, who are years removed from the three Stanley Cups featuring Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane. Perhaps Chicago can finally have something to look forward to following the off ice turmoil.

Bedard isn’t the only rookie who will make the highlight reel. Keep an eye on Coyotes’ center Logan Cooley. A player who could one day make hockey in the desert relevant. Clayton Keller has played in obscurity for too long.

Other freshmen to watch include the Devils’ Luke Hughes, Blue Jackets’ ace Adam Fantilli, the Leafs’ Matthew Knies, the Ducks’ Leo Carlson (injured), the Flyers’ Bobby Brink, the Sharks’ William Eklund, and at least for the time being, the Sabres’ Zach Benson. Will Cuylle will play in the Rangers’ top nine. Simon Nemec eventually will be up with the Devils, giving them two rookies on the blue line.

The youth movement continues to dominate a league where the salary cap forces teams into tough decisions. It’s a young man’s league.

Before getting into the contenders, there are a few up and coming teams looking to return to relevancy.

One of those is the Sabres, who just missed the playoff cut last year. All the more remarkable when they nearly pulled it off without an established starting goalie. Rookie Devon Levi will be asked to do the heavy lifting. Is he ready for the challenge? Buffalo has a potent offense featuring Tage Thompson, Alex Tuch, Jeff Skinner, Dylan Cozens, Casey Mittlestadt, and newly minted Rasmus Dahlin, who will compete for the Norris for years. Is the defense good enough?

The Red Wings and Senators are the two obvious choices in the Atlantic. Detroit still has questions on defense and in net. Ottawa is similar. They’re banking on Joonas Korpisalo in goal with Anton Forsberg backing up. Nobody can deny the star power of Brady Tkachuk and Tim Stutzle. A lethal tandem that’s scary. Josh Norris is on the injured reserve. Shane Pinto could be re-signed. The smart money is on the Sens due to a deeper core that includes Drake Batherson, Jake Sanderson, and Thomas Chabot.

The Lightning could be in trouble. While they still boast Nikita Kucherov, Brayden Point, Steven Stamkos, Victor Hedman, and Mikhail Sergachev, they’re going to be without Andrei Vasilevskiy (back surgery) for two months. That could put them in an early hole.

Can the Panthers repeat their great run last Spring? They will miss Brandon Montour and Aaron Ekblad in the early going. If Sergei Bobrovsky plays like he did, then they should be fine. Matthew Tkachuk leads the way. What can he do for an encore? Aleksander Barkov remains one of the game’s best two-way players. Scoring won’t be a problem.

The Bruins lost the best two-way center in legend Patrice Bergeron. David Krejci retired. Pavel Zacha and Charlie Coyle will have big shoes to fill. They still have MVP candidate David Pastrnak, who can snipe with the best of them. Brad Marchand takes over as captain. Charlie McAvoy is probably the best overall defenseman in hockey. Jake DeBrusk is poised for a big year. Linus Ullmark and Jeremy Swayman are the league’s best goalie tandem. How much will they miss Bergeron?

Are the Rangers a serious player? Peter Laviolette replaces Gerard Gallant. It’s still the same nucleus that went from the Conference Finals to quitting in a first round debacle. It’s put up or shut up. Igor Shesterkin is arguably the best goalie. Adam Fox is a top three defenseman. Mika Zibanejad is coming off a career season. Artemi Panarin shaved his head after his disappearing act. It hinges on Kaapo Kakko, Filip Chytil, and Alexis Lafreniere.

The Islanders are deep down the middle. Bo Horvat is the new top center with Mat Barzal on the wing. Brock Nelson and Jean-Gabriel Pageau are strong pivots. Is there enough scoring? The same question for an aging team devoid of young talent. Unless Oliver Wahlstrom re-emerges. Ilya Sorokin is a top three goalie.

The Devils and Hurricanes look like the class of the Metro Division. Carolina boasts Sebastian Aho, Martin Necas, Jesperi Kotkaniemi, and Jordan Staal. Seth Jarvis is expected to score more. They added former Leaf Michael Bunting. The defense is strong due to adding Dmitry Orlov. We’ll see how Tony DeAngelo II goes. Jaccob Slavin is a terrific defensive defenseman. Brent Burns is still a force. Frederik Andersen is the starter with Antti Raanta backing up.

The Devils have future Hart candidate Jack Hughes. A dynamic center who does things with blinding speed. Jesper Bratt looked great in preseason. Timo Meier should be in for a career season. Especially if paired with Nico Hischier. They added Tyler Toffoli. Dawson Mercer is already a good player. Alexander Holtz made the roster. Dougie Hamilton will fill it up from the back end. How many goals will Luke Hughes score in his first season? They have the depth. It’ll depend on Vitek Vanecek and Akira Schmid.

The top contender could be the Maple Leafs. Adding gritty forwards, Tyler Bertuzzi and Max Domi should make them tougher next spring. Ryan Reaves isn’t there for fun. While there’s still the question with Ilya Samsonov and Joseph Woll in the net, it’s all about Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner. This is their team. In what could be the final one for William Nylander as a Leaf, the time is now. That also goes for John Tavares.

Out West, the Golden Knights are being hunted by the Oilers, Avalanche, and Stars. Those are the best teams with a chance to knock them off.

Vegas is the top dog. They won the Cup thanks to clutch performances from Jonathan Marchessault, Jack Eichel, Mark Stone, William Karlsson, Chandler Stephenson, Alex Pietrangelo, and Adin Hill. Ivan Barbashev re-signed after they parted with popular original Reilly Smith (Pens). Logan Thompson will share the net with Hill. Shea Theodore patrols a strong defense with Pietrangelo. They’ll be tough to beat.

Connor McDavid will be even more determined after a terrific season that saw him dominate similar to yesterday’s stars (Gretzky, Lemieux). He and Leon Draisaitl remain the best duo in the league. Zach Hyman, Evander Kane, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, and Darnell Nurse are a strong supporting cast. Can they contend with Stuart Skinner and Jack Campbell as the goalies? Mattias Ekholm played a key role in turning around the defense. Expect a better year from Evan Bouchard.

The Avalanche were dethroned in disappointing fashion by the upstart Kraken. It turned out that they missed captain Gabriel Landeskog. He isn’t returning this season. It’s a shame because he could’ve been the top power forward, not named Tkachuk. It’ll be the second consecutive year he’ll miss. Nathan MacKinnon is a superstar who would win a Hart ‘if’ McDavid didn’t exist. Mikko Rantanen gets better and better. He is also elite. Cale Makar is considered the best defenseman. Can he stay healthy? They’re hoping Ryan Johansen, Miles Wood, and Ross Colton can supply additional scoring. Devon Toews is an outstanding defenseman who the Islanders foolishly gave away. Artturi Lehkonen and Val Nichushkin will be counted on. Alexandar Georgiev looks for a repeat in goal.

The Stars feature Jason Robertson, Roope Hintz, Miro Heiskanen, and Jake Oettinger. They’re all close to the top at their positions. Hintz took a big leap forward. Robertson is some player. Fifty goals are possible. Who’s better? Robertson or Wild ace Kirill Kaprizov. Heiskanen should contend for the Norris. He’s so disrespected by national writers due to where he plays. Oettinger is on the verge of the elite goalies. Joe Pavelski continues to defy age by scoring from in front. Jamie Benn remains a tough captain who does everything. There’s good depth up front and on defense. What can Matt Duchene add? Wyatt Johnston is a future 30-goal scorer. There’s a lot to like here.

The remainder of the conference ranges from good to average to bad. The bad would be the Sharks, who are going to be uncompetitive most nights, even with Logan Couture and Tomas Hertl. Mackenzie Blackwood as the starter. Yikes. San Jose will be in the lottery.

The Ducks aren’t much better. However, Trevor Zegras could reach 30 goals and 70 points after re-signing. Mason McTavish remains an intriguing player. Jamie Drysdale is a key part of the rebuild on defense. John Gibson remains stuck in Anaheim following a noisy off-season. He’ll have to prove his worth to get moved.  Troy Terry is a good finisher. They’ll need better from Ryan Strome. Alex Killorn starts on injured reserve. Radko Gudas should make the Ducks more interesting.

Things could be looking up for the Coyotes. Logan Cooley is a big reason why. He should be the number one center for the rest of the decade. There’s also the emergence of Mattias Maccelli, Barrett Hayton, and J.J. Moser. If they improve defensively, Karel Vejmelka could put up decent numbers in the net. Clayton Keller is a rising star. The additions of Jason  Zucker, Alex Kerfoot, and Sean Durzi should help improve the ‘Yotes.

In Minnesota, they have a good roster that should make the postseason again. The question remains if they can get past the first round. Featuring Kirill Kaprizov, Matt Boldy, Mats Zuccarello, Joel Eriksson Ek, Marcus Foligno, and Filip Gustavsson, Minnesota isn’t on the level of Colorado or Dallas. However, they’re likely to finish in the top three in the division. They might need to upgrade the center position.

It’s good to see Winnipeg lock up Connor Hellebuyck and Mark Scheifele over the long term. Both have spent their entire careers with the Jets. That is a big win for Jets’ fans. Hellebuyck staying put gives them hope. Kyle Connor is one of the game’s top scorers. Josh Morrissey has become one of the better defensemen in the sport. Adam Lowry replaces Blake Wheeler (Rangers) as the new captain. They no longer have Wheeler or Pierre-Luc Dubois. However, Rasmus Kupari, Gabe Vilardi, and Alex Iafallo will more than make up for Dubois, who got his wish by being dealt to the Kings. Cole Perfetti should improve in Year Two.

The Kings are the other team in the Northwest. They gave the Oilers another tough first round. Now, they added Dubois to form a potent center duo with Anze Kopitar. Boasting Kevin Fiala and Adrian Kempe, the Kings will be good. Drew Doughty and Vladislav Gavrikov patrol the blue line. Brandt Clarke is ready to join the defense. He could be another rookie to watch. Even with high character players Phillip Danault, Viktor Arvidsson, and Trevor Moore, is the goaltending good enough? Cam Talbot was bad in Ottawa. Pheonix Copley is the backup with David Rittich as insurance. Will Arthur Kaliyev ever play consistent minutes?

The Predators underwent a makeover. Barry Trotz hired original Predator Andrew Brunette, who scored the first goal in franchise history. He previously was a top assistant in New Jersey and also coached Florida. Roman Josi is often overlooked by the experts. He shouldn’t be. Ditto goes for Juuse Saros. They are elite stars at both the defense and goalie positions. If they can stay healthy, Nashville could sneak in as a wildcard. They added Ryan O’Reilly, Gustav Nyquist, and Luke Schenn to a roster that still features Filip Forsberg. They’ll be competitive.

Can the Kraken do what they did in their inaugural season? The short answer is, ‘No.’ But they have proven vets in Yanni Gourde, Jordan Eberle, Andre Burakovsky, Oliver Bjorkstrand, Jared McCann, Jaden Schwartz, Brandon Tanev, Jamie Oleksiak, Adam Larsson, and ex-Pen Brian Dumoulin. Matt Beniers is the centerpiece. He should continue to improve. Ty Kartye looks like a player. Eeli Tolvanen played well after Seattle claimed him from Nashville. Vince Dunn needs a repeat on the back end. Can Philipp Grubauer fulfill his contract as the starter? Everything went right last year. Maybe they take a step back.

At this point, there are several teams we skipped over. The Canucks might be good. Elias Pettersson established himself as a stud, breaking the century mark. The defense is still iffy. Thatcher Demko is the key to any success. They have talent.

Calgary is hard to predict. Jacob Markstrom can’t be as bad as he was in 2022-23. Neither can Jonathan Huberdeau. It was a toxic environment under Darryl Sutter. Elias Lindholm is in a contract year. Nazem Kadri should return to form. Mikael Backlund was extended and named captain. If the key players perform, who knows.

A few predictions.

Cole Caufield scores over 40 with at least 18 on the power play for the Canadiens.

Kaapo Kakko gets 27 goals and hits 52 points on Broadway.

Alexis Lafreniere is traded.

Lou Lamoriello retires after the Islanders miss the playoffs.

Dylan Cozens finishes with over 80 points, including 35 goals, and is nominated for the Selke.

Rasmus Dahlin puts up 90 points and is up for the Norris.

The Senators return to the postseason.

The Lightning don’t make the playoffs.

Patrick Kane signs with the Sabres. They still miss the postseason.

Jason Robertson scores 54 goals and is up for the Hart.

Connor Bedard scores 40 goals and 90 points to run away with the Calder.

Logan Cooley and Devon Levi finish second and third.

DIVISIONS

Atlantic

1. Maple Leafs

2. Panthers

3. Bruins

4. Senators

5. Sabres

6. Lightning

7. Red Wings

8. Canadiens

Metropolitan

1. Devils

2. Hurricanes

3. Rangers

4. Penguins

5. Islanders

6. Capitals

7. Flyers

8. Blue Jackets

Central

1. Stars

2. Avalanche

3. Wild

4. Jets

5. Predators

6. Coyotes

7. Blues

8. Blackhawks

Northwest

1. Golden Knights

2. Oilers

3. Kings

4. Flames

5. Kraken

6. Canucks

7. Ducks

8. Sharks

PLAYOFFS

WEST

First Round

Leafs over Pens

Panthers over Bruins

Devils over Senators

Canes over Rangers

Second Round

Leafs over Panthers

Devils over Canes

Conference Final

Leafs over Devils

WEST

First Round

Knights over Predators

Oilers over Kings

Stars over Jets

Avalanche over Wild

Second Round

Knights over Oilers

Stars over Avalanche

Conference Final

Knights over Stars

Stanley Cup Champion: Golden Knights

Conn Smythe: Jack Eichel

Calder: Connor Bedard

Selke: Aleksander Barkov

Norris: Miro Heiskanen

Vezina: Juuse Saros

Hart: Jason Robertson

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Devils conclude a dominant preseason with seven straight wins

Posted on October 8, 2023 by hasan4978

Admittedly with an 82-game regular season on the docket and an anticipated playoff run after, preseason games interest me even less this year than they have in the previous several seasons. Don’t get me wrong, I would have probably gone to and/or watched a couple of the home ones if I’d been around for any of them – but I wasn’t and there’s nothing more meh than a road preseason game on TV or online stream. Pretty much the only things you want out of preseason as a fan of a team on the verge of Cup contending is health and evidence the team’s ready for the season anyway.

Mission accomplished on both fronts, we seem to have escaped preseason unscathed on the injury front and the Devils certainly look like an organization on a mission. It isn’t even the case that the Devils overplayed their regulars against everyone else’s second-teamers, exhibit A being their last preseason game at Elmont against the Islanders where basically Akira Schmid in front of our Utica team rolled their regulars 3-0 to clinch a spotless preseason.

Make no mistake though, our regulars came to play – none of them seem like they have to play their way into shape this year. Post-contract Jesper Bratt looks motivated to prove he’s worthy of the long-term deal he just signed, pacing the team with five goals and nine points in four preseason games. Just behind him is of course, Jack Hughes who had eight points in his four preseason games and coach Lindy Ruff sounded an ominious (for the rest of the league) note when asked about Hughes picking up where he left off:

Speaking of the coach, we finally got an answer as to his contract status…and the answer is basically status quo. No long-term extension for Lindy (yet), but he’s still here thanks to a team option that Devils management successfully kept quiet when all the speculation about the coach’s status was swirling. Lou Lamoriello would be proud of that kind of secrecy. Maybe it’s just as well it was kept quiet since if things had gone south last year, they could have brushed Lindy aside in the offseason without calling it a firing publicly. I don’t understand why we had to wait until September this offseason to hear about it, but that’s hockey culture I suppose.

Answering questions is usually the big concern – this side of staying healthy – for contending teams in the preseason, and for the Devils our biggest questions were (and are) surrounding two of our youngest players – one, how close is Simon Nemec to contributing and two, will the light come on for Alexander Holtz? So far it seems like the answers are pretty close…and maybe?

Nemec had two goals and four points in four games, by all accounts being pretty solid defensively. If it wasn’t for the presence of vets Colin Miller and Brendan Smith, I’d argue Nemec should be on the Opening Night roster but maybe he’ll just be this year’s Luke Hughes and come up late in the season to provide a spark after he’s fully ready. Holtz also had two goals in his four games but after early-camp talk about his improved skating came later-camp concerns about his off-puck play. With the coach again on a one-year deal, and the team now ready to win I’m not sure there’ll be a lot of patience with the 21-year old in what can only be described as a pivotal season for his future here.

I’m not sure how many real roster questions there are before tomorrow’s 5 PM deadline to have a 23-man roster for Thursday’s season opener against Detroit. Barring a last-minute move or injury disclosure, if we had a full 23-man roster I’d confidently be able to name 22 at least:

Forwards: J. Hughes, Hischier, Bratt, Meier, Toffoli, Mercer, Haula, Palat, Holtz, Bastian, McLeod, Nosek, Lazar

Defense: Hamilton, Siegenthaler, L. Hughes, Marino, Bahl, Miller, Smith

Goalies: Vanecek, Schmid

Seemingly none of the younger forwards like Nolan Foote (who I expected more from after GM Tom Fitzgerald talked him up at the end of last season) or Tyce Thompson really did enough to crack a veteran-laden roster, one might be here early to be the 14th forward and avoid waivers. But when your biggest question is fourteenth forward then things are seemingly looking up.

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