Battle Of Hudson covers the Rangers and Devils, who's intense rivalry heated up in the 90's. With fresh faces added, they battle for supremacy in NYC and NJ..
Six…wins…in a row. The last time this franchise won six in a row Martin Brodeur was still in net for most of those games and Zach Parise(!) was our captain. That’s right…the end of the 2011-12 season was the last time the Devils had won six in a row before these last two weeks. In that season, the Devils’ hot finish portended a fun playoff spring that finally ended in LA after a five-minute major boarding penalty called on Steve Bernier and the resulting three goals from it took them out of Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Finals almost before it started, and derailed what could have potentially been a historical comeback. If this Devils team comes anywhere close to that kind of spring, it’ll be an astonishing season indeed.
At the very least, it looks like this team may have some staying power and be playing meaningful games in April for the first time since 2017-18 when Taylor Hall’s transcendent season led the way to the franchise’s only playoff berth since 2012. Of course it’s still too early to book playoff tickets, but winning three in a row in Western Canada (and nine out of ten overall) is impressive no matter what point in the season it comes.
Even just winning games is one thing, it’s how they’re winning that’s opening eyes. A business-like dismantling of a bad Vancouver team was followed by a wacky game in Edmonton where the Devils fell behind 3-1 after two periods and lost goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood for a still-undetermined length of time to a lower body injury in the middle of the second, just before the Oilers’ third goal came on a power play. It’s unfortunate, but not unexpected at this point…whatever you may think of Blackwood as a person or as a goalie you just cannot count on him to post. It’s unfortunate for both him and the team, but this is now likely the second straight season he’ll be on the shelf with a long-term injury and he’s never started more than 43 games in any pro season. I’ll get back to the long-term outlook on the goaltending later.
It did look as if the winning streak would finally end Thursday when they got behind against the high-powered Oilers but Miles Wood’s second goal of the night early in the third kept the Devils in the game, long enough for an astonishing turn of events that started with just 3:15 remaining, when Ryan Graves took a drop pass from Tomas Tatar, deked out two Oilers and somehow beat Oilers goalie Stuart Skinner five-hole with a weak shot. They all count the same on the scoreboard right? This one even more so cause it tied the game, though it wouldn’t be tied for long…seven seconds to be exact.
The Devils scored two goals in seven seconds to take the lead in Edmonton.
It was an astonishing skill goal, with John Marino’s outlet pass off of Nico Hischier’s faceoff win finding Jesper Bratt in stride. Bratt not only scored what proved to be the game-winner, but set a franchise record for most games with a point to start the season. New Jersey also set a bit of an odd NHL record with the quickest amount of time to go from trailing to leading a game in the final four minutes of regulation. I’m not gonna say what I thought the record could have been beforehand (cough 2009 Game 7 cough).
As if the Edmonton game wasn’t thrilling enough, then you had the Devils nearly falling victim to the reverse in Calgary, jumping out to a quick 3-1 lead after an impressive first period with all the goals coming from somewhat unlikely sources (Nathan Bastian and Fabian Zetterlund with just their second of the year each, Wood with a surprising fifth of the year). However, Darryl Sutter teams usually don’t get blown out of the barn and true to form they mucked their way back into the game, tying it at three early in the third. It would stay tied going into OT, the team’s first of the season. That – and an Elias Lindholm interference penalty – only served to set up more heroics from first star of the night Zetterlund:
Perhaps even more puzzling to me than the ghosting of prospect Alexander Holtz when the team was struggling to score is why Zetterlund spent some early-season games in the scratch box after an impressive finish to last year. It’s even more baffling to me now that Zetterlund has shown his late-season play might not have been a fluke, as the rookie 2017 3rd rounder has five goals and eleven points in twenty-one career NHL games to this point. Not bad for a back six player with at least middle six upside, who can add some physicality our forward group desperately needs.
I can’t say there’s too much else to criticize the coaching on at this point, though I was surprised Blackwood started the first two games of the trip after Vitek Vanecek was working on a three-game winning streak. Guess there won’t be much question who’s starting the bulk of the games going forward, especially with Vanecek’s winning streak up to five now after a solid relief appearance in Edmonton and doing just enough in Calgary to give the team a chance to win. Which is really all you can ask from just about any goalie that isn’t Andrei Vasilevsky or the reigning Vezina winner across town haha. Especially with the Devils’ team playing as well as it has territorially and defensively for the most part this season.
As well as Vanecek’s played so far, right now his best ability is his availability given that Blackwood will likely be on the shelf for some time and Jonathan Bernier still hasn’t even gone out on rehab after major hip surgery last year. And who knows what he’ll be when he finally does come back after a year or so on the shelf on the wrong side of thirty? Fortunately there aren’t any back to backs until after Thanksgiving so the Devils can ride Vanecek for a bit if they need to, provided nothing happens to him. All bets are off with one more injury at the goaltending position though.
At least for the moment we don’t have to cross that bridge until we come to it. Right now it’s just a clear sky of sunshine and rainbows, one we haven’t seen above Newark since the Hall and Keith Kinkaid-led playoff surge in 2018.
On the ice, the Bruins have been the class of the NHL. Winners of seven in a row and boasting a league best 10-1-0 record entering Saturday’s game at Toronto, they have lit it up so far.
After erupting for four third period goals in a 5-2 win over the Rangers on Thursday night, they’ve outscored opponents 50-28 for a league best diferential of plus-22. They rank first in offense with a whopping average of 4.46 goals-per-game. Their 2.55 goals allowed a game is tied for fourth best.
The Bruins also are tops in penalty killing with a remarkable 94.9 percentage down a man. They’re 37 for 39 with a shorthanded goal. So, they’ve allowed permitted one more power play goal than they’ve scored on the kill. They’re only 13th on the power play (22.5 pct) and have allowed two shorthanded goals.
That speaks to how well they’ve played at five-on-five. So far, so good for new coach Jim Montgomery. He’s done a masterful job despite not having defense anchor Charlie McAvoy. They also didn’t have Brad Marchand for the first eight games. David Krejci missed the last three. He will return tonight. The veteran hasn’t missed a beat with eight points in eight games.
Leading the way is star David Pastrnak. Off to a spectacular start with 19 points (8-11-19), he’s among the league leaders in scoring. Without McAvoy, Montgomery has turned Hampus Lindholm loose. The former Ducks defenseman is showing newfound offense. A dependable player in his end, his 13 points are third among all NHL defensemen. He also has a plus-12 rating.
Linus Ullmark remains the story in net. He’s a perfect 8-0-0 with a 2.17 GAA and .929 save percentage. He had to replace Jeremy Swayman in a recent game due to the second-year goalie leaving with an injury. With journeyman Keith Kinkaid up as the backup, it’s safe to say the B’s will be riding Ullmark for now.
With a balanced attack that includes Patrice Bergeron, Taylor Hall, Jake DeBrusk with even Nick Foligno and Pavel Zacha contributing, the Bruins are clicking on all cylinders. At least the on ice NHL product is.
So, why then did GM Don Sweeney decide to sign free agent defenseman Mitchell Miller to a contract? The backlash from signing a controversial player with a checkered history dating back to his teens makes no sense.
It was at age 14 that he bullied a black kid with a disability in the eighth grade. The disturbing part is according to the victim’s Mom, it wasn’t the first time Miller bullied her son. It dates back to the second grade. Even worse, the gross details of what he did are too much to repeat. That a teenager would do what Miller did to another teen with a disability is mind-numbing.
#NHLBruins have signed former #Yotes draft pick Mitchell Miller to an entry-level contract.
Arizona renounced Miller’s selection after it came to light that he heinously bullied an intellectually disabled child while in 8th grade.
Somehow, throughout all this time, he never showed remorse for what he did. An Instagram message isn’t the same as publicly apologizing for his despicable actions. It really makes no sense. Then again, the Coyotes took Miller in the fourth round of the 2020 NHL Draft. When the red flags were raised, they rescinded the pick.
Even worse, the Bruins didn’t bother to reach out to the family. Joni Meyer-Crothers gave her permission to reporters to inform them how she felt about the Bruins signing Miller without any communication whatsoever.
Kudos to Guy Flaming for going the extra mile to clarify the situation. It is very sad that the Bruins didn’t consider getting in touch with the Mom. The pain and grief Miller caused her family over the years is unforgivable. What the heck were they thinking?
Sweeney says he has not talked to the victim, Isaiah Meyer-Crothers, or his family, but that the Bruins were involved in the process of Mitchell Miller reaching out and talking to Meyer-Crothers. Says that was an "imperative" part of the process.
Doesn’t that information above sound hypocritical? On one hand, they didn’t contact the victim Isaiah Meyer-Crothers or his family. But the Bruins organization were ‘involved in the process’ of Mitchell Miller reaching out and talking to Meyer-Crothers. That comes off weak.
When they have even some of their leadership including captain Bergeron questioning the move, that speaks volumes.
"I was on the fence."@FriedgeHNIC sat down with Bruins captain Patrice Bergeron and asked him about the team's signing of renounced Coyotes draft pick, Mitchell Miller. pic.twitter.com/3fUHWDJWkc
“I had my concerns,” Bergeron said in an article that appeared in The Athletic.. “I shared my opinion. In a way, I was not necessarily agreeing with it. To be honest with you, the culture that we’ve built here goes against that type of behavior. We’re a team that’s built something about character, character people and individuals. What he did, obviously, is unacceptable. We don’t stand by that.
“For me, I know for myself anyways, in this locker room, we’re all about inclusion, diversity, respect. Those are key words and core values we have. We expect guys to wear this jersey to be high-character people with integrity and respect. That’s how they should be acting.”
Bergeron isn’t alone in his views on the idea of signing Miller. Both Marchand and Foligno voiced their strong opinions as well. They understand the dynamics of the locker room and what they stand for as a team.
It doesn’t matter what Mitchell Miller’s numbers were for the Tri-City Storm in the USHL. At 20, he’s hoping to put his awful past behind him. It comes down to whether a player with his issues that include racist and hateful actions should be given a second chance. Why didn’t he show more remorse and reach out to Isaiah Meyer-Crothers and his family over the years? Why did he wait until just recently when an opportunity presented itself to play hockey?
NHL commissioner Gary Bettman made himself clear on where he stands on Miller. For the foreseeable future, Miller shouldn’t expect to be allowed to play in the NHL until several hurdles are cleared. Good for Bettman. He has principles.
When even Bruins fans are upset by what the organization decided, that should send a clear message of what they stand for. This isn’t going over well. It shouldn’t. Sweeney, Cam Neely and owner Jeremy Jacobs will feel the heat over such a controversial decision. Where it goes from here remains to be seen.
BODY CHECKS
Who had Erik Karlsson rediscovering what made him the league’s best defenseman on a rebuilding San Jose Sharks under David Quinn? A recent hat trick and four-point game followed up by a three-point (1-2-3) effort in consecutive shootout losses highlight the return of Karlsson to the game’s elite. He has a four-game point streak in which he’s totaled a ridiculous 12 points including seven goals over that dominant stretch.
It’s the 32-year old Karlsson who leads all defensemen in scoring with 18 points (10-8-18) in 13 games. That includes a league-leading nine even strength goals and three game-winners. Remarkable stuff for a player who hadn’t been the same since 2017 after playing hurt for the Senators during their run to the Conference Finals.
It’s a great story for the two-time Norris winner. The Sharks need it. Ironic how it happened after they unloaded Brent Burns to the Hurricanes.
A look at the Devils roster and you’ll notice a lot more players with pluses than minuses. Thirteen skaters are in the plus column including former Pen John Marino. He’s stabilized a blue line that struggled badly last year. A good player who can play his end, Marino is plus-10 with six points. So far, so good on the trade that sent former first round pick Ty Smith to the Pens. He’s currently in the AHL. That’s an early win for GM Tom Fitzgerald.
Jesper Bratt is at the center of the Devils renaissance. Betting on himself by taking less money coming off a career season of 26 goals, 47 assists and 73 points, the 24-year old former sixth round pick has set a new franchise mark to start a season with a record 11-game point streak.
He’s been terrific posting five goals, 12 helpers and 17 points. His game-winner to stun Edmonton following Ryan Graves’ tying goal came just seven seconds later in a thrilling comeback win over the McDavid/Draisaitl Oilers. Making $5.45 million, can you say contract extension?
Captain Nico Hischier is healthy having missed only one game early. He’s at a point-per-game clip with 11 points in 10 games followed by Jack Hughes (4-6-10), who hasn’t exploded yet. That bodes well for the Devs, who are winning without key addition Ondrej Palat (groin surgery). That’ll keep him out a while.
After losing their first two including a home opener they were never in which Miles Wood called a “must win” due to being “sick of losing,” the Devils have stormed back under Lindy Ruff. They bring a five-game win streak into Calgary tonight. Wood is also healthy having scored four goals including twice in the 4-3 win over the Oilers. Talk about backing it up.
With 12 goals and 13 assists for 25 points already, just how many points will Connor McDavid wind up with? He had a helper earlier in a 6-2 loss to the Stars. It looks like 60 goals is attainable for electrifying superstar. How many assists? Between 80 and 90 is possible. Yes. The 90’s era before the trap decreased scoring.
Even with a good record of 7-5-0 after today, Jack Campbell isn’t doing well in the Defense Optional Edmonton system. Stuart Skinner has been the better goalie. Will the Oilers ever figure out how to tighten it up? With Vegas much improved and the Flames sure to be in the mix, the Pacific Division isn’t going to be as easy.
The Canucks outscored the Ducks 8-5 in a game that didn’t have any defense. Neither team plays any. Just ask Thatcher Demko and John Gibson. At least Demko wasn’t in for that? As for Gibson, he must be praying for a miracle. That’s how bad Anaheim is in its end. It doesn’t help that they lost Jamie Drysdale for almost the rest of the season. It doesn’t look like it’ll get better.
If Ryan Lindgren has to miss time due to the blindside hit Pastrnak put on him as retaliation for a clean check Lindgren delivered moments earlier the other night, how does the league not at least have a phone hearing with Pastrnak? It doesn’t matter if he’s a big star. Those are exactly the kind of dangerous hits they must legislate out of the game.
Brock Nelson remains underrated playing for the Islanders. It’s been his stellar play that’s helped them turn it around. Not goalless Mat Barzal. Nelson is an important player for the Isles. At $6 million through ’24-25, he’s a bargain.
Martin Necas is making the Hurricanes fans forget Vincent Trocheck. On fire to start the season, the former 12th pick in 2017 is finally getting to show why he was taken so high. With seven goals and 17 points, he has been excellent. Trocheck has nine points in a dozen games on the Rangers.
In case you missed it, there was a game last night at the World’s Most Renovated on 33rd and 7th. If you are subscribed to ESPN Plus or can somehow still find a way to watch like my brother, then you learned that the Rangers don’t quite measure up to the Bruins yet.
A dozen games into the season, they find themselves in the middle of the pack. Considering the injuries to key players, the 6-4-2 record is fine. They haven’t dug a hole for themselves. While both the Devils (4-3 stirring win at Edmonton) and Islanders are hot, each still must prove their recent play is sustainable. The Devs appear much improved. We’ll see.
Featured on ESPN Plus again, the Rangers ran into a buzz saw on Thursday night. Even without top defenseman Charlie McAvoy and second center David Krejci, the Bruins can do no wrong.
On a night neither Brad Marchand or Patrice Bergeron did anything, Boston still put four shots past Igor Shesterkin. They tacked on an empty netter to put a stamp on a four goal third period where they dominated the Rangers for a 5-2 win.
Entering the match, the Blueshirts had won three in a row. The best of the three wins came at Dallas over last weekend when they put up a touchdown in a 6-3 victory. An outlier for a good Stars team that currently sits atop the Central Division. Then, there was the 3-2 win over the Coyotes at Mullett Arena. Finally, Chris Kreider won Tuesday’s goalie duel between Shesterkin and Carter Hart in the final minute of overtime to give his team a 1-0 shutout over the Flyers.
So, they came in playing better hockey. However, the Bruins are on a different level right now. Under new coach Jim Montgomery, they’re scoring at a high clip. All while getting stellar goaltending from Linus Ullmark, who has yet to lose a game. They’ll ride him with Jeremy Swayman out. He made the necessary stops last night on what was a paltry effort from the Rangers, who were severely outplayed in the third period. They were out-shot 17-4 and only totaled 20 shots.
It was back in the first period that star David Pastrnak didn’t take too kindly to a clean hit from Blueshirt warrior Ryan Lindgren. The rugged defenseman who once was a Bruins draft pick, absolutely leveled Pastrnak with a good shoulder to chest thump against the glass that knocked the bigger scorer down.
Pastrnak can't take a hit. This is not the first time Lindgren and Pastrnak run into each other lol #NYRpic.twitter.com/pEf6LKtYUv
Pastrnak responded by catching Lindgren with a cheap hit that caught him from the side. He received a two-minute minor for interference. Hardly enough punishment for a dangerous hit that came from the blind side.
Lindgren took two more shifts before leaving the game for good. That left coach Gerard Gallant with just five defensemen to rotate. Not ideal when you’re facing stiff competition. He leaned heavily on former Norris winner Adam Fox (25:07) and K’Andre Miller (26:20). Zac Jones and struggling captain Jacob Trouba each received over 23 minutes while Braden Schneider got 16:19.
Of course, Gallant didn’t use the Lindgren injury as an alibi for the defeat. But when you lose one of your most trusted defensemen, who plays the game the right way, it certainly doesn’t help the cause. Especially when he and Fox have been the most consistent players on the back end so far. Both Jones and Trouba saw time with Fox as Turk mixed and matched.
An inspired second period saw Jimmy Vesey score his first goal as a Ranger since March 29, 2019 to tie the score. Then, Schneider laid an absolute monstrous hit on Trent Frederic that drew a quick reaction from A.J. Greer. He took up for Frederic and lost a fight to the bigger Schneider. Frederic fought Barclay Goodrow in an entertaining scrap that brought the Garden to life.
Braden Schneider just absolutely laid out Trent Frederic and all hell breaks out. #NYR#NHL full play plus replay. pic.twitter.com/qemmEiLH2P
Despite Greer getting the instigator to hand them a power play, the Rangers did nothing on the five-on-four. They went 0-for-2. When the man-advantage doesn’t click, it’s a struggle for them to score consistently at even strength. There’s a lot of pressure on the top six to produce. When Artemi Panarin, Mika Zibanejad and Chris Kreider don’t, it’s a problem. You can include Vincent Trocheck, who’s only a point better than Ryan Strome despite playing with much better line mates.
Every night, Kaapo Kakko and Alexis Lafreniere get chances. They aren’t going in for either. Their improvement is noticeable during shifts. You see a more confident Kakko possessing the puck and being harder to take off it to the point where he’s had some quality looks. He did his part yesterday setting up the Rangers’ two goals. Lafreniere is always doing grunt work in front looking for tips and rebounds. He is tough on the wall. The goalpost hasn’t helped his luck.
The bottom line with the pair of 21-year olds is they’re getting better. Through 12 games, they have identical 2-3-5 lines. That ties them for sixth in team scoring behind the top five of Panarin (5-11-16), Zibanejad (6-8-14), Fox (3-7-10), Kreider (4-5-9) and Trocheck (4-5-9). There’s plenty of season left for the former 2019 second pick and 2020 top pick to increase the scoring. It’ll come.
When you look closely at the third and fourth lines, there isn’t much offense. Without Filip Chytil, who’s badly missed due to his unique combination of speed, skill and willingness to forecheck, there is a huge drop-off. Goodrow has two goals and two assists. He brings an honest approach. But it’s much harder to contribute on the score sheet playing with Julien Gauthier and Vesey. While both play hard, there isn’t enough skill.
The third line basically is another fourth line. Speaking of which, Sammy Blais is finishing checks. His play has improved. However, he can’t be on a checking line with Ryan Carpenter and Ryan Reaves. They are purposely bringing him along slowly due to the recovery time it takes for a player to get back to full strength from ACL surgery. At 26, it’s an important season for him. He turns unrestricted next summer. Hopefully, he can continue to make progress.
As much as Vitaly Kravtsov has struggled to stay in the lineup due to injuries and inconsistency, the Rangers will need him to figure it out. Whenever he returns, the only way for Kravtsov to regain his confidence is to play. Although I thought a conditioning stint as NY Post columnist Larry Brooks suggested sounded logical, there simply isn’t enough scoring depth to help the team’s best players.
Are we really putting our trust in Gauthier over one hustle play that saw him hit an open net? Vesey finally scored. I like him more than Gauthier due to his ability to kill penalties. I also still believe Vesey is more capable of contributing even if it’s in a fourth line/checking role.
If they need to recall a player, Jonny Brodzinski certainly knows the Gallant system well enough. While he’s not a big player, he’s a good skater who isn’t afraid to make plays with the puck. I know they want him just for Hartford due to his leadership. But Brodzinski is still someone I’d consider bringing up if the situation allows for it. Being near the salary cap upper limit doesn’t help.
With the defense not playing to capability, it becomes a problem if Lindgren has to miss any time. You hope it’s not a head injury. Of course, Pastrnak won’t face any further discipline from George Parros. Such retaliatory hits shouldn’t be part of the game. Neither should the need to respond to a clean hit with a fight.
When they say the game’s never been better, I disagree. It’s become softer. Such good open ice hits didn’t have that response in the old school era. While the game can be enjoyed by fans due to the elite talent that’s on display with scoring way up, I’d like to see more respect return.
Hitting is a big part of the game. Not one Flyer ever went after Scott Stevens the next year for laying out Eric Lindros. What about the elbow Derian Hatcher put on Petr Sykora during the Stanley Cup Finals? Was there ever retribution?
Unless it’s a cheap shot like we saw with Tom Wilson or a questionable hit that injures a player, there really shouldn’t be any fighting if it’s a clean check. We’ve heard many broadcasters including legendary Sam Rosen groan over what the game’s become. That’s because he and Joe Micheletti are right. It’s ridiculous.
Do I feel Pastrnak should be held accountable? Yes. I know he isn’t a player who drops the gloves. But maybe a skilled Blueshirt like Kreider should go after him next time. The Rangers and Bruins don’t meet again until January 19 at MSG. I doubt it’ll happen.
In terms of Sunday when the Rangers host the Red Wings following the Jets and Bills, we’ll see if Lindgren is available. They could always dress Libor Hajek and play him for Lindgren. Hajek has been okay so far. He does need to get into the lineup again. It would make sense.
Whether he does miss time or not, Lindgren has proven his value to the team. We saw what he meant last playoffs when he played through the pain to help the Rangers come back to beat the Pens and edge the Hurricanes. He’s the Dan Girardi of this generation of Blueshirts.
It’s time for both Trouba and Miller to pick it up. Neither have been particularly good. Each continue to be caught out for goals against. Trouba for three more against Boston. He can’t keep making costly mistakes. Otherwise, questions will start to surround the captaincy. He’s got a lot of character and remains the most indispensable defenseman they have. It’s not easy to replace what Trouba brings.
If they felt Schneider was further along, he’d be getting more shifts. He’s only in his second year. First full season. There are going to be ups and downs. We’ve seen it in Detroit with Calder winner Moritz Seider. It isn’t always easy the second go round for young players.
Despite not being as sharp so far, the numbers are fine for Shesterkin. All things considered, 6-1-2 with a 2.41 GAA, .916 save percentage and one shutout are still good on a team that hasn’t hit its stride. Yes. He’s given up some iffy goals like the one to Pastrnak where he somehow flipped a backhand high short side from an impossible angle in the first period.
It’s asking a lot for a repeat of last year. That was a historic season. Igor won’t be the reason if the Rangers falter. He is the rock. The most valuable player they have. If he went down for a period, they’d be screwed. Jaro Halak doesn’t inspire much confidence. A downgrade from current Avalanche starter Alexandar Georgiev.
With the Red Wings visiting on Sunday and the Islanders coming this Tuesday for the second of a preposterous three regular season games between the bitter rivals, there’s an opportunity to finish this home- stand strong. They can still take the necessary steps to get it done.
Normally, a big early game highlighting the Bruins and Rangers would have me excited. Unfortunately, I’m not the only one who won’t be watching the classic Original Six rivals do battle at MSG.
Due to ESPN Plus having an exclusive window for tonight’s 7:30 PM game, you must be subscribed to their app to watch. Unless you have a ticket to go see the Rangers take on the number one overall Bruins, it won’t be televised.
This is what the NHL signed up for when they agreed to have ESPN as a partner starting last season. Unlike TNT which airs every game on national TV, ESPN picks and chooses select games to air on their networks.
I love the Bruins more than any other local team. I am not giving you my money to watch them. This racket has to go.
That also means depending on other sports programming, they will stick games on ESPN Plus. In doing so, it benefits ESPN only. Not fans. The more subscribers to their app, the more money made. It also applies to other sports and pay per views they air including boxing, tennis and UFC. The NBA hasn’t yet suffered the same fate. One day, that could change.
In today’s modern world of technology and streaming games and select shows, the future of television is going to become like the newspaper business. That’s why print copies cost so much more as compared to even a decade ago. Online editions of the paper are easy to access. Now, most publications will charge a monthly fee just to survive.
While some suckers fans will pay up to watch the exclusive content to see their favorite teams on ESPN Plus, a good majority won’t. It feels like they’re being conned. Between how much cable costs and other bills due to inflation, not everyone has the money to watch these games.
It isn’t like you have much choice. But with a pivotal Game Five of a good World Series on for free between the Astros and Phillies along with a busy slate of NHL games including area locals the Devils and Islanders on MSG and MSG Plus, there are plenty of options for viewers.
So, if I opt to check out the surprising first place Devils at the Oilers after 9 EST, excuse me for wanting to see a game that’s on for free. Not on a ridiculous app. I will tune into the radio to listen to some of the game that begins at 7:30 PM. I can also catch the baseball on TV.
There’s also the other absurd streaming with the mind-numbing NFL TNF game between the undefeated Eagles and awful Texans on Amazon. Most of those games have been an eyesore. Who would want to watch a likely blowout anyway?
It really insults fans’ intelligence. It’s about as dishonest as the lousy political campaign lies ads being run repeatedly with the election a few days away. Talk about a nightmare.
So, if you are either at The Garden or do have ESPN Plus, enjoy the game. Many fans won’t be tuning in.
While admittedly part of me is annoyed that I haven’t been able to watch or attend as many of these first ten games as I’d have liked to (for various reasons), part of me is also finally starting to be hopeful that…maybe this is just the beginning? To be clear, I know all too well this franchise’s recent history – their 6-3-2 start in the post-COVID shortened season followed by a crash and burn, along with last year’s 7-3-2 start followed by a similar crash and burn. And other than the Caps who we got clowned by, and an injury-plagued Colorado team, the Devils’ schedule this year in their 7-3 start has been Gonzaga college basketball type soft…one patsy after another.
And yet…it’s one thing to merely beat bad teams – but it’s another to completely eviscerate them as the Devils have done throughout their most recent winning streak, scoring a combined nineteen goals against Detroit, Colorado, Columbus and Vancouver – which includes the 1-0 shutout against the Avs. So in the other three games the Devils ‘averaged’ six goals a game, a seemingly unheard of run of scoring in franchise history. Most of my skepticism over the first few games of the season where the metrics weren’t resulting in goals has been swatted away with the force of a Scott Stevens bodycheck.
It’s not just the Devils scoring that gives fans reason for hope going forward though, in fact you have to give perhaps even more credit to our stifling defense, which has allowed only 21.8 shots per game (an NHL low) through ten contests. In comparison, the Devils allowed 30.98 shots per game last year. If you were going to list the differences between last year and this year so far it’s hard to rank them, but I’d say perhaps changing over the staff and simplifying their ‘unique’ system a little bit has helped. Also you have to credit GM Tom Fitzgerald for his adds of John Marino and – to a lesser degree – Brendan Smith to the blueline. Marino in particular, has been a revelation although you could argue maybe he shouldn’t have been given his icetime this year was remarkably similar to his last two seasons in Pittsburgh at just under 21 minutes a night, but his impact and adding another reliable d-man to the top four can’t be overstated. You also have to say good health is factoring in too, specifically with Dougie Hamilton who was never the same last year after multiple injuries in January derailed his season. Now he’s once again become the top-pairing defenseman that everyone expected him to be.
Perhaps the best part about our D is that three of our top four (Hamilton, Marino and Jonas Siegenthaler) are locked up for quite a few seasons after this, and our top two prospects in Simon Nemec and Luke Hughes should both shore up the blueline long-term even more, ideally starting next season. While Fitzy clearly put us in good position with the D, the goaltending was a question mark for the third straight season. However, this is starting to look like it’s not going to be a rerun of the previous two. Indeed, both Vitek Vanecek and Mackenzie Blackwood have been solid in the last eight games after a rocky beginning for both in the first week of the season. Of the two, Vanecek has more financial security – having inked a three-year extension soon after the Devils traded for him this offseason, but clearly Blackwood is still in the team’s immediate plans as well given the fact he started last night’s game in Vancouver after Vanecek won three start in a row. Heck, even Jonathan Bernier returned to practice last week, so who knows what happens with him. At least they won’t have to go through cap gymnastics if he is ready to return soon, although the roster gymnastics with three goalies would be interesting, especially given both starting goalies each have three-game winning streaks to their name on the young season.
Unfortunately the reason we won’t have to go through cap gymnastics with Bernier has to do with the recent groin injury to Ondrej Palat, which has put him on the IL for an indeterminate length of time (likely at least weeks, if not months). If the Devils can survive the next few weeks without Palat though, maybe it’ll prove to be a blessing to miss some time in the long run after all the games he’s played the last three years in deep playoff runs for Tampa. Of course, that’s still a big if – the Devils aren’t yet in a position where they can take anything for granted, despite the at least temporary nirvana that’s resulted from seeing New Jersey on top of the Metro standings this late in the season for the first time since probably 2017, when the Devils 9-2 start helped lead the franchise to their one and only playoff berth since their trip to the Stanley Cup Finals in 2012. Palat’s already missed all the games in this recent stretch, so as impactful as he was starting to become maybe this team’s forward corps is deep enough to sustain even that kind of a loss.
If the Devils’ defensive shot total has been impressive so far, their offensive shot total of 39.1 per game over the first ten is almost unheard of, especially for this team. Everyone who you would want contributing to the start of the season has, starting with Jesper Bratt, whose 16 points in ten games jump off the page even with franchise cornerstones Jack Hughes (ten points) and Nico Hischier (nine points in nine games) off to fine starts themselves. To say Bratt is pulling an Aaron Judge in betting on himself with a one-year deal isn’t completely accurate though there are some similarities. For one, he’s not a UFA until after next season – although everyone knows another big year will probably see him get his big extension either here, or somewhere else if he’s obstinate. And there’s probably no league record Bratt is going to set this year, though a team record for points isn’t exactly out of the question right now. Maybe a Mitchell Marner deal isn’t exactly out of the question if Bratt has that kind of year.
Of course his contract is still next offseason’s problem barring an in-season extension…for the time being, the Devils’ big three of Bratt, Hughes and Nico have finally all been healthy and living up to expectations at the same time and the resulting offensive explosion has been the product of that. Not surprisingly, Hamilton also leads the blueline in scoring with seven points in ten games, which is good enough for fourth on the team behind the big three. That old adage of the best players needing to be the best players has so far proven true for this Devils team, although they clearly have other contributors as well. Dawson Mercer and Yegor Sharangovich have rounded out our top six nicely with six points apiece in their first ten games, and a combined seven goals while Palat had three goals of his own in his six games before going on the shelf. While Erik Haula hasn’t produced offensively yet in a middle six role, his all-around game has lengthened the lineup and his faceoff prowess is the biggest reason the team has gone from poor at the dot to one of the best teams in the league at it.
Finally, you have to give a tip of the cap to coaching. Given the results, you can’t really argue with many of Lindy Ruff’s decisions so far starting with the surprising decision to roll with Blackwood last night (though given his career record against the Canucks maybe it wasn’t that surprising), as well as the controversial 11-7 lineup during the team’s first three-game winning streak. Our special teams and D have been improved, so you have to give everyone including the new assistants credit for that. You also have to give coach Ruff props for his classy response when asked about the fans booing during the first few games of the season. Whatever my issues with his record or his coaching since going behind the bench as a Devil – as a person he gets it and always has, for lack of a better term. Which is why it was tough for me to criticize him not that long ago. Just look at this quote about having a certain assistant coach speak to the team before Ken Daneyko was honored for forty years as Devil last Sunday:
Lindy Ruff shared with me tonight that on Sunday afternoon, he had #NJDevils Sergei Brylin talk to the team prior to facing the Blue Jackets, specifically on the day the club was honoring @KenDaneykoMSG.
While this team still has a ways to go to even think about championships, it’s nice to see some evidence of a substantive turnaround perhaps, at long last.
Best Buds: Mika Zibanejad and Chris Kreider celebrate Kreider’s overtime winner in an exciting Rangers 1-0 shutout win over the Flyers. AP Photo by New York Rangers via Getty Images
If you love goaltending, then tonight was your kind of hockey game. For over 64 minutes, nobody could score on either goalie. It was indeed an old fashioned goalie duel between Carter Hart and Igor Shesterkin at MSG.
For most of the game, it was the brilliant Hart who stole the show. Playing for John Tortorella’s Flyers, he stood on his head for long stretches.
That included a lopsided second period where the puck never seemed to leave the Flyers zone. It literally stuck to Rangers sticks where they pressed the attack after a ho-hum first that was sleep inducing.
Despite a huge edge in territorial play that produced 14 shots to just the Flyers’ four, they couldn’t solve Hart. If he wasn’t stopping everything sent his way, he had plenty of help from his best friend, the goalpost. The Rangers hit four posts during regulation. That included Chris Kreider having his shorthanded rush get denied by the clanking sound of the iron.
It also happened to Vincent Trocheck, Mika Zibanejad and Alexis Lafreniere, who played a very assertive game as did Kaapo Kakko. Neither had much puck luck with Hart, who was a brick wall until the final frantic minute of overtime.
In what probably felt like a well deserved reprieve for a player who’s been snake bit, Kreider got a do-over. On a Zibanejad pass forward that sent him in one-on-one with Hart for the game, Kreider scored the exciting overtime winner to send the Rangers to a much deserved 1-0 win over the Flyers.
As amazing as they were in controlling most of the play, they still needed two enormous saves late in regulation from Shesterkin to even reach overtime. Both times, he robbed Kevin Hayes. First with the glove and then by making a last ditch sprawling save to deny Hayes of a certain goal with 71 seconds left in the third period.
Even though he wasn’t too busy, you have to give Shesterkin plenty of credit for staying focused long enough to get the reward. When Kreider faked forehand and went backhand finally beating Hart with 53 seconds left, it gave Shesterkin his first shutout of the season. He only needed 19 saves to earn his ninth career shutout. He had six last season.
On his overtime heroics, Kreider told NY Post beat writer Mollie Walker, “Mika, I thought he was going to come with me, little panic set in when I saw he was just giving it to me and letting me take it.
Zibanejad playfully replied: “That’s pure trust right there.”
But actually, Zibanejad essentially said he was gassed and he knew no one was going to catch Kreider.
"So just laid it there and let him take care of the rest."
It made sense that Zibanejad was tired. It was the end of their shift. Kreider was behind all three Flyers skaters and had enough left to make a sweet move and deke to get his fourth of the season.
Entering the match off a successful 2-0 road trip with wins over Dallas and Arizona, the Rangers looked to keep it going against the surprising Flyers. Coached by Tortorella, who preaches team defense and could care less about analytics which have his team way down giving up the third most shots allowed in the league along with the third fewest shots for, they entered with a 5-2-1 record good for 11 points.
As long as Tortorella gets maximum effort from his players in all three zones, he doesn’t care. He even has offensive defenseman Tony DeAngelo buying in by blocking shots. He’s never been known for his defense. But throughout this game including an extended shift over two minutes for him and partner Ivan Provorov, he made subtle plays defensively.
At the start, there wasn’t a whole lot happening. You had the Rangers getting some shots from the outside. Hart made the saves on all nine he faced in what amounted to a mind-numbing period. The Flyers backed up and clogged the neutral zone and hardly gave up anything.
Lafreniere nearly had a cutting Adam Fox for what would’ve been an easy goal late in the first. But his pass didn’t work, hopping over Fox’s stick. Hart was out of position. Ironically, the closest call came when Ryan Lindgren bailed out an over committed Shesterkin on a wrap-around with a well timed block in front. Lindgren had a strong game.
Following a sleep inducing period where the shots favored the Rangers 9-7, they really turned up the heat in the second. From the very first shift, Hart had to contend with a Miller wrist shot and then deny a tricky Kakko backhand in tight.
That set the tone. The ice would be tilted for almost the rest of the period. It included Lafreniere getting a takeaway and missing a deflection wide. Quite a few Blueshirts missed the net. They couldn’t shoot straight. If they had, they might’ve reached double the 14 shots they were credited with.
“Shot wide,” seemed to be the theme as called by Sam Rosen. Part of it was how the Flyers defended. They went into a cocoon, taking away most of the inside. Lafreniere would get another good chance in front, but sent a backhand wide. It was frustrating.
Despite all the dominance, Scott Laughton came on a counter due to a Julien Gauthier turnover. Owen Tippett sent him the other way. But his wrist shot was easily handled by Shesterkin, whose net must’ve sounded like a library. All the action was at Hart’s end.
An attacking Kakko drew a tripping minor on Wade Allison. The top unit did everything but score. Both Zibanejad and Kreider were denied twice with Hart getting across to stop the heavy one-timer from Zibanejad. He would also deny a Kreider tip-in.
By the time the second unit came on, there was barely any time left to do anything. That remains a gripe for me. I think you need two units to be successful in the playoffs. As lethal as the top unit is, they can’t always do it. Especially when they over pass and become predictable.
Sometimes, Gerard Gallant has to trust the second unit. Maybe whenever Filip Chytil is cleared, that finally happens. I’m tired of seeing Lafreniere and Kakko get the leftover crumbs. That philosophy has hurt both production wise. At least they’re each playing in the top six and creating opportunities.
At the halfway mark, you had the Rangers all over the Flyers. For two minutes, they had puck possession. The Flyers couldn’t clear the puck. They hardly had it. All period, they kept forechecking. But Hart kept stopping the puck as if he were a programmed robot. It felt like he was a cyborg from The Terminator. Or the T 1000.
While DeAngelo and Provorov were stuck out for a long shift, the Rangers even changed players. The closest they came was when Zibanejad rang one off the far goalpost on a nice set up from Kakko. K’Andre Miller then fired wide on a follow-up. A bit later, Lafreniere had another tip-in miss.
Kakko is so noticeable tonight for all the right reasons, but the Rangers have basically zero puck luck. pic.twitter.com/wgKvbBeKdC
The only momentum for the Flyers came when Artemi Panarin knocked former Ranger Justin Braun’s helmet off in the offensive zone for roughing. A ridiculous penalty. He takes some bad ones despite not being penalized much.
Instead of doing something on the power play, the Flyers proceeded to lose the puck at the point. Following a desperation DeAngelo keep on a dive when he wasn’t getting booed, Lindgren sent Kreider alone for a shorthanded breakaway. He made the right play, but had his wrist shot go off the goalpost.
The penalty kill continued to create the better chances. Hart made a shorthanded save on a Miller bid from distance. Back at full strength, the Blueshirts continued to search for a way to beat Hart. He came up with a tough stop on a tricky Zibanejad deflection.
Frustration started to boil over late in the period. During an active shift, Lafreniere exchanged slashes with Provorov which got the crowd going. He would later get into it with former Islander Kieffer Bellows during a scrum. You also had Travis Konecny exchange pleasantries later on with Jacob Trouba. He’s feisty.
As the period concluded, a huge scrum behind the Rangers net ensued. All ten skaters were involved. You had Gauthier taking up for Fox and an incensed Lindgren going after Konecny and Kevin Hayes. Lindgren got the extra minor to put the Flyers on the power play to begin the third.
To their credit, the penalty kill came through to keep the Flyers off the scoreboard. Shesterkin only had to make two saves including a tough one on a low DeAngelo shot with traffic. Braden Schneider took care of the man in front and cleared the puck.
Not long after, this time Braun took down Trocheck to go to the box. Trocheck got the best chance early into the power play. But on a perfect Kreider centering feed, he sent a one-timer high and wide. It was ridiculous. Thirteen feet out and he can’t hit the net. Is he suffering from Ryan Strome syndrome? Just checking.
A bit later, it was actually Lafreniere who got a great opportunity with the second unit. But his backhand hit the post. The fourth such instance that happened. Puck luck was on Hart’s side.
Fourth post of the night for #NYR, another one from Alexis Lafrenière on a backhanded attempt
During a stoppage, the Garden cheered when they showed Giants head coach Brian Daboll on the video board seated next to GM Joe Schoen. They deserved it. Nobody had the Giants 6-2 at basically the halfway point.
One of the only things that bothered me was Panarin’s predictability. He doesn’t shoot the puck enough. When he at least looks shot, it can open up the lanes for his East/West passes. The Flyers got their sticks on an awful lot of them. That’s how this team plays. They could easily have had 50 shots on Hart. Maybe they win in regulation.
With time winding down, DeAngelo accidentally cleared a puck just over the glass. After a conference, the on ice officials made the proper call for delay of game. Finally, Panarin shot and Hart made a good save to stop him. Panarin also had another attempt blocked.
During the five-on-four, it sure looked like a Flyer cleared another puck straight out. They batted it. But they thought it made contact with a Ranger. Instead of a possible five-on-three, the Rangers couldn’t muster anything else.
Right after, Trouba turned the puck over at the Flyers blue line. Here came Hayes the other way. But his shot was denied by the quick glove of Shesterkin with 2:27 left. A huge save that bailed Trouba out. He’s definitely struggling. The captain has to cut out the mistakes.
On an even more dangerous chance created by a Tippett steal, Hayes had the game on his stick. With Shesterkin down, it looked like he’d score. But at the last moment, Shesterkin managed to rob Hayes on a backhand that would’ve made it 1-0 with 1:11 remaining. That save allowed the Rangers to reach overtime.
During the three-on-three, it was all Blueshirts. Despite some good chances to end it, Hart kept making saves. He denied a Miller bid in tight and padded away a tough Kakko shot. It really felt like both goalies would share a shutout with it going to the shootout.
But on a Konecny miss, he got trapped along with Hayes and Provorov. Zibanejad simply pushed the puck ahead at center ice for Kreider to skate into. He did the rest to send the Rangers home winners. In doing so, that’s three in a row. That’s a winning streak. It has happened before. That line will never get old.
While the media gave the third star to Hart which was ridiculous, I had him the game’s first star. He made 35 saves. So, here were my three stars. Same players. Just a different order.
Up next are the unbelievable Bruins. How good are they? They fell behind the Pens 5-2 before coming all the way back to win 6-5 in OT at Pittsburgh. They really have it all going. David Pastrnak is on fire now. Taylor Hall is scoring again.
So is Jake DeBrusk, who once wanted out. Even Pavel Zacha is contributing. Hampus Lindholm had four points including the winner last night. Even without Charlie McAvoy, they’re winning. Brad Marchand also returned early and hasn’t missed a beat.
They will be a handful on Thursday night at MSG. A 7:30 PM start time on ESPN Plus. If it’s not on TV, I’ll just tune in on ESPN Radio. There is no more way to stream games without getting the ESPN Plus app. Oh well. Either way, we’ll see how it goes.
Coming off a good weekend with consecutive wins over the Stars and Coyotes on the road, the Rangers are feeling better about themselves. They enter tonight’s match versus the Flyers at MSG with renewed confidence.
Even though he hasn’t been able to match his remarkable play from last season, Igor Shesterkin is 5-0-2 in seven starts. That means he’s largely responsible for the 12 points the Blueshirts currently have. They have yet to post a win or even a point in Jaro Halak’s three starts.
Playing for the third time in four days, it would seem that Gerard Gallant should stick with Shesterkin. He was pretty good against Dallas and Arizona, stopping 48 of 53 shots. The 26-year old Russian netminder has a 2.55 GAA and .913 save percentage. Riding him against the division rival Flyers and old nemesis Boston makes sense. Neither is a back-to-back.
While the play of last year’s Vezina winner has been satisfactory, it’s been the hot start by Artemi Panarin that has provided much of the offense. Buoyed by a three-point game to become just the third Ranger to record three points on a birthday, the just turned 31-year old leads the team in scoring with 16 points (5-11-16).
Half that production has come on the power play. He’s 1-7-8 on the man-advantage and 4-4-8 at even strength. The second line which comprises new center Vincent Trocheck and Alexis Lafreniere playing the off wing have been the team’s best at five-on-five so far. Of his nine points, six have come at even strength for Trocheck. All five of Lafreniere’s points are even strength.
However, that scoring line has also been caught on the ice for several goals against. Astonishingly, Panarin and Trocheck are minus players despite good starts. Lafreniere is even. Attention to detail remains an area that can improve. They aren’t the only players who’ve been guilty of not back checking.
By now, we know how lethal Mika Zibanejad can be on the power play. Possessing a lightning quick one-timer from the left circle, he can get it off at warp speed. Since starting the season with a beautiful shorthanded goal against the Lightning, his other five goals have come on the power play. In fact, eight of a dozen points are via the five-on-four.
While that’s great production, it also means that Zibanejad isn’t getting it done at even strength. With no goals and three assists through 10 games, that’s an area he must pick up. Sidekick Chris Kreider is 2-1-3 at even strength and 1-3-4 on the power play. Kaapo Kakko has scored both his goals at even strength and added a helper. He plays on the little used second power play unit.
If they’re to be successful, the Rangers need more production at five-on-five. Even though they’ve improved due to better face-offs leading to more puck possession, they haven’t been consistent. Over half of their 21 goals at five-on-five have come in wins over the Wild, Ducks and Stars. They totaled 19 goals in the three wins. One goal came during four-on-four and another on a six-on-five situation during a delayed call.
The Blueshirts have converted nine times out of 38 on the power play for 23.7 percent. Half a dozen came in the three victories mentioned above. Mika Zibanejad got the game decider on a five-on-four advantage in the one-goal win over the Coyotes.
Of the seven defensemen who’ve played including third pair sub Libor Hajek, who’s gotten into three games for rookie Zac Jones, it’s been the second pair of K’Andre Miller and Jacob Trouba who have struggled the most. Each have been caught on for 11 goals against at even strength.
A key defensive tandem Gallant relies on for match-ups, both Miller and Trouba have had issues over the first ten games. Miller has been pushed off the puck behind his net and been caught out of position, leading to either goals against or penalties taken. Trouba also has had trouble getting caught on pinches and not being where he should be on several goals.
While that has also been an early issue for Ryan Lindgren and Adam Fox on the top pair, they have been steadier than Miller and Trouba. When there are glaring mistakes from the top four Gallant leans on while limiting five-on-five minutes for his third pair (Jones/Hajek-Schneider), it’s been noticeable.
If there is an area they want to tighten up, it would be the back checking of the forwards. Whether it’s been the second line caught puck watching or flying the zone, or players not coming back in time to help out the defense, those are lapses that can be corrected. Hopefully, they can improve their coverage with the Flyers visiting later followed by the surprising first overall Bruins on Thursday. Discipline will be a key to success.
Of the 21 goals scored at even strength, the bottom six have chipped in half a dozen including one from former Ranger Dryden Hunt. Barclay Goodrow and the still missing Filip Chytil each have scored twice. It’s the latter who’s missed due to his straightforward approach where he can combine his speed and skill with the willingness to work below the dots.
Somewhat curiously, Adam Fox has seven even strength points (2-5-7) while only registering two power play points (assists). But his work on the point is pivotal to the man-advantage. It just so happens that most of the power play goals have involved the forwards with Zibanejad and Panarin leading the way with eight power play points.
The Rangers are tied for 17th in penalty killing. Despite not taking many penalties, they’re 23 for 29 (79.3 percent). They’ve allowed three power play goals each at home and on the road. Zibanejad has the only shorthanded goal getting it back in the first game versus the Lightning.
The power play is ranked 12th due to being contingent on the five-man top unit that features Fox, Panarin, Zibanejad, Trocheck and Kreider. They’ve given up a shorthanded goal.
The second unit isn’t used enough to make a dent. When Chytil returns, does that change? They’ll then have the Kid Line intact with likely Jones and Trouba manning the points. Although the idea of utilizing Vitaly Kravtsov (whenever he’s cleared) would make for a more interesting second unit without Trouba, who should be used primarily for five-on-five and penalty kill.
If you look closely at the current third and fourth lines, only Goodrow and recent Hartfield call-up Julien Gauthier have scored goals. At least Sammy Blais has tallied a couple of helpers recently to provide some offense. There isn’t much offense coming from Jimmy Vesey, Ryan Carpenter and Ryan Reaves. Of the three, Vesey is the most capable. He set up a Fox goal for his one point.
If they’re hoping for help eventually, Will Cuylle is off to a good start with the Wolf Pack. In six contests, he has two goals and two assists. Jonny Brodzinski leads the Pack with six points (2-4-6). Defenseman Matthew Robertson has four assists.
In case you’re already concerned about Halak, first-year pro Dylan Garand has posted a 2.68 GAA and .911 save percentage in three games. Journeyman Louis Domingue is 2.92 and .908 in his three appearances.
The real solution to possibly solving the lack of scoring depth is top prospect Brennan Othmann. The 19-year old former 2021 first round pick was just named OHL Player of the Month. He became the first Flint Firebird to ever receive the honor.
Firebirds' Captain Brennan Othmann Named OHL Player of the Month
In October, Othmann posted 10 goals with 13 assists totaling 23 points to rank second in OHL scoring. His 10 goals ranked first along with 67 shots on goal. He recently became only the fourth player in Firebirds’ history to record his 150th career point. He set a Flint record in ’21-22 with 50 goals and 97 points. He led them to their first ever appearance in the Western Conference Finals.
Othmann will turn 20 next January 5. He won’t be eligible to play professionally until the Firebirds’ season concludes. He’s a left wing. Given that they’ve managed to play Lafreniere out of position on his off wing, what will be the plan once Othmann arrives? Let’s not worry about it right now.
The Flyers game is a 7 EST start. The Bruins game is 7:30 PM. Another ESPN Plus exclusive. I guess I won’t be able to watch since I don’t subscribe. It could be a radio night. They’ll have Friday and Saturday off before the Red Wings visit for one of those perplexing 5 PM games on football Sunday. At least the Giants are off.
Then, the Islanders visit on Election Day. So, that means the best rivalry will have already completed two of their three games before Thanksgiving. Good job NHL schedule makers. The balanced schedule is a disaster. Calgary and Edmonton have already played twice. They have one left. De-emphasizing rivalries makes no sense. Larry Brooks had a column on it, basically borrowing my six-games per division opponent idea that I’ve suggested repeatedly.
For one night at least, hockey was played on a college campus. The Rangers enjoyed this unique experience while defeating the Coyotes 3-2 at Mullett Arena on the Arizona State campus.
For the Coyotes, who hope to get a new arena approved in Tempe, it was the second home game at the college venue. They held their home opener on Friday night against the Winnipeg Jets.
A game that included franchise great Shane Doan dropping the ceremonial first puck with son Josh Doan taking part. The Arizona second round pick plays for the Sun Devils in his sophomore year. The elder Doan played for both the original Jets and Coyotes after Winnipeg left for Phoenix in ’96-97.
With only approximately 5,000 seats for fans who attended last night’s NHL game, you had plenty of energy from the crowd. It’s an atmosphere that’s unique due to it having a college environment. For former NCAA players who played in college arenas, they enjoyed the experience. It’s not every day you can go back to school while cashing an NHL check.
“I mean, it had to be 70-30 Rangers fans, right?” K’Andre Miller told NY Post beat writer Mollie Walker after Mika Zibanejad connected on the power play for the game-winner with 7:04 left in the third period. “That’s pretty much a home game.”
He was right. There were plenty of fans who showed up in Rangers jerseys who made plenty of noise with “Let’s Go Rangers” chants and even “Potvin Sucks” chants. You also had the Arizona State marching band playing during the game. So, you’d hear cool drum beats which allowed for dueling chants in support of both teams. Yes. The Coyotes had their fans too who lent support on All Hallows Eve.
Overall, 4,600 was the paid attendance for the second game at Mullett Arena. In the hyped up season opener against the new Winnipeg franchise, mullets were handed out to fans making it look like a game from the 80’s and 90’s. For the second game, there was more of a Halloween feel with people dressed up in costumes. You even had the mascot decked out in all orange covered up.
Sam Rosen and Joe Micheletti got a kick out of it. The MSG broadcast was done remotely from the studio at The Garden. The second straight road game Sam and Joe called the action back home. It’s disappointing that they didn’t make the trip for Dallas and Arizona State even though the latter would’ve probably been a bit challenging to call. The Covid Error has cheapened production.
Most importantly, the Rangers came out with the two points against a subpar Coyotes team that gave an honest effort. They just aren’t too good. However, they came back from a one-goal deficit to grab a 2-1 lead in a busy second period that was highlighted by each team scoring twice.
Despite holding an edge in play during the first period where they out-shot the Coyotes 15-7, the Rangers were unable to get one past former Nashville backup goalie Connor Ingram. Not exactly a household name, he gave a good account of himself in getting the start over Karel Vejmelka. Ingram stopped 36 of 39 shots.
During the first period, it was mostly the cohesive second line of birthday boy Artemi Panarin, Vincent Trocheck and Alexis Lafreniere that generated offense. They were on the puck a lot and had opportunities to score. In particular, Trocheck was busy totaling eight shots for the game. He was all over the ice throughout.
The Rangers also turned it up on their first power play. With Liam O’Brien off for cross-checking Zibanejad, the vaunted top unit had their chances. Ingram denied Trocheck, Zibanejad and Chris Kreider with his team down a man. He made a fifth save on Jacob Trouba after the power play expired. The second unit came on late.
In a rarity which was the right call by coach Gerard Gallant, he went back to Igor Shesterkin for a second straight game. It marked only the second time in his career that he started both games of a back-to-back. He held up well finishing with 18 saves on 20 shots. A marked difference from facing 33 shots and making 30 stops in a 6-3 win at Dallas.
Even though it’s early in the schedule, it’s time to get Shesterkin into a rhythm. Gallant didn’t give the rating Vezina winner a day off in favor of veteran backup Jaro Halak. It made sense to get Shesterkin his seventh start in the first 10 games. They wanted to sweep the two-game road trip before coming home to host the surprising Flyers tomorrow night.
Although he wasn’t too busy, Shesterkin still made some key stops. He even had to make a pair of saves early on against former Ranger Patrik Nemeth. One of his best came when he denied Zack Kassian on a Coyote flury later in the contest. They played better in the second period.
A better face-off team thanks to the addition of Trocheck, who’s been an upgrade over Ryan Strome, the Blueshirts are faring better on draws. They went 31-and-26 for the night. Zibanejad was their best going 12-and-5. Barclay Goodrow was 6-and-4. Trocheck finished 6-and-7. Former Arizona first round pick Barrett Hayton dominated by winning 10-of-12. He hit a goalpost in the first period.
Following a scoreless first, the Rangers struck for the game’s first goal. On a good shift from Panarin, he was on the puck. Circling around, he finally found a sneaking Lafreniere at the side of the net for a tip-in to make it 1-0 at 1:31. It snapped a five-game goal drought. Lafreniere has points in his last two games. He’s 2-3-5 in 10 games. Hopefully, the good weekend will get him going.
Leading by a goal, Panarin was over aggressive on a forecheck by taking a hooking minor on Troy Stecher in the offensive zone. The Coyotes made him pay. On a good passing play started by Matias Maccelli, he moved the puck down low for rookie Dylan Guenther. Guenther then centered in the slot for a Lawson Crouse one-timer past the glove of Shesterkin to even the score at 6:45. The goal wad the first Arizona shot of the period.
Buoyed by the power play goal, the Coyotes played more aggressive hockey. Nick Bjugstad just missed on a tip-in. Kassian had a shot blocked by Zac Jones. Nick Ritchie was stopped by Shesterkin.
Following a big save by Ingram to rob Trocheck off a quick transition, it was Bjugstad who skated the other way into the Rangers zone and got a tricky shot on Shesterkin that he couldn’t handle. The rebound was missed by Ryan Lindgren, who fumbled it. That allowed Bjugstad to grab the rebound and flip a backhand past Shesterkin to put the Coyotes ahead at 11:27.
Clayton Keller and Guenther picked up the assists. For Guenther, it gave him two helpers for the game. It was his first career two-point game. A ninth overall pick in the 2021 Draft, the 19-year old is up to five points in his first seven games.
After falling behind, the Rangers picked up the hitting. Back in the lineup due to the possible concussion Vitaly Kravtsov suffered despite the ridiculous organization’s dishonesty (hello Filip Chytil), Ryan Reaves had a couple of good hits during an active shift. So did Sammy Blais. He’s playing on the checking line with Ryan Carpenter and Reaves.
The third line featured Saturday’s unlikely hero Julien Gauthier with Goodrow and Jimmy Vesey. They were okay. Goodrow and Gauthier had chances with the latter using his speed to get in and force Ingram to make a tough save. You know what you’ll get from Gauthier, who hustles and plays the game hard.
On a good opportunity for Kreider in front, he passed instead over for a Kaapo Kakko one-timer that Ingram got over and kicked away. I would’ve preferred Kreider take the backhand shot. It was directly in front. Those East/West plays allow goalies to recover. They anticipate the extra pass.
After Trocheck was denied from in tight, Shesterkin came up with two big saves on Hayton. The play in the second was back and forth. Shots favored the Rangers 12-10. Shesterkin also stopped the dangerous Shayne Gostisbehere. The ghost still is a viable threat. He entered the game as the leading scorer of the ‘Yotes with eight points (4-4-8).
Following another good stop from Ingram on Trocheck, who couldn’t score despite having the most opportunities, Adam Fox made a terrific stretch pass to Panarin, who had a step on Gostisbehere. Able to ward off Gostisbehere, he fired a good shot that beat Ingram short side inside the near post. That tied the score with 1:53 left. It was his fifth. A nice birthday present for the just turned 31-year old Russian.
That was a big goal. It allowed the Rangers to go back to the smaller locker room tied. Just from a momentum standpoint, it was important. Ingram had played well. Panarin was able to sneak one by with little wiggle room.
The Rangers controlled the third period. With the exception of an early opportunity for Kassian, who Shesterkin stopped, it was the road team in the traditional white, red and blue jerseys who took over.
They forced Ingram into some tough saves. That included a Gauthier rush and stuff in try where Ingram held the near post to get a stoppage. He would later deny a Miller backhand and stop Kakko.
A close call came when Ingram thought he had a Fox shot covered. With none of the other skaters and goalie realizing the puck was still loose, Fox raced to it and just missed putting the Rangers ahead. It was that close.
Ultimately, Jones drew a hooking minor on Guenther that sent the Rangers to the power play. It took only 27 seconds for them to go ahead for good.
On just a great misdirection play, Kreider took a Panarin feed in front and tipped a no look pass over for a wicked Zibanejad one-timer that found twine for his sixth with 7:04 remaining in regulation. Normally, Kreider would try for the tip-in. But this time, he made a slick play to make the misdirection pass for the easy Zibanejad finish. He now has five power play goals. Is he in line for a similar season as Kreider last year?
Kreider would come close to scoring in a second straight game. But Ingram made the stop to keep the Coyotes within one. Although he isn’t scoring as much, he does have four assists to go with three goals for seven points in 10 games. Sooner or later, the goals will come. He continues to work hard in front.
With over four minutes left, Shesterkin made his last save when he denied Crouse. On the next shift, Kreider used his strength and speed to draw a minor penalty on Travis Boyd for interference with 3:29 to go.
Although they didn’t score, two minutes elapsed leaving very little time for the Coyotes to pull Ingram. He didn’t come off until there were 51 seconds left. Arizona never got any chances.
On a good defensive play, Kreider took a crack at the empty net. He narrowly missed. The final seconds wound down allowing the Rangers to win their second in a row to sweep the weekend away from NYC.
It was a good recovery after their slump. They took care of business. Up next are the Flyers. They’re winning games under old friend John Tortorella. It’s mostly due to Carter Hart. He is standing on his head. The Flyers give up a lot of shots. It’ll be interesting tomorrow night.
THREE STARS 🌟 🤩 ✨️
3rd 🌟 Dylan Guenther ARZ 2 assists for 1st career 2-point game
2nd 🌟 🤩 Mika Zibanejad NYR game-winning PPG (6th goal)
1st 🌟 🤩 ⭐️ Artemi Panarin NYR goal (5) plus 2 🍎 for 3-point game on birthday
It wasn’t perfect. It didn’t have to be. The most important takeaway from today’s matinee in Dallas is that the Rangers ended their winless streak at four by defeating the Stars 6-3 before 18,532 at American Airlines Center.
They took advantage of Jake Oettinger exiting the game with the score even at two in the second period. The Rangers would beat Dallas backup Scott Wedgewood four times on 17 shots over the remainder to post an important win on the road.
It stopped an 0-2-2 stretch where they’d only scored five goals with three losses coming at home. Plus the recent shutout at their home away from home at UBS Arena. Unlike those games, they rediscovered their offense by scoring half a dozen including going 2-for-5 on the power play. A big improvement.
There are many positives to take out of this game. Chris Kreider snapped a six-game scoring drought by getting his third of the season. He also helped set up a goal on the power play for sidekick Mika Zibanejad, who also erased a four-game slide without a point by finishing with a goal and two assists. It was much needed for both.
Zac Jones scored his first career NHL goal to break a 3-3 tie with under nine minutes remaining in regulation. He would add a helper 19 seconds later on a Julien Gauthier goal that sparked the team to three straight goals in 2:07. It was the first two-point game for Jones, who was moved up to the second pair with Jacob Trouba during the crucial third period by Gerard Gallant.
#NYR Zac Jones was up-front in admitting he didn't like his game recently.
"I thought I deserved to get scratched…It is what it is. I took it as a great learning experience. It's the NHL, it's business…I understand that sometimes hard decisions have to be made."
Playing his second game of the season, Gauthier finally got rewarded for his hustle by helping keep a loose puck alive that led to Jones’ game-winner. He then followed it up with a great individual effort by getting to a Sammy Blais flip pass and beating Wedgewood to put the puck into an empty net to make it 5-3. That’s huge for his confidence and hopefully will lead to more offense.
I didn't really pout or anything. I wanted to get back up here as soon as possible." (2/2)
Vincent Trocheck scored twice and added an assist for a three-point game. His second goal came on a delayed call when Alexis Lafreniere and Zibanejad combined to get the puck across for a one-timer into an open side during a six-on-five situation. It was a beautiful play with Zibanejad one-touching the Lafreniere pass over for an open Trocheck for the third consecutive goal that put it away.
Igor Shesterkin returned to the net after getting the Islanders game off. He was solid throughout making 30 saves on 33 shots. The only hiccup was allowing top Stars finisher Jason Robertson to beat him through the pads off a face-off that tied the game at three late in the second.
There were a couple of negatives that came out of the game. K’Andre Miller continued to struggle. He was on for three more goals against with Trouba. While you couldn’t pinpoint two of the goals on him per se, he didn’t pick up Mason Marchment on the game’s first goal scored 1:09 into the game. Eventually, Miller was demoted by Gallant to the third pair where he finished up playing with Braden Schneider.
The other concern is yet another injury to Vitaly Kravtsov. Cleared to return from whatever was ailing him, he played sparingly on the fourth line in place of Ryan Reaves. However, it was on a shift during the second period that he got injured. Going for a puck in the corner which was due to hustle, Kravtsov was leveled by big physical defenseman Jani Hakanpaa- sending him down to the ice.
Rangers trainer Jim Ramsay rushed out on the ice to tend to Kravtsov. He eventually got up, but limped off the ice to the locker room. Considering that his head was exposed, it hit hard on the boards by Hakanpaa, whose hit was clean. It was an unfortunate play. There was no update on Kravtsov’s status.
Obviously, it’s another “upper-body” injury. Similar to Filip Chytil, who didn’t make the trip after leaving practice early yesterday, it’s not hard to imagine that Kravtsov suffered a possible concussion. Although the team keeps such information private, we pretty much know that Chytil has one. If we don’t see Kravtsov for a while, one can assume that it’s likely due to a head injury.
#NYR say Vitali Kravtsov is still being evaluated and they should know more tomorrow.
So far, his return has been nothing but bad luck. An iffy hit by Victor Hedman in the season opener against Tampa Bay ended his night early. He missed over a week before coming back to play against Columbus and Colorado. Kravtsov took a hit during a shift in the third period and didn’t finish Tuesday’s game. He sat out versus the Islanders. Now, another injury which looks serious. He must feel jinxed.
I hope he won’t be out too long. The health of a player is always important. Especially when it involves hits like the one Hakanpaa delivered during a puck battle. It happens. Hockey is a tough sport. It isn’t always a dirty play that causes serious injuries. Ask Marc Staal, who was concussed by older brother Eric during a game. He missed significant time.
Aside from the Kravtsov injury, it was nice to see the Rangers light the lamp half a dozen times against a good team. A good response to the 3-0 shutout despite getting 41 shots on Ilya Sorokin. They definitely benefitted from Wedgewood replacing Oettinger, who left with an unknown injury. The Stars also were without top defenseman Miro Heiskanen.
Goaltender Jake Oettinger (lower body) is questionable to return.
It doesn’t matter. You still have to go out and play the game. The bottom line is they took care of business. It was crucial to get back in the win column. Especially when you look at how tight the Metro Division is. The noticeable improvement of the Devils and Flyers not withstanding. After visiting Arizona State tomorrow night to face the Coyotes at Mullett Arena, the Rangers will see those John Tortorella Flyers on Tuesday.
The start of the game wasn’t exactly what you want to see. On a Stars offensive shift, the second line lost a board battle along the wall. Even worse, they all flew the zone leaving Trouba and Miller by themselves. That allowed Marchment to receive a Tyler Seguin pass and beat Shesterkin with Miller lost in coverage.
However, the Rangers were able to draw even. On a good low shot from Schneider, the puck took a bounce off Nils Lundkvist to Kakko, who had it come right to Kreider for an easy finish at 8:41.
Ironic that it was Lundkvist since he was facing the Rangers for the first time as a Star. He played over 20 minutes and had three shots in the game. He also took a penalty and drew one in the first period.
With the game still tied, Stars forward Ty Dellandrea purposely skated through the crease and tripped Shesterkin down to the ice with 18 seconds left. He had to be tended to. Fortunately, he was okay to continue. The Rangers were incensed. Of all people, Artemi Panarin went after Dellandrea leading to matching roughing minors. Dellandrea received the extra two for the original.
With the power play carrying over to the second period, they made Dellandrea pay for his cheap play. After Kakko hustled to keep the puck alive, Adam Fox moved it down for Zibanejad who sent it across for a Trocheck one-timer past Oettinger 59 seconds into the period.
But the lead was short-lived. The Stars came right back 29 seconds later with Roope Hintz able to get to a rebound off a Joe Pavelski tip to beat Shesterkin. On the play, the Stars were able to win the battle along the boards to get the puck up top for Robertson. Trouba, who lost a battle to Pavelski then was too late to pick up Hintz, who tied the game at 1:28.
In a recurring theme, the Rangers kept going after Dellandrea. They wanted to get the message across loud and clear. Shesterkin is off limits. Trocheck and Dellandrea got into it for matching roughs. Kreider especially let him know about it throughout the game. Exactly what you love to see.
Another Stars penalty allowed the Rangers to go back to work on the five-on-four. This time, it was Zibanejad who was able to redirect a Panarin feed past Wedgewood to give the Rangers another lead with 5:42 remaining. Kreider won the draw and then Panarin found open space to pass in front for a neat Zibanejad tip-in.
But late in the period, Robertson struck to score unassisted off an offensive draw. With a little bit of a mix-up in coverage due to a loose puck, he took advantage to snap a wrist shot underneath Shesterkin at 18:46 to send the game to the locker room tied at three.
The third was played mostly at five-on-five. Although the shots favored Dallas 8-7, it was the Rangers who made the big plays to win the game.
On a forecheck, Gauthier raced to keep a puck alive. That allowed Trocheck to find an open Jones at the point for a good shot that beat Wedgewood to break the tie score with 8:42 left. That gave him goal number one in the NHL. Congrats to Zac.
With the crowd still buzzing, Jones got the puck to Blais, who tried one of those lob passes. It worked. With Wedgewood aggressively coming way out of his crease, he was beaten to the loose puck by a flying Gauthier who then went around and put a good shot into the empty net for his first of the season to suddenly make it 5-3.
We’ve seen Gauthier miss those chances plenty of times. Or go wide. This time, he was able to score to make it two straight goals in 19 seconds. It stunned the crowd.
On a strong offensive shift, they drew a delayed penalty on the Stars. However, being the patient puck possession team they are, they kept moving it around. On a quick reset, Panarin made a nice play at the Dallas blue line to get onside and slip the puck ahead for Lafreniere.
He then passed in front for Zibanejad. Instead of shooting it, he redirected a nice pass for Trocheck to bury for the second of the game at 13:25. That finished it off.
After killing a Blais penalty, Barclay Goodrow decided to knock down easy target Dellandrea with under a minute left to go off for roughing. It didn’t matter. The game was over. It was the right time to get an extra shot on Dellandrea for his shenanigans.
Next up are the Coyotes. They played their first home game Friday night on the campus of Arizona State at Mullett Arena. In a nice touch, they had franchise great Shane Doan at center ice with son Josh Doan, who is a Sun Devil the Coyotes drafted. The elder Doan dropped the ceremonial first puck before face-off against the Winnipeg Jets.
Whatever your feelings are towards the ‘Yotes playing their games at Arizona State with a cap of 5,000 seats, it definitely is a unique situation. They’ll have a college environment at home. Something you don’t see in the NHL. It actually could be better than what existed at the old arena where there were many empty seats.
Is it ideal? No. But that’s what’s happening. Commissioner Gary Bettman refuses to relocate the Coyotes. The hope is they’ll get a brand new arena built that will keep them in the Desert. That’s supposed to happen. It must for there to finally be financial stability.
The Rangers and Coyotes will face-off at 8 EST tomorrow night. Arizona might not possess much talent. But they do work hard. So, the Blueshirts can’t take them lightly. Will Turk give Shesterkin a back-to-back? I would. But it’s his decision.
If you’d told me a couple weeks ago as the Devils were sitting at 0-2 that they would win five out of their next six and improve to 5-3 I would have laughed at the absurdity. Even now I’m still a bit shaky in terms of my belief in this team, in part because I’m still 0-2 in attended games (missed tonight’s game due to car issues after being on the IL for last week’s two home wins) and in part because let’s face it, the Devils have gotten off to good ten-game starts the last couple years as well. Until tonight you could attribute our recent streak to a cupcake schedule, and even Colorado was missing a few key guys – at least offensively. Still, a win is a win, especially when it’s a taut 1-0 shutout against a lot of guys who did just win a Stanley Cup.
What you have to say is encouraging about tonight’s game is that a lot of the ills that have plagued this franchise in recent years looked like strengths against a talented Avs roster – starting with Vitek Vanecek whose twenty-four saves were just enough for his second straight win and first shutout as a Devil. After a rocky start in the home opener two weeks ago, Vanecek won over the home crowd tonight with some key saves, especially on the Avs’ power play which the Devils managed to keep in check going 6-6 on the kill. Special teams had been another reliable bugaboo in recent years, until tonight. Not only did the Devils keep the Avs’ man advantage quiet (including a tense last-minute 6-on-4 after an ill-timed Tomas Tatar penalty), but New Jersey also scored their lone goal on the much-maligned PP with Jack Hughes’ wrister beating Avs goalie Pavel Francouz to break a scoreless tie early in the third period.
Other improvements include the Devils’ prowess in the faceoff dot tonight – a total of 34 faceoff wins in 48 chances (71%) including Nico Hischier going an insane 16-17 on the draw, tying a team record by none other than Bobby Holik:
N. Hischier tied Bobby Holik’s franchise record for the highest face-off% in a game (94.1%, 16/17) – for skaters who logged 15-or-more face-offs in a contest.
Holik was also 16/17 on Jan. 2, 1999 at Ottawa.#NJDevils
It might have been in the salad days of Holik and John Madden where the Devils were last this good on faceoffs, with Nico and new acquisition Erik Haula leading the way for the Devils’ top three overall rank in faceoff wins on the season so far. Also a vast improvement has been the D as a whole, with a healthy Dougie Hamilton and last season’s breakout in Jonas Siegenthaler joined by this season’s breakout in John Marino, who earned the third star with another strong performance tonight leading the team with 22:01 in icetime, including an insane (and critical) 6:58 on the PK.
If Marino didn’t get the third star you could have actually given it to Nathan Bastian, after he had three critical blocked shots and a pivotal screen on the Hughes goal. New Jersey got contributions from role players and stars alike, which you need to beat teams like the Avs and hang with the big boys on a consistent basis. While they’ve certainly been consistent defensively this season and are getting better on special teams, you’d still like to see a little more offense going forward. Tuesday’s breakout in Detroit was nice, but still abnormal for this season where the Devils have scratched out eighteen goals in the other seven games. As always, goaltending is still a question mark but with Mackenzie Blackwood’s three-game winning streak and Vanecek’s strong last two games maybe the Devils at last have a tandem worth sticking with.
Clearly that’s going to be a hot hand approach though and right now that’s Vanecek, who’ll likely start on Sunday against the Blue Jackets, which is a pivotal game before the Western Canada swing. You’d like to beat a middling Jackets team even if in previous seasons big teams like them have been poison for our small, skill lineup. Perhaps that’ll be the next thing to change from prior seasons though. Can’t say I’ll be at that game either (not with it conflicting against Jets-Patriots) so you can probably chalk that up as a win too, hah. However they come for now, just so long as they give us a reason to believe.
hasan4978
Derek
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