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..
The Rangers got good news earlier today. Filip Chytil declared himself ready to go for tonight’s big game against the old Patrick Division rival Penguins.
#NYR Filip Chytil says he’s good to go and will play tonight vs. Penguins
It was during the second period of a 7-1 win over the Blackhawks that Chytil absorbed a late hit from Sam Lafferty against the glass. The dangerous high hit sent Chytil down and to the locker room. He was evaluated further and likely went through concussion protocol.
Having already missed half a dozen games following taking an elbow on Oct. 23 at Columbus, which probably resulted in a concussion, the last thing the Rangers needed was for Chytil to again have sustained another head injury.
A fragile player who’s missed games before due to injuries, the 23-year old center is coming into his own. Having scored his eighth goal to already match last year’s total and set-up Kaapo Kakko late in a three-goal first period, Chytil is quietly having a good first half. In 25 games, he enters tonight with eight goals, nine assists and 17 points.
With goals in three of the last four games along with two assists, Chytil is having an impact during the best stretch of hockey the Rangers have played. They bring a season high seven-game winning streak into play when they battle the Pens for the first time. They enter with 41 points in 33 games while the Penguins have 40 in 31. Given the games at hand Pittsburgh has, it’s a good litmus test for the Blueshirts.
The Pens just had their own seven-game win streak snapped when they lost to the Hurricanes 3-2 in regulation on Sunday. It was a game they led by a goal during the third period before the Canes used goals from Brady Skjei and Jordan Staal to get the win in Raleigh.
It’s been the usual suspects taking center stage for the Pens. Ageless wonder Sidney Crosby leads them in scoring with 40 points (17-23-40). Fifteen of his seventeen goals have come at even strength. He’s also posted 32 of 40 points at even strength. The 35-year old captain shows no signs of slowing down.
Evgeni Malkin is doing his talking with his play. After re-signing with the club last summer, he’s back producing at a point-per-game clip. He has 32 points (10-22-32) in 31 games. Malkin remains dangerous on the man-advantage where he paces Pittsburgh with 15 power play points. Possessing a lethal shot, he must be accounted for.
Jake Guentzel remains a consistent force for the black and yellow. With 15 goals and 16 helpers for 31 points over 27 games, the 28-year old forward remains one of the better scorers in the game. He’s good in front and also in transition.
The Pens have gotten better play out of Rickard Rakell, whose 13 goals are a sign that he’s healthy. That wasn’t the case when he first came over from Anaheim. Bryan Rust isn’t having a big season. But he usually does some of his best work against the Rangers.
Kris Letang remains the anchor of the blue line. However, it’s been a tough go for the veteran who only has two goals and 13 assists along with a minus-seven rating. It’s astonishing he can still play at such a high level following a second stroke. He didn’t even miss much time. Hopefully, he stays healthy.
Tristan Jarry has supplied steady play in net. He’s 14-3-3 with a 2.63 GAA, .921 save percentage and a shutout over 20 starts. The 27-year old netminder has had some good goalie duels with Igor Shesterkin. Assuming that’s the goalie match-up, it should be worth following. Shesterkin turns 27 on December 30.
With Shesterkin having won his last six decisions while posting a 1.80 GAA and .939 save percentage, it should be interesting to see who prevails. Jarry also brings a six-game winning streak into play with a 1.99 GAA and .939 save percentage. He’s won 10 of his last 11 starts and hasn’t lost in regulation since Nov. 5 versus Seattle.
With Chytil good to go, he’ll be between sidekicks Lafreniere and Kakko. Lafreniere has three assists over the past three games while Kakko has heated up with three goals and two assists over the last four. It’s those young players who remain the key to the season.
It looks like Gerard Gallant could stick with the same lineup. That means Mika Zibanejad centering Artemi Panarin and Barclay Goodrow. A line that’s coming off a second consecutive good game. Panarin has goals in back-to-back games with three helpers. Goodrow had a goal and assist in the 6-3 win over Philadelphia. Zibanejad has two assists in each of the last two games. With 37 points (15-22-37) to trail only Panarin (40) in team scoring, he paces the Rangers with 10 power play goals.
The third line features Vincent Trocheck with Chris Kreider and Jimmy Vesey. While both Trocheck and Vesey have been playing well of late, Kreider is without a goal in three. He might be better suited back with Zibanejad. We’ll see what happens.
Since being elevated to center the checking line, Jonny Brodzinski has provided a spark. His speed and ability to forecheck have been noticeable. His hard work paid off when he redirected a Braden Schneider shot for his first goal in the rout of Chicago. He has played with both Sammy Blais and Julien Gauthier, who sat out on Sunday for Blais.
Vitaly Kravtsov played again and scored his second goal in 13 games. He’s played the last three while continuing to work hard on the fourth line. A spot that Gallant readily admits isn’t the best area for the soon to be 23-year old. He blows out the candles in three days. If he remains in the lineup, he should continue to see second power play duty.
The defense is led by Norris candidate Adam Fox. The offensive leader from the back end, the smooth skating 24-year old remains a constant force opponents must key on. His 34 points (7-27-34) rank third on the Rangers. That includes 21 at even strength, 12 on the power play and 1 shorthanded.
One of the league’s best defensemen, Fox should be in the mix for the Norris. It’s a crowded field with Erik Karlsson leading the field in scoring followed by Rasmus Dahlin and Josh Morrissey.
With Ben Harpur able to provide a steadier and more physical presence than Libor Hajek, expect him to remain with Schneider on the third pair. Jacob Trouba and K’Andre Miller are the second pair. Both having picked it up lately offensively. Ryan Lindgren remains Fox’s partner continuing to provide the nuts and bolts.
It should be a good game. This is the first of two before the Christmas break. The Islanders visit MSG Thursday. That one should be circled.
Filip Chytil is down following a dangerous hit by Sam Lafferty during Sunday’s Rangers 7-1 win over the Blackhawks. AP Photo via Getty Images
A show of hands. How many of you have rooted for teams and supported hockey before the 21st century? If you’ve been around long enough, then you know how backwards the sport has become.
In the old days, the NHL was much tougher. If a player took liberties with someone, justice was taken care of on the ice. Players policed themselves. There was a lot more fighting in the 90’s than we see these days. If you grew up watching those games, you knew it would be taken care of.
As the game’s grown through expansion and internationally, the decline of the enforcer has been noticeable. There still are some heavyweights who’ll keep opponents honest. But hockey fights aren’t as common. Sometimes, all it takes is a thumping hit to put the opposition on notice.
That’s why Ryan Reaves is still an effective player despite the ridiculous assertion from veteran columnist Larry Brooks in a recent Slap Shots column. The hit in question was shoulder to chest despite catching Filip Hronek prone. Slow it down.
I guess some media who’ve covered much more chaotic games in the past have softened up. Given how the NHL rules now are due to head shots, it’s understandable. However, some big hits are still shoulder through chest catching unsuspecting players with their heads down.
The clearest example remains what Scott Stevens did to Eric Lindros early in Game Seven of the 2000 Eastern Conference Final between the Devils and Flyers. Of course, that was a different era. Poor Lindros skated with the puck and had his head on a swivel when he crossed the Devils blue line. He suffered a concussion that delayed the game stunning the pro Flyers crowd. Lindros would take the entire ’00-01 season off before continuing his career with the Rangers.
Whether you loved or hated him, Stevens was a ferocious open ice hitter who prided himself on catching guys with their heads down. It was a big part of the game. Even now two decades later, it still is relevant. Or maybe you haven’t seen Jacob Trouba deliver a big hit to an opponent that impacts the game. Such hitting can change the momentum or even a series as his hit on Sidney Crosby did during the Rangers’ first round series against the Penguins.
Trouba recently leveled Andreas Athanasiou in a heated game between the Blackhawks and Rangers. He also had another one. He was made accountable twice with fights for what were clean hits. I didn’t see Brooks complain about either. Nor did he ever critique Reaves when he earned his pay as a Blueshirt.
A visibly frustrated Trouba sent a message to his emotionless team. They were losing to the league’s worst team at home. If you’ve watched the Blackhawks even with Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews, they’re miserable. However, they did come into MSG and get a win that saw the struggling Rangers booed off the ice. The same game Trouba had a few choice words for the bench before slamming his stick near the end of the second period.
As has been documented here and in many spaces, Trouba has had his struggles. The first-year Rangers captain has clearly not been the same player we saw last season. He’s been playing hurt. That’s resulted in unsteady defensive play and goals against where he’s been on for. It hasn’t been pretty. However, Trouba never makes any excuses. He continues to take regular shifts even if coach Gerard Gallant had to adjust his defense pairs in a comeback win over the Devils that seemed to energize his club.
Since that exciting 4-3 overtime win over the Devils, the Rangers haven’t lost a game. In fact, they were able to end a skid by posting an ugly 6-4 win over the Blues. Then followed that up with key road victories over the Golden Knights and Avalanche. Even if both teams were down some key stars, it was important for them to get those road wins for their psyche.
But it was that one-goal home win over their close Hudson rival that really gave them a confidence boost. They twice rallied back from two-goal deficits to earn the victory on an overtime goal by Filip Chytil. A player who’s been instrumental in the team’s turnaround.
During a season high seven-game win streak that was highlighted by a 3-1 triumph over the Maple Leafs where they snapped Mitch Marner’s 23-game point streak (11-21-32), Chytil even scored a rare power play goal. The first for the second unit that hardly ever gets much ice time due to a top unit comprised of Mika Zibanejad, Chris Kreider, Artemi Panarin, Vincent Trocheck and power play quarterback Adam Fox.
For once, Gallant was able to put the second unit on earlier. With some good puck movement down low between Alexis Lafreniere and Kaapo Kakko with Vitaly Kravtsov in front, Chytil converted a nice Kakko pass for his first power play goal since Jan. 2, 2020.
Even with some of the injuries he’s had, that’s a long time without one. When asked about it, he was happy to finally score on the power play. But heaped praise on the top unit. Proving the 23-year old former 2017 first round pick is a mature player who sees the big picture.
If there’s been one lineup move that has worked, it was Gallant deciding to reunite Chytil with Lafreniere and Kakko. The difference is he’s using them like a top line at even strength. The cohesive 21 and over trio have been an effective unit at five-on-five. Something that started late last season and continued during the playoffs.
Their play helped the Rangers get past the Pens and Hurricanes into the Conference Finals. They even were good in the first two games of that series before the Lightning put the clamps down.
After they defeated the Flyers for a sixth consecutive win, they avenged the ugly 5-2 loss to Chicago by running away with a 7-1 victory in the windy city last night. During the first period where they didn’t play well, it was Chytil who scored his eighth and later set up Kakko’s eighth on a terrific passing play that also involved Lafreniere.
Kaapo Kakko's odd-man-rush one-timer beats Soderblom for the third Rangers goal of the first period!#NYRpic.twitter.com/hy2Ve97ToP
— Hockey Daily 365 l NHL Highlights & News (@HockeyDaily365) December 19, 2022
They went from being scoreless with an awful opponent to getting three straight goals over a 5:59 span to take a 3-0 lead after one period. In between, Panarin converted for a second consecutive game off a nice Fox pass to also net his eighth. Eights were wild.
Unfortunately, Chytil was caught by Blackhawks forward Sam Lafferty who delivered a late, high hit that sent the Rangers center to the ice in pain. Having already suffered a likely concussion earlier this season that kept him out six games, it wasn’t good. He exited the game and never returned.
That likely meant concussion protocol. Obviously, it’s frustrating to see Chytil go down on a questionable hit. He passed the puck from behind the net in front for Kakko when Lafferty belted him.
The issue is it was delivered high and made contact with Chytil’s face. Dangerously close to being a head shot. Combine that with where he was and the impact sent him with his head exposed against the glass where there’s no protection. That makes it reckless.
Of course, there was nothing called during the game. Predictably, Player Safety didn’t discipline Lafferty for the hit. Why would they? They’re too busy punishing players for high sticks.
No discipline coming for CHI's Sam Lafferty on hit that knocked Filip Chytil from last night's #NYR win. Not a surprise — @NHLPlayerSafety rarely if ever disciplines for a hit that wasn't targeting or "picking" the head and players were face to face. Unfortunate result for sure.
The issue here is Tomas Hertl got two games for defending himself following cross checks from Elias Lindholm that weren’t penalized off a face-off. Yes. He high-sticked Lindholm. But is it worse than what Lafferty did to Chytil?
I strongly disagree with the league. They always preach about protecting players. They rarely do. How many more times will hits like the one Lafferty delivered that injured Chytil be allowed? Why does George Parros have a job? Better yet. Why does good old boy Colin Campbell continue to cash a paycheck when he’s the poster boy for defending the indefensible?
This has gone on for way too long. Supplementary discipline doesn’t work because it’s inconsistent. They don’t hold every player to the same standard. If they did, Sidney Crosby would’ve been suspended multiple times for incidents earlier in his brilliant career. Yes. Most superstars get the star treatment. There’s a double standard.
What can’t be understood is why a Lafferty can escape unscathed. His hit was a tad late and too high to be considered a legal check. That’s why Chytil left the game. If he doesn’t play on Tuesday night at Pittsburgh, we’ll know why. Then the Rangers host the Islanders on Thursday before the Christmas break.
Chytil has shown improvement. He’s become a key player for the Rangers. With eight goals and nine assists for 17 points and a plus-10 rating in 25 games, it’s the play of the Czech that’s provided a spark for his younger line mates. Now, we’re seeing what they can do.
Filip Chytil scores the 50th goal of his career. Chytil has four goals in his last six games.
Hopefully, Chytil doesn’t miss any time. But when Gallant signals the usual “day-to-day” to describe the status of Fil, that’s not very reassuring. Let’s hope for the best.
We know Player Safety doesn’t care. They never will.
In prior seasons, one of my tells for when things were in crisis mode in Devils land was to post a DEFCON 1 YouTube (symbolizing that World War III was about to be declared) from one of my favorite movies growing up in Wargames as an illustration of how dire things were. Obviously we aren’t at DEFCON 1 territory just yet, but we aren’t in total chill mode anymore either after five straight defeats – three to our biggest rivals, four of the five games at home and in some ways tonight’s 4-2 defeat to the Panthers was actually the most alarming of all. You would think after four straight losses the team would have shown more fight and resolve than they did tonight, after playing well in a fruitless first ten minutes then giving up a breakaway and getting scored on before you could blink during the PP the team just…flatlined after that. Offensively, defensively, emotionally – all of it.
The fact they quit the rest of the first period was bad enough…the only reason it wasn’t any worse than 1-0 was Akira Schmid making some nice saves, and Dougie Hamilton’s stop of a two-on-one, one of the two he was caught back on (Schmid made the save on the other one). Then on top of that, you had a weird incident before the second period where both teams were jawing at and eyeing each other before the opening faceoff. This is where I needed to go to Twitter to figure out what the hell was going on – it turned out that on the final faceoff of the first period, Nico Hischier either slipped or fell awkwardly and wound up injuring Aleksander Barkov’s knee jostling for the puck. For the rest of the night the Panthers exacted frontier justice on Nico, hacking and slashing every chance they got and encouraged by tacit officials who seemed to side with them on the matter.
Now let’s get something straight here…anyone – and that includes the Panthers and the refs tonight – who think Nico is somehow a dirty player is either stupid or willfully obtuse. Yeah a guy who has all of ‘two’ penalty minutes in thirty games this season is a dirty player, get out of here with that nonsense. It’s unfortunate that Barkov got hurt, but the fact that they took it out on Nico and the Devils themselves did not respond the same way the Panthers responded to their captain getting hurt was troubling, to say the least.
“I thought Nico handled it pretty well, but I thought our response as a team could have been could have been bigger than that.” – Lindy Ruff on the focus the Panthers were paying to #NJDevils Nico Hischier after the draw that hurt Barkov.
You would at least have been able to excuse it or rationalize it somewhat if the Devils were laser-focused and made the Panthers pay on the scoreboard, but that never occured either. In fact, it was the Panthers who got the next goal, a rare short-side clunker allowed by Schmid who – if this is it for him in the near future with Mackenzie Blackwood’s return now imminent – can at least hang his hat on five wins and tidy splits (1.96 GAA, .932 save) in his second stint here. While the Devils didn’t show much in terms of pushback, at least they managed to get on the board, barely. After Sergei Bobrovsky tried to run into Dawson Mercer outside the crease and draw an interference call, John Marino put the puck into a vacated net but the refs made their one substantial contribution to the game and didn’t buy the Bob’s flopper act – although it took several anxious minutes for Toronto to confirm the no-call on the ice and ding the Panthers a power play for a failed challenge.
Not that getting another power play mattered, since our man advantage was just as clueless as our penalty kill was on that approximately five-second power play that opened the scoring. And yet again, as they’ve done so often during this streak the Devils gave up a killer late goal (this time with forty seconds left) in a period to make the score 3-1, and it might as well have been 30-1 with how little fight the team showed from the middle of the first period on, until very late in the third. It took about that long for there to be any response at all to the Panthers’ physical play, which typically came from Smith midway through the third period after Mercer got hit along the boards. Fortunately he didn’t cost us our power play as it was a matching minor.
Of course the team did little with the man advantage, the only reason there was even any suspense in the building – and juice – for the last five minutes was when Mike McLeod of all people made a pretty behind-the-net feed to (again, of all people) Erik Haula for a sure goal even he couldn’t botch. Finally, this moment of shock skill is what brought the team back to life but it was too little too late. Laughably, the Panthers’ empty net clincher came right smack after a timeout and cemented a 4-2 loss that was well-deserved, as is the team’s now five-game losing streak.
To be fair, it’s not as if they’ve played poorly throughout the losing streak…but it always seems to be something else. No-showing against the Islanders, handing away the Ranger game with stupidity, getting goalie stoned against the Flyers and backing down last night. Not to mention the Damon Severson fiasco in the aforementioned Flyers game on Thursday – where realistically all the Devils had to do against a team they were dominating was avoid a dumb, killer mistake and they would probably at least get to overtime, where they’ve generally been good so far this year (Ranger game aside). Lindy Ruff even reminded the team midway through the period they didn’t need to make risky plays. Lo and behold, moments later…
Severson arguably made it worse in the postgame where he basically shrugged off the hideous, unneeded turnover as ‘just trying to make a play’. Well my dude, if you want to complain (justifiably) about how the team had a losing culture the last several years like you did before the Ranger game, one of the biggest reasons we’ve been struggling for those several years is having YOU as a top-pairing defenseman. And one of the biggest reasons the team had been surging until recently is being able to play Severson in a quasi-second and third pairing role where a guy like him with his penchant for…idiosyncratic play belongs. Or just plain idiotic. If you thought a veteran coach like Ruff would ordinarily be more forgiving of a vet mistake, if anything it was the opposite.
Lindy Ruff called Damon Severson’s play that lead to the 2-1 goal “totally unacceptable”, nowhere was that play in their “playbook”.
This might be the most agitated I’ve seen Lindy in while.
Not only did he bench Severson the last several minutes of that defeat, but he made him a healthy scratch to emphasize the point last night, a move which I was all for. Even if it may well have compromised our chances of winning since there’s no argument to be made about Smith or even an improved Kevin Bahl being as good as ‘normal’ Severson. Losing streak or no losing streak, if you’re not going to send a message in December with still somewhat of a cushion to work with, when can you? Would it really have been too much to ask the rest of the team to play well enough where losing Severson wouldn’t be an issue? What was particularly galling about last night is it seemed as if everyone was competing to turn the puck over like Damon, to the point where I thought Lindy’s next move might be to pull a Gene Hackman from Hoosiers and just play shorthanded.
Yes, we still have a playoff cushion of eight points with two games in hand…but if the team continues to play poorly for the rest of the month, before you know it we’ll be right back on the bubble with the old doubts and bad habits creeping in. I don’t want coal from the Devils for yet another Christmas.
Normally, I wouldn’t bother to go here. However, here we are. It’s late Saturday night into football Sunday and I’m not going to duck the obvious. Not when I feel so strongly about it.
On the ice, things have been going well for the Rangers. Winners over the Maple Leafs in a complete effort at MSG a few nights ago, they have finally found the right formula. While it hasn’t been perfect, beating the likes of the Golden Knights, Avalanche and Leafs is a step in the right direction.
On Saturday evening in Philadelphia, they had enough offense to defeat the lowly Flyers 6-3. It was their season high sixth consecutive win. With the Devils finally cooling off since losing last week to the Blueshirts in overtime, they finally seem to be back on track. Not a moment too soon with the Penguins and Hurricanes each playing well.
In terms of who contributed to their 17th victory of the season, it was nice to see Artemi Panarin score a goal. It was only his seventh in 32 games. However, he had one of his better nights by also setting up a Barclay Goodrow tally that made it 3-1 a little past the midway point of the contest.
That goal which Panarin and Mika Zibanejad set up for Goodrow’s seventh followed up a remarkable sequence where K’Andre Miller recovered from being taken down to convert a breakaway goal on a delayed call. The unassisted tally by the third-year defenseman was unbelievable. He was in on Carter Hart, lost his balance and then popped back up to then pull off a forehand deke to make it 2-1.
Miller is out of the box, tripped up, and still finishes!! Rangers take the lead! pic.twitter.com/gCREgxuAFT
Even without leading scorer Kevin Hayes, who coach John Tortorella decided to make an example of due to lazy play against the Devils, the Flyers fought hard. Not the most talented team, they took full advantage of a lazy Panarin back pass to score a shorthanded goal. Panarin threw the puck away where Scott Laughton intercepted the pass and led a two on none rush before going backhand to beat backup Jaroslav Halak.
That goal came with 2:04 remaining in the second, allowing the Flyers to get some life. On the very same power play in which the Rangers’ top unit was asleep, they nearly allowed another shorthanded goal. Thankfully, they recovered just in time to escape with a one-goal lead. It was a forgettable two minutes for a power play that should’ve put the clamps down after a close call.
As it turned out, the biggest play was made by Jimmy Vesey. Buoyed by a two-goal game versus his former team the other night, he took a Vincent Trocheck pass, turned and wheeled around for a shot that caught Carter Hart leaning. The shot went upstairs glove side for his third in two games.
The play was made possible by a smart Chris Kreider dump in that Hart came out and played. Trocheck intercepted the pass and found Vesey for what proved to be the winner with 13:38 left.
It loomed large when Morgan Frost caught Halak sleeping on an unscreened shot from the left circle that dipped underneath to cut the deficit again to one with 12:07 remaining. It answered the Vesey goal 91 seconds later. He used Jacob Trouba to get the shot through. These things seem to always happen with him on the ice. But it was one Halak should’ve had.
Halak had a strange game. On one hand, he made some outstanding saves off point blank chances to keep his team in front. On the other hand, there was a James van Riemsdyk goal where he wrapped it around far side that you just don’t see when Igor Shesterkin is in net. Then, the dying quail to Frost which could’ve cost them. These aren’t goals you want to see the backup give up. It begs the question of how many games can Gerard Gallant give Halak realistically.
Fortunately, the penalty kill got the job done. They faced a woefully bad Flyers power play that hadn’t converted over their last three games. During that time, key defenseman Tony DeAngelo was out due to personal reasons. Regrettably, he lost his grandmother which is why he needed time to spend with his family.
Much has been said and written about DeAngelo. At this point, it’s nauseating. He’s still suffering from the same misplaced hate from a despicable portion of the Rangers fan base who have no common sense or manners.
These deluded fanatics would have you believe Tony DeAngelo is some bad guy who deserves to be unfairly targeted for the despicable actions of a loser blogger who spread false rumors. The less said about it, the better. It truly is embarassing how far a faction of fans will go to make themselves the most obnoxious and uneducated people in the NHL.
Every time he touched the puck when the Flyers were attacking down a goal with Trocheck off for slashing, the boos rained down at Wells Fargo Center. This has become as exhausting as the Covid police. The kind of people who would have you believe by staying inside and masked up, you can prevent a virus that isn’t as life threatening anymore as they claim. I got over the flu. That wasn’t fun either. But I recovered.
That such losers exist among the Rangers fan base is disturbingly sad and pathetic. They would believe anything if it’s said by an untrustworthy politician or doctor who deserves to be investigated for all of their lies. That’s what we’re dealing with.
These are people with zero personality who live to watch others suffer. They unfairly label and are the most insufferable and intolerant. That’s what now exists in the world of sports. Where everything must be politicized. Even if there’s no basis for it and zero facts (only fiction, lies and deception), it must be spread as gospel.
It reminds me of all that’s wrong. So, while these clowns booed DeAngelo after he played with a heavy heart for his grandma, all they did was humiliate themselves. These aren’t true fans. They’re losers. No team should be represented by such obnoxious behavior. No respect for anyone or anything.
Even though they got two empty net goals including a rare one for the struggling Trouba with Hart lifted for a six-on-four where all Tortorella could do was chuckle at his team’s luck, this was no laughing matter.
It’s embarrassing. There’s no reason to be happy. Not when such despicable people exist pretending they’re fans. DeAngelo hasn’t been a Ranger for two seasons. He did pretty well with Carolina. Now, it’s been more challenging on the rebuilding Flyers. Wishing him and his family the best during such tough times.
For the naysayers who have nothing of value to add, get lost. Don’t let the door hit you on the way out. You’re nobody.
As for the Rangers, at least they’re back to winning games again. Kudos to the players and staff for finally altering the lineup and adjusting its usage. They’ll go for lucky seven against the even worse Blackhawks. Better win that one after what happened last time.
On Tuesday night in Chicago at the United Center, Alexander Ovechkin launched himself into NHL history by becoming only the third player to join the 800 Goal Club.
He accomplished the significant feat in style by scoring a hat trick to highlight Caps 7-3 win over the Blackhawks on ESPN. The Great Eight joined exclusive company by becoming the third hockey player to reach 800 goals.
Prior to Tuesday night, only Gordie Howe and record holder Wayne Gretzky had ever done it. Now, Mr. Hockey and the Great One have company. The legendary Ovechkin has been chasing history for a while. In what is a brilliant Hall Of Fame career spent entirely as a Washington Capitals player since being taken first overall in 2004, the ageless 37-year old shows no signs of slowing down.
After a slow start to ’22-23, he has seven goals over the last four games. All victories for the re-emerging Caps who have won five in a row to get back in the highly competitive Metro Division. In their first 20 games, Ovechkin scored nine goals. Since Nov. 23 against the Flyers, he’s picked it up by getting 11 over the last 11.
In doing so, he’s climbed into a tie with Bo Horvat for fifth in goal scoring with 20 goals. Connor McDavid leads the league with 26 followed by Jason Robertson (23), Tage Thompson (23) and Leon Draisaitl (21). Ovechkin hit 50 for the ninth time in his illustrious career last season. He’s back on pace to reach 50 with his recent scoring binge.
This is his 18th season. After being forced to sit out what would’ve been his true rookie year due to the lockout canceled ’04-05, all he’s done is light up opposing goalies like nobody else. When he was able to steer in an Anthony Mantha pass in front into an open Blackhawks net at 6:34 of the third period, that made history.
The reaction from an emotional Ovechkin, teammates and even Hawks players and an appreciative crowd told the story. This was a huge deal. The way they came out to congratulate him from the Caps bench signified how remarkable a moment this was. The way the Blackhawks and their fans saluted him was something special. All Ovechkin could do was acknowledge everyone by saying thank you. It was very classy.
The hat trick was the 30th of his career. It was a fitting way for Ovechkin to reach 800. He’d scored an early pair during the first period. One came just 24 seconds in on his patented shot from John Carlson. The other saw him sneak in fron his office to put a rebound home on the power play. His record 292nd. Nobody has scored more power play goals. Nobody probably ever will.
He also assisted on the Caps third goal from Trevor van Riemsdyk that made it 3-1 during the second period. Although Chicago cut it to 3-2 on a goal from captain Jonathan Toews, the Capitals would pull away. A Nic Dowd tally made it a two-goal game after two periods.
In the third, the obvious storyline is would he get number 800. It didn’t take long for Steve Levy to have the call. On a turnover behind their net, the Blackhawks watched Mantha get to a loose puck in front and work it over for an easy tap in for Ovechkin. There it was. Eight hundred goals for the amazing Ovi. They showed an old photograph of a younger Ovechkin with Howe in the locker room. A nice touch.
Mark Messier talked about remembering getting number 500 against Calgary at MSG on Nov. 6, 1995. He did in style too by going for a hat trick. The victim was Rick Tabaracci. The third goal I can still fondly remember. He went with his patented one leg wrist shot from the right circle. Messier couldn’t recall notching a hat trick to reach 400. He finished his Hall Of Fame career with 694 goals.
When a special player like Ovechkin can render a pair of legends in Messier and Chris Chelios speechless over what they’ve seen, that speaks to what he’s accomplished. Even with pauses due to a lockout for ’12-13 and the Covid interrupted ’19-20 that also delayed ’20-21, he continues to produce.
Sixteen of eighteen seasons have included the Great Eight scoring 30 or more goals. He’s hit 40 or better in a dozen years. A nine-time Rocket Richard winner for pacing the league in goals, Ovechkin is otherworldly. With 800 goals and counting, he needs one to tie Howe for second all-time. He trails Gretzky by 94 goals for the all-time goal scoring record.
Who would’ve ever thought there would be a player that could chase Number 99 down? Ovechkin looks like he will. Let’s keep our fingers crossed that he maintains the pace and stays healthy.
It’s an amazing time to be a hockey fan. The excitement will continue as he gets closer to 894.
I wouldn’t say the Devils’ good ship lollipop has quite sprung a leak just yet, in spite of their three-game losing streak. Perhaps if they lose again to a poor Flyers team tomorrow night staring down a gauntlet of a schedule the remainder of this month, then it’ll at least be time to go to DEFCON 4. Not anywhere near DEFCON 1 territory just yet, especially with the Devils’ cushion our long winning streak bought us. Still, perhaps this week has served as a reminder to not get too comfortable just yet, there’s still a long road left to travel.
It’s hard to tell who had a rougher week, the Devils or me suffering through flu-like symptoms (particularly the post-nasal drip that cost me a few nights’ sleep). Perhaps it’s a fitting comparison in that neither of our ailments are exactly fatal, but still annoying and not going away as easily as I might hope. Heck maybe my IL stint is responsible for the team’s losing, after all my last pre-sickness game was the shutout against the Hawks on Tuesday where I wrote an unusually optimistic blog.
Since then, the Devils no-showed in the first two periods of a 6-4 loss to the Islanders on Friday which wasn’t really that close, then handed away their game against the Rangers in craptacular fashion – blowing a 3-1 lead in just seven seconds on Monday and eventually losing in OT. I guess we can end our fantasy of the Rangers spiraling out of the playoffs and firing their coach eh? Both games were successful revenge outings from our rivals, followed by another revenge game of sorts against Dallas last night when former coaches Pete DeBoer and Alain Nasreddine returned to the Rock with former Devil goalie Scott Wedgewood being a Wedgewall and shutting down the Devils, allowing only a Miles Wood deflection goal in the second period of what became a 4-1 loss after two late empty-net goals allowed.
At least one good thing came of my illness, not wasting my time and energy going to the Isles and Stars dud performances. I was hoping for my return to the Rock to be tomorrow night but then saw this on my Twitter:
Grab your umbrellas and snow boots, New Jersey.
A winter coastal storm is expected to bring rain throughout the state and up to 3 inches of snow in the northwestern part of the Garden State on Thursday and into Friday.
Oh joy, about two weeks after we had spring in late fall, looks like we’re fast-forwarding right to winter. Typically, prices on the secondary market plummeted by about half in a matter of days due to the weather report. After a not-so-pleasant drive to and from Newark during an all-day rainstorm the night of the Blackhawks game, I’m not trying that again with freezing rain this time following a slight snowstorm. Fortunately, I get buybacks and exchanges on my season ticket account so I usually will have some wiggle room to get out of games last minute when I need to.
Which I have, a number of times already this season. It did surprise me when I figured out I haven’t gone to ten of the seventeen home games so far, including tomorrow – that’s inordinately high for me early in the season. Sometimes late in our lousy seasons I’ve had that kind of ratio of course. I guess two different sicknesses, an NFL game conflict, some social outings and just normal schedule breaks (not wanting to go to more than two games in a week) with now a weather day off will do that I suppose. At least there’s still over twenty left and I’m not anticipating missing many of those barring winter snowstorms or more sickness.
So I guess I partially have myself to blame (with an assist from mother nature) if the Devils do not break their recent skid tomorrow, hah. Actually, to be honest tomorrow’s game worries me regardless because we haven’t been playing as well the last couple weeks after the streak – even in certain games we won like the illusory Caps blowout where Vitek Vanecek stole the show in the first two periods, or our second game in Philly where Akira Schmid did the same with an even worse team effort there. Still, other than the Nashville fiasco where we gave up two early goals and blew a last-minute lead en route to an OT loss, it really hadn’t hurt us, until these last few games.
Not to mention in our two games against the Flyers this season, they mauled us on Opening Night and then manhandled us in Philly a couple weeks ago where only goaltending saved us on both ends (Carter Hart giving up at least one or two bad goals, combined with Schmid’s dominance). Of course both games were in Philly, but still the saying once is an accident and twice is a trend might apply, Philly’s physicality just might be a bad matchup for us. Things don’t get any easier after tomorrow either, with our next seven games including two against Florida, Carolina and Boston each along with one against the Penguins. Hence why tomorrow’s game might have hidden importance. Losing three or four in a row is bad enough, you don’t want to start a potential death spiral and blow through your cushion.
I’m not gonna get into the weeds over potential concerns just yet…that might come with another loss tomorrow, but in general these crucial mistakes late in periods have got to be nipped in the bud. Giving up the eventual winning goal against the Stars in the final moments of the second period is just the latest example of how momentary lapses of focus have cost us dearly. Scoring slumps happen but memo to Jesper Bratt, if you and your agent want a Mitch Marner contract you’d better get back on a perpetual heater soon.
Another potential flashpoint is the impending return of Mackenzie Blackwood, playing his first rehab game in Utica tonight. Things didn’t start out good for him, giving up three goals in his first period. He’s certainly going to have to play better to earn icetime with both Vanecek and Schmid performing at a high level for the most part. Of course, once Blackwood is healthy then Schmid will likely be undeservingly sent down (solely due to his waiver-exempt status and the unviability of playing three goalies). Assuming no setbacks for Blackwood, looks like we’re about two or three weeks away from things coming to a head there.
That’s a down the road problem though…for right now, the Devils have to get back to playing at a high enough level to win games without needing their goalies to do it (who would have thought we’d even utter that sentence last year?)
Something needed to change. It was more of the same early on for the Rangers against the Devils. Playing their archival for the second time at MSG, they found themselves in a two-goal hole quickly.
A goal originally credited to Jonas Siegenthaler off a lost face-off would later get changed to Nico Hischier. His deflection of a long point shot snuck past Igor Shesterkin at 3:05. He wasn’t exactly alert in the first period. Neither were the Rangers. They kept fumbling around pucks right to Devils for scoring chances.
Jonas Siegenthaler's point wrister changes direction and gets through Shesterkin, opening the scoring for the Devils!#NJDevilspic.twitter.com/4scDX4mcky
— Hockey Daily 365 l NHL Highlights & News (@HockeyDaily365) December 13, 2022
Jacob Trouba was the biggest culprit. After having coughed up a puck that Shesterkin erased a chance on prior to the Hischier tally, he completely butchered another loose puck basically caving under pressure. That allowed Dawson Mercer to bury a one-timer past Shesterkin on what originally was a Jack Hughes pass. That also was changed due to Trouba’s latest hiccups.
Before the game was even five minutes old, coach Gerard Gallant was scrambling for answers on the bench. He decided to adjust his defense by splitting up Trouba from K’Andre Miller. Taking a page from a suggestion I made watching the early mess, he went back to Miller and Braden Schneider as the second pair while demoting Trouba to third pair with the equally inept Libor Hajek.
At the very least, that slowed down the Devils dominance. Gallant also corrected his lineup by switching Kaapo Kakko and Alexis Lafreniere back with Filip Chytil. He then tried Artemi Panarin and Barclay Goodrow with Mika Zibanejad on the first line. Chris Kreider stayed with Vincent Trocheck and Jimmy Vesey. The checking line remained Jonny Brodzinski centering Sammy Blais and Julien Gauthier.
So, basically these drastic changes after falling behind by two goals allowed the Rangers to recover. Eventually, they found their footing and were able to bounce back and pull out a nice come from behind 4-3 win in overtime over the first place Devils at the World’s Most Expensive Arena.
It sure wasn’t easy. It shouldn’t be. The Devils remain a much faster and skilled team that can skate you into the ground. They are a very aggressive team capable of causing chaos with their speed and transition game. It explains how they erased a 2-0 deficit in a 5-4 win during the first meeting when The Garden turned into a sea of red.
At two goals down, you half expected them to blow the doors off the Rangers, who again looked out of their element. But somehow, their game steadied enough to get back in it. It helped to have the Devils go wide on at least three dangerous scoring opportunities from the slot area. Had they hit the net, it could’ve gotten ugly.
Instead, the Devils shot total remained on six for a while. The Rangers eventually got their first shot on Vitek Vanecek. Then, suddenly turned the first period around by winding up with the last seven.
That included a game changing play which allowed Kreider to convert on a two-on-one off a Trocheck feed that cut the deficit in half with 1:35 left in the first. Vesey started the play with a simple pass for Trocheck, who then skated it out and found enough room to gain easy entry. With Kreider dusting Siegenthaler, that allowed Trocheck to dish across for his 14th to get the Rangers crowd back into it.
It was part of a good night for Trocheck, who would later add a key power play goal that allowed the Blueshirts to rally back from a 3-1 second period deficit in quick fashion. The two-way center finished with a goal, assist and went 50 percent (8-for-16) on face-offs in 20:04 of ice time.
If there was a player who provided a spark when things were looking bleak, let’s give credit to Vesey. In what had been a very tame first period, he gave Damon Severson a chop after the whistle that led to the Devils defenseman retaliating with a slash. Each went off with 6:21 remaining in the period to lead to some four-on-four.
Though nothing happened offensively with the two sides playing to a standoff, it definitely energized the Rangers and brought the building into the game. Sometimes, a team needs that when things are going badly.
The Rangers entered winners of three straight having taken care of the Golden Knights and depleted Avalanche while I was down with the flu. I didn’t even see the Vegas game. The Avalanche win I tuned in on my phone. They did what they had to do to get some revenge on Alexandar Georgiev.
This was going to be a better test. A healthy Devils team that’s really been impressive so far. In first leading the Metropolitan Division with 21 victories in their first 27 games and only five regulation defeats, they are much improved. It’s been repeated verbatim. I’m not going to rehash it. Hasan has certainly voiced his pleasure at what’s gone on there.
When it comes to our side of things, the Rangers aren’t a very good offensive team. They still rely too much on Zibanejad, Kreider, Adam Fox and Panarin, who does some of his best work on the power play. Kreider and Zibanejad are the only players who were in double digits in goals until last night when Trocheck joined them by scoring his 10th.
There isn’t a lot of balance. They’re trying different things with the lines. The fact that Gallant has to desperately move Panarin around at five-on-five should tell any fan how difficult it’s been without Ryan Strome. He is producing the assists by adding his team-leading 29th helper that led directly to Chytil’s overtime winner at 2:15. But Panarin remains stuck on six goals. Not enough production for their highest paid forward. That must change.
With the coach set in his ways which translates to Vitaly Kravtsov trapped in Rangers Siberia, you’ll continue to see the same 12 forwards as they figure things out. While I’ll never understand why they’ve decided to devalue another former first round pick after GM Chris Drury decided on a Broadway reunion with the soon to be 23-year old Kravtsov, I can at least appreciate what Brodzinski brings to the table.
Since waiving Ryan Carpenter, who never ever made sense (except to Drury and Gallant), the speedier Brodzinski has fit in well on the fourth line. I never understood why he didn’t get more reps last season. But at least the recently waived Kevin Rooney was ahead of him on the depth chart. So too was Dryden Hunt and Ryan Reaves. Both playing for their new teams out West. Reaves seems to be fitting in well in Minnesota.
Brodzinski also adds some grit. He isn’t afraid to take the body. He even had a big hit during this crazy game that was like three rolled into one. Obviously, the role of a fourth liner isn’t going to determine many games. But I like what I see from him. He got 14 shifts for 9:58 including 54 seconds on the penalty kill. An area that was a team strength. The Rangers killed two Devils power plays. They struggled with the puck pressure.
Jack Hughes turned over some pucks. As good as he is already, the 21-year old leading scorer of the Devils will commit mistakes due to his tendency for taking high risks with the puck. He was guilty of some turnovers and got victimized twice on Rangers goals. He’s not as complete a player as teammate and captain Hischier.
If we were to look at the second period, it was a tale of two different periods. In the beginning, you had the Devils on the attack looking to increase their lead. For a while, it looked like they’d do just that and maybe pull away. Especially after a pass from Dougie Hamilton up for Mercer trapped a pinching Miller deep.
Hughes took off past a weak covering Lafreniere and exploded right by Schneider before flipping a backhand over Shesterkin to give the Devils a 3-1 lead with 9:50 remaining in the second. He did it so matter-of-fact that it looked too easy. Almost as if he was playing a video game. Kind of like something you’d see in NHL ’94. He’s that good.
Before you could even look up, here came Hughes again. After getting behind the Rangers defense, he was in on a breakaway. But Schneider wisely took him down to prevent the shot, leading to the most exciting play in hockey. A penalty shot.
Hughes versus Shesterkin. One on one. Unlike when it happens during game action, there’s a pause. Then, the player gets to make their move against the goalie. This favors the goaltender. It allows them to reset. When Shesterkin aggressively came out to poke check Hughes’ backhand-forehand deke, he made him look silly to deny the penalty shot with 7:10 left in the period.
I felt Hughes tried for too much and cut his angle off. It allowed Shesterkin to read the play and react quickly. He won the battle. That was the biggest play of the game. If he scores there, it’s a three-goal game. Given how hard it can be for the Rangers to consistently find offense, that’s probably game over. I’m not suggesting that they couldn’t still come back. But at that point, it would’ve been tough. They would’ve only had a period plus the remaining seven-plus of that second to do it.
On the next shift, Siegenthaler went off for interference on Goodrow. Power play, Rangers. This was the moment they had to make it happen. Of course, it involved Fox because he truly is our best player. Not only should he win his second Norris, but garner Hart consideration if this team turns it around. That’s how important Fox is to the team.
Taking a Zibanejad pass, he patiently waited at the point before letting go of a wrist shot with both Trocheck and Kreider in perfect position to redirect. It was Trocheck who got his stick on it to tip it past Vanecek with Kreider screening for the clutch power play goal that cut it to 3-2 at 13:58.
With the fans on their feet, it didn’t take long for the Blueshirts to tie the game. Off a face-off at center ice, Chytil gained the Devils zone and then maneuvered around Hughes to make a backhand feed back to a pinching Miller. He cut in and easily found Kakko for an easy one-timer past Vanecek to tie the game at 14:05.
It happened that fast. It was a great play by Chytil. He trapped Hughes and it led to a great passing play with Miller finding Kakko for his sixth. The two goals seven seconds apart were a record against the Devils. They’d never given up two faster consecutive goals in their history. The Rangers were also the opponent the last time that happened, scoring twice five seconds apart versus the Colorado Rockies. Go figure.
The third was completely different. While the Devils had more shots getting nine towards Shesterkin, who really steadied during the second prior to the penalty shot, the Rangers could only muster four on Vanecek. But the play was more controlled. It was a more deliberate tempo. This favored the Rangers.
Outside of Hughes exploding for one great chance which this time Shesterkin got a piece of with a huge glove save to keep it out, the Devils were more limited offensively. Mercer also hit the goalpost. He was the best Devils player by far. He was dangerous during most shifts and very noticeable. I thought he stood out by far over the other key stars.
They really shutdown Jesper Bratt. He wasn’t too visible in this game. A big change from the first meeting two weeks ago. Hischier was good overall. But outside of a fluky goal, he didn’t do much offensively. He was excellent on face-offs, finishing 13 and 11. Mike McLeod dominated on draws going 12 of 14. That’s ridiculous. As a team, the Devils won 58 percent in the dot (31-and-22).
If there was one noticeable difference that worked in our team’s favor, it’s that Gallant chose to roll four lines. Lindy Ruff didn’t. He hardly played Yegor Sharangovich, Jesper Boqvist and Alexander Holtz. They were guilty on the Kreider goal in the second. Boqvist was on with Hughes and Mercer for Kakko’s game-tying goal. That was Ruff’s reasoning for benching them.
Gallant and assistant Gord Murphy controlled the shifts for Hajek and Trouba with the struggling captain eventually supplanting Schneider for a couple of shifts late in the third period back with Miller. Hajek received 12:24 in 15 even strength shifts. Trouba got 16:37 at even strength for the second fewest among Rangers defensemen. He also received 2:04 on the penalty kill.
Miller logged the most shifts at even strength going 23:13 while adding 1:51 shorthanded. His 25:04 game total led all skaters. Fox had 24:18 including 19:37 at even strength, 2:31 power play and 2:10 penalty kill. Schneider was 17:50 all at even strength. Ryan Lindgren totaled 21:47 in 28 shifts including 19:52 even strength and 1:55 shorthanded.
With the Maple Leafs coming to town tomorrow night, this should be interesting to follow. Especially given the fragile state of the blue line. Ben Harpur isn’t coming in for Hajek with Zac Jones down on the farm.
How will they handle Mitch Marner (22-game point streak), Auston Matthews, John Tavares and William Nylander? It’ll be tough. For the time being, let’s enjoy what was a rewarding win.
In the three-on-three, the Devils played keep away with the puck. Ruff surprisingly went Hughes and Hischier together with Hamilton. The trio of Zibanejad, Kreider and Fox defended it well with Kreider almost taking the puck from Hughes for a clean break. But Hamilton recovered.
After Bratt, Mercer and Severson fiddled around with the puck, Shesterkin made a stop on Severson. During a partial change that saw Panarin stay on with Chytil replacing Trocheck and Miller staying on, they capitalized in transition when Panarin found Chytil open long enough for him to snap a wrist shot past Vanecek for the deserving overtime winner at 2:15.
The scoring play victimized Hughes, Tomas Tatar and Severson. It was good to see them get that goal. If the Devils didn’t want it, then why not us? It was the Rangers who were more determined this time in digging out of a pair of two-goal deficits to get the win on home ice and give their fans something to cheer for.
This was more like it. They haven’t had a lot of good wins at home. That was a start.
While the media went Hughes, Trocheck and Chytil for the game’s three stars, I’ll go with the three most deserving players.
THREE STARS OF GAME
3rd 🌟 Dawson Mercer, Devils goal (8) plus 🍎, 3 SOG in 8 attempts, +1 in 26 shifts (20:12)
2nd 🌟✨️ Vincent Trocheck, NYR power play goal (10) plus 🍎, 8-8 draws, +1 in 23 shifts (20:04)
1st ✨️🌟⭐️ Filip Chytil, NYR scored overtime winner (6) at 2:15, assist, 5 SOG in 8 attempts, 17 shifts (14:49)
Heading into a big week of games against all three of their closest rivals, the Devils express keeps on rolling despite finally hitting a legitimate bump blowing last Friday’s game against Nashville in the final minute, losing in OT the team’s still pacing the NHL with an insane 21-4-1 record through about a third of the season so far. All the more remarkable considering the 0-2 start, and trailing the Ducks 2-0 after the first period of the third game. Since then, you can’t even say the Devils have had a legitimate slump. Perhaps the closest thing to one was last weekend when they followed up the meh game and blown lead against Nashville with a terrible first two periods at Philly the next night, but still managed to come out with a win in the third period thanks to a fortunate goal from Dawson Mercer in the third period off a turnover, and more stunningly good goaltending from rookie Akira Schmid (31 saves).
Since then, the team’s only game was a workman-like 3-0 beatdown of the rebuilding Blackhawks on Tuesday. You wonder what the future holds for franchise icon Patrick Kane, who couldn’t help but notice the similarities between the Hawks’ rise early in his career and the Devils’ ascension now:
Speculation is already starting on where Kane could be on the move to, given his expiring contract and the Hawks’ place in the standings. I’m not even up to thinking about Devils trade deadline speculation yet, it’s been a long time since they’ve had legitimate reason to even consider adding at the deadline. 2017-18 was a nice little reminder but as impactful as Pat Maroon was (for a third-rounder no less!) and as noteworthy as the Michael Grabner trade was, it’s not like either deal was any indicator of the team ‘going for it’ in terms of making a deep playoff run. That year, the goal was just to get to the playoffs. This year, the goals are shifting dramatically in record time – from just hoping to compete for a playoff spot to even entertaining the notion of a deep playoff run is a remarkable shift in itself.
I still think how feasible it is that we should be talking about a deep playoff run this year, then I look over what Tom Fitzgerald might look to upgrade at the deadline and…I don’t really see a lot. Goaltending? That’s been a 180 degree turnaround from last year, led by breakout performer Vitek Vanecek (12-2-1, 2.10 GAA, .922 save percentage and 2 SO, including the one on Tuesday). Even rookie Schmid has pitched in well so far in his four starts and one relief outing this year, going 5-0. A now-on-the mend Mackenzie Blackwood is a conversation for another day, but given the Devils’ place in the standings it probably behooves them to give him a chance to reclaim at least the backup job assuming he gets off IR, if nothing else to potentially enhance his trade value.
Defense? I could see maybe another depth add to potentially rotate with Brendan Smith (though management and the locker room seem to like him as an everyday starter), or at least veteran depth a la many Lou Lamoriello deadline trades in the past. Arguably their go for it moves on D will be more in the vein of keeping Damon Severson and Ryan Graves on expiring deals, rather than trying to flip them. Clearly our D-core has been more than solid this season though. Forwards? Having three guys averaging more than a point a game so far – and all with double digit goal totals – is a nice place to start, especially when two of them are franchise centers Jack Hughes and Nico Hischier. Could they maybe use one more legit top six winger? I suppose…guess what though? That’s already on the way, when Ondrej Palat returns from injury. Again at this point I only come up with maybe they’ll need a depth add of a physical back six forward to replace Nathan Bastian who’s apparently out of the lineup for the foreseeable future due to an undisclosed injury.
Going through the roster and how they’re performing, you begin to see both why maybe a deep playoff run this year is possible, and why the Devils are off to the sizzling start they are. You do have to remind yourself not to look too far ahead though, especially with around 2/3 of the season still to play. Injuries and slumps could still change the equation. I’m not going to get fully cliché about one game at a time, but certainly we should at least be taking things one week at a time. And this week you can set the records aside, when they play the Islanders (tonight), Rangers (Monday at the Garden) and Flyers again (Thursday at home) with a potential trap game against a very good Stars team on Tuesday mixed in, reality can hit like a ton of bricks.
Our reality is we’re far from clinching anything just yet, and we’re still on a pace that’s seemingly unsustainable for a full season. I mean, right now the Devils are on pace for about a 65 or 66-win season and the NHL record for wins in a regular season is 62, ironically by two teams just before they became iconic back-to-back champs (the ’95-96 Red Wings and the ’18-19 Lightning). Neither team won a Cup that year, and that’s still not really the goal for this team in ’22-23, at least as far as I’m concerned. Especially since a young team in its first playoffs can always be a tricky proposition, and it’s not like there are potentially easy first-round matchups. Odds are we may well be playing a rival team, maybe even tonight’s opponent.
I can’t say I’ve paid as much attention to the Isles this year, not really expecting them to be a Cup contender in the first post-Barry Trotz season either. Plus their ex-Devil contingent isn’t as strong there without Andy Greene, Travis Zajac or even Cory Schneider, though Lou did bring Zach Parise ‘home’ last year, and the now-38(!) year old winger is still a productive middle six player with nine goals and fourteen points in twenty-seven games so far. Things haven’t gone as swimmingly for Kyle Palmieri (6-3-9 in 20 games this year after just a 33-point season last year) since making the cross-town move in a 2020 trade, but hopefully better days are ahead for him personally, after tonight at least. As a team the Isles have played reasonably well so far, though they’ve lost three of their last four – ironically, their only win was also 3-0 over the Blackhawks.
Games are never going to be easy against any Lou team – though our first game was a convincing 4-1 win at Belmont back in October – but at least now we have more than a fighting chance after they (like most of the league) pretty much had their way with us the previous few seasons. While I may be looking on the season as one week at a time for the most part, when you’re playing your three biggest rivals in a single week, it really is one game at a time. For now I’m just enjoying the team’s play and the rejuvenated atmosphere at games, at least when I can go to a game like Tuesday. I’d planned on going tonight as well, but with a sore throat I’ll likely be staying home after all. In a pre-COVID world I’d just be dealing with it to go, but being responsible despite a negative test last night, combined with the fact I haven’t slept all that well because of it the last couple nights anyway are compelling me to pass on going.
At least I’m getting more secure in the belief that there’ll be plenty of other big games to come this season.
Two struggling teams did battle tonight at the World’s Most Expensive Arena. The tight one came away with a come from behind win to at least quiet the rumors about coach Gerard Gallant.
In what can best be described as a slop fest full of turnovers that could’ve filled up a bakery, the Rangers survived the Blues to pull out a 6-4 comeback victory at MSG. The only development is they showed enough gumption to finally get their fifth win on home ice.
At least they didn’t fall victim to the putrid Blues, who at times looked like they didn’t know how to play hockey. It’s well documented how the season has gone. They could ill afford another bad loss to an even worse team. Something we’ve seen too much of.
For two periods, you wondered if this was going to be it for Gallant. That’s how sloppy the game was. It quickly went from remaining scoreless to becoming an unpredictable mess.
Three goals were scored within a 2:18 time span late in the first period. Braden Schneider’s third goal was immediately followed up by Pavel Buchnevich tying it 70 seconds later. Before you could look up, Adam Fox scored on a power play 68 seconds later to conclude the strange period.
It wasn’t over. Following intermission, Vladimir Tarasenko scored unassisted at just 12 seconds into the second period. Before a fully recovered Sam Rosen and partner Joe Micheletti could say anything worthwhile about how bad the Blues were in second periods, the game was tied.
Less than a minute later (55 seconds to be exact), on a play started by Jacob Trouba, Artemi Panarin actually got a wrist shot through from the point that Vincent Trocheck tipped past Jordan Binnington at 1:07. It had to feel good to see one go in after all the goalposts he’s hit.
By that point just over a minute into the second, the teams had combined to score five goals within a 3:53 span. It was ridiculous. But it also typified why these two teams entered without many wins lately. Defense was indeed optional. So was checking.
After the Trocheck goal that made it 3-2, the Blueshirts could hardly do anything. It was as if they had never held a lead before. If you’ve followed this team, you can understand why. They’re a very fragile group lacking in confidence.
At one point, they went a very long stretch without even a shot on goal against one of the league’s worst goalies. Binnington entered with less than a .900 save percentage, having been pulled after two periods in a 6-2 loss at the Pens where he showed his temper. He’s the biggest crybaby in the NHL that’s known for taking penalties and screaming at opponents like he did this past weekend. Very uncharacteristic behavior for a Stanley Cup winner.
Binnington made one good save when he padded away a tricky Vitaly Kravtsov try where the former first round pick made a good move to get off a low shot. Afterwards, the Rangers did nothing. It was like they stopped playing.
During this stretch, Tarasenko lost his cool and went after Trouba for no reason. He gave him a cross-check in the corner which stopped play. Somehow, both players wound up in the box for roughing minors. Guilty by association for Trouba, who’s now viewed as some evil comic book character for the hits he delivers. Is Andrea(s) Athanasiou still crying?
Following that sequence, Ryan Lindgren hooked into Brayden Schenn to put the Blues on a four-on-three. They were hideous on it. Unable to do anything with it in similar fashion to the first minor Lindgren took back in the first period, it turned into an easy kill for the Rangers.
At that point, I was thinking about how bad St. Louis looked. Rosen and Micheletti kept emphasizing getting the next goal. That would’ve given them some breathing room. But when you’re also struggling as much as your opponent, it doesn’t come easy. It sure didn’t for the Blueshirts.
When the players all returned, Noel Acciari somehow got in behind a napping Rangers defense. But Igor Shesterkin denied his bid to tie the game. Despite it again being a tough night at the office, he did make some key saves during a game that had no sense to it. He stopped all seven Blues shots in the third to finish with 25 saves.
On a forecheck behind the Blues net, Alexis Lafreniere took a lazy penalty for holding Colton Parayko. The kind of undisciplined penalty in the offensive zone a player should never take. He really deserved to miss some shifts as Steve Valiquette later pointed out during a good intermission segment with Henrik Lundqvist. They also called out Gallant indirectly for not sitting Lafreniere.
With Lafreniere off, Kaapo Kakko had a great chance to put the Rangers ahead by two. In on a shorthanded breakaway, his shot hit the goalpost. All he could do was look on in disbelief. He’d later have Binnington dead to rights on a one on one only for his tuck in to again go off the post. It’s increasingly frustrating to watch him blow chance after chance.
Of course, the Blues tied it. Still on the man-advantage, Jordan Kyrou converted his 10th from Justin Faulk and Ivan Barbashev at 11:04. It was the latest offensive zone penalty Lafreniere took. He’s had a penchant recently for taking bad penalties. That has to stop.
Before you could even look up, Blues captain Ryan O’Reilly was left unchecked to bury a Schenn rebound with all three Rangers forwards puck watching. The closest two were Barclay Goodrow and Chris Kreider. They didn’t do anything. Julien Gauthier also was late on the coverage.
That blown assignment which gave the Blues their first lead led to Gallant giving Goodrow and Kreider a few shifts off. Finally, some accountability. They are veterans who know better. Earlier in the season, Gallant demoted Kreider to the fourth line as punishment for a similar mishap. He responded well.
After being outplayed and out-shot 13-6 to fall behind 4-3, the Rangers were booed off the ice. They sure earned it. The big question was how would they respond to more adversity. The interesting part to the Blues is they entered 5-0 in one-goal games. They’ve gotten blown out in many losses due to poor defense and goaltending.
In the third period, Gallant finally switched up the lines. Most notably, he replaced Kreider and Jimmy Vesey with Kakko and Lafreniere on the first line. They finally got an opportunity to play with Mika Zibanejad. Something I kind of wanted to see a month ago just to find out if it could work.
Kreider and Vesey went down to the third line next to Goodrow. That’s not a bad way to go when things aren’t working. What did Gallant have to lose? His job is on the line. It still is when they hit the road for late tilts at Vegas and Colorado starting Wednesday. Those will be true tests to see if this team is capable of turning it around.
Following a couple of better offensive shifts from Trocheck, Panarin and Kravtsov that saw the center have a shot turned aside by Binnington, out came the top line. After a save on Kakko, Zibanejad won a face-off. During a simple play by Lafreniere back to K’Andre Miller up at the point, he let go of a wrist shot that went right off Binnington and in to tie the score.
This was a horrible goal by a goalie who looks shot. He has no confidence. All it was a simple play. Off a forecheck, Lafreniere passed the puck up for a Miller shot that Binnington mishandled. The goal got Miller off the schneid. It tied it with 15:12 remaining.
Binnington would then deny Jonny Brodzinski on a tip-in. He redirected a wide Lindgren shot that a sliding Binnington just got in front of to make the save before covering up the rebound. In for Ryan Carpenter, Brodzinski would later make a strong back check to deny a Blues chance. Keep him in if Filip Chytil can’t go. He didn’t skate. So, I doubt we’ll see him on the road trip.
With the game still tied with less than a dozen minutes to play, Lafreniere made a good forecheck behind the St. Louis net. Able to pressure the D into a turnover, he then cut right in front to tip-in a Zibanejad wrist shot for a 5-4 lead with 11:44 left.
The goal was just his fourth. It was his first on five games. At times, he’s looked lost. That even was earlier in tonight’s game. But maybe moving him up with Zibanejad gave him a confidence boost. Just like that, Lafreniere had a goal and assist for the first time all season. It’s about being able to do it consistently.
After a pair of saves from Binnington on Vesey and Schneider, Shesterkin stopped Barbashev from the outside to keep his team in front. Lundqvist talked about making that extra save during a segment. That can be the difference between winning and losing.
This is a test for Igor. It’s mentally challenging when your team doesn’t play well in front of you. How many wide open shots did the Blues have without any resistance? That won’t fly versus the Golden Knights or Avalanche. Ditto the Devils and Maple Leafs who visit MSG next week.
Of course, Kakko again ALMOST scored. But his shot hit the post. If he’s trying to imitate Trocheck for most goalposts struck, it’s working. When will they start going in? Will he ever get number five?
With 6:21 remaining, Trocheck hooked into Tarasenko at center ice. The back ref called it which incensed him. But that’s been going on forever. Someone had to make a call. Lucky for him the Blues are so inept, a huge mistake led to Kreider getting a shorthanded goal to ice it.
With seemingly nobody on him, Barbashev clumsily fumbled the puck at center to send Kreider on a breakaway. He made no mistake going forehand-backhand to notch his first shorthanded goal of the season. It came with 5:56 remaining.
A pumped up Kreider visibly yelled, “Let’s bleeping go!”, to his teammates by the glass. Even though he was justifiably benched earlier, Kreider continues to produce. He’s up to six goals and two assists over the last eight games. He’s once again tied with Zibanejad for the team lead in goals with a lucky 13.
For all the crap he takes, Chris Kreider looks like he could wind up with close to 40 goals following his career best 52. Try telling yhe critics how vital it is that he produces. He’s ninth on the Rangers franchise all-time goal scoring list with 242 goals. He’s within four of tying Steve Vickers for eighth. Mark Messier would be next with 250.
With the game put away and feeling under the weather, I didn’t watch the final two minutes. At least I didn’t miss much. So, I decided to coast through this game recap. Better than not posting anything.
My thoughts on tonight’s win is that it doesn’t matter. Not unless they can follow it up with a better effort at Vegas. The Knights defeated the Bruins 4-3 in a shootout to hand them their first home loss. They’re good. Jack Eichel is back producing at a high level. They have good players and are a fast team that’s in first place. It won’t be no picnic.
Let’s see what happens the next two games. You have Wednesday night in Vegas and then this Friday night at Colorado. The Avalanche could be possibly without Nathan MacKinnon, who exited their loss at the Flyers early. Regardless, it could be a goalie rematch between Shesterkin and Alexandar Georgiev.
I have no idea if anything will materialize over the next 24 hours. This was by all means an ugly win. Not something to crow about. They got two points. That’s better than the alternative. Now, let’s see if they can build on what they did in the third period.
Jacob Trouba decks Andreas Athanasiou with a mean hit during the second period on Saturday. It wasn’t enough to wake up the struggling Rangers, who fell to the lousy Blackhawks at the World’s Most Expensive Arena. AP Photo via Getty Images
This was the scene in the Wild locker room before their game on Saturday afternoon against the Ducks. Ryan Reaves hyped up his new teammates by introducing the starting lineup in a scene similar to what he did in over a year on Broadway.
A look at all the excited and happy faces in the Wild room reminded us of what Reaves provided behind the scenes for the Rangers. As fun and entertaining a player he is, he was deemed expendable by the organization due to falling behind Julien Gauthier and Ryan Carpenter on the depth chart.
When it became clear that Gauthier had earned his spot back after returning from Hartford, it was hard to envision much of a role for the likable Reaves. With coach Gerard Gallant continuing to play Sammy Blais while he struggled to find his game due to missing most of last season, it was painfully obvious that Reaves’ days were numbered.
As soon as Vitaly Kravtsov was finally cleared and patiently waited for Gallant to put him back in the lineup, you knew Team President and GM Chris Drury would have to either place Reaves on waivers or find a taker for his $1.75 million salary. They had to clear cap space. That was due to Drury, who screwed up last off-season. His mistakes burned a team that had great chemistry last season.
Whatever your opinion is of the underwhelming ’22-23 Blueshirts who embarrassed themselves further on Saturday night by losing to the woefully bad Blackhawks 5-2 at the World’s Most Expensive Arena, there is an identity crisis for a mentally fragile team that’s lost its confidence. It’s obvious in the negative body language of the players. Frustration has boiled over. The normally unflappable Adam Fox was visibly shaken at the bench.
It’s been a struggle for almost every key player. While Fox, Mika Zibanejad (team-leading 13 goals and 8 PPG) and Chris Kreider (5-2-7 over last 7 games) have still performed well, there have been noticeable issues plaguing the team. The continued lapses and sloppy play have cost them dearly.
How else to explain inexplicable defeats to lesser lights San Jose, Columbus, Anaheim (still only one regulation win) and now Chicago? They’ve blown multiple goal leads in ugly home losses to the Red Wings, Islanders and Oilers. Two of the three they didn’t even get a point in due to lousy third periods.
There’s the ridiculous 4-10 record at MSG. Home ice disadvantage. Where transient sections exist with a new generation of fans who sound like they’re at a funeral. Excuse the visual. A Garden that had more Devils fans who were much louder last Monday night in support of their first place team, who came back from an early two-goal deficit to win 5-4.
On Saturday night, the fans who spent their money for the expensive tickets finally turned on the Rangers. After one of the first two shots went in for the Blackhawks on a deflection by household name Reese Johnson, the collective groan from the crowd grew louder. It only got worse.
In as mind-numbing a first period as there’s been, the Blueshirts couldn’t score on Petr Mrazek. He had his one big game making 21 of 22 saves before an injury ended his night following the second period. Of course he did. The Rangers can make any goalie look like the second coming of Hasek, Brodeur or Roy.
The really exasperating part was for the longest time, the Blackhawks’ shot total was frozen on two. Despite more attack time and scoring chances, the Rangers pop-gun offense did nothing with it. They kept missing the net. There was a wide open look at an open net for Alexis Lafreniere. Instead, he missed by shooting the puck back into a sliding Mrazek, who made the save.
It’s not even worth posting. This is the former top pick of 2020. A player so hyped that they never considered that Tim Stutzle might actually be the better player. To be clear, Lafreniere had a big IIHF U20 World Junior Championships in his draft year for Canada. He teamed up with Dylan Cozens on the same line to lead them to gold. Lafreniere had 10 points (4-6-10) to win tournament MVP.
Stutzle recorded five assists in his first tournament for Germany to get on the radar. The following year in the 2021 WJC, he dominated by putting up 10 points (5-5-10) for Deutschland. The line with current Sabre J.J. Peterka and Florian Elias had a great tournament- combining for 29 points. Although he didn’t win tournament MVP which went to Trevor Zegras of Team USA after he led them to the gold medal, Stutzle’s game-breaking speed and ability to elevate the play of teammates stood out. It was impressive.
Credit the Senators, who took him third after Lafreniere and Quinton Byfield, for having enough sense to assign Stutzle to Germany for a second WJC. He dominated in his second appearance and looked explosive. No wonder he’s doing well with Ottawa in Year Three following a breakout season. He gets top minutes and first power play. That really helps the development of a young player. A foreign concept in the Big Apple.
On the flip side, the Rangers could’ve decided to send Lafreniere to Canada for another WJC. But the thought process was that he’d already proven he could succeed on that stage against his peers. So, they kept him for the abbreviated 56-game ’20-21 season to begin. It didn’t until the WJC concluded due to the pandemic. Considering how slowly he started, maybe that was a miscalculation. He hadn’t played hockey in a while.
Stuck behind top left wings Chris Kreider and Artemi Panarin, Lafreniere was third on the depth chart. There were even learning moments where he found himself on the fourth line under former coach David Quinn. He wound up finishing with 12 goals and nine assists in 56 games.
Lafreniere showed improvement under Gallant in ’21-22. Even without ideal ice time due to the pecking order and hardly enough power play duty which remains a lingering issue, Lafreniere scored 19 even strength goals and had 31 points in 79 contests. His play along with Filip Chytil and former ’19 second pick Kaapo Kakko was good in the playoffs. That third line contributed offensively and were effective on the cycle. The nine points (2-7-9) he had during the trip to the Conference Finals was cause for excitement.
When former deadline additions Andrew Copp, Frank Vatrano, Tyler Motte departed along with key second pivot Ryan Strome, there was some concern over losing the depth that supplied secondary scoring. However, the hope was that by replacing Strome with the 200 foot Vincent Trocheck, Lafreniere and Kakko could play bigger roles. That hasn’t happened. Instead, they enter Monday’s game versus the similar Blues with seven combined goals and 18 points through the quarter mark.
At the moment, the Rangers bring a mediocre 11-10-5 record into play. That’s 27 points in 26 games. It leaves them out of the wildcard behind both the younger Red Wings and battle tested Penguins. With the Panthers finally starting to pick it up, that doesn’t bode well.
If they want to make the playoffs, the Rangers have to play more consistently. Instead, we get piss poor efforts against the Senators in a home rematch and then the tanking Blackhawks, who predictably were shutout by the Islanders last night. They’re chasing Connor Bedard along with the Ducks, Coyotes, Blue Jackets, Sharks and Flyers. Expect the Sens to move up in the standings. They’re not as bad as the aforementioned teams.
What made Saturday night worse was how awful the second and third periods were. Instead of responding down a goal, the disjointed Blueshirts couldn’t summon enough energy despite captain Jacob Trouba’s best efforts. He had two huge open ice hits that led to fights in an emotional second period.
Jujhar Khaira went after Trouba following a clean hit on Jason Dickinson. A victim last year of a huge Trouba hit that put him out of action with a concussion, Khaira fought Trouba to a draw. The first scrap came over three minutes into the second.
On a five-on-four with Seth Jones in the box, the Rangers didn’t make him pay. A Zibanejad slashing minor cut short the power play. A lazy hook from Gallant pet Carpenter gave the Blackhawks a two-man advantage. In the first, they looked like they’d never practiced it. However, Patrick Kane was able to put in a rebound past Jaroslav Halak for a 2-0 lead. A minute later while still on a five-on-four, Max Domi beat Halak from distance to increase the deficit to three.
Boos rained down at The Garden. If you paid these prices which exclude the overpriced food and beverage, you’d be fit to be tied. The Rangers didn’t respond until Trouba caught Andreas Athanasiou with a monster hit that nearly decapitated him. It was shoulder to upper chest. Of course, Athanasiou cried about it afterwards. Maybe he should take up polo.
That’s how lifeless they were prior. On the ensuing power play, this time Zibanejad connected when he buried a Fox pass for a one-timer past Mrazek to break up the shutout with 2:09 left. They trailed 3-1 following the period.
Well respected captain Jonathan Toews took up for his cowardly teammate. He quickly made a beeline for Trouba and put him in a headlock. At least he made wrestling fans happy. I quite enjoyed it. That fight amounted to nothing. It’s Toews, who’s likely headed for the Hockey Hall Of Fame. Even though he’s not the same player, I’ve always been a fan of him. It’s been a tough go for Toews the past couple of years.
The end result from the fight was Toews receiving an instigator. When he went to the locker room after getting five for fighting, an incensed Trouba slammed his helmet and had a few choice words for teammates on the bench. It was easy to figure out. “Bleeping wake up!”
Before Taylor Raddysh turned MSG into a morgue, Trocheck hit another goalpost. Nobody draws more iron than him. If he’s not missing wide, the puck is clanging off the post or crossbar. It’s really frustrating. For the effort he puts in unlike declining compiler Artemi Panarin, Trocheck deserves a break. It isn’t his fault the team stinks. He’s a three zone player who Gallant can trust in any situation including penalty kill and on key draws. He actually wins more than he loses.
Here’s how I’d summarize what happened afterwards. Trouba returned and got called for a phantom hook because Kane looked directly at the ref and sold it. So, it was a bad call. Similar to the delay of game penalty Mrazek got nabbed for back in the first when he accidentally bumped into his net knocking it slightly off.
Predictably, the Blackhawks’ suddenly rejuvenated power play scored again for the third time. Needing one more point for 1,200 in a brilliant career, Kane took a point shot that Raddysh was able to redirect past a helpless Halak for a 4-1 lead. Playing in the spotlight, Kane had a goal and two assists to join American legends Mike Modano, Phil Housley and Jeremy Roenick as the only American players to reach 1,200. Record holder Brett Hull (1,391) has dual citizenship.
When you’re bad, this is what happens. The Rangers entered the game ranked in the top five in penalty kill. They gave up three to a bad hockey team. They are now 10th best on the kill. That’s what one lousy game did. If you think about it, the Hawks only scored once at five-on-five. Reese Johnson only 2:38 in on his tip-in from Jake McCabe and Boris Katchouk. They would add an empty netter from Max Domi.
In a period where Mrazek was replaced by the inexperienced Arvid Soderblom, the Rangers only could mount six shots on goal. The way they skated, it was like watching a slow death. The building was eerily quiet like a library. That’s how dull the action was. It was like they accepted their fate. A humiliating loss to a team that had dropped eight straight. What would you expect the way it’s going.
Trouba fought twice after laying clean hits. He let out frustration at the team and showed more emotion than anyone including the coach who somehow thought the effort was “better.” When even a beat that isn’t tough is starting to question him, that isn’t a good sign for Gallant. Even if they are without Chytil (lower-body) for a second straight game later, it’s sad that he saw something nobody else did. Just trying to save his job. No criticism either like the Ottawa debacle.
Credit also goes to Barclay Goodrow for his fight with Connor Murphy late in the second as Trouba and Toews were wrestling. Goodrow is always game. He plays honestly and mixes it up. He also has six goals. That puts him in a three-way tie with Fox and Panarin. They trail Zibanejad (13), Kreider (12) and Trocheck (8).
Goodrow places third in even strength goals. All six have come there. That remains an area the team must improve at. They have been scoring more at five-on-five with the power play struggling. That trend must continue.
If you subtract Chytil (11 points in 19 GP), that hurts the roster. He was centering Panarin and Kravtsov. A new line that looked good in their first game versus Ottawa. They weren’t as visible against Chicago. Although I did notice one active shift where Kravtsov forced a turnover and went directly in front on a point shot. It’ll be interesting to see how he does. He’s still up on line two with Trocheck and Panarin.
Unlike Saturday when Carpenter played with Chytil a scratch, it’ll be recently recalled forward Jonny Brodzinski centering the checking line between power play specialist Sammy Blais and Julien Gauthier. I kid. I don’t understand Turk’s infatuation with having Blais on PP2.
With Zac Jones sent down to Hartford where he’ll receive more minutes, that unit doesn’t even have a true point guy. Trouba isn’t a quarterback. Why not try K’Andre Miller? It’s not like his defense is so good, which he admitted recently to Mollie Walker.
Miller is paired with Braden Schneider. Something I prefer. Trouba is teamed with Libor Hajek. Hajek won the sixth defenseman job from Jones, who’s a better skater that can contribute offensively. But he still makes mistakes defensively. They feel he needs more time with the Wolf Pack. Hartford also has Matthew Robertson fine tuning his game after a good camp. At this point, I don’t care. Even if I have no idea who Ben Harpur is.
If there is one thing I didn’t like, it was the ‘fans’ giving Halak the Bronx cheer on some saves. He doesn’t deserve that. Of the four goals he allowed, the only one he could’ve had was Domi’s first on the power play that put the Hawks ahead 3-0. It looked like he didn’t pick it up. It went high blocker. Blaming Halak for this mess is ridiculous. It’s loser talk from people who don’t watch the game.
I could care less about Panarin’s two secondary assists. He has stunk it up for a while. He’s the biggest reason PP1 isn’t as good. The predictability of his cross-ice passes have led to turnovers that are cleared down the ice. He doesn’t look shot enough. Although he has tried to change that strategy, they’re not going in with regularity. Six goals (5 ESG) in 26 games for the $11.64 million dollar Bread Man isn’t good enough.
Neither has his play without Strome. Gallant shouldn’t have to bend over backwards for Panarin. If he’s not pulling his weight, then try Lafreniere on the second line at his natural position. Instead, he’s being taught to be a third liner. Great.
Kakko I don’t have much hope for. He doesn’t possess much speed and isn’t instinctive enough. He looks like a two-way checking forward who can possess pucks and kill penalties.
The issue with both is neither have that extra gear. Where as you see it with Stutzle and other young stars like Jack Hughes and Calder leader Matty Beniers. Why don’t Kakko or Lafreniere have more breakaway speed? They’re in Years 4 and 3. They should have worked on the skating.
Do the Rangers even have a skating coach? Or is it all former muckers consisting of Jed Ortmeyer, Tanner Glass, Ryane Clowe and Matt Hunwick? Who will they hire next? Ryan Hollweg.
Aside from the stagnation of the kids who are needed to produce, it feels like the Rangers are having an identity crisis. Who do they want to be? A team that to be honest came off a Cinderella run to the Eastern Conference Final last Spring that Igor Shesterkin carried. He of the .913 save percentage following a remarkable .935 last season in which he won the Vezina.
Make no mistake about it. Before those deadline additions arrived, Shesterkin stood on his head most nights. They had a great start under Gallant mostly due to Igor making unbelievable saves.
Don’t forget Dryden Hunt was on the second line. Blais was used on the top line before P.K. Subban ended his season with that dirty slewfoot. Then, Goodrow was moved up while Lafreniere and Kakko mostly stayed with Chytil. Kevin Rooney did a solid job on the fourth line and penalty kill. He left for a million to play for Calgary.
The depth isn’t as good. It was easy to ignore last year. Shesterkin, Fox, Kreider, Panarin and Zibanejad did the heavy lifting. Yes. Strome was reliable both as the second center and on the top unit. Gallant never had to deviate like he has done by trying Chytil before his latest mystery injury. Now, Trocheck gets another crack with Panarin.
If Jimmy Vesey is going to be counted on to stay up on the first line with Zibanejad and Kreider, what exactly does that say about Kakko and Lafreniere? Lafreniere was tried on the off wing. Kakko also was given a look on the right side. The production wasn’t good enough.
Lafreniere was decent with Panarin, but eventually it was obvious he had to go back to the left side, which again put him third on the depth chart. He’s willing to finish checks and get in on the forecheck. But it’s still not clicking. The consistency isn’t there. In his second year, you noticed him more during shifts. It could be a confidence issue.
What are the New York Rangers? Are they a win now team who’s missing key pieces in the top six and on defense? Or are they the miserable outfit we currently watch who show no signs of putting together a good stretch? They’ve played 26 games. There’s plenty of time to turn it around. They’d not dead and buried by any stretch.
But why do watching these games feel like a chore, bore or snore? Why did I have no excitement for last Monday’s first installment of the Battle Of Hudson? I knew what would happen. Even up two fast goals, at no point did I have any faith. With the way they make leads evaporate at home, would you feel confident?
When Gallant’s message is getting stale, it’s hard to see a turnaround. His lineups don’t inspire much. It’s See No Evil, Hear No Evil at Dolan’s Garden. If only this act co-starred Richard Pryor and Gene Wilder.
I’ve put a lot of thought into this team. Maybe too much. They don’t deserve it. It hasn’t been earned. When even the most optimistic of fans is now numb to these games expecting the worst, that speaks volumes. It’s incredible.
Will they show up for sixty minutes tonight? The Blues are a lot like the Rangers. They have good players including Pavel Buchnevich. They should be better than their 11-13-0 record. But if you’ve followed them at all, you know better. They’ve given up 90 goals and have a minus-21 differential. The Rangers are dead even there at 76 apiece.
What does it mean? Jack bleep. If they can lose to lottery teams chasing Connor Bedard, then there isn’t any expectation. We don’t know how they’ll play. It can start better and then suddenly, there can be one of those lapses they’re prone to. Or maybe it’ll start badly and they’ll turn it around. You can’t predict much with this team.
If you saw the raw emotion Trouba spoke with at his locker following Saturday’s game, you could tell how much he cares. He knows his play hasn’t been good enough. Yet he’s there win or lose. He tried to light a fire. They didn’t respond.
We also see the disappointment all over Zibanejad following these games. He gives honest assessments. Ditto for Kreider, the warrior Ryan Lindgren and Fox. It’s killing them.
Is it a locker room issue? Trouba came dangerously close to indicating as such. Things have to change. Etc. Is it about a player or the coach? Or is it all in their heads?
If they don’t get a win tonight, it’ll only get harder. They are at Vegas and Colorado this week. Then the Devils and Leafs visit. No easy games.
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Derek
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