Hamilton’s overtime winner gives Devils life with a 2-1 road victory over Rangers to take Game Three, Schmid earns first win in postseason debut, NYR lead series 2-1

Posted on April 23, 2023 by Derek
Igor Shesterkin responds to Timo Meier during a heated scrum in Game Three. The Devils won 2-1 on Dougie Hamilton’s overtime winner to get back in the series. Getty Images

It’s now a series. Dougie Hamilton’s goal at 11:36 in overtime gave the Devils a badly needed 2-1 win over the Rangers in Game Three before a sellout crowd of 18,006 at Madison Square Garden.

On a great play by a rushing Jesper Bratt, he drew two Rangers to get the puck over for a wide open Hamilton, who fired home the overtime winner past Igor Shesterkin to silence the home fans. Bratt was a factor picking up two assists for his first two points of the first round series.

So was Hamilton. Shutdown in the first two games, the Devils’ most dangerous weapon from the blue line set up a tying Jack Hughes power play goal and got his first of the series with 8:24 remaining in the first overtime.

While he earned the game’s first star, the real heroics were provided by Game Three starter Akira Schmid. Making his postseason debut, the 22-year old rookie netminder was superb in making 35 saves on 36 shots to post his first win of the playoffs.

Following the morning skate where he was the first goalie off, the anticipation was that coach Lindy Ruff would go to Schmid. Of course, he kept things quiet to keep the press guessing. However, it was obvious that after the Rangers’ second straight 5-1 win, there would be a change in the net.

Prior to the game, it was revealed that Schmid would get the nod. A former fifth round pick in 2018, the Swiss goalie had a good rookie year. In 18 appearances, he went 9-5-2 with a 2.13 GAA, .922 save percentage and one shutout. He only had 24 games (18 starts) of NHL experience. However, the poise that he plays with always made him an option.

The game started ominously for the Rangers. On an early chance from Bratt after he got behind K’Andre Miller, Igor Shesterkin stopped him 22 seconds in. But Patrick Kane hooked Bratt to hand the Devils an early power play.

They continued to struggle on the five-on-four. Hughes got the only shot on Shesterkin, who made the save. On a successful penalty kill, the Blueshirts remained aggressive by taking the body on Hughes. That kept the Devils off the scoreboard.

After the power play expired, Shesterkin made a stop on Tomas Tatar to get a whistle. In the biggest game of their season, Ruff adjusted his lineup. Miles Wood was replaced by Curtis Lazar on the fourth line. Jonas Siegenthaler was back in on the first pair with Brendan Smith out.

There were also changes to the lines, including Ondrej Palat with Hughes and Haula on the second line. Timo Meier moved up to the top line alongside Hischier and Bratt.

Rangers coach Gerard Gallant made no changes. He didn’t have to. The lines remained intact with the D pairs.

If there was a noticeable difference in the first period, it was the Devils’ ability to get in transition. They found more time and space to play their speed game. They also defended the net much better than the first two games. That made for a closely fought opening period. One the Devils led in shots 12-11.

Following two saves from Shesterkin on Bratt and Hischier, Mike McLeod took a bad offensive zone penalty when he boarded Ryan Lindgren from behind. That sent the Rangers to their first power play.

On it, Mika Zibanejad got the best two scoring chances. Twice, he was set up in the slot for one-timers. Both were denied by a sharp Schmid. Those saves along with one on a long Alexis Lafreniere shot got him into the game.

With the action more fast-paced, each team traded chances. On one side, Patrick Kane tested Schmid, who was up to the challenge. On the opposite end, Shesterkin stopped Damon Severson.

There was more hitting as well from the red and black. The Devils finished with 31 hits, including a team high six from Siegenthaler. The Rangers were credited with 23. Jacob Trouba paced them with seven. He was again a tower of strength on defense.

Another difference was the Devils’ willingness to sacrifice their bodies. They blocked 17 shots. No player had more than two. But it was a team effort. The Rangers had 19 blocks. Game Three was more evenly fought.

The best opportunity went to the Rangers. A lead pass for Artemi Panarin sent him in on a mini-break. One on one with Schmid, he sent his high shot wide. He felt some back pressure, which might’ve caused him to fire quicker. That was enough to keep it scoreless.

After a tough save by Shesterkin on a Meier backhand, Adam Fox blocked a Ryan Graves attempt. With under five minutes left, a Siegenthaler turnover allowed the Rangers’ checking line to get two shots. Schmid denied both Tyler Motte and Jimmy Vesey. He also made a long stop on Fox.

Schmid would make stops on Fox and Kane late in the period. Shesterkin’s best save was off a Meier rebound when he turned away Hischier on a tough angle. He simply closed everything up.

For the first time in the series, there was no scoring in a period. A welcome change for the Devils. They played a good road period. By being more aggressive, they looked like a team that had a great season. That was an indication that the game would be tougher to get.

Things picked up in the second period. After the refs missed a Barclay Goodrow elbow to Meier, who stayed down for a couple of minutes, Palat forced a back pass that went right to Kane. The turnover allowed Kane to move the puck for Zibanejad. He got it up for Kreider, who beat Schmid high short side for the game’s first goal at 3:39.

The goal put Kreider in the record books. By scoring his fifth goal in the first three games, he became the first Ranger to ever do that to start a postseason. Everything he does is no longer a surprise. He’s been their best forward. One day, we might see number 20 hang from the Garden rafters.

With a secondary assist, that gave Kane five points. He’s certainly raised his level. He was again good for the second consecutive game.

Before the goal, the Devils bench was unhappy. That was due to Zibanejad getting away with a slash that helped lead to the ice breaker. The officiating was bad. They had a few misses that went against both sides. Considering what took place in Los Angeles on early Saturday, there’s a lot to be said about the refs and linesmen.

Up one, the Blueshirts got a second straight power play when Ryan Graves took down Vincent Trocheck for interference. However, the top unit fired blanks. Zibanejad missed twice, and so did Panarin. The Devils were more aggressive up top, taking away Fox. He wasn’t allowed to get to the middle. That adjustment allowed them to kill all five Rangers power plays.

As the second moved on, Trouba found himself open for a shot that he sent wide. That was an issue for our shooters. There were opportunities to get the second goal on Schmid. But many shots never reached the target.

Following a Meier hit, Goodrow took down Meier and tackled him. Outside of a Hamilton missile that hit the crossbar, the Devils didn’t do enough with their second man-advantage.

Shesterkin wasn’t that busy in the period. However, he did make saves on both Hamilton and Meier, who both were much more visible. The latter was a nuisance.

During a scrum, Braden Schneider gave him a shot. But as he was going down, Meier intentionally threw himself on top of Shesterkin. He reacted by giving Meier a shot. With things escalating, Panarin went after the much bigger Kevin Bahl. It was shocking. Somehow, Meier avoided a goalie interference penalty. Instead, the Devils somehow got a power play out of that fracas.

The miss on Meier proved costly. With Bratt and Hamilton able to find an open Hughes in the left circle, he beat Shesterkin with a perfect shot short side to tie the score at 10:37 on the five-on-four. It was his second of the playoffs.

After a Shesterkin save on a Hischier deflection, the Devils didn’t do much offensively. Instead, they took undisciplined penalties. Bratt took down Alexis Lafreniere in the offensive zone to put the Rangers back on the power play.

Following a Kreider turnover that allowed the Devils to clear down, the number one unit got three shots. However, Schmid remained calm by stopping Panarin and then Zibanejad twice. Those timely saves made a difference.

Meier took an interference minor when he knocked down Trouba in the offensive zone. After nothing from the top unit, out came the second unit. They came very close to grabbing back the lead.

Trouba sent a shot wide. Lafreniere just missed with a hard slap shot as the power play expired. Schmid was down. If that hits the net, the Rangers go ahead with under a minute left in the period.

Instead, the game remained tied at one headed to the locker room. The Rangers held an 11-6 edge in shots yet couldn’t come out with a lead. It felt like a missed opportunity.

The third period was more conservatively played. Neither team got much going. There was more tight checking. That led to not as much room to create. There were hitting and blocked shots.

Schmid made early stops on Filip Chytil and Niko Mikkola. Both sides finished checks. Following a Schmid save on Fox from distance, Graves had a big block on Zibanejad. It was his defense that helped the Devils out. He’d later make a game saver in sudden death.

One of the best chances came when Tarasenko was wide open. But his shot from the left circle went high and wide. That basically summed up the game for the Rangers. They didn’t bury their chances.

On a good forecheck from Lafreniere, Chytil, and Kakko, Trouba had a great look. However, he once again fired wide. That line was effective at five-on-five. They cycled the puck well to create opportunities. It feels like they’re getting close to breaking out.

Bratt would get a good chance from point blank range. Playing his best game of the series, he tested Shesterkin in tight but was denied.

Almost all the Rangers’ six shots came during the first half. That included a Motte bid that Schmid stood firm on.

The Devils were able to use their speed to get opportunities. After Lafreniere missed on a backhand attempt, Hischier won an offensive draw for a point shot that Bratt deflected wide. Shesterkin then shut down Meier. He’d also deny Hughes on the following shift.

With exactly six minutes left in regulation, Graves got his stick up on Kane to put the Rangers on their fifth power play. Surely, they’d make the Devils pay.

Remarkably, Panarin had two unbelievable scoring chances from primary areas to give the Rangers the lead. On the first one, he was wide open in the middle but fired wide. Then, Panarin was set up in the left circle for another rocket. But his one-timer missed high and wide, leaving him shaking his head in disbelief.

Chytil had a chance on the latter part. But his tip-in went over the net. Rinse. Repeat. The Rangers were the gang that couldn’t shoot straight. Had they converted on one of these chances, we could be talking about a potential sweep.

The final four minutes were played so cautiously that neither team got a shot. Nobody wanted to make a mistake. That was clearly obvious on the Devils’ side. They really played it safe and took their chances in overtime.

In sudden death, the tempo was faster. Both teams went for it. The Blueshirts got the first three shots of overtime. Once again, Schmid didn’t seem rattled. He stopped Trocheck, Tarasenko, and Schneider, who showed off his strong skating.

Schmid would also deny Kane during an early shift. Kane always turns it up in OT. He’s been a Stanley Cup hero and ended three series, including the Blackhawks’ first of three Cups.

As it went on, the Devils began to find their legs. They used their strong transition to generate opportunities. Shesterkin denied both Meier and then Bratt. Bratt would make another bid, but be denied.

On what was a close call, a long shot came towards Kakko for a tricky rebound. But his backhand was stopped by Schmid. He’d later deny Tarasenko. Although he didn’t score like the first two games, he was quite good.

Zibanejad had Kreider for the possible winner on a two-on-one. But at the very last moment, a diving Graves got his stick on the puck to break it up. If he doesn’t make that defensive play, it’s likely Kreider’s sixth in three games. Instead, he made a game saving play that also saved the Devils season.

The Rangers had another great chance to win it due to Lafreniere. On a very active shift, he tested Schmid twice with dangerous shots. It looked like he had jump throughout. He again was noticeable by finishing checks and defending hard. He stopped Hughes once. It feels like Lafreniere could be on the verge of something big. We’ll see what happens on Monday in the all important Game Four.

After he took Motte off the puck, here came Bratt skating freely into the Rangers zone. He made a very patient play by faking out the defense. Once he drew them out of position, he found a cutting Hamilton for the winner with 8:24 left in overtime. He had too much time, beating Shesterkin high glove to get the Devils back in the series.

It’s ironic that the road team has won all three games. Both the Rangers and Devils had better records away from home. I felt home ice wouldn’t matter in this series. So far, it hasn’t. The Rangers need to flip the script tomorrow night. They don’t want to go back to The Rock tied at 2-2.

Interestingly, this reminds me of the first round meeting in 2008. The Rangers took the first two in Newark before losing in overtime for Game Three. That game is best known for Sean Avery waving his stick at Martin Brodeur. The Avery Rule. What a joke that was. I’ll refrain from any further commentary on Avery.

Fortunately, a late Marc Staal goal won Game Four. Another game we were at. The Rangers then wrapped up the much closer fought series in five. It was really about Henrik Lundqvist. Maybe Shesterkin can repeat that. He’s only been beaten four times. Once at even strength on the Hamilton OT winner.

For my three stars, I went with one Ranger and two Devils. I selected Kreider third for his fifth goal. He has been dangerous. I went with Bratt over Hamilton for number two. I thought he was the best Devils skater. Number one went to Schmid.

https://twitter.com/BattleOfHudson/status/1649979093176254466?t=aISfxmG39ddPHabLnVyI6w&s=19

Postgame Notes: Rangers out-shot the Devils 36-28, including 8-5 in overtime…In a hard luck loss, Shesterkin made 26 saves on 28 shots. For the series, he’s allowed four goals on 80 shots for a 1.26 GAA and .950 save percentage… John Marino led all skaters in ice time with 28:41. Adam Fox had 28:03 for the Rangers.

Key Statistics

SOG: NJD 28 (Bratt/Hughes/Meier 5 each) NYR 36 (Kane/Zibanejad 4 each)

Total Attempts: NJD 61 (Meier 10) NYR 69 (Panarin 9)

Missed Shots: NJD 14 (Hamilton 5) NYR 16 (Panarin 4)

Giveaways: NJD 15 (Palat 3) NYR 19 (Kreider/Trocheck 3 each)

Takeaways: NJD 10 (Graves/Hughes 2 each) NYR 15 (Trocheck 4)

Face-offs: NJD 25 (McLeod 11-5) NYR 37 (Zibanejad 18-10), Chytil 10-3)

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A day of reckoning in Newark as Devils come off second straight home embarrassment

Posted on April 21, 2023 by hasan4978

Amazing how a couple of games can change your perspective on things…to think, I felt before the series that the nightmare scenario would be losing in 6 or 7 games. Against the Rangers, any loss would feel catastrophic but after the first two games of this series, we’d be doing well just to get it back to the Garden for a Game 6 at this point. The more things change, the more they stay the same…indeed. More hideous special teams, more bad coaching decisions, more dumb penalties and the same lack of adjustments to the Ranger gameplan led to the exact same result in Game 2 – another 5-1 loss at the Rock.

Granted, some things were different. For one, the Devils actually scored first – and with skaters on the ice! – when Erik Haula’s power play goal in the first period jolted the building back to life, and seemingly the team as well. At least for the rest of the first period, we finally saw glimpses of the ‘winningest Devils team of all time’. Even with that, we were fortunate to have a 1-0 lead after the first given all the good saves Vitek Vanecek had to make when the Devils (yet again) came out flat-footed in the first ten minutes of the game. Still, given we had the lead and the crowd back buzzing, I was at least somewhat hopeful we’d find our footing and have a good game on our hands.

But NOOOOO…the Devils once again came out flat in a period, again and again having to make Vitek save their collective bacon until Vladimir Tarasenko gave the Rangers their deserved breakthrough at 5:57 of the second period after a typically awful Brendan Smith shift helped the Rangers keep the zone for what seemed to be minutes before Tarasenko scored through traffic. From there, the rest of the game was like the air coming out of the collective balloon in the arena, both for the fans and the team itself. As if the Rangers needed any help last night, the Devils gladly provided it with stupid penalty after stupid penalty, two of them resulting in goals in the second period when our so-called penalty kill proved the axiom ‘those who don’t learn the past are doomed to repeat it’.

You would think after allowing two tip-in goals to Chris Kreider on the penalty kill in Game 1 that there would be some attempted adjustment, but nope – not our brilliant staff! Incredibly, Kreider repeated his Game 1 performance with another two tip-in goals on the power play as we played the exact same passive box and let them do what they wanted with the puck. Which equals four power play goals in two games if you lost count, and I’m close to losing count myself. Sam Rosen might be close to losing his voice with all the ‘IT’S A POWER PLAY GOAL!’ calls he’s making.

Kreider’s two second period goals basically ended the game as a contest given the lack of scoring opportunities the Devils have created in the series. Still, the Devils have zero five-on-five goals with their only two scores coming on a meaningless penalty shot in Game 1, and a power play in Game 2. Who knew that Igor Shesterkin wouldn’t even matter in the series since they can’t get shots to him in the first place?!

After everyone’s kvetching (including mine) about goaltending following Game 1, the Devils actually got better goaltending from Vitek in Game 2 but you wouldn’t know it from the statline. Sadly, Vitek managed to allow even more goals playing better – the fifth goal in Game 1 was an empty-netter – because the team was just that bad. Would I go with Akira Schmid in Game 3…my short answer is who cares? I have less of an appetite for this as I did before Game 2, after all what goalie was really making a difference last night? Even in Game 1, if you got above-average goaltending you’d still have lost 3-1 anyway, or 4-1 with another empty-netter. If anything, I’d rather not ruin Schmid’s confidence by putting him in when the team is a total tire fire.

As much as I want to start with the low-hanging fruit that is coaching idiocy along with dumb players like Smith and Miles Wood, I’ll start with where we should start with the eviscerations – our ‘star players’ have to be better, plain and simple. Whether it’s Timo Meier committing one of the said stupid penalties leading to the Rangers’ third goal, or Jesper Bratt clowning himself allowing a Patrick Kane breakaway special on goal #4 last night, it’s been a disappointing series for our big names. Including Dougie Hamilton, Jack Hughes and Nico Hischier. When other skaters are on the ice, I have the same amount of points as those five do combined. While Kreider is scoring goals by the handful, Shesterkin hasn’t allowed a 5-on-5 goal yet and Adam Fox had two assists in 21:35 of icetime last night. Simply put, their stars are playing like stars…ours have left a lot to be desired and that’s the biggest reason why instead of the competitive series most of us expected, we have the second coming of Rangers-Islanders circa 1994.

All that said, it would be nice for a veteran coach like Lindy Ruff to not actively handicap the skaters on the ice. You would expect no panic from a coach who has seen the rodeo before, but you would have been wrong in this case. Lindy’s lineup in Game 2 screamed panic mode, specifically promoting Wood to the third line after a critical mindless penalty in Game 1, and scratching Jonas Siegenthaler for Smith, who’d been relegated to a bench role down the stretch as the team was gearing up for the playoffs. When I saw the Siegs-Smith lineup change on Twitter and told my friend in 104, he seriously thought it was injury-related.

They weren’t the only ones. And that decision wasn’t made any more logical by Smith’s typically dumb neanderthal penalty in the first period, even if the Devils did manage to kill that one off. Ostensibly, he was brought in to help the PK…well mission not accomplished with two more power play goals allowed, all by the same player doing the same thing.

Just like a typical hockey dinosaur, Lindy also was keyed up on getting more physicality in the lineup (even mentioning the fact Smith was an ‘ex-Ranger’ as part of his decision was also mind-boggling). His response to the team being jumpy in Game 1 was to try to hit our way out of it in Game 2. I realize the playoffs are different from the regular season and you have to play with a more physical edge but by the same token, you can’t completely abandon what got you there. To a certain level you have to play to your strengths and make the other team stop you.

In many ways, the fact Hughes had arguably the two biggest bodychecks of his career in the first two games is both good and yet indicative of a larger problem, the fact our old-school coach wants to be more physical – and seriously thinks THAT was the problem with Game 1 rather than just nervousness and perhaps leaning too much into the skill aspect. So instead of correcting toward the middle, we overcorrected and got too stupidly physical in Game 2. Wood getting a promotion instead of a demotion is yet another example of this. And in the category of stupid players will do stupid things, he followed up a stupid penalty in Game 1 with another in Game 2.

Not that Lindy’s neanderthals were alone in stupidity, just the most obvious examples of our own self-inflicted mistakes. Nor does it look like we’re actually learning from those mistakes either, judging by the posted Game 3 practice lines:

Scratching Kevin Bahl (who’s been one of the steadiest defensemen the last few weeks) for Smith might actually be dumber than scratching Siegs given his struggles at times this season, though he laughably went from healthy scratch right back to first pairing. Keeping Meier on the third line when your ‘top’ lines aren’t scoring is part of a silly, misguided belief that you’re spreading out the scoring. There’s no such thing as spreading out the scoring when you have two goals in two games. Having Michael McLeod be his center is also laughable, while Ondrej Palat and his zero goals and five points in twenty games gets a promotion to the Hischier line. Yeah, we know he’s a ‘playoff performer’…he hasn’t exactly done it for us and there are whispers he’s not going to be the same until next year because of his groin surgery early this season. If we’re already worried about wear and tear on Palat in year one of a five-year deal, it’s gonna be fun when we get to years 3 and 4.

Anyone – Devils fan or not – might think while reading this that I and other fans should have no right to be angry with this team, after all they’ve become relevant this year again and then some. There was certainly plenty of anger after the second period yesterday, when boos rained from the sky from everyone including me. When you consider the fact this team got 112 points and set all sorts of records, to me that only upped the expectations and inflated our belief in this team. The excuse of not having experience is a cop-out (look at Seattle beating Colorado on the road in Game 1 of their series, for example), what’s the excuse for a veteran coach panicking or our supposed top D going MIA in the first two games? I certainly wasn’t asking for Cup or bust, but when you follow up a 100+ point season with a quickie exit in the first round, it feels like the regular season was a gigantic waste of time and I said the same thing in 1998 and 1999 when they had back-to-back first-round exits off of division title seasons and even those weren’t as quick as this one is shaping up to be.

Might as well have had the Buffalo season and come up heroically one point short of the playoffs if this is the best you can do now. At least we’d all have ended the season with a good feeling, and not the feeling that we were somehow conned and duped by what now looks to be a fraudulent team who didn’t belong with the big boys after all. Assuming this season ends in the next few days, it’s going to be impossible to judge how we should feel about this season. A dramatic overachieve in the regular season followed by a dramatic underachieve in the playoffs. I get small sample size, Tampa was swept by Columbus a few years ago yadda yadda yadda, spare me. A lot of their players had deep playoff runs before then, we’re still waiting for one with this group.

Not to mention there’s a difference between losing and being embarrassed. This series has been an unmitigated embarrassment so far. Yes, there are examples of teams who’ve lost the first two games of a series and come back to win. There are even examples of teams who’ve lost the first two at home winning a series. Now go and find me an example of a team who lost this badly in the first two games of a series at home that came back to win? To wit, here are the four hockey examples I’ve come up with where teams lost the first two at home and won a series:

2018 – Capitals lose the first two at home to the Blue Jackets…both games were OT losses though, certainly not embarassments

2011 – Montreal beat Boston two in a row in Boston…the combined score of both those games (2-0 and 3-1) were the score of each of our games with the Rangers.

2003 – Washington beat Tampa two in a row in Tampa 3-0 and 6-3 after a late empty-netter…close but not quite the level of our twin 5-1 defeats

2000 – Penguins beat the Flyers at Philly 2-0 and 4-1 in the first two games, again not nearly the level of emasculation twin 5-1 walkovers are.

Sadly the best example I can come up with where a team has been emasculated to this degree and won a series is the 1996 World Series, more than two decades ago in another sport. And that Yankee team had won two playoff rounds and was on its way to four titles in five years. Anyone who thinks this Devils team is going to be on that level in the near future is out of their minds.

And another thing…this team not only urinated on itself in the first two games but they did it in front of a crowd waiting for a reason to cheer, that hasn’t had much of a reason to do so in big playoff games. In spite of the Devils’ best efforts to maximize profit over getting their own fans in the building, Devil fans still outnumbered Ranger fans by a surprisingly comfortable margin in the first two games of the series. In Game 1, the Rangers (with an assist from Vitek) quickly took the crowd out of it while in Game 2, the Devils themselves gradually took the air of the building with their incompetence and stupidity. It won’t take as much effort to turn the crowd blue in Game 5 assuming a miracle doesn’t happen with the Devils actually winning both in MSG.

Not to mention the fact this team historically has been pitiful at home in the postseason since moving to Newark. Other than 2012 (where they went 7-4), they’ve had a lovely home record of 4-10 in the postseason, including 0-5 against the Rangers in 2008 and this year. In our fifteen years of Newark, we’ve won playoff series in exactly one of them – 2012. Every other year has either been an unmitigated disaster or another playoff disappointment, with the possible exception of 2018 where realistically you knew they weren’t going to be on the same level as Tampa, even if they hadn’t quite gotten into their Cup-winning stride yet.

As good as this Ranger team is, this should not be a 2018-style mismatch. Even in that series the Devils looked more competent than they have in the first two games of this series, where they pretty much gave a playoff effort for about 10 of the 120 minutes so far. Derek might point out that in the 2006 series, the Rangers themselves had an unexpectedly good season torpedoed by the Devils in four straight, so on a certain level they could gain payback here (though they clearly got payback two years later as it was). At least in that series the Rangers were down 2-0 before they hit home ice though, then lost franchise stalwart Jaromir Jagr due to injury early in Game 3. Plus we were just white-hot going into that postseason. There was no indication of any kind of mismatch this year.

So yes, I’m angry. The fact I left ‘both’ games early (partly due to train considerations, but also I just knew they weren’t coming back either time given the way they were playing) and am even considering not going to Game 5 should we be in the situation where it could be another home elimination is mind-boggling. I’ve been to every playoff game since the Rock opened, but with the way this series has gone so far and this team’s lack of…consistency at the Rock in general, I’m having trouble justifying a reason to go to Game 5 and experience MSG 2.0 yet again.

I shouldn’t have to qualify my anger by saying I’m not trying to take away one iota of credit from the Rangers, they’ve obviously executed their gameplan flawlessly and their stars have played like stars should in the postseason. God knows they’ll get plenty of credit from the national media who can’t wait to pump their tires anyway. It’s eminently possible we wouldn’t win the series even while playing well, there’s a reason both of us picked a seven-game series after all. I’m not angry we’re losing, I’m angry we’re not even giving ourselves a chance to win, or physically competing at a playoff-ready level and this was supposed to be an even matchup given where both teams finished in the regular season.

This organization has another two more games here to right the ship and at least get back the good feeling we had about this season. Otherwise we’re going to have to deal with a very sour ending to what had been a sweet return to relevance.

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First Round: Showtime as Kane, Kreider lead Rangers to 5-1 win to take Game Two over frustrated Devils, lead series 2-0

Posted on April 21, 2023 by Derek

It was Showtime at The Prudential Center in Newark. On Thursday night, Patrick Kane reminded people why he was acquired. The 34-year old American star had an impact in the Rangers’ 5-1 win over the Devils to take Game Two before a sold-out crowd.

Feeling he had more to give between days off, the former Blackhawks three-time Stanley Cup winner delivered to help put the Rangers up two games to none on a visibly frustrated Devils. Kane assisted on two more Chris Kreider power play goals and then scored a beauty in the third period to put the game away.

After falling behind on an Erik Haula power play goal during a well played first period, the Rangers responded with a dominant second period. They would go on to outscore their close Hudson rival three-zip in what proved to be a pivotal middle stanza.

The Devils did some good things in the game’s first 20 minutes. They were more desperate. With coach Lindy Ruff inserting both Yegor Sharangovich and Brendan Smith into the lineup that saw adjustments to all four of their lines and two defensive pairs, they came out with more aggression.

They finished checks. It was predictably more physical. Exactly what you’d expect for a second game. But despite bringing more to the table, they could only get one past Igor Shesterkin. That came when, during a power play with Niko Mikkola off for cross-checking Nathan Bastian, Ruff decided to have Mike McLeod play on the power play with 20 seconds left in the five-on-four.

He then drove to the net where he got a piece of an Ondrej Palat shot to create a rebound. That allowed Haula to score his first of the series from directly in front with Adam Fox outnumbered.

Prior to that goal from the gritty Haula, who was one of the best players for the red and black, Jacob Trouba delivered an early hit on Devils captain Nico Hischier during the game’s first shift. On a play behind the net, it was the Rangers captain who gave Hischier a clean shoulder check. Hischier got back up and kept playing.

Trouba had an impact finishing with a game high eight hits. Three came in the first. He and partner K’Andre Miller have played well thus far. It’s Trouba, who’s the more steadier player. He handles the gritty stuff while Miller uses his skating and long reach.

When they attacked the Rangers net, the Devils had some shots on Shesterkin, who again looked locked in. But they didn’t find many rebounds. They also missed the net a lot. Both teams actually each had 20 shots that missed completely. The problem for the Devils is that they didn’t score at five-on-five. Unlike Game One, when they had a decided edge, they were out-shot 19-17 at full strength.

Inserted to add some physicality, Smith played on the third pair with Damon Severson. He took an unnecessary roughing minor on Tyler Motte to put the Rangers on their first power play.

Although they didn’t connect, the Rangers were dangerous. The best chance came when Artemi Panarin was all set up for a one-timer from the left circle. The shot looked to deflect off Vitek Vanecek and then the crossbar. Mika Zibanejad had a strong one-timer from the right side denied by Vanecek, who certainly made enough big saves. He was particularly sharp in stopping all 14 Rangers shots a busy first.

That first man-advantage should’ve been a warning to the Devils to stay out of the penalty box. They never got the message. Instead, they paid the price for undisciplined penalties in the offensive zone.

When there was play at even strength, the line of Filip Chytil, Alexis Lafreniere, and Kaapo Kakko spent some time in the Devils zone. They continue to work hard by winning board battles. Lafreniere wasn’t shy about throwing his weight around. He had a nice hit on Dougie Hamilton, who so far has been shut out in two games. He only had one shot on goal and was minus-two.

Following a Shesterkin save on Haula on the first Devils power play, he won a draw against Barclay Goodrow. Palat and Severson played catch. Then Palat found room to get off a wrist shot that McLeod deflected for a rebound. Haula pounced on the loose puck to give the Devils the lead at 11:44.

With the home crowd into it, they looked for more. However, Hamilton missed wide, and Meier was stopped by Shesterkin.

The Rangers responded with a strong shift from the first line. Vanecek made good stops on Kreider twice and then Panarin. He was much better in this game despite the final stat line.

Hughes tested Shesterkin in transition. He stood tall. On another effective shift by the third line, Lafreniere had the puck in the slot. But he fired high over the top.

As the period was wound down, Bastian took an unnecessary penalty in the offensive zone when he boarded Ryan Lindgren from behind with 42 seconds left. As the period ended with a Zibanejad tip-in try missing, he got into a scrum with John Marino. During it, Adam Fox came over to play peacemaker. Instead, they called him for a tacky, roughing minor with no time remaining. He couldn’t believe the call. No one could.

Instead of remaining on the power play to start the second period, the Rangers instead played four-on-four until Bastian’s penalty expired. Early on, Hughes got two chances but was unable to score. Jesper Bratt also missed.

A few minutes later, it was Shesterkin who made the big save to deny Hughes. In transition where he’s most dangerous, Hughes gained the Rangers blue line easily. He then cut in and fired a laser ticketed for the upper portion of the net. But a quick reacting Shesterkin got his glove up to keep it out. That save swung the momentum. If Hughes scores there, the Devils are up 2-0. Who knows what happens.

On the next shift, the Rangers drew even. Following a Kevin Bahl turnover, Fox played catch with Ryan Lindgren. He then made a nice drop for Vladimir Tarasenko. He drove a wicked wrist shot past a screened Vanecek high glove to tie the game at 5:53. Vincent Trocheck took Vanecek’s eyes away. That made it two goals in two games for Tarasenko. He’s certainly impressed Gerard Gallant.

On the following shift, Kakko had two chances. After a backhand went wide, he let go of a wrist shot from out that Vanecek held. That showed confidence. He’s definitely starting to get it. The more aggressive approach by a player who’s been the butt of jokes by Devils fans would later get rewarded.

Following a Lafreniere hit on Hughes that made it 2020 top pick on 2019 top pick, Ryan Graves sent a backhand wide. You could say that summed up how the game went. Especially in the second period.

With the game still tied, Panarin made a slick move to draw a slashing minor on Miles Wood, who showed frustration with the call. It was a penalty. But I definitely would agree that Panarin sold it. That penalty would prove costly.

Following an early Marino clear off the draw, the Rangers number one unit went to work. After one Kreider miss from in tight, Zibanejad worked the puck over for Kane. Having already gotten more confidence by getting a couple of shots on goal, he made a good read by taking a shot from the middle that Kreider tipped in for his third of the series at 9:57. All on the power play.

On the following shift, the Devils had some puck possession in the Rangers’ end. After a pair of hits from Trouba on Bastian, he knocked down Timo Meier without the puck to go off for interference.

However, the Devils failed miserably on the power play. In particular, the Rangers’ penalty killers were very aggressive with Hughes, who had a giveaway that led to an easy clear. Both Trocheck and Braden Schneider finished checks on him.

Hughes has found it harder in the playoffs. He was a bit more active finishing with six shots and 13 attempts but also was credited with four giveaways. That’s nine in two games.

With the Rangers up a goal, Meier lost his discipline by holding Zibanejad. That allowed them to cash in again on the man-advantage. With the Devils struggling to contain the power play, they keep leaving Kreider wide open in front. A bad recipe.

On what was a simple play where Kane received a pass from Fox, he waited until he had enough room to send a pass down low for a Kreider redirection that took a funny bounce off of Vanecek’s right arm and went in to make it 3-1 with exactly four minutes left in the period.

The puck was headed wide. But Vanecek had it go off his arm and in. It was the only bad goal he allowed. Either way, that made it three consecutive goals for the Blueshirts in a dominant second that saw them hold the Devils to five shots.

In danger of going down two games to none with the next two at MSG starting Saturday, the Devils made a strong push in the third period. They really carried most of the play.

On the first shift, Bratt had a deflection go off the goalpost just 13 seconds in. If that tip-in goes in, it’s a different game. That close to making things interesting.

After a close call from Tarasenko on the opposite end, the Devils kept coming. Following an icing, they pressed the attack. On some sustained pressure, Marino sailed a backhand wide from close distance. Bratt was then stopped twice. Shesterkin also denied a Meier tip-in.

While he was getting it done, the Rangers took their opportunities when they presented themselves. That included a good Zibanejad shot right on Vanecek.

As Ruff shortened up his bench by mixing up his lines that included an effective McLeod, the Blueshirts continued to remain patient. They countered. Both Tarasenko and Chytil missed wide on opportunities.

With the Devils taking more risks offensively by pinching their defense, they eventually got burned. On a smart defensive play by an aggressive Kane on Bratt, he stole the puck and broke in on a two-on-one.

With Marino taking away the pass, Kane calmly faked and then whipped a backhand past Vanecek top shelf for his first postseason goal as a Ranger. It was the 53rd of his career. That made it a three-goal game with 13:26 remaining. The goal was unassisted.

That really took the wind out of the Devils’ sails. They still continued to push. But you never got the sense they’d get any closer. They couldn’t. They simply were outclassed.

In what amounted to his best game of his young postseason career, Kakko put the exclamation point on the victory. He had come close earlier. This time, he took a Chytil centering feed and beat Vanecek from directly in front for his first of the series.

Kakko took punishment in this game. In a shift much earlier in the contest, he parked himself in front of a long Lafreniere turnaround shot that Vanecek handled. He took some abuse. That’s how he must play. He also made a few good defensive plays by coming back in his end. Although the media selected him as the game’s first star, I went differently. Kakko definitely deserves the credit he’s receiving.

With it now 5-1, things got a bit hectic. Fourteen seconds following Kakko’s goal, a big scrum ensued. During it, Schneider and McLeod squared off. It was a good scrap with blows landed by each.

Misconducts were handed out. Barclay Goodrow, Mikkola, Jimmy Vesey, and Tyler Motte were sent packing. On the Devils side, Bastian, Wood, Bahl, and Smith exited early. McLeod received two for roughing while Goodrow also got two for interference. That kept the teams at even strength. It didn’t last long.

Eighteen seconds later, Meier cross-checked Fox. He received the additional misconduct along with Fox, who got some extra rest for Game Three. That’s not a bad thing even if he waved off the call by Wes McCauley. He really didn’t do much. He should be fresh when the Hudson rivals face off at The Garden on Saturday night.

The game was over. Whatever happened afterward didn’t matter. When the final buzzer sounded, the Rangers came over to congratulate Shesterkin, who was all smiles.

It wasn’t like that for the Devils. They might’ve played for the final time at home. Unless they can make some big adjustments, it could be over much quicker. We’ll see what happens.

For the game’s three stars, I had to go with one defensive player who had a big effect on the game. That was Trouba. He was everywhere. You felt his physical presence through the TV screen. The other two were Kreider and Kane.

https://twitter.com/BattleOfHudson/status/1649246207313674240?t=iWU7gTFhekpsL1hDOqqx4g&s=19

Postgame Notes: After falling behind 1-0, the Rangers scored five unanswered in the win. … With two more assists, Fox is up to six helpers in the first two games. He’s continuing to make history.

Shesterkin made 22 saves on 23 shots. He’s allowed only two goals on 49 shots so far. … Vanecek made 25 saves on 30 shots. Even though he allowed five, only one was on him. His team didn’t play well. They melted down. Undisciplined penalties and coverage issues continue to be the difference in the series… Will Lindy Ruff consider starting Akira Schmid for Game Three? He’s unproven but also is only 22.

Key Statistics

SOG: NYR 30 (Kane/Kreider 5) NJD 23 (Hughes 6)

Total Attempts: NYR 57 NJD 59

Hits: NYR 39 (Trouba 8) NJD 39 (Meier 7)

Blocks: NYR 16 (Trouba 3) NJD 7 (Severson 3)

Giveaways: NYR 6 NJD 13 (Hughes 4)

Face-offs: NYR 26 (Chytil 5-5/Goodrow 4-4)

NJD 33 (Haula 9-5, McLeod 8-5, Hischier 12-10)

Posted in Battle Of Hudson, Devils, NHL Playoffs, NYRangers | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Devils make lineup changes for Game Two

Posted on April 20, 2023 by Derek
Jack Hughes and the Devils will have a different look for Game Two against Mika Zibanejad and the Rangers in tonight’s Game Two. Getty Images/Bruce Bennett

Tonight, it’s Game Two of the Battle of Hudson at The Prudential Center in Newark. Unlike Tuesday, the start time is 7:30 EST.

The Rangers lead the best of seven first round series, one game to none. They thoroughly outplayed the Devils to take Game One, 5-1. Special teams played a big role. They killed off all four Devils’ power plays without allowing a shot. The Blueshirts went 2 for 3 on a pair of Chris Kreider power play goals.

Although the Devils out-shot the Rangers 28-16 at five-on-five to create a few good scoring chances, including a couple for Nico Hischier and one dangerous opportunity for Jack Hughes, it wasn’t enough. They only had five high danger chances for the game.

Not surprisingly, coach Lindy Ruff has made some changes to his lineup. If the morning skate is any indication, it looks like the top two scoring lines will have a different look. Timo Meier was with Hischier and Dawson Mercer. Hughes is between Ondrej Palat and Jesper Bratt.

That means Tomas Tatar has been moved down to the third line. He was lined up with Erik Haula and Miles Wood. Wood was elevated from the checking line. That line consists of Mike McLeod, Nathan Bastian, and Yegor Sharangovich.

More of a scoring threat than Jesper Boqvist, Sharangovich is a good skater with a dangerous shot. He also plays shorthanded. Although he had a down third season posting 13 goals and 17 assists in 75 games, Sharangovich scored two shorthanded goals. During the season series, he scored twice versus the Rangers.

It should be noted that he’s fared well over his career against the Blueshirts. In 16 total games, he has six goals and five assists.

That’s why I’m not shocked that Ruff would insert him. I had a feeling he’d replace Boqvist for what could be a must win game for the Devils. They don’t want to fall behind by two games with the next two shifting to Manhattan.

Everything else for the Devils looks the same. The defensive pairs remain intact. Vitek Vanecek gets a chance to respond to a tough first game where he gave up four goals on 22 shots. Here’s how they’ll line up.

Meier-Hischier-Mercer

Palat-Hughes-Bratt

Wood-Haula-Tatar

Sharangovich-McLeod-Bastian

Siegenthaler-Hamilton

Graves-Marino

Bahl-Severson

Vanecek

Schmid/Blackwood

UPDATE: Ruff has also decided to make a change to his D. Veteran Brendan Smith is in for Jonas Siegenthaler. He will play on the third pair with Damon Severson. Here’s the reprised D pairs:

Bahl-Hamilton

Graves-Marino

Smith-Severson

After winning the first game, Gerard Gallant was pleased with his team’s effort. They were able to limit the Devils’ transition by minimizing space. They managed the puck well. When under pressure, they blocked 23 shots.

Igor Shesterkin was able to see every shot. He made 27 saves. Figure the Devils to drive the net more. They’ll be desperate.

The Blueshirts will need more than 16 shots at five-on-five. They can’t expect to rely on their power play. Of the four lines, it was the play of Filip Chytil, Alexis Lafreniere, and Kaapo Kakko that was most effective at even strength. Gallant rewarded them late. That led to Chytil’s empty netter.

The checking line centered by Barclay Goodrow was strong. He, Jimmy Vesey, and Tyler Motte did a good job. They all play roles on the penalty kill with Goodrow standing out in Game One. They also created one great scoring chance, but Vanecek stoned Motte.

There shouldn’t be any changes for tonight. Figure the Rangers to line up as they did on Tuesday.

Kreider-Zibanejad-Kane

Panarin-Trocheck-Tarasenko

Lafreniere-Chytil-Kakko

Vesey-Goodrow-Motte

Lindgren-Fox

Miller-Trouba

Mikkola-Schneider

Shesterkin

Halak

Posted in Devils, Game Preview, NYRangers | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Rangers take Game One with a strong effort to bedevil Devils 5-1, lead series 1-0

Posted on April 19, 2023 by Derek

Tonight, the Rangers taught the Devils a playoff lesson. Ready from the beginning of this seventh installment of the Battle of Hudson, they skated, scored, checked diligently, and got better goaltending to take Game One over the Devils, 5-1 before 16,514 at The Prudential Center in Newark.

Playing their first postseason game in five years, the Devils were outclassed by the more experienced Rangers. They won the battle of special teams by a significant margin. While the Devils couldn’t even muster a shot on Igor Shesterkin in four attempts, the Rangers went 2 for 3 on thanks to identical power play goals from the game’s first star, Chris Kreider.

That was established very early in Game One. Vincent Trocheck reached in and tripped up Jonas Siegenthaler behind the Devils net to go off for tripping 75 seconds in. He was bailed out by a strong penalty kill work from his teammates.

The four-man Rangers shorthanded unit outworked the Devils five-man unit. When they did get opportunities, they missed the net. Jack Hughes went high and wide twice. Dougie Hamilton also shot over the top. A big part of it was how well the Blueshirts defended the middle of the ice. They took passing seams away and kept their rivals to the perimeter.

It was the work of Barclay Goodrow that was noticeable during the first period when the Rangers were penalized three different times. He was making key defensive plays, blocking shots (3), and winning face-offs (7-for-11). When he wasn’t, he was closing in on attacking Devils to make it difficult.

While the home team struggled in front of a boisterous crowd that was mixed in with both Devils and Rangers fans, they were having trouble getting anything going. On a rare forecheck by the BMW Line, Trocheck made a key clear after he came on for Filip Chytil. That allowed the second line to transition up ice to get the first goal of the series.

Artemi Panarin made a pass across for K’Andre Miller. With the Devils in full scramble mode, he made a good pass for Vladimir Tarasenko in the right circle. He then patiently moved around Siegenthaler and rifled a snapshot by Vitek Vanecek for his first of the postseason at 4:58. That was the 42nd of his career. The first 41 came with the Blues, including 11 during their run to the Stanley Cup in 2019.

Following the goal, Adam Fox got called for a weak hold on Jesper Bratt. He mildly protested as he went to the box. But it was again the aggressive penalty killing unit that dominated. In fact, before the Devils got a shot on Shesterkin, Mika Zibanejad tested Vanecek shorthanded but was denied.

When they did attempt shots, they missed the target. Nico Hischier had a tip-in go wide. He then absorbed a tough hit from Ryan Lindgren, who played well. He even later scored his third career postseason goal. The Devils did a lot of retreating on their second power failure. I don’t think PSE&G sponsored it. That’s how out of sync it was.

By the time Tomas Tatar got a shot on Shesterkin, which he easily handled, over eight minutes had expired. It took the Devils 8:14 to register their first shot. They didn’t have much going. That’s how bottled up they were by a determined Blueshirts, who were disciplined defensively.

The Rangers came very close to making it a two-goal lead. After spending some time in the Devils end, Trocheck had a point blank shot stopped by Vanecek. With some chaos in front, he was completely down and out. Lindgren fired what looked like the second goal. But his shot rang off the crossbar. Vanecek then somehow stoned Panarin on a rebound.

In the postseason, penalties are magnified. Particularly when they’re in the offensive zone. Miles Wood got nabbed for reaching in and grabbing Panarin. That put the Rangers on their first power play. They couldn’t have drawn it up any better.

Off a face-off, Fox and Panarin played catch. Then Fox got the puck up top and took a wrist shot that Kreider easily tipped in for his first of the game at 9:30 to make it 2-0.

The goal allowed him to pass Rangers legend Rod Gilbert for the most postseason goals in franchise history. It was his 35th as a Ranger. When he later added another on what else but another power play redirect, Kreider didn’t have anything to say about the achievement. Instead, he focused on getting Game Two, which he called very tough. Team guy.

At one point, the Rangers led in shots 8-1. They were the harder team. The attention to detail was evident. By limiting what the faster Devils like to do in transition, they made it difficult.

Hughes struggled for most of his first postseason game with turnovers. He had five giveaways. That was mostly due to forcing passes through the middle. It’s the same East West style that can plague Panarin when he’s not simplifying the game. He also took some hits from the Rangers defense. During a shift, he delivered one of his own on Kreider, who easily absorbed it. He’s much stronger.

Despite being in control, the Rangers let the Devils hang around. They began to find their game in the second half of the first period. Following a couple of blocks by Tyler Motte, Erik Haula got a shot right on Shesterkin. The gritty center was noticeable throughout. He mixed it up by delivering four hits. He plays with energy and at times is used by Lindy Ruff to take draws for Hughes. However, he had a good night in the circle, finishing 7 and 7.

Nico Hischier woke up the Devils contingent with some aggressive play to generate quality scoring chances. During a strong shift, he was stopped twice by a sharp Shesterkin. He was their best player by a wide margin. For the game, he finished with five shots in eight attempts and had three takeaways.

His work created more opportunities for teammates. But both Damon Severson and Dawson Mercer went wide. Hischier tested Shesterkin again, but he continued to make the key stops.

Following Filip Chytil having a shot blocked by Severson, Mike McLeod was stopped by Shesterkin with over two minutes left. His line with Miles Wood and Nathan Bastian was active. They were more effective than some of the star talent, including Timo Meier, who was pretty quiet for most of the night. Meier would draw a questionable, high-sticking minor on a frustrated Braden Schneider.

It was again the Rangers penalty kill that got the job done. Kreider made sure to hit Hughes on the Devils’ third power play. Jacob Trouba also let Meier know he was there. He picked his spots during the game.

Despite holding a 10-7 edge in shots, the Rangers had to know the Devils were coming. They definitely weren’t the same during the first half of the second period. It was the home team that adjusted their style. Taking away the neutral zone, they began to tilt the ice.

For a while, it was the Devils forcing turnovers and carrying the action. Following a couple of early shots from Haula and Jesper Boqvist, the physicality picked up. More on their heels, the Rangers finished checks.

That included Alexis Lafreniere, who had a couple of good hits. Although he didn’t get on the score sheet, the former top pick was noticeable throughout. He had a good takeaway on Hughes and was strong. So, too, were 21 and over Kid Line mates Chytil and Kaapo Kakko.

On another shift, Hischier almost broke through. But he had his backhand denied by Shesterkin. He later missed a golden opportunity over the top.

The Devils continued to have the edge in territorial play. Although they were outplayed, the Rangers still did a solid job minimizing the high danger chances. Shesterkin made his biggest saves on Tatar and later Hughes, who stripped Schneider and then flew by Niko Mikkola to get in. But Shesterkin calmly made the big save.

At around the midway point, the period shifted. Following a big kick save from Vanecek to deny Motte off a Jimmy Vesey pass, in came Hughes on Shesterkin. But he wasn’t about to let the 21-year old center score. That was a big moment. It came with 7:28 remaining in the second. If Hughes scores there, everything could’ve changed. Shesterkin made 27 saves on 28 shots. That was his best.

With under six minutes left, Haula grabbed Chytil for one of those bad offensive zone penalties. Luckily, the Devils bailed him out. They also had the benefit of having a Lafreniere goal on a double deflection overturned. On a Trouba one-timer, first Chytil deflected it followed by Lafreniere, whose stick was just above crossbar height. They made the right call.

After the power play expired, Gerard Gallant made a wise decision by keeping the Kid Line out at even strength. The move paid off. Following a Chytil hit on John Marino, he helped set up a huge third goal from an unlikely source.

Chytil moved the puck up for Fox, who was exceptional in Game One, tallying four assists. Up top, he waited for Lindgren to cut towards the net. After receiving a pass from his defense partner, Lindgren waited at the very last moment to catch Vanecek just off his near goalpost. He fired a perfect shot high, short side inside the bar for his third career postseason goal to give the Blueshirts a three-goal lead with 3:03 left.

Seeing the glue of the team score was great. Lindgren provides so much for the team. He always will lay out to block shots at his own risk. He’s the definition of an unselfish player. It was nice to see him get rewarded after coming so close in the first period. Teammates were extremely happy for him.

It really was a huge goal that made it tough on the Devils. They’re known for being a great comeback team. But it’s harder to do in the playoffs when the ice becomes smaller. It’ll be interesting to see what adjustments they make for Game Two.

Subbing for Goodrow on a face-off, Motte proved why he doesn’t take them. He illegally won the draw by putting his glove over the puck and moving it back. That was an automatic delay of game minor. Like Bill Murray’s Phil character in Groundhog Day, the Devils failed miserably. I imagine Hasan will have more on that and what they did wrong.

In the third, the Devils had more shots. As expected, they held a 13-5 edge. However, nothing was getting by Shesterkin. He denied a Meier backhand early to preserve the three-goal lead.

With not much going right, Ruff tweaked his lines. Hughes had Palat on the left side with Bratt. Hischier would eventually have Meier on his line with Mercer. For most of the game, Meier was on the third line with Haula and Boqvist. That’s not the best way to utilize him. He’s a high volume shooter. He has to play in the top six for the Devils to be successful.

Although the Devils had more shots, not many threatened Shesterkin, who really deserved a shutout. It wasn’t to be.

When he needed a spark, Gallant went to Chytil, Lafreniere, and Kakko. They continued to be solid on the walls. When the game was played at five-on-five, it was that cohesive unit that got the puck in and cycled. That’s what they did so well last year and over the second half of the regular season.

Ryan Graves came close to getting the Devils on the board. But he had his long shot go off the goalpost. Shesterkin then stuffed Nathan Bastian on a wrap-around. He’d also make another save on Hughes, who improved his play in the latter stages.

A scrum that involved Severson giving Goodrow a shot nearly led to chaos. When Goodrow got up and asked him to go, he declined the fight. During that scrum, McLeod was given the only penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct, which was drawn by Motte.

Back on the man-advantage, the Blueshirts made short work of the gift. On a Patrick Kane (yes, he played) pass up top for Fox, he again sent one of those shots towards the front. Kreider was again parked in front, where he easily redirected the puck in for his 36th postseason goal. That put the game out of reach.

When you watch Kreider make those tip-ins, he makes it look easy. It isn’t. It’s a skill he works hard on in practices. There are other players who are just as good. But Kreider is probably the best net front player in the league. That’s why he’s scoring more.

With the first game basically over, the only question is, would Shesterkin get the shutout. Unfortunately, Hughes stole a puck and broke in on him. Trouba slashed him just enough from behind for the officials to reward him with a penalty shot. Even if I didn’t think it was a great call, it took away a scoring chance.

One on one, Hughes cooly skated in, faked, and then found enough real estate to beat Shesterkin with a great shot that went low inside the net. There wasn’t much room. He had a window and made it for his first career postseason goal. It was a skilled play.

Hughes’ goal came with 2:46 left in regulation. That meant Ruff lifted Vanecek for an extra attacker. Gallant decided to give his best line the assignment. That meant Chytil, Kakko, and Lafreniere. They were that good. After Fox made a defensive play to move the puck up to Kakko, he got the puck up for Chytil. He gained the red line and made no mistake scoring his first into the vacated net.

That closed the book on this game. The first chapter will show that the Rangers were the much better team. Their grit and experience showed. Now, it’s on to Game Two. The Devils should be more desperate. As Kreider noted about getting the second game in enemy territory, it should be harder.

This was a good start. Now, we find out if the Jersey side can respond. Considering what’s been happening so far in the first days of these playoffs with road teams having success, including both the Jets and Kraken winning along with the Lightning reminding the Maple Leafs that it’s the postseason, you never know.

Did anyone actually believe the Kings would come back to stun the Oilers on the first night? Road teams are 6-2 so far, with only the Bruins and Hurricanes winning Game One at home. The Stanley Cup Playoffs are different. Home ice isn’t the same advantage it used to be. It should make for some compelling Game Two’s.

For the game’s three Stars, I could’ve selected a number of players. I decided to go with the three Rangers who impacted Game One. No Fox or Lindgren.

https://twitter.com/BattleOfHudson/status/1648515423334465536?t=Jov71o-EodcOxDV8ERnzbQ&s=19

Notes: The Devils out-shot the Rangers 28-23 overall. But the Rangers went 2 for 3 on the power play on four shots. The Devils went 0 for 4 with no shots while allowing three shorthanded shots. At five-on-five, that favored the Devils 28-16. … Vanecek finished with 18 saves on 22 shots. If he struggles early in the second game, don’t be surprised to see Akira Schmid. He was the backup over Mackenzie Blackwood for last night.

KEY STATISTICS

Total Attempts: Devils 67 Rangers 45

Hits: Rangers 32 (Trouba/Vesey 4)

Devils 30 (Meier 5)

Blocks: NYR 23 (Fox 4) NJD 12 (Graves 3)

Face-offs: NJD 35 (McLeod 9-2) NYR 32 (Chytil 10-3)

Giveaways: Devils 13 (Hughes 5) Rangers 3

Posted in Battle Of Hudson, Devils, NHL Playoffs, NYRangers | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Devils not ready for prime time in Game 1

Posted on April 18, 2023 by hasan4978

I said before this series that Derek would likely handle most of the nuts and bolts analysis while I chime in here and there with my own thoughts, but really there wasn’t a whole lot to analyze about Game 1 regardless. At least not from a Devils standpoint. Quite simply, the team who knows what the playoffs were about played like it and the team that didn’t, got a major reality check this evening. Tonight’s ‘effort’ – if you want to call it that – simply wasn’t anywhere near good enough, pretty much from the coaching and Vitek Vanecek on down to the rest of the skaters. This game was pretty much a worst nightmare from a Devils fan perspective, everything that you feared might torpedo us did so tonight and then some – timely scoring from the Rangers, their goaltending edge, experience and special teams.

Vitek is an easy target after giving up two crappy goals but I’ll start with our not-so-special teams, which was really the first sign of a team-wide system failure tonight. Having four power plays fail to even get a SHOT on net, including two in the first eight minutes was frighteningly incompetent. And a general indicator of how the team continually got overcute with everything on the night, looking for the extra pass rather than taking good shots, then hurrying bad shots. And our penalty kill? Forget it…if you’re going to allow two PP goals a night then you have no shot. Our vaunted assistants need to get the heck back to the drawing board, cause you really couldn’t have gotten worse out of either part of the special teams barring a short-handed goal allowed.

And those two PP goals weren’t even the clunkers Vitek gave up – an unscreened floater from Vladimir Tarasenko beat him shortside less then five minutes into the game, and another unscreened shortside goal by Ryan Lindgren late in the second pretty much sealed our fate with the Rangers game managing their way over the finish line after dominating the first twelve or so minutes of the first period. They didn’t create much the rest of the night but they didn’t need to, with the way the Devils imploded from pillar to post. I wanted to buy the narrative that hey, the Devils have a bunch of guys who do have playoff experience, this belief that their experience will beat us is a bit overplayed but it sure as shooting was the case in Game 1.

Vitek was so bad though, that I would have him on a short leash in Game #2. Especially since the Devils finally smartened up enough to make Akira Schmid the backup. Maybe Schmid will be Cam Ward to Vitek’s Martin Gerber (circa 2006 Carolina). Not that I think we’re winning a Cup, especially after tonight but you have to give yourself the best chance to win. And if Vitek is going to spit the bit in the playoffs, then it’s time to see what Schmid can do. He’s arguably played better than Vitek down the stretch as it is.

It’s not as if Vitek torpedoed a good Devil performance though, really you could name the number of people who showed up for the Devils on one hand. It looked like a total regression to the first two games of the season, if not to 2020-22 entirely. I was tempted to think maybe the Devils needed us to boo them off the ice to motivate them. The shame of tonight is the Devils wasted one of the more legitimate home-ice advantages of Devil-Ranger playoff history. Maybe not quite as good as 2012, there was still a sizeable Ranger presence behind the defending net and in the clubs, but that’s about all there was – it was almost like a soccer stadium where all the visiting fans get bunched in one area.

Will they still have the same home-ice in two nights, or will there be more blue in the arena? Maybe it would help if there was more blue in the arena, this team has played better on the road all year. Which is one reason why I don’t necessarily think the series would be over at 0-2 (the other being my confidence in Schmid). You don’t want to get in that position if you don’t need to be though. More than even winning or losing, this team needs to get back to competing. Cause tonight, that wasn’t a good enough effort, never mind all the tactical issues with the special teams, and goaltending-specific issues.

Watching this team botch pass after pass for some reason reminded me of that moment in the third Mighty Ducks movie when the coach screams at the kids, ‘your stupid little Duck tricks won’t work at this level!’. That’s what tonight felt like, a reality check that whatever fancy style the Devils thought could win in the playoffs wasn’t good enough. You could throw 50+ wins, a team record and all that along with every individual record out the window. Now it’s time to put up when it matters.

And if you lose the seven-game series that both me and Derek predicted would happen (with different outcomes), fine. I can even accept that against the Rangers this year, as much as I’d hate it, because the preseason goal of being competitive and bringing hope back to the fanbase again was long since reached…but you better not go out like this with an easy five-ish game series a la 1997 and 2008. This isn’t 2018 where we’re up against a vastly superior Tampa team, we should be able to at least compete this time. If you’re going to get clowned in four or five games, then you might as well have missed the playoffs by a point instead of all of these records and individual accomplishments that’ll look even more meaningless after the fact.

Whether this team is ready or not, the playoffs have already begun. Now it’s time to be ready. They might be able to afford another loss, but they absolutely cannot afford another game like tonight, especially with the likelihood of losing at least one game they actually play well in due to Igor Shesterkin’s goaltending, plus the Rangers’ even more massive than feared edge in special teams. This team showed a lot of regular season resiliency all year, now it’s time to translate that into the big boy hockey of the postseason.

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Great rivalry enters a new chapter

Posted on April 18, 2023 by Derek

Whatever side you’re on, there’s nothing better than when both the Rangers and Devils are good at the same time. Finally, that’s the case as we enter night two of the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

There have been times during the unique Hudson Rivalry where one side was front and center. In the early 2000s, it was all Devils with the franchise adding two more Stanley Cups to their first ever championship in 1995.

The names Brodeur, Daneyko, Elias Niedermayer, Stevens, Arnott, Sykora, Brylin, Gomez, Madden, Holik, Lemieux, McKay, Langenbrunner, Mogilny, Gionta, Rafalski, Pandolfo, White and Albelin all are etched in Devils lore. They honored the 2002-03 Stanley Cup team earlier this year, commemorating the 20th Anniversary.

That win wouldn’t have been possible without unlikely playoff heroes Grant Marshall and Jeff Friesen. In that order since it was Marshall’s backhand pass that allowed Friesen to stun Ottawa with the series winner in Game Seven of a memorable Eastern Conference Final. The same can be echoed for Mike Rupp, who’s the trivia answer to the Stanley Cup winner versus Anaheim.

The postseason sometimes makes heroes of players you wouldn’t pick out of a hat. The 93-94 Rangers were chalk full of stars. While Messier, Leetch, Graves, and Richter get most of the credit, there’s no Stanley Cup without Stephane Matteau. A name that’s probably led to many bleeps on the Jersey side of the Hudson. His two overtime winners, including the memorable series clincher in double overtime to win an unbelievable Eastern Conference Final, remain a huge memory for the Manhattan side. He’ll never have to buy another drink in the Big Apple.

That championship team remains the last one to deliver a Cup to the city. So, when they honored them for the 25-year reunion a few years ago, I had chills. The building sounded like what it used to be. One thing about history. The diehards never forget. So, whether it’s the four retired numbers up in the rafters at MSG or a gritty member like Tikkanen, Beukeboom, Wells, MacTavish, or Noonan, we remember what that team represented.

They don’t break the 54-year drought without the Messier drop pass for that Kovalev rocket by Brodeur to swing Game Six at the old Brendan Byrne Arena in The Meadowlands. There’s no championship without the smart defensive work and contribution of Larmer. A player I’ve continued to push for the Hall Of Fame. He and Mogilny not being in is a joke.

You had your savvy vets like Lowe, who had been there and done it with Messier and even Graves in Edmonton. Ditto for Beukeboom. They added MacTavish and Anderson from the Oilers for that run. The running joke has always been that that team was the New York Oilers. However, without homegrown stars like Kovalev, Nemchinov, Richter, and Zubov, there’s no fourth Stanley Cup.

They also sacrificed future stars. Tony Amonte, Doug Weight, and Todd Marchant to win that year. Key players Darren Turcotte and James Patrick went in a three-team deal that landed Steve Larmer from Chicago and Nick Kypreos from Hartford. What about the late Alexander Karpovtsev stepping up that postseason? Or Doug Lidster. Even Greg Gilbert, Joey Kocur, and Eddie Olczyk were a part of it.

To win a championship in hockey, you need everyone. Now, it’s even harder. With the divisional format, it leads to spicier match-ups. You have the Leafs and Lightning in a first round rematch starting tonight. Rangers/Devils wouldn’t be happening without that format. We’d get Rangers and Leafs instead. The Devils would’ve drawn the Bolts.

Unlike the last time the bitter rivals met in 2012, there’s no Brodeur or Lundqvist. The only holdover is Chris Kreider. He debuted that postseason after winning a national title with Boston College. So, he should have an extra incentive to win this series. Being on the winning side matters. Especially in the Battle of Hudson.

As Devils contributor Hasan noted, this seventh installment will feel like an eternity. It’ll be exciting, nerve-racking, and cause anxiety. That’s what makes it special. It matters so much to the fans in the stands and those watching on TV. The war of words can be exchanged between the younger generation. We’re past that. Let them have their fun. Sometimes, you can bite off more than you can chew. That’s why I’m more reflective. I’ll enjoy the first round series for what it is. A battle between two very good hockey teams chasing the same thing.

Now, it’s about Jack Hughes, Nico Hischier, Jesper Bratt, Timo Meier, Dougie Hamilton, Vitek Vanecek, Tomas Tatar, Ondrej Palat, Miles Wood, Mike McLeod, Dawson Mercer on the Devils’ side. It’s Mika Zibanejad, Kreider, Patrick Kane, Vincent Trocheck, Artemi Panarin, Vladimir Tarasenko, Adam Fox, Ryan Lindgren, Igor Shesterkin on the Rangers’ side.

The thing is, we don’t know who’s going to be the x-factor. Which defensive pair will fare better when matched up? Ryan Graves and John Marino, or K’Andre Miller and Jacob Trouba. That should be a huge key to who advances to face the winner between the similarly matched Hurricanes and Islanders. Especially if last night was any indication.

I’ve been pretty consistent in emphasizing the importance of the 21+ Kid Line of Filip Chytil, Alexis Lafreniere, and Kaapo Kakko. All homegrown former first round picks. The cohesive trio was vital to the Rangers’ postseason success a year ago. Their uncanny ability to get pucks in deep, cycle, and contribute made a difference.

For the Devils that could be the BMW Line. Centered by face-off master Mike McLeod, who plays with Miles Wood and Nathan Bastian, they play with the edge needed to succeed during a series. They like to forecheck and create offense off the wall. Similar to the Chytil line. But with a bit more grit. The Rangers must be aware of Wood, who likes to drive the net. He likes to get dirty.

What about other players? The Devils have Jonas Siegenthaler teamed back up with the dangerous Hamilton. Damon Severson is on the third pair with Kevin Bahl. He’s capable of finding offense. The Rangers will count on Braden Schneider to provide more physicality. Veteran Niko Mikkola will team up on the third pair.

Lindy Ruff has options if Bahl struggles. Brendan Smith could get in against his former team. He did play in last year’s second round series for the Hurricanes. He is a gritty type who knows how to play. Would Ruff give Luke Hughes a look? That depends on how the series plays out.

Gerard Gallant can count on the checking line. The straightforward approach of Barclay Goodrow, Jimmy Vesey, and Tyler Motte provides him with a real fourth line. They all are capable of contributing while killing penalties. Goodrow usually steps it up this time of year. He’s won before. Motte has played well recently. Keep an eye on him.

Who will be the hero? Is it a matter of Shesterkin making the big saves to get the better of the inexperienced Vanecek? What if Vanecek gives up a couple of bad ones? Does Ruff insert the promising Akira Schmid, who seems more comfortable in that role than Mackenzie Blackwood? We’ll wait and see what happens.

It’s sure to be fun. Try to enjoy it. These series don’t happen too often. In the 90s, we were spoiled. We got three. Even when Lundqvist was battling Brodeur, the Rangers and Devils met three more times between 2006 and 2012. The sting of that last series still lingers. The name Henrique carries the same thoughts for the Rangers’ side that Matteau has for the Devils’ side. At least they didn’t win the Cup. Not so fast. We lost to the Kings, too.

All of the scenarios are just that. The puck drops in Newark soon. Embrace it.

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First Round Series Preview: Rangers and Devils ready for Battle of Hudson, classic rivalry returns to postseason

Posted on April 17, 2023 by Derek
Jack Hughes and the Devils take aim at K’Andre Miller and the Rangers in an exciting first round series. Getty Images

The dream match-up is finally here. Indeed, when they drop the puck for Game One on Tuesday in Newark, it’ll be the Rangers and Devils doing battle in an exciting first round series.

For the first time in eleven years, the Battle of Hudson commences in the NHL Playoffs. Both classic rivals are competing for the same thing. After each had superb seasons, a lot is on the line in the Metropolitan Division Semifinals. Only one team will advance. The loser will have all summer to wonder what went wrong.

Those are high stakes. Only five points separated the Hudson rivals during a long 2022-23 season. The Devils had a great turnaround. They vaulted forward by finishing with 112 points. Good for second place in a tight Metro Division. They were only a point shy of first place. The Hurricanes won it for a second straight year. They’ll draw the Islanders in what could be a low-scoring battle.

The Devils’ improvement was a plus-49 difference from the previous season. As knowledgeable NJDevs blogger Hasan alluded to in a post, it isn’t an NHL record. That was actually set by the Sharks in ’93-94 when they were plus-58. That team went on to upset the Red Wings in a memorable first round. The Devils are hoping for similar success. The difference is that they have a better team capable of going on a run.

The Rangers overcame a slow start. In early December, they hit rock bottom during a frustrating loss to the Blackhawks. At the time, Patrick Kane was still a Hawk. He’s now a Blueshirt. It was a blowup by captain Jacob Trouba that was a turning point. After his helmet toss following a fight, they turned it around. After adding Kane with Vladimir Tarasenko, Tyler Motte, and key defenseman Niko Mikkola, they finished strong to wind up third with 107 points.

The Devils added key finisher Timo Meier to a young core that features potential Hart finalist Jack Hughes, captain Nico Hischier, Jesper Bratt, Dawson Mercer, and Dougie Hamilton. They too want to do damage.

While their bitter rivals are all in on going for a Stanley Cup, following a run to the Conference Finals, the Jersey upstarts aren’t just here for show. They believe they can be that team. When you consider that the Rangers hadn’t seen a real postseason since 2017, look how close they came last year. The ‘why not us’ mentality can certainly be applied to the Devils.

The Rangers boast more experience. Led by Mika Zibanejad, Chris Kreider, Artemi Panarin, Kane, Tarasenko, Vincent Trocheck, Adam Fox, Ryan Lindgren and Trouba, they should have the edge there. If it’s a close series, and there’s no reason to think it won’t be, the Blueshirts can lean on their past postseason success. That goes double for Stanley Cup winner Barclay Goodrow, who usually raises his game during this time of year. Adding former champions, Kane and Tarasenko should provide some key voices to lean on.

Amongst the Devils who’ve been here before, they have veterans Hamilton, Meier, Tomas Tatar, Erik Haula, Brendan Smith, and former Bolts’ playoff hero Ondrej Palat. A player the Rangers unfortunately knows all too well. Key defensive pair Ryan Graves and John Marino also have past postseason experience.

If there’s a difference, it’s that the Rangers’ young players have last year to lean on. That could prove crucial for the 21 and Over Kid Line that features Filip Chytil, Alexis Lafreniere, and Kaapo Kakko. They were a key factor in last year’s run. How will Jack Hughes respond to the challenge? That’s a good question which will get answered. He broke the single season team record held by Patrik Elias by recording 99 points (43-56-99). That was three better than Elias’ 96 in 00-01.

There’s a lot of subplots. Both Fox and Hamilton each led their respective blue lines in offense with over 70 points. Hamilton broke the Devils’ record by scoring 22 goals. Fox is considered more well-rounded. But Hamilton has been here before. There’s the sexy center match-up between Hughes and Zibanejad. Who will prevail? Which of the big deadline acquisitions will have the most impact? It’s all that makes this first round series so compelling.

It’s time to break down the two teams. This should be fun. Before I do, let’s take a look at the series history.

THE HUDSON RIVALRY

YEAR ROUND SERIES RESULT

’92 Div. Semis Rangers in 7

’94 Conf. Finals Rangers in 7

’97 Conf. Semis Rangers in 5

’06 Conf. Qtrs Devils in 4

’08 Conf. Qtrs Rangers in 5

’12 Conf. Finals Devils in 6

Series History: Rangers lead 4-2.

The Rangers and Devils met four times during the 2022-23 season. The Devils took the season series by winning three of four games. A closer look at the match-up.

11/28 Devils 5 Rangers 3

Game-Winner: McLeod

https://www.hockey-reference.com/boxscores/202211280NYR.html

12/12 Devils 3 Rangers 4 Overtime

Game-Winner: Chytil

https://www.hockey-reference.com/boxscores/202212120NYR.html

1/7 Rangers 3 Devils 4 Overtime

Game-Winner: Severson

https://www.hockey-reference.com/boxscores/202301070NJD.html

3/30 Rangers 1 Devils 2

Game-Winner: Meier

https://www.hockey-reference.com/boxscores/202303300NJD.html

Goalie Statistics:

Igor Shesterkin

1-2-1 13 GA 140 Shots 3.23 GAA .907 Save Percentage

Vitek Vanecek

3-0-1 11 GA 120 Shots 2.70 GAA .908 Save Percentage

Key Players:

Devils

Hughes 4-2-6, Hischier 1-3-4, Mercer 1-3-4, Meier 1-2-3, Bratt 1-1-2, Tatar 1-1-2, Hamilton 0-2-2, Siegenthaler 0-2-2, Sharangovich 2-0-2

Rangers

Miller 0-5-5, Zibanejad 1-3-4, Kreider 3-1-4, Chytil 1-2-3, Trocheck 2-1-3, Fox 0-3-3, Panarin 1-1-2, Vesey 1-1-2, Trouba 0-2-2

METRO DIVISION SEMIFINALS

(M3) RANGERS VERSUS (M2) DEVILS

FORWARDS: If you like sexy match-ups, the Rangers boast a top line led by leading goalscorer Mika Zibanejad. His 39 goals and 20 power play goals paced the team. His 91 points were a career best. Chris Kreider was second with 36 goals. He led them with four shorthanded goals. Can Patrick Kane (5-7-12 in 19 GP) elevate his game with Zibanejad and Kreider?

The Devils counter with the sensational Jack Hughes. He erupted for a career best 43 goals, 56 assists, and his 99 points broke Jersey legend Patrik Elias’ single season record of 96. He centers Jesper Bratt, whose two-way capability, along with his speed, makes him a good fit. He went for a career high 32 goals while equaling the 73 points he had in 21-22. Big acquisition Timo Meier (9-5-14 in 21 GP) rounds it out with the physical tools and shot that can make an impact.

The second lines are equally compelling. Vincent Trocheck (22-42-64) finished strong while centering Artemi Panarin (29-52-91) and key pick-up Vladimir Tarasenko (8-13-21 in 31 GP). Trocheck is the best face-off guy they have, winning 56.1 percent. Panarin comes in hot. He’s shooting the puck more. Tarasenko has fit in well due to his skating play-making and edge.

Nico Hischier had a terrific season. He set career bests in goals (31), assists (49), and points (80). The two-way pivot is responsible in all three zones as his plus-33 and team high three shorthanded goals attest. He went 53.9 percent on draws. His line with veteran Tomas Tatar (20 goals, +41) and the overlooked Dawson Mercer (27-29-56) can match up against a top scoring line. It’ll be interesting to see how Lindy Ruff deploys them.

Everyone loves what Filip Chytil, Alexis Lafreniere, and Kaapo Kakko bring to the table for the Blueshirts. Chytil had a career high 22 goals and 45 points while going plus-15. Kakko scored a personal best 17 goals with 40 points. Lafreniere produced a new high with 39 points. The Kid Line combines the speed of Chytil with the puck possession of Kakko. Lafreniere supplies the grit. He can come out with pucks and make plays.

At times, Ruff had Meier on the third line to provide scoring balance. He can always move proven playoff performer Ondrej Palat up. Palat struggled post surgery with only eight goals and 23 points in 49 games. But we know better. Erik Haula centers the line. An underrated player who is money between the dots (54.2 pct), he quietly had 41 points. Ruff sometimes will use Haula to take draws for Hughes (35.3). Jesper Boqvist (10 goals) is a solid skater.

The battle between the checking lines shouldn’t be ignored. Both the Rangers’ grind line of Barclay Goodrow, Jimmy Vesey, and Tyler Motte, along with the Devils’ BMW line that features Mike McLeod, Miles Wood, and Nathan Bastian can be effective. Each fourth line likes to chip pucks deep and win board battles. They’re each capable of contributing. I’d give a slight edge to Vesey, Goodrow, and Motte due to them being a little better in their end.

Edge: Even

DEFENSE: Both teams are led by a high scoring defenseman who can make an impact. The Rangers boast former Norris winner Adam Fox. A slick skater with terrific vision, he can do damage both in transition and on the forecheck. He finished with 72 points, including 60 assists. A great power play quarterback, Fox had 29 power play points. Partner Ryan Lindgren supplies the nuts and bolts. His presence is a big key. He will do anything to win games, laying his body out to block shots.

The Devils counter with the lethal Dougie Hamilton. His 22 goals are a new team record. More of a shoot first player, he will look to fire pucks from the point. His 74 points paced the club. His seven game-winners ranked second behind Hischier (9). Down the stretch, Jonas Siegenthaler was replaced by Kevin Bahl. But at the most recent practice, Siegenthaler was back on the top pair. He had a good first half but was inconsistent in the second half.

The key to the series could be the play of the match-up defense pairs. For the Rangers, Gerard Gallant likes to use K’Andre Miller and Jacob Trouba against opponents’ best. They log a ton of minutes. Miller hit a career high 43 points, including 34 assists. He takes more risks. Ttouba is the more stay at home defenseman who will deliver big hits. His 218 paced the team along with 196 blocks. They were on for a lot of goals against. They’ll get tested by the Devils’ speed.

The Devils have their own reliable second pair. It’s Ryan Graves and John Marino. Graves will sacrifice his body. He paced the team with 152 blocks. One more than Siegenthaler. Graves has a good shot. He’s capable of jumping into the play. He is also an expert at saving goals. Marino is the more steady defenseman. He doesn’t do much of the physical stuff but makes subtle plays to get out of trouble. They’ll be tasked with the Rangers’ best line. At the moment, that’s the Panarin unit.

Each third pair is decent. The Rangers made a wise addition by also adding Niko Mikkola from the Blues in the Tarasenko deal. A good skater for his size, he’s capable defensively with the more physical Braden Schneider. Baby Troubs had 147 hits and 130 blocks. Both are good at reading plays. However, they can be exploited in their end.

Damon Severson is the trusted veteran on the Devils’ bottom pair. He still can find the back of the net. He’s not asked to do as much. However, you still have to be aware of him. Defensively, he can be an adventure. Especially in transition. That’s why he’s protected. Bahl is a surprisingly good skater for his size. His confidence grew down the stretch. However, he isn’t overly physical. This is a new experience for the 22-year old.

Edge: Rangers

Igor Shesterkin will look to stop Nico Hischier and a talented Devils roster in the Battle of Hudson. Getty Images

GOALIES: The Rangers know they can rely on Igor Shesterkin in goal. Although it wasn’t his best season, he rounded into form late. Shesterkin finished with 37 wins, a 2.58 GAA, and 916 save percentage. Capable of stealing games, he can also lean on last year’s postseason experience. The former Vezina winner will face a good challenge.

He’ll need to play better than he did in the season series. But so do his teammates. They can’t expect to play so loose against a dangerous opponent. Shesterkin certainly is the established netminder in the series. Jaroslav Halak backs up. If he gets off the bench, that won’t be a good sign.

Vitek Vanecek has been the man for the Devils. He won a career high 33 games while posting a 2.45 GAA and .911 save percentage in his third season. There were some struggles the past two months. That could’ve been due to the workload. He made a career best 48 starts, appearing in 52 games. Can he continue to make the big saves like he did during the season?

The Devils are banking on it. The alternative is an inconsistent Mackenzie Blackwood, who again had setbacks with injuries. It’s become obvious that Akira Schmid should be the backup. He completely outplayed Blackwood, posting impressive numbers that included a 2.13 GAA and .922 save percentage. He’s only 22, but looks like the future in net for Jersey.

Edge: Rangers

Coaches: Gerard Gallant has proven capable behind the Rangers bench. He expects a lot from his experienced team. If something isn’t clicking, he won’t hesitate to make a line switch. Usually, it’s the top two lines. He doesn’t mind going head to head with key match-ups. It’ll be interesting to see what his strategy is for slowing down the Devils.

Lindy Ruff has even more experience behind the bench. The Devils coach is a strong candidate for the Jack Adams. He did a masterful job turning the Devils around. No stranger to the postseason. He’s taken a team to the Stanley Cup Finals. Similar to Gallant in that respect. Ruff might prefer to get the match-ups. He has the last change with his team having home ice. He’ll probably be comfortable with his team utilizing its greatest strength to push the pace.

Edge: Even

SPECIAL TEAMS: If there’s an area that could prove crucial, it’s the battle of special teams. Neither team was penalized much during the regular season. However, the power play and penalty kill always play a role in these series.

The Rangers boast the seventh ranked power play. They clicked at 24.5 percent (64-for-261), including the third best on the road. They were 28-for-114 (24.6) in away games. At home, they went 31-for-131 (23.7) to rate 12th. They allowed five shorthanded goals.

The five-man unit includes Zibanejad, Kreider, Panarin, Fox, and Kane for now. He could be replaced by Tarasenko, who fits in better. The second unit features Trocheck, Chytil, Lafreniere, Tarasenko, and Trouba.

The Devils ranked fourth on the penalty kill. They tied with Calgary by having an 82.6 success rate. They ranked fourth at home, allowing 16 power play goals in 117 attempts (86.3). They were 13th on the road, going 78.8 percent (24 PPG allowed over 113 attempts).

They scored nine shorthanded goals, paced by Hischier’s three. Haula and Yegor Sharangovich each had two. Mercer and Severson had one apiece.

The Devils ranked 13th on the power play, clicking at 21.9 percent. They went 49-for-224. At home, they were 13th, going 29-for-126 (23.0). On the road, they ranked 16th, going 20-for-98 (20.4). They gave up eight shorthanded goals.

The top unit features Hughes with Hischier, Bratt, Meier, and Hamilton. They’ll obviously be leaned on. However, the second unit isn’t bad. It includes Wood, Haula, Mercer, Tatar, and Severson.

The Rangers finished 13th on the penalty kill. They improved down the stretch to wind up with an 81.2 success rate. They allowed 42 power play goals over 223 attempts. At home, they were 16th clicking at 79.8 percent (23 PPG allowed in 114 attempts). On the road, they were better ranking tied for third with Carolina. Both were 82.6 percent. The Rangers allowed 19 power play goals in 109 attempts.

They scored eight shorthanded goals. Kreider had half with four. Zibanejad, Trouba, Lindgren, and Vesey all had one.

Edge: Even

INTANGIBLES: The Rangers boast an overwhelming experience with even their key younger players benefiting from last year’s trip to the Eastern Conference Final. That should be an edge if it’s a close series. They also have more pressure. Chris Drury went all in on the postseason. They’ll be under the spotlight.

The Devils don’t have as much experience. They’ll lean on vets like Palat, Hamilton, Haula, Meier, and Tatar. However, players of Hughes’ stature can use it to their advantage. Many are picking the Rangers. The disrespect could serve as a motivator. They’re a year ahead of schedule. They should be loose.

Edge: Rangers

X-FACTOR: For the Rangers, it’s pretty simple. The Kid Line can make a big difference. If Chytil, Lafreniere, and Kakko can control the boards, they should get some clean looks. Secondary scoring this time of year is essential.

The Devils will look towards the BMW line of Bastian, McLeod, and Wood. They’re very effective on the cycle and get traffic in front. That’s their energy line.

Edge: Rangers

DEPTH: What happens if a player goes down? Or what if a player isn’t performing. The Devils have more depth. They can insert either Yegor Sharangovich or vet Curtis Lazar if needed. They also boast both well-respected veteran Brendan Smith and newcomer Luke Hughes on the back end. Neither will start the series. But if Ruff decides to show a different look, he has options.

The Rangers don’t have that same strength. Their lineup is what you’ll probably see. Barring an injury to Lindgren, Ben Harpur is the extra defenseman. He played okay in that role. He brings a physical edge. The extra forwards are Jonny Brodzinski and Jake Leschyshyn. Brodzinski would get in if necessary.

Edge: Devils

SERIES ANALYSIS: The Devils and Rangers both have good offenses. But, it’s the Devild who are more lethal due to their combination of speed and skill. They can transition quickly. They’re also underrated on the forecheck. Their aggressive nature can force turnovers. Something we saw during the season series.

The Rangers might be tempted to trade chances with their close Hudson rivals. It isn’t advisable. They would be better off slowing the Devils down. A higher tempo favors the faster opponent. The Rangers are the more physical team. They have more skaters who’ll finish checks. They will want to forecheck to try to wear the Devils down.

The Devils will win if they can use their superior speed to get in open space and swarm the Rangers’ net. Vanecek makes the key saves as he did during the season. Special teams is a wash.

The Rangers will win if they can dictate the tempo. Don’t get into a track meet. Shesterkin makes the difference in net. Their power play does damage.

SERIES PREDICTION: This promises to be an exciting first round series. Expect a lot of counters, momentum shifts, and big saves. I think you’ll see at least two overtime games. It’ll be close. I don’t see home ice mattering. Each team can win in the other’s barn. There will be plenty of fans represented in both buildings. Although more Rangers fans at The Prudential Center than Devils fans at Madison Square Garden. The style of play will decide the seventh ever meeting between the Rangers and Devils.

Rangers in 7

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Stanley Cup Playoffs: First Round Picks and Beyond

Posted on April 17, 2023 by Derek

Tonight, it finally gets rolling. After a long 82-game schedule, the best time of year is finally here.

The Stanley Cup Playoffs begin with four games on Monday. The first round gets going later. It’ll start off with the defensive minded Islanders at the puck possession Hurricanes. That’s at 7 EST. Half an hour later, the record-setting Bruins host the Panthers. Those are your two Eastern Conference games on Day One.

Out West, an intriguing match-up between the Wild and Stars faces off at 9:30 EST. It pits the former North Stars against the current Minnesota team. They’ve always had a unique rivalry. It’s definitely contesting styles. That should make for a good series.

The late game takes place in Edmonton at 10 EST. The Oilers and Kings will battle once again in Round One. Last year, it took a superhuman performance from Connor McDavid to carry the Oilers past the stingy Kings in seven. They made it all the way to the Western Conference Final. This year, they’re one of the favorites to get back to the Final Four and potentially the Stanley Cup Finals. LA will be the underdog. A role they don’t mind.

Per the schedule, the Islanders and Hurricanes are on MSG. They’ll be on locally for the first four games. ESPN2 has the national for Games 1 and 2. It’s TBS for Game Three and TNT for Game Four. That’s only if you’re out of the area. Otherwise, it’ll be subject to blackout. Sunday would be Game Four at UBS Arena. It’s at 1 PM. After Game Five, the teams get two days off for Game Six. If it happens, that would be on April 28. If it goes seven, that’s April 30.

ESPN has the Panthers and Bruins from Boston. The Bruins are the overwhelming favorites to win the Stanley Cup. Led by David Pastrnak and Linus Ullmark, they broke the record for most wins (65) and most points (135) in a season. None of that matters now. They will have lots of pressure to do it in the postseason. The Panthers come in playing a little better. They can trade scoring chances. They’ll rely on Alex Lyon, who got them here. Matthew Tkachuk has a chance to lead a big upset.

The Wild and Stars are on ESPN2 following the Islanders/Hurricanes. If that goes to overtime, the start of Dallas and Minnesota could be moved to ESPN News or ESPN Plus. If you like scoring, the Wild boasts some exciting talent with top star Kirill Kaprizov returning for Game One. He’s ready to go. Matt Boldy took the reigns and went on a tear. They’ll start with Filip Gustavsson in goal. The Stars have the exciting Jason Robertson, who combines with Roope Hintz to form a potent duo. Joe Pavelski is always tough in front during the playoffs. Miro Heiskanen is the best defenseman in the series. Totally overlooked for the Norris, he is one of the game’s elite D. The Stars should have an edge in net with Jake Oettinger.

ESPN has the late game from Edmonton. CBC has it up north. The Canadian feed is always great. Maybe I’ll try to get it on my Android. The Kings hope to slow down McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. They all had over 100 points, becoming the first trio on the same team to eclipse the century mark in a season since Mario Lemieux, Jaromir Jagr, and Ron Francis did it for the ’95-96 Penguins. Petr Nedved missed being the fourth by one point. McDavid went over 150 points, becoming the first player to reach that plateau since Lemieux in 95-96 when he led the league with 161 points. Edmonton will lean on Stuart Skinner in goal. It’s his first postseason. Jack Campbell is the veteran backup. Mattias Ekholm changed the defense after coming over from Nashville. He was plus-28 following the trade. Darnell Nurse and Evan Bouchard provide the offense. The Oilers also have better offensive depth due to Zach Hyman, Evander Kane, along with support players Mattias Janmark, Ryan McLeod, Klim Kostin, Derek Ryan and Warren Foegle.

Los Angeles hopes to have key scorer Kevin Fiala back for the first two games. If they don’t, their chances of an upset go down. They will depend on the two-way play of captain Anze Kopitar, Phillip Danault, and defense led by Drew Doughty and deadline addition Vladislav Gavrikov. Adrian Kempe and Viktor Arvidsson supply the offense along with Kopitar and Doughty. They could also be without Gabriel Vilardi. That means they’ll need other players to step up. Are Quinton Byfield or Arthur Kaliyev ready for that kind of role? It might fall on veterans like Trevor Moore, Alex Iafallo, and Blake Lizotte. The defense is a strength with Sean Durzi, Matt Roy, and Mikey Anderson key players. They’ll be without vet Alex Edler.

The four other first round series begin on Tuesday. The Rangers and Devils are first up. They’ll be on MSG Plus and MSGSN. The Rangers will be moved to the third network due to the ridiculous NBA schedule that has the Knicks playing the Cavaliers in Game Two tomorrow instead of tonight. That starts at 7 EST. Game Two is on Thursday at 7:30. Saturday is on ABC exclusively at 8 EST. ESPN+ if you’re streaming it. Only between Games 4 and 5 is there a two days off. If it goes seven, that would be on May 1.

For more coverage on the Battle of Hudson, please refer to my complete series breakdown. It promises to be an intriguing match-up. The headliners are Jack Hughes, Nico Hischier, Jesper Bratt, Timo Meier, Tomas Tatar, Dawson Mercer, and Dougie Hamilton for the Devils. For the Rangers, it’s Mika Zibanejad, Chris Kreider, Patrick Kane, Artemi Panarin, Vincent Trocheck, Vladimir Tarasenko, and Adam Fox. Don’t forget that in a playoff series, it’s usually the grinders who make the difference. That could be Mike McLeod, Miles Wood, Nathan Bastian, Ryan Graves, John Marino, or the battle-tested Ondrej Palat for Jersey. On the Blueshirts, it could be Filip Chytil, Alexis Lafreniere, Kaapo Kakko, Barclay Goodrow, Jimmy Vesey, Tyler Motte, Jacob Trouba, or Braden Schneider. To reiterate, the goalie match-up pits Igor Shesterkin against Vitek Vanecek. A much more thorough analysis is in the above preview I linked up.

If you’re looking for another potential series to watch, then Lightning vs. Maple Leafs II has you covered. Last year, the Bolts rallied to stun the Leafs in seven, extending Toronto misery. This time, the Leafs look like the better team. Although the Bolts didn’t win much down the stretch, don’t forget how much championship pedigree they have. Andrei Vasilevskiy can steal a series. He’ll need to be at his best. Nikita Kucherov and Brayden Point are playoff clutch. There’s Steven Stamkos, Anthony Cirelli, Alex Killorn, Victor Hedman, Mikhail Sergachev, who all have been here before. Brandon Hagel and Nick Paul are key contributors. Nick Perbix is the surprising rookie.

The Leafs are hoping that Ilya Samsonov can get it done in goal. He has plenty of offensive support from Mitch Marner, Auston Matthews, William Nylander, and John Tavares. But adding former Conn Smythe winner Ryan O’Reilly could be huge. He’s got the necessary experience they can lean on. Even additions Sam Lafferty and Noel Acciari are the kind of high character depth players who can provide secondary help. There’s also the edge Michael Bunting plays with. He and Corey Perry don’t like each other. There were a ton of penalty minutes in the tune-up. If Tanner Jeannot can go for Tampa, that would be interesting. They acquired him for this series. Calle Jarnkrok became a key scorer for the Leafs. There’s much more depth this time around. Having Luke Schenn to support Morgan Rielly and Mark Giordano on defense should help. He knows the Lightning well. If Samsonov falters, Joseph Woll is a good option.

Game One is on ESPN tomorrow at 7:30 EST. It should be a doozy.

Out West, you have the final two series. The Golden Knights are the top seed. They have a strong nucleus that features Jack Eichel in his first postseason. There’ll be plenty of pressure. Having a good supporting cast that includes old reliable trio William Karlsson, Reilly Smith, and Jonathan Marchessault should help. Chandler Stephenson remains a vastly underrated playmaker. Their depth includes Phil Kessel, William Carrier, along with veteran Teddy Blueger, former Blue Ivan Barbashev, and Nicholas Roy. How much will Pavel Dorofeyev play? The biggest edge they should have against the Jets is on the back end. Shea Theodore and Alex Pietrangelo anchor the D. Alec Martinez adds experience while Nicolas Hague and Brayden McNabb are solid defenders. The biggest question is in the net. They’re going with backup Laurent Brossoit in Game One. He played well recently. If the experiment fails, it’s Jonathan Quick. A Stanley Cup winner, who’s nearing the end. I think we’ll see him.

The biggest advantage Winnipeg has is with Connor Hellebuyck in goal. He carried them into the playoffs. A former Vezina winner, who’s in his prime, he is capable of stealing a series. The question is, how many shots will he have to stop. The 29-year old American is one of the best goalies. He could have to stand on his head for the Jets to pull it off. The defense isn’t particularly strong. However, they boast Josh Morrissey. A Norris candidate, he can fill it up. He’ll be looking to jump up often. It really weakens with Neal Pionk not strong in his end. Brenden Dillon and Nate Schmidt supply the nuts and bolts. Dylan DeMelo is a decent skater. This could be it for this core that includes Kyle Connor, Pierre-Luc Dubois, and proven vets Mark Scheifele, Blake Wheeler, and Nik Ehlers. The scoring isn’t as good. They’ll need secondary help from Adam Lowry, Mason Appleton, and Morgan Barron. Nino Niederreiter is no stranger to the postseason. He and Vladislav Namestnikov were brought in to supply help.

The Avalanche still came back to win the Central Division. Most impressively, they did it without captain Gabriel Landeskog. Unfortunately, he’ll miss the playoffs. He’s an old school player who could play in any era. They could miss him in trying to go back-to-back. Nathan MacKinnon enters on fire. He and Mikko Rantanen are fantastic superstars who can carry a team. Facing the upstart high scoring Kraken, Colorado has the edge on the blue line and with Alexandar Georgiev in the net. He won 40 games in his first season as a full-time starter. How will he perform under the spotlight? Pavel Francouz backs up. Cale Makar was rested down the stretch due to an injury. How serious is it? He’s the leader of a defense that features Devon Toews, Bowen Byram, Sam Girard, Erik Johnson, and Josh Manson, who’s ready to return.

The Avalanche have overcome injuries to get where they are. But key scorers Artturi Lehkonen and Val Nichushkin are healthy coming in. J.T. Compher is overlooked. The secondary scoring will be provided by Evan Rodrigues, Alex Newhook, and Logan O’Connor. If healthy, Denis Malgin can contribute. They added Lars Eller from the Caps. Is Darren Helm ready?

The Kraken got here in their second year. Pretty impressive stuff from coach of the year candidate Dave Hakstol. Jared McCann scored 40 goals. He became their go-to guy. Matty Beniers is a good young center who should win the Calder. Seattle does it by committee with Jordan Eberle, Yanni Gourde, Daniel Sprong, Oliver Bjorkstrand, and Jaden Schwartz all pitching in. Keep an eye on Eeli Tolvanen. He scored 16 goals after Seattle claimed him from Nashville off waivers. Brandon Tanev supplies the grit, and Alex Wenmberg provides additional play-making. Imagine if Andre Burakovsky is cleared to return. He was also an Av.

The big offensive guy on the blue line is Vince Dunn. He finally fulfilled his potential with 64 points, including a team best 50 assists. Adam Larsson had a good season. Jamie Oleksiak and Justin Schultz can contribute. William Borgen and Carson Soucy round out the D. Goaltending is a huge question mark. Can they rely on the tandem of Martin Jones and Philipp Grubauer? Grubauer performed well versus his former team. He likely will get the nod for Game One with Jones just returning.

So, what to expect in the first round? A couple of upsets along with some favorites advancing.

STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS

FIRST ROUND

Eastern Conference

(1) Bruins over (A4) Panthers in 5

Analysis: Too much depth from a loaded Bruins featuring Pastrnak, Bergeron, Marchand, Krejci, DeBrusk, Hall, Zacha, Coyle, Bertuzzi, Frederic, Hathaway, McAvoy, Lindholm, Orlov, Carlo, and Forbort. The Panthers can score. Tkachuk, Barkov, Reinhart, Verhaeghe, and Montour are all capable of lighting the lamp. But the team defense could get exposed.

(A2) Maple Leafs over (A3) Lightning in 6

Analysis: Here we go again. The improved depth should finally get the Leafs over the hump. The Lightning hasn’t been consistent all year. Maybe a defense without McDonagh gets exposed. They can never be counted out. If Toronto can’t do it this year, then when will they ever?

(M4) Islanders over (M1) Hurricanes in 6

Analysis: The games should be tight. If they are, that favors the Islanders, who have the better goalie in Sorokin. The Canes are starting Raanta in Game One. They lost both Pacioretty and Svechnikov. Barzal is ready for the Isles. That bodes well. Horvat, Nelson, and Pageau are strong up the middle. Aho, Kotkaniemi, and Staal are, too. Unless Necas and Teravainen fill the net, along with Skjei and Burns, goals could be hard to come by for Carolina. Lee, Palmieri, and Parise know what it takes. The Isles can be exposed on the back end. But Pelech, Pulock, and Mayfield supply the grit. Sorokin can steal this series.

(M3) Rangers over (M2) Devils in 7

Analysis: If you read my preview, this looks like a very even match-up between two high scoring teams that love to transition. The team that makes the fewer mistakes will prevail. I believe it’ll be the play of Chytil, Lafreniere, and Kakko that make the difference. Shesterkin gives the Rangers an edge. I like their power play. The Devils have dangerous game-breakers, great team speed, and comeback ability. That’s why I see it going seven. The Rangers have the pressure. They need to win.

Western Conference

(1) Golden Knights over (C4) Jets in 6

Analysis: I was tempted to pick Winnipeg due to Hellebuyck. I don’t believe their team defense is good enough. I also think the Knights’ D won’t allow the Jets’ burners to turn it into a track meet. Tighter checking favors Vegas, who will probably play well in front of their goalie(s). It gets interesting if the Jets can steal home ice. Give me the overall depth of Vegas.

(P2) Oilers over (P3) Kings in 5

Analysis: As much as I respect how the Kings play, they are without two key scorers. It’s Korpisalo in the net. Can they make it tough on the supremely skilled and much faster Oilers? Yes. Do they have enough to beat them? I don’t think so. McDavid has taken his game to another level. Ekholm has made a difference. As long as Kane shows up, I think they’ll win the rematch more comfortably.

(C1) Avalanche over (P4) Kraken in 5

Analysis: There should be plenty of goals scored. As long as Georgiev holds up, I can’t see the Kraken pulling the upset. They love to speed up the tempo. But the defending champs are better at it due to MacKinnon and Rantanen. If Makar is good to go, he’s the best defenseman in the series. Seattle will need a gigantic performance from either Grubauer or Jones.

(C2) Stars over (C3) Wild in 7

Analysis: I think this is a heckuva series. Both teams have speed and scoring. Each relies on their goalie. The Stars have the proven Oettinger. The Wild is hoping Gustavsson can duplicate his regular season. If not, Fleury is a good option. Minnesota needs a big series out of Zuccarello, Eriksson Ek, Hartman, Gaudreau, Foligno, and Johansson. Spurgeon, Brodin, and Addison are key D, along with Middleton. They’ll want to turn it into a physical series. The Stars have more balance due to Benn, Seguin, rookie Wyatt Johnson, and Marchment. Hakanpaa flies under the radar on that blue line with Lindell. Suter remains steady. It should be a close series. I like the Stars to overcome their recent first round failures.

BEYOND THE FIRST ROUND

(1) Bruins over (2) Leafs in 7

(3) Rangers over (4) Islanders in 6

(1) Avalanche over (2) Stars in 6

(2) Oilers over (1) Knights in 6

CONFERENCE FINALS

(1) Bruins over (3) Rangers in 5

(2) Oilers over (1) Avalanche in 6

STANLEY CUP FINALS

Bruins over Oilers in 7

Conn Smythe: David Pastrnak

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Playoff schedules are finally out…Isles start Monday, Rangers-Devils on Tuesday

Posted on April 14, 2023 by hasan4978

At first glance, doesn’t seem like anything out of the ordinary for the East series at least, including no back-to-backs. If I’m surprised at anything it’s that they chose to have Rangers-Devils on the same night as Lightning-Leafs, clearly the two marquee series on the East docket for the first round. I saw a good point elsewhere though, since they are the two marquee series both had to play on Saturday night each week for CBC and ABC, so they necessarily had to be on the same schedule throughout to do it.

Nothing more to add really here, it took this long for the full playoff schedule to come out because there were two other makeup games to be played, including an Avalanche win that gave them yet another Central division title. At least we already knew the Devils were starting at home on Tuesday and Thursday (so much for the rumors of Monday).

If you’re a Billy Joel fan you might not be happy his latest concert got moved for Game 3, but that’s the breaks – especially when you have both MSG teams playing concurrently in April.

Posted in Battle Of Hudson, Devils, NHL Playoffs, NY Islanders, NY Rangers | 1 Comment