Kane bids farewell to Blackhawks, Rangers express excitement, Quick dumped by Kings in low fashion

Posted on March 1, 2023 by Derek

For 15 years, he called Chicago home. After getting taken number one overall in 2007, Patrick Kane made the Blackhawks an exciting team to watch. Teaming up with Jonathan Toews, they formed a dynamic duo that the team would build around.

How special were Kane and Toews? It only took the Blackhawks a couple of years to climb the top of the mountain and become Stanley Cup Champions. They defeated the Flyers in 2010 on Kane’s shot from a sharp angle that snuck past Michael Leighton to stun everyone. He knew it was in and celebrated the memorable goal that gave the Hawks their first Cup since 1961.

Toews won the Conn Smythe by tallying seven goals and a playoff best 22 assists for 29 points. He would become one of the most respected two-way players in the game. A great captain who led by example, the 2006 third pick won the Selke as the game’s best defensive forward. He also took home the Messier Leadership Award to highlight the last season the Blackhawks won it all in ’14-15.

While Kane was far more dynamic due to his puck wizardry that would see him make the highlights often, Toews was the leader of those Chicago teams that won three Cups to double their franchise total to six. It’s unfortunate that Toews has suffered from setbacks recently with one of the best players in franchise history unable to play. It’s possible he could retire. That would be a sad ending to an outstanding career.

When the trade was revealed last night that sent Kane to his preferred destination in the Big Apple where he won’t debut until Thursday night when the Rangers host the Senators, the all-time Blackhawk said goodbye to the only franchise he’s known. Showtime thanked the organization and, most importantly, the fans.

The memories he and Toews created along with a great team will last forever. That’s the way it should be for Hawks fans. They might not have won back-to-back Cups. But they were the closest thing to a Dynasty during the previous decade.

Similar to the Devils between ’95 to ’03 and also to baseball’s San Francisco Giants, who captured three World Series Titles between 2010-14, the Blackhawks were a dominant team opponents feared. Boasting a core that featured Marian Hossa, Patrick Sharp, Corey Crawford, Duncan Keith, and Brent Seabrook, they were always a threat. Had the Kings not knocked them off, they could’ve won one or two more championships.

With Kane not arriving until later tonight, he won’t play against the Flyers. Instead, he’ll wear the familiar number 88 in the Broadway Blueshirt tomorrow versus the Senators. That’ll leave the Rangers a forward short and possibly down a defenseman if Ryan Lindgren (day-to-day) isn’t ready to return with K’Andre Miller suspended.

As for the particulars on the trade, the Coyotes were the third team involved. They’ll pick up 25 percent of Kane’s contract. With the Blackhawks retaining 50 percent, that allowed Chris Drury to complete the transaction with little wiggle room. Here’s the full details of the three-team deal.

Andy Welinski is a defenseman who played in Hartford. He is now in the Blackhawks organization and will probably play for Rockford in the AHL. Vili Saarijarvi is a former Red Wings third round pick who is playing in Switzerland. He was with the Coyotes, who sent him to the Blackhawks to receive a 2025 conditional third round pick from the Rangers.

Cooper Zech is a minor league player who originally signed with the Flyers in 2021. The Blackhawks acquired him last October for Evan Barratt. He spent time with both Rockford and the Indy Fuel in the ECHL. He’s expected to join the Wolf Pack.

Of course, there’s the conditional 2023 second that can become a first round pick if the Rangers reach the Conference Finals. That would be either a 2024 or 2025 first going to Chicago. Plus, a 2025 fourth round pick.

With everything finally done, here were some thoughts from a few new teammates who are excited to have Kane.

As expected, Kane will play on a line with Vincent Trocheck and close friend Artemi Panarin, who can’t wait to reunite with his former Hawks line mate. That should be exciting to watch.

Outside of Kane making his Broadway debut tomorrow night against Ottawa, the Rangers will play five of the next six games on the road, including tonight at Philadelphia. Following Thursday’s home game at MSG, they’ll go on a four-game road trip with stops in Boston Mar. 4, Montreal Mar. 9, Buffalo Mar. 11, and Pittsburgh Mar. 12.

That’ll be followed by a five-game home stand, which is highlighted by two straight games against the Penguins on 3/16 and 3/18. The Capitals, Predators, and Hurricanes will all visit.

Now that we’re all caught up, it’s time to get back to playing games. The trade deadline shouldn’t be as chaotic as most of the big names are gone.

I can’t believe the Kings traded Jonathan Quick without telling him. He found out following last night’s 6-5 shootout win over the Jets, which was highlighted by a four-goal game from Anze Kopitar. The all-time winningest netminder in Kings franchise history was very upset after learning he’d been dealt to NHL worst Columbus for Vladislav Gavrikov and Joonas Korpisalo.

This feels similar to the crap Glen Sather pulled with Brian Leetch, trading arguably the greatest Ranger in franchise history on his birthday on Mar. 3, 2004 to Toronto. He never even approached him about it.

I guess Rob Blake is just as despicable. Quick deserves better. How messed up is this? Teammates were clearly upset by the news after the win. Quick even flew back to LA with the team. That’s how unhappy he is.

A great goalie who won 370 games and had 57 shutouts, which are franchise records, the 37-year old Quick won two Stanley Cups, including the Conn Smythe in 2012 after finishing runner-up to Henrik Lundqvist for the Vezina. You can make the argument that Quick belongs in the Hockey Hall Of Fame.

He doesn’t have as many wins as Lundqvist (459) or shutouts (64). But he won two Cups and has good enough numbers to be considered. That includes a career 2.46 GAA and .911 save percentage. He outplayed Lundqvist when they went head to head in 2014. It’s still a bitter memory.

There have been other trades as well. But I wanted to include the unpopular Quick deal that has united hockey fans against the Kings. That’s not how you treat an all-time great player. Imagine if the Rangers had done that to Lundqvist. There would’ve been a protest and season subscriptions canceled.

Anyway, it’s Rangers/Flyers at 7:30 tonight. The Devils visit the scorching hot Avalanche at 9 EST. Timo Meier could make his debut. More later.

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It’s Showtime! Rangers acquire Patrick Kane, legendary Blackhawks player could debut tomorrow night

Posted on February 28, 2023 by Derek

Stop the presses. It’s Showtime! The Rangers finally got their man. They acquired Patrick Kane from the Blackhawks in exchange for a conditional 2023 second round pick and a fourth round pick. Per Frank Seravalli, the Blackhawks plan to announce the three-team trade tonight.

The conditions on the second round pick are that it can become a first round pick in 2024 or 2025 ‘if’ the Rangers make the Conference Finals. Something that should still be challenging considering who they might have to go through.

Emily Kaplan did a good job providing the details on the conditions. She’s become very reliable. Not only is Kaplan a good reporter for ESPN during games. But she usually has good sources. Among female journalists covering the sport, her and Shayna Goldman are the best at breaking trades. A positive for hockey.

With the legendary Patrick Kane finally getting his wish, the all-time Blackhawk finishes a brilliant 15-year career in Chicago by winning three Stanley Cups, an Art Ross, a Hart and Conn Smythe. Taken first overall by the Blackhawks in the 2007 NHL Draft, the former Calder winner concludes with 446 goals and 779 assists for a total of 1,225 points in 1,161 games.

He gave Hawks fans plenty of excitement. There will be so many great memories in Chicago over arguably the best American hockey player. The way in which Kane did it was electrifying. He could score highlight reel goals with ease or make the perfect pass to set one up, leaving fans speechless.

There’s a reason he’s called Showtime. He is a special player who can be a difference maker. The Rangers are banking on Kane to deliver similar heroics in the clutch. Kane finished with a four-game point streak by putting up seven goals and three assists to spark a six-game winning streak. That included his 11th career hat trick on Feb. 19 in a 5-3 win over the Maple Leafs.

Number 88 left Hawks fans by providing more highlights in what’s been a dismal year for the franchise. Chicago has 47 points in 59 games for a .398 win percentage. The Ducks also have 47 after defeating the Blackhawks last night. Only the Blue Jackets have fewer points with 44. The chase for Connor Bedard is on. Especially with the Hawks subtracting so many players.

As far as where Kane ranks among the legendary list of Blackhawks that includes Stan Mikita, Bobby Hull, Denis Savard, Steve Larmer and former teammate Jonathan Toews, who formed a dynamic duo fans won’t soon forget, here’s a look at the key categories.

All-Time Blackhawks Franchise

GAMES PLAYED

1. Stan Mikita 1396

2. Duncan Keith 1192

3. Patrick Kane 1161

4. Brent Seabrook 1114

5. Jonathan Toews 1060

6. Bobby Hull 1036

GOALS

1. Bobby Hull 604

2. Stan Mikita 541

3. Patrick Kane 446

4. Steve Larmer 406

5. Denis Savard 377

6. Jonathan Toews 371

ASSISTS

1. Stan Mikita 926

2. Patrick Kane 779

3. Denis Savard 719

4. Doug Wilson 554

5. Bobby Hull 549

6. Duncan Keith 520

POINTS

1. Stan Mikita 1467

2. Patrick Kane 1225

3. Bobby Hull 1153

4. Denis Savard 1096

5. Steve Larmer 923

6. Jonathan Toews 880

EVEN STRENGTH GOALS

1. Bobby Hull 433

2. Stan Mikita 379

3. Patrick Kane 324

POWER PLAY GOALS

1. Steve Larmer 153

2. Bobby Hull 152

3. Stan Mikita 150

4. Patrick Kane 122

GAME-WINNING GOALS

1. Bobby Hull 98

2. Stan Mikita 84

3. Jonathan Toews 69

4. Patrick Kane 67

Undoubtedly, Kane leaves a great legacy behind. He is an all-time great Chicago Blackhawks player who ranks in the top five statistically. When your name is amongst legends like Stan Mikita, Bobby Hull, Denis Savard, and the completely overlooked Steve Larmer, who helped the Rangers win the Cup in 1994, that’s some list to be a part of.

It’s sad that he won’t play for them anymore. That Blackhawks logo and jersey is among the best the sport has to offer. That he and Toews became such great players along with a core that included Duncan Keith, Brent Seabrook, Marian Hossa, Patrick Sharp, Corey Crawford, Brandon Saad, Niklas Hjalmarsson and Andrew Shaw, speaks to how much those teams meant to Chicago. They won three of the franchise’s six Cups, including Kane scoring that fluky winner in sudden death to beat the Flyers in 2010. The first Stanley Cup they’d won since 1961 when Hull and Mikita starred with Glenn Hall.

When they won their second Cup in 2013, Kane won the Conn Smythe by posting 9 goals and 10 assists for 19 points in 23 postseason games. He went 10-18-28 in 2010 and led all playoff scorers with 23 points (11-12-23) when the Blackhawks won for the third time in 2015. That was their most challenging, having to go through the very tough Ducks and Lightning to make it three Cups over six seasons.

For his playoff career, Kane has scored 52 goals and added 80 assists for 132 points in 136 games. He’s a proven performer. Even facing the game’s best player Connor McDavid and Hart winner Leon Draisaitl in the Stanley Cup Playoff Qualifier, he helped lead the underdog Blackhawks to an upset of the Oilers in four games during 2020. Kane had nine points (2-7-9) in what turned out to be his final postseason for the Hawks. They were eliminated by the Golden Knights in five during the first round of the expanded format.

Even in a down year with the hint of possible hip surgery this summer, Kane still ranked second in team scoring behind Max Domi with 45 points (16-29-45). He missed some time due to the injury. Then, he was held out for the predictable trade to the Rangers, who were the only team he’d accept a deal to.

Kane used his full no-movement clause (NMC) to force the Blackhawks into a trade that limited the return. In all honesty, I think what they got back stinks. To not even be able to get a prospect, whether it be Zac Jones or Matthew Robertson, or even Will Cuylle, that is the unfortunate part of doing business with a superstar who had full control over his preferred destination.

I’ll be blunt. I don’t feel the Kane trade is fair. It highlights a league issue that hopefully one day will be addressed. Giving players full NMC hurts teams. Especially if things change like they did with the Blackhawks. The harsh reality is that Kane was going to leave once his contract expired after the season. So, they had no choice but to get what they could.

I guess the Blackhawks and some of their fans will become fans of the Rangers this Spring. That way, they can get back a first round pick next year. What else is there to root for?

With Kane possibly debuting tomorrow night versus the Flyers in a game that can be seen on TNT and is also listed as MSG 2 at 7:30 PM EST, there will be a level of excitement not seen since Marty St. Louis came over from the Lightning in the memorable blockbuster captain for captain trade that sent Ryan Callahan and two first round picks plus a seventh to Tampa.

At least Glen Sather got a second round pick as well. He turned that into Keith Yandle, who was rented for two playoffs. Sather sucked at trades. He didn’t even use the leverage he had. Chris Drury is different in that respect.

MSL delivered some big goals during the team’s run to their first Stanley Cup Finals since ’94. None more emotional than the first goal he scored versus the Penguins on Mother’s Day. The arena shook during Game Six. A series the Rangers rallied back from a 3-1 deficit to pull out. There also was the clutch overtime winner in Game Four during the Eastern Conference Final to pull the Rangers within a game of the Cup Final. They would defeat the Canadiens in six.

The difference between Marty St. Louis and Patrick Kane is that Kane has a little more left. He should be very motivated to prove he can still help lead a playoff contender to a Stanley Cup. He’s chasing his fourth Cup.

It is also a unique opportunity to play on the grand stage at Madison Square Garden. A place that seems to attract some of the game’s best players. Kane will be reunited with former Hawk Artemi Panarin. They’ll likely be penciled in by coach Gerard Gallant to play on the second line with Vincent Trocheck, who’s had his best stretch in Year One on Broadway.

Kane can certainly help the Blueshirts score at even strength and improve an inconsistent power play. He’ll replace Vladimir Tarasenko on the top unit. With a maintenance day for Mika Zibanejad, after returning to score a big power play goal following blocking a shot that sent him to the locker room on Sunday night, we’ll see if PP1 is as expected. That would be Zibanejad, Adam Fox, Panarin, Chris Kreider, and Kane. A very scary proposition for opponents to deal with.

I imagine Tarasenko will be on the second power play. Who will he replace? Not Trocheck or Filip Chytil. Would Gallant take Alexis Lafreniere or Kaapo Kakko off to insert Tarasenko on that right side? I’d actually prefer it to be Kakko since he isn’t a shoot first player or overly physical. Lafreniere does the gritty stuff by working the back boards and working in front. Neither K’Andre Miller nor Jacob Trouba are good fits on the point. Would they consider five forwards? Maybe Trocheck on one side and Chytil the other. It’s risky.

While this all is fun to speculate, K’Andre Miller will not be available over the next three games. As expected, following the hearing yesterday for his spitting incident that saw a loogie land on Drew Doughty, who accepted his apology, the league suspended Miller for three games. The same amount Garnet Hathaway once received a few years ago.

It doesn’t matter if it was intentional or not. It’s unacceptable. It can’t happen. I believe Miller when he says he didn’t mean to do it. I don’t think it’s in his character to intentionally spit on an opponent. He’s too polite. He barely throws his weight around despite his stature. It goes against who he is.

I’m surprised there aren’t more incidents where players are getting splashed by accidental loogies. Some players do it. Mark Messier was known for spitting during games. But it usually was after he scored a goal while on the bench. I’d imagine probably after drinking some water from the Gatorade bottle. I remember my brother Justin would joke about it, and we’d share a laugh.

For anyone complaining over the ruling, please shut up. You sound ridiculous. I’ve never seen a fan base complain so much over minor stuff that’s not debatable. There’s also a league conspiracy against our team during games. Please. Officiating is the same for every team. Sub standard. They don’t catch everything. The speed of the game makes it harder to officiate. Video reviews should be quicker. That must change.

As far as Braden Schneider goes, he can come back up from Hartford for tomorrow’s game. Ryan Carpenter will return to the Wolf Pack. The only question is if Ryan Lindgren, who’s still being termed “day-to-day” for an upper-body injury that clearly was his left arm being exposed on a tough T.J. Oshie hit that wasn’t illegal despite more conspiracy theories from the homers. Can the team recall a defenseman for the Flyers game?

Does Zac Jones come up if the Rangers are cap compliant? If Lindgren can’t go, they’re currently left with only five on the active roster. Adam Fox. Niko Mikkola. Jacob Trouba. Braden Schneider. Ben Harpur. That’s assuming Lindgren can’t return with Miller serving the first of a three-game suspension. I hope they’ll be able to recall someone. We’ll have to wait and see.

As for the ramifications of the trade for Kane, it’s pretty simple. The Rangers are all in. You make this move to win a championship. As good as he still is, Kane doesn’t provide the defensive aspect or grit. That’ll fall on Barclay Goodrow, Tyler Motte, and new fourth liner Jimmy Vesey, who’s gone above and beyond since making the team on a pro tryout. He earned his new contract that keeps him in NYC past this season. Good for Vesey.

The Rangers should boast two scoring lines that can strike both in transition and on the cycle. They’ll need more from Tarasenko, who’s expected to play with Zibanejad and Kreider. The top two goal-scorers on the team. Zibanejad leads 31, including 18, on the power play while Kreider has 25.

It’s still that younger third line that must provide the key secondary scoring they were able to last year. That would be the 23 and Under forechecking unit of Chytil (19 goals), Lafreniere (11 goals), and Kakko (12 goals). They combine speed, strength, and play-making to win board battles to pin opponents in. That cohesive trio remains a big part of how far the Rangers can go.

On paper, the look of the Rangers four lines has balance. They should be able to roll four lines. The only area that could be a concern is the lack of physicality. Expect opponents to continue to take liberties with the star players. You better believe that’ll include Kane and Panarin.

The Rangers will have to stand up to it. Trouba certainly will use his size and strength to send a message. So will Schneider. We know Lindgren can land the big hits at key moments. He’s the glue of the back end. If the injury he has is serious, they should not bring him back until he’s fully healthy. It’s not about the remainder of the regular season that matters.

It was a welcome change to see the shorthanded roster minus three skaters once Miller was ejected, play with more structure during a big 5-2 home win over the Kings. That’s how they have to play. It can’t be open season on Igor Shesterkin. Limiting turnovers and transition is the key to long-term success. Hopefully, there will continue to be a renewed commitment to playing better team defense.

For players such as Panarin, Tarasenko, and Kane, it can’t be all about offense. They must make smart decisions with the puck and hustle back. You don’t win 16 games between April and June by outscoring opponents. Both Kane and Tarasenko know that.

When he makes his debut, Kane will become the third Rangers player to wear number 88. The ill-fated Ken Hodge and Eric Lindros both wore it. Unfortunately, it didn’t go as planned. Showtime is looking to change that.

There’s so much happening now. It’s less than 72 hours until Friday’s 3 PM EST trade deadline. More moves are being made as I finish this post. As expected, here we are.

We’ll see if anything else happens between tonight and tomorrow prior to the game in Philadelphia.

J.T. Miller’s name has been floated. But he signed an extension. I doubt it’s for him. I could see it being Brock Boeser, who doesn’t fit in Vancouver anymore. Or perhaps Conor Garland.

There was one more trade made by Toronto who again upgraded their defense. They added Erik Gustafsson from Washington and the rights to Boston’s 2023 first round pick in exchange for Rasmus Sandin. Pretty slick.

With the big names already gone, look for secondary players who can help teams to get moved. The Rangers are done buying. Now, it’s all about proving it on the ice. No matter where they wind up, expect a tough road ahead.

There are no guarantees. We’ll see where things wind up.

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Rangers go to ridiculous lengths to satisfy cap for expected Kane trade, Zibanejad heroic in big win over Kings, Miller ejected for spitting incident, hearing today, action heats up in loaded Eastern Conference

Posted on February 27, 2023 by Derek

It’s the Monday before the March 3rd trade deadline on Friday. There’s so much to get to. While the Rangers picked up a big win over the Kings to snap a four-game losing streak (0-3-1), the action is fast and furious around a loaded Eastern Conference.

First and foremost, the Rangers went to ridiculous lengths to stay cap compliant for the expected Patrick Kane trade. As has been reported by reliable sources, including Elliotte Friedman, it’s all but done. Now, it’s just a matter of whether it’s announced on Wednesday or Friday.

Whether you agree with how the organization has gone about its business, Kane is going to get his wish. After voicing his displeasure over the acquisition of Vladimir Tarasenko, it was obvious that the Blackhawks legend only wanted to be in one place. He had full control due to the no-movement clause in a contract that pays him $10.5 million this season. It expires this summer.

With Team President and GM Chris Drury scrambling to satisfy the cap due to the Rangers not having much wiggle room, that meant dressing 18 skaters but only playing 16 in Sunday night’s 5-2 win over the Kings.

Coach Gerard Gallant was unable to play Braden Schneider and Hartford call-up Ryan Carpenter. That put him in a tough spot, especially when K’Andre Miller received a match penalty for a spitting incident with Drew Doughty. Even though he went out of his way to apologize to Doughty following the game and posted a public apology via social media, it was a regrettable action.

Miller has a hearing today with the league. It’s expected that he could be suspended for two or three games. It’ll be interesting to see what happens as it pertains to the Rangers’ next game this Wednesday night at the Flyers. Will they have Kane with a brand new number 88 Blueshirts jersey? That remains to be seen.

The following is courtesy of Puck Pedia. They’ve been continually providing updates on what the Rangers can do to stay cap compliant.

If all of this is confusing, you’re not alone. It’s pretty ridiculous. But Drury opted to trade for Tarasenko, who looks like he’s on his last legs. At least they added Niko Mikkola. Good thing Drury did due to the Ryan Lindgren injury. Nobody has any idea how long he’ll be out. The Rangers keep things close to the vest. You can never believe a word Gallant says on injured players.

It’s worth noting that the Blackhawks are expected to pick up half of Kane’s salary. A third team likely will be needed to pick up another 25 percent to assist the Rangers in the complicated transaction. We’ve already seen this play out with the Leafs trading for Ryan O’Reilly. The Wild got involved to help Toronto save money so they could make more critical moves, which happened earlier today.

With pretty much everything laid out, the parameters for a Kane deal remain on track. By yo-yoing Schneider to Hartford for cap savings, the Rangers are doing everything they can to complete the trade for the American legend by Wednesday. It’s so distracting that the game yesterday felt irrelevant. No difference than Saturday’s humiliation to the Capitals.

If you’re a fan of the team, you want them to win as many games as possible. There’s still a chance that they can avoid the Devils, who sit three back of the Hurricanes, who remain eerily quiet despite their need for another offensive player.

With the Devils completing the very complex trade for Timo Meier with the Sharks last night, they have significantly upgraded their roster. It’s indeed Timo Time in Newark. The likelihood of Jack Hughes playing with Meier is a daunting prospect for opponents.

The very interesting part is that I nearly guessed the players involved. After initially thinking, perhaps Seamus Casey might be in it, I came to the conclusion that former first round pick Shakir Mukhamadullin would be part of the trade. He plays in the KHL. Both Robert and I guessed that Fabian Zetterlund was in the trade. Rob is a huge Devils fan. So, full props. We didn’t know Nikita Ohhoktiuk was the third player. Neither of us has any idea how to pronounce his name. He scored a goal in 10 games with the Devils.

Hasan provided a very detailed post on the particulars of the Timo Meier trade that also included the Devils getting depth defenseman Scott Harrington. Yes. I guessed that Andreas Johnsson’s contract would be dumped to the Sharks to help offset salary to fit in Meier, who had 50 percent of his salary picked up by San Jose.

With the details of the Meier trade slowly coming out due to a player having a minor injury that the teams worked through, it was a distraction. Even watching the game last night, which the Rangers played much better in than at any point during their seven-game win streak, I kept checking my time-line to see who the players were along with the expected first round pick plus the conditional first.

While that trade saga went on along with the hint that Tanner Jeannot was on the block with the Lightning interested, there was a game played at 33rd and 7th above Penn Station.

Coming off a 6-3 blowout loss to the Caps that could’ve been much worse had Igor Shesterkin not made a bunch of good saves, the Rangers knew they had to straighten out. Their play away from the puck was abominable. They gave up so many easy goals and scoring chances in transition that it was probably the worst game they’ve played during this season.

With the news circulating from the beat writers that neither Schneider nor Carpenter were expected to take a shift, that left Gallant with 16 skaters. Five defensemen (until Miller’s match penalty) and 11 forwards were available. That meant some line tweaks when Gallant wanted to use Barclay Goodrow and Tyler Motte. Solid checking forwards that can be used anywhere.

Playing without Lindgren, who they still termed “day-to-day,” the Rangers went with Niko Mikkola on the top pair alongside Adam Fox. Miller and Jacob Trouba were the second pair. That left Ben Harpur to take shifts when necessary. At least that was the plan.

After giving him the third period off on Saturday, Gallant went back to Shesterkin for a second straight start. It went much better. Instead of being hung out to dry, he got plenty of help from more focused teammates who came back defensively. It was night and day.

In a lineup switch, Tarasenko played mostly with Mika Zibanejad and Chris Kreider. A place he will likely be once Kane arrives. The plan looks like he’ll play with familiar former teammate Artemi Panarin with the red hot Vincent Trocheck in the middle. Tarasenko again didn’t distinguish himself. He hasn’t been good since Panarin set him up 2:43 into his Rangers debut.

Following an early power play that did nothing except miss the net, the Rangers were at least able to stifle the Kings, who initially came out strong. They tested Shesterkin early and often. But a focused Shesterkin turned aside Anze Kopitar, Adrian Kempe, and Kevin Fiala.

With the defense more committed to blocking shots, both Kreider and Harpur got in the path of a pair of Matt Roy attempts. An underrated Kings defenseman who has had a good year. As a team, the Blueshirts blocked 17 shots led by Harpur (5) and Trouba (4). Both played pivotal roles in the win, with each logging 33 shifts and over 28 minutes apiece.

On what was an effective forechecking shift from both Filip Chytil and Kaapo Kakko, Alexis Lafreniere was able to take a Kakko feed and have his shot from the left circle take a good bounce off Jonathan Quick for his 11th with six minutes left.

Not long after the goal, there was a state of confusion during a stoppage at the 16:37 mark of the first period. Refs Eric Furlatt and Brandon Schrader got together to figure out what happened during a scrum between Miller and Doughty. Nobody knew what was going on. It was perplexing.

When they announced that they had given Miller a match penalty, which means a game misconduct and automatic review for spitting on Doughty, it was shocking. However, the evidence didn’t lie. MSG replays clearly showed Miller spitting with the loogie landing on Doughty. Yikes.

The incident gave the Kings a five-minute power play with 3:23 remaining in the period. That ridiculous major penalty could’ve swung the momentum. Even if it wasn’t deliberate with a very remorseful Miller seeking out Doughty following the game, it’s something that can’t happen. It was interesting how there was no real overreaction to what happened.

On the first part of the five-on-four, the Kings came close to tying it twice. Both times, it was Kempe who had great opportunities. On a nice setup in the slot, he beat Shesterkin with a shot that went off the crossbar and stayed out. A bit later, he was one on one with Shesterkin, who wisely came out to deny his backhand deke by making a great diving save and covering the puck to cheers.

Those were the two best chances the Kings had. It was their best finisher. He just couldn’t convert. Had he, the game could’ve changed. Instead, the Rangers were able to kill off the remaining 97 seconds at the start of the second period.

Able to grab the momentum back, they struck quickly. On a shift where he was out with both Zibanejad and Kreider, Trocheck had the good fortune to have a pass in front deflect off a Kings’ player past Quick to make it 2-0 at 2:02.

Despite being down three players, including two defensemen, it was the Rangers who chased Quick when Trocheck had a wrist shot fool the future USA Hockey Hall Of Famer. That gave him two goals in 1:35, making it 3-0. Quick looks like he’s near the end of a brilliant career. He’s been outplayed by surprising revelation Pheonix Copley. The 31-year old journeyman replaced a visibly frustrated Quick.

I have to admit I was a little surprised that Kings coach Todd McLellan went with Quick for a second straight start. He was in for their 3-2 win over the Islanders. I would’ve thought Copley, who has the 17-4-2 record, would be in the net. He gives them the best chance to win. Copley is a great story. He only got two games with the Caps last season. Prior to ’21-22, he hadn’t played in the NHL since ’18-19.

The reason LA is where they are in a very good Pacific Division is due to the defensive style they play. They’re very disciplined and play a 1-3-1 that can frustrate opponents. They are a tight checking team that can forecheck and create more offense thanks to the addition of Kevin Fiala. If they make the playoffs, nobody will want to see them. They nearly took out Edmonton last year. Connor McDavid put on a spectacular performance to lead the Oilers past them in seven games.

One thing about the Kings. They never quit. Even in a game, it wasn’t their night they came back to make it interesting. A Mikola holding minor late in the second allowed LA to get on the scoreboard.

On what was a fluky play, Viktor Arvidsson waited just long enough for an Arthur Kaliyev high rebound to come down where he batted the puck in for a power play goal. Due to how close his stick was when it made contact with the puck, they immediately checked upstairs. They ruled good goal on the ice.

Initially, I thought it would get overturned. But after seeing another replay, based on where Arvidsson made contact with the puck, it looked to be at crossbar height. That made it a legal play. They confirmed it as a good goal to a few boos. You have to understand the rule.

Arvidsson’s 18th on the power play from Kaliyev and Phillip Danault made it 3-1 with 1:48 left in the period. They would go to the locker room trailing by two.

The Rangers were still in good position. The question was, would they get tired in the third. It didn’t start particularly well.

After both Kopitar and Quinton Byfield went wide on shots, Byfield was then stopped by Shesterkin on a deflection. However, on the next shift, there were chances at both ends. Trocheck went for the hat trick on a rush but missed wide. That allowed the Kings to counter up ice with Danault passing for Roy, who beat Shesterkin with a good shot high blocker to cut it to one at 1:27.

On the goal, Panarin got caught pinching while covering the point. A no-no when you’re leading. Gallant didn’t look too pleased. But the Bread Man atoned for the defensive miscue by scoring a huge goal on the following shift.

Panarin looked to have a sure goal. But a diving Copley made a great sprawling save. However, his own teammate Sean Walker banged into him, sending him down. That allowed Panarin to put the rebound into the open part of the net upstairs for his 19th from Trocheck. That goal came only 44 seconds after Roy scored. It was a huge answer to restore a two-goal lead.

With Alex Edler off for hooking Kreider, the Blueshirts extended their lead to 5-2 thanks to some artful passing. Both Panarin and Adam Fox played catch before Fox sent a perfect feed across for a wicked Zibanejad one-timer into the short side for his 18th power play goal. He’s up to 31 on the season.

It was a pretty cool thing to see Zibanejad score. During the late stages of the second, he made a diving block of a hard shot that went right off his foot. He was down writhing in pain. The crowd definitely was concerned and chanter, “Mika, Mika” as he got to his feet and was helped off the ice.

It looked bad. But when he returned for the third, he got a loud ovation. Thankfully, he was okay. If this team goes anywhere, Zibanejad will be a big reason why. One of the best acquisitions in franchise history (thanks Jeff Gorton), Zibanejad is the best forward they have. It’s hard to believe Gorton stole him for Derick Brassard. What a player he’s become. The five-goal game and his virtuoso performance in last year’s playoffs are proof of what a terrific player he is.

It would be nice to see Mika Magic get 40 goals again. He deserves it. A complete player who plays both sides of the puck, Zibanejad is the star of this team. He makes $8.5 million on average. A bargain. He took less to stay when they signed him to an extension. That’s a T-E-A-M player.

With the Rangers ahead by three goals, it was too much for the Kings to overcome. For one night at least, the shorthanded Rangers showed a lot of mettle. They defended well and came back.

Shesterkin didn’t have to stand on his head or face uncontested odd-man rushes or breakaways. He made the key saves en route to 26 in winning his 26th game of the season. By allowing two goals, it was the first time in eight games he’d done that. The last time came on Jan. 23 versus Florida.

I posted the three stars on our official Twitter account. It was nice to give out three stars to Rangers.

https://twitter.com/BattleOfHudson/status/1630015798323433472?t=9ii45YZxmayobPmbdiS_ag&s=19

After the game, it was revealed that the Lightning gave up a lot for Tanner Jeannot. A hard-nosed, physical player who plays the game with edge and toughness, he obviously had a lot more value than anyone would’ve thought. The Bolts were willing to include Cal Foote and five draft picks just to acquire the 25-year old Jeannot. That’s nuts. But when you’re a team committed to winning like Tampa, it’s worth it.

The Lightning obviously thinks Jeannot’s rugged style is a perfect fit. He should slot in on the third line with Nick Paul. I view it as an answer to the Leafs recently trading for Ryan O’Reilly and Noel Acciari. Jeannot is also on an entry-level contract. He is restricted this summer. There’s no doubt the Lightning will sign him long-term like they did with Paul.

Maybe thinking they had to make another move today, the Maple Leafs countered by acquiring both Sam Lafferty and Jake McCabe from the Blackhawks for a conditional first round pick and second round pick. Joey Anderson and Pavel Gogolev also went back to Chicago. The Leafs received conditional fifth round picks in 2024 and 2025.

I was someone who wanted Lafferty. He brings a lot to the table. A player who possesses good speed along with grit, he went to Chicago and scored 10 goals and added 17 assists while becoming a fixture on the penalty kill. That’s a smart move by Toronto. Adding McCabe to a questionable blue line should help. This is all in anticipation for the big first round rematch with Tampa.

It’s obvious that the Leafs are all in this year. If they can finally get out of the first round, they think they can go all the way. They’d have to likely go through both the Lightning and the Bruins just to make the Conference Finals. The Atlantic Division just got very interesting.

With both the Red Wings and Sabres pushing hard to get back to the playoffs with strong competition from the Islanders, Penguins, Panthers, and Capitals, it’s going to go down to the wire. Whoever wins those two wildcard spots will earn it.

As for the Blueshirts, it’s now a waiting game. We all know Kane is coming. He’s getting his wish, which to me feels a little selfish. He sure didn’t do right by the Blackhawks. They’re not going to get much for the greatest American born player. That’s who Kane is. But this is his choice. He had the power.

I ran a poll on Twitter that received 280 votes. The topic was Kane.

https://twitter.com/BattleOfHudson/status/1629838675050655745?t=iT_qkXLygY3z4xjLJ0NAgA&s=19

You can argue either side. Kane won the Blackhawks three Cups. He and Jonathan Toews were an unbelievable dynamic duo that turned them around. You could say he owes them nothing. He has plenty of hardware.

The flip side is that he made it impossible for them to get fair value. He’s a superstar. Even at 34, Showtime can be a difference maker. Who’d you rather have from watching them? Tarasenko or Kane. Kane still looks to have the skating and skill. Tarasenko hasn’t proven much since coming over. He clearly is struggling. Maybe once Kane puts on the Rangers jersey, it’ll alleviate some pressure.

When it happens, Jimmy Vesey goes from the top line to the fourth line. It’s a much better fit where he’ll likely play with Goodrow and Motte. That’s a real fourth line. It’ll be interesting to see how it all unfolds.

That’s gonna do it. What trade will happen next? Don’t answer that! 😉

Posted in Column, NYRangers | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Devils acquire Timo Meier in blockbuster, complicated trade

Posted on February 26, 2023 by hasan4978

If this regular season hasn’t already become a dream come true for Devils fans on the ice, GM Tom Fitzgerald today put an exclamation point on that this afternoon by pushing his chips to the middle of the table in a long-rumored and nerve-wracking trade negotiation before finally getting his man in Sharks winger Timo Meier just days before the Friday trade deadline. Meier – who has 31 goals in 52 games this year after scoring 37 last season – was clearly the key prize of this year’s trade deadline, and with the Devils in the market for another big top six winger since at least this offseason after the ill-fated Matt Thachuk and Johnny Gaudreau negotiations, Meier became Fitzy’s latest white whale.

This time, the white whale got bagged though. It feels a little silly to obsess over what we gave up, but make no mistake it was a lot in terms of quantity at least.

Perhaps the most questionable thing about the deal is the lack of an extension in place for Timo in it, at least on paper. However, given the Devils’ Swiss connection and upward trajectory combined with all of what they gave up I’m not too worried they’ll figure out a way to sign the 26-year old long-term at some point soon. It’s not likely any of the other names we got back will factor in with the big club – apart from maybe the veteran Harrington as an #8D – since the Sharks needed to shed some organizational depth being almost at the limit of fifty contracts. Swapping late round picks in 2024 feels so random, almost as if that was what was needed to balance it out on a trade meter in NHL24.

As far as what we gave up, obviously the inane rumors of Dawson Mercer had no legs and they clearly weren’t giving up prized prospect defensemen Luke Hughes or Simon Nemec. Giving up Fabian Zetterlund wasn’t exactly my favorite part of the trade but it seemed like he was on too short a leash at times here this year, at least he’ll get a full run with the Sharks and will probably be a solid role player in years to come. Mukhamadullin was a fairly recent first-round pick playing in the KHL who even Fitzy admitted was almost ready for a look at the NHL, but given the fact we had three core defensemen signed long-term plus Hughes and Nemec higher up on the prospect value chart, the chances for Muk to make a big impact seemed very narrow.

To a degree the same was true of Okhotyuk, a 2019 2nd rounder who actually did get in some NHL games last season and this, but would have almost certainly topped out as a back-pairing defenseman here. Maybe elsewhere he’ll have a shot to carve out a little better celling than that. I’m sure a main reason for giving up as much stuff as we did was also the fact that Timo’s salary for this year was basically offloaded between the 50% retention on his contract and the Sharks also taking back Andreas Johnsson’s bloated cap hit. That alone was probably worth at least an Okhotyuk with Timo returning the equivalent of either three first-rounders, or two firsts and a second. If we’re giving up the second first-rounder it’ll be because we at least made the Conference Finals in one of the next two years so it’s not like we’d be ceding a lottery pick in any case.

What was almost comical is how word of the trade for Meier leaked at 4:30 yet it took over four more hours for all the details to officially leak, secrecy that would have made Lou Lamoriello himself proud. Perhaps the delay was at least in part because Muk was still asleep overseas and couldn’t be notified for a while. Even Zetterlund hadn’t been notified an hour later (per a call from beat guy Ryan Novozinsky) as the trade call still hadn’t gone through at that time. Also apparently an injury concern for one of the minor parts of this deal held things up, per Elliotte Friedman.

Finally we got all the details though, just in time for prime time in the East haha. And almost instantaneously, both Fitzgerald and Meier met the media earlier tonight. In fact, the first thing I’m going to do after finishing this blog is listen to both before bed (or not, after seeing both are about twenty-five minutes long). I’d rather get away from the computer now as it’s been a long day, with too many hours obsessively checking for first whether there would be a trade, then news on the actual trade itself.

One thing I did see though, was the quick four minute hit that Fitzy did with team reporter Amanda Stein on YouTube before the formal presser.

You’d think there wouldn’t be much newsworthy to come out of a four-minute quickie on the team website but, Fitz actually did say something quite notable remarking on how building the team was about ‘adding players like Dougie, adding guys like Palat, bringing in guys like Tatar, signing Jack, Nico and Jesper will be next‘. Uh…what? Assuming Fitzy isn’t drunk on optimism after this trade, there might actually be some light at the end of the tunnel for the Jesper Bratt contract saga now.

He also made the obligatory comment about hoping to sign Meier long-term but if any team’s positioned to do that given our cap space in future years, given our contention window is now wide open and given the Swiss connection, it’s us. Clearly Fitz and the organization isn’t content to just return to the playoffs and take their bows with a gallant early exit, they’re not backing down to the Hurricanes, Rangers or even the Bruins at this point. This is go time and I’m all in for it!

Posted in Devils, Trade Deadline | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Devils’ dominance against the Flyers a fitting celebration of ’03 cup champs

Posted on February 26, 2023 by hasan4978

On a rare night where the Devils welcomed back many of their Cup-winning icons from the 2003 champions, this current itineration of the Devils had a rare laugher of a win over a once-proud but now clearly rebuilding Flyers team. This, despite the fact for a period plus last night it looked like the same desultory hockey we’ve seen against the Flyers this season, going back all the way to Opening Night when we got smoked in Philly in what seemed like a continuation of the loserdom we’d been afflicted with the previous several years. We also lost a brutal game against them in early December when Damon Severson’s turnover led to the winning goal and his own benching the rest of the night.

Even our only win before last night against Philly came when rookie Akira Schmid had what was then his best game of the season, making 31 saves in a 3-2 win. I’m not gonna lie that I was concerned about their toughness being a bad matchup for us, even more so when I saw Fabian Zetterlund (one of our few physical forwards) was scratched last night. However in the last two periods, finally the talent difference showed for the first and only time this season in the teams’ head-to-head matchup. A talent difference that Flyers coach John Tortorella acknowledged in the postgame:

He’s almost being generous describing it as a few years ago, but in a way it’s true. They are seemingly in the 2015-16 Devils part of their rebuild, only with some dreadful long-term contracts on the books they have to ride out, which we really didn’t have. In my love-hate relationship with Tortorella I’ll give him mad props for taking over a rebuild, usually coaches with his pedigree are above that kind of challenge late in their career and want to go only to win-now teams. Granted, Torts has already gone through the meat grinder with four other teams and everyone knows his style isn’t for the faint of heart, so at a certain point you run out of options if you want to keep coaching but still.

Fortunately we’re finally out of the long, dark tunnel we’ve been stuck in the last few years, and the light at the end of it wasn’t actually an oncoming train. As much as I was tempted to come home and relive every moment of this drubbing, at a certain point you kind of run out of things to say about a 7-0 game. You have to start by giving Schmid credit and congratulations on his first career NHL shutout and a triumphant start to his third act this year after losing his last four games over his prior two callups (though he had a bunch of solid starts before then in his initial callup).

He didn’t have to make a lot of great saves (especially later in the game as it became a rout), but as the saying goes – they don’t ask how, they ask how many. He made every save last night, which was the only thing that mattered. If last night was a great night for the Devils franchise in general, it was also a great night for Switzerland hockey fans – as all three Swiss Devil players earned the three stars of the night, led by a surprising three-point outburst from Jonas Siegenthaler getting him the first goal of the game and the first star on the night. Nico Hischier rounded out the Swiss contingent in the three stars with a goal and an assist of his own.

Really though, you could have picked out like ten guys to be on the three stars list and not gotten much of an argument last night. Yet somehow only three guys managed to have multi-point games in a seven-goal game where all seven goals came from different players. Talk about balanced scoring! Jack Hughes was the other player besides Nico and Siegenthaler to have multiple points and both of them were on typically pretty plays – a breakaway goal in the second period, and an even better spin-o-rama assist on a Jesper Bratt goal in the third period.

At that point you could have cued up the iconic Sweet Georgia Brown (anthem of the Globetrotters) and not been out of place. It’s the kind of beatdown we see so few of, especially against a bitter rival. Ironically, one of the few other laughers we had this season was a game against Torts’ former team in Columbus, a game I missed while watching my football team stink up the joint against its bitter rival.

To have it come on the same night where we honored an iconic championship team made it all the more fun. As expected, the ceremony itself hit every right note. First off, there was definitely a retro feel when the Devils came onto the ice in warmups wearing white jerseys to the sound of the Meadowlands goal horn. Another nice retro touch was playing Standing In Motion – one of the most popular CAA songs – as the background music while the ’03 Devils and staff all got introduced during the ceremony.

It was nice to be able to see and cheer a lot of old heroes, although as fun as it is to cheer Ken Daneyko at a reunion for the thousandth time or Martin Brodeur for the hundredth time, and as nice it is to see Scott Gomez with his storytelling gift of gab (one he freely cops to!), it was just as fun to see guys like Brian Gionta come back to the arena for one of the few times since leaving for Montreal in 2009 and get a nice ovation. Granted, he wasn’t a big part of the 2003 team in just his second season as a back six player, but he soon developed into a more key figure with 21 goals the next season, then the out-of-nowhere 48-goal explosion following the lockout.

To a degree I’d actually have mixed feelings about seeing Hughes break the Gionta team record for goals this year. Don’t get me wrong, Hughes is must-see TV (as fellow 2003 Cup winner Joe Nieuwendyk – among others – put it this week), and should be one of the leaders of the next great Devils team to come so I’ll likely feel differently after some big playoff runs. But at the moment it’s kind of fun having someone like Gio have such a place in Devils history – an unheralded, homegrown guy who developed into a true star, albeit only for the one season. Not to mention his 48-goal season came during a memorable second half that saw the Devils come from way back to earn the division title on the last day of the season in 2006, with Gio’s final two goals pacing the way in the dramatic 0-3 comeback at Montreal.

At this point it’s hard to see Hughes getting to 50 having that kind of meaning in the regular season, although it’s certainly possible they go down to the wire with Carolina for the division this year and that could wind up mattering depending on matchups I suppose. It’s not as if the playoffs were ever really in doubt after the thirteen-game heater early in the season though, other than during the one malaise in December. The 2005-06 Devils actually weren’t a sure thing to make the playoffs as late as mid-March when they were still just eight points above NHL .500, shortly before their eleven-game winning streak to close out the season, win the division and set up an exorcism of the Ranger playoff demon in the first round with a memorable four-game destruction.

Getting back to 2003, and last night – it had one more touching coda with a tribute to the late Pat Burns, punctuated by having his widow carry the Cup onto the ice along with captain Scott Stevens.

It is too bad the coach didn’t get a chance to take part in these festivities himself, and totally shambolic he didn’t get into the Hockey Hall of Fame until a few years after his passing, but at least that team was able to get him a deserved Stanley Cup (and eventual induction into the HHOF, since it’s probably doubtful even a three-time Jack Adams winner gets in without a title). Part of me actually hoped last night’s game ended at 3-0 for the symbolism, given that Game 7 of the SCF in 2003 – and the first two games of the series as well – all ended 3-0 for the home team. Of course, who’s really gonna turn down an extra four goals when you get them?

Now that we’re done looking back, comes looking forward with the trade deadline on Friday afternoon, but speculation is the long-rumored Timo Meier trade will likely be finalized in the next day or two, and probably without an extension – ideally lessening the trade cost, if we’re the ones to acquire the big Swiss winger, as we’ve been favored to for seemingly months. It would certainly be fitting to close out that trade the day after the Devils’ swiss army ambushed the Flyers.

Posted in Devils | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Listless Rangers receive Capital Punishment, Lindgren injured on Oshie hit, lack of structure hangs Shesterkin out to dry, season worst four-game losing streak as potential Kane deal on horizon

Posted on February 25, 2023 by Derek

If this had been a prize fight, they would’ve stopped it early. The Caps win by TKO. A struggling team that had lost six in a row all in regulation, they demolished the listless Rangers in blowout fashion, winning a game that was never close by a score of 6-3.

The final tally was misleading. It was pure dominance by a desperate team who’s seen their playoff chances decrease. After trading key cogs Dmitry Orlov and Garnet Hathaway to Boston, the Capitals were looking for anything positive headed into Saturday’s early matinee.

They found it thanks to the Rangers, who lost a season worst fourth straight game. Technically, it’s three in a row. The first defeat came at Calgary in overtime. Right now, they can’t get out of their own way. There are too many defensive issues plaguing the team as we approach the much anticipated trade deadline.

With the potential for a Patrick Kane deal imminent, the Rangers pawned off Vitaly Kravtsov to the Canucks for William Lockwood and a seventh round pick in 2026. Essentially, it was a salary dump of a 23-year old player whose value severely decreased in large part due to how things went this season.

If you actually care to read about that story, you can refer to what I wrote previously. I’m not going to rehash it. Kravtsov’s days had been numbered for a while. His $875,000 salary cap hit is off the books. That’s all he was worth.

Prior to the trade, the Rangers waived Jake Leschyshyn. That created more room on the roster. Leschyshyn was a placeholder. He played on the fourth line.

While much of the discussion centered around what was or wasn’t happening off the ice on ABC/ESPN, the Rangers humiliated themselves on national TV. They were brutal. There was again no structure, which led to many easy Capitals’ odd-man rushes in transition. They really made the Rangers pay for their lackluster play by outscoring them 4-0 during a mind-numbing second period.

The game was ugly. It got starred early. On an undisciplined tripping minor that Barclay Goodrow took in the offensive zone, the Rangers penalty killing unit swarmed Alexander Ovechkin. Although that part was good, they completely forgot about T.J. Oshie, who was left alone to tip home an Erik Gustafsson shot for a 1-0 Caps lead at 2:37.

With the Rangers scrambling around, the Caps continued to create scoring chances on Shesterkin. Despite getting chased for five goals on 22 shots with most of the damage coming in a dismal second period, he made several good saves. This isn’t on him. It’s about how poorly the team is playing in front of both goalies. Jaroslav Halak got victimized the other night.

Goodrow would make up for his early penalty. A slumping player who needed a goal in the worst way, he managed to redirect a Tyler Motte shot by Darcy Kuemper to tie the game at 8:00. It was his first goal since Jan. 16. That gets him to 10. Hopefully, that can be a confidence booster for Goodrow.

The ugliest part of the day came when Oshie delivered a tough hit on Ryan Lindgren. What made it so bad was that he crunched Lindgren right into the boards with his left arm exposed. Obviously, in a lot of pain, he immediately went to the locker room and never returned.

This could be a very serious injury. If early reports are any indication, the Rangers could be without the glue of their blue line for a while. It looked bad. Following the game, New York Post columnist Larry Brooks reporter that Lindgren had his left arm in a sling. He’s an important player who really makes a difference. If they’re going to be without him, that’s not encouraging.

On the following shift, Goodrow made Oshie accountable by dropping the gloves. It wasn’t that entertaining a fight. However, the message was delivered.

As far as the hit from Oshie, who immediately checked on Lindgren and apologized as caught on a live mic he was wearing, it’s hard for me to classify the heavy hit dirty. Of course, you never want to see any player get hurt. Especially one who’s as valuable to this team as the gritty warrior wearing number 55.

While Gerard Gallant voiced his displeasure during the postgame about the hit, indicating he felt it should’ve been a five-minute major, I happen to agree with former ref turned ESPN rules analyst Dave Jackson. The hit wasn’t from directly behind. It was one of those hits you see in the league where there’s not much that can be done. I’m sure it’ll continue to be hotly debated.

If there was a disappointing part of the game, it was the Rangers not grabbing momentum from what Goodrow did. They blew a golden opportunity. After Tom Wilson interfered with Niko Mikkola, Evgeny Kuznetsov slashed Filip Chytil, who went down in pain. They reviewed the penalty to determine if it was a major. However, they felt it wasn’t a spear. So, it went as a two-minute slashing minor.

The Rangers still had 57 seconds of a five-on-three. But they never made the Capitals pay for their indiscretions. Kuemper made one good save on a hard Artemi Panarin one-timer. He hardly had to work. The power play was too tentative. They didn’t attack the Caps three penalty killers the way they should have. That really came back to bite them.

In a perplexing period where the shots remained in single digits despite both goalies having to stay busy, the Rangers killed off a Mikola tripping minor for taking down Nicolas Aube-Kubel.

After having to fend for himself by stoning Dylan Strome and household name Trevor van Riemsdyk earlier, Shesterkin made two routine saves on Gustafsson and Kuznetsov. He also was fortunate that Lars Eller missed on an uncontested rush. That’s how defensively inept the Rangers were.

The second was a total meltdown. If you could burn the tape, you would. It was like watching the end of the Alain Vigneault Era. Easy Caps breakouts. Odd-man rushes. Point blank chances. They also buried four past Shesterkin, who was helpless.

Following key Kuemper stops on Kaapo Kakko and Alexis Lafreniere, here came the Caps. On a play that was symbolic of what’s going wrong, Strome found a wide open Oshie in the slot where he beat Shesterkin over the glove for his second of the day at 3:16.

Even in a game where he was targeted following the big hit that knocked Lindgren out of the game, Oshie took his lumps. Jacob Trouba stepped up on him during a shift. It didn’t matter. Oshie simply played his game. That would also include an assist to give him a Gordie Howe hat trick.

While Shesterkin was left to fend for himself by having to stop another household name in Martin Fehervary, the Caps continued to expose the Rangers defense, which played without Lindgren. That meant Mikkola moved up with an ineffective Adam Fox, who had one of those games. It meant another dizzying performance from K’Andre [Poke Check] Miller. Trouba did what he could. That also meant Ben Harpur back with Braden Schneider. It didn’t go well.

Tom Wilson was able to score from in close to make it 3-1. Trocheck was too late. He’s playing with defensive wizards Panarin and Vladimir Tarasenko. Back Checking Optional.

There was a lot of intensity from both sides. Nick Jensen hit Filip Chytil and Kakko during a shift. Fehervary checked Kakko, who doesn’t like being hit. There was definitely animosity throughout. You could sense the frustration.

Chytil and Kuznetsov got into it during a scrum a couple of shifts later. Each went off for matching roughs. After Trocheck had a tip-in denied by a sharp Kuemper on an excellent Panarin pass, Shesterkin stopped Eller twice.

Back at even strength, Oshie just missed a hat trick with his shot ringing off the goalpost. Both Kuznetsov and Sonny Milano followed up on the rebound, with the latter able to stuff the puck across the goal line before Goodrow could prevent the Caps’ third goal of the period.

How bad was it? Even Dylan McIlrath got a shot on Shesterkin. He played solidly in nearly 16 minutes as an emergency call-up with Orlov gone. Let’s put it this way. Another former high Rangers first round pick, who never saw the time of day under Vigneault, looked more capable than many of our six remaining defensemen.

Kuznetsov would add to the misery late in the second when he got free to convert on a backhand from Aube-Kubel and Fehervary to make it four unanswered Caps’ goals. They led 5-1 after two.

With the Kravtsov news circulating, I couldn’t believe how little they got back. I guess I shouldn’t have been surprised. He hardly played recently. That was Gallant’s choice. It really hurt his value. I’ve seen many people only blaming Kravtsov due to what happened last season. That was near the end of 2021. If this was how it was going to be, why did they even bring him back? It never made sense.

By the third period, I had tuned out. The ESPN/ABC feed was horrible. The audio sounded like it was coming from a basement or sewer. It’s pretty embarrassing. Yikes. Not many people like their telecasts. But the Ray Ferraro hate is ridiculous. He’s a pro and is very good.

I did switch to ESPN Radio to listen to Don LaGreca and Dave Maloney. I like LaGreca. He’s always been a good guy who’s worked hard at his craft. Too bad be works with such a pompous blowhard during the week.

With the game all but decided, it was easier to listen to LaGreca call the action. The Caps tried their best to get the Blueshirts back in the game. Both Wilson and Strome received minor penalties with 14:14 remaining to hand them a full two-minute two-man advantage.

This time, Chris Kreider was able to cash in with his 25th goal when he redirected in a Fox shot to cut the deficit to 5-2 with still over 13 minutes left. However, the Rangers couldn’t convert on the second part of the power play.

Even though they played better in the third period, it was too little too late. Wilson and Ovechkin combined to send Kuznetsov on a breakaway against reliever Halak. He pulled a Forsberg to score for the second time with 6:38 left. That put it out of reach. It also was Kuznetsov’s fourth point of the game.

Gallant predictably sprinkled in some changes to his lines. He had Tarasenko take shifts with Lafreniere and Chytil. Kakko moved up to play with Zibanejad and Kreider.

In what was a goal in garbage time, Kakko put home his 12th from Kreider and Zibanejad at 19:32. It was just window dressing. Otherwise, what a forgettable game. Losing to a slumping team that’s looking to retool. The definition of a bad loss.

There’s nothing more to say. As Gallant and Trouba said afterward, it’s time to move on. The Kings visit MSG on Sunday. That’ll be the Rangers’ third game over four days. They need to respond. They’re lucky the Islanders laid an egg in a 3-2 home loss on Friday to those same Kings. Otherwise, the lead for third would be down to six.

Of course, they have more games remaining. Three more than the Islanders, who are in the first wildcard position with 67 points. But they only have 20 left. The Rangers have 23 to go. They’re still solidly in third place, six behind the Devils who are honoring their 2003 Stanley Cup team tonight.

If a trade happens, I’ll be back with more. Enjoy the rest of the weekend.

https://twitter.com/BattleOfHudson/status/1629592667213496325?t=-DLb3ZlUjd3J_zVdbXAMRA&s=19

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Kravtsov dumped to Canucks for cap room, Kane next?

Posted on February 25, 2023 by Derek

In what amounted to a salary dump, the Rangers dealt Vitaly Kravtsov to the Canucks in exchange for William Lockwood and a 2026 seventh round pick.

Once thought by the organization as a key piece to the rebuild when he was selected ninth overall in the 2018 NHL Draft under former GM Jeff Gorton, it didn’t work out for Kravtsov.

After showing promise initially by scoring two goals and adding two assists over 20 games under David Quinn, the Rangers prospect made the mistake of going back home to Russia to play in the KHL. Displeased over not making the NHL roster in 2021-22, which led to him being sent down to Hartford, Kravtsov got bad advice from his agent.

He decided not to play for the Wolf Pack in the AHL. Instead, he returned home to play for Chelyabinsk Traktor of the KHL. After struggling initially, Kravtsov finished with six goals and seven assists in 19 games last season. A good showing in the Gagarin Cup Playoffs helped him.

Despite putting in a trade request, he and the current Team President and GM Chris Drury were able to work out their differences. Kravtsov returned to the Rangers for his second opportunity on Broadway. He found it hard to crack the lineup and play consistently under coach Gerard Gallant.

Early injuries didn’t help. However, once he got healthy, Kravtsov was moved around by Gallant. Without any line consistency that also affected Alexis Lafreniere and Kaapo Kakko during the first half, his ice time fluctuated. There was a good stretch in January where he was playing better hockey. But Gallant didn’t have enough patience to stick with him.

In a lineup where the demanding coach preferred the more experienced two-way capabilities of Jimmy Vesey and Barclay Goodrow, Kravtsov became the odd man out. Once they acquired Vladimir Tarasenko, he was only given one game to play by Gallant. Despite the Rangers winning over Seattle on Feb. 10 with Vincent Trocheck and Chris Kreider producing, the coach singled out Kravtsov. He never played another game.

Instead, waiver wire pickup Jake Leschyshyn played over him. The reasoning was that Kravtsov was not a fourth line player. While that’s true, was there any harm in trying him with Goodrow and Tyler Motte? At least they could’ve showcased him.

Instead, a player who had three goals and three assists in 28 games had his value plummet. So devalued was Kravtsov that there was hardly any interest. He is a restricted free agent after the season. Perhaps the threat of returning to the KHL scared potential suitors off.

It doesn’t fully explain the lack of asset management by the Rangers. They basically got nothing in return for a former first round pick who has the skating and capability to become a top nine forward. Gallant’s words.

Despite how he was handled, Kravtsov showed up early for team practices and morning skates. He continued to prepare as if he were playing. Something beat reporters Mollie Walker and Vince Mercogliano noted along with Colin Stephenson. If he had such a bad attitude, that wouldn’t be the case.

At some point, Kravtsov realized he was never going to get a realistic chance here. Once Gallant settled on a top nine that included Vesey playing with Chris Kreider and Mika Zibanejad, it was obvious that the writing was on the wall. With Artemi Panarin playing alongside Tarasenko and Trocheck, that left Lafreniere with Kakko and Filip Chytil on the cohesive third line that played a key role during last year’s playoffs.

The last two games, the Rangers went with 11 forwards and 7 defensemen due to “roster management.” The translation for trade coming. With all the rumors surrounding Patrick Kane, who apparently only would waive his full no-movement clause for the Rangers, it was very apparent that Drury had to create room to acquire Kane. He didn’t practice Friday and wasn’t with the Blackhawks today. They’re scheduled to play the Sharks, who will again scratch the much rumored Timo Meier.

By having the Canucks absorb the $875,000 salary Kravtsov makes that freed up enough cap space to make the much anticipated move that’s been over-discussed forever. If Kane has agreed to waive his NMC, he could be a Ranger by later tonight.

It’s only a question of who goes back to the Blackhawks. They don’t have any leverage, which means the return for the future Hall Of Famer won’t be that good. Assuming it happens this weekend, who knows what the package will consist of.

If you’re a Blackhawks fan, you should be disappointed. It’s not going to be fair value for a great player who was instrumental in helping the franchise win three Stanley Cups. One of the greatest players in Blackhawks history, Kane has totaled 446 goals with 779 assists for 1,225 points. His last game was on Feb. 22. He left an imprint on Dallas by scoring twice and setting up a goal in a Hawks’ 4-3 comeback win over the Stars. His last four games, Kane went 7-3-10.

The Rangers weren’t even expecting to be in this position. They thought once they acquired Vladimir Tarasenko along with defenseman Niko Mikkola, whose importance has become crucial due to the injury Ryan Lindgren suffered in an ugly blowout 6-3 loss to the Capitals earlier this afternoon, they were not going to be in on Kane.

However, things have drastically changed over the past week. With Kane proving healthy and many sources hinting that he only would accept a trade to NYC, that had to alter the Rangers’ plans. If you can get a player of Kane’s caliber on the cheap, it’s understandable why Drury would change his mind.

This is a player who had instant chemistry with Artemi Panarin, who spent his first two years in Chicago before they couldn’t afford him. The unique combination of Kane and Panarin is irresistible. Especially based on the thought process.

While the current roster is having issues keeping pucks out of their net due to a defensive collapse that’s led to the longest winless streak (0-3-1) of the season, they’re hoping a trade for Kane would re-energize the club. They imploded once T.J. Oshie delivered a tough hit on Ryan Lindgren that ended his day. Lindgren, who was seen wearing a sling on his left arm, is the glue of the blue line. If it is what I fear, he could be out for significant time. Eight weeks possibly.

If the worst-case scenario happens, it could alter what Drury does between now and March 3. He can add Kane, which still could require a third team to absorb some salary. Similar to what the Wild did when they were involved in recent trades with Toronto and Boston. However, losing Lindgren for a critical stretch could change things.

At the moment, the Rangers have six defensemen who’ll play tomorrow when the Kings visit MSG. Adam Fox. Jacob Trouba. K’Andre Miller. Niko Mikkola. Braden Schneider. Ben Harpur. What’s the story with Zac Jones? An AHL All-Star who probably deserves another shot is he part of a proposed trade for Kane? Or will he be recalled tomorrow.

There are many questions that still must be answered. With Kravtsov no longer a Ranger, he’ll finally have a better chance to play. However, if he thinks it’ll be easy under new Canucks bench boss Rick Tocchet, he better think again. Tocchet expects a lot from his forwards. It took Andrei Kuzmenko a few games to adjust. Now, he’s back to scoring goals.

Whether or not Gallant was sincere in what he said about Kravtsov, it came off fake. He never really warmed up to him. However, it’s time to move on. Best of luck to Kravtsov.

Now, we wait to hear about a bigger deal involving an American legend.

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Devils continue their comeback ways as trade deadline and ’03 Cup reunion approach

Posted on February 24, 2023 by hasan4978

At this point the Devils have become a weekly TV action series – start each episode by putting the protagonist in peril, then one way or another they find their way out of it. Our comeback heroics during this breakout year have become so pronounced, I’m literally starting to hope we just don’t use them all up during the regular season now. Coming from 2-0 behind last night against the Kings, and then rallying from 3-2 down in the final minute with an empty-net goal from Nico Hischier is a script we’ve seen quite a few times this year, both with the multi-goal comeback and with the game-tying empty netter late.

What made last night’s comeback particularly meaningful is that Dawson Mercer continued his breakout month with two goals (including the winner in OT) and an assist, giving the second-year forward a total of seven goals and nine points in his last five games. Mercer’s connection with Tomas Tatar got the Devils back in the game, first with Mercer winning a puck behind the net and getting it to Tatar in front for a goal late in the second, then Tatar returned the favor early in the third. Mercer himself couldn’t help but notice how both goals were remarkably similar.

Having a second line emerge would be huge for this team’s playoff chances. Perhaps the deadline will see some further alteration to the Devils’ forward group. It’s almost become a catch-22 though, on the one hand you don’t want to make some big, seismic trade that messes up the chemistry of a team that’s winning in such dramatic, pulsating ways. On the other hand, let’s face it – some of these results would probably be different in the playoffs if you had normal sudden death overtime instead of the 3-on-3 mini-game. We’ve excelled in the latter this season, we’ll have to figure out how to win the former when the time comes.

Still, it took a fair amount of resolve just to get to the mini-game last night after one comeback to tie the game at two, the Devils suffered a breakdown at an inopportune moment with Sean Durzi scoring off a cross-ice feed from (who else?) Anze Kopitar. Although the Devils did a good job limiting the volume of chances last night, the Kings took advantage of the quality in the few chances they did give up with Kopitar scoring a breakaway reminiscent of his 2012 Stanley Cup Final OT winner in the first period, then Victor Arvidsson scored on a two-on-one to put the Kings up two in the first period. After a rare off night against the Habs on Tuesday, it looked like we were about to go back into a malaise.

Of course, the Devils said not so fast my friend – first tying the game early in the third, then re-tying the game in the final minute with more dramatics, this time courtesy of the two franchise centers when a Jack Hughes feed found Nico open in front of the net for a redirection goal that tied the game again.

That goal was only a prelude to the dramatic winner, though quite deserved given that the Devils pretty much controlled play throughout the extra period as the Kings seemingly tried to play prevent and take their chances with the shootout. Can’t say I blame them on the one hand, as I said earlier we’ve been money in the extra session this year and Dougie Hamilton’s been a big reason why. He was once again instrumental in a winner last night, working a give-and-go with Mercer for the winner.

So far it’s been at least a decent homestand, sandwiching a dominant win over the Jets on Sunday and last night with Tuesday’s dud against a team in the Bedard Cup Playoffs. Tuesday’s 5-2 loss against the Habs actually ended our six-game home winning streak, but one that was hard to realize even was a streak considering those six wins came over a six-week span, given our two long road trips and All-Star bye week break since early January.

I’d rather not do any big picture analysis even though the big picture is almost upon us with the trade deadline about a week and a half away, and the playoffs less than two months away. I’ve already heard and read enough Timo Meier analysis (and more specifically analysis of potential trade packages) to drive me up a wall. Watch the Sharks troll everyone and take a total pass on trading him, waiting for the kind of return that doesn’t generally happen anymore. Reports suggest they’re holding out for Mercer to be included in such a deal, good luck with that – especially with him carving out his own niche as a key forward now. Teams just don’t trade twenty-one year old roster players like that in a cap system anymore. Lou Lamoriello dealing Brendan Morrison and others for Alexander Mogilny was a lifetime ago, pre-cap and pre-current FA rules.

Admittedly, Timo would round out the top six quite nicely and this Devils team could certainly use more depth come playoff time even if they don’t land that big fish. Especially with the rest of the East arming up, the Bruins’ statement trade last night put the league on notice, especially given their success already this year.

Our immediate concerns are more local though, given our position in the standings it’s likely we wouldn’t have to face the Bruins until the Eastern Conference Finals, which…would be a great problem to have. Assuming the Devils stay in the top three of the East, we have to concern ourselves more with the Rangers and Canes. And both teams are looking to load up as well – the Rangers have already struck with the Vladimir Tarasenko trade, not to mention the Patrick Kane speculation while the Canes are the other main speculated suitor for Timo. In theory winning the division and avoid the prospect of having to beat both Carolina and New York to get out of our bracket would be nice, but again I’m not gonna stress over seeding. Especially if we would only wind up playing a live underdog like the Islanders or last year’s President’s Cup winning Panthers.

Besides big picture future speculation, we’re also coming up on another celebration of the team’s storied past on Saturday – specifically the 20th reunion of the 2003 Stanley Cup champions, the third and (so far) last one in franchise history. It couldn’t come at a better time since for the first time in a decade, we can now see a path forward for the next great era of Devils hockey. Ironically that was the one playoff year where seeding and home-ice mattered, after the road warrior Devils won in 1995 and 2000 in large part by dominating away from New Jersey to the tune of a combined 20-3 road record, in 2003 it was all about home-ice with Pat Burns’ line matching, timely goalscoring and a stifling defense with Martin Brodeur in net leading the way to a third Cup in nine years.

For all my kvetching about how we won Cups as middle seeds in ’95 and ’00 while flaming out as top seeds in between and plenty of years after that, in ’03 winning the division over the Flyers by one point proved vital – both in ensuring home-ice for at least the first two rounds, and by avoiding what proved to be the stronger part of the draw that year. It doesn’t always work out that way but it seemed like some higher power was at work in 2003.

How else to explain swinging and missing on Teemu Selanne at the deadline, only for the unexciting deadline acquisitions of Grant Marshall and Pascal Rheaume to pay off big-time? Or all of Jeff Friesen’s timely goalscoring in the last two rounds of the playoffs? Granted, Friesen was a solid player for a decade in the NHL though he always got tagged with the weight of failed expectations out West after being an #11 overall pick, the narrative was always somehow about what he didn’t do – except in the 2003 postseason.

Maybe it was a higher power that helped Scott Stevens return after a scary head injury in the second round of the playoffs. These days he’d likely be in concussion protocol for weeks after being taken out of Game 3 after a Pavel Kubina dump-in slapshot went right off the side of his head. In 2003, he came right back into the lineup in Game 4 scoring a key goal and resuming his shutdown role of top-line players (in Tampa’s case, Vincent Lecavalier and Martin St. Louis).

Of course the defining series that year – even more than the surprisingly tense Finals win over the Ducks – was the Conference Finals against Ottawa. After two deceptively easy 4-1 series wins against Boston and Tampa Bay, the Devils entered as decided underdogs to the more talented President’s Trophy winners, led by young studs who we’d be hearing about for decades to come…Marian Hossa, Zdeno Chara, even a teenage Jason Spezza who drew in and had a big goal in Game 5.

We may have been the underdogs, but experience, guile and heart carried the day as the Devils ran out to a surprising 3-1 lead – all after a crushing Game 1 OT loss to boot! Of course, it wouldn’t be that easy against the best team in the league that year and the Senators followed a tight home win in Game 5 with a potentially crushing Game 6 OT winner in New Jersey. Being in the building for that game, I was in between expectant and hopeful to see the Devils win the conference trophy that night. After all, they’d already put up an 8-0 home record in the playoffs and logic said that was the game they needed to win that game to hold on in the series, but a gut-wrenching 2-1 defeat only set up an even more dramatic Game 7.

Falling behind on the road early only served to make the final chapters of this story even more compelling, as Jamie Langenbrunner’s two goals put the Devils back on the front foot and compelled Ottawa coach Jacques Martin to use his timeout early in the second period to settle his team down. Settle down they did, ironically it was a Friesen giveaway that led to Ottawa’s tying goal early in the third. Coach Burns joked afterward (or was it a joke?) that he told Friesen you owe me now. Boy, did he pay up – with the best assist of his career from Marshall on what would prove to be the Devils’ winning goal late in the third.

The Bob Cole call on CBC of the actual goal was much better than the Gary Thorne one (though Cole did amusingly mistake Marshall #29 for Scott Gomez #23, especially since Marshall had a rare Gomer-esque feed on the play), Thorne almost seemed to be willing a disallowed goal with his blunder that forever ruined the ESPN version of the call. Clearly the goal stood though, and the Devils wound up taking out the Senators at the death.

With a Stanley Cup Finals appearance set against the Cinderella Ducks, it was the Devils who were back in the role of favorite for this series. It would prove to be a home cooking series as the Devils followed stifling shutout wins in Games 1 and 2 with dramatic OT losses in Games 3 and 4 that put us back on the ropes. An unusually wild 6-3 win in Game 5 was followed by a 5-2 loss at the Pond where they seemingly took momentum after star Paul Kariya came back into the game after being laid out by Stevens and scored the put-away goal in the second period.

Back to another Game 7, this time at home. Again I was in the building hoping to see the once-in-a-lifetime celebration. All while laid up with a flu/bronchitis combo. In a post-COVID world I’d have to take a pass on going. Even then I knew I was gutting it out, but I also knew that I could live another hundred years and never have a chance to see a Cup raising in NJ. Losing was unthinkable, but we know deep down nothing’s guaranteed in sports. There was always going to be the chance I’d have dragged myself there only for a gut-wrenching defeat. I did believe in the 2003 team though, after all our tight wins and consistency that year.

If I had any doubts before the game, many of them were alleviated when the pregame scratches were announced. How, you ask? Franchise icon Ken Daneyko was by then in his final season of a gritty two-decade long career. After having played every playoff game in franchise history heading into 2003, he got rotated in and out of the lineup during the postseason that year and for much of the Finals he was on the bench in favor of younger skaters. Yet, when the scratches were announced before Game 7, Daneyko’s name wasn’t among them – sending up the first roar from the crowd of the evening who all realized what I did, he was going to get to play the final game of the season and likely the final game of his career for the Cup.

Maybe they didn’t need a storybook element to overcome a storybook team, but it sure didn’t hurt to give the team and the fans a little extra emotional jolt. Especially as the final shift of Dano’s career helped preserve a 3-0 shutout that clinched the Devils’ third Stanley Cup in franchise history.

Little did anyone know that it would be the last true season of greatness in the Devils’ run as an elite franchise, although there’d be more division titles and playoff appearances to come over the next decade – and even a surprise Finals appearance in 2012 when almost everyone from the 2003 team other than Brodeur and Lou had moved on. Stevens may have been able to grin and bear it that postseason, but unfortunately the aftereffects from his concussion wound up cutting his 2004 season short and sending him into a quiet retirement after the 2004-05 lockout. Burns only coached that one more year before cancer struck and just like that, two of the signature figures from 2003 were no longer there. Friesen himself only had one more season with the Devils as well, perhaps never really recovering from the long lockout since he had two unproductive seasons with three different teams after it.

Hard to believe it has been twenty years since then. It’ll be nice to see most of the 2003 team in attendance. Unfortunately a few key members will not be there, including Friesen who unfortunately has a conflict (given that ex-teammate Patrick Marleau will have his number retired by the Sharks tomorrow night in San Jose), as well as ace checkers John Madden and Jay Pandolfo, who both have other jobs in hockey – Madden as an assistant in Arizona, Pandolfo as the head coach at Boston University. And the unfortunate too-soon passing of Pat Burns in 2010 means that he’ll be represented by his widow.

Almost everyone else will be there however, including Lou taking time away from a busy pre-deadline week to join the festivities. Our YouTube page has already had a few short interviews with alumni from that team and no doubt will have more. In some ways, the 2003 team was my favorite of the three winners, even if it was objectively the least talented – although because of that, the 2003 Cup was also more unexpected than the other two.

Granted, there’s my inherent bias to consider of actually seeing the Cup being presented – illness and all. Still, in 1995 I was still a neophyte hockey fan, and there was always the backdrop of a rumored move to Nashville clouding our success that year (which winning the Cup arguably helped stop). 2000 was obviously the most dramatic ending of the three with Jason Arnott’s goal in double OT of Game 6, knocking out the defending champs on their home ice but that team also underachieved at times before a coaching change snapped them into first gear toward the end of the regular season, then an uncharacteristic tirade from Larry Robinson after Game 4 of the Conference Finals spurred the Devils back from the brink that year.

In 2003, while the team certainly found itself on the brink numerous times in the last two rounds of the postseason, they maintained a single-minded focus throughout and never had the mental lapses other more talented Devil teams of the recent past had. Sure they still had talent – two HOF’ers on defense, a HOF’er in net and hopefully at least one HOF’er up front (Patrik Elias), but that group characterized team in every sense of the word.

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After getting stoned by Hellebuyck, disjointed Rangers drop second straight to improved Red Wings, Kane rumors persist, lack of structure an issue along with defense

Posted on February 24, 2023 by Derek

All winning streaks eventually fade away. When they lost to Calgary in overtime, that was acceptable. The Rangers battled back from an early two-goal deficit to earn a point against a desperate Flames, who got a much needed win on a power play goal.

Even the most recent 4-1 loss on home ice to the Jets wasn’t bad. How can you lose sleep over a game where the Rangers out-shot Winnipeg 51-21? They were stoned by Vezina candidate Connor Hellebuyck, who made 50 saves on Monday night.

The Jets also got timely goals thanks to the skill of Mark Scheifele (2 goals), Pierre-Luc Dubois, and Kyle Connor coming through. Of the four goals, Igor Shesterkin probably wanted the first Scheifele tally back. It wasn’t a good rebound to give up. Connor beat him for the key third goal high blocker. Scheifele finished it off with a wicked backhand around K’Andre Miller.

In what was their first loss in regulation since Jan. 19 versus Boston, the Rangers lost the special teams battle. Their power play took the collar while their penalty kill allowed a power play goal to Dubois, who had the fortune of a Josh Morrissey shot banking off his knee past Shesterkin.

If you wanted to critique something, it was the defense. Despite dominating most of the play at five-on-five, they gave up some easy goals due to not defending well enough. Even during the second seven-game winning streak, that had been a sore spot. They only gave up less than three goals to the Hurricanes in a 6-2 win. The Artemi Panarin four-goal game.

For a long time, they’d played well enough to put together a dominant 22-4-5 stretch that coincided with Jacob Trouba erupting during a bad home loss to the lowly Blackhawks near the end of the second period. His message got through loud and clear. They turned it around immediately by winning seven in a row.

For over two months, they went from not being in a playoff position to solidifying themselves in the top three of the Metropolitan Division. Prior to the loss to Winnipeg, it wasn’t hard to envision the Blueshirts catching and passing the rival Devils for second place.

However, it became a bit harder after Thursday night’s disappointing 4-1 loss at the Red Wings. Combine that with a riveting Devils’ late comeback to prevail 4-3 in overtime over the Kings, and the Rangers now trail their Hudson rival by six points with 24 games remaining.

It’s frustrating. However, all is not lost. As we draw nearer to next Friday’s March 3 NHL Trade Deadline, rumors persist that Chris Drury might not be done. After adding Vladimir Tarasenko and Niko Mikkola, who might play a bigger role than first thought, the Rangers Team President and GM should have enough room to add another key player.

Even with TSN insiders Darren Dreger, Chris Johnston, and Pierre LeBrun all but confirming that Patrick Kane still hasn’t made a decision with the Blackhawks, there were enough off ice distractions caused by the Rangers’ decision to scratch both Vitaly Kravtsov and Jake Leschyshyn for as they termed, “roster management.”

To me, it was just a bunch of bs from a tight-lipped organization that doesn’t exactly tip-off too many insiders to what they’re doing. Things are very close to the vest with Drury running things. Kravtsov was never getting back into the lineup due to Gerard Gallant. What difference does it make? Leschyshyn is a placeholder.

So, in a perplexing decision that made no sense, the Rangers went with an 11 forward, 7 defensemen alignment. The results were predictable. They never had any chemistry or consistency during Thursday’s game. It amounted to a wasted opportunity.

With Gallant being forced to dress Ben Harpur as a seventh defenseman, he only had 11 forwards to work with while hardly using Harpur (4 shifts for 2:50). It wasn’t exactly the right time to be tinkering against a resurgent Red Wings team that’s pushing for the playoffs.

Detroit has gone from being 14th and looking totally out of it to making a charge up the standings. With their seventh win in eight, they jumped into the second wildcard position over the slumping Penguins, who look finished. They were blown out by Edmonton 7-2 at home, dropping their fourth in a row. The only saving grace is that they still have 25 games left.

While both the battle-tested Pens and Capitals (lost sixth straight to Ducks 4-2) are going in the wrong direction, the Islanders are in the first wildcard position with 67 points. They only have 21 games remaining. The addition of Bo Horvat and hot goaltending of Ilya Sorokin has carried them. The Pens have 63 points, and Caps have 62. But Washington has only 22 left, including a pivotal matinee on Saturday against the Rangers.

The Panthers have climbed back into it with 64 points. They’re playing better, but they also have only 22 to go. With an exciting 6-5 overtime win over the Lightning that featured Tage Thompson scoring his fourth hat trick of the season, the Sabres are up to 62 with 26 left. Even crazier defenseman Ilya Lyubushkin scored a shorthanded goal for his first of the season to win it.

Given how unpredictable the wildcard race is with all the aforementioned teams jockeying for position, it’s going to be impossible to figure out who’ll make it. Fortunately for the Rangers, they have a nice cushion with 75 points sitting in third place. Eight up on the Islanders. But they have three more games remaining.

The way the Eastern Conference is set up, it’s going to be some battle this spring. With both the Maple Leafs and Bruins loading up, who’s next? Boston made their big move by acquiring defenseman Dmitry Orlov and grinding forward Garnet Hathaway from the Caps in exchange for first, second, and third round picks. A fifth also went to the Wild, who retained 50 percent of the Orlov contract to help the Bruins out. Also going to Washington is Craig Smith and Andrei Svetlakov.

Prior to Boston upgrading their blue line and forward depth for what they hope will be a deep run into June for the Cup, it was the Maple Leafs who made a big splash in trading for playoff proven Ryan O’Reilly and depth center Noel Acciari from the Blues, who are big sellers. They were able to add the Leafs’ first round pick and the rights to Ottawa’s third round pick in 2023. They also received Toronto’s second round pick in 2024. St. Louis acquired Mikhail Abramov and Adam Gaudette. The Wild received a 2025 fifth round pick from the Leafs to help Toronto with O’Reilly.

These are significant moves by two serious contenders. Will the Lightning do anything before next week’s deadline to help improve their roster for the likely first round heavyweight rematch with the Maple Leafs?

In the Metro, you have the Hurricanes and Devils rumored to be interested in adding big fish Timo Meier. Is there a third team lurking? You never know.

As for Kane, he suddenly got hot. He’s scored seven goals and added three assists for 10 points over his last four games with the Blackhawks. It’s the only franchise he’s ever known. The American legend has responded by being the electrifying star player he’s always been. Showtime knows what’s around the corner. He has full control over whether he stays or goes.

We know he likes the Rangers. He felt that once they went out and got Tarasenko, that dream was dead. But not so fast. The bigger question for them is whether Kane is going to address the issues that are becoming an alarming trend.

Patrick Kane is a great player who’ll make any contender better. That’s ‘if’ he agrees to waive his NMC. He’s expected to meet his agent this weekend and discuss the matter with the Blackhawks. They’re in overtime. That’s why all the hoopla surrounding a Kane trade to the Rangers last night felt fake. When trusted sources up north stated otherwise, it made no sense for anyone to run with the story. Anything for cheap clicks.

Why don’t we wait and see how things play out? None of the talk helped the Rangers last night in Detroit. They played soft and were belted around by a hungry Red Wings pretty good.

The lasting image will be Panarin getting knocked down by Michael Rasmussen, who was a factor throughout the game. He scored and set up a goal. Then, he became the target of an incensed Adam Fox, who went after him following his takedown of Panarin, who got right up.

It’s not what you want to see. Fox isn’t the defenseman who should be fighting Panarin’s battles. He’s too valuable. You also had Alexis Lafreniere going after Jake Walman, leading to a fight behind the net. There was a lot of frustration.

That’s how well it went. In his second game, since returning for a Broadway encore, Motte dove and blocked a shot that saw the puck hit him in the face. He immediately skated off to the locker room for repairs. That left Gallant with 10 forwards for a good portion of the first period.

It wasn’t exactly fun to watch. Detroit did a good job limiting time and space. They blanketed Panarin, who didn’t find much operating room. The one time he did, he nearly connected with Tarasenko for a goal. But a Red Wings player broke it up for a key defensive play.

The Wings sure defended well by breaking up passes and blocking shots. They totaled 22 blocks, including seven from Ben Chiarot. Mo Seider blocked six. As a team, the Rangers had nine. Detroit was also more physical. They delivered a few big hits, including a textbook check by Walman that drew cheers from over 19,000 at Little Caesars Arena.

The lack of grit from the Rangers was a noticeable difference. They wound up out-shooting the Red Wings 10-7 in the first. But quality chances were hard to come by. Even an early delay of game minor that wasn’t exactly the right call didn’t get them going.

For a while, shots stayed at 7-6 Rangers. It was sloppy. There wasn’t much rhythm. If you were hoping for a track meet, that’s not how the Red Wings play anymore. They are more disciplined and structured. They’ve improved overall under first-year coach Derek Lalonde. The former Lightning assistant coach has them on the right track.

One of the things Gallant tried was plugging Barclay Goodrow due to not having a fourth line. It’s been a tough go for Goodrow lately. He’s without a goal since Jan. 16. Counting last night, that’s nine games without a point. He is a key player who can play any role. But he’s been stuck on nine goals and 14 assists for a while.

On one shift, Goodrow got caught out with Mika Zibanejad and Jimmy Vesey. It didn’t go well. Almost immediately, the Red Wings transitioned up ice, leading to David Perron and Rasmussen combining to set up Andrew Copp for an easy goal at 15:33. Zibanejad was the closest player but got beat easily to the net.

In the second period, the Rangers picked up their game. Beginning to establish more of a sustained attack, they had the Red Wings on their heels during some extended shifts. They didn’t cash in on the forecheck pressure. The Wings survived due to keeping the shots outside.

For a second straight game, Vincent Trocheck stayed hot. On a play in the neutral zone, he stole the puck and moved in and beat Husso for an unassisted rally at 6:06. It was a strong play by a player who’s on a good streak. Since scoring a goal and an assist in a home win back on Jan. 27, he has 12 points (4-8-12) over the last 10 games. It’s by far the best stretch of the season for Trocheck.

If only Sam Rosen knew it was Trocheck that scored the goal. He originally said Panarin. He wasn’t even out for it. Ugh. We all love him for what he’s provided us for over four decades. But it’s time. Rosen makes too many mistakes. We’ll always have 1994. It has lasted “a lifetime.”

Maybe the most disappointing aspect of this game was how soon the Red Wings responded. Detroit captain Dylan Larkin had enough time to center for a wide open Filip Zadina for an easy finish that Jaroslav Halak had no chance on. That restored a one-goal lead for the Wings 2:12 later. There was a lot of puck watching on the go-ahead goal. Too much.

At near the halfway point, a controversial decision took forever thanks to the sleepless NHL War Room in Toronto. Ryan Lindgren got his stick up and cross-checked Rasmussen at center ice. Nobody knew what was called by refs Jake Brenk and Chris Lee.

Both Rosen and Joe Micheletti seemed clueless as to whether the original call was a minor for cross-checking or a major penalty. It was a state of confusion that wasn’t helped by how long Lee was on with Toronto. It was ridiculous. This is exactly why I can’t stand these conferences. They take so long that it takes away from the game. The fans and viewers are just left waiting along with the players.

After what felt like forever, Lee explained that Lindgren received a two-minute minor for cross-checking Rasmussen. I didn’t agree. He easily could’ve gotten a five-minute major for that careless swing. Lindgren is a clean player. It wasn’t good to see. In any event, the Rangers went on to kill the penalty without a problem.

On what felt like a momentum turning shift where they had the Red Wings gassed, Lindgren found a cutting Fox for what looked like the tying goal. However, a quick reacting Husso dove across and on the full stretch made a phenomenal pad save to keep the puck out. It probably was on the goal line. That’s how remarkable a save it was. He’s been a big part of the Wings’ surge up the standings.

Fox couldn’t believe it. He’d later get another wide open look. However, he sent his shot from the slot over the net and out of play. Husso made 12 saves in the period. None were bigger than his clutch stop on Fox.

With under two minutes remaining, the Rangers fell asleep again to give up a crushing late goal. On this one, nobody defended anyone. Copp moved the puck over for a Perron shot that Halak made a good save on. But with Miller not staying with his man, that left Rasmussen all alone for an easy put away to make it 3-1 with 1:58 left.

Just brutal. Miller had his man and then over skated and wound up out of the play. Making matters worse, you had Tarasenko gliding back with Lafreniere and Filip Chytil, who didn’t have a good game. Neither did Zibanejad or Tarasenko, who plays too much on the perimeter for my liking. He was coming off his best game against Winnipeg. He has to be more active.

Before the late fireworks in the third with the game decided, the Rangers got caught on another bad line change. They received a bench minor for too many men. This has become a bad habit. How many times are they going to screw up a line change? That is something that must get corrected.

On the second half of the power play, Dominik Kubalik worked the puck over to Copp, who moved it back to Filip Hronek. With Oskar Sundqvist setting a good screen in front, he fired a perfect laser that went stick side past Halak, who couldn’t see it. That made it 4-1 with 15:09 left in regulation.

Even though they’ve proven they can come back due to the improved offense, the Rangers weren’t coming back against the Red Wings. With Husso dialed in and the Wings paying better attention to detail, there was no chance.

At least Motte returned to play the final two periods. He actually was one of the best forwards due to his straightforward approach. He and Goodrow nearly combined on a goal against the Jets. That turned out to be a huge difference with Hellebuyck stopping Motte in front on a delayed call.

Motte plays the game the right way. He plays it with an edge and purpose like Goodrow. Both support forwards will be key players in the postseason, just like last year. If you want to go far, you need four lines. Whatever they decide before March 3, it should be done with that in mind.

Maybe it’s not a Kane. But an Ivan Barbashev. A gritty two-way forward with skill. He’s also on the Blues, who are having a fire sale. Keep an eye on him. Mike Rupp talked about Barbashev on NHL Network. He thinks that’s the kind of player who can make a difference in the loaded East.

Perhaps it’s Sean Monahan. If he returns from injury before the deadline, the Habs could move him. He’s got experience and can plug in well on a fourth line. He’s also a center.

I am in agreement with Rupp. It’s not always the sexy move that wins at this time of year. Tampa won thanks to adding gritty guys with character such as Goodrow and Blake Coleman. Nick Paul nearly helped them three-peat last year.

In ’94, there’s no Cup without Matteau! Matteau! Matteau! Ditto for Brian Noonan and the overlooked Steve Larmer, who’s been passed over too many times by the Hockey Hall Of Fame. Those were the glue guys. No run in 2014 without Brian Boyle, Dominic Moore, Daniel Carcillo, and Derek Dorsett. It’s those types that are needed.

I would say more. But it’s late. The Three Stars are below. The second consecutive game, it’s all the opponent.

https://twitter.com/BattleOfHudson/status/1628951328129970179?t=j_RtETTNiKSLS1D9w0-rYg&s=19

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A day after win streak ends to Flames in overtime loss, Rangers re-acquire Motte from Senators, Halak gets team a point

Posted on February 19, 2023 by Derek

The Rangers completed their three-game Western Canadian road trip late last night in Calgary. Although they had their win streak snapped at seven, it wasn’t all bad.

After giving up two straight Flames goals over eight seconds in an ugly start, they were able to hang around thanks to Jaroslav Halak. He made 29 saves, including 28 in regulation to keep the Blueshirts in the game long enough to rally for a point.

The Flames got early goals from Andrew Mangiapane (breakaway) and Nazem Kadri (one-timer) taking advantage of sloppy play from both K’Andre Miller and Adam Fox. Before the game was a minute old, Gerard Gallant had that death look on the bench with his lethargic team struggling early in the second game of a back-to-back.

However, the third Calgary goal never came. Give credit to Halak, who’s played unbelievably lately. He entered, having won seven straight decisions. Neither goal was his fault. All he did was pick up the team by making key saves that allowed them to find their footing.

In a first period controlled by the more aggressive Flames, who used their grinding forecheck to slow the pace, they held a 13-7 edge in shots. Jacob Markstrom was only tested once. He looked sharp.

With nothing going, Gallant made a change to his lines. Vladimir Tarasenko hasn’t had much chemistry with Mika Zibanejad or Chris Kreider. After getting his first goal only 2:43 into his Rangers debut on a nifty setup from Artemi Panarin, he’d been fairly quiet.

Sensing it was time to create a spark, Gallant moved Tarasenko down to the second line with Panarin and Vincent Trocheck. He also had Kaapo Kakko take some shifts up with Zibanejad and Kreider. Barclay Goodrow worked with Filip Chytil and Alexis Lafreniere. He also worked Jimmy Vesey into the top nine. That meant little ice time for Julien Gauthier and Jake Leschyshyn. Perhaps that was some foreshadowing.

Still trailing by two late in the second period, it finally clicked for Tarasenko. On a superb play started by a driving Panarin, who fed Trocheck in the slot, the center made a nice pass across for a Tarasenko finish into an open side with 3:07 left. That cut the deficit in half and changed the game.

With Halak continuing to deny the Flames on some tough chances, it felt like the Rangers would find a way to tie the game. Even after Miller was called for a phantom hook on Calgary rookie Jakob Pelletier at the end of the second that had Gallant discussing it with the refs before the start of the third, the penalty kill got it done. They usually do when the game is hanging in the balance.

Throughout this stretch, the Blueshirts have shown the capability to come back and win. They did it at Edmonton on Friday night. They won a crazy game versus these same Flames at MSG, in which Alexis Lafreniere played the overtime hero. That would actually be relevant.

On what was an equally perplexing call that sent Kadri to the box for interference on Mika Zibanejad with over nine minutes remaining that allowed the Rangers to go on the power play. They weren’t exactly lighting the world on fire. They barely tested Markstrom up to that point.

With Gallant opting to move Tarasenko back up to the top power play unit, he slid Filip Chytil down to the second unit. Although he’s been snake bit lately with goalies stoning him on point blank chances, including one key save Markstrom made, he managed to get involved in the tying power play goal.

Chytil passed the puck over for Trocheck, who circled around the Calgary net. He then centered for a Lafreniere one-timer that snuck past Markstrom and trickled in for the clutch power play goal that tied it up with 7:12 remaining.

That gave Lafreniere his 10th goal, making it two consecutive games with a goal. The surging 21-year old former top pick has 10 points in his last 11 games. The best part is that he’s finding the back of the net. Lafreniere has half his goals over the stretch. He also got the shootout winner over the Oilers. Lafreniere is up to 28 points (10-18-28) for the season.

With Halak stopping nine Calgary shots in the period compared to just three of four for Markstrom, the game would require overtime. Prior to it, an incensed Kadri gave the officials a piece of his mind. An emotional player, he received the rest of the night off with a misconduct.

I saw some of our fans angling for a power play. But the refs made the right call. It wasn’t an infraction during play. It happened after regulation concluded. Kadri obviously was still fuming over the penalty that led to Lafreniere’s tying goal.

In the three-on-three, it didn’t last long. On a play that didn’t make much sense, Panarin kept going after Tyler Toffoli in the corner. He also threw him down and probably deserved a penalty. Instead, Fox was called for high-sticking Dillon Dube at 50 seconds of overtime.

Following a timeout by Darryl Sutter, the Flames were able to get the four-on-three setup. On a Rasmus Andersson pass up top for Jonathan Huberdeau, who had one of his better games, he let go of a long wrist shot that Mikael Backlund was able to tip-in for the game-winner at 1:28. That gave the Flames a 3-2 win in overtime.

It was a frustrating way to have the winning streak end. However, thanks to Halak, the Rangers got a point. He was the best player. He has turned his year around and deserves a lot of credit. The veteran battles. That’s why he’s so well respected.

The one point kept the Rangers within two of the second place Devils, who won earlier on Saturday over the slumping Pens. They’re up to 75 points with 26 games remaining. Next up is Winnipeg on Monday. The Jets are taking on the Devils tonight. That’s a game to keep an eye on.

A day later, the Rangers decided they’d seen enough of the little used fourth line. Chris Drury made a move by sending Julien Gauthier and a conditional seventh round pick over to Ottawa in exchange for Tyler Motte. So, Motte returns.

The seventh round pick becomes a sixth if the Rangers win a first round this postseason. It’s pretty simple.

The trade makes sense. He’s familiar with how Gallant likes to play. Motte has the skating and edge necessary to upgrade the fourth line. We know he will finish checks and block shots and can kill penalties. It’s a sensible deal. He was an effective player after being acquired last year.

As far as the fourth line goes, you now have Barclay Goodrow and Tyler Motte. Only Jake Leschyshyn doesn’t fit. I expect him to be replaced sooner or later. Whether Drury can add one more affordable role player or they decide that Will Cuylle or Jonny Brodzinski are the way to go, the Rangers will have better balance moving forward.

Heck. Even Ryan Carpenter would be an upgrade over Leschyshyn. He’s scoring in Hartford. Realistically speaking, I feel like they might go with Cuylle. He can stay down with the Wolf Pack for now and continue to get top line minutes. He plays a gritty, physical game that would fit in on the fourth line. Goodrow can slide over to center.

I guess Sam Lafferty is out of the question. I would’ve preferred him due to what he brings. We’ll see what the organization decides. There’s still less than two weeks until the trade deadline on March 3rd.

There’s nothing to complain about. The Rangers have been one of the hottest teams in the league. We’ll see where things go.

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