Trouba: We’re going through a little bit of a stretch here, a little adversity, Rangers drop fourth straight, Sorokin shuts them out in loss to Islanders

Posted on October 27, 2022 by Derek

The big headline coming out of tonight’s game was what Jacob Trouba said following another loss. In what amounted to a fourth straight defeat, the Rangers were shutout 3-0 by Ilya Sorokin and the Islanders at UBS Arena.

Winless in their last four (0-2-2), they’re having some issues. As I’ve hinted at in previous posts, the lack of attention to details is a concern. For the most part, that wasn’t the problem in Wednesday night’s loss to their blood rival on TNT.

Instead, it was a lack of finish. If one thing is becoming clear early on, it’s that the Rangers don’t have as much scoring depth. The subtraction of key deadline additions Frank Vatrano, Andrew Copp and even Tyler Motte are being felt. Oh BTW. Motte has six points on Ottawa so far in an expanded top nine role.

With injuries to key third center Filip Chytil and brittle rookie (at least so far) Vitaly Kravtsov, the roster is already being impacted negatively due to the salary cap. With Mika Zibanejad and Chris Kreider going cold, most of the offense is dependant on Artemi Panarin. He can’t do it all. As good as he’s been thus far, it’s a lot to ask from him. Vincent Trocheck and Alexis Lafreniere also have cooled off despite that line continuing to generate offense.

Coupling matters, Lafreniere remains stuck on one goal and Kaapo Kakko on two despite the latter nearly breaking a scoreless tie in the first period with a great power move. Unfortunately, he couldn’t beat Sorokin, who recorded his 11th career shutout by stopping all 41 shots.

It seems both young players are getting chances nightly. But they’re not going in. That can’t continue. It’s vital for the kids to contribute for the Rangers to be successful. Copp and Vatrano aren’t coming through that door. At 3-3-2 through eight games, they’ve come back to earth.

Although coach Gerard Gallant was pleased with the effort indicating that they did get good looks, he wasn’t thrilled with how the power play performed. Despite getting three opportunities, they were too predictable against a strong Isles’ penalty killing unit.

They stifled Kreider by marking him and took away the Panarin pass across for the Zibanejad one-time option. Sorokin still made eight saves on the three power plays including a couple of key ones on Adam Fox and Trocheck. That was the last man-advantage when the Blueshirts trailed by two after Josh Bailey redirected an Adam Pelech feed.

A scoring play where neither Trouba or struggling partner K’Andre Miller bothered to take Bailey in front. The new captain was very candid in his assessment of where they are currently with a two-game road trip at Dallas and Arizona this weekend.

He told Mollie Walker of The NY Post, “We’re going through a little bit of a stretch here, a little adversity. We’re going to face it and work through it.”

Right now, I think most fans appreciate his honesty. Whether it’s turning over pucks, failing to capitalize on their scoring chances, or lapses in concentration such as the one where the top line all watched the Bailey goal that helped the Isles ice the game, they must be better. To a man, they would acknowledge that they can be a little harder in front of the net and tougher in their end.

Gallant didn’t say anything too pointed. But the one quote below to Walker really is on point about the lack of offense.

It speaks to needing more grit from the forwards. That includes a bottom six that currently is a mess without Chytil. Only Barclay Goodrow is a scoring threat. The rest must bring their lunch pail to each shift like Hartford recall Julien Gauthier did. He was up for Kravtsov, who is hurt again.

If that doesn’t change starting in Dallas on Saturday against a tough Stars team that doesn’t give up much and boasts their own promising young netminder in Jake Oettinger, then it doesn’t matter what the lineup is. For the second of a back-to-back, Gallant surprisingly went to Jaro Halak. Maybe he wanted to give him the nod against his former team where he had success. He wasn’t the problem.

Halak stopped 26 of 29 shots. None of the three goals were soft. Although giving up a pair to the hated Kyle Palmieri really irks me. I can’t stand him. He’s become a cheap player. For some reason, he seems to like playing Halak. He scored twice more on him including breaking a scoreless tie at 8:44 of the second. He would tack on by beating Halak off a clean face-off win to make it 3-0 with 4:38 left. One that went in and out so quick, they buzzed down to stop play and count the dagger.

Gallant also went with Libor Hajek for a second game in a row over Zac Jones. Both took warm-ups. But Jones was slotted as the extra skater. So, he sat for two consecutive games. Why? I don’t know. But it wouldn’t have mattered. The fact is we’re talking about the third pair. They’re not going to make up the difference.

With Gauthier filling in for Kravtsov on the third line that Goodrow anchors with Jimmy Vesey, that meant there were no major changes to the other lines. The problem is that third line could be a fourth line. What does that say exactly about the depth? Not much.

At least Ryan Reaves got some face time with the NHL On TNT where he did one of his pregame interviews with the panel minus the yutz Biz. Henrik Lundqvist filled in. It was nice to see him on national TV. Some of our fans are a bit ridiculous thinking he should only do games on MSG. The Rangers were on TNT. What’s the problem?

As Colin Stephenson of Newsday laid out, every line and D pairing remained the same. Substitute Gauthier for Kravtsov. A Gauthier who played well. He hustled like usual and of course had one of his traditional break ins where he does everything but score. He also drew a penalty. I like how he plays. But by now, he should’ve figured out how to score at this level. No wonder nobody wants him.

Maybe part of the issue is Gallant not making any tweaks. He sees nothing wrong. I can understand how he’d be happy with the exciting barn burner they had against the Avalanche. That was splendid hockey by both teams. But if your top six is slowing down, you might want to consider changing it up. Unless he flips Lafreniere and Kakko on the road, there’s not much he can do.

In a game the fancy stats favored his team who had 41 shots to the Isles’ 29 and out-attempted the Long Island hosts 72-54 while creating better quality chances, none of it mattered. But my CORSI. The thing is if you don’t score despite the edge in play and possession, it means jack bleep. You can take all the nerdy analytics and stick it you know where.

The Rangers win more face-offs and get more shots on net. But they’re not exactly getting any garbage goals. That’s where the need for grit is. Sammy Blais is on the fourth line with an assist and no goals. Ryan Reaves and Ryan Carpenter have no goals, but play small roles. Goodrow has two and can contribute. Vesey picked up an assist on the Fox goal Wednesday night. He has no goals either. And Gauthier just came up.

If you subtract the two goals from Chytil and pair from Goodrow, nobody else has scored in the bottom six. That puts too much emphasis on the top six. Right now, they’re not burying their chances.

When you combine how anemic the power play has looked during the losing streak, it means they’re not getting much done on special teams. An important area they excelled at in ’21-22. The top unit is too predictable. Opponents know what they’re gonna do. Key on Kreider and take away the cross-ice pass for Zibanejad. It’s stale. At least on the third five-on-four, we saw a different wrinkle.

You subtract two young players with skill and there’s not a whole lot of offensive punch. Even with the edge in play, they were unable to beat Sorokin, who is a good goalie. He can make the saves. When you are getting shutdown by James Reimer and Daniil Tarasov in losses, that’s problematic. Those are the games you have to win.

Maybe this is going to be a tougher year. We know some teams have improved. That means less pushovers. You can’t just assume they’re banking two points against the Devils, Flyers, Red Wings and Senators, whose offense is explosive despite losing Josh Norris for possibly the season. Ditto for the Sabres, who aren’t an easy opponent.

I would say the Caps, Panthers and Lightning aren’t as good. The Maple Leafs are unpredictable. The Hurricanes look like the best team so far followed by the surprising Bruins minus Brad Marchand and Charlie McAvoy. The Pens look good too even though they’ve come back to earth out in Northwestern Canada.

It’s more competitive top to bottom. However, there’s a lot of parity. Especially in the Metro Division. So, there’s no reason to panic. But I’m glad Trouba acknowledged the obvious. That they are going through a tough time. If they weren’t, they would’ve rolled both San Jose and Columbus.

Of the eight games, the best ones have been Game 1 versus the Lightning, and Game 7 versus the Avalanche. Those were complete efforts where they went toe to toe. Not to say they didn’t play well against the Islanders last night. They did. But there wasn’t enough bodies in front on Sorokin to bother him. He made the saves as you’d expect from an elite goalie.

The Islanders got their first two goals on breakdowns by creating havoc. The Rangers got lost in coverage. They have to play more like a five-man unit. You can’t have only some players pulling their weight.

If there was one thing I didn’t like, it was when Turk stuck the checking line out with the third pair for two shifts. On one, they gave up a scoring chance in transition where both Hajek and Schneider got blown up. What the heck were they doing out there down two with five minutes left? The same for the fourth line.

At that point against an experienced checking team who can protect leads, you have to roll three lines and your top four D. Even if they’re not all going. It didn’t make any sense.

Once Palmieri buried his second which nobody on the ice saw at least in stripes, they blew the horn and put time back on the clock. By that point, it didn’t matter. The game was over.

There were a lot of minuses. The top line and second pair all were on for two goals against. The second line stood around and watched on the first goal. This is what it is right now. A team that’s not on the same page. That includes warrior Ryan Lindgren, who took another bad reaction penalty to being pressured.

Maybe the result could’ve been better had Fox’s long one-timer from the point not drawn iron early in the third. I thought that was going in. To my frustration, it didn’t. Had it, it ties the score. Maybe it plays out differently. That’s how it’s gone.

While he wasn’t too critical in the postgame, I imagine Gallant will have a message for his team as they hit the road this weekend for a second slate of back-to-backs. He knows they need to get greasy goals. Getting those puck bounces is all about better effort. That was a key characteristic of last year’s team. They need to find it and get back to their identity.

No three stars. There’s no point. When Gauthier is the most noticeable forward, that speaks volumes. It’s time for them to get into gear.

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Georgiev outduels Shesterkin in great game, Fox’s effort gets Rangers a deserved point in ESPN exclusive that didn’t disappoint

Posted on October 26, 2022 by Derek
Georgie Stops Laffy: Alexandar Georgiev makes a save on Alexis Lafreniere during his return to MSG. He had 44 saves in the Avalanche’s 3-2 shootout win over the Rangers. AP Photo by Colorado Avalanche via Getty Images

Everyone knew what tonight’s game was all about. The focus was on the opposing goalie wearing the familiar number 40 in Avalanche colors. Former backup goalie Alexandar Georgiev was determined to beat the Rangers in his return to MSG before a capacity crowd.

In what was a great game featured exclusively on ESPN with the not so fan friendly 8 EST face-off (unless you were a Colorado fan in mountain time), Georgiev made 44 saves on 46 shots and stopped three of four shooters to outduel Igor Shesterkin (42 saves on 44 shots) 3-2 in the shootout to send the Avalanche to the win over the Rangers.

Truth be told, Shesterkin made the more difficult saves to give his team a chance. Due to the continued bad trend of turnovers and allowing wide open slot chances, he more than made up for his one bugaboo when he overplayed a loose puck that led to a Logan O’Connor shorthanded goal 59 seconds into the third period.

Without Igor, this could’ve been ugly. Think a more crooked number in favor of the more potent Avalanche, who even without captain Gabriel Landeskog, are a handful. Yes. Even in a game they had a 46-44 edge in shots, the Rangers could’ve come away without a point. Shesterkin bailed them out time and time again.

Instead, in what was an exciting third period that saw the two teams combined for 31 shots (17-14 NYR), the Rangers were able to get it tied thanks to a terrific all around shift from Adam Fox. In his end while defending one of the game’s best players, he knocked Nathan MacKinnon off the puck inside the Rangers zone to start an odd man rush.

Moving the puck up for Barclay Goodrow, who passed for Jimmy Vesey, who was back in the lineup due to Filip Chytil (head) being out, Fox made at beeline for the Colorado net. With Vitaly Kravtsov driving the net to take Devon Toews out of the play, that made it an easy pass for Vesey to hit Fox for the slam dunk past former teammate Georgiev. That tied the score at two with 5:57 left in regulation.

It was a magnificent shift for Fox, who is a special player. While he might not possess the dynamic speed of counterpart Cale Makar, who factored into the scoring by setting up Val Nichushkin for a power play goal, Fox makes up for it with his high IQ. The great instincts he has make him one of the game’s premier defensemen in a young man’s league where blue line cornerstones are barely of legal drinking age.

The beauty of the sport is when it pits the best against the best. On that particular shift, not only did Fox make a great defensive play to take the puck away from MacKinnon on the boards. He then skated up ice, made a perfect read and beat Makar to the net for the put away. It doesn’t get any better than that.

I’ve been critical of Fox defensively so far. He is a very aggressive player who will pinch up. However, he is capable of making the right reads like he did on MacKinnon to start the game-tying goal with under six minutes left. That’s the kind of high caliber player he is. A true difference maker.

Afterwards, he talked about getting back to work. The Rangers travel to UBS Arena in Elmont later tonight to renew acquaintances with the blood rival Islanders in the second of a back-to-back. That doesn’t matter. They need to come away with a win. The game will be televised on TNT at 7:30 EST. Another national TV exclusive.

At 3-2-2, the Rangers currently sit sixth in the Metro Division with eight points. That ties them with the Devils, Caps and Flyers in points. First place has the Hurricanes with nine points in one fewer game played than the Pens (lost two straight in Alberta). Five total points separate first from last place which is where the Islanders currently sit. It’s a division with more parity.

If the main storyline centered around Georgiev facing his former team and Shesterkin, a minor one was Dryden Hunt returning a week later after the Avalanche claimed him off waivers. The gritty depth forward was used on the fourth line by the Avs. He had one good early shift where he won a puck battle and later forced Shesterkin into a tough save on a low shot. In 10 shifts (6:43), he had two shots, four hits and took a minor penalty.

During a stoppage less than four minutes in, MSG recognized Georgiev for his five seasons on the video board. He gave a wave to acknowledge the crowd who cheered him. Of course, there still are some bitter fans who were crying over his big game that earned him the game’s First Star. That’s what we’re dealing with.

Gerard Gallant made one change to the lineup. As hinted on by the reliable Mollie Walker of the New York Post, he went with Libor Hajek on the third pair in place of Zac Jones. It was the second time he sat out for Hajek, who they want to keep fresh. That’s probably better than how Hajek was handled last season.

Considering that Hajek put in another solid unspectacular effort while paired up with Braden Schneider, they were fine in the 14 to 15 shifts they got. It was almost exclusively at even strength. Schneider took a 36-second shift shorthanded. Neither was used too much.

Instead, Gallant leaned heavily on the top four. K’Andre Miller, Jacob Trouba and Fox all played over 25 minutes while Ryan Lindgren had 20:09. It wasn’t surprising. They faced an elite team, who even without Landeskog are a lot to deal with due to how they play.

The game didn’t disappoint. Played at a high tempo, there were plenty of scoring chances and transition created by each side. That meant lots of work for the goalies. Once teammates, the pair of 26-year olds Georgiev and Shesterkin stayed busy. Both were sharp throughout making key saves.

The Avs had the edge in the first period. They fired 20 shots on Shesterkin, who stood tall while under pressure. He did well stopping 19 including a highlight reel diving stop to deny Mikko Rantanen on a breakaway which came later in the game.

It was a huge save at that point. The Rangers trailed by a goal. Trouba turned over the puck on a face-off and hooked Rantanen, who got a glorious chance. But a diving Shesterkin robbed Rantanen on the backhand by sliding across.

Previously, the Avalanche made Kaapo Kakko pay for the game’s first penalty when he went off for hooking Rantanen. With the Rangers four-man penalty killing unit stuck out for over a minute, they were unable to make a defensive play to clear the puck. That tired them out.

With the quartet of Miller, Trouba, Goodrow and Ryan Carpenter trapped in their end, eventually the potent Avs made a good retrieval that led to the first goal. MacKinnon moved the puck up for Makar at the point. After skating around to find a shooting angle, he finally sent the puck towards the net where an unguarded Nichushkin redirected the pass for his fifth power play goal at 11:40. It was his seventh goal in the Avs’ first seven games.

The Avalanche continued to create opportunities in the Rangers end. But Shesterkin stood tall. The great save to deny Rantanen was the best one of the game. It came halfway through the second period.

There were other key stops during the opening 20 minutes. On what was a phantom call on Lafreniere for high-sticking Makar when replays clearly showed it was the errant stick of Colorado teammate Toews, fans were beside themselves as was Gallant. The play in question can’t be reviewed unless it’s a double minor. One of the most ridiculous rules in hockey. That must be changed. Imagine if the Avs had scored.

Instead, Shesterkin was asked to make a few saves including a pair on Bowen Byram and Evan Rodrigues. He also stopped Rantanen from distance to keep the Rangers within striking distance.

Late in the first, Hunt took an interference minor on Carpenter. The Rangers would have a full two-minute power play to begin the second period.

They did nothing with it. The first unit was abysmal. They got nothing set up. You also had Zibanejad, Panarin and Fox overstay their shift. This remains an issue under Gallant, who never shows any confidence in his second unit. It isn’t like they don’t have personnel. Lafreniere, Kakko and Kravtsov are on it. Chytil is when healthy. So is Jones when he plays. Goodrow replaced Chytil and Trouba was the lone defenseman.

A bumper play down low for Kravtsov just missed connection. A better pass and he gets a quality chance against Georgiev, who by that point was locked in. As his 11 saves demonstrated in the first, he wasn’t leaking rebounds. He was making the saves and controlling them.

The Rangers picked it up. Elevating their physical play with captain Trouba leveling Artturi Lehkonen with a clean hit that drew “Trou”, chants from the crowd, they began to finish checks. Sammy Blais had a good hit deep in Colorado territory. He played mostly with Carpenter and Ryan Reaves at even strength. However, he’d factor in on the tying goal late in the second.

While Shesterkin wasn’t called upon to make as many saves, he stopped all seven shots he saw. On the opposite end, Georgiev made his best save by denying Lafreniere on the doorstep off a good Trouba pass in front. He held his ground to stop a tricky Lafreniere backhand.

It was on a face-off win from Trocheck that Trouba had a hiccup. He let the puck get by him. That sent Rantanen in alone on Shesterkin, who slid across to rob the dangerous Avalanche scorer of a sure goal. They followed it up with a strong kill. The Avs had no shots. Strong work from Fox, Zibanejad and Goodrow resulted in easy clears.

On a good cycle down low started by Panarin, Trocheck took the puck hard to the net to draw a delayed call. He nearly scored. But Georgiev was able to get a pad on the shot that just kept it out.

On the power play, the Rangers thought they had one. Following a clean Trocheck win, Chris Kreider had a tip-in that looked like a sure goal. However, Georgiev reacted quickly to get a piece of it and then dove on top of the loose puck to keep it out. It was on the goal line. Kreider couldn’t believe it. You could see the frustration. He’s been snake bit so far.

Georgiev, who knows the Rangers power play as well as anyone, continued to stymie his ex-teammates. He easily got over to deny a Zibanejad one-timer. Then stopped Panarin from distance by making a glove stop. A play where he was trying for a Kreider redirect. For good measure, he made another save on Panarin.

The Rangers went 0-for-4 on the power play. Georgiev made 12 saves in total. He was a brick wall. The special teams went in favor of the Avalanche.

With frustration starting to boil over, a good rush allowed the Rangers to draw even with 1:54 left in the period. Blais moved the puck up for Trouba, who made a perfect pass for a Goodrow finish on the doorstep that had Georgiev still moving side to side. He was able to slip it just over Georgiev for the equalizer at 18:06.

Finally with the crowd into it and riding momentum, Panarin got a step on Josh Manson, who had no choice but to grab him for a holding minor with 36 seconds left in the second. The power play would carryover to the third.

With 1:24 remaining on the five-on-four, the Rangers got three shots on Georgiev in the opening minute of the third. But he stopped Panarin and then Kreider twice.

Following a Colorado clear into the corner, an overly aggressive Shesterkin went too far out of his net. With Andrew Cogliano applying pressure, he turned the puck over. Cogliano fed O’Connor in the slot for a shot that beat a still recovering Shesterkin for a shorthanded goal at 59 seconds to give the Avs their second lead.

Still on the man-advantage, the Rangers second unit got some looks. But Georgiev made a few more saves including a pair on Kakko and one on Lafreniere point blank. It was that kind of night for the power play. Georgiev deserves a lot of credit for it. He knew what was coming.

In what can best be described as an old fashioned shootout, the teams turned it into a track meet. The Rangers threw the kitchen sink at Georgiev. The Avalanche continued to get opportunities due to sloppy play from the Rangers. They gave up too many slot chances. That must get corrected. And fast with the annoying Islanders on tap tonight.

Shesterkin made a couple of key stops on Lehkonen with the second big following a Fox turnover. He would come up big later on.

The Blueshirts turned up the heat. But Georgiev held up by making saves on Panarin and Goodrow. Following a MacKinnon miss in tight, a flying Panarin raced up ice and sent a high backhand wide of the net. Trocheck was then denied on a deflection.

The amount of pace in the third period was something to behold. It was exciting fire wagon hockey. Following an easy Georgiev glove save on a long Zibanejad try, it was Igor’s turn. He thwarted Toews twice and then stopped Rodrigues. The big saves continued on MacKinnon, who looked for the dagger.

With the crowd anticipating something happening, Fox made it happen with the play of the game. A clean hit took MacKinnon off the puck. He then made a good outlet for Goodrow who gained the Colorado zone and fed a cutting Vesey. He then had a wide open lane to go backdoor to Fox for the sweet finish to tie the game with 5:57 remaining.

Both sides continued to go for it. On one end, Georgiev stopped a Trocheck wrap-around. Then denied a Panarin bid. Shesterkin made one more save on Nichushkin. Trocheck then sent a high backhand wide. Neither side got anything remotely close in the final minute of regulation.

Overtime was good. Of course it was. Playing three-on-three, they exchanged early chances. Shesterkin stopped Rantanen on one end while Georgiev made a tricky save on a Trouba tip-in.

Both Panarin and Zibanejad were stopped by Georgiev. Panarin drew a hook on MacKinnon who skated into the box. The four-on-three was the opportunity to win it. But the Avs held over the last 1:29.

Zibanejad had one of his rockets go high over the net. He was looking to beat Georgiev high glove. He challenged him. Zibanejad couldn’t hit the target. Erik Johnson made a key play defensively with a hit on Kreider to take away the puck and get a clear.

Cogliano actually wound up with a shorthanded try that Shesterkin handled. That did it for the 65 minutes of hockey. It was disappointing that it wasn’t decided. But that’s how well both goalies played. They each faced over 40 shots with the teams combining for 90 total. The Rangers holding a slight 46-44 edge.

In the shootout, MacKinnon missed high and wide in the top of the first. Then Kakko was stopped by Georgiev. Out came Makar in Round Two. He tried to go backhand deke, but Shesterkin had none of it making the save. Zibanejad tried to pick high glove, but Georgiev held his ground.

In the third round, Rantanen went wrist shot to beat Shesterkin to put the pressure on. But Panarin coolly faked and then out-waited Georgiev to tuck the puck in forcing extras. Astonishingly, Rodrigues came out and pulled off a reverse Pavel Bure move going forehand deke and tucking the puck past Shesterkin as they collided from the momentum. A beauty goal.

It finally came down to Lafreniere. One of the best Rangers all night, he tried to go forehand deke on Georgiev. But he aggressively challenged and made the pad stop to clinch the victory for the Avalanche.

He was pumped. Why not. He later said that the game meant a lot. He really enjoyed playing at MSG and loves the environment. He also was appreciative of the opportunity he’s gotten.

It’s hard to complain about last night’s game. It came against the champs. They’re a great team. It was high tempo and action packed. The only concern is the continued defensive lapses we’re seeing. They have to do a better job back checking. Limit mistakes. Get back to tight checking. That’ll be a key to the Islanders game.

I also would like to see more net front presence. That’s usually Kreider’s job. He had some chances on the power play. But right now, he’s squeezing the stick tight. It isn’t going in. There wasn’t enough traffic on Georgiev, who proved a point. There needs to be more grease. Think Rocky.

I’d look to tweak the first line. They’re not in sync. Zibanejad has been quiet lately. He and Kreider aren’t getting enough done at five-on-five. Kakko has two goals, but maybe he should be moved to the third line. Who would I elevate? Lafreniere. He makes things happen. But if so, then try Kravtsov with Panarin and Trocheck. I doubt Gallant is ready to make that change.

For now, the lineup up front will feature the same dozen players. That’s what happens when you have injuries and are hindered by the cap. Look for Jones to return tonight replacing Hajek. I imagine Shesterkin will get this game and face Ilya Sorokin. Why not. He was strong yesterday. Time to get him going.

https://twitter.com/BattleOfHudson/status/1585104846687830016?t=NDBxI8AIHEdaxoxgNYmSKg&s=19

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Georgiev return one to watch, faces Shestyorkin tonight as Avalanche visit Rangers

Posted on October 25, 2022 by Derek

For five years, Alexandar Georgiev called the Big Apple home. Once an unknown goalie who wasn’t drafted, the Bulgarian honed his skills in Finland where he played for TPS Turku from age 18 to 21.

It took three years for the Rangers to notice the young netminder overseas. After posting impressive numbers for one of the premier teams in Finland that included 13 victories, a 1.70 GAA and .923 save percentage in ’16-17, Georgiev was signed as a free agent by the Rangers on July 19, 2017.

During what was a down season for the big club, Georgiev played in 37 games for the Wolf Pack where he went 14-13-2 with a 2.98 GAA and .908 save percentage. He got the call from the Rangers to come up.

In a year where Henrik Lundqvist still played most of the games, Georgiev eventually got into 10 contests in his first NHL action. Despite posting a 3.15 GAA, he went 4-4-1 with a .918 save percentage. Even on a team that missed the postseason for the first time since ’09-10, he showed enough for the organization to believe he could be a key part of the future in goal.

It’s never easy for a newcomer when they come into a tough situation. Especially during a challenging time when the Rangers made the right decision to rebuild. Fans saw many players change uniforms and go help other teams who made the playoffs.

Even harder was that the Henrik Lundqvist Era was coming to an end. The face of the Blueshirts who led them to 11 of 12 postseason appearances, three Conference Finals and their first return to the Stanley Cup Finals since ’94, Lundqvist was getting older. It wasn’t easy for him to go through the rebuilding process. Some wear and tear started to show during ’18-19. He still appeared in 52 games, but saw his GAA rise to 3.07 and save percentage lower to .907.

In his first full season, Georgiev got into 33 games. Of his 30 starts, he won 14 games while posting a lower GAA (2.91) and higher save percentage (.914) than his legendary professor. He also recorded the only two shutouts that season. David Quinn’s first on Broadway.

But just when it seemed maybe Georgiev could be the heir apparent to the King’s throne, along came top Russian prospect Igor Shestyorkin. In a season where the now 37-year old Lundqvist struggled, Quinn made the transition to Georgiev as the number one goalie.

While he for the most part played well in 34 games (32 starts) to lead the team in wins (17), he wasn’t dominant. With Shestyorkin making the quick adjustment to professional hockey by dominating in Hartford, he eventually earned a call-up to the Blueshirts. Things really changed once he got some starts.

For a while, Quinn mostly rotated Georgiev and Shestyorkin with Lundqvist sadly the third wheel in what had to be a horrible situation for the all-time winningest netminder and record holder in franchise history. As hard a decision as it was for Quinn to make, it proved to be the correct one for the team during ’19-20.

Until he got into an accident with Pavel Buchnevich, Shestyorkin was clearly the goalie taking the league by storm. He’d already built up quite the fan support prior to having to miss time due to injury. In what proved to be the unconventional Covid interrupted season where the Rangers played 70 games, Shestyorkin went 10-2-0 with a 2.52 GAA and .932 save percentage.

Georgiev was 17-14-2 with a 3.04 GAA, .910 save percentage and led the Blueshirts with two shutouts. Lundqvist recorded the final one of his brilliant career on Feb. 1, 2020 when he shutout the Red Wings 1-0 at Little Caesars Arena. He finished his career with a franchise record 64 shutouts.

When the NHL followed up the NBA by announcing the pause in the season due to the pandemic, nobody knew when sports would return. Fortunately, hockey was able to come back in August 2020. They would have a brief camp and exhibition before getting ready for the expanded playoff format. Instead of just 16 teams and 8 in each conference, it became 24 with there being Stanley Cup Qualifiers for half the field.

An injury Shestyorkin suffered in a tune-up against the Islanders lead to him being sidelined for the first two games of the Play-In series against the Hurricanes. A team they’d handled during the regular season, that wasn’t the case during the best three out of five preliminary round.

In a questionable move that probably was due to loyalty, Quinn chose to start Lundqvist over Georgiev in the first two games of the series. It didn’t go well. They were outplayed badly and dropped the first two games by scores of 3-2 and 4-1.

What ever chemistry they had prior to the stoppage when Mika Zibanejad and Artemi Panarin were on a tear was completely gone a few months later. They weren’t the same team. When Shestyorkin was cleared to start the third game, it didn’t matter. They were a beaten team and played like it. A brutal third period saw the Hurricanes storm the Rangers for three goals with Sebastian Aho putting it away.

It was definitely an ugly way to end a feel good season. Perhaps the long layoff hurt the young team. They never were in sync. So, they got swept by Carolina in three straight to lose the Qualifier. However, somehow lucked into landing the top pick in the very complicated two part lottery system. Alexis Lafreniere was the prize.

Entering the Covid abbreviated 56-game schedule, Georgiev was hoping to get a fair chance. However, it was obvious that he felt the pressure due to Shestyorkin. He wasn’t as consistent and allowed questionable goals.

Then came the controversial incident with Tony DeAngelo that resulted in the defenseman getting dismissed by the organization. That was due to Georgiev having a miscommunication with DeAngelo that led to the Pens winning the game 5-4 in overtime on Jan. 30, 2021. DeAngelo had words for Georgiev that turned ugly with an incensed goalie going after the polarizing defenseman.

It didn’t end well. Even with the management team of John Davidson and Jeff Gorton deciding the best course of action was to end the Rangers career of DeAngelo, the incident had a long lasting effect on Georgiev. He wasn’t the same goalie. That meant more inconsistency and misplays behind the net with the puck. He definitely lost some confidence.

While he struggled, Shestyorkin continued to improve. He got into 35 games including 31 starts. Shestyorkin went 16-14-3 with a 2.62 GAA, .916 save percentage and two shutouts. Able to make the bigger saves, Igor established himself as the clear-cut number one goalie.

Georgiev played 19 games including 18 starts that season. He finished 8-7-2 with a 2.71 GAA, .905 save percentage and two shutouts. Due to some of his struggles, veteran Keith Kinkaid was called upon to make seven starts. He went 3-2-1 in nine appearances while posting a 2.59 GAA, .898 save percentage and a shutout.

The disappointing season upset Georgiev. He requested a trade. Obviously, he wanted the opportunity to become a starter in the league. He knew he wasn’t going to get it in NYC. Despite that trade request being public, the Rangers kept him on as the backup behind Shestyorkin last season.

In what was a memorable ’21-22 for Shestyorkin under new bench boss Gerard Gallant, he went 36-13-4 with a 2.07 GAA, league best .935 save percentage and six shutouts. It was eerily similar to the Vezina season Lundqvist had under John Tortorella in ’11-12. He won the Vezina as well and finished third for the Hart. Exactly the scenario for Lundqvist a decade earlier.

For Georgiev, it was up and down. He still got into 33 games making 28 starts. Despite winning 15 games and recording two shutouts, he wound up with a 2.98 GAA and .898 save percentage.

There were still some games where he was brilliant including the performance of the season when he made 44 saves in a 2-0 shutout at Carolina on 3/20/22. A game they were dominated in. In some ironic way, it reminded me of his uncanny dominance of the Maple Leafs in Toronto and his impressive play against the Islanders. When he played more, Georgiev showed the potential to become a starter.

Following the team’s run to the Eastern Conference Final, Georgiev was ready to move on. With him restricted during the summer and a year away from unrestricted status, it was obvious to everyone he would get moved. He got that wish when out of all teams, the Stanley Cup champion Avalanche decided to take a chance on him. Georgiev was acquired by Colorado for two third round picks and a fifth round pick on July 7, 2022.

The Avalanche signed Georgiev to a three-year deal with an average cap hit of $3.4 million. Credit to GM Joe Sakic for not overpaying. At 26, Georgiev still has to prove himself as a number one goalie. He’s the number one for the Avs with popular veteran Pavel Francouz the backup.

So far, so good. Georgiev will return to MSG for tonight’s nationally televised game where he’ll be opposite Shestyorkin. That’ll be fun to watch. He’s made four starts so far for his new team. Georgie is 3-0-1 with a 2.76 GAA and .908 save percentage. Half of those starts have been very good. There have been some highlights where he showed the good form that made the Rangers believe in him.

Most interesting is that it’s Georgiev who enters the match with better numbers. With the Rangers struggling with consistency so far, Shestyorkin is also 3-0-1 like Georgiev. But he has a 2.75 GAA and .901 save percentage. They’ll be linked forever.

Ironically, it’s Shestyorkin who’s a couple of months older. He will turn 27 on December 30 this year. Georgiev blows out the candles on his 27th birthday next February 10. Despite having more NHL experience, he’s younger. He also was undrafted. Shestyorkin went in the fourth round 118th in 2014.

Each netminder has over 60 career wins. Of course, the numbers favor the rating Vezina winner who took his team as far as they could go last Spring with Georgiev in a ball cap on the bench. He did make his first two postseason appearances faring well in relief by stopping 29 of 31 shots. He’s sure to finally get starts next year during the playoffs.

BY THE NUMBERS

Georgiev 61-48-12 2.76 .908 8 SHO

Shestyorkin 65-29-8 2.33 .927 8 SHO

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Devils take two steps backward against Caps

Posted on October 24, 2022 by hasan4978

If you had told me after the first twenty-nine minutes of tonight’s game that I’d be storming out of the arena at the end of the second period booing the team off the ice yet again, I wouldn’t have believed you. After all the Devils had won three in a row coming into tonight, and scored first in an opening twenty minutes they largely dominated. Heck they pretty much dominated the first half of the game but in a familiar theme, shots and territorial advantage don’t ever translate into goals for us. In what’s also become a familiar refrain, every defensive mistake wound up in the back of the net in a brutal nine minute stretch that turned a 1-1 game into a 5-1 laugher. Yes the Caps are still better than the Devils, but this isn’t the 2010-18 Caps guys…this kind of stuff shouldn’t happen, especially with being shut down by another no-name goalie (Charlie Lindgren) until a couple of junktime goals in the third period which made our eventual 6-3 loss look like it was more competitive than it was.

Make no mistake about it, once the second goal went in, the team quit on the game for the remainder of the period, therefore I quit on them after the period was over. It’s one thing to be awful, it’s another to cave in once things didn’t go your way offensively. Whether it was Damon Severson with a bonehead turnover on goal #2, Jesper Bratt with a bonehead turnover on goal #3, Mackenzie Blackwood barely moving on three straight short-side goals or Jack Hughes (whose slow start is now up to six games with just three points) making dumb turnovers left and right, it just wasn’t a good day for almost anyone on the roster. Except maybe Nathan Bastian, who did score the first goal on a nice rebound play and could have had another later on in the first period.

It’s after games like this that I go on soapbox rants about how you can’t trust the advanced stats or shot totals as anything predictive of future success. Not with this team anyway. Maybe with other teams, but when you have a grand total of zero 30-goal scorers on the roster (yes I know Jack obviously prorated as one with 26 in 49 games last year) and your geriatric coach sees fit to scratch one of your top prospects in Alexander Holtz who might just be able to help with this little thing we’re lacking called scoring, then you’re gonna see more and more games like this where the Devils continue to annoy the analytic community and frustrate their fans.

Perhaps the only good thing about tonight’s disaster is finally the eleven forward and seven defenseman lineup can die now, as can the running into the ground of Blackwood – who hasn’t exactly shown even the durability to handle five straight starts, never mind earning the benefit of the doubt to be the guy just because he had a couple of good games and the team played good defense against some bottom-feeders. Of course Lindy Ruff will probably annoy me further by sitting Kevin Bahl while giving underwhelming penalty machine Brendan Smith carte blanche in the lineup cause after all, coach on the hot seat’s gotta have his vets in the lineup. I’m almost positive instead of Holtz as the twelfth forward, we’ll probably get Jesper Boqvist tomorrow, or maybe Fabian Zetterlund if we’re lucky but I wouldn’t hold my breath.

Aside from my annoyance over the team in general comes the annoyance over having missed both home ‘wins’ last week on the COVID IL, then getting off it just in time to see another crapfest at Prudential Center with Colorado looming on deck Friday as our next inevitable home loss where we probably find a way to outshoot them 35-25 and lose 5-2. I should be used to this by now but it’s still annoying. While I’m obviously expecting the worst for that game, it would be nice if this team actually nutted up and beat the Wings in Detroit tomorrow. It’d be doubly nice if the coach decided to play Vitek Vanecek, and he decided not to suck – otherwise we’re gonna get more of our .871 starting goalie being ‘the man’

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Following latest bad loss, Rangers searching for answers with Avalanche in town tomorrow

Posted on October 24, 2022 by Derek
Rookie Kent Johnson celebrates his goal in the third period as the Blue Jackets dealt the Rangers a bad 5-1 loss. AP Photo by Columbus Blue Jackets via Getty Images

What was worse? The Yankees blowing Game Four in predictable fashion to get swept by the hated Astros, or the Rangers again stinking it up in their latest bad loss to the Blue Jackets, who played a back-to-back, but won comfortably.

Both were mind-numbing. Obviously, the Yankees bowing out in four to their archenemy in the Bronx leaves a stench to end the New York baseball season. Aaron Judge couldn’t get any big hits. Aaron Boone couldn’t manage. A few of the players couldn’t play simple fundamental baseball in the field.

On the flip side, you have the Rangers who have been underwhelming so far. They’ve only played six games. The last three have been tough on the eyes. Particularly the last two defeats both coming on home ice to the lowly Sharks and Blue Jackets. Neither of which they played well in. A point hammered home by puzzled coach Gerard Gallant.

While baseball has now ended (does anyone care for the Phillies-Astros World Series) giving way to a very interesting off-season for both the Yankees and Mets, we’re still in the early stages of the hockey season. It’s not even Halloween yet. That’s a week from now. So, you can still check out some spooky houses and pretend to be Jason, Michael Myers, Freddy Krueger, or personal favorite Heath Ledger’s Joker. The women have more creativity. Although I’m preferential to Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn and Anne Hathaway’s Catwoman.

The reality is the Rangers have only played six games in this ’22-23 season. Although they got off to a 3-0 start, there were things that were a concern in blowout wins over the Wild and Ducks. Mostly in the defensive zone. They seemed to coast in the third periods of those games. It finally caught up to them in the home defeats to San Jose and Columbus. Winnipeg was a back-to-back and they probably deserved better.

However, the lackadaisical play in consecutive home losses to the Sharks and Blue Jackets is worrisome. You don’t want to fall into bad habits. In each, inconsistent defensive play allowed their opponents to take control. It happened on the Sharks’ tying goal in a second period they controlled. It again reared its ugly head on consecutive goals from the Jackets that turned a 3-1 deficit into a 5-1 ugly loss.

Both defensemen and forwards have not been in sync. There’s been examples in almost every game where opponents are scoring off easy chances without much resistance. Sam Gagner was allowed three shots at it before beating backup Jaro Halak in the Winnipeg loss. Radek Simek beat two Rangers to score the tying goal last Thursday. Then Erik Karlsson was left alone for an easy put away in overtime as three skaters watched him get the winner.

Columbus had been beaten handily by the Pens 6-3 on Saturday night. They gave up the last five goals. But on the second of a back-to-back, they had no problem exposing the Rangers’ issues. While some pointed to Halak getting the start over Igor Shestyorkin and giving up one soft goal to Andrew Peeke, what do they have to say about the easy goals Eric Robinson and Kent Johnson got 44 seconds apart to finish off the Blueshirts?

It isn’t about one player. Gallant made that point in a brief press conference last night when asked about Halak. Of course, the proud veteran wasn’t pleased with his performance. He allowed five goals on 21 shots. He called it not one of his best efforts. But if you look closely, the Rangers are out-shooting opponents and out-chancing them in these games.

That doesn’t necessarily mean total dominance. Not when there are noticeable defensive lapses that let opponents off the hook. They aren’t on the same page. Barclay Goodrow talked about playing the system earlier today. However, he couldn’t pinpoint one reason for the recent struggle.

Outside of a 3-1 win over the Lightning in the opener, Gallant hasn’t been pleased with what he’s seen. Too many lost battles. Too many lapses in concentration. He wants them to play faster. Turk was very pointed in his remarks that he felt they looked too slow. He even thought they looked like the team who played the night before. A ringing indictment of their play.

It doesn’t help matters that an undetected high hit to the back of Filip Chytil made head contact early on to end his night. He left after playing 11 seconds. How they missed the clear interference on Cole Sillinger is beyond us. Even if accidental as it looked on replays, that has to be called.

Chytil suffered a head injury. According to New York Post beat writer Mollie Walker, he’s expected to miss at least the next four games. That means out for the Avalanche and Islanders on Tuesday and Wednesday. Then, won’t travel for the Stars or Coyotes. Not good. Especially given the lack of depth due to the salary cap.

Without Chytil, Gallant mixed and matched his lines. With the top line going cold, he even tried leading scorer Artemi Panarin with Mika Zibanejad and Kaapo Kakko. Chris Kreider saw time with Goodrow and Vitaly Kravtsov, who took 15 shifts logging 11:33 in his return since the upper-body injury he suffered on Opening Night on a Victor Hedman hit. He was a little more active on a few shifts in the third. But both his attempts were blocked by a disciplined Columbus defense. They rejected 21 Rangers’ attempts.

Down to 12 forwards now that Dryden Hunt has joined Colorado which means he will return to MSG tomorrow night with Alex Georgiev, Jimmy Vesey will be back in the lineup after sitting out Sunday night. Gallant wants him to play solid two-way hockey. He’ll get an opportunity on the third line with Goodrow and Kravtsov.

At least he’ll go back to the more familiar top six, which means Mika Zibanejad between the slumping Kreider and Kaapo Kakko. Panarin returns to the cohesive second line that includes Vincent Trocheck and Alexis Lafreniere, who can use a goal. He does a lot of good things during shifts. But they need him to produce.

Goodrow is the jack of all trades for this team. He can play anywhere. So, having him center the third line is fine. He’s a bit better on face-offs than Chytil. But not as explosive. However, he makes up for it in grit. Having Vesey with Kravtsov is interesting. Maybe they’re hoping to see the preseason version of Vesey. He was in on the forecheck and created offense.

Sammy Blais joins the checking line with Ryan Carpenter and Ryan Reaves. That’s the closest thing to a Crash Line. Having both Blais and Reaves take the body should inject energy. Carpenter has been solid in the fourth line center/penalty killing role that Kevin Rooney once filled. For Blais, it could be a better fit. He hasn’t looked like a top nine forward. Let him get back to doing what he does best. .

As for the defense, only Jacob Trouba and Ryan Lindgren are staying committed to playing their end. They let you know they’re there. Partners Adam Fox and K’Andre Miller are frequently getting caught out of position. Or in Miller’s case, taken off the puck like Sunday night which resulted in a goal against. He has to play stronger. Especially when it’s Gustav Nyqvist winning the battle.

The third pair has been up and down. I can’t say it’s due to Zac Jones, who’s skating can get him out of trouble and lead to transition. Braden Schneider is off to a poor start. He’s been beaten for a few goals due to his positioning. He is only 21. His main job is to play smart defensively and take the body. He’s been thinking too much offense. In order for it to work, he has to get back to what we saw after he came up last January.

With the schedule picking up, it’s time for the Rangers to raise their level. They sure can elevate their play. Even with a thin roster, there’s enough experience to make the necessary adjustments. They know it won’t be easy. There’s a target on their backs. It’s up to the players to respond to the challenge.

It promises to be interesting to see what they do tomorrow with the defending champs visiting The Garden. Then, the archenemy Islanders, who have their own issues. But as we know, they get up for these rivalry games. They’ll also be rested. That doesn’t matter.

It’s time for this version of Turk’s Blueshirts to show the resolve we saw in Year One. It starts Tuesday night on national TV.

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Spoiled fans embarrass themselves booing Quinn in return, good hockey man deserved better

Posted on October 22, 2022 by Derek
Bruce Bennett via Getty Images

Thursday night marked the return of former Rangers coach David Quinn. A likable person who was tasked with a tough job during the rebuild, he did the best he could.

It wasn’t easy to take over a team that lost their identity after Alain Vigneault left following an ugly ’17-18 season. That marked the end of an era. When the organization decided to make public The Letter to fans about the direction they decided, many core pieces were sent packing by GM Jeff Gorton with the help of Team President John Davidson.

It definitely wasn’t easy for fans to see former captain Ryan McDonagh go. The anchor of a strong blue line that included ultimate warrior Dan Girardi, Marc Staal and Anton Stralman, he was the leader of a strong team that was very successful. The Blueshirts were a playoff contender that reached three Conference Finals and played for the Stanley Cup over a four-year period.

When Quinn took over in ’18-19, the roster was dramatically different. Also gone were key forwards J.T. Miller, Rick Nash, Derek Stepan and Michael Grabner. They continued to transition away from key contributors including fan favorite Mats Zuccarello and Kevin Hayes. It wasn’t an ideal situation for a first time NHL coach who had coached collegiate hockey to walk into.

Despite that, Quinn’s teams worked hard. By the second year when they landed big fish Artemi Panarin and acquired Jacob Trouba, things were looking up. In fact, it was during his second season that he had them in position to make a run at the playoffs.

With Panarin cooking and Mika Zibanejad on fire, the Rangers were just sitting on the outside of the wildcard when Covid interrupted ’19-20. After a long hiatus due to the pandemic, the playoffs format was expanded. That allowed the Rangers to become one of 24 teams who got to compete that summer.

However, with future rookie star Igor Shestyorkin injured, Quinn made the curious decision to start Henrik Lundqvist twice over Alex Georgiev in a best three out of five Stanley Cup qualifier against the Hurricanes. They were no match for the Canes, who won in three straight including when Shestyorkin was cleared to play Game Three.

All the good will felt during that promising year which also featured newcomers Adam Fox and Ryan Lindgren in key roles on a revamped defense ended on a sour note. As it turned out, it was the beginning of the end for Quinn.

Following a delayed start to ’20-21, the Rangers played an abbreviated 56-game schedule that began in January 2021. With higher expectations surrounding the team due to the development of Shestyorkin, Fox, Lindgren along with key stars Panarin, Zibanejad, Chris Kreider, Ryan Strome and Trouba, they didn’t reach the postseason.

The disappointment of former 2020 second pick Kaapo Kakko and slow process for ’21 top pick Alexis Lafreniere didn’t go over well with fans. Despite the promise of future top four defenseman K’Andre Miller, who was handled well under Quinn, the season had turmoil due to a locker room fracas between Tony DeAngelo and Georgiev in Pittsburgh. That resulted in the dismissal of DeAngelo and had a negative effect on Georgiev, who wasn’t as consistent.

Along with an injury to Shestyorkin, it definitely didn’t help the situation. While there wad frustration over both Kakko and Lafreniere, one player who improved under Quinn was Pavel Buchnevich. At one point, he found himself buried on the fourth line in Year One. But once he adjusted to what the coach wanted, Buchnevich became a better player who was a fixture on the top line with Zibanejad and Kreider.

Until a critical two games against the Islanders, they still had a chance to make the playoffs. Instead, the team laid proverbial eggs including a dismal performance on home ice after Fox was presented as the Steven McDonald Award winner. The final straw was Tom Wilson pummeling Buchnevich while he was down and then injuring Panarin after he jumped the Caps pest in another uncompetitive loss.

By that point, Quinn was done. So too were Gorton and Davidson after the letter the team sent to the NHL when there was no supplemental discipline for Wilson. Even though Brendan Smith avenged Panarin, it was obvious that the Rangers were ready to move on. Especially with Garden CEO James Dolan unhappy with how that season ended.

With both Mark Messier and former Team President and GM Glen Sather in his ear, the trio of Davidson, Gorton and Quinn were dismissed. Chris Drury took over as Team President and GM. Gerard Gallant was hired as the new coach.

Although Quinn never got the team to the postseason, he was a transitional coach who oversaw the rebuild. It wasn’t the easiest situation. Although there were times where I didn’t agree with some of his personnel decisions or answers during press conferences, he was a good hockey man. Even if there were hints from players that they didn’t agree with his style (Panarin, Kakko), Quinn did the best he could.

When he finally got the job in San Jose after a year away from the league, it was another opportunity for the former Boston University coach to take a rebuilding team in a different direction. Something that’s never easy. They Sharks lost both games to the Predators in the Czech Republic to start the season. Then lost the next three to drop to 0-5-0.

You had to figure they’d be ready to go against the Rangers in Quinn’s emotional return at MSG. What wasn’t expected was the cold reception he received from ungrateful fans. Let’s just call it what is. There’s a portion of this fan base who are snobs. That they booed Quinn when they showed him on the video board was sad.

Seeing the reaction from beat reporters on what happened was enough to feel bad for Quinn. A good guy who didn’t deserve what he got. It’s true the crowd has changed since the pandemic. There are a lot of transient sections that don’t have as many loyal fans who’ve been through the Dark Ages. A reference to one of the darkest eras in franchise history.

From ’97-98 through ’03-04, there were no playoffs on Garden ice. Only humiliation. My family sat through a lot of those games. It was tough on the eyes. Somehow, we managed to have fun due to the friends we made in our section. Witness protection was bantered about a lot in reference to some of the underwhelming players who played. In those hard times, we were able to shine a light with dark humor.

Times have changed. Unfortunately, not for the better. When you have nerdy chart-sessed fans who think everything revolves around CORSI and analytics, they don’t get hockey. The proof was in how the rosters under Quinn were constructed. While there was considerable talent along with youth, they lacked grit and intangibles.

Thankfully, Drury saw fit to correct those mistakes. One of his first moves was signing former Lightning Stanley Cup winner Barclay Goodrow after trading for him during the exclusive negotiating window. Goodrow is a glue guy who can play anywhere. He gets his nose dirty and plays penalty kill. He remains one of the veterans Gallant can rely on to play any role.

Adding Ryan Reaves was a move made to address the lack of toughness. A legit heavyweight with a physical presence, Reaves protects teammates by making opponents accountable. Ask Wilson what happened to him in a lopsided Rangers win over the Caps last season.

Reaves also brings character. His great personality keeps things loose before games. “Shesty, release us!”, became the rallying call before games. The 35-year old vet remains popular in the room and with the crowd that appreciates what he brings.

If anyone doesn’t, it’s probably the same losers that booed Quinn as if he was Scrooge. They don’t have any sense of humor or common decency. Off the record, a few players told the Rangers beat that he didn’t deserve what he got.

Maybe it was fitting that it was Quinn’s new team that out-worked and out-played the Rangers to earn a 3-2 overtime victory on a Erik Karlsson winner. It had to feel extra special for Quinn to get his first win as Sharks coach at MSG. He will never admit that. Nor did he acknowledge the ridiculous jeers he received. He has too much class.

It’s unfortunate that some so-called ‘fans’ don’t know what class is. They think just because Gallant came into a better situation and guided last year’s team to the Eastern Conference Final, that it’s a given the Rangers will play for the Cup.

It doesn’t work that way. This season, they have a target on their back. Expect everyone’s best game. Or maybe you haven’t noticed that the Avalanche just lost at home to the Kraken. Nothing is given in this league. Teams won’t just lie down. If they did, Montreal wouldn’t have three wins in its first five games.

It would be nice if more fans realized that. Not everyone has common sense. Shame on the sour apples who booed a good man. I’m glad Quinn got the last laugh.

The Rangers will now move on. With the Blue Jackets on the schedule tomorrow, they’ll have to slow down Johnny Gaudreau. As Trouba noted following Thursday’s disappointment, they must focus more on playing better defensively. Or as Gallant simply put it, get back to the way they played in the season opener. A complete effort in a 3-1 win over the Lightning.

We’ll see how they respond.

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Karlsson’s overtime winner gives Sharks victory in Quinn’s return, Inconsistent Rangers get what they deserve in bad loss

Posted on October 21, 2022 by Derek

For those who weren’t aware, David Quinn was back in town with his San Jose Sharks. A team that entered winless in their first five games, having been outscored 19-8. No problem. Right? Wrong.

Instead of taking care of business against a woefully bad team that still features some NHL talent, the Rangers played down to the competition and earned a well deserved 3-2 overtime loss to the Sharks. Erik Karlsson’s goal at 49 seconds of overtime made a winner of Quinn in a successful return to MSG.

The goal was emblematic of how poorly the Rangers played the third period that carried over to the first two shifts of OT. Following a hiccup from turnover prone Adam Fox leading to Timo Meier feeding Tomas Hertl for a scoring chance that Igor Shestyorkin bailed Fox out on, it was Karlsson who undressed Artemi Panarin and then received a Meier pass around the net for an easy finish with Shestyorkin out of position.

The game-winner was the direct result of both Panarin and a passive Vincent Trocheck allowing Karlsson to put a great move on and get the puck over for Hertl. With Jacob Trouba giving chase behind the net, that left Meier enough time to find Karlsson wide open for the win.

It was a complete breakdown during an ugly three-on-three sequence. The first OT they played didn’t go well. It ended quickly. The right team won. That would be the now 1-5-0 Sharks who outshot the Rangers 16-2 in a lopsided third and then added the first two shots in extras including the Karlsson winner.

It was an embarrassment. They let a struggling team that isn’t expected to compete to come into The Garden and take the game. It wasn’t that way during the first two periods. For the most part, they played up to par. However, they only came out even at two on the scoreboard due to a lack of discipline and a total breakdown.

Winning hockey is simple. Outplay the opponent at even strength. Take advantage of your chances on special teams. Limit mistakes. The Rangers didn’t do it. Even when they were handed an 11-second five-on-three due to consecutive minor penalties from San Jose, they did virtually nothing with the first two power plays.

Instead, it was Quinn’s aggressive penalty killers who applied pressure at the points and stood up at the blue line to make life difficult. The vaunted first unit kept turning pucks over and having the hungrier Sharks send the puck down. They didn’t get much done. In fact, they went 0-for-5 on the power play with only three shots. It was pathetic.

As if that was bad enough, you had the much maligned Sammy Blais take a needless tripping minor on Meier to send the Sharks to the man-advantage. It didn’t take long for them to cash in. On a good play started by Karlsson, Luke Kunin set up Logan Couture for a power play goal at 6:02 to give the Sharks an early lead.

It wasn’t as if San Jose played well in the period. They didn’t. They kept shooting themselves in the foot by taking minor penalties. Over two minutes following Couture’s goal, Radek Simek took down an attacking Alexis Lafreniere to go off for tripping.

On the power play for a third time, they got trigger man Mika Zibanejad two set ups. He was stopped on one by James Reimer. The other, he misfired wide. Chris Kreider just missed on a tip-in try. He’s been a bit unlucky so far. He would later hit a crossbar. Kreider just has to keep plugging away. They’ll start going in.

After they killed the penalty, the Sharks went to work. Following a Filip Chytil block, Trouba took a slashing minor on Meier to hand them a second power play. That’s how the first was. Basically special teams with not much flow at five-on-five.

The penalty kill held the teal to one shot. Shestyorkin handled a Hertl try. Afterwards, they finally had some play at even strength. You had some physicality with both sides finishing checks.

When it was all even, it was mostly Rangers controlling the puck deep in the San Jose zone. However, Reimer was sharp denying Lafreniere with two and a half minutes left. He played well making 21 saves on 23 shots. Most of his work came in the second when he stopped 12 of 13 to give Quinn’s Sharks a chance.

One of the best players was Chytil. He was flying throughout. Using his size and speed to get in on the forecheck and create scoring chances, his persistence drew a slash from Kunin to put the Rangers back on the power play with under 49 seconds left in the period.

The Sharks got some key blocks to get out of the first up by one. They might not be the most talented. But they do play hard for Quinn. Eerily similar to how things went when he was in charge of the rebuild here. They hung around long enough tonight.

At the start of the second, it was following a Sharks’ kill that the Rangers drew even. On some good hustle from a back checking Kreider, that forced a turnover inside the San Jose zone. Chytil stole the puck and broke in on Reimer before going five-hole on the mini-break to tie the score at 1:50.

Just a great effort from a young player gaining confidence. If he wasn’t stuck playing with Blais and Barclay Goodrow, he probably could have more points. That’s how impressive he’s been. Chytil definitely continues to open eyes. He did with his pass on a Lafreniere goal and again was up to the task by getting his second goal and drawing two penalties. That’s your third line center. He needs some help. Hopefully soon, Vitaly Kravtsov can supply it.

Unlike the opening period, the entire second was played at five-on-five. There were no penalties called. It was largely dictated by the Rangers. They would out-shoot the Sharks 13-4.

Twice, Kreider narrowly missed. He hit the crossbar on one shot and had another go wide. Other than the win at Minnesota where he buried two, that’s how it’s gone so far. The good news is he is continuing to work hard. Even more startling, he has just as many assists (2) as goals (2) after the team’s first five games.

With the game still tied, Shestyorkin denied a Hertl backhand on a good look. Even though they only had nine total shots through the first two periods, the Sharks found some openings in the Rangers coverage. They aren’t playing as tightly. It’s showing.

Near the halfway point, some superb passing up ice between Fox and Panarin led to a beautiful go-ahead goal from the Bread Man at 9:05. After Trocheck moved the puck up for Fox, he rushed up ice and moved the puck back for Panarin who made a great one-timer far side on Reimer for his third to give the Rangers a 2-1 lead. It was poetry in motion. Two artists putting on display what makes them special talents.

Even though they carried most of the play, the Sharks found a hole in the defense to get even 4:05 later. On a shift where they out-worked the fourth line and the defense, Oskar Lindblom and Matt Nieto combined to find Simek open. He moved easily around Fox and Jimmy Vesey to beat Shestyorkin low and inside the net. The puck went underneath him. A goal he usually doesn’t allow. The lousy coverage didn’t help.

Following a repair, the cohesive second lime came close. But Reimer made consecutive saves on Trocheck and Lafreniere. Both continue to click well with Panarin. Lafreniere nearly had Panarin later for a potential goal. But his pass was deflected away by a San Jose player.

Despite creating other opportunities, the Rangers remained deadlocked at two with the Sharks after the period expired. One school of thought is they controlled most of the action. The other was that a defensive lapse let an inferior opponent off the hook. These are the games you have to put away. They never did.

As the Yankees were driving me crazy with their anemic offense and lousy at bats in a recurring nightmare against the Astros which may as well have been Groundhog Day, I watched most of the third in shock. It was the Sharks who were hungrier to the puck. They played loose and went after it. The Rangers resembled the Yankees.

When you only are credited with two measly shots in the third period of a tie game, that’s not getting it done. They were lifeless. The Sharks looked to take a bite out of Shestyorkin. Fortunately, he was awake long enough to make 16 saves and get the Rangers a point.

There were big stops on several Sharks including a few who aren’t household names. Their checking line caused problems. It was a struggle to even survive the long third period. One that saw San Jose pounce on every mistake and get the puck towards the net.

Shestyorkin saved the Rangers’ bacon. Even when Kunin took a penalty on who else but Chytil with 4:58 left, an awful pass from Fox forced Panarin to take down Nico Sturm. He intercepted the puck and Panarin tripped him up to negate a shorthanded rush.

During the four-on-four, it was the more aggressive Sharks who went for it. But Shestyorkin turned aside Meier twice and then Hertl. With time running short, he also denied Alexander Barabanov.

In what was an otherwise quiet game for him, K’Andre Miller had a one-timer from distance easily picked by the glove of Reimer 93 seconds left in regulation. There wasn’t enough traffic. It was only the second shot of the period. The other coming from Vesey much earlier.

In overtime, Gallant went with Trocheck, Panarin and Fox. His best offensive guys. However, they got dominated by the Quinn trio of Hertl, Meier and Karlsson. After Fox fell down and coughed up the puck, Meier had Hertl for what felt like the winner. But his shot was easily smothered by Shestyorkin.

On the next face-off, Hertl beat Trocheck to get the puck back to Karlsson. Once the game’s best defenseman, he turned back the clock by completely housing Panarin with a great move. Trocheck watched. Then, with the Rangers scrambling, Meier took a Hertl feed and easily set up Karlsson for the overtime winner at 49 seconds.

It was over quick. For all the flak I playfully give Quinn, his team earned the the two points. They outplayed the Rangers by a wide margin over the final 20:49. They deserved the win. Congrats to Quinn on coming back to MSG and getting a victory. You could see what it meant as he shook hands with his assistants. He’s a good man.

It probably won’t get any easier for San Jose. But for one night, they were better than the Rangers. A team with higher expectations. You have to wonder why they’ve been so inconsistent defensively. The next game is against the high scoring Johnny Gaudreau Blue Jackets. They’ll have to put in a better effort.

This was disappointing. But they’ve played five games and gotten seven points out of ten. It was a worse game than the Winnipeg loss. Gallant wasn’t pleased. He shouldn’t be. There’s plenty to work on.

Dryden Hunt was claimed on waivers by the Avalanche. I guess they appreciate the hard work he puts in. I know I was critical at times over the lack of finish. But Hunt always brought an honest approach to each game. He finished checks and played with grit which Gallant prefers. He lost out due to Vesey and coach favorite Ryan Carpenter. Good luck to him in Colorado.

THREE STARS 🌟 🤩 ✨️

3rd 🌟 Tomas Hertl Sharks assist, 5 SOG, 9-8 draws in 19:20

2nd 🌟 Filip Chytil Rangers goal (2nd), 3 SOG, 2 penalties drawn, +1 in 15:50

1st 🌟 🤩 ⭐️ Erik Karlsson Sharks overtime winner at 49 seconds plus 🍎 in 23:54

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Two impressive wins quiet the critics in Newark for the moment

Posted on October 20, 2022 by hasan4978

First let’s start with the disclaimers…yes the schedule hasn’t exactly been the toughest so far with every game in the tri-state area against teams who didn’t make the playoffs last year. Obviously nobody’s going to throw a parade now that the Devils are 2-2, especially after they did get off to good starts in the first ten games of each of the last two years. And their advanced stats and shot totals still don’t generally measure up to actual goals scored.

Okay enough of that…the last two games were certainly a welcome improvement all-around. Some will say the first two games where we outshot the Flyers and Red Wings are proof that this kind of breakout was coming, but even if you want to make that case they certainly haven’t portended the most important development of all the last two games – a long-awaited step up by Mackenzie Blackwood. True, a combined thirty-four saves in two games isn’t exactly topping the shot charts but sometimes it’s not about quantity of saves as much as it is just not giving up the killer goal. He certainly didn’t give up a killer goal against the Ducks after the first period when they fell behind 2-0 and were getting booed off the ice again before turning on the turbo switch and dominating the final two periods, and though he really didn’t have much action tonight as the Devils got the first fourteen shots on net at least we avoided the inevitable killer goal against that usually results during one of those stretches where we pound the net but can’t score.

At least the offense managed to pick it up in the final two periods of both games after frustrating first periods. Just as encouraging is who got the goals – pretty much everyone you would want to score over the last two games has led by Ondrej Palat with three goals. His first goal off a rebound the other night helped finally turned the momentum against the Ducks, and continued a nice first impression with goals #2 and #3 tonight against the Isles. Also standing out in the two games was captain Nico Hischier, who had a goal and an assist against the Ducks and a three-point night at the UBS Arena. Guess he’s over the hammy now, eh? After a dry finish to last season, it was nice to see Dawson Mercer also get on the board against the Ducks…you could say the same for Dougie Hamilton except that it seems obvious through four games his poor second half last year was injury-related. Jack Hughes got his long-awaited first goal of the season tonight, to open the scoring finally at the UBS arena after Ilya Sorokin kept the Devils off the board through a dominant first period.

You might have noticed a name missing from that paragraph in Jesper Bratt…and true he doesn’t have a goal in the first four games, but you’ll take seven primary assists in four games anyday. Bratt, Palat and Hischier were cooking as a line tonight. Also cooking is our entire d-core, which killed off all three power plays in the last two games, as well as holding both the Ducks and Isles to twenty shots or fewer. There isn’t really anything to find fault with on D…even Kevin Bahl finally got in the lineup and played just over ten minutes as the #7 defenseman, but it will be hard for him to get consistent icetime with the top six playing as well as it has.

Offensively as good as the last two games have been you’d still like to see Alexander Holtz get a bit more run, after he got shafted in the second game of the season and benched against the Ducks as Lindy Ruff shortened the bench in a dire situation, he was scratched tonight in favor of the 11-7 lineup deployment. I’d also like to see Fabian Zetterlund get more run, maybe over Nathan Bastian who doesn’t do much besides hit. Zetterlund can do that and score as well but at least the icetimes of the forwards who were in the lineup got more balanced out tonight with Bastian getting nearly eleven minutes and still having the least icetime among the forwards. Ironically after the kerfuffle about Bratt’s icetime following the opener, he led all forwards with just over twenty minutes tonight.

I wish I had more to write about the last two games but honestly it was hard to pay attention Tuesday since I was compelled to stay home after feeling ill with a cold that turned out to be the only mild COVID symptom I’ve had so far. Hopefully I’ll be off the IL in time for Saturday afternoon’s game or soon after, but we’ll see. Vaccines and boosters definitely help if this is as bad as COVID gets for me. In any case, tonight I just wasn’t in front of the TV until the middle of the second period, but with the game on ESPN plus I was able to watch it from the start and skip the commercials while viewing. I wasn’t as into actually watching it since I already had spoilers though, plus after all it was the ESPN broadcast though I don’t exactly hate Bucci or Kevin Weekes. It’s ironic that after our first four games I don’t think one has been on MSG plus yet, which I’m normally accustomed to seeing the Devils on…we’ve had two on ESPN plus and iirc the other two were on the original MSG.

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Despite good start, Rangers need to tighten up defensively

Posted on October 18, 2022 by Derek

By show of hands. How many of you would’ve signed up for winning three out of four to start the season? That would probably be the majority.

Who had the Rangers scoring at will to take six out of a possible eight points? Maybe half. I guess it depends what your view of the roster was coming in. Unlike the overemphasized Patrick Kane crowd, I was glass half full on the kids improving to boost an offense that subtracted some key parts.

Perhaps I was onto something. Even minus the injured Vitaly Kravtsov, who is getting closer to returning, we’ve already seen what the third line trio of Alexis Lafreniere, Filip Chytil and Kaapo Kakko can do. They’re living up to expectations by providing the scoring balance that was a question entering ’22-23. That they’ve all been separated and are showing signs of improvement is proof that patience is required with young players.

Thus far, Gerard Gallant has discovered that he can successfully move Kakko up to the top line and shift Lafreniere to the right side on the second line with positive results. He can also trust Chytil more to continue his growth in a supporting role centering the third line.

With Vincent Trocheck finding early chemistry with Artemi Panarin and a more confident Lafreniere, the second line is providing offense. A second four-point (1-3-4) game for Panarin with Trocheck and Lafreniere also scoring to highlight a wild 6-4 win over the defense optional Ducks on home ice is proof that the new trio should remain intact. They’re clicking.

On a night where former Blueshirt Ryan Strome received a warm hand from appreciative fans during a video tribute in his return as a Duck, it was that new second line that showed off their firepower. Although he didn’t record a point for the struggling Ducks, who got lit up 7-1 by the Islanders on Saturday, Strome will play a similar leadership role while teaming with top finisher Troy Terry and promising rookie Mason McTavish.

Strome will be fine. The same can be echoed for former rental piece Frank Vatrano, who showed off his wicked wrist shot by whistling one past Igor Shestyorkin glove side to get the Ducks on the scoreboard. Frankie V certainly contributed to the Rangers’ run last Spring. Now, he will try to help a rebuilding team that so far has hung starter John Gibson out to dry.

He was again sent to the showers after two periods by a New York team. Gibson still made some great saves highlighted by a point blank glove highway robbery on Trocheck that could’ve been Henrik Lundqvist in his heyday or Shestyorkin now. It’s hard to win in this league without good team defense. Ask Gallant what he thinks about his team so far defensively.

Putting up high totals of seven goals anfd six in sloppy wins over the overrated Wild (has anyone seen their defense) and defenseless Ducks is nice. It looks good on the right side of the win column. However, giving up totals of three, four and four over the past three games isn’t impressive. That included a 4-1 loss at Winnipeg where the effort was okay. But the execution wasn’t with the Jets getting the game-winner late from journeyman Sam Gagner and power play extra from Mark Scheifele. Kyle Connor added an empty netter.

It was less than ideal. K’Andre Miller lost a battle behind the net and then both Trocheck and Panarin puck watched as Gagner was allowed to stuff in the game decider past a helpless Jaro Halak, who performed well in his Rangers debut.  He made 30 saves on 33 shots to give them a chance. The problem was Connor Hellebuyck was better stopping 40 of 41 including 21 in a splendid second period where it was all Rangers.

They weren’t too good in a 7-3 win over the Wild either. It was a game they led 5-1 in the third period after Trocheck netted his first as a Ranger. But Matt Boldy struck twice sandwiched around a great goal from Kakko, who undressed the Wild or a solo effort for a 6-2 lead 30 seconds after Boldy’s first. He’d return the favor by completely blowing by Braden Schneider, who hasn’t been sharp in his end. Is it the new number? He switched to number 4 from 45.

Of the two so far, Zac Jones has looked better on the young third pair comprising two players who are 21 and 22. Not the biggest in stature, the smooth skating Jones makes up for it by utilizing his speed and smarts to escape trouble. Schneider is the much bigger physical presence. He’s been thinking more offense so far. So has Miller, who at times looks like a forward instead of a defenseman. The offense should improve. He still needs to use his size and strength more defensively. Especially considering the key role he plays with new captain Jacob Trouba.

Speaking of Trouba, he’s been strong so far. Playing his usual physical style, the on ice leader has done it by finishing checks, blocking shots and coming back to break up plays with his hustle. The most indispensable player they have on the blue line with apologies to Adam Fox and gritty warrior Ryan Lindgren, he plays in every situation under Gallant. Whether it’s matching up at five-on-five, playing second power play, or killing penalties, he can be counted on to get the job done. So far, so good for the new captain.

In another wide open contest, Trouba stood out for the way he plays the game. It was early in the second period that he left his feet to block a dangerous Terry shot that went off his helmet out of play. After a concerned Terry apologized to him, Trouba was summoned to the locker room by spotters for concussion protocol. He missed a few shifts.

Almost immediately, Trevor Zegras got behind an out of position Braden Schneider and took a Terry feed to beat Shestyorkin at 1:34. That tied the score. On that shift, Schneider was on with Miller. Initially, it was a Mika Zibanejad in the offensive zone that allowed the Ducks to transition up ice with token resistance by the five players in Blueshirt jerseys.

Forced to go with a five man rotation, Rangers assistant coach Gord Murphy worked in Schneider and Jones. It was the latter who received more ice time logging 18:01 while Schneider received 14:31 all at even strength. Jones got 31 second on the little used second power play unit. In the third game he’s played with Libor Hajek subbing for him on Friday, Jones is showing why he can become a regular. He knows when to go.

The only bad game Jones had so far was the second at Minnesota. Neither him or Schneider were particularly strong that night. It’s gonna happen. Gallant wanted to get Hajek in so he stayed fresh on the first back-to-back. He was solid making a few subtle defensive plays. That’s a plus for the extra defenseman who is essentially the last link to the Ryan McDonagh/J.T. Miller trade with the Lightning. Ironically, Vladislav Namestnikov is back in Tampa rediscovering the form he had under Jon Cooper in a secondary role.

There’s nothing left to say about the trade. It’s all been echoed before by yours truly in this space. Some deals work out while others fail. That one is in the bad category. What if Nils Lundkvist had panned out last year. Instead, he’s getting playing time with the unbeaten Stars. The numbers didn’t work in his favor. Brett Howden needed a scenery change and has been effective in Vegas. That’s all.

Back to the defense. After Zibanejad took a good feed from Fox and had his shot deflected in front off the skate of John Klingberg for the go-ahead tally halfway through the contest, Trouba returned. It was noted by both Sam Rosen and Joe Micheletti just as that goal was scored. Let’s call it a good omen.

Once their workhorse was back, the Rangers picked it up. They began vigorously forechecking a smaller Anaheim defense. After a rare power play where they didn’t connect largely because Gibson prevented a sure Trocheck power play goal by reaching back to steal his high shot with the glove, the former third line stayed out for a shift at five-on-five.

Following a good keep from Trouba, Chytil took the puck down low and centered for a sweet Lafreniere finish in front that increased the lead to two with 2:21 left. It was a great scoring play created by the forecheck of the three kids. Eerily similar to what they did last Spring.

Panarin provided what should’ve been the knockout blow when he took a Fox lead pass and sniped a laser past Gibson top shelf at 19:25. On the play, Lindgren started it and Fox did what he does by finding an open Panarin, who had easy access to the Ducks zone. Both Klingberg and Dmitry Kulikov backed in allowing Panarin too much space. He had enough time to fake and then fire his second by Gibson.

In a game that was too much run and gun, the Rangers got sloppy in the third period. It was played similarly to the Wild game where they put up a touchdown and extra point, but took the foot off the gas pedal. You can get away with that against inferior competition. But not against better opponents.

The Ducks made it interesting. On a good shift by Terry, he and Kevin Shattenkirk combined to set up a wide open Max Comtois to cut the deficit to two with under 15 minutes left in regulation. He was left isolated by Panarin, who fell asleep on the coverage. Lindgren was in the vicinity, but Comtois was Panarin’s man. He isn’t exactly a stalwart defensively. The offense makes up for it.

You’d still like to see better plus/minuses next to both Panarin and Trocheck on the score sheet. Part of that was due to the production on the power play. Five of their six combined points came via the man-advantage. An area Panarin excels at due to his remarkable vision and playmaking. However, the second line will need to tighten up defensively at even strength. An area Gallant wants to see improvement.

Even on what was a wonderfully constructed passing play between Fox and Panarin for a Zibanejad one-timer that easily beat Ducks’ backup Anthony Stolarz for the team’s third power play goal of the night, they still couldn’t put away the Ducks. Ranger killer Derek Grant tallied at even strength to make it 6-4 with 3:46 remaining.

In a game where they nearly doubled up the Ducks in shots (43-22) while out-attempting them by a wide margin due to strong puck possession, it’s inexcusable to allow four goals on 22 shots. Even if Anaheim has good offensive players, that’s not a good enough effort from a team with Stanley Cup aspirations.

Finding better consistency at even strength will be the key to the season. With the next game not until Thursday against the winless David Quinn Sharks, who even gave up five unanswered to the lottery bound Blackhawks, the extra days off allow Gallant to work on the defensive issues. They’re correctable mistakes that can be fixed during practice. Back to basics.

It took a while in Year One under Turk for the team to adjust to the system. Most of the core is the same. For the new players like Trocheck, who is a good three zone player, it’s still going to take some time. While Zibanejad and Chris Kreider, who could easily have five or six goals instead of two, are familiar with what Gallant wants, you still have a few players who are learning as they go.

On a night where Sammy Blais finally returned to the lineup on a regular season game for the first time in almost a year, you don’t have to worry about the bottom six. Barclay Goodrow and Chytil play straight ahead hockey. Without Ryan Carpenter, Goodrow centered the checking line flanked by Dryden Hunt and Ryan Reaves. Both who will get pucks deep and bang in the corners.

After a good preseason that earned him a contract, Jimmy Vesey has been very quiet. He wasn’t noticeable on Monday night. That’s why a good camp doesn’t mean anything. If it did, Julien Gauthier would have become a 15 to 20 goalscorer. Instead, he’s in Hartford scoring in the AHL. Vesey could become the odd man out when Kravtsov returns.

It’ll be an interesting decision for the organization. Especially with Carpenter fitting in well on the fourth line. Plus Hunt has brought the energy and even got the only goal at Winnipeg. A nice finish off a Trocheck pass where he stopped the puck and patiently shot upstairs to beat Hellebuyck.

For now, they’ll take the 3-1-0 record and look to improve. Especially with both the Hurricanes and Penguins off to good starts. So are those John Tortorella Flyers. It’s very early. Let’s see where things are by Game 20.

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Rock bottom…fans revolt as team puts up yet another stinker

Posted on October 16, 2022 by hasan4978

I have so much to say after last night’s latest fiasco but really no idea where to start this blog. Was last night’s 5-2 defeat at the hands of Detroit the worst game this franchise has played in the last ten years? Certainly not…but in many ways it might have become the flashpoint where a fanbase has finally collectively had it with years of ‘rebuilding’ and zero progress to show for it. Heck, they might actually be going backwards which I didn’t think was possible. Maybe Miles Wood was onto something calling this a must-win, because the pressure is already cooking hot underneath everyone’s feet as evidenced by an ugly atmosphere at the Rock last night.

Last night certainly didn’t start off being an adversarial atmosphere, with a couple of notable exceptions during the pregame. Although he wasn’t starting last night, Mackenzie Blackwood got what I’d call at least scattered boos – after his stinker Thursday and being bad for two years, I can understand the fans having enough of him – god knows I have, especially with some of his diva-like behavior towards the organization. Mike McLeod got booed…for off-ice reasons that I’m not even gonna get into (cough Hockey Canada investigation cough), but the boos for him are the only ones I actually joined in on during the pregame. Once they started introducing the coaching staff and they got to Andrew Brunette who received a loud ovation, I knew what was coming next when Lindy Ruff got announced. I didn’t partake in the boos, but as much as I like Lindy maybe I would have if I knew what was coming vis-a-vis some of his airhead lineup decisions on the night, namely the banishments of young forwards Yegor Sharangovich (10:56), Fabian Zetterlund (9:40, though at least he was in the lineup tonight the icetime’s still stupid low for a guy who had an impact down the stretch last year) and Alexander Holtz (9:20). Lindy might have been the only one in the building surprised at the reaction toward a coach who’d presided over two of the worst seasons in franchise history.

Sorry coach, still respect you as a human being and a hockey lifer…wish you a lot of luck in retirement and I know doggone well the problems with this organization (which I’ll get to over this post) extend way beyond you, but now I hope that retirement starts as soon as possible. Everyone who reads this blog knows how much I’ve held back on ripping the coach because of my regard for the man personally, when you lose me Lindy, then it’s time to say adios amigo. If the last two seasons weren’t enough to push me over the edge, the start of this one pretty well has – not to mention the inane response to a question on Jesper Bratt’s icetime the other night. If you’re gonna try to play an up-tempo firewagon attacking system, then you can’t be benching younger, dynamic players like Holtz and Sharangovich who in theory should fit said system. You also can’t be doing cornball things like playing RHD John Marino and Damon Severson on the same pairing when you have a balance of LHD and RHD in the lineup.

But again, the problems go way beyond Lindy – starting with the fact every doggone goalie that Tom Fitzgerald brings in immediately turns into Goldberg from the Mighty Ducks the minute they put on a Devils uniform with the latest stiff being Vitek Vanecek, who quite simply had a nightmare debut with five goals allowed on twenty-two shots including junk like losing his stick for no reason before the Dylan Larkin goal with one second left in the second period to make a 3-2 game a 4-2 game, the shortside goal by Dominik Kubalik in the third to make the game officially noncompetitive or this beaut from Jakub Vrana that broke a tie midway through the second period:

Nice shot…hah, we make everyone into a doggone sniper, except apparently our own shooters. Our overrated finesse offense has somehow managed to only score four goals on seventy-six shots in the first two games, once again giving lie to the advanced stats. But our CORSI, but our ‘deserve to win’ meter…nonsense. All the metrics don’t mean a thing if you don’t have actual finishers or a system that actually maxes their talent. Other than Jack Hughes – who’s done bupkus so far in two games – there’s nobody on this roster that’s even close to a proven thirty-goal scorer. Jesper Bratt hit 26 goals last year but he’s still more of a playmaker, and funny at least he’s enhancing his contract value with three assists in the first two games. He’s about the only one right now.

Instead of being worried over who can stop the puck or who can actually put one in, we’re apparently too worried about what Miles Wood says after a game, since he had to offer a clarification over his comments saying he didn’t mean the team was soft as any kind of a dig at anyone on the team – screw that and whoever leaned on him to walk back an actual truthful statement. If you’re so worried about how you’re being perceived inside and outside the room, forget about policing what everyone says…go and win some darn games here. Having everyone be all fake nice and polite isn’t going to rock the boat in the right direction. When the Devils were a winning organization, they had guys like Claude Lemieux and Bobby Holik who grated people inside and outside of the room, but they held everyone accountable as a result. And at least to Wood’s credit, he did his part to back up his urgency by scoring one of the two goals last night.

Fans know what they’re seeing without trying to have it be sugarcoated by social media or a broadcast. And last night fans clearly had enough by the end of the second period as boos rained down from the sky in a period where they outshot the Wings 22-11, yet got outscored 4-1. Enough with the excuses, when you get housed two games in a row by mediocre opposition after years of losing and see other teams who started a rebuild after you already make more progress in theirs, you no longer deserve the benefit of the doubt. I don’t want to hear excuses, these are the kind of games losing franchises find ways to lose and just make excuses about afterwards.

Starting in the third period the ‘Fire Lindy!’ chants were loud and frequent as were the bronx cheers for Vanecek (especially after his last goal given up in the middle of the period). On a normal night I’d have probably cleared out in the middle of the third period, especially since I knew we were going to be noncompetitive after the way the second period went…but this time I stayed for every last second to boo them off the ice. What a home opener.

Even before the game, the ‘tribute’ to Andy Greene really wasn’t much of one at all. Felt like they were saving the actual tribute for a separate night later on, though I guess it’s tough to both have the extended intros AND a ceremony in the pregame. Who cares though, it’s a Saturday night – not like staying a few minutes later was gonna kill anyone. Greene must have had flashbacks to his own dark days here watching that mess last night. He would have been better on the ice than Ryan Graves last night, who didn’t do much to enhance his upcoming FA contract with a -3 in just under fourteen minutes. I could say the same about Damon Severson and his -3 but Severson is what he is at this point, a mercurial defenseman who’ll add something offensively but give away a lot defensively. It would have been nice for him to follow up a career best season last year with a better start to this year, but alas he’s far from the only disappointment so far.

As to where this thing goes in the immediate future…at this point it seems like a matter of when, not if Lindy gets canned. If this team ever lost to a subpar Ducks team that just got wasted 7-1 at UBS Arena (and probably will get obliterated at MSG), that might be enough to push things over the edge already. You want to give lip service over the team being ready to win Fitzy, you can’t let another season get away without doing jack-all about it. And for the record, when you retain a coach on a lameduck deal AND hire a sureshot replacement for his staff then you’re putting a neon, flashing sign up. You might as well have canned him and saved everyone the 5-10-however many games of a charade we have to go through before the change is now going to be made. If you were that unsure about keeping the guy then that’s usually a pretty good indicator you should have moved on already.

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