Devils sweep home stand, run their Rock winning streak to five

Posted on February 10, 2023 by hasan4978

At the Rock these last couple months, it’s been both the best of times and the worst of times. Right now it’s clearly the best of times for the Devils on the ice as a tight 2-1 win over the Kraken last night, coupled with a wild 5-4 OT decision over the Canucks on Monday ran the Devils’ record to 10-1-1 in their last twelve games, including five in a row at home. Though the team’s still struggling at times, they’ve been carried by performances from their best players and by goaltending – last night being another example of both as Dougie Hamilton’s two power play goals and Mackenzie Blackwood’s 33 saves carried the Devils across the finish line in regulation, despite missing the clear team MVP in Jack Hughes.

For Hughes, a mysterious upper-body injury that now has him on the shelf week-to-week is an unfortunate coda to All-Star weekend, and his triumphant return from Florida’s celebrity classic on Monday with two goals and the assist on Jesper Bratt’s OT winner against the Canucks. There was no indication of any issue then, but perhaps the issue cropped up after the game…or before it. Though I watched exactly zero of the skills competition or the 3-on-3 games on All-Star weekend, every Devils fan saw the clip of Brady Thachuk’s weird half horse-collar on Hughes during his game on Sunday:

Granted it’s a slight tug on the neck which you could almost dismiss as playful, but in that situation it was more or less a horse collar. Are we playing All-Star games as a competitive fixture or not? If not (which it clearly isn’t, when you go to 3-on-3 and faux division formats where everyone needs to be represented), then sorry dude you’re not Pete Rose and this isn’t 1970. Turn off the hurt and obstruct genes for one frigging weekend. Could I really expect anything more from a Thachuk though, considering brother Matt’s role in the Panthers-Devils shenanigans from earlier this year including a clear cheap shot on Nico Hischier?

Even if Hughes got injured in that play or on All-Star weekend, I’m not about to say ban all our players from going to the All-Star game. Hockey’s an 82-game season, guys are gonna get hurt. If you’re gonna get hurt in an exhibition from a guy being a punk, you can just as easily be hurt on one of 82 other nights from someone doing far worse. Besides, it’s not as if we couldn’t use positive publicity and nobody’s delivered more than that than Hughes, which his heroics on Monday only served to underscore and led to a heartfelt…if slightly optimistic chant

Maybe if the NHL was in a year without a transcendent talent, Hughes’s 35 goals and 67 points in 50 games would have him in the driver seat to pick up the Hart Trophy (Taylor Hall ‘only’ had 94 points in his Hart season, after all)…but as Jack himself acknowledged after the game, hard to see anyone besides Connor McDavid winning it this year. I mean really, 41 goals and 94 points in 52 games are basically Gretzky and Lemieux in the live puck era type of numbers. Still, 50 goals and 100 points were both real possibilities for Hughes, and nobody in franchise history has crossed either barrier in a single season.

Unfortunately, the mysterious upper-body injury which went from a maintenance day to out for weeks will put a cramp in both milestone chases. At least the Devils have enough of a cushion over the bubble it shouldn’t hinder our playoff march too much, although clearly running down Carolina for the division lead and avoiding likely Armageddon in the first round just got a bit harder. Though I normally avoid the whole seeding and matchup talk till March, it’s hard not to see the likelihood of Devils-Rangers is over fifty percent at this point. With as well as the Hurricanes are playing are we really going to run them down while compensating for Hughes being on the shelf? Are the Rangers going to run them down from ten points in the rear, even after getting Tarasenko? Conversely we’re double digits up on the playoff bubble while it’s unlikely the Rangers get run down by the Caps or Pens either, now that they’ve started fortifying their roster for a playoff push.

Of course that worry, if you want to call it that is two months in the future still. Plenty of hockey to be played between now and then, not to mention deadline moves to be made. With Tarasenko and Bo Horvat both off the board – and both going to local teams, no less – even more attention is on the Sharks’ Timo Meier (and his 65 goals between last season and the start of this year), whose weird contract situation complicates a potential trade. Though he’s not technically a UFA next year, his arb number will be in the $10 million range due to contractual technicalities, so for all intents and purposes any team acquiring him will want to agree to a new contract within days of the trade, a la the Isles with Horvat. To ramp up the stakes even more, the two teams most linked with the Swiss winger are us…and the Hurricanes.

Though the trade deadline isn’t for another three weeks, as evidenced by the big trades that have already taken place a lot of teams typically want to finish their business before deadline day, leaving all the talking heads on their trade special shows to debate which middle six forwards and stay-at-home defensemen could be gamechangers. In the case of the Sharks, it also behooves them to trade Timo sooner – if nothing else but to soft tank their way into more lotto balls. While under normal circumstances, Devil fans would just be happy to make the playoffs for a second time in the last decade, the likely opponent being the Rangers raises the stakes. Fans are already feeling the anticipation, with a group in the lower bowl chanting ‘WE WANT TIMO!’ during the national anthem last night, as inappropriate as that was I couldn’t help but snicker when I realized what it was.

As far as the actual games this week, it seems like no matter what happens the Devils are destined to take just about every game down to the wire and make you bite your nails. Even Monday – which should have been a laugher when the Devils went up 4-1 – became a struggle after three unanswered goals from the lowly Canucks tied the game, and the Devils were actually fortunate to avoid a regulation loss. Of course that was before getting Vancouver right where they wanted them in OT, with another 4-on-3 power play and another decisive late goal, this time from Jesper Bratt.

I didn’t attend that game even though I was supposed to, because of car issues that only got temporarily rectified yesterday. Enough for me to try going to the game when my other plans fell through, so instead of going Monday and not going Thursday which was the initial plan, it wound up being the other way around. At least the result was the same for the Devils, although with both Hughes and defenseman Brendan Smith out, as well as Vitek Vanecek and his ten-game winning streak giving way to Blackwood to keep him in game form after the long break, it had the feel of an English soccer team throwing out their B unit in a cup game.

Early on it felt like the loss of Hughes would be too much to overcome against a solid Seattle team though Blackwood kept the team in the game in the first period, and eventually the team straightened out enough defensively to make it more of a back-and-forth game, which was surprisingly 0-0 more than halfway through the second between Blackwood and Phillip Grubauer (both of whom had poor overall stats this season). Of all people, it was ex-Devil Adam Larsson who broke the deadlock at 14:05 of the second period, with a seeing-eye shot that beat Blackwood for the only goal he’d allow on the night.

Despite a mostly dreadful game from everyone else other than the fourth line up to that point, the Devils responded with the best shift of the night from the erstatz top line of Ondrej Palat – who also had two goals against the Canucks – Hischier and Bratt leading to a penalty, which led to yet another Dougie ripper from inside the blueline, off a feed from Palat and that proved to be all the offense needed for one night at least.

I swear, Dougie goals from the middle of the blueline are becoming almost as frequent as Ovi goals from just above the faceoff dot – a point reinforced in the third period when another power play led to another Dougie goal ripped from the blueline, also assisted by Palat. Despite having no five-on-five goals last night, the Dougie-Palat power play connection and Blackwood’s performance were enough to get the two points, sealed with a John Marino empty-netter. At this point it seems like the Devils are on the verge of ‘nice problem to have’ territory with their goalies, given Blackwood’s improved play combined with Vanecek’s consistency and long winning streak. Although I submit a big reason for Blackwood’s being improved this year is less wear and tear being the 1B, since injuries have been a big part of his career to this point. Still, having two goalies play well beats the alternative of last year when we had no goalies playing well.

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Rangers steal Tarasenko in key deal with Blues, beef up on blue line with Mikkola, Blais goes back to St. Louis in trade

Posted on February 9, 2023 by Derek

In a move that came very quickly this afternoon, the Rangers acquired Vladimir Tarasenko from the Blues.

The 31-year old veteran right wing who scored 34 goals last season was added for one reason. To fill a void. Ever since Team President and GM Chris Drury dumped Pavel Buchnevich ironically on the Blues due to the hard cap, the Rangers lacked a top scoring right wing who could finish.

By trading for the six-time 30-goal scorer, who helped the Blues win the Stanley Cup in 2019, the Rangers are hoping Tarasenko can flourish on the first line while playing with Artemi Panarin and Mika Zibanejad. If it works out, that would give coach Gerard Gallant a dynamic top scoring line. That’s at least the hope.

Even better, Drury was able to beef up the blue line by also getting tough left defenseman Niko Mikkola. The full deal saw Sammy Blais return to St. Louis, along with D prospect Hunter Skinner, and the lower of two 2023 first round picks, the Rangers have. They own the Stars’ first from the Nils Lundkvist trade and their own.

By adding Tarasenko, it addresses a scoring need. The big move should allow Gallant to move Jimmy Vesey back into a checking role where he’s better suited. Vesey has done an admirable job, earning a contract extension by scoring nine goals and nine assists for a solid 18 points in his Broadway encore.

Following a third shoulder procedure, Tarasenko hasn’t been as productive. However, he played on a mediocre St. Louis club that has been Jekyll and Hyde all season long. In 38 games, he has 10 goals with 19 assists for 29 points. He also was a minus-18. Hopefully, that’s more due to the team he played on.

For nearly two years, Tarasenko had wanted out of St. Louis. Despite all the success playing for a good franchise that boasts some of the game’s best fans, he wanted a change. To his credit, Tarasenko still produced a career high 82 points (34-48-82) in ’21-22, including nine game-winners. He went 6-3-9 in the playoffs.

For his outstanding 11-year career, he finishes with 262 goals, 291 assists, and 553 points in 644 games, all with the Blues. The 262 goals rank fifth on the all-time franchise goal list. His 553 points are also fifth on the franchise scoring list. Tarasenko places fourth most among Blues with 196 even strength goals. He ranks sixth in power play goals with 65.

If he’s healthy and motivated, which seems to be the case, then it’s a low risk move. With the Blues picking up half the tab of a $7.5 million cap hit that sure helps out the Rangers, what’s not to like? He’s a rental. Either it comes together or doesn’t. They sure didn’t give up a lot.

Blais never was the same after returning from that cheap slewfoot from P.K. Subban that ended his 2021-22 with an ACL tear. He even went down recently on a conditioning stint and scored four goals at Hartford. To his credit, he played an honest game, finishing checks and playing hard on the fourth line.

It didn’t work out. Blais finishes his Rangers career with no goals and nine assists, including five this season. The nine points came in 54 games. The same as a 54-year Cup drought that ended in 1994. It also recalls a failed coaching stint for Bryan Trottier. Yuck.

Blais is a good team player. Hopefully, it’ll go better for him back in familiar territory. He helped the Blues win their only Cup. An unrestricted free agent this summer, I wish him the best of luck. His career hangs in the balance.

The Rangers also parted with former 2019 fourth round pick Hunter Skinner. Hopefully, that’ll be better for his pro career. He’s spent some time playing in the ECHL and AHL. After putting up eight points for Jacksonville, he had two assists in eight games for the Wolf Pack. The Wyandotte, Michigan native is 21.

There are also two conditional picks. If you reference what New York Post beat writer Mollie Walker said, the Blues will receive the later of the two first round picks in the 2023 NHL Draft. There’s also a condition on a 2024 fourth round pick, which would become a third if the Rangers make the playoffs.

As expected, Drury decided to take the easier route. Rather than try for Timo Meier, who is going to be heavily pursued, or see if Patrick Kane would become available, he thought it would be better to pry Tarasenko for a more affordable price. Who can argue with that logic?

I never believed Kane would wind up on Broadway. It didn’t make sense. He’s 34 and will need hip surgery. The Blackhawks would’ve asked for more than what the Blues did. The Rangers weren’t going to overpay.

Nobody even knows what Kane wants to do. At last check, he was given a list of teams to see if he’s open to a trade. I can see him landing in Toronto, Carolina, or New Jersey. Though I truly believe the Devils will make a serious run at Meier. Especially with Hughes out for a while. He makes a lot of sense for them. He’s the best available player on the market and would be a significant upgrade.

Mikkola is a 6-4, 209-pound left defenseman who plays tough. He has a lot more NHL experience than Ben Harpur, who struggled in the Rangers’ 4-3 win over the Canucks with Braden Schneider. That probably moved the process along faster.

Mikkola can pair up with Schneider. An upgrade over Harpur, who can stay as the extra defenseman. Due to a numbers game, Libor Hajek was finally waived. He hadn’t played in two months. It was obvious that he wasn’t going to survive this time. Hopefully, someone will pick him up. He worked hard. That’s all you can ask for.

Prior to the trade, the Rangers also sent down Will Cuylle back to Hartford. He didn’t have a good third game last night. Personally, I think they wanted to give him taste to see what they had. He can play top minutes with the Wolf Pack, who are pushing for the playoffs. That would be more beneficial for his first pro year.

At the moment, the fourth line could look like this:

Goodrow-Leschyshyn-Gauthier

That’s if Gallant decides to switch Vesey onto the third line with Chris Kreider and Vincent Trocheck. He has a good choice between the versatile Goodrow and Vesey. Either player can play third or fourth line.

In regards to the checking line, it’s likely that Drury will look to improve there. Leschyshyn has done okay on face-offs. But he isn’t exactly the best fit. There are some better available players that could fit well in that role.

Sam Lafferty tops the list. He can take draws, finish checks, play penalty kill, and contribute on the score sheet. Isn’t that what they’re looking for? There’s also Max Domi, Tanner Jeannot, and Tyler Motte. All should be available.

Finally, in regards to Vitaly Kravtsov, Drury basically laid it on Gallant. He heaped some praise on the former 2018 first round pick. The opposite of some of the ridiculous talking points some skewed fans have due to what happened last year. They brought him back.

Basically, Turk has screwed Kravtsov over. That’s been known for a while. He has his preferences. Kravtsov just doesn’t fit into his plans. He has positive possession numbers. For those crying over his production (3-3-6 in 27 GP), how did Alexis Lafreniere perform when Gallant kept yo-yo-ing him around?

When it comes to handling young players, they must have a clearly defined role. That’s never been the case for Kravtsov, who got unfairly punished for mistakes made by elder statesmen Trocheck and Panarin in a loss to Boston. He has since vanished after two fourth line cameos.

The likely outcome is Kravtsov being sold at lower value as March 3 nears. We’ll see what happens.

Alright. All caught up. Both newest Rangers will make their debut tomorrow night at MSG when the Kraken visit. Get ready.

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Miller highlights win with first career three point game, Rangers hang on for key victory over Canucks, Kreider ties Messier for seventh on all-time franchise goal scoring list, Chytil Mania continues

Posted on February 9, 2023 by Derek

It didn’t come easy. Do they ever for this team? After Monday’s exciting win over Calgary, the Rangers did just enough to earn a 4-3 win over the Canucks at The Garden.

The most important thing is they got two points. That pulls them within four of the second place Devils. Dating back to a 4-1 victory over Vegas nearly two weeks ago, the Rangers have won three straight. They’re up to 66 points in 51 games. It was their 23rd regulation win. The Devils have 70 points in 50 games with 24 regulation wins. That’s the first tiebreaker.

There’s still over 30 games left on the schedule. It isn’t guaranteed that the Rangers will cross paths with their bitter Hudson rival. However, it feels like it’s headed that way. If it happens, it would be nice to have home ice. We’ll see where things go.

The three-game home stand concludes tomorrow night when the surprising Kraken visits MSG. They will first face the Devils later tonight. Seattle is second in the Pacific Division. They’re in competition to make the playoffs in their second year. That will be an interesting battle. The Golden Knights, Kraken, Oilers, and Kings are all jockeying for position with the Flames lurking.

Whils that should be good race to follow, the Rangers have their own in a competitive Metro Division. The Hurricanes lead it with 76 points. Then, the Devils trail by six, followed by the Blueshirts, who are 10 behind. The Capitals currently sit in fourth place with 60 points. One up on the Penguins and Islanders, who are 2-0 since acquiring Bo Horvat from Vancouver. Pittsburgh has played only 50 games. The Caps have played 53, and the Islanders have played 54.

Whoever winds up fourth and fifth will have to contend with both the Sabres and suddenly resurgent Panthers. Each has 56 points. They should be in wildcard contention.

With 31 games remaining, the Rangers should feel good about where they are in the standings. They improved to 29-14-8. Although it wasn’t perfect, they took care of business. That’s all that matters.

Not every win is going to be easy. This one was ugly. The opposite of the barn burner, they won 5-4 in extras over the Flames the other night. It didn’t have an Alexis Lafreniere overtime winner or Filip Chytil hearing chants from the crowd.

Instead, it was rather boring or snoring, depending on your mood. The teams combined for a total of 46 shots. The Canucks held a 25-21 edge. Astonishingly, shots were dead even at 11 halfway through. This was the definition of a clunker. Sometimes, it happens. They play 82 games. There was just an extended break.

Early in the game, Chris Kreider moved into a tie with Mark Messier for seventh on the all-time franchise goal scoring list. He scored career goal number 250 less than seven minutes into play when he tipped in a Vincent Trocheck feed off a well executed play in transition, started by the game’s First Star K’Andre Miller.

On Black History Night, as we celebrate it during February, Miller picked a good game to post a career high three points. He recorded three assists highlighting the victory. He also helped set up the Rangers’ second and third goals.

The game started off well enough. With Igor Shesterkin returning to the net, the Rangers drew an early power play. During it, they got three scoring chances. Vancouver starter Spencer Martin stopped a Kreider tip-in. He also had a little help when a Mika Zibanejad rocket went off the crossbar. Zibanejad would then have another shot denied.

Following a Shesterkin save on a long Conor Garland shot, Miller quickly moved the puck up for Trocheck at center ice. With the Canucks caught, it became a two-on-one. Trocheck found a driving Kreider at the doorstep for his 21st at 6:53.

The goal was number 250 for Kreider. He tied Mark Messier for seventh on the all-time franchise goal scoring list. Once he moves past Messier, Camille Henry is next in line with 256. Kreider should be able to pass him to move into the top six.

Before Vancouver really found their game, a familiar face stayed red hot. Filip Chytil upped his goal scoring streak to five when he patiently backhanded a shot past a helpless Martin to make it 2-0 at 8:31.

Miller pinched in and sent the puck down low for Kaapo Kakko. He was able to elude a check and center a pass in front that Chytil deposited for his 19th. He’s up to seven over the last five games. His 11 since the start of the calendar year rank third in the league. It’s been exciting to see. It’s Chytil who has become the focal point of the offense. A welcome change.

Following that goal, Trocheck took one of his Strome specials, hooking J.T. Miller in the offensive zone. Of course, I’m referring to former Ranger Ryan Strome. He had a penchant for those. I don’t know if it’s the number. But Trocheck also wears number 16. He did the same thing in Carolina.

Fortunately, the penalty kill was strong. They didn’t give up a single shot. The Canucks are now coached by Rick Tocchet. He replaced the popular Bruce Boudreau, who’s set to return to NHL Network. Good for him. Tocchet is already learning how tough it is to coach a team that doesn’t always defend well or make the right play.

However, they still possess offensive talent. Even following the unpopular trade of former captain Bo Horvat to the Islanders, they still boast some potent weapons. One is Quinn Hughes. The older brother of Devils star Jack Hughes is a smooth skating offensive defenseman who can move the puck with the best of them. A tremendous distributor, it was his rush that led to the first Canucks goal.

Following some initial pressure by the fourth line of Sammy Blais, Jake Leschyshyn, and Will Cuylle, Hughes rushed the puck the other way. Easily gaining the Rangers blue line, he drew the attention of four skaters, including Cuylle and Braden Schneider. This allowed him to find Garland wide open for a goal with 2:24 left that pulled them within one.

Perhaps that sequence, along with an ineffective game from the fourth line and third defensive pair, convinced Chris Drury to act quickly. They sure did earlier this afternoon. Let’s leave that for a separate post.

Still ahead 2-1 in the second period, it felt like the Rangers got lulled to sleep by the Canucks. They’re the direct opposite of the Flames. A team that is searching for an identity, playing out the string. The Connor Bedard lottery awaits. They’re not favorites to get him. You never know.

Shesterkin stayed awake with early stops on Vasily Podkolzin and Luke Schenn. He’d also deny a Curtis Lazar wrap-around. Not much was happening. It really was sleep inducing. Sloppy hockey. It felt like the Blueshirts played down to the level of their opponent.

Still leading by one, they got a spark from the resurgent Alexis Lafreniere when he was able to deflect a rebound home a Trouba shot for his eighth at 6:23. That gave him goals in two straight and six points over the last six. On the scoring play, Miller recorded his third point for his first three assist game. He’d never had a three-point game either.

The Rangers had a few chances to go up three. But both Trocheck and Jimmy Vesey missed wide on opportunities. Artemi Panarin also had a mini-break when he got behind the Vancouver defense. However, he sent a backhand high and wide.

For a while, nothing substantial was happening. But the longer it remained a two-goal game, the longer the Canucks could hang around. One thing about them, which Tocchet noted in his postgame. They never give up.

With that in mind, J.T. Miller made an aggressive forecheck to force a turnover behind the Rangers net. He then centered a pass for Podkolzin in the right circle. His shot took a Canucks’ bounce off of Panarin and by Shesterkin to cut it to 3-2 with 3:54 remaining. It was an unlucky goal. However, neither Ryan Lindgren nor Adam Fox were particularly strong on the goal.

Of course, Sam Rosen started going on and on about Miller because that was his 500th career point. Kudos to him. But hearing both Rosen and Joe Micheletti waxing poetic about a former player was nauseating. They really are insufferable.

Fortunately, Panarin got a step on Schenn in the neutral zone to draw an interference minor late in the period. Following the stoppage, Schenn went to the locker room due to being banged up on the penalty. A potential trade target, Tocchet said he was okay afterwards.

The Rangers were unable to cash in on the power play. There was only one shot from Trocheck that was handled by Martin. The five-on-four was an ugly way to conclude a disjointed period.

The third wasn’t any better. Following some key saves by Martin on Kreider and Trocheck, who played a much better game than Monday, the Canucks came awfully close to tying it. However, they couldn’t shoot straight. Brock Boeser missed on two attempts, and former Islander Anthony Beauvillier went wide from in front. That’s why he’s now a Canuck.

There were some sloppy turnovers by the Rangers defense. Schneider and partner Ben Harpur struggled. Their ice time was down. Harpur played 11:45 while Schneider received 14:47 with each victimized on the Canucks’ first goal.

Unhappy with the fourth line, Gallant had Trocheck take a shift in place of Leschyshyn. Blais was the only forward who took his shift with Trocheck and Goodrow on a make shift line. However, Kreider had limped off. He was fine.

Miller nearly had a fourth assist when he made a great diagonal pass across for a wide open Kakko. But he shanked it. All he had to do was fire it into the open side. That missed opportunity could’ve been costly. Kakko remains better at distributing the puck than finishing.

With the game still hanging in the balance, it was finally a strong shift for the first line that proved to be the difference. On a smart play by Vesey, who dumped the puck down, Panarin came out and moved it over for a Trouba shot that Zibanejad was able to redirect in with 3:55 remaining. It was his 25th of the season. Vesey was also in the vicinity.

But before they could relax, a missed icing by the linesmen allowed the Canucks to get it right back. Hughes sent the puck in behind the Rangers net. He didn’t gain the red line. For whatever reason, play continued. Unless they really believed a hustling Elias Pettersson beat both Miller and Trouba, it didn’t make sense.

Admittedly, Miller noted that they thought it was icing during a postgame interview in the room. That was out of their control. Instead, Pettersson retrieved the loose puck and caught Shesterkin napping to get his 22nd with 3:44 remaining. His goal came only 11 seconds after Zibanejad’s.

It seems like there’s been a lot of bizarre calls or misses this season. This one was right up there. Gerard Gallant was further incensed when Chytil appeared to have a step on Boeser with the Canucks’ vacated net staring at him. But instead of rewarding him with his 20th goal, they called Boeser for tripping with 39 seconds left.

In all honesty, it should’ve been a goal for Chytil. Gallant then gave it to the official who didn’t make the call. According to Dave Maloney, he pleaded innocent. Basically insinuating he had nothing to do with the incorrect call. It happens.

At least they were able to kill the remainder of the game for the win. It still isn’t good when such misses happen. The league needs to get this stuff straightened out before the playoffs.

Nobody wants to see a team get screwed by a bad call. Why do I get the feeling that the incompetence will continue? This is the same league that doesn’t hold teams responsible for circumventing the cap due to LTIR. They also never impose stricter rules on teams informing the media of injuries to key stars.

Jack Hughes was first termed “day-to-day” by the Devils following their overtime win over Vancouver. Then, it suddenly became “week-to-week.” How is that good for fans of the sport? Especially when they push gambling at every turn. Where’s the honesty?

It is a disgrace. Between the non-stop in-game advertisements from Gretzky, Lundqvist, and a variety of other former stars, it’s so dishonest. There should be better communication between teams, the media, and fans. Vague answers like “upper-body” and “lower-body” aren’t helping the cause.

That’ll do it for this game review. I apologize for not having it up sooner. I’ve been really struggling lately. The less said about it, the better.

It isn’t often I agree with the media selection of the game’s Three Stars. But, they got it right. Good job by them.

3rd 🌟 Quinn Hughes, Canucks 2 🍎, 2 takeaways, +2 in 21:14

2nd 🌟 🤩 Jacob Trouba, Rangers 2 🍎, 5 attempts, 3 hits, +3 in 21:12

1st 🌟 🤩 ⭐️ K’Andre Miller, Rangers 3 assists for his first career three-point game, 4 hits, +3 in 23:10

Coming Next: The news of the day that surprised me while I was trying to rest. The Rangers improved their roster. I’ll go over it the best I can.

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Trouba, the true measure of an exciting win for Rangers over Flames, Lafreniere scores overtime winner, Chytil stays hot

Posted on February 7, 2023 by Derek

In a game that had a bit of everything, the Rangers earned a hard fought 5-4 win in overtime over the feisty Flames at MSG on Monday night.

Alexis Lafreniere scored the winner at 1:37 when he was able to rebound home a Mika Zibanejad shot past Jacob Markstrom. It was his second overtime winner as a Ranger. The first came back in his rookie year when he beat the Sabres on Jan. 28, 2020. Ironically, that was his first career NHL goal.

It’s been a challenging third season for Lafreniere. However, he’s played better since being reunited with Filip Chytil and Kaapo Kakko. In fact, it was again that cohesive unit that was a big factor in the Rangers keeping pace with the Devils, who were also 5-4 OT winners over the Canucks.

Chytil stayed hot by scoring twice. In getting numbers 17 and 18 during the first two periods, he has six goals over a four-game goal scoring streak. It dates back to Jan. 23 versus Florida. He also tallied twice on Jan. 25 at Toronto, and scored once on Jan. 27 versus Vegas before the long break.

When he scored his second early in the middle stanza, Chytil had his Garden moment. Appreciative fans serenaded him with chants of, “Chy-til, Chy-til!!!” Well deserved for the budding 23-year old center with the positive attitude. It definitely moved him.

“Feels very good,” he told New York Post beat writer Mollie Walker. “It just motivates me to be better, to be better and show what I can do.”

Although they’re still young with Chytil 23, Kakko turning 22 in a week, and Lafreniere 21, you can no longer call them kids. The Kid Line was the moniker they went by during last year’s playoff run. The First Round Pick Line feels more appropriate. Especially since all three were drafted in Round One. Chytil at number 21 in 2017. Kakko second overall in 2019. Lafreniere at number one in 2020.

All you had to do was watch how active they were during their shifts. It was that line that was the most consistent. Similar to how they played when Gerard Gallant put them back together before the break. The chemistry is undeniable. They play well off each other. It’s more instinctive for Lafreniere, who was hesitant when playing with more experienced vets. Something Gallant noted after the win over Vegas prior to the bye week and All-Star Weekend.

Since being moved back onto the line, he has two goals and an assist in four games. Prior to this recent stretch, he hadn’t scored since Dec. 7. With 2-2-4 over the past five games, it’s encouraging to see Lafreniere showing improvement. They need him to continue this trend over the remainder of the schedule.

Early in the first period, Kakko picked up a primary assist on a Chytil goal that opened the scoring. Following a smart Adam Fox outlet, Kakko wisely banked a pass up for Chytil, who flew into the Calgary zone and went far side to beat Markstrom at 5:37. Kakko hasn’t scored a goal since 12/22. However, he has nine helpers since the start of the calendar year (13 games).

Obviously, Kakko’s made improvement in his fourth year. The 15 assists and 24 points are career bests. Like Lafreniere, he’ll need to finish more around the net. With nine goals in 50 games, that’s still not enough production. For his career, Kakko has totaled 35 goals with 47 assists for 82 points in 207 games. He has more confidence with the puck. It’s imperative for both Kakko and Lafreniere to each finish. That would create a better balance with Chytil, who’s carrying the load.

Following the first Chytil goal to give the Blueshirts the lead, Ben Harpur was nabbed for taking down Blake Coleman. Although they didn’t capitalize on the man-advantage, the Flames managed to tie the game shortly after it expired.

On a misplay between Fox and partner Ryan Lindgren behind the net, Andrew Mangiapane was able to get the puck in front where Coleman finished tying the score. It was one of those strange plays you don’t normally see from Fox. It caught Jaroslav Halak off guard.

Although there was no further scoring, the period really intensified. In an action-packed game where Sammy Blais returned to the lineup playing on a grinding fourth line with rookie Will Cuylle and Jake Leschyshyn, the physicality was front and center for fans to enjoy.

With over six minutes left, Jacob Trouba caught Dillon Dube with a crunching hit that sent him down. Immediately, Chris Tanev responded by dropping the gloves. Instigating a fight that saw Trouba land a few punches before knocking down Tanev, who received an extra two for roughing, the Rangers were rewarded with a power play. One of two, a big Trouba hit drew on the reactionary Flames.

If you prefer hard-hitting action, then this was your kind of game. Calgary plays a heavy style. They won’t back down when the intensity picks up. Between the physical battles and the fast-paced action that kept both goalies busy, it was a crowd pleasing night at 33rd and 7th.

The Rangers were unable to cash in on their first power play. The top unit still couldn’t quite get it right. We saw the second unit sooner than expected. Lafreniere nearly had Chytil for a goal. But his pass was broken up. He also had one of five shots on the five-on-four. The Rangers tried some deflections on Markstrom, who actually was sharp at the outset.

Between those chances, the ever dangerous Coleman got a shorthanded bid from distance that Halak handled. Although he gave up four goals on 32 shots, including a controversial tying goal from Mangiapane that went to video review in Toronto, he made some good saves throughout. There was no issue with Gallant sticking with the hot goalie out of the break. It was the first game in 10 days.

When the teams skated five aside after the Tanev roughing minor was killed off, there was a bit more nastiness. During a shift, Blais caught veteran Milan Lucic from the other side with a hit that drew anger from both the former Stanley Cup winner and Nikita Zadorov. Initially, it looked like Blais caught him from the hlind side high. MSG replays didn’t really show the best angle.

After chaos ensued with MacKenzie Weegar giving Cuylle a lesson at center ice while Zadorov went berserk, referee Kelly Sutherland made a wise decision by checking upstairs to review the Blais hit to see if it was illegal. They had the benefit of a better angle that clearly showed that although the hit came from a tough angle, Blais landed a clean shoulder to Lucic’s chest. Found innocent of any wrongdoing, he returned to the Rangers bench.

Instead, they determined that Lucic roughed up Jake Leschyshyn. Cuylle and Weegar each received five apiece for fighting. That gave the Rangers another power play. This one failed to do anything. It was a wasted exercise. Credit the Calgary penalty killers who did a masterful job.

After a heated period that saw Calgary lead in shots 12-10 while losing their cool twice, the game remained tied at one.

The second period was probably better for the Flames. However, it was the opportunistic Blueshirts that took advantage of a mistake and loss of discipline to come out ahead.

On a misplay by Calgary, Chytil stole the puck and then broke in to score his second of the game unassisted at 2:02. He came in from the left side and went five-hole on Markstrom for his career best 18th.

Every goal and point will be a new career high. For the season, he’s up to 31 points (18-13-31) with a plus-17 rating in 42 games. If he keeps it up, 30 goals and 50 points are attainable. That would look nice when negotiations start on a new contract. 

Following the go-ahead tally, it was mostly Calgary who dictated the terms. They were dangerous around the net, coming close to tying it. But a Noah Hanifin shot hit the goalpost with plenty of traffic in front. During a line change, Mikael Backlund also rang one off the post with the Rangers’ fourth line caught out.

Halak would have to contend with a few more shots. He stopped Coleman, Rasmus Andersson, Tyler Toffoli, and Trevor Lewis to keep the Rangers ahead. He faced more pressure in the second. The Flames out-shot the Rangers 12-9.

With the lone exception of the Chytil line, the Rangers struggled to establish much at five-on-five. They were again the most consistent trio. Part of their success is that they also play responsible hockey defensively. Chytil especially has been noticeable on the back check. An improvement in his overall game.

The new first line finally got something going during one extended shift. Following a strong save by Markstrom on a tricky Zibanejad redirection, he then robbed Jimmy Vesey on the backhand off a nice move to the net.

Still ahead by one, the Rangers came close to increasing the margin. However, Chytil just missed a hat trick, and Lafreniere fired wide on another good shift.

With the fourth line having an effective shift in the Calgary zone, Artemi Panarin jumped on the ice too soon. That was caught by the officials for a bench minor. At first, Cuylle offered to serve the penalty. But an incensed Gallant insisted that Panarin serve his undisciplined minor.

The penalty kill did a good job for the most part. They limited chances and keyed on Nazem Kadri by breaking up passes for clears. But finally, the Flames got set up. On some good passing from Elias Lindholm and Andersson, Toffoli found enough room to fire a good wrist shot through a screen just out of Halak’s reach for a power play goal that tied the score at 16:25.

Just when it looked like the teams would remain even headed to the locker room, another huge Trouba hit shook things up. An on-rushing Kadri got caught with his head down when Trouba laid a thunderous clean shoulder to chest hit that sent the center flying. The impact was so huge that he lost his helmet.

With the crowd roaring their approval, Trouba knew what was coming next. After Kadri tried to sucker him in, he instead waited for an incensed Dube to challenge him. Having dropped the gloves first to seek retribution, Dube lost the bout decidedly. He ate a few Trouba punches before going down. It was his first career fight. He might’ve still been fuming over getting decked by Trouba in the first period.

The penalties were properly handed out. With 56 seconds left, Dube received an extra two for instigating and a misconduct to go with five for fighting. Seventeen penalty minutes. Trouba got only five for fighting. That led to another Rangers power play. This time, they made it count.

On a set play, Fox passed over to Panarin. He then sent a pass down low for Kreider, who swung a no look backhand feed right on the stick of Zibanejad for a one-timer into an open side to give the Rangers a 3-2 lead with 14 seconds remaining in the period. A perfectly executed play by the top unit, who needed one.

The building was still buzzing from what transpired. There were plenty of cheers for the home side as they hit the locker room. Why not. This was the best hockey they’ve seen. What I mean is that while there have been other good games leading to victories, this was the kind of playoff caliber style fans enjoy. You wanted to see what would happen next.

In the third, the Rangers passed up on a couple of opportunities to shoot the puck. One such chance had Kreider in prime position. But he tried a low percentage pass for Trocheck that got intercepted. A Trocheck who was otherwise invisible. He didn’t have a good night. It feels like Kreider is sacrificing offense to play on that line with Barclay Goodrow, who can be plugged anywhere.

That’s the cost of Gallant banking on it to click for Panarin and Zibanejad. At least for one period, they made something happen during a crucial point when the game was getting away from them.

With the Rangers playing a bit more passively, they allowed the Flames to hang around. Desperate to get points, they found a way to tie it up once again. The question is, was the goal they scored legal. You be the judge.

On a Hanifin pinch, he sent a pass across for a cutting Mangiapane, who had the puck bank off his skate and in at 6:38. Halak immediately protested. He thought it was kicked in. Having watched several replays, it sure looked like Mangiapane guided it in. Did he try to turn the skate to legally redirect it in? Yes. However, I found myself in agreement with Joe Micheletti. I thought it would be waived off.

However, the longer it took for Sutherland and partner Brandon Schrader to confirm on a conference call with Toronto, the harder it was to figure out what they’d decide. Maybe the long delay should’ve been a sign that the video review was very confusing for everyone. On such plays. I think the league should send out a corresponding video explanation the next day so fans can better understand why they made the determination they did.

To much disappointment and amazement on Gallant’s face, the goal indeed counted. Mangiapane got credit for his 11th from Hanifin and Backlund. That evened the score at three.

Still reeling from that decision with perhaps a lull in their play, the Rangers allowed the Flames to take the lead 2:03 later. On some sustained pressure, Coleman and Backlund combined to set up Michael Stone for a rocket that beat Halak high to put Calgary ahead 4-3 with 11:19 left. They hadn’t come back to win a game when trailing after two periods all season. Were the Rangers about to become their one victim?

Not so fast. On a Calgary icing, the Rangers took advantage to draw even. On some effective pressure from the first line, Vesey sent the puck behind the net for Panarin. He had Zibanejad wide open in front for an easy finish on a nice backhand feed that tied the score with 7:05 remaining.

Following Zibanejad’s second of the game, Lafreniere had a chance to put them back ahead. But his wrist shot was gloved by Markstrom. He was good during the game. You noticed Lafreniere, who was active during shifts. He plays with more confidence when he is with Chytil and Kakko. The familiarity is noticeable. There’s no hesitation.

With under three minutes left in the third period, Trocheck took a lazy tripping minor by taking down Weegar. It could’ve been costly. Fortunately, his teammates picked him up.

That included a couple of Halak saves on Jakob Pelletier and the otherwise invisible Jonathan Huberdeau. If you didn’t know any better, you would’ve thought he didn’t play. It’s amazing how bad a fit he’s been under Darryl Sutter. They paid him top dollar. Think they wish Matthew Tkachuk had stayed? He’s over 70 points with the Panthers, who aren’t a playoff lock either.

Kadri missed wide on a shot. Vesey broke up a pass and cleared down with over a minute left. Halak made two more stops on Coleman from far out to send this one to overtime.

The three-on-three wouldn’t last long. It nearly ended on the opening shift. In a good move, I recommended having Panarin play with someone else and reuniting Zibanejad and Kreider. Gallant had Panarin start with Chytil and Fox. It almost worked.

Following a Markstrom save on Panarin, Fox went around the net and had Chytil in front for the winner. But his shot was blocked. Then, Panarin put a great move on and got the puck to Chytil. But his backhand was denied by a sprawling Markstrom for a stoppage.

After Zibanejad was on initially with Kreider and K’Andre Miller, out came both Fox and Lafreniere. Lafreniere made a good read to push the puck out for a two-on-one. He waited before sending a pass over for a Zibanejad shot that Markstrom denied. But the rebound came out where a hustling Lafreniere beat Zadorov to steer in the rebound for an exciting game-winner.

It was pandemonium at The Garden. Happy teammates mobbed Lafreniere, who deserved that one. He got rewarded for his effort. He was all smiles as were excited teammates who gave it to him. It was a great ending to a splendid game.

Next up are the Canucks tomorrow night at 8 PM. A ridiculous start time. A TNT special. But it’ll make Vancouver fans happy. How can they be with what they’ve seen? At least the Canucks rallied to get a point against the Devils.

THREE STARS 🌟 🤩 ✨️

3rd 🌟 Jacob Trouba, NYR team high 6 hits, including 2 big ones that led to 2 PP including a Zibanejad PPG, leads by example

2nd 🌟 🤩 Alexis Lafreniere, NYR scored OT winner at 1:37, 4 SOG, +2 in 16:01

1st 🌟 🤩 ⭐️ Filip Chytil, NYR 2 goals (17, 18), 4 SOG, +2 in 15:53

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Blais returns to lineup, Rangers host Flames after long break

Posted on February 6, 2023 by Derek

Tonight, the Rangers finally return to the ice when they host the Flames at MSG. Game-time is 7:30 EST. At least that time frame allows fans the chance to check out Lightning/Panthers, or even Bo Horvat’s debut with the Islanders after he agreed to an eight-year contract extension worth $8.5 million on average.

Of course, nobody who roots for our team cares about the Islanders. But they did roll the dice by acquiring Horvat from the Canucks and hammering out a long-term deal that includes a full no-trade the first four years. It’ll be interesting to see how he’ll fit on Long Island.

As far as the Blueshirts go, it’s back to work. After the ridiculous extended break that included a bye week and the unwatchable All-Star Weekend in Florida, it’s go time. There are 33 games left. It all starts tonight when Calgary visits the Garden.

There will be one lineup switch. After going down to Hartford for a conditioning stint, Sammy Blais scored four goals in five games. The Rangers are hoping that will provide a confidence boost for a player who hasn’t been the same since the dirty slewfoot P.K. Subban delivered that caused a torn ACL, ending last season for Blais.

Gerard Gallant wants to see what Blais can do. So, he’ll play in place of Julien Gauthier on the fourth line. Gauthier has seen his ice-time dwindle. He scored six goals during an improved first half. Unfortunately, the scoring dried up for the energetic forward. It’s hard to predict what will happen. That means if he stays or goes with the trade deadline less than a month away.

With Will Cuylle recalled as well yesterday following staying sharp with the Wolf Pack, that means the Rangers are at the roster limit, carrying 23 players. How long do they plan to stay that way? A trade could be coming soon.

Gallant outcast Vitaly Kravtsov didn’t even take line rushes during the morning skate. Somehow, he’s fallen behind waiver wire pick-up Jake Leschyshyn, who was brought in to replace Jonny Brodzinski and anchor the fourth line. He’s solid on draws. I don’t know what else he brings.

With Gallant committed to playing checking forwards Jimmy Vesey and Barclay Goodrow on the top two lines to try to balance out things, there’s no role for Kravtsov, who must feel like he’s on an island. Perhaps Siberia. That’s how he’s been handled.

If the intention was to diminish the former 2018 first round pick’s value, job well done by Gallant. Congrats again go out to the organization on stagnating a young player’s development. A Ranger tradition over the years with most first round picks. Especially forwards.

The exception to the rule is Chris Kreider, who with one goal can tie Mark Messier on the Rangers franchise goal scoring list. You can also count J.T. Miller even though he didn’t really take off until he joined the Canucks.

They’ve been more successful developing defensemen who were selected in the first round. Marc Staal, Michael Del Zotto, Mike Sauer, K’Andre Miller, and Braden Schneider are primary examples of players whom the organization did a good job with. Miller and Schneider are obviously still in the early stages of their NHL careers.

If there is a disappointing development, it’s Gallant continuing to stick with the top power play unit. One that has sunk. The five-man unit of Adam Fox, Artemi Panarin, Mika Zibanejad, Vincent Trocheck, and Chris Kreider must produce more power play goals. It’ll be interesting to see if they can get it going over this next stretch.

With the lone exception of Blais coming in for Gauthier on the fourth line, the rest of the lineup will remain the same. Here’s how it will look:

Line 1: Panarin-Zibanejad-Vesey

Line 2: Kreider-Trocheck-Goodrow

Line 3: Lafreniere-Chytil-Kakko

Line 4: Cuylle-Leschyshyn-Blais

D1: Lindgren-Fox

D2: Miller-Trouba

D3: Harpur-Schneider

Jaro Halak gets the start in the net. A winner of five straight, Gallant has full confidence in the veteran to keep it rolling. He brings a .938 save percentage over the last five starts into the game.

Calgary is a strange team. They are hanging around in the very mediocre Pacific Division. Jonathan Huberdeau hasn’t scored like he had with Florida. It’s been a tough adjustment playing under the demanding Darryl Sutter.

The Flames are getting better play from Elias Lindholm, Tyler Toffoli, and Nazem Kadri. They’re top three in points with Lindholm pacing them in assists (30) and points (45). Kadri leads in goals with 19 and has 38 points. Toffoli has been better this season with his 42 points (18-24-42) ranking second in team scoring. Huberdeau is fourth with 33.

Rasmus Andersson paces the blue line with 33 points. Noah Hanifin is second among Flames defensemen with 21. MacKenzie Weegar has struggled with just one goal and 14 assists.

Calgary boasts solid secondary scoring thanks to two-way pivot Mikael Backlund, Dillon Dube, Blake Coleman, and Andrew Mangiapane. More is expected of Mangiapane, who earned a new contract that pays him an AAV of $5.8 million. He scored 35 goals in ’21-22. This season, he has 10 goals with 16 assists for 26 points over 50 games. They’ll need better production from Mangiapane to qualify for the postseason.

The biggest surprise has been the unsteady play of starter Jacob Markstrom. Coming off a great year in which he was the runner-up for the Vezina behind Igor Shesterkin, he’s struggled to make the key saves. He’s a disappointing 13-13-5 with a 2.86 GAA and .893 save percentage.

It’s been the more consistent play of younger backup Daniel Vladar that’s provided a spark. He’s 11-4-4 with a 2.71 GAA and .906 save percentage. Similar to Halak, Vladar has won five straight decisions. He’s posted a 2.78 GAA and .899 save percentage. Counting a relied appearance against Chicago along with a victory over Seattle, Vladar is 6-0-0 with a 2.54 GAA and a .907 save percentage since Dec. 28.

According to a Flames game preview on nhl.com, Sutter looks like he’ll go back to Markstrom. Jakob Pelletier will play in his fifth NHL game. He’s listed on their second line alongside Kadri and Huberdeau. Lindholm anchors the top line between Dube and Toffoli.

Calgary likes to play a deliberate style, getting in on the forecheck and using their size and strength on the walls. The Rangers want to play at a higher tempo by utilizing their speed and skill. They should be able to dictate the pace. They could draw penalties due to that superior speed.

A slower pace favors the Flames who like to play a heavier game. It’s a unique contrast in styles. The Rangers want to maintain their discipline and get a three-game home stand started on the right foot. They’ll also host Vancouver on Wednesday and Seattle on Friday.

The hottest player is Filip Chytil. He paced all Blueshirts with eight goals in January. With a career high 29 points, including his 16 goals placing third behind Zibanejad and Kreider, he’s certainly trending in the right direction. It’s been his line with Alexis Lafreniere and Kaapo Kakko that have provided the spark.

Can Artemi Panarin and Mika Zibanejad find some chemistry that leads to goals? Gallant is counting on it. We’ve seen positive results from Kreider, Trocheck, and Goodrow. It’s the top line where Panarin and Zibanejad are paired up that must perform better.

I’ll have more on the game later.

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A Week Later: Rangers puzzling decision over Pride Night doesn’t make sense, overshadowed win before extended break, All-Star Weekend in Florida, trade options

Posted on February 3, 2023 by Derek

In what was the final game last Friday before the extended All-Star break that gave them over a week off before returning to action on February 6 against Calgary, the Rangers went out on the right foot by defeating the Golden Knights 4-1 at MSG.

The important part is they responded to a tough overtime loss at Toronto by grabbing two points against a quality opponent on home ice. Even if Vegas slumped due to a lack of offense, the Rangers did what they needed to to stay in third place in the Metro Division.

At 27-14-8, they have 62 points through 49 games. That’s two mote than the fourth place Capitals, who have 60 in 53. They’ve played four more games. The Penguins sit in fifth with 57 points over 49. A point up on the Sabres and two ahead of the Islanders for the final wildcard.

The Rangers trail the Devils by six for second and are 14 behind the first place Hurricanes, who used third period comebacks to extend their winning streak to seven prior to All-Star Weekend. That commences in Florida with the Skills Competition tonight at 7 EST. It’ll be showed on ESPN, ESPN Plus and Sportsnet. The game is tomorrow at 3 PM on ABC/ESPN+, CBC and Sportsnet.

Three Rangers will represent the team in the sunshine state. Adam Fox, Artemi Panarin and Igor Shesterkin. Jack Hughes is the lone representative for the Devils, who probably deserved more. Such is how the ridiculous three-on-three format works. There are more players snubbed. Jesper Bratt, Dougie Hamilton and Vitek Vanecek all could’ve gone. Mika Zibanejad could’ve been there as well for the Rangers.

I’ll be blunt. I enjoyed the old format more. Whether it was East versus West or North America vs The World, it worked better than having a four roster three-on-three winner take all tournament. Though it is fun which is what today’s players enjoy.

Adding different skills that are hard to understand makes it confusing. At least from my vantage point. The shooting competition they had out by the water in Vegas was an interesting concept last year. Now, they’ve added more stuff. If I watch, I’ll probably wonder what the heck is going on. Here are the scheduled seven events:

Player assignments for all seven events of the 2023 NHL All-Star Skills™ presented by DraftKings Sportsbook are listed below.

  • Upper Deck NHL Fastest Skater™
  • Great Clips NHL Breakaway Challenge™
  • Discover NHL Tendy Tandem™
  • Enterprise NHL Splash Shot™
  • Honda NHL Accuracy Shooting™
  • Chipotle NHL Pitch ‘n Puck™
  • GEICO NHL Hardest Shot™

As for the two semifinals and championship game, I have little interest. I have never been a big fan of three-on-three. There’s too many resets in the current overtime format. It’s pond hockey determining valuable extra points. If they didn’t reset so much, it would work better. I’ve seen some people suggest making a change to the rules. That I’m in agreement with.

Of course, each division is represented for the tournament. I’m just wondering who’s gonna beat the Pacific led by Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. While that division isn’t as strong, boasting the game’s most dominant force along with his sidekick should make them tough to beat. McDavid has a shot at 70 goals and 150 points. Figures we haven’t seen since ’95-96 when Mario Lemieux scored 69 goals and paced the league with 161 points while teaming with Jaromir Jagr (149).

It definitely will be exciting for the game to see what McDavid winds up with. There’s also Devils superstar Jack Hughes, who’s on pace for 50/50 in Year Four. He leads them in scoring with 33 goals and 31 assists for 64 points in 49 games. Hughes will garner MVP votes. Even if it’s McDavid’s award to lose, the young 21-year old American phenom with the cool personality is hard to ignore. That’s who the league should market the game around. Market. A foreign concept for the NHL who’s seen TV ratings slip on both major networks due to blackout restrictions and not enough hype.

As far as the Rangers go, too much of the focus last week was on what they didn’t do before winning the game against the Golden Knights. That’s their own fault. The organization never even had an explanation for what they did on Pride Night which celebrates the LGBTQ community.

In a puzzling decision prior to the game, the Rangers didn’t wear the rainbow themed jerseys or tape up their sticks during warm-ups to honor the very people who spent money for this advertised event. I say that with sincerity. Past events have gone on without a problem. I still have a rainbow colored Pride towel from March 5, 2020. A night better known for Mika Zibanejad tying a team record by scoring five goals in a memorable 6-5 win that included the overtime winner. Who knew life would change shortly after due to the pandemic.

Instead of donning the traditional rainbow themed colors for warm-ups, the Blueshirts wore their hideous knockoff Liberty reverse retro jerseys. According to a couple of players who the media spoke with including veteran New York Post columnist Larry Brooks, they were just hanging in the locker room. Neither could explain why they didn’t wear the rainbow themed jerseys or taped sticks which are usually auctioned off.

From the look of it, it felt like an organizational decision that came from the top. This also took place on the same day Garden CEO James Dolan decided to go public for a rare interview on Good Day New York to speak out against having the MSG alcohol license revoked by the New York State Liquor Authority due to a public battle with lawyers who he’s not allowing into Garden events stemming from an investigation over the controversial facial recognition they’ve used since 2018. An owner who has been sober for 29 years, Dolan seems unfazed by the threat to ban alcohol sales.

“We’re going to pick a night, maybe a Rangers game, and we’re going to shut down all the liquor and alcohol in the building,” he said in an article that appeared in the New York Times.

He also had high praise for the Rangers who he feels are on the right track to winning the franchise’s first Stanley Cup since 1994. The last time he went public and praised our team, it came in ’11-12 when John Tortorella had the team in first place thanks to Henrik Lundqvist’s best season where he won the Vezina. Tortorella didn’t take kindly to the praise choosing to put the focus on continuing to win games.

They finished first in the Eastern Conference. After hard fought seven-game series victories over Ottawa and Washington in the first two rounds, they lost to the Hudson rival Devils in a gut wrenching six-game series best known for Adam Henrique getting the series clincher in overtime of Game Six.

I’d prefer not to discuss what Dolan said. He’s the reason the rebuild was cut short. That lack of patience could wind up costing the team in the future. Especially when pertaining to the cap. With Vitaly Kravtsov on the outs and AHL All-Star Zac Jones blocked by Ben Harpur, who recently signed a two-year contract extension, they both could be ticketed elsewhere for a high risk rental along with draft picks. That’ll depend on Chris Drury.

With Bo Horvat off the market due to a surprising move from Lou Lamoriello who acquired the two-way scoring center from the directionless Canucks for a package that included Anthony Beauvillier, Aatu Raty and a top 12 protected first round conditional pick (could become a 2024 first instead), the Islanders are hoping the 31-goal scorer can provide the spark to help them reach the playoffs. It’s a gamble with him still having to sign an extension by the summer.

The biggest names teams are connected to are Patrick Kane, Vladimir Tarasenko and Timo Meier with the latter supposedly high on the Rangers list. I just wonder what the cost would be for the 26-year old scoring right wing. He’s younger than the other two and would need to sign an extension to avoid the $10 million qualifier he’s guaranteed for ’23-24. Given the cap issues, it’s hard to see Drury being able to outbid the Hurricanes, who can use the LTIR to free necessary room with Max Pacioretty done for the year with another torn ACL. Sad. That could be his career.

Having covered a wide range of topics that occurred over the last week, I want to clarify where I stand on all the league initiatives that feel very dishonest. Truth be told, these nights are nothing more than a money grab. While it can be seen as good public relations, I fail to see how it’s helping following last Friday’s debacle. Someone in the Rangers organization made a decision to scrap part of Pride Night. While they still honored the gay, lesbian and Trans community by lighting up the Garden in rainbow colors and having a giveaway for fans who attended, it felt disingenuous.

I’m not one to get too much into politics. When it comes to sports, I’m of the mindset that the two should be separate. There’s a time and a place for it. I don’t think it’s helpful to have it in sports. That’s my personal opinion. It can create more harm than good. Something we saw play out over the outrage to what the Rangers did. Even if Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly released a vanilla statement which felt like an excuse for teams to do what they want.

Look no further than Ivan Provorov who decided not to participate in warm-ups for the Flyers during their Pride Night. I feel like this topic has been covered too much recently. Some in the media have had very skewed takes that cross the line. I won’t get specific because I’m not too comfortable discussing it. Let’s put it this way. You shouldn’t be burned at the stake for choosing not to participate in a politically charged event. I have more of a problem with how the Rangers went about it than one player who made a choice not to partake.

As for why the Rangers, who advertised this game as Pride Night which celebrates those who are LGBTQ, I couldn’t really explain why they opted not to wear the rainbow themed colors prior to the game. New York Post beat writer Mollie Walker had a blurb about it that she posted. There wasn’t anything specific on why they didn’t rock the rainbow colors or use the rainbow themed tape for warm-ups.

One player told The Post that he just saw the regular Lady Liberty jersey hanging in his locker and he did not know why the Rangers did not wear the originally planned warm-ups, which they have worn in the past “in solidarity with those who continue to advocate for inclusivity.”

Not much communication from an organization run under MSG that keeps things airtight. That’s how the operation is run. It’s unbelievable.

That this a story is a sign of the times. It shouldn’t be. By now, the NHL motto that Hockey Is For Everyone is well known. Though when even much worse controversial issues have come to the surface such as what happened behind the scenes with the Blackhawks and in Vancouver, it makes you wonder what’s going on at the top.

League initiatives are fine. But everyone is allowed to make a choice. That’s why not even Larry Brooks took issue with Provorov for using his religious beliefs for why he didn’t partake in warm-ups last week. Maybe there’s too much emphasis put on such polarizing topics. It takes away from the game we all enjoy.

Is she wrong here? I think not. This is a money grab. That’s all it is. If anyone who represents the gay community purchased tickets to this publicized event, they have every right to be upset. It’s false advertising. Only the higher ups know the truth. And we know they’ll remain silent.

I’ve covered this hard topic enough. How to go from that to going over an important victory that put more smiles on most faces who root for this team.

In looking back at the 4-1 victory, the Rangers did exactly what they had to. They beat a slumping Vegas team that can’t put the puck in the ocean without oft-injured star Mark Stone. Jack Eichel was hardly noticeable except for one good scoring chance that surprise starter Jaro Halak stopped.

Halak was in due to his perfect career record versus the Golden Knights. He didn’t disappoint making 33 saves on 34 shots to earn First Star honors. He remained a thorn in the side of Vegas. In fact, he’s now won five straight decisions and six of seven since starting the season 0-5-1.

During his five-game winning streak, Halak has posted a 1.80 GAA with a .938 save percentage. If you go back to a 34 save outing on Nov. 30 in a win at Ottawa, he’s 6-1-0 with a 2.01 GAA and .925 save percentage. A splendid turnaround for the 37-year old from Bratislava.

While Halak took care of his end, Chris Kreider reminded fans how critical he is to the team. He scored a puck luck goal for number 20. Vincent Trocheck threw the puck towards the net and it banked off Kreider to give him his eighth season of scoring at least 20 goals as a Ranger. He was in the right place at the right time.

For all the ridiculous criticism he received after looking off in his first three games back, the 31-year old power forward continues to provide consistent scoring in Manhattan. Since being taken at number 19 in the first round of the ’09 Draft, Kreider continues to produce. He’s moving up the all-time franchise list in goals. His 249 place him eighth, trailing Mark Messier by only one goal to move into a tie for seventh. Once he passes the Captain, Kreider can chase down Camille Henry (256) and Vic Hadfield (262) to move into the top five.

The new line that had Kreider and Barclay Goodrow with Trocheck were instrumental in getting the win over Vegas. Trocheck would tally from Goodrow a few minutes later for a big goal in the final minute of the first period. It was his first goal since Jan. 1. Despite not fitting with Artemi Panarin, Trocheck has 34 points (14-20-34) and a team best 56.5 face-off percentage (439-and-338) with 115 hits. He is better suited for Kreider and Goodrow or Jimmy Vesey because they play a North American style.

Phil Kessel tallied for the Golden Knights less than five minutes into the second. It shouldn’t have counted. William Carrier got away with taking down Alexis Lafreniere. Instead of there being a call, play continued. That allowed Kessel to take a pass from Carrier and sneak a shot from a sharp angle by Halak on the near post. A bad goal. But considering how well he played, we’ll let it slide.

The other highlight was rookie Will Cuylle accepting Keegan Kolesar’s challenge at the start of the second period. Two seconds in, they battled to an entertaining draw at center ice. The crowd certainly loved it. Cuylle has that in his game. He’s got size, strength and toughness. Not a bad way to make your Garden debut.

The fourth line didn’t play a lot. Cuylle, Julien Gauthier and Jake Leschyshyn didn’t get too many shifts. Gauthier was under six minutes while Cuylle came in at 6:31. Leschyshyn saw over nine minutes including some penalty killing duty. They nearly got burned early in the third. Cuylle was pushed off the puck in his end, leading to a good chance that Halak made a key stop on.

Halak’s best save came when he dove across to deny Kolesar, who was all set up. The kind of big stop the veteran backup was brought in for. They’re gonna need him when they return for the final 33 games. There are eight sets of back-to-backs.

When they did get a power play, the Rangers couldn’t cash in. The top unit continues to struggle. They’re way too predictable. Opponents sit on that Mika Zibanejad one-timer from the left circle and are well schooled on the play down low for Kreider, who’s had tough luck connecting on the five-on-four.

I would make one switch, moving Filip Chytil onto it and shifting Trocheck to the second unit. That would provide the first unit with another lefty shot. It’s very right centered due to Fox, Panarin, Zibanejad and Trocheck with just Kreider working in front. Chytil has excellent chemistry with Lafreniere and Kaapo Kakko on PP2. But he deserves to be moved up.

The second unit would get a better face-off man in Trocheck who has a nose for the net. I like the decision to play K’Andre Miller on the left point. He can get his shot through and makes good reads. Jacob Trouba has a heavy shot. But would be better off utilized at five-on-five and the penalty kill. Braden Schneider feels like a better option. He has five goals and is a good skater.

Speaking of Chytil, he stayed hot by scoring a huge insurance goal with 5:40 left in regulation to help put the punched Knights away. After getting a Schneider pass, he made a great solo effort by first attempting one shot and then doing a spin around backhand that took a carom off a Vegas defenseman past Adin Hill.

It was brilliant. Chytil showed off his speed and extra effort to net his fourth goal over the last three games. He’s up to 29 points for the season. The 16 goals rank third on the team behind Zibanejad (22) and Kreider (20). Thirteen of the sixteen have come at even strength. That trails only Kreider (14) for the most on the team. It’s well deserved for a more mature player who has raised his value. He should cost between $4.5 to 5 million as a restricted free agent this off-season.

Jimmy Vesey would add his ninth into a vacated net to put the finishing touches on the victory. It’s been a good return for the veteran forward. He’s trusted to play in a checking role and kill penalties. I still don’t love having him play on the new first line with Zibanejad and Panarin, who so far are like oil and water. Can Panarin play with anyone not named Ryan Strome? A lot of people were wrong about Strome. He complimented Panarin’s game well.

At this point, it looks like Vitaly Kravtsov will be traded. It isn’t his fault that Gallant doesn’t like him. He needs a fresh start. My guess he’ll get packaged in a deal as they draw nearer to the trade deadline. Hopefully, they hang onto Zac Jones. I think it would be a mistake to give up on him. He’s already played in the NHL and remains close.

Does any other team damage the value of former first round picks like the Rangers? When it comes to the forwards, it certainly applies. Lafreniere had a strong game with Chytil and Kakko. He seems to have more confidence when he plays with them. It’s more instinctive because they know where each other are. Keep them together.

As for upgrading the roster, I’d look at improving the fourth line. Jake Leschyshyn isn’t a long-term fix. How is a waiver wire pick-up playing over a former first round pick? Don’t answer that. Gauthier also has seen his shifts dwindle since returning. Some reward for a player who surprised many by scoring six goals in the first half.

As much as they would love to fill a void on right wing to maybe help Panarin, the Rangers might be better off adding depth pieces to solidify the bottom line and the blue line. Tyler Motte is available. Not saying I want a return. But he’s a good fit on the fourth line. Plus he can kill penalties. In a perfect world, you’d have Goodrow between Cuylle and a grinder like Motte.

I still believe Tarasenko would come cheaper than an aging Kane or Meier. San Jose will have plenty of suitors including the Devils, who can offer Alex Holtz as part of a package. But it all depends on what the cost is and how much salary is picked up.

The Rangers have some room to work with. But is one player really going to put them over the top? Can they win with Panarin, who’s in decline despite pacing the club in scoring with 50 points (12-38-50). He’s a minus player due to being a turnover machine.

What about the potential for former first round pick Brennan Othmann to come over from the OHL to the NHL? It depends what Peterborough does in the playoffs. Othmann turned 20 on Jan. 5. He might need some pro experience with Hartford before debuting. There’s also the likelihood the Peterborough Petes go far. Othmann probably won’t be an option.

The better question is where would he play. The Rangers lack scoring right wings. Kakko leads all RW with nine goals and 23 points in Year Four. Vesey and Goodrow can play the right side. But neither are consistent scorers. Goodrow is on pace to surpass last year’s career best total of 33 points. He’s 9-14-23 thus far. The versatile forward can play anywhere. Vesey has been used similarly with success.

Scoring remains an issue at five-on-five. That’s where most playoff games are played. It’s a battle of attrition. If the special teams were better for the Blueshirts, whose power play ranks in the middle of the pack, that would help. There are questions as to what moves Drury should make.

They have Igor Shesterkin in net and Adam Fox anchoring the back end. Two elite players. Unless Panarin can raise his level, it’s hard to see this team going far. Currently, they are locked into a 2/3 match-up against the rival Devils. Even with the better goalie and the game’s best defenseman, it wouldn’t be easy.

Not with the game-breaking speed and skill the Devils possess led by Hughes. If the series were to happen, he’s the best player. Their team speed and skill have given the Rangers fits. Of course, it’s much different in a best of seven series. Grit and experience usually factor in. The Rangers have that edge. If I had to guess, a Battle Of Hudson first round series would go at least six games.

We’re still a long way off from that. So much can happen. Both teams are chasing the Hurricanes in the standings. Each trying to guarantee themselves a top six spot to avoid the wildcard. Whoever winds up in the final spot will see the Bruins. A terrific team that doesn’t look to have any weaknesses. They also are looking to upgrade.

It’s already been a week since the Blueshirts played hockey. A long layoff that makes as much sense as the current NHL playoff format. Good on Sidney Crosby for saying what we’re all thinking. It should be 1-8.

Until next time. If there’s any other news, I’ll return this weekend.

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Devils’ first half a smashing success

Posted on January 28, 2023 by hasan4978

In a first half of the season where basically everything that you could have hoped went right for the Devils did, and then some…their come from behind win in Dallas last night to head into a nine-day break was a fitting coda before the All-Star break. Technically, the Devils already passed the ‘first half’ eight games ago – now being 49 games into an 82-game regular season – but there should be at least a few more playoff games so it’s closer to halfway through the season this year. In most recent seasons, the Devils’ season was already over in terms of having any playoff meaning so already this season has exceeded expectations, which were to hopefully challenge for a playoff spot.

After a 3-8-2 stretch from early December into early January, the Devils’ emotional comeback win over the Rangers at the Rock got them back to their winning ways and they head into the break on an 8-1-1 roll in their last ten games, with many of them insanely dramatic wins. During this stretch, the team had three separate two-goal comebacks – the aforementioned Rangers game, as well as in Carolina the game after along with last night – plus late game-tying goals against the Sharks and Vegas as well as the OT thriller over the Penguins. All of that provided more than enough excitement for a normal January month of hockey and likely a preview over what to expect in April.

It’s almost like we’ve experienced three or four seasons already – the 0-2 start where the team was getting booed and the coach was getting ‘Fire Lindy!’ chants already seems like a distant memory but even with those first two games included, the Devils’ 21-2-1 stretch immediately after still ensured an insanely good 21-4-1 record after a third of the season. Our growing pains in December gave way to some growing up in January, as an organization that has been finding ways to lose for years is now finding ways to win. Now just two points back of the first-place Hurricanes and thirteen points up on the ninth-seeded Sabres, the question is more about what happens when we get to the playoffs, as opposed to if.

Our position in the standings certainly will influence what GM Tom Fitzgerald does at the deadline. Being on the playoff bubble with a young team would make it nearly impossible to justify going all-in, but challenging for the division lead and a 100+ point season, with solid players everywhere and a guy who’s going to get Hart votes in Jack Hughes suggests this team could be more ready than originally thought. Considering there are no real behemoth teams in either conference this year other than Boston – who the Devils likely wouldn’t face until the Eastern Conference Finals – that also makes it a bit more tempting to try and accelerate our timetable even more. And why not…eventually all contenders are going to need a big move or two to help put it over the top no matter how many home-grown players you have.

It’s also fairly easy to pinpoint where this team needs help – another legit top six winger, and some more depth up front and on the blueline. At least health isn’t an issue for the moment, although defenseman John Marino’s been out over a month with a reported shoulder injury, word is he should come back after the break and after the return of wingers Nathan Bastian and Ondrej Palat earlier this month they should be icing their optimum lineup by early February. Despite the team’s recent winning, they clearly miss Marino on the back end with both Kevin Bahl and Nikita Okhotyuk showing they’re not really ready for primetime, and veteran Brendan Smith being asked to do too much. Still, it’s not likely the Devils make a major move for a defenseman – especially since it’s all but certain Luke Hughes will get at least a few games with the big club after his college season ends, which could provide an opportunity for important minutes in April.

Conversely, with the team’s playoff position they likely won’t be trading UFA defensemen to be Damon Severson or Ryan Graves. Nor do they seem to be in a hurry to extend either, given that Hughes and #2 overall pick Simon Nemec both aren’t far from contributing at the NHL level. New Jersey is uniquely set up well for both the near term and the long term on the blueline, adding Hughes and Nemec to a set group of Dougie Hamilton, Jonas Siegenthaler and Marino…what a change for when we were counting on a home-grown D of Severson, Adam Larsson, Jon Merrill and Steven Santini! Although Larsson’s having a nice second season in Seattle after his stint in Edmonton, Severson turned out the best of the bunch and even he’s only a top second-pair defenseman at most.

It also doesn’t seem likely they’ll make a move in goal this year, thankfully. Vitek Vanecek has given the Devils arguably their best goaltending since Martin Brodeur was still playing at a relatively high level in the team’s 2012 playoff run, and he heads into the break on a personal nine-game winning streak, the most in Devils history by any goaltender not named Brodeur. If it wasn’t for Hughes (or even Hamilton, who’s put up an impressive 47 points in 49 games from the blueline – including a lot of heroics this week), Vanecek would get some serious consideration for team MVP. It’s far less of a stretch to say he was the most important acquisition this offseason, even including Marino in the mix after he’s broken out to be a legit top-pairing defenseman.

After the Devils’ goaltending woes last year, Vanecek has provided much-needed stability to the revolving door in net with a 21-5-2 record, a 2.29 GAA, .917 save percentage and a pair of shutouts. Even backup Mackenzie Blackwood and rookie Akira Schimid have both had highlight moments this year but clearly Vanecek’s been the man in net and should be for the foreseeable future. My only concern with him is the workload – his high in starts for any season (AHL or NHL) was 39 last year, and he’s already at 29 this year, so he should clear 50 easily – starting at least twenty-one games out of thirty-five remaining is a fair estimate – before we even get to the playoffs. Thankfully it seems like Blackwood’s at least healthy enough to play this year although most of his starts have been high-event as the team – and his shoddy rebound control – have allowed a lot of extra shots, and goals. Still, with the team not in any realistic danger of missing the postseason, coach Lindy Ruff can deploy his goalies how he sees fit with a long-term view.

Now we get to the forwards, and it really shouldn’t have been this long in the blog before I discuss Hughes possibly having the best season by any Devil skater ever, and that includes Taylor Hall in his MVP year, Patrik Elias in his 96-point season and whoever else you want to throw in – maybe Brian Gionta’s 48-goal, 89-point season after the lockout or some other Devils of an earlier era like John MacLean and his multiple 40-goal seasons. Even in a live(lier) puck era, Hughes having 64 points in 49 games is beyond eye-opening, including 33-goals, which puts him in prime position to smash both Gionta’s goals record for a season and Elias’s points record…and he’ll still be 21 years old for the rest of the regular season. After being shelved through the All-Star break last year, Hughes will get to take his talents to South Beach for the celebrity classic this year.

There really is nothing left to say about Hughes at this point, we’re all lucky to have him – and locked up long-term to boot – and he’s certainly lived up to a #1 overall pick expectations. Just like the Devils as a team went into the break on a fitting high, so did Hughes individually as his two goals once again led the team to victory in a tough game at Dallas. Although Hughes has deserved all the accolades, Nico and Jesper Bratt haven’t exactly been slouches this year with Nico adding in 21 goals and 46 points in 48 games, while Bratt has 19 goals and 50 points in 49 games.

Certainly, the Devils could use a little more help for the big three though. Palat returning after a long injury absence helps but still, do the Devils really expect Hughes to continue to be a one-man show when the playoffs start and he’s got Erik Haula (four goals in 49 games) stapled to his line because of faceoffs? Hughes’s best winger so far has basically been Hamilton, who he’s combined with on a lot of heroics – specifically the game-ending assist against the Penguins a few days ago.

Given that Fitz publicly tried to acquire both Johnny Gaudreau and Matthew Thachuk this offseason, he knows the team could still use one more legit threat in the top six – hence the Timo Meier rumors which are heating up. Meier would be perfect, especially being a Swiss compatriot to Nico and Siegenthaler, but it’s unlikely that we’d acquire him without a long-term agreement in place. Whether the player wants to sign – and whether the Sharks find a deal from us worth taking – is another story.

If the Devils made any truly big move this deadline it’d be in that ilk for a top six forward. Otherwise it’ll probably be similar to 2018 and just do some depth hunting. There certainly shouldn’t be a coaching change at this point, as Lindy Ruff has more than earned the chance to ride it out with this team. Even if he’s still on a lame-duck contract with no talks of an extension yet.

In any case, this group has earned their long break – well all but Hughes who’s certainly earned his time in the spotlight and then some. Hopefully rest and health will have this team firing on all cylinders after they get back on the ice. For all the team’s winning lately, there’ve been holes in the overall performance that have been covered up with goaltending, heart and stars giving star performance but with a healthy lineup maybe the Devils can even step their play up another notch closer to the level they were at during the season-defining thirteen-game winning streak.

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Back-to-back dramatic OT wins keep Devils rolling at home

Posted on January 26, 2023 by hasan4978

I was really tempted to do an instant recap for once after Tuesday’s wild rally against the Golden Knights, but given that the ESPN+ mandated start time of 7:30 ensured I got home closer to 11 on a weeknight, I passed. So instead, this will be a distant recap of a Devils sweep in their mini-homestand of two games – although that outcome could easily have gone the other way, which would have left me shaking my head given the team’s long home losing streak in December and early January coupled with their dominance on the road. However, this team just continues to show their resilience in every way possible…from the road record to all of the dramatic comebacks and late wins this season, punctuated by back-to-back OT winners at the Rock by Dougie Hamilton the last two games.

There isn’t much to say about the big picture at this point, the Devils have long since allayed any fears of crashing below the playoff bubble, building their lead on the last playoff spot back up to thirteen points, with thirty-five games left in the regular season. Right now it’s about maintaining the stars’ performance, improving the depth and augmenting for the playoffs, which alone is a triumph for this year’s team. Even in 2018, when the Devils were dragged to the postseason by Taylor Hall heroics and Keith Kinkaid’s career half-season with a dramatic late-season surge, you knew that there was really no shot of a deep playoff run, and two mid-level trades for Michael Grabner and Pat Maroon were more about just trying to get the team to the playoffs and ideally take the next step after that. At least the first part of that was successful (i.e. making the playoffs) but it’s taken another five years – and a lot of hockey played in the wilderness – before we can even think about taking a step beyond just making the postseason.

Before looking ahead though, we look back. First, to Sunday afternoon against the Penguins which you knew would be an electric atmosphere as the team got a well-deserved hero’s welcome back to the Rock after a nearly spotless road trip. Clearly, a sellout crowd was expected for a Sunday afternoon game against a division rival.

What probably wasn’t expected (at least for some of the people coming in) were the really long lines at both towers to get in. If you’ve ever been to the Rock you know there are two main entrances with the first tower being next to the big team store and the other one being next to the practice rink and having the Martin Brodeur statue outside of it. There’s also a lesser known third entrance – which isn’t a tower – hidden right next to the big parking garage just off of Broad Street, that’s the one I usually go in and it tends to be far less crowded than either tower even on days like Sunday. I got in like a half hour before the 2 PM start time and just shook my head when I saw fifteen minutes later from above how long the line was to get in the main tower.

While getting in wasn’t a concern for me, the inevitable first day letdown after a long road trip was. You wouldn’t know it by the electric start though, when Jack Hughes’ goal in the first minute of the game kept the crowd rocking early. That lead wouldn’t last too long unfortunately as Sidney Crosby’s seeing-eye shot tied the game at 6:25. There really wasn’t much else in terms of highlights in regulation though, other than (as usual) a few spectacular Vitek Vanecek saves which helped the Devils survive a heavy-legged game after an illusory two-day break following their final game of the road trip in Seattle on Thursday.

Illusory after you factor in a late night Thursday game followed by a cross-country trip and an early Sunday afternoon game, that makes it a bit less of a layover than the 2.5 days says it is on the surface. Plus, it needs to be said the Penguins are playing for their playoff lives – as they’re a lot closer to the bubble than we are at the moment. Facing teams more desperate than us in the latter part of the season is a first-world problem we’re going to have to deal with, in this next phase of learning how to win as a franchise. Fortunately, they passed that test Sunday never letting the game get away from them despite obvious fatigue. Getting to OT was the first step, but given the fact the team only had one home win in their last six weeks, another win (at least) was necessary in this two-game mini-homestand.

Overtime proved to be very eventful after an astonishingly brazen attempt by Marcus Petterson to cheat his way into a two on one, jumping on the ice when the nearest skater was fifty feet away to turn a one-on-one into a faux two-on-one, which he appeared to score on and I was ready to walk out in a huff knowing he was a bit early and expecting another non-call in favor of the league’s golden child. Fortunately the refs did see this obvious too many men penalty (you really would have been willfully ignorant not to) and made the correct call, giving the Devils a power play. Which turned into the latest episode of what we call Doing The Dougie

The head bob makes it an insta-classic celebration and a deserved response on a legal 4-on-3 power play, after the Penguins tried to sneak in an illegal 4-on-3 to steal an OT point. On my way out of the arena I ran into my friends Nael and Katie, who admitted they were also stuck in the lines getting in and missed the Hughes goal (probably didn’t help that they literally made a last minute decision to come to the game about a half hour before it started). I told them about the alternate entrance for future reference, but I also park in a lot on Halsey Street that’s nearer to the back entrance than most of the main parking areas people who aren’t as familiar with the area look for near the Rock. At least they managed to find street parking and not pay for that, and it was worth the wait for them to finally see a goal in OT.

As if two straight OT wins at home wasn’t enough drama, the Devils went for three in a row against Vegas on Tuesday night. Against a Vegas team that should have been ripe for the picking given it was their fourth game in six nights, with injuries on its blueline and in net, again the offense struggled with Ondrej Palat’s ricochet goal less then four minutes into the game being the only shot that beat Logan Thompson for more than fifty-eight minutes.

For most of the night it looked as if a frustrating loss was on the docket from Erik Haula passing up an open net with a 1-0 lead in the second period (coupled with the team giving up two goals shortly thereafter) to Lindy Ruff coaching as if it were the late ’90’s, line matching the Miles Wood line as if it was the second coming of Holik, McKay and Arnott while using Haula as if he’s John Madden. Haula can be a useful player in the right role despite his paltry four goals on the season, but being stapled to Hughes ain’t it, unless the idea is we just aren’t even going to try to find another scoring winger for Hughes and let him be a one-man show, which has worked in the regular season at least.

And as much as I like Wood, Nate Bastian and Mike McLeod as hockey players in their proper role, they aren’t the second coming of the Crash Line. Especially with Wood mired in a dreadful one goal in over thirty game drought, and Bastian recently coming off of IR. Seeing that line come on the ice for shift after shift in the third period I really started to think maybe THIS is why we struggle at home compared to the road, because it’s easier for an old-school coach to try to match lines with personnel that really doesn’t dictate matching lines. You need to run your star players out there, especially trailing. And when they aren’t on the ice then at least put guys out who have a prayer of scoring goals more than once every couple of weeks.

Ironically when it came down to the bolts and nuts of a 6-on-5 at the end of regulation, it was the stars who saved the day again. Specifically the guy who’s been Mr. Clutch all week:

Have to admit, as agnostic as I am about exclusively streamed games for the Devils (especially since they give us later start times), the call by Wischusen was superb here, particularly foreshadowing it seconds before the goal. More justice was done in the OT after the refs – who hadn’t called a penalty on Vegas all night – finally took the whistle out of their pocket long enough to give us a deserved OT power play. In a severe case of deja vu, it was Hamilton to put the finishing touches on yet another OT 4-on-3 winner, but this goal was ninety percent about THAT ASSIST from Hughes, while being double-teamed and flat on the ice he still manages to get the puck to an open Hamilton on the blue line.

One of the familiar voices commenting in that clip was none other than P.K. Subban, part of ESPN+’s studio and admiring former teammate of Jack Hughes. Considering most of the media looks at the Devils with a combination of either disdain or ambivalence, having a popular player like PK pump our tires is somewhat adorable (for lack of a better word), even if he clearly is going to be biased toward an organization he played with just several months ago. Particularly toward his buddy Jack:

It seems kind of a shame that PK’s career ended in relative obscurity here last April after three straight seasons of missing the playoffs and declining play from a personal standpoint, but by the same token I figured it was a possibility when his contract ran out. By this juncture in his career he’d probably make as much money broadcasting as he would playing, so it was just a matter of whether he wanted to go through the grind another eight months as a depth defenseman to try and win a Cup or start a (hopefully) lucrative post-career in media.

As far as what’s ahead for the team, currently they have just two more games before a nine-day layoff due to the All-Star break and a bye week (that’s still a thing? NHL, if you’re going to rip off an NFL invention at least try and call it another name), and with only Jack going to Florida for the skills games it’ll be some well-deserved attention for a guy who’ll get Hart votes this year and well-deserved time off for everyone else. Knock on wood by the time the break ends, we should have a full lineup again although our last major injury concern – defenseman John Marino – is still in a non-contact shirt due to what was confirmed as a shoulder injury by Matt Loughlin on last night’s YouTube postgame.

Incidentally now that the Devils are off terrestrial radio, the YouTube postgame has become a nice thing to listen to on the drive home from games when there’s a happy recap involved. Sure I could try and hunt down the internet feed for Matt and Chico on the radio but you actually get more with the YouTube show imo – a full recap, a few different media interviews and some Matt and Chico time after they’re done with their radio duties anyway.

I don’t know if I’m even going to bother recapping the last two games before the break, unless something major happens like an injury or a trade. I’m not even watching right now as I missed the first half of the game, and am just now finishing a blog I started this morning. More likely I’ll have a blog at some point during the break looking back as a whole on the first half of the season, and looking forward at what’s to come.

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Rangers cost themselves due to sitting back in frustrating overtime loss to Maple Leafs, Gallant hardly plays fourth line, Cuylle debuts, top guns no show

Posted on January 26, 2023 by Derek

The frustration level is high. If you’re a passionate fan of this team, it should be following a tightly contested game played against one of the league’s best up in Toronto.

Simply put, the Rangers didn’t closeout the Maple Leafs. They wasted a pair of Filip Chytil goals along with a dominant effort from Alexis Lafreniere and Kaapo Kakko. Instead of banking two points by playing aggressive hockey, they foolishly sat back and let the Leafs tie it up with over four minutes left in the third period.

The end result was passengers Artemi Panarin, Mika Zibanejad and a too passive K’Andre Miller allowing Mitch Marner to cruise by and score the overtime winner at 19 seconds to give the Maple Leafs a 3-2 come from behind win at Scotiabank Arena. The losing play was best described by Jan Levine who also posts blogs on our team via Hockey Buzz.

If you blinked, you missed it. Something that happened to me. They were headed to overtime. I checked All Elite Wrestling on TBS who held a special tribute final match involving the brother of Jay Briscoe who tragically passed away due to a horrible car accident. God bless the daughters who are still recovering in the hospital. Hopefully, they will be okay. A sad tragedy for the wrestling family.

Before I could flip back for OT, I saw on the NHL site that it had already ended. My disbelief was, ‘How?’ How do you lose a game via three-on-three only 19 seconds in?

There it was on replay via the NHL On TNT. I wish I hadn’t bothered. It was despicable. Matador D as Knicks legend Walt “Clyde” Frazier would describe the lack of defense by the basketball team that resides at Madison Square Garden without Mitchell Robinson. If you’ve seen them lately, you know what I mean.

Here’s a better question for coach Gerard Gallant. I know he has bent over backwards for $11.65 million dollar man Artemi Panarin. Why is he even on for the start of OT? Every fan of this team can see that he’s become a defensive liability. He’s been on for other losses that cost this team valuable extra points.

I know Chris Kreider was responsible for the tying goal noted Leafs sniper Timothy Liljegren scored with 4:11 left in regulation. Of course, a whole pile of ridiculous overreaction came his way because he got to Liljegren too late on a rebound that Jacob Trouba missed. I guess these so-called experts forgot that Kreider scored 52 goals and entered second with his 19 trailing only Zibanejad (22).

It happens. Every good player has off games. Even the best in the world Crosby and McDavid can. It’s part of playing a busy schedule over a full 82. Kreider missed time. He hasn’t been particularly sharp since returning. He just missed on the power play. Unfortunately, Kreider sent the puck back into Ilya Samsonov.

The point being that while he didn’t have any chemistry whatsoever playing the off wing due to Panarin on the new first line that didn’t do much even after Gallant flipped Kreider and Jimmy Vesey. But when it’s three-on-three with that extra point up for grabs, why not use logic by reuniting Kreider with Zibanejad?

They work so well together. The chemistry has been great for a while. I wish Mollie Walker or Vince Mercogliano, or any Rangers beat reporter had dared to ask that exact question to Gallant. We know he can be dismissive and try not to call out his vets. But the top guns didn’t get it done.

It was a curious decision by the coach to keep Panarin with Zibanejad and Miller at the start of overtime. Personally, I’d rather see Zibanejad, Kreider and Adam Fox. It’s the opening shift of the OT. Only Gallant knows the reason why he made this mind-boggling decision. Then he dared to say they played real well and they’ll take the point.

Eh. I don’t agree. They should’ve won the game in regulation. But opted to sit back over the final portion of the third. If you keep back pedaling and ice the puck while over relying on your goalie [Igor Shesterkin], even one of the game’s best isn’t always going to be able to get you to the finish line.

The Leafs did what they had to do. They worked hard to get the game tied after Shesterkin made a tough save on Calle Jarnkrok a couple of minutes earlier.

Following an icing, John Tavares was able to deflect a long William Nylander shot off Shesterkin for a rebound. Trouba just missed it. That allowed Liljegren to sneak in and bust the puck past Shesterkin at 15:49. He beat Kreider to the spot.

The tweaked third line centered by Vincent Trocheck with Barclay Goodrow and Kreider were unable to get the job done. Maybe Gallant should’ve gone back to Vesey for that key shift. He’s a better defensive forward than Kreider. The eight-goal scorer played over 19 minutes. The second most among Rangers forwards only trailing Zibanejad (20:32), who plays power play and penalty kill.

If anyone cares to explain why Vesey, who has been a consistent player in his second stint- is getting that much ice time over the reunited line of Lafreniere, Chytil and Kakko- be my guest. They dominated most of their shifts, but didn’t come on until the final frantic shift of regulation. On a broken play, a loose puck bounced right to Tavares, whose shot hit the crossbar as the buzzer sounded. Had it gone in, it probably would’ve counted.

At nearly 50 games in, Gallant still hasn’t figured out who Panarin should play with at five-on-five. He hasn’t clicked with Trocheck, who Team President and GM Chris Drury gave a seven-year contract to. He is being tried again with Zibanejad on the top line. They have never played together much. Both had good games the other night in a 6-2 win over the Defense Optional Panthers, who then gave up a touchdown and extra point in a wild 7-6 OT loss at the Penguins.

If you really focused on their shifts against the Leafs, there wasn’t much traction. Especially when Kreider was forced off the left wing to the right side. Each had two shots in the game. Hardly enough to merit keeping them intact. But if Kreider must play with Trocheck, then move Vesey to that line like previously. Let Goodrow play up with Panarin and Zibanejad.

At this point, it’s pretty obvious that Gallant will never give Vitaly Kravtsov a fair shake. A game after he scored his third goal and had a game high five shots in a win, he was the whipping boy who got demoted to the fourth line for Trocheck blowing two assignments on a pair of Bruins goals. Then, after playing fewer minutes than anyone including waiver pick-up Jake Leschyshyn, he came out of the lineup for rookie Will Cuylle to make his NHL debut in Toronto.

I have no problem with seeing what Cuylle can do. He leads the Wolf Pack with 13 goals and deserves a look. A gritty, more physical forward, Cuylle was fine in his debut. However, he only played 5:49 in 10 shifts finishing with four hits and a minus-one on his first shift. Not his fault Julien Gauthier and Ben Harpur couldn’t cover for Braden Schneider and let Pontus Holmberg get behind them to score.

If that’s his way of playing a kid on the bottom line, what’s the point? Cuylle actually showed more than the top guns. He made a good lead pass for Gauthier, who over stick handled and turned his scoring chance into an easy save for Samsonov. He remembered that he’s Julien Gauthier. How else do you explain it?

Leschyshyn received 11 shifts (6:36) while winning three of five face-offs. Gauthier also took 10 shifts and had two shots and four hits in 5:55. Basically, Gallant didn’t have enough confidence to roll four lines. The opposite of what’s needed to be successful. Somewhere, Ryan Reaves is probably laughing at his former coach’s expense. I bet even Kravtsov had a chuckle watching from the press box.

I think we all understand that the fourth line isn’t moving the needle. They’re not deciding too many games. However, you still should play them enough to inject energy and give your best players a breather. The lack of consistency from Gallant hasn’t helped. You don’t know who he’ll play on a game to game basis or how many shifts they’ll get.

Turk leans heavily on the veterans. So when they no show as they did last night, it makes him look bad. The amount of crying he did following the Bruins loss was ridiculous. He complained about Panarin and Trocheck, but then in the next breath said it wasn’t Kravtsov’s fault. His actions say otherwise. Always the whipping boy.

It remains similar to how Colin Campbell treated the much more established Alexei Kovalev. You knew it was a mattsr of time before he escaped Broadway. It’s the same complex situation with Gallant and Kravtsov. I hope for his sake, he gets relocated to a team with a coach who’ll give him the freedom to play his game.

As good as Kakko played on Wednesday night with a wonderful set up for Chytil’s second that gave the Blueshirts the lead in a better played second period, he doesn’t exactly finish checks or consistently drive the net. At one point prior to a Chytil Mario face-off goal where he caught Samsonov by surprise, Keith Jones called out Kakko by name by pointing out that he avoided driving the net to screen the Toronto goalie. A point that was illustrated throughout a bland first period where Samsonov easily stopped all nine Rangers shots.

Kakko drives the play as a puck possession player. At times during shifts, he can look dominant at controlling play. He’ll make some good moves, but rarely finishes around the net. Nine goals in 48 games isn’t enough production. The 14 assists are solid. But they took Kakko second believing he’d become a 30-goal scorer or better. He’s 21 going on 22 in Year Four. There’s still time. He’s made some improvement. If he can’t hit 20 goals and 40 points, it would be a disappointment.

Since being put back with Chytil and Kakko, Lafreniere has looked much more confident with the puck. He’s back to skating with purpose and forechecking. His secondary assist allowed Kakko to cut in on an extended shift and set up Chytil on a two-on-one down low for a 2-1 lead. That gives him a season best three-game point streak (1-3-4).

It’s almost as if you don’t mess with the chemistry that line has had. Gallant was desperate to find a solution to his top six that he broke up the most consistent cycle line the team has. You can see the difference when the cohesive trio are together. They all know how to play off one another. Chytil, Lafreniere and Kakko should be intact for the remainder of the season.

With a home game left against the first place Golden Knights tomorrow night before the long break, it’s up to Gallant and Drury to come up with better solutions for the other two scoring lines. At this point, I’d have Vesey with Trocheck and Kreider like before. Goodrow can work with Zibanejad and Panarin, who needs a gritty forward to free up space. That’s where Goodrow comes in.

In a perfect world, Turk would try Kravtsov up with Panarin, who he seems to have some chemistry with. But Zibanejad and Panarin have never quite meshed. I prefer Zibanejad with Kreider because they work extremely well together. If Panarin can’t play the right side, he’s useless. They shouldn’t be forced to split up Lafreniere, Chytil and Kakko because the Bread Man can’t make it work with Drury’s center Trocheck. If only there was a way out.

What they should do is chase after a right wing to complete the top nine. I wouldn’t go after Patrick Kane or Timo Meier due to their price tags. Meier must be qualified at $10 million as a restricted free agent if he isn’t extended. Good luck with that. The Sharks should want more for him. They could be busy at the March 5 trade deadline with Erik Karlsson also available.

If they decide to make a splash, I actually prefer Vladimir Tarasenko. He’s proven and shouldn’t cost nearly as much as the other two. The 31-year old right wing just returned to the Blues the other night. Making sure he’s healthy is the key. The cap hit ($7.5 million) would be cut in half. In 35 games, he’s 10-19-29 with a minus-14 rating. That could be a product of an inconsistent roster that is hard to explain.

Tarasenko is a proven finisher who can play top power play and bolster a stale unit that Gallant refuses to change. It’s getting to the point where I’d actually rather see the second unit featuring the three former first round picks up front with Miller patrolling it. Trocheck could play the other point in place of Trouba, who should focus primarily on key match-ups at five-on-five and penalty kill.

A lot will depend on where the Rangers are in the standings and likewise if it’s the Blues or another potential target. They could always try to upgrade the third pair by replacing the physical Harpur with a more reliable left defenseman such as potential Columbus unrestricted free agent Vladislav Gavrikov ($2.8 million).

If Gallant trusted Zac Jones who I still favor due to his skating and skill, none of this would be necessary. It’s the coach’s lack of faith in a few kids that could hurt the team’s chances. Everything is all about now and he has no time for anything else. Very close-minded when it comes to any questions that challenge his thought process.

I find what he said both understandable and not beneficial for the team going forward. If a fat cat isn’t pulling their weight, bench them for a few shifts. Even Panarin. He did it to Kreider because he can take it. It shouldn’t always be a kid that gets punished. That’s a double standard. Coach like Torts in Philadelphia. They’ve shown improvement since he made examples out of Kevin Hayes and Tony DeAngelo.

There’s one more game. We’ll see if they can go into the break with a better result that doesn’t leave the fan base losing their minds.

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Rangers take advantage of chances in uneven win over identity less Panthers, new lines work despite Gallant’s unhappiness

Posted on January 24, 2023 by Derek

Sometimes, you can win a game and it’s not totally satisfactory. Even if it’s a game like last night where the final score wasn’t really an indication of how it was played.

The Rangers will take it. They defeated the identity less Panthers 6-2 at The Garden. They won’t apologize for getting two points. It was as easy as pie. Or just having the much better goalie. While the Cats went with journeyman Alex Lyon with Spencer Knight just back from a short AHL stint as the backup, the Blueshirts relied on the brilliant Igor Shesterkin.

Make no mistake about it. It was the stellar goaltending of the rating Vezina winner that allowed his team to win without a sweat. Shesterkin was called upon to make several key stops due to defensive lapses. He faced odd man rushes and did what he does. He might not have gotten a star. But anyone that watched knows just how significant the 33 saves he made were to getting the Rangers back in the win column.

The Panthers remain a puzzling disappointment. Despite having come in playing better, they proved again that they’re not the same team from last year. Those key personnel changes aren’t working. Even with Matthew Tkachuk leading the way, they are a mystery. He didn’t do much on Monday night. Neither did the defenseless Panthers, who got victimized twice on pretty goals by Adam Fox and Mika Zibanejad.

Fox started the scoring by getting his 10th on a nice passing play through the neutral zone. Playing with new line mate Artemi Panarin, Zibanejad sent a quick pass up to Panarin, who made a touch pass in the Panthers zone that Fox turned into a breakaway goal at 3:03. In on Lyon, he went backhand tucking the puck into an open side.

Before they could settle in, the Rangers got caught with too many men to hand the Panthers a power play. Florida has been hot since the new calendar year on the man-advantage. That trend continued. With the second unit out, some nice passing started by Eetu Luostarinen in transition allowed Anton Lundell to feed Carter Verhaeghe for a backdoor goal on the power play that evened the score at 5:56.

All four Rangers penalty killers were abysmal on the tying goal. That included Jacob Trouba and K’Andre Miller both caught out of position on the superb Lundell dish for Verhaeghe’s 23rd. Neither Barclay Goodrow or Jimmy Vesey were in the right position when the play materialized. It was a bad sequence.

Following the tying marker, it was mostly Cats. They took advantage of sloppy play to create dangerous chances. Despite getting six of the first eight shots, they were unable to take the lead. Shesterkin made the big saves to keep Florida off the scoreboard. Gallant wasn’t too happy about the team’s overall play.

Held to only two shots for most of the period, the Rangers got their only power play thanks to a lack of discipline from Nick Cousins. On a play in the neutral zone, he belted Chris Kreider from behind leading to a cross-checking minor. It was an obvious call.

After Gerard Gallant started the second power play for a change, out came the same top unit. However, they took a more aggressive strategy by looking shot more. Finally, some nifty passing from Fox to Panarin led to the Bread Man threading a perfect pass across for a quick Zibanejad one-timer that went high short side on Lyon for his 21st with 2:39 left.

For much of the second period, the Panthers applied pressure. Despite doubling up the Rangers in shots (14-7), they were unable to get the puck past Shesterkin. He made some more tough saves including one on Aleksander Barkov on a two-on-one. He also contended with Tkachuk, who looked for tips in front on misdirection feeds.

The Panthers lacked the finish to even the score. They seem too reliant on Barkov, Tkachuk and top finisher Verhaeghe. Sam Reinhart hasn’t had a good season. During the contest, they also lost key center Sam Bennett on an incidental collision with Filip Chytil. The play saw their skates come together with Chytil accidentally knocking Bennett down. He left the game and didn’t return.

Much of the focus was on the new lines. With Panarin up to the top line working with Zibanejad and Kreider, who didn’t look too comfortable playing the off wing, Vincent Trocheck anchored a new checking line between Goodrow and Vesey. That trio would contribute a big goal late in the second to give the team some breathing room.

Following a Trocheck face-off win, Vesey got a shot on Lyon which rebounded out. Both Goodrow and Vesey were in the area. Goodrow sent a sharp angle bank shot off Lyon that Vesey put in for his eighth to make it 3-1 with 4:57 remaining. It was a greasy goal. Something Vesey referenced prior to the game.

After the goal, Ben Harpur was sent off for tripping with under three minutes left. An iffy call, the penalty kill was able to keep the dangerous Cats from converting on the five-on-four. They got some looks. But Shesterkin was there to make the stops. That allowed the Rangers to take a two-goal lead into the locker room.

In the third, it was much of the same. On one end, Shesterkin delivered the big saves. On the opposite side, his teammates went to work on putting the flawed Cats away.

Back together, the old Kid Line used some of their tenacity to combine for a hard-working goal that really was needed. Having skated better as MSG analyst Joe Micheletti noted earlier in the telecast, Alexis Lafreniere made it happen on the forecheck.

Coming out with the puck from behind the net, his stuff in try was stopped by Lyon. However, a loose puck took a Ranger carom towards both Chytil and Kaapo Kakko for shots. A Kakko shot towards the net looked to be headed in. A hustling Lafreniere made sure it did by getting a stick on the puck to put it home for his sixth at 7:56.

It was his first goal since Dec. 7. That ended a long 17-game drought. The goal can hopefully be a confidence boost for Lafreniere. It’s been a challenging third year for him. With an assist against Boston, he has three points in the last two. We’ll see if he can build on it when the Rangers face tougher competition tomorrow night at Toronto.

Before Rangers PA announcer Joe Tolleson could even get to that goal, Fox and Panarin combined to find a wide open Zibanejad for his second of the game 14 seconds later to break it open. That made it 5-1 with 11:50 left. Zibanejad’s 22 goals pace the club.

Down by four, Florida coach Paul Maurice decided to gamble by pulling Lyon for a six-on-five with nine minutes remaining. It worked when Barkov was able to tally his 13th to cut the deficit to three with 8:58 left.

Continuing to mostly go with six skaters when possible, the Panthers hoped to claw even closer. They nearly got burned. On a great opportunity, Shesterkin took a shot at the open net. With the crowd building I’m anticipation, he just missed scoring a goal. One day, it’s gonna happen.

Finally with 3:11 to go, Lafreniere and Kakko combined to set up Chytil for an empty netter that put the finishing touches on a much needed win.

The goal gave him 13. He’s one shy of his career best set in ’19-20. It’s safe to say Chytil will surpass that number and wind up posting career bests across the board. A big reason he’ll get a raise this off-season. His 26 points are already a new personal best. The 23-year old Czech continues to grow as a player.

In the final two periods, Shesterkin stopped 26 of 27. Lyon allowed five goals on 25 shots before Maurice lifted him. His defense didn’t help. A problem that has plagued the Panthers all season long. If they miss the playoffs, that along with the drastic changes will be why.

The victory improves the Rangers to 26-14-7 with 59 points. They remain third in the Metro Division. Three up on the Capitals and five on the Penguins.

The Blueshirts will get a better test up north when they travel to Toronto for a big match tomorrow night. They will then host Vegas Friday before the All-Star break. A long bye week will mean time off until February 6 when Calgary visits.

Rangers had Jake Leschyshyn anchor the fourth line between Vitaly Kravtsov and Julien Gauthier, who made his return. Sammy Blais was sent to Hartford on a two week conditioning assignment. It’s really been a struggle for him since returning from ACL surgery due to P.K. Subban.

Hartford leading goal scorer Will Cuylle was recalled. A second round pick taken 60th in the 2020 NHL Draft, he leads the Wolf Pack with 13 goals. Cuylle has 20 points and 39 penalty minutes in 39 games.

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