Zibanejad deservingly wins Rangers Team MVP

Posted on April 14, 2023 by Derek

Over a year ago, Mika Zibanejad signed a contract extension that would pay him $8.5 million through 2030. At the time, he could’ve waited until the Rangers played a full 21-22 season. One in which he set career highs in assists (52), points (81), plus/minus (30), and power play goals (15).

That was before he led the team in scoring during a postseason that saw them reach the Eastern Conference Final. Zibanejad finished with 24 points (10-14-24). He proved he was worth that extension.

It’s now considered a bargain. Fast forward to April 2023. With his 30th birthday approaching, Zibanejad put together his best season. For the first time in his career, he reached 90 points. He established new personal bests in points (91), power play goals (20), and paced the club in power play points (39).

It wasn’t only his consistent production. Zibanejad played a good all-around game by coming back defensively. He again was strong shorthanded. Always a threat to score down a man, Zibanejad can take the puck away and fly in transition with sidekick Chris Kreider for shorthanded chances. When they play together, it’s fun to watch. They combined for 75 goals. Zibanejad’s 39 paced the team, followed by Kreider’s 36.

More than anything, Zibanejad is a great team guy. He can play with anyone and make Gerard Gallant look smart. For a good portion of the 2022-23 season, he played with Kreider and Jimmy Vesey. Eventually, Vesey slid down to the checking line. Prior to Patrick Kane joining the top line, it was Zibanejad who found chemistry with Artemi Panarin and Vladimir Tarasenko. Both started scoring. Panarin hasn’t stopped since getting his 29th last night on the power play.

Now, both Panarin and Tarasenko play with Vincent Trocheck on the second line. Their chemistry has been superb. Figuring out a way to get the most out of Tarasenko brought out the scorer in Panarin. Zibanejad deserves credit for it. If the Rangers go on a run, that combination could be viewed as a turning point.

The Rangers recently announced team awards. Aside from Jacob Trouba winning the Rod Gilbert Award and Ryan Lindgren winning the prestigious Steven McDonald Award, Lindgren also won Player’s Player.

Team MVP went to Mika Zibanejad. He deserved it. He was the best Ranger all season. A complete player who makes teammates better, the affable 29-year old Swede will do anything to help the Rangers win hockey games. That includes sacrificing the body. He had 57 takeaways. A good number for a top center. It demonstrates how detail oriented he is.

In winning the Rangers Team MVP, it’s the first time a forward won the award since Mark Messier won it. Talk about going way back. Zibanejad is the most important New York Ranger skater. Although it’s close between him and Adam Fox, who does everything on the blue line, I give the edge to Zibanejad. He’s the straw that stirs the drink. When he’s going, the Rangers are a much better team.

Seeing him blossom into a superstar has been a treat. From the time former GM Jeff Gorton acquired him in exchange for clutch Blueshirt Derick Brassard, we’ve seen the former Senators’ 2011 first round pick grow into a great player. That trade is climbing the list of the best in franchise history. Who would’ve believed it?

I always refer to him as Mika Magic. The reason is that he can do things on the ice few other players can. Of course, he’s not in the same category as Connor McDavid. But after Leon Draisaitl and Nathan MacKinnon, how many centers are better than him? It’s too early to rate Jack Hughes ahead of Zibanejad, who’s become a complete player. Hughes will definitely try to outplay Zibanejad in the upcoming first round series between the Rangers and Devils.

There are other centers that are outstanding players. Brayden Point and Steven Stamkos in Tampa. Sidney Crosby as long as he’s playing with the Pens. Patrice Bergeron in Boston. Elias Pettersson in Vancouver. Tim Stutzle hit 90 points in his third season with Ottawa. Auston Matthews with the Leafs. Aleksander Barkov in Florida. Sebastian Aho with the Canes. Anze Kopitar in LA. Nico Hischier is pretty good overall, too in Jersey.

The thing is, Zibanejad outplayed Aho in last year’s second round series. The Rangers came back from a three games to two deficit to win it over the Hurricanes. He was a big reason why.

Mika Magic can show up at any time. Ever since that remarkable five-goal game that tied the franchise record, we’ve seen Zibanejad get better and better. He had 41 goals and 75 points in 57 games when when the 2020-21 season was paused due to COVID. Could he have hit 50 goals? There were still 12 games left in the schedule.

Zibanejad might never approach that figure. However, when you watch him during shifts, you see a player who puts the statistics second. It’s all about the team. We see it in his interviews. He’s also very accountable. That’s why he’s so easy to root for.

It’s nice to see a good guy get rewarded. But also, this isn’t something that’s happened much on Broadway. A star center who grew up. Congrats to Mika on winning the team MVP. He also had a little message about it.

That’s what it’s all about. If the Rangers do go on to win the Stanley Cup, you better believe Zibanejad will he a huge part of it. There’s a tough road ahead. One that will officially begin next Tuesday in Newark. We’ll see where it takes them.

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Chytil’s last second goal overturned in 3-2 loss to Leafs to end regular season, Armageddon awaits

Posted on April 14, 2023 by Derek

Filip Chytil nearly had another unreal Rangers moment. With over a second to go, he thought he scored the tying goal when a loose puck went in off his skate past Joseph Woll.

However, an automatic video review by who else but Toronto determined that Chytil kicked the puck in. That preserved a Leafs’ 3-2 win over the Rangers on Fan Appreciation Night at MSG. They honored the Garden Of Dreams kids, even giving away college scholarships. That’s something they always get right.

This was my favorite part of the game. Jacob Trouba greeting Isaiah on the ice during the traditional jersey giveaway. Isaiah wants to be a lawyer. A listen into what Trouba said to him is exactly why he won the Rod Gilbert Mr. Ranger Award. What a classy guy.

That’s what it’s all about. I love that kind of stuff. It’s great. There were a lot of emotional scenes around the league, including the Blackhawks send-off for great captain Jonathan Toews, who played for the final time as a Blackhawk. That one made me sad. I’m glad he scored. The crowd sure gave him an unbelievable ovation before and after the game.

You also had the Sabres do something similar for classy veteran goalie Craig Anderson, who played the final game of his career. He won it thanks to Casey Mittlestadt scoring in overtime to beat Anderson’s former team, Ottawa. They then had a great send-off that included Anderson’s family on ice as the entire Senators team congratulated him. Pretty cool.

That’s what makes hockey number 1. The players, coaches, and organizations get it. Anderson overcame cancer. He had a good career. Maybe he even one day is inducted into the U.S. Hockey Hall Of Fame. He won 319 games.

As far as the Rangers are concerned, they know who their first round opponent is. As had been discussed by both Hasan and I in this space, it’ll be a Battle of Hudson. On what was a wild night, the Devils rallied back from a 4-1 deficit to defeat the Caps 5-4 in overtime on Luke Hughes’ first NHL goal. It’s one for the highlight reel.

While that was happening, the Hurricanes blew a 2-0 lead against the Panthers. Both games were in the third period. But then, Carolina scored consecutive goals to pull back ahead 4-2. They got an empty netter that should’ve sealed it. However, two quick Panthers goals with the goalie pulled made it interesting. Finally, the Canes added a second empty netter to win 6-4, finally wrapping up the Metropolitan Division.

You got all that? Most of the night, it felt like Rangers versus Devils was a certainty. With them playing their third goalie, Mackenzie Blackwood, and resting players, it felt like they were tempting fate. Hasan documented all of this in an earlier post. He then went over it again due to Blackwood, who was replaced by Akira Schmid. It’s worth the read.

I really didn’t think it wouldn’t end up with Rangers/Devils. I thought the Canes would do whatever it took to win the division to avoid our team. They haven’t exactly matched up well over the past year. They will still draw the agonizing Islanders, who love playing a deliberate pace reliant on Ilya Sorokin. Their tight checking style isn’t exactly a great match-up. We’ll have more over the weekend on that series along with the juicy subplots for the seventh installment of the Hudson Rivalry.

I’ll admit that it was fun to follow. I actually watched more of the Devils game than ours due to the special circumstances. I occasionally checked back on the Rangers to see what was happening against the Maple Leafs, who seemed more concerned with Mitch Marner getting his 100th point. It didn’t happen. But William Nylander scored his career best 40th goal to tie the score at two in the deciding third period.

For two periods, there wasn’t much going on. Jaroslav Halak, who got the start, was pitching a shutout. He and counterpart Woll didn’t face a high volume of shots. The two Original Six teams each had only a dozen shots through two periods. Halak did make a couple of excellent saves on Nylander, including denying him on a breakaway during the first period.

Regarding Halak, I’m glad he got the final game. I apologize for my earlier post that inferred Igor Shesterkin was starting. Mollie Walker tweeted the same lineup. I took that to mean we’d also see Igor in the the net. She meant the skaters, meaning every regular played. Gerard Gallant decided to keep his players sharp. There wasn’t a ton of physicality, but Luke Schenn did nail Artemi Panarin with a check. Panarin responded by going back at him during that shift.

The Leafs didn’t rest top stars, Auston Matthews, or Marner either. However, they did give captain John Tavares the night off along with starter Ilya Samsonov, veteran Mark Giordano, and Sam Lafferty. Sheldon Keefe was smart in giving his key players one game off before their big first round clash against the Lightning. A rematch from last year. No team has more pressure than Toronto. Not even the Rangers. The last time the Leafs advanced to the second round, I was in my 20’s. Sidney Crosby was still playing junior hockey, and Alexander Ovechkin was about to get drafted. That was a different time.

It’s hard to believe how long ago that was. The Rangers were going on seven consecutive seasons without the playoffs. Mark Messier played his final game. He scored on a pass from Jozef Balej. It came against the Sabres. It was quite a memorable experience. Seeing the captain a final time at The Garden before it became the current corporate stench full of transients and tourists.

I wonder how many of our fans could get the trivia on the primary assist of that last Messier goal. Balej came over from the Canadiens in the failed Alexei Kovalev deal. A total bust. Vintage Sather. He really sucked at running the team and got lucky that the lockout forced him to adjust his strategy. The salary cap changed things along with Henrik Lundqvist and some guy named Jagr. The Rangers have only missed the playoffs five times since the Dark Ages. Something the millennial newbies never experienced. So when they complain, they sound clueless.

All of this is interesting to remember. But I’m glad we’re not still stuck with no hope. Indeed, the current era of Rangers hockey should excite many who root for a team that’s only won one Stanley Cup in 81 years. Notice I didn’t count 2022-23. That’ll depend on the current roster. They’re very capable of going far in the upcoming Stanley Cup Playoffs. It’ll be tricky.

I think in a lot of ways, tonight’s game that featured two talented and deep teams is symbolic. Are the Leafs capable of making it out of the first round and potentially upsetting the record-breaking Bruins? Absolutely. First, they must end the first round curse that’s haunted them. I view them as the biggest threat to Boston. But they have to beat the battle-tested Lightning first.

The Rangers are a very good team. They can score better than last year’s roster, which only went on a run to the Conference Finals. But ultimately came up short against the Lightning. They also lucked out beating backups to reach that point. It didn’t make it any less impressive as it was their first real postseason in five years. They showed plenty of resilience.

If you liked the 2021-22 Rangers, who made key additions in Andrew Copp, Frank Vatrano, Tyler Motte, and Justin Braun to balance things out, then this year’s version is more star-studded. Featuring deadline pick-ups Vladimir Tarasenko, Patrick Kane, Motte II, and Niko Mikkola, they’re more offensive minded this time. The defense can sometimes leave you scratching your head. They better not do that against the Devils. It won’t work.

The only goal in the first two periods scored last night came from Kaapo Kakko. He was able to cut in and receive a good feed from Vincent Trocheck. He then patiently waited for an aggressive Woll to commit to what he figured would be a one-timer. Kakko then went to the backhand to score his career best 18th. He finished the season by reaching 40 points for the first time. He’ll need to be a factor along with the 21 and Over Kid Line versus the Devils.

In my mind, the play of Chytil, Kakko, and Alexis Lafreniere will be a key to the series. Their ability to get pucks in and forecheck is something the top two lines lack at times. The cohesive trio plays a more straightforward game, utilizing the game-breaking speed of Chytil along with the grit of Lafreniere to pin opponents deep. Kakko is good at protecting the puck and making plays. They really need to be that line again like last year for the team to have success.

In the third period, the Leafs erupted for three goals. Timothy Liljegren was able to break up the shutout when his innocent looking wrist shot went off a player and through Halak to tie the score. It was a fluky goal.

Lafreniere was able to draw a tripping minor on Nylander. That put the Rangers on their first power play. Up to that point, only one penalty was called. In the seesaw third, the hard work of Lafreniere drew both Toronto penalties. His overall game has improved dramatically. I think he can be an x-factor in the first round.

On the five-on-four, some good passing between Mika Zibanejad and Adam Fox allowed the red hot Artemi Panarin to score his 29th on the power play. In particular, Fox made a no-look backhand pass across for a Panarin one-timer that beat Woll high, short side. Just brilliant. It reminded me of what Sergei Zubov could do.

But in typical Rangers fashion, they let the Leafs come right back. Over a minute later, Ryan O’Reilly set up Nylander for number 40 to tie the score at two. Nylander slipped away from both Mikkola and Braden Schneider to snipe home his 40th. He’s a very slick player. I think if the Leafs go far, he’ll be a big reason why.

The Maple Leafs went ahead when Noel Acciari was able to get to a loose puck in front and score his 14th with 7:39 left in regulation. On the play, Acciari had a shot stopped by Halak. However, the rebound was in front. While K’Andre Miller took one player, Trouba was too late to stop Acciari from putting in the loose change.

It’s that pair that will have a lot of pressure once Game One rolls around. They’ll have to go up against Jack Hughes’ line. That could be him, Jesper Bratt, and Timo Meier. Dawson Mercer sometimes plays with Hughes. It’s pick your poison with Nico Hischier centering the second line. They basically have two top scoring lines.

That’s eerily similar to what our team has. It’s gonna be Zibanejad starting between Chris Kreider and Patrick Kane, who still hasn’t made a difference. He better flip the switch on starting Monday or Tuesday in Newark. They need him to produce in this series. I’m not concerned about Tarasenko or Panarin. They have excellent chemistry. It doesn’t matter which center they play with. They’ve been superb with Trocheck. Panarin really finished strong. He’s shooting the puck more and getting results. Keep it going.

Whoever Gallant matches Miller and Trouba against, he’ll have Ryan Lindgren with Fox going up against the other top line. Figure Ruff to try to exploit the match-ups on home ice. He’ll definitely see if he can get his big horses out against our third pair and checking line.

I’ve been on record as saying how much I like the way Barclay Goodrow, Jimmy Vesey, and Motte play. They’re capable of contributing due to their strong work ethic. They can chip pucks in and win board battles while being responsible defensively. But you don’t want them seeing extended time pinned in with Mikkola and Schneider. The Devils are capable of using their speed and skill in transition but can also utilize it to pin opponents in.

This basically feels like a preview. In some aspects, it is. I’ll handle the nuts and bolts this weekend. That’s how big this rivalry is. I tweeted that I never thought we’d ever see Rangers vs. Devils again due to the divisional format. It didn’t feel realistic. But with the Caps and Pens finally missing the playoffs, which means no Ovechkin or Crosby for the first time since 2005-06, it’s finally possible. Here we are.

In terms of the conclusion to game 82, Lafreniere drew a tripping minor on Schenn with 2:48 left. Gallant went for it, going six-on-four. They really tried to set up Zibanejad, who needed one goal for his second 40-goal season. He only got off one decent one-timer that Woll easily stopped. He also had a shot blocked. Both Panarin and Fox forced passes. It didn’t work.

The Leafs made some key clears to kill off the penalty. Marner took a shot at the empty net. He was hoping it would go to get 100 points. He had the same luck as Zibanejad. But the Leafs skated away with the win following Chytil’s disallowed goal. They finished with 111 points. That’s tied for the fourth most in the league. They get the Lightning, who didn’t try very hard down the stretch. Then probably the 135-point Bruins. That’s not much of a reward.

The Rangers finish with a 47-22-13 record. They had 107 points. The fifth most in the Eastern Conference. If it was the old 1-8 format, they’d draw the Leafs. It makes you wonder. Instead, they must go through the Devils. I’m not sure if it’ll be the Hurricanes in the second round. Their goaltending is very shaky. The Islanders have a clear edge. That won’t be easy.

Will it wind up a Battle of Hudson as Hasan pondered? Meaning the old Battle of New York. It could very well happen. Much depends on Mat Barzal, who’s expected to return for the first round.

What we do know is every series in the East. Here we are:

Atlantic Division

(1) Bruins vs. (4) Panthers

(2) Maple Leafs vs. (3) Lightning

Metro Division

(1) Hurricanes vs. (4) Islanders

(2) Devils vs. (3) Rangers

Make your predictions. I’ll have mine this weekend.

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Devils don’t win Metro, but set club record for wins with another insane comeback

Posted on April 13, 2023 by hasan4978

Where do you start with tonight? Might as well just start with the video of the day…a true Hollywood ending as the Hughes brothers combined for Luke’s first NHL goal, which just happened to give the Devils a 5-4 OT win over the Capitals. A game where the Devils were down 4-1 no less…but hey, what’s one more insane comeback in a season filled with them? In addition to being a career highlight for Luke Hughes (for the moment), the Devils’ win also gave them a franchise record with their 52nd W of the season, surpassing the 2000-01 Devils. All that team did was go to the seventh game of the Stanley Cup Finals, the year after winning it.

Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on your point of view) the game wound up meaning nothing in terms of the standings since Carolina took an early lead, then withstood a pair of Panther surges in the third period to hold onto a 6-4 win that finally gave them the Metro crown by a single point in the end. So, Armageddon here we come. But at least the Devils salvaged something intangible from a game where it seemed as if the organization was content to let the chips fall where they may.

I already went through being critical in my prior blog (and the comments section) of the Devils’ laissez-faire attitude toward the division, the latest evidence being running out Mackenzie Blackwood for the second time in three games tonight. Though it didn’t really hurt in Boston – despite a bad second goal allowed there – boy did it matter tonight, as Blackwood was quite simply putrid, giving up four goals on eleven shots and finally getting pulled for Akira Schmid when it seemed as if the division was safely out of reach with the Devils down 4-1 and Carolina leading 2-0 through the second period.

I know this organization believes in Blackwood’s ‘upside’ and is desperately still trying to make him a thing but you already had Schmid here because of Vitek Vanecek getting the night off – and quite frankly he’s earned the #2 job throughout the season by any metric except for contract status, you might as well have just started him if you were actually trying to win while rest players. While I never think players try to tank, I do think the organization’s bleh attitude toward the division chase contributed to a rough first half of tonight’s regular season finale.

Maybe putting Schmid in woke the Devils up, because they certainly upped their level after that. Of course, it also helps having an actual NHL goaltender who can make a save. I didn’t bother turning it on till the third period after I saw the lineup, which of course led to a predictable start of the game, but suddenly things got very interesting in Washington thanks to Miles Wood’s goal late in the second period and Erik Haula’s breakaway tally to start the third. Then things got really interesting in Florida as the Panthers scored two quick goals to tie the game in Sunrise. Could the improbable really happen?

Carolina put a quick end to our delusions of grandeur striking back twice and then putting in an empty-netter late in the third to seemingly put that game away, but the Devils to their credit forged on and Dougie Hamilton’s patented bomb from the point tied the game. Hamilton’s goal was the 22nd of the year for the Devils’ triggerman on D, adding to his all-time team record. With the game now headed for OT thanks to Schmid’s heroics and our offense coming to life, we had one final tease in Sunrise as the Panthers scored two goals with an empty net to pull back within one towards the end of regulation, but another empty-net goal from Carolina finally put that game, and the division to bed.

All that was left now for the Devils was to make the best of their final period of the season – and boy, did they do that with Hughes dynamics leading to a fitting end to what’s been a dream regular season. If Luke had a cautiously decent first game, he definitely opened eyes with his second game, playing 21:13 with an assist on Haula’s first goal of the game in the first period, which opened the scoring after Blackwood had already spotted the moribund Caps a 3-0 lead. Of course, his first NHL point was quickly eclipsed as a career highlight by his first NHL goal…with the primary assist coming from none other than Jack. Predictably, Luke is keeping his first goal puck all in the family:

Cynically, I think this was the perfect script for Tom Fitzgerald, team doesn’t win the division but goes out on their shield while resting players in the process and having their prized rookie turn star to boot…well almost perfect, if he is still part of the contingent who thinks Blackwood should be the Devils’ #2 going into the playoffs. Hopefully tonight finally ended that delusion but I won’t hold my breath. Now we just wait for the playoff schedule to drop to see when we’re playing.

One more thing I have to throw a wet blanket on because I’ve seen this comment all over the place about how the Devils’ 49-point turnaround from last year to this year is the biggest in NHL history, it’s just simply not factual. San Jose’s 58-point improvement from ’92-93 to ’93-94 is the biggest year-to-year turnaround. The fact those were 84-game seasons (which is why it isn’t listed in certain charts) doesn’t change that fact. Two more games is less than a nine-point difference. Obviously, our turnaround was impressive enough and one of the biggest in NHL history, but let’s not jump the shark on the hype machine here.

Of course, we’ll be doing plenty of shark jumping in the coming days with the hype that’ll ensue on Devils-Rangers plus the added local flavor of the Isles also being in our bracket, and a dangerous opponent for the Hurricanes. Maybe this will be an all Battle of the Hudson bracket in the end. I don’t know how much I’ll be posting in the next few days, and how much I’ll just let Derek take the lead on the nuts and bolts of this series – especially being that I’m going to at least a couple of these games. I’m sure I’ll probably give thoughts at some points in the series but not after every night.

I’ll almost certainly leave the full preview to him but my early tl;dr prediction is Devils in 7 and we’re both in curled balls by the end of the series. I wouldn’t term this prediction as cautious optimism as much as a belief in the Devils after everything they accomplished this season, coupled with a healthy respect (if not total fear) of who we’re playing. Yes, we won three of the four games and took seven points out of eight from the regular season games this year but every one of them were close, wild affairs. I see no reason to think a first-round series between two excellent teams wouldn’t be the same. And because I’m predicting a seven-game series – and probably am not in the minority there – I have to predict Devils in the end because the alternative would be just too icky to think about, from my pov anyway.

Here goes nothing!

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Gallant’s decision not to rest anyone tempting fate with playoffs on deck

Posted on April 13, 2023 by Derek

It’s the final game of the regular season. For the Rangers, there’s nothing to play for. They’re locked into the third seed in the Metropolitan Division. The only question is who they will play. Either the Devils or the Hurricanes.

That all depends on tonight. With the Devils opting to rest Vitek Vanecek along with a couple of other starters, they’re prioritizing health over winning the division. They still can win it if they beat the Caps and the Hurricanes lose at the Panthers, who also are playing for something. The chance to avoid the Bruins.

While some teams have to decide what’s best to do in Game 82 with the playoffs on deck, you have a situation like the Rangers, who can’t move up. So, why is Gerard Gallant going with the same lineup as Tuesday night? That’s better left for the coach to explain to reporters.

There’s a risk. While the Maple Leafs are undoubtedly resting players since they have nothing to play for, there’s still a hockey game to be played. Would you dress Ben Harpur over Ryan Lindgren, who’s looked sharp since returning? What about giving Adam Fox the night off or Jacob Trouba? They’re both gamers. But there’s nothing on the line.

What’s most important in the final game of a long schedule, thanks to how the NHL operates, is to come out healthy. The Rangers can’t afford any injuries in a meaningless 82nd game that’s just for paperwork.

You hope that none of the key players get banged up playing such a game. I can’t imagine Toronto playing that hard. However, they went toe to toe with first round opponent Tampa the other night. They won without top stars, Auston Matthews, and Mitch Marner. They got great goaltending from Joseph Woll. He again will tend the net later.

Toronto coach Sheldon Keefe is prioritizing the first round rematch against the Lightning. A wise move. Will it finally pay off in a series win for the first time since 2004? That depends on how they play. They’re the better team this time. But we know the playoffs are a whole different animal. They draw the championship proven Lightning. A team that’s struggled down the stretch, and has players injured.

So, does Gallant know something we don’t? Why play Igor Shesterkin tonight? I can understand wanting to keep him sharp. There are a few days off before the first round begins. That’ll be either on Monday or Tuesday. He’s back in form. As long as nothing happens, fine.

Update: It’s Jaroslav Halak in net. Mollie Walker made it seem like it was the exact same lineup. I’m glad Gallant at least opted to rest Shesterkin.

I probably would’ve given Jaroslav Halak the start. He’s been a steady professional backup. Exactly as advertised. The veteran turned around his year following a slow start. Much respect to the elder statesman.

With the puck dropping soon at MSG on Fan Appreciation Night, let’s hope for the best.

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Go for the division or rest and tempt the hockey gods?

Posted on April 13, 2023 by hasan4978

While I admit I myself have been ambivalent about the Devils winning the division at times (hence our early exits as a top seed in the late ’90’s and ’00’s), I didn’t expect the team themselves to be this blase about potentially winning a division, especially with the guaranteed home-ice in the second round. With the playoffs set to start Monday or Tuesday – rumor is we’ll be starting Monday based on nothing but ushers telling people see you Monday after the Devils clinched home-ice in the first round on Fan Appreciation night – there should be at least four days of rest before the crucible begins.

It was puzzling enough when the Devils threw Mackenzie Blackwood out in Boston five nights ago against a stronger team rather than play him against the Blue Jackets at home two nights prior, but clearly we’re acting like a team prioritizing rest by sitting Vitek Vanecek for the second time in three games tonight with other guys allegedly being rotated out of the lineup as well. Which I don’t even have a big problem with, until it looks like you’re manipulating the situation a la sitting Vitek against Boston instead of Columbus.

If you wanted to be a cynic you’d say they wanted to play the Rangers – who they’ve taken seven of eight points from – over the Panthers, who they lost two of three to during the regular season and whose physical game has given us fits. It was fun to see Luke Hughes’ debut and it looks like he’ll play again tonight, which is nice as a fan but on the other hand if you’re icing your ‘best lineup’ it’s not likely including a guy who just got here five minutes ago, doesn’t know the system and has only played one NHL game.

Do I want the Devils to play guys who are hurt, no but that’s not what’s happening in most of these cases other than maybe Erik Haula who’s missed the last couple of games at least and Mike McLeod who’s clearly injured. Haula and McLeod both missing led to us playing 11-7 the other night, which should never be a first choice otherwise.

In spite of the fact the Devils have had better success against the Rangers than the Panthers in the regular season, I’d never count those chickens in a rivalry series – 1997 being a prime example of why. Manipulating a matchup by being blase about winning the division either because you think it’s an easier matchup, or more cynically because you want to make more profit on ticket sales just speaks of testing the hockey gods. What would be ironic is if the Devils with arguably their third best goalie and some backups in still beat a Caps team that’s clearly got one foot on the airplane home with two wins in their last twelve games, and the Canes lost. Then we’d get to have our cake and eat it too…unless you’re in ticket sales.

Whatever the organization’s wants, I’ll still be watching the results of both games and rooting for the division. If Carolina wins and we play the Rangers, then let’s get on with Armageddon. I’d hate for it to be decided if Carolina lost and we couldn’t get the result we needed based on getting cute with our lineup though. I also appreciate protecting guys due to injury, especially your starting goalie but it looks farcical when you have twenty guys on a hockey roster and can only sit three or four anyway, to sit specific guys based on rest while Jack Hughes and Dougie Hamilton will still be playing their regular shifts. I wouldn’t mind going with the B team if you could literally go with the entire B team but that isn’t the case here. Having three or four mid-level lineup changes just seems a bit cute for the sake of being cute.

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On season finale day, Devils’ division hunt reaches a climax

Posted on April 13, 2023 by hasan4978

With the final regular season games to be played today (and a couple of makeup games tomorrow, but none with any bearing on the East playoffs), there’s little to play for on the one hand since we know all sixteen playoff teams, but also still much to be decided in terms of seeding and even a couple of division titles up for grabs. Namely, the Metro where the Canes refuse to put the division away while the Devils have done just enough to give themselves a chance to flip the script on this final day. Our game with the playoff-less Capitals in Washington and the Canes’ game down in Florida will determine not only the Metro division winner, but also who all the local teams play in the first round.

Islanders – will play at Boston with a Panthers win against the Hurricanes, otherwise they’ll play at Carolina.

Rangers – start the playoffs at New Jersey or Carolina, whoever doesn’t win the Metro

Devils – win the Metro and face the Panthers with any combination of results that at least ties them with Carolina points-wise since we own the tiebreaker. Essentially because we’re a point behind, we have to get more points than the Canes out of our game tonight to win the division and play Florida. Otherwise, we’ll play the Rangers.

It would be amusing if the Devils somehow won the division, after for months a Devils-Rangers first-round series looked pre-ordained. Although not as much so for the people who bought playoff strips and individual tickets to the first round hoping to flip the Ranger games at a profit, oh well. Seemingly for the last month the division has been kept at arm’s length, as every time all looks lost the Canes go on another losing streak, while just when it looks like we’re about to catch them we no-show in Winnipeg – or make the bizarre decision to play Mackenzie Blackwood in Boston instead of giving him the AHL Blue Jackets two nights earlier.

Not that our 2-1 loss against the record-setting Bruins was really on the goaltending, but it did make you wonder how much management actually cares about the division. Hopefully they don’t care more about selling tickets – i.e. playing the Rangers – than letting the players take their shot at having one more great accomplishment in the regular season. At least Tuesday’s Fan Appreciation Game proved to be a fitting celebration of a fantastic regular season, as the Devils not only knocked the Sabres out of the playoffs, but also clinched home-ice in the first round with a 6-2 win that was at times frenetic. Ultimately Vitek Vanecek making a lot of good saves early and some opportunistic finishing led to a relatively comfortable win in the end.

Although neither played a starring role in the competitive part of the game, the night was largely about the Hughes family before and after the game, both with Jack breaking the Devils’ record for points in a season with a fortuitous empty-net goal at 5-2 and with Luke making his NHL debut.

Jack’s response to how his parents would celebrate him breaking the Devils’ record and Luke’s debut was classic….’probably sitting on the couch watching Quinn (Vancouver’s All-Star defenseman)’. Hopefully there is a world where we get to see all three Hughes on the ice with the same team, most likely with team USA in a few years if Luke lives up to his own billing. For his part, he didn’t look out of place Tuesday though he probably played too conservatively to make real impact plays. I was hoping he’d get some power play time at least, but maybe next year. After saying Luke would play at least one of the final two games, coach Lindy Ruff left the door open for him to play again tonight after Tuesday’s game.

As far as Jack and the record…admittedly I was a little mixed on the thought of him breaking the record of my all-time favorite Devil. But once you’re in the building with the record tied, then you want to see history no matter what (though a moment of confession time, I thought Jack was actually one short of the record until I saw the montage celebrating him breaking it, and forgot he actually got an assist on Jesper Bratt’s goal in Boston). And for his part, Patty was his usual Patty self in his congratulations to Jack after the game.

Even if the Devils don’t win the division, all in all Tuesday was a nice capper on a record-breaking regular season all around. Team-wise the Devils’ 51st win also tied a franchise record, which they could actually break with a win in Washington tonight. Given that the Caps have been eliminated from the playoffs for the first time since Martin Brodeur was finishing his Devils career (2013-14), the opportunity is certainly there to break the record and put more pressure on the Canes to get a win in Florida. For their part, at least the Panthers in theory have the motivation to win and avoid the mighty Bruins in round one. It’s always iffy whether players actually get motivated by seeding though, especially after a long surge just to make the playoffs.

Either way, at least by 10:30 tonight we’ll know the final chapter of this book and who we’ll start the playoffs with.

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Devils eliminate Sabres, clinch home ice as Rangers wait for first round opponent

Posted on April 12, 2023 by Derek

On an off night for the Rangers, they now know they can’t finish higher than third in the Metro Division. That was guaranteed when the Devils eliminated the Sabres by virtue of a 6-2 win on home ice before a packed crowd at The Prudential Center.

Entering tonight’s play, the Devils knew they still had a shot at first place. Even though the Hurricanes won over the Red Wings as expected, it will all come down to Thursday night.

Buoyed by a goal and assist from Miles Wood along with a pair of goals from 20-goal scorer Tomas Tatar, the Devils treated their fans to a good night. It came at the expense of the Sabres, who ran out of gas in a game that was much closer than the final score.

The Devils got the only goal of an evenly played first period. Jesper Boqvist scored his 10th on a strong shift. He put away the first goal thanks to some good work from Wood and Nathan Bastian. A Bastian corner dump in allowed Wood to fire a shot from a sharp angle that took a carom for Boqvist, whose rebound banked in off a Sabres player.

With it being the second to last game, including the final one at home before next week’s playoffs start, Lindy Ruff opted to dress 11 forwards and 7 defensemen. That allowed the newest Devil Luke Hughes to make his much anticipated NHL debut. He wore number 43.

The former 2021 Devils’ fourth pick received 11:15 in 13 shifts. That included a brief 11-second shift on the power play. An area the former Michigan star should excel at in the future. He nearly had his first NHL point on a pass that almost set up a goal. Devon Levi prevented it with a diving save.

Over a minute into the second period, Jonas Siegenthaler increased the lead to two. On a quick moving play in transition, Tatar got the puck up for Nico Hischier. He then passed it for a pinching Siegenthaler, whose slap shot beat Levi through traffic for his 4th at 1:06.

The Sabres had a goal from J.J. Peterka overturned due to a successful offsides challenge from Ruff. It was an easy decision that didn’t take long for the officials to waive off.

However, some hard work down low from Alex Tuch and Casey Mittlestadt allowed Jeff Skinner to bury his 34th at 6:55. That pulled the Sabres within a goal.

Less than three minutes later, Wood was able to put home a rebound for his 12th from Bastian and Hischier. That restored the two-goal lead.

Despite out-shooting the Devils 15-9, the Sabres couldn’t draw any closer in the period. Vitek Vanecek made 14 of 15 saves to keep the home team ahead by two.

During the third, a smart play by improving defenseman Kevin Bahl resulted in a critical fourth goal for the Devils. On a play where he looked set up in the slot, the lanky Bahl couldn’t quite tee up the puck. However, he made a good pass up for Damon Severson, who moved the puck over for Tatar. He beat Levi just inside the post for his 19th to make it 4-1 with 12:50 remaining.

Before the party could begin, the Sabres never quit. On a good forecheck from Tuch after Dougie Hamilton turned over the puck, he found Mattias Samuelsson wide open in the right circle for his second to cut it to 4-2 with still 6:45 left.

Levi would make the save of the game when he got over to rob Hischier of a sure goal. His one-timer was gloved by a quick reacting Levi, who made 24 saves on 28 shots in a losing effort. Although he wasn’t as good, making his third straight start over four days, the Mike Richter Award winner again made key stops to give his team a chance.

Following a close call where Hughes nearly broke Patrik Elias’ single season team record in scoring, Ondrej Palat took an offensive zone penalty when he took down Tage Thompson to put the Sabres on the power play. There were still over five minutes remaining.

On a play behind the net, it looked like Skinner had scored on a wrap-around. However, the replay showed that Ryan Graves dove to get his stick on the goal line to prevent the puck from going in. Had it gone in, who knows what would’ve happened. Graves has made several great defensive plays like that during the season. He’s like a second goalie.

On the second half of the power play, Don Granato lifted Levi for a six-on-four. They never got any closer. Eventually, Timo Meier and Bastian combined to move the puck ahead for a Tatar empty netter for his 20th with 2:32 left.

The only question left was would Hughes get the record. He entered tied with Elias after a three-point game. On a Vanecek clear down, a hustling Jesper Bratt raced to get the puck behind the net. He then made the unselfish play by passing for Hughes, who scored into the open net for point number 97.

That allowed the former top pick to surpass Elias, whose previous mark of 96 came during 2000-01. Hughes was congratulated by happy teammates. Chants of “MVP, MVP” rained down from the appreciative sellout crowd. Why not? He deserves to be included for the Hart Trophy. Even if Connor McDavid will win it with David Pastrnak finishing second, Hughes earned it.

With the Devils up to 110 points, they trail the Hurricanes by a point with both teams playing their final game on Thursday. The Devils will play the Capitals in DC. The Canes finish with the Panthers in Florida. The Panthers clinched a wildcard due to the Penguins somehow losing at home to the Blackhawks 5-2.

The wildcard comes down to the Islanders taking on the Canadiens at home on Wednesday night. All they need is one point to clinch. If they somehow don’t, the Pens can still get in with a win over the Blue Jackets.

All of this will help determine the first round match-ups. The Rangers know it’ll either be at Carolina or New Jersey for the first two games. They’ll wait and see who their opponent will be.

With nothing left to play for, they can rest Igor Shesterkin against the Maple Leafs on Thursday. I’d expect Jaroslav Halak to get the start. Maybe Gerard Gallant gives Adam Fox or Ryan Lindgren another night off. He can play Ben Harpur. We’ll see what he decides.

At least the playoff picture is finally clearer. Mika Zibanejad needs a goal to hit 40. Both Alexis Lafreniere and Kaapo Kakko need a goal or assist for 40 points. Here’s hoping that happens.

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Rangers earn point to pull within one of Devils, Sabres take shootout in goalie duel, Lindgren wins Steven McDonald Award

Posted on April 11, 2023 by Derek

This one had drama. In an exciting game where it was mostly about the goalies, the Rangers earned a point in a 3-2 shootout loss to the Sabres at MSG. The win kept their slim playoff hopes alive.

On an emotional night, they rewarded the gritty and gutsy Ryan Lindgren with the prestigious Steven McDonald Award before the game. A heart and soul player, who’s the glue of the defense, it was well deserved. His value to the team is what he brings during each shift.

That was on display during overtime when he made a diving block that nicked him. Of course, Lindgren returned to the bench. What a gamer.

Admittedly, I forgot about Lindgren in my game preview yesterday. I chose Jimmy Vesey for the extra effort award. A good pick. But when I really think about it, Lindgren embodies what it means to be a New York Ranger. He’s always reminded me of Dan Girardi. The only difference is that he wears number 55 instead of 5. That warrior like mentality is needed. Congrats to Lindy!

Seeing NYPD captain Conor McDonald and his lovely family on the Garden ice to present his Dad’s award in the pregame ceremony always moves me. That family is very special to this city. In hard times when much doesn’t make sense, they represent everything that’s right.

It was only fitting that Lindgren would lay out to take a dangerous shot up high in a hard fought game that had a lot of meaning. As I noted previously, Buffalo was playing for their playoff lives. You knew they’d be desperate. It showed early and in crunch time.

The Rangers were also playing for something. A win would’ve meant tying the Devils in the standings. As it stands, the Rangers trail their close Hudson rival by a point with the lone remaining game on Thursday against the Maple Leafs. If the Devils earn two points in their final two games, including facing those Sabres tonight and finishing at the Capitals, the Rangers can’t pass them.

With the Hurricanes losing 4-3 to the Senators in regulation last night on Claude Giroux’s winner, which put him over 1,000 points, they only have a one-point lead over the Devils for first place in the Metro Division. Both teams are in action on Tuesday. The Canes host the Red Wings. The Devils are home for the Sabres, who must keep winning and get help.

The Metro Division is separated by two points. Carolina has 109. The Devils have 108. The Rangers have 107. Regulation wins favor New Jersey, whose 38 are one more than both the Canes and Blueshirts. None of that matters if Carolina wins and the Devils lose in regulation later. They would clinch the division along with home ice for the first two rounds.

As for the wildcard race, it’s going down to the wire. With the Sabres able to come back and defeat the Rangers, they’re up to 87 points. With three games left, they can max out at 93. The Islanders losing at the Caps 5-2 was huge. They remain at 91 with a do or die game against the Canadiens tomorrow night. Although they got a point in a 2-1 overtime loss, the Panthers haven’t clinched. They’re at 92. The final game is Thursday at home versus the Canes. One point would get them in.

This is chaotic. Nobody knows what will happen. The Penguins host the tanking Blackhawks tonight. A win puts them in wildcard position with 92 points. It would be a shock if they didn’t win. Their last game is on Thursday against the tanking Blue Jackets. The odds are stacked in their favor, facing two teams desperate for Connor Bedard. Nice schedule.

Now that I’ve cleared all the playoff scenarios up, let’s focus on Monday night’s game. One that didn’t start well. But it definitely picked up. It turned into an exciting game due to all the stakes.

Outside of an early power play that a cutting Adam Fox drew on Ilya Lyubushkin, who wisely grabbed hold of him to prevent a scoring chance on an odd-man rush, there was little push from the Rangers in a flat first period.

Having already killed off one of those lazy Artemi Panarin penalties in the offensive zone, they didn’t create much on the five-on-four. Mika Zibanejad got the only opportunity. He was perfectly placed in the slot. But his shot was denied by Devon Levi. The two-time Mike Richter Award winner is already proving capable in net for the goalie starved Sabres. He would come up with some gems later.

It was mostly Buffalo in the opening period. They applied puck pressure. Holding a territorial edge in play, they tested Igor Shesterkin throughout the game. He was particularly sharp during a lopsided first that saw his team outplayed and out-shot 14-4.

There were strong saves on Alex Tuch, Jack Quinn, and Dylan Cozens. He really is locked in. For the night, he made 37 saves on 39 shots. Some of his best work came in the third period and overtime. His play is back to where it needs to be with the postseason approaching. A good sign for the Blueshirts. When on, he’s better than any other goalie in the division.

The Sabres were able to finally get the jump on the Rangers. On a hard-working shift by their third line, Tyson Jost pressured Niko Mikkola into losing the puck. Quinn then made a sneaky pass in front for a J.J. Peterka goal with 5:36 left. It was the rookie’s 12th. He was visible throughout.

While the Blueshirts struggled to find their footing, the Sabres looked for more. However, Shesterkin made key stops on Peyton Krebs and Tuch to keep the deficit at one.

With under a minute remaining, a strong shift from the line of Vincent Trocheck, Vladimir Tarasenko, and Panarin led to the Bread Man drawing a high-sticking minor on top Buffalo scorer Tage Thompson. Although they didn’t connect on the first part to conclude the period, there was still 1:07 left that carried over.

During a good first intermission interview between MSG reporter Michelle Gingras and Lindgren on what it meant to win the Steven McDonald Award, he said they had to pick up the intensity. It was understood why the Sabres came out with urgency. Lindgren’s message was prophetic.

For the first minute of the second period, it didn’t look like the Rangers would score on the remainder of the Thompson penalty. However, a defensive draw won by Zibanejad led to a beautiful goal from Panarin in transition.

On the play, Kane moved the puck for Zibanejad, who quickly gained the Buffalo zone to find Panarin. He wired a wrist shot high, short side by Levi to tie the score with six seconds left on the power play.

It was a terrific rush and pass across by Zibanejad that set up Panarin for his 27th. That gave him the first 90-point season of his career. A well-deserved achievement for one of the game’s premier centers. It also was the 90th point for Panarin, making it three of four seasons in his Rangers career that he’s reached 90. He never hit that figure before arriving in the Big Apple.

On the next shift, the Sabres tried to respond. But Mittlestadt had his shot stopped by Shesterkin. He’d also make a save on Jeff Skinner, who’s usually dangerous when he plays our team.

The Rangers began to dictate the tempo. While the second line was flying, it was again the consistent work of the 21 and over Kid Line that was noticeable. Filip Chytil, Kaapo Kakko, and Alexis Lafreniere were all very effective during shifts. Chytil was the most dangerous of the trio by getting six shots on Levi. He was up for the challenge, stopping him twice early in the second to keep the game tied.

More engaged, the Blueshirts continued to come. They had better puck possession during shifts. That led to more time in the Buffalo zone. Levi would make a save on Zibanejad, who made a bid for his 40th. It wasn’t the only key save Levi made on Zibanejad. He later denied him on a deflection.

On one of the better shifts by the Sabres, they created a couple of opportunities. However, Shesterkin turned away Jordan Greenway and then the dangerous Peterka.

During that same shift, the Rangers came the other way. On a play in the corner of the Sabres’ end, a hustling Trocheck dove to keep a loose puck alive. Riley Stillman lost the battle. Tarasenko found the puck and made a perfect centering feed across for a Panarin one-timer for his second of the game at 11:12.

It was a great pass by Tarasenko, who continues to work well with Panarin. But it wouldn’t have been possible without the extra effort from Trocheck. He didn’t get credit for an assist. As of today, that hasn’t been changed. I thought Stillman misplayed it. Regardless, the scoring play doesn’t happen without Trocheck.

With the Sabres suddenly on life support, Tyler Motte came very close to making it 3-1. But his sneaky backhand went off the far goalpost and stayed out. It was a lucky break for Buffalo. Had that gone in, it might’ve been lights out the way Shesterkin was playing.

He’d deny who else but Skinner on a good chance. Then, make a glove save on Owen Power to get a stoppage.

Late in the period, the Rangers pushed for the third goal. But on an extended shift where the Sabres were trapped, Levi bailed them out with big saves on Chytil, Kakko, and then Mikkola. Those stops were crucial.

Shesterkin then got across to rob Power with a nice glove save. The “Ig-or, Ig-or” chants were heard from the fans.

With time winding down, Levi made one more save on Tarasenko to keep the deficit at one. He couldn’t afford to allow another goal.

For most of the third period, it felt like the Rangers were in control. Shesterkin was stopping everything. It didn’t look like the Sabres would find the equalizer. They did, however, get superb goaltending from Levi.

No sequence was bigger than the one created by the Chytil line. Following a close call at the opposite end, when Peterka hit the crossbar, here came the Kid Line. Both Chytil and Lafreniere were thwarted by Levi. He made four clutch stops with his team struggling in their end.

As the shift continued, Lafreniere absolutely belted Kyle Okposo with a clean hit against the boards. It was the biggest hit of the game. While he is still looking to reach 20 goals in a season, the improvement in his overall game is evident. Both he and Kakko need a point for their first 40-point season. Kakko is 22, and Lafreniere is 21. Hopefully, they can get it in two days.

Chris Kreider nearly had a tip-in for a goal off a face-off play. But he couldn’t quite put the puck past Levi.

With the game still 2-1, it took a brutal turnover by K’Andre Miller to allow the Sabres to tie it. Unable to control a loose puck in his end, he fumbled it away. That allowed Tuch to get a shot on Shesterkin that Casey Mittlestadt rebounded home for the tying goal with 11:47 remaining.

For once, Joe Micheletti didn’t look the other way. He pointed out that Miller had struggled all game with pucks. As talented a player as he is, Miller commits egregious mistakes at inopportune times. The Jacob Trouba slander from misguided fans has been way off base. He’s carried that pairing, which has been on for the most goals against. They’ve also played a lot more minutes together.

Miller must limit those kinds of mistakes in his second postseason. He raised his game last year. He must do the same if the Rangers are going to be successful.

With the game tied, both teams went for it. That meant more big saves from each netminder. It made for a fun third period.

Following a Lafreniere tip-in that missed the mark, the Sabres made a push for the lead. Cozens, Greenway, and Okposo were denied by a sharp Shesterkin.

With under two minutes to go, it looked like the Rangers might win it. On a splendid Zibanejad rush, he made a nice drop pass for a cutting Lindgren. But his shot was denied by Levi, who just got a piece of it to keep it out. That critical save came with 1:55 remaining.

Imagine if Lindgren had scored. How storybook that would have been. On a night, he wins the Steven McDonald Extra Effort Award. That close.

Following a timeout by the Sabres to rest their players, Trouba and Mikkola had long shots on Levi that he handled. With seconds to spare, Zibanejad had a tip-in deflect wide. To overtime it went.

While the Panthers were losing to the Leafs in extras on a John Tavares goal, the Sabres were fighting for their playoff lives. It showed during the five-minute OT.

After initially controlling the puck, the Rangers lost it. Thompson tested Shesterkin with a tough shot that he saved. As play continued, the whistle blew. The Rangers took a bench minor to give Buffalo a four-on-three advantage.

It was anything but. The three-man penalty killing unit of Goodrow, Trouba, and Lindgren gave them nothing. Playing a tight triangle, they took away the passing options the Sabres were looking for.

On a play that’s defined his career, Lindgren went down and took a Skinner shot upstairs. Somehow, he was okay. After he went off to the locker room, he was back on the bench. Unbelievable.

Although they got a few shots, almost all the good scoring chances came following the power play. A terrific penalty kill by the Rangers, who also used Zibanejad, Mikkola, and Braden Schneider.

It was all Sabres. Cozens was denied twice in tight by Shesterkin. Then, he made a strong save on Thompson. After Skinner missed, Shesterkin made one final stop by denying Rasmus Dahlin. He made six saves in the overtime.

The shootout didn’t disappoint. Although it isn’t the best way to decide such big games as we know too well (Flyers 2010), there was drama.

After Shesterkin stopped Quinn, Levi stayed right with Kane to deny him to keep it scoreless after Round One. Then, Shesterkin made a glove save on Thompson to start the second. But Levi forced Zibanejad wide on his forehand deke try. He lost control at the end.

In Round Three, Shesterkin denied Tuch on a tricky backhand. Out came Panarin. With most of the crowd on their feet expecting him to win it, it was Levi who instead foiled Panarin. He didn’t go for one fake, eventually forcing a weak attempt that had no chance.

In the top of the fourth, the Sabres went with Power. He came in tight and wired a forehand glove side. But in the bottom of the fourth, Tarasenko beat Levi with a patented wrist shot to force Round Five.

Mittlestadt had been 3 for 14 in his career. However, he made a great move and shot to beat Shesterkin. Coming in on Shesterkin, he went to a backhand, whipping it inside the bar. He froze Shesterkin just enough to score.

Gerard Gallant sent out Kakko. He’s been good in his attempts. Instead of going to his backhand deke, he tried to go forehand. But a patient Levi forced him wide to earn the Sabres the crucial second point.

It was pretty exciting. Most shootouts lack that. There was a lot riding on it. As fate would have it later, Nashville won in a shootout over Calgary to stay alive out West. All they need is two Winnipeg regulation losses and two wins over the Wild and Avalanche. Good luck. The Flames were eliminated. What a disappointment.

The next few days will be interesting. The calm before the storm.

I have no complaints. The start should’ve been better. Outside of that, it was pretty even. There were stretches where the Rangers controlled play. Both goalies were superb. Whatever Levi is doing with his meditation during breaks, it’s working. He looks to have a bright future.

https://twitter.com/BattleOfHudson/status/1645611247872745474?t=qNeO2m_OO5olbFTc_6VRig&s=19

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Rangers to play penultimate game against wildcard desperate Sabres on busy Monday night, playoff implications, Steven McDonald Award

Posted on April 10, 2023 by Derek

When the Rangers host the wildcard desperate Sabres later tonight at The Garden, there’ll be plenty of playoff implications at stake. It will be a busy Monday night for several teams.

A win can put the Rangers in a tie for second place with the idle Devils. After handling the woeful Blue Jackets 4-0 this past weekend, they are within two points of the Devils. They lost to the Bruins 2-1 in a playoff caliber game in prime time. Had they won, they would’ve vaulted over the Hurricanes into first place.

Instead, it’s the Canes leading the Metro Division with 109 points. They are a point up on the Devils and three ahead of the Rangers. Carolina visits Ottawa at 7 EST. A win of any kind combined would lock the Rangers into second or third with the potential of a Battle of Hudson first round series.

Vince Mercogliano clarified how the division could shake out in the above tweet. The Canes have three games remaining entering tonight’s match with the Senators. Even after losing to the Sabres on Saturday, they’re in the driver’s seat. What they do will determine the division match-ups.

For the Blueshirts, they want to get as high as possible. They can still steal home ice away from the Devils ‘if’ that much anticipated series happens. The Devils play the Sabres tomorrow night at The Prudential Center.

While the top three teams in the Metro battle it out, the Sabres are in a much different scenario. By winning their last two, including holding off the Hurricanes at home thanks to newcomer Devon Levi, they’re still alive for the wildcard.

With four games left over five days due to a blizzard during the winter, the pressure is on to win. A long shot to qualify, they need to run the table. In fact, there’s a chance that they could be eliminated tonight.

Let’s say they earn a win over the Rangers. That takes them to 87 points with three games left. The problem is they can’t catch either the Panthers or Islanders in regulation wins. Each enters with 91 points headed into key games later. The Islanders visit the Capitals while the Panthers host the Maple Leafs. If both the Cats and Isles win, that would eliminate the Sabres.

However, if one of those two were to lose in regulation, the Sabres would still be in play. But they must beat the Rangers to have a chance. You have to believe they’ll be motivated to get a win, which would put the pressure on the Devils. They also were Levi’s first NHL win in his debut. Another factor.

The Penguins are off. They have 90 points with two left. As usual, Sidney Crosby is trying to carry them into the playoffs. His two goals and assist in a 5-1 win over the Red Wings helped the all-time great reach 1,500 career points. Crosby became only the 15th player to 1500. Pittsburgh will be scoreboard watching. They host the Blackhawks tomorrow.

Gerard Gallant plans to make no changes following Saturday’s return of Patrick Kane. That means Igor Shesterkin will get the start. He’s been much better the last month. He can tie former teammate Alexandar Georgiev for second in wins. Georgiev has proven himself with the Avalanche. He’s won 38 of 59 starts. Only Boston’s Linus Ullmark has more victories, with 39 on the powerful Bruins.

Adam Fox is expected to play. He ranks seventh among NHL defensemen in scoring with 71 points (12-59-71). He’s played in every game this season. Although the Norris looks like Erik Karlsson’s award with the Sharks’ defenseman chasing 100 points, Fox has had another superb season. The 12 goals and five game-winners are career highs. He needs four points over the last two games to surpass last year’s career best mark of 74 points.

Even if he doesn’t get nominated for the game’s best defenseman due to a slew of worthy candidates that include Dougie Hamilton and Quinn Hughes, he remains one of the game’s top defensemen. With partner Ryan Lindgren rounding into form, Fox will be a big key to the postseason.

It’s the top four on the Rangers’ blue line who’ll continue to handle the tough assignments. Jacob Trouba was recently announced as the second winner of the Rod Gilbert Mr. Ranger Award. A deserved honor for a player’s player, who gives an honest effort night in and night out. The 28th Rangers captain has continued to lead by example. His big hits, key blocks, and the intensity he’s shown make him quintessential to team success. Congrats to Trouba on his work both on and off the ice.

K’Andre Miller is part of that second pair, which draws most of the tough assignments. Having set new career highs in goals (9), assists (34) and points (43), the 23-year old former 2018 first round pick continues to improve. He still takes big risks by jumping up for offense. He’ll have to pick his spots better during his second postseason.

Niko Mikkola has afforded Gallant to get Lindgren extra rest. Since coming over from the Blues as part of the Vladimir Tarasenko deal, he’s proved to be a versatile defenseman who can be plugged anywhere. He provided relief by playing with Fox on the top pair when Lindgren was out. Back with Braden Schneider on the third pair, the defensive defenseman should provide Gallant with a reliable depth player on the back end. He scored his first goal of the season at Columbus.

With two assists the other night, Mika Zibanejad has caught Artemi Panarin for the team lead in scoring. Each is tied with 89 points. The team leader in goals (39), power play goals (20), power play points (37), and tied with Fox for tops in game-winners (5), Zibanejad already has established a new personal best with 89 points. He needs two goals to match his career high set in 2019-20. Two more assists would match his career best (52) that came last season.

It would be nice to see Zibanejad top 90 points. He also is just ahead of Chris Kreider for the highest plus/minus among Rangers forwards with a plus-25. One of the game’s best two-way centers, Zibanejad deserves every accolade be receives. There’s a reason I call him Mika Magic.

Vincent Trocheck has had a terrific finish. The second line pivot has produced his best year since he was a Florida Panther. He scored his 22nd goal on Saturday. His 63 points (22-41-63) are better than anyone expected. Especially given the inconsistent start during a challenging first half.

Since the All-Star break, Trocheck has produced more consistently. The former Hurricane is 8-21-29 over the last 31 games. He’s found better chemistry with Panarin. It took a while. With Gallant keeping Trocheck between Panarin and Tarasenko, it’s Zibanejad centering Kreider and Kane on the first line. Considering how well they played with Zibanejad during a stretch, Panarin and Tarasenko can always be flipped. That’s totally up to Gallant.

Two lines that aren’t likely to change are the third and fourth lines. Having reunited the 21 and over Kid Line, Turk has seen good results. Filip Chytil set personal bests across the board. His 22 goals, 23 assists, and 45 points earned him a new four-year contract extension. He is the best finisher amongst former high picks Kaapo Kakko and Alexis Lafreniere. They’re cohesive due to the unique combination of Chytil’s speed, Kakko’s puck possession, and Lafreniere’s tenacity.

Each member has played their best hockey of their young careers. Both Kakko and Lafreniere enter needing a point to hit 40 for the first time. Kakko has 17 goals with 22 assists and a plus-12. Lafreniere has 16 goals with 23 assists and a plus-11. Nearly identical.

With so much focus on the top six, it’ll again be up to the Kid Line to provide secondary scoring in the playoffs. How they perform is crucial to the team’s success.

Gallant also boasts a strong checking line he can count on. The trio of Barclay Goodrow, Jimmy Vesey, and Tyler Motte are reliable. Playing a no-nonsense style, they are effective at getting pucks in and winning battles on the forecheck.

Goodrow has 11 goals with 20 assists for 31 points in his second season on Broadway. The gritty center has been strong at even strength, with 28 of his 32 points coming there. A good penalty killer, he plays shorthanded along with Motte and Vesey, who was nominated by the Rangers as a candidate for the Masterton Trophy.

There also is the Steven McDonald Extra Effort Award. With it being the second to last home game, that could be announced before the start of tonight’s game. I would give it either to Vesey or Trouba. But since Trouba won the Rod Gilbert Mr. Ranger Award for all the work he does in the community, I think Vesey is a good choice.

A player who came into camp without a guaranteed contract, all he did was win a spot on the roster through his hard work and dedication. While not the most talented player, Vesey makes up for it by bringing a lunch pail work ethic. His effort has resulted in a good year that earned him an extension. The 11 goals, 14 assists, and 25 points are solid production for a player who’s got tremendous character. He even played on the top line when necessary.

I’ve never viewed the prestigious Steven McDonald Award as one that must go to the best Ranger. There are exceptions. But I’m more of a Jed Ortmeyer type of fan. I appreciate the hard work Vesey has put in. He’s been a trusted regular who excels on the penalty kill and comes back defensively. He deserves it.

Here’s hoping the fans recognized his contributions.

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Devils ink younger Hughes while in hot pursuit of the division lead

Posted on April 8, 2023 by hasan4978

I admit that at least twice in the last couple of weeks I thought the division race for the Devils was basically over, both times when the Hurricanes got three points up with two games in hand – but they refuse to put the division away and we’re refusing to let it go without a fight. Of course, as we’ve had our problems playing against most of the bubble teams who need the games more than we do at this point in the season, the Canes have had those same issues losing in Nashville and Buffalo (yes they’re still on the fringe of alive at least), while we crushed our personal patsy in the Penguins on Tuesday and everyone’s patsy this year Columbus on Thursday, piling up thirteen goals in two dominant home wins.

Shockingly, we’re only one point back with three games left for each team now, and with a chance to go into first tonight – and on a nationally televised ABC game to boot. Just to amp up the hype machine even further, the Devils happen to be making their one trip of the season into Boston to face the President’s Cup winners, who are gunning for history…one win away from tying the all-time NHL record with 62 and six points in their last four games away from eclipsing the ’76-77 Canadiens with 132 points in a regular season.

For a game between two teams who’ve already clinched a playoff spot (and in the Bruins’ case the #1 overall seed obviously), there’s still more than enough on the line to pique the interest of the hockey world. If you’re a Devils fan, there’s also some record watching in the final three games of the regular season, since the Devils are just three points back of the 2000-01 Devils’ franchise high of 111 points. Individually, Jack Hughes’ four-point night against the hapless Blue Jackets on Thursday put him at 95 points for the season – just one behind Patrik Elias’s team record of 96 in 2000-01, and with a puncher’s chance to reach the century mark with three games left including tonight.

While David Krejci is not expected to play, it’s far from a load management lineup special in Boston, and they even have Taylor Hall coming back from his injury now that they banked $66,000 in cap space from putting Nick Foligno on IR, hah. I’m just glad we’re at a point where we can realistically contemplate our own cap shenanigans again when the time comes, and for one of the few times in the last decade I’m also not looking to get in my season recap as quickly as possible with little that I actually want to look back on. Now I get to hold that off until the end of the playoffs, whenever they come.

Also on the line for the Devils tonight is the potential clinching of home-ice for the first round at least, but it’ll probably take a regulation win in Boston to sew it up tonight, since the Rangers are likely to drill Columbus at home. If you were putting up FanDuel odds, they’d still be weighted heavily in favor of seeing Devils-Rangers at the Rock in a couple of weeks, but any kind of a win tonight would really make things interesting. Even a post-regulation loss would put us in a tie, but with the game still in hand until Monday the Canes would still have to drop another game next week in either case.

Here’s how the schedules stack up:

Devils – tonight at Boston, Tuesday home against Buffalo, Thursday at Washington

Hurricanes – Monday at Ottawa, Tuesday home against Detroit, Thursday at Florida

There’s a realistic scenario where we’re still within range next Thursday and Carolina has to play a team who may well need the game for their playoff lives, while we’re playing an eliminated Caps team anticipating their first early summer in a long tie. Of course, that’s still a few days and other results going our way away from happening.

I’m still in between wanting the division to stay away from Armageddon (not to mention have home ice in the first two rounds), and not really caring – especially given our 27-8-4 road record this year. Not to mention facing the Islanders or Panthers in the first round could easily become a nightmare series. Anything can happen in April, especially early in the playoffs. I’d admittedly be a little overconfident if we were playing the Penguins given our recent history against them, but even they are certainly capable of stepping it up with decorated players like Crosby, Malkin and Letang – just ask the Rangers, who needed a couple of slipups from an AHL goalie just to survive the first round last year.

Bottom line is winning is fun, and an unexpected division title would just put even more of a capper on a dream regular season. Now that it’s right there…but perhaps to a degree the level of importance you place on a regular season division title depends on your age bracket, at least for Devils fans. I’ve seen plenty of division titles followed by early playoff exits dating back to the late ’90’s, while my friend Rudy (who’s in his early 30’s) is a lot more fired up over the possibility of winning the division. It was he who gave me the Canes update earlier, as it didn’t occur to me to check, though I vaguely remembered they had the earlier game.

Considering our last division title was way back in 2010, do the math. If you’re a younger fan who hasn’t seen the majority of our divisions, this matters more to you. It would be a legitimate cause for celebration though, given the expectations weren’t anywhere near that high in October, and beating out a veteran team like the Canes who’ve had a fine season would be a serious pelt on the wall, playoffs or no playoffs. I suppose tonight will tell the story, any result in Boston keeps us alive. A regulation loss will leave us one point back with only two to play, compared to three with them. It would be a lot of fun either way if we were in range on Thursday, having both our games at the same time would lead to World Cup final group game type vibes.

Along with all the news on the ice, came news off the ice too – albeit expected since the Devils have telegraphed their intentions on Luke Hughes for months, if not from the moment he was drafted two years ago. Sure enough, after Michigan lost in the Frozen Four last Thursday, Luke signed his entry-level deal and immediately joined the team. Whether (and when) he plays this year is a little more up in the air, although if you take GM Tom Fitzgerald at face value, it sounds like he’s prioritizing rotating guys in and out in the last few games more than actually winning the division.

That interview was obviously done before Carolina’s regulation loss this afternoon though, maybe the equation changes if we win tonight? Guess there’s only one way to find that out…

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