The Good Copp gets a natural hat trick to highlight Rangers’ win over Islanders, Panarin adds four assists to hit career best 96 points, Strome gets number 20, Kreider ties Cook on all-time Rangers goal list

Posted on April 22, 2022 by Derek
A Good Copp Hat Trick: Andrew Copp is mobbed by excited teammates following his third straight goal that gave him a natural hat trick to highlight a 6-3 Rangers’ victory over the Islanders in Elmont. AP Photo via NYRangers.

It was a good night in Elmont. A pretty memorable one for Andrew Copp. His natural hat trick in a great first period highlighted a Rangers’ 6-3 win over the Islanders at UBS Arena in Long Island.

Since coming over from Winnipeg, the good Copp has been a great fit with Artemi Panarin and Ryan Strome. Tonight demonstrated why. The cohesive trio were dangerous every time they had the puck against the Islanders. They had no answer for that line.

While Copp recorded his second career hat trick (first as a Ranger), Panarin added four assists to give him 74 for the season. The 74 apples are the most ever by a Ranger forward in a season. He has four games left to chase down Brian Leetch’s record of 80 set in ’91-92.

The four helpers helped Panarin set a new career high in points with 96 for ’21-22. In the Covid shortened ’19-20 season, the Bread Man had 95 before the pause. Now, he has a shot at hitting the century mark for the first time in his brilliant career.

Also an instrumental part of the scoring line is Strome. Although it hasn’t been his best year, he was able to score a career high 20th goal and add an assist to give him 52 points in 70 games. During the postgame seated next to Adam Fox, who had three helpers, Strome was pleased to finally get 20 goals in a season. He’s got three over the last two games.

With all three clicking, it creates a dilemma for opponents this postseason. They can either shadow the Panarin line and try to match up, or go up against the Mika Zibanejad line that features top finisher Chris Kreider and Frank Vatrano. This is a good thing for the Blueshirts.

Speaking of which, Kreider ended a three-game drought by scoring number 51 on the power play. That would be his 26th power play goal. Also a single season franchise record. In notching that goal, he tied Bill Cook for 10th on the all-time goal scoring list as a New York Ranger.

That goal was number 228. In tying a Rangers legend and Hall Of Famer in Cook who of course wasn’t acknowledged by MSG Network, Kreider can now set his sights on ninth next season. He is 12 goals away from Leetch on the all-time list. Steve Vickers is eighth with 246 and Mark Messier is seventh with 250. Something to keep an eye on down the road.

If you love and appreciate team history like I do along with Dad, Justin and friend Sean McCaffrey of bluecollarblueshirts.com, then there’s a lot to look forward to. Franchise history is something I’m going to devote more time to. Maybe not a book like McCaffrey or the revered Stan Fischler. But it’s important for our fans to know the full history of the Rangers.

Also, with Fox adding three assists, he joined Panarin, Zibanejad and Kreider to become the fourth Ranger to record 70 points in the same season. Something that’s only been done four times in franchise history. The last one coming during ’93-94 when Sergei Zubov, Messier, Leetch and Adam Graves achieved it during the Stanley Cup year. The other two are ’91-92 and ’71-72.

Every one of those seasons were special. The Rangers played for the Cup in ’72. Then won the President’s Trophy in ’92. Obviously, they won the Cup in ’94. What will the ’21-22 Rangers do? That is a good question. It’s always good to be part of such history. If they play their cards right, it could be special.

Beating the Islanders at their barn was important. Especially when you consider how tough the last two games were. Both losses at MSG including that uncompetitive one in which Gerard Gallant blasted their effort. He got his team’s attention. They’ve played better since.

The latest victory kept the Rangers in a first place tie with the Hurricanes. They were 4-2 winners over the Jets to keep pace. Both teams have four games remaining. Carolina still holds the first tiebreaker with one more RW (regulation wins). They meet next Tuesday at The Garden.

What we do know is at the very least, they will have home ice in the first round. Pittsburgh cannot catch them. Neither can Washington. The Rangers will play for home ice in the first two rounds. If they get it, that’s two potential Game 7’s in their building.

Regardless of the standings, any date with the Islanders can’t be taken lightly. From the very start, they were ready for their bitter rival. In what proved to be a great start, it was all Blueshirts in the first period.

Gallant opted for backup Alex Georgiev for this one. Why not. He’s been winning lately and has had success versus the Isles. He was opposed by Semyon Varlamov. The goalie whose mastery over our side was mind numbing. Something had to give.

Entering play, the Rangers had that shutout streak of three games in a row going. Varlamov was aiming to keep putting up zeroes up versus his favorite opponent.

In the early going, Kreider got a great scoring chance. On a good pass from Vatrano, he was denied by Varlamov point blank. Following the stop, Adam Pelech clearly high-sticked Kreider. No call. How in the heck do they miss it? At least it didn’t matter.

Following that miss by the blind mice, Jacob Trouba made a nice outlet to Panarin on an Islander turnover. Panarin easily gained the zone and made a brilliant backhand feed for an easy Copp finish for his first of the period at 3:43.

Seemingly every time that line was on for a shift, you felt like something positive would happen. The puck was sticking to Panarin like velcro. It was a magnet. The magic continued.

Just over four minutes later, Fox moved the puck for Panarin. Of course, he skated around until he was able to make an absolute gem of a pass for a wide open Copp at the side of the net. Bang! Two-zip before eight minutes had been played.

Meanwhile, Georgiev had no trouble with the Islanders. He quietly made eight saves in the first period. It never felt like he was seriously threatened. That’s a credit to how well the team played in front of him.

Copp wasn’t done. Late in the period, Panarin started the play that would wind up turning into a hat trick. He got the puck up for Strome, who then made a sensational pass by Noah Dobson right on the tape for another Copp finish. It was a tap in to give him the natural hat trick with 1:47 left.

Speechless. That’s how I felt watching it. They honestly could’ve had more. That’s how dominant they were. The Islanders couldn’t stop them.

By the end of the first, the game felt over. In actuality, it wasn’t. These are the Islanders. You figured if they had any pride, they’d at least come out with something better than that disengaged performance.

For 10 periods, our goalies didn’t allow a single goal. It had to end eventually. That quickly, Brock Nelson ended it at 200:43. He was able to score 37 seconds into the second period to finally put a puck by a Ranger goalie. There was nothing Georgiev could’ve done. That made it 3-1.

He did make a key save moments later. Believe it or not, it came on Ross Johnston. The Isles’ checking line came in transition. Matt Martin made a good cross-ice feed for a Johnston one-timer that Georgiev got across and shut down to keep the Rangers up two.

After that big stop, the period was fairly even. I would say the Islanders had a slight edge. It wasn’t by much. They played more inspired. But Georgiev was strong making nine of 10 stops to keep them at bay.

Late in the period, Kyle Palmieri shoved Ryan Lindgren down into the boards to earn two minutes in the sin bin for interference. The power play hasn’t been as effective lately. They’re not getting many looks. However, they made Palmieri pay for his foolishness.

On a very simple play, Zibanejad got the puck up top for Fox. He shot for a rebound and got the desired result when the puck went off Varlamov right to Kreider for his 51st at 17:15. The rebound goal is eerily reminiscent to a goal Graves scored at Edmonton when he got two to set the record passing Vic Hadfield.

It’s nice to see Kreider get 51 the way he gets many. From right in front of the net. The hard work has paid off. He’s now the third highest Rangers’ goal scorer for a single season. One more and he ties Graves. Three more and he can match Jaromir Jagr.

With less than a minute to go in the second, Strome got his 20th from Panarin and Fox. It came thanks to some more artistic passing with Panarin leading Strome in where he beat Varlamov to make it 5-1. That was basically the game.

The third was garbage time. The only thing I wanted to see was no Ranger get caught in a vulnerable position. That didn’t happen.

After Nelson got his second of the game when he snuck a wrist shot from the slot by Georgiev for a power play goal set up by Mat Barzal and Noah Dobson, the Islanders never got any closer.

Instead, Ryan Reaves got a nice Easter gift from Alexis Lafreniere by scoring his fourth to restore a four goal lead with 8:07 remaining. On a three-on-one created by both Lafreniere and Barclay Goodrow, the puck perfectly. Then, Lafreniere patiently wanted for Varlamov to over commit, sliding the puck across for a Reaves finish.

He was all smiles. Why not. He’s been a good team guy and veteran leader in the room. He and Lafreniere have a good relationship. It was a nice reward for Reaves.

But on the next shift, the Rangers got caught napping. Zdeno Chara and Dobson combined to set up Josh Bailey for an easy goal that cut it to 6-3 with 6:38 left. That was it.

As time wound down, the Ranger portion of the 17,255 stood and saluted their team. It was a much better way to close out the season series. Ironically, the road team won all four meetings. It’s not surprising. Home ice means very little when these teams meet.

By making 26 saves on 29 shots in a good performance despite the statistics, Georgiev won his seventh straight decision. If it’s the last start he makes as a Blueshirt, thanks for the memories. That’ll depend on how the remaining four games go.

Here’s the rest of the schedule:

Saturday 4/23 at Bruins 3 PM

Tuesday 4/26 vs Hurricanes 7 PM

Wednesday 4/27 vs Canadiens 7:30 PM

Friday 4/29 vs Capitals 7 PM

If you’re wondering about the Canes, they visit the Devils Saturday at 12:30 PM. Then are at the Islanders Sunday at 1 PM in a back-to-back. Then it’s the Rangers Tuesday in a first place battle. The final game is at home versus the Devils next Friday at 7 PM.

The first tiebreaker remains regulation wins. ROW (regulation overtime wins) is second. We’ll see how things shake out.

For now, let’s continue to enjoy these Blueshirts. Embrace what’s ahead.

https://twitter.com/BattleOfHudson/status/1517324585959579650?t=o_gzIsWIFbe-Bq5EzZJnyg&s=19

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Shesterkin, Rangers make it three shutouts in a row for first time in 50 years, Strome tallies twice in latest win, Panarin adds two assists

Posted on April 20, 2022 by Derek

History has been made again. In a feel good story that’s seen the team surprise by challenging for first place, the Rangers continue to win hockey games at a high rate.

The latest highlight was their 3-0 shutout victory of the Jets made it three straight games with a shutout. Something that hadn’t been done in 49 years by the franchise. After following up Alex Georgiev’s shutout of the Flyers with one over the Red Wings, Igor Shesterkin pitched his second consecutive shutout last night.

His 31 saves made it three in a row by Ranger goalies for the first time since the 1972-73 season. It was between Feb. 4-10, 1973 that the combination of Gilles Villemure and Ed Giacomin pitched three straight shutouts by identical 6-0 scores in wins over the Flames and Islanders, who they beat twice over a home and home series to highlight a 10-game win streak.

This time, mark the dates between April 13-19. The first two were 4-0 victories over the Flyers and Red Wings. The third came on Tuesday night by a 3-0 count at MSG. After Georgiev stopped all 28 shots versus the Flyers, Shesterkin has stopped the last 51 in home wins over the Red Wings and Jets to record his fifth and sixth shutouts. That’ll cap off a Vezina season for the unflappable 26-year old goalie.

While all of this is nice including Chris Kreider still searching for four goals in the remaining five games to tie Jaromir Jagr, it doesn’t mean a whole lot. The numbers which now include the team’s first 50 win season since ’14-15 are what they are. It isn’t about that. It’s what happens afterwards starting in May.

At the present, they again find themselves tied for first with the Hurricanes. With each having five games left including one pivotal head to head meeting on April 26th at The Garden, Carolina holds the first tiebreaker with one more win in regulation (43). Both have 106 points.

The next games for each are Thursday night. The Rangers will try to beat their kryptonite in the Islanders at Elmont while the Hurricanes host the same Jets, who are all but eliminated from the playoffs.

The same situation for the Islanders, who live to beat the Rangers even if it’s for pride. It’ll be their third Stanley Cup game. They’re two-for-two so far. It would be nice for the Blueshirts to flip the script. I actually have no expectations. If you don’t expect anything, you don’t set yourself up for failure. But possibly surprise. How’s that for a concept.

Anyone who thinks tomorrow’s game doesn’t matter isn’t paying attention. I could care less about first place. The Islanders play the tenacious checking style our team is gonna see in the postseason. Winning at that would be a confidence boost.

Beating hapless opponents such as Philadelphia, Detroit and Winnipeg doesn’t appeal. At the end of the day, they’re wins. That means they did what they’re supposed to do by getting the two points. In beating these cupcakes, it means the Rangers are winning against the teams they should. That’s why they’re competing for home ice over the first two rounds.

Of the three wins, last night was the toughest. That’s because the Jets were still alive. So, they actually played better overall than I’m used to seeing. They were more cautious and tighter defensively over the first half of the game. That meant not many scoring chances on either side and a kind of vanilla game.

However, with one great rush by Mika Zibanejad and set up of a Ryan Strome power play goal, the game changed. Following a play started by Artemi Panarin with Zibanejad neatly passing for a good Strome deflection on an undisciplined penalty former Ranger Morgan Barron took [high-sticking], things finally opened up.

It was almost too much for the Rangers, who were clumsy defensively in the final few minutes of the second period. Unless you think giving up wide open chances to Nik Ehlers and Kyle Connor are a positive. The only good part was Shesterkin, who bailed out K’Andre Miller twice on Ehlers’ opportunities in both the second and third. It wasn’t one of his better nights.

He wasn’t alone either. How many times did the Jets counterattack with speed and nearly tie it up due to blown coverages? Thankfully, Shesterkin covered up the tracks with some sparkling saves where he got across to shut the door. He definitely had to work for the shutout.

It wasn’t until some puck wizardry from Panarin with under eight minutes left in the third period allowed Adam Fox to skate into open space and fire home a wrist shot past Eric Comrie to give them some breathing room that things cooled down. It was Fox’s first goal in 13 games. He has 11 for the season along with 58 assists. One more point and he hits 70. A figure Panarin, Kreider and Zibanejad already have eclipsed.

With two assists, Panarin now is up to 70 apples for the season. Not only is it a career high. But he joined exclusive company. The Bread Man is the first New York Ranger to record 70 assists in a season since Wayne Gretzky back in ’96-97. Sergei Zubov achieved it in ’93-94 and Mark Messier did in ’91-92. Brian Leetch had 70 assists three times.

For ’21-22, Panarin leads the team in scoring with 92 points (22-70-92). He probably won’t reach the century mark. Something he would’ve done if not for Covid in ’19-20 when he wound up with 95 points (32-63-95). The main thing is he’s heated up at the right time.

Even better, Andrew Copp continues to pile up points. The good Copp racked up two more assists including a primary helper that resulted in Strome’s empty netter that put a bow on the victory. Since being acquired from Winnipeg, Copp is 5-10-15, plus-11 in 14 games as a Blueshirt.

He is up to a new career high 50 points including career bests in goals (18) and assists (32). Copp wasn’t playing a top six role with the Jets. He was top nine where he went 13-22-35 in 56 contests. Aside from the production, he has excellent chemistry with both Panarin and Strome. They were in fact the best line last night.

The only other thing I didn’t like was Ryan Reaves. He didn’t belong on the ice against a fast skating opponent like Winnipeg. I know Gerard Gallant loves him. But when you watch Reaves caught out of position on a Blake Wheeler opportunity that Igor swallowed up, it’s due to the difference in speed.

Play Reaves against teams like the Islanders. Not skill teams who are too fast for him to make an impact. Hint. Pens. Canes. Potential match-ups in the first two rounds depending on what happens. That also applies to the Lightning and Panthers.

I’d prefer Jonny Brodzinski on the fourth line for certain games with Kevin Rooney and Dryden Hunt. Brodzinski is a better skater and can create more. Reaves is only going to be effective against plodding teams who play physical. Think Washington.

If you don’t think Tyler Motte is missed, you aren’t watching. Rooney is a solid checking pivot. In a perfect world, your checking line would be Rooney with Hunt and Motte. That would leave both Reaves and Brodzinski as valuable extras.

A better observation. Braden Schneider had a strong game. He’s extremely confident with the puck. Even better, he really allows Patrik Nemeth to play his game. So, if that’s the third pair at the start of the first round, I’m fine with it. I would expect Gallant to give Justin Braun another game or two. Maybe Braun gets back in for the Islanders.

I thought the third line had several effective shifts. The best coming when a forechecking Filip Chytil stayed with the puck and came around the Winnipeg net for a sneaky backhand wraparound try that Comrie make a good save on to get a stoppage.

Chytil continues to impress with his more straight ahead game by using his speed to get in on the cycle and create scoring chances. He’s locked up a spot with Barclay Goodrow, who is such a key glue forward for this roster. He can win face-offs, kill penalties, deliver a big check and play the same agitating style that made him so valuable for the Lightning.

Alexis Lafreniere was okay. He got two shots on goal. One came off a great Shesterkin outlet where he was able to get a long shot on Comrie for the save. The other was off transition where he took a tough high shot from the circle that Comrie was able to blocker away.

Lafreniere has chemistry with Chytil and Goodrow. With Kaapo Kakko out for the rest of the regular season, this is his chance to prove he belongs. His 17 even strength goals are noteworthy. He’s tied with Panarin for second on the team behind Kreider, who paces them with 22 goals at even strength.

If you were to go off the last two years, only Kreider has more even strength goals (31) than Lafreniere and Panarin, who each have 29 combined. Zibanejad clocks in at 25. That’s significant.

We all know Lafreniere isn’t a finished product yet. He still averages under 14 minutes per game. He’s not getting top power play minutes. It’ll continue to be minimal as part of the second unit which features Chytil, Copp, Frank Vatrano, Jacob Trouba and sometimes Kakko if healthy. It depends on what the staff decides. I don’t see how there’s a spot for both Lafreniere and Kakko. Let Gallant worry about that.

There’s really not much else to add. Shesterkin can cover up the mistakes. But he shouldn’t need to. I would look for them to play better defensively versus the Islanders in the final meeting of the season.

I’ve seen a few of our chat on Twitter worry about the Islanders taking liberties. I’m not worried about that. That’s what you have Reaves for. He’ll play. It’s also the perfect opponent because the Islanders have Matt Martin and Ross Johnston. You have to keep those guys honest.

This isn’t last year. We know what to expect. A hard checking game. The only thing I’d suggest is for our players to be aware of where they are. Be aggressive and forecheck the Isles. The more proactive they are, the better they can get out unscathed.

My three stars have been up for a while. If you want to vote on the Steven McDonald poll, go right ahead.

https://twitter.com/BattleOfHudson/status/1516508150681251857?t=rTfgaB-pO5cIqrqsANFn6Q&s=19

I voted for Kreider. You can easily make a case for three or four players. Maybe even five. But remember. Shesterkin is Team MVP. His season will be etched in Rangers lore. Let’s hope that’s a good thing for the rest of the Spring.

https://twitter.com/BattleOfHudson/status/1516595462647730202?t=0t-6X4zoqjdXp-d99scrvA&s=19

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Devils’ 2021-22 season crawls toward an official closing next week

Posted on April 18, 2022 by hasan4978

I admit it, I’ve become almost completely disengaged from this Devils season. And why not, considering they were eliminated from the playoffs at least three months ago (heck, most of the East was more or less eliminated two months ago – it’s almost unheard of to have every playoff spot decided with six or seven games left) and other sports are in full bloom with the beginning of the MLB season, the upcoming NFL Draft and the NBA playoffs – with the nationally polarizing quest of the Brooklyn Nets to win a title. Not to mention the fact the Devils are at the tail end of a five-game West Coast swing, barely two weeks after an unconscionable meltdown against the Panthers which was almost my last game attended this season, other than both Wings games next week.

Make no mistake, I’m going next week mostly because A) I have club seats for Fan Appreciation Day and have a friend going with me, and B) because I want to use as much of my food and beverage card as possible in any other game(s) I go to. I might wind up going Saturday as well if I can’t sell those tickets (again mostly to cash in on the f/b card), but against the mighty Hurricanes I’ll probably be plotting my exit around the second intermission. Given my general apathy, it’s hard to know what to write about. Maybe it’s a little early for a full season wrapup post but let’s be honest, what is going to happen in the last seven games of the season that’s going to have a major impact on next season, barring something catastrophic like a major injury? Heck, it’s harder to muster up enthusiasm for low-pressure games when you have Jack Hughes on the shelf again, after his star turn the previous two months…not to mention defensive pillar Jonas Siegenthaler, who broke his hand at around the same time and is also out for the rest of the year. It’s also become boring to do draft lottery watch when even having successful high picks haven’t helped this organization out of its decade-long malaise.

I’m more in the mood for a little bit of a look ahead to next year anyway before closing the book on this season, especially since that’s mostly what these last seven games (and the previous couple of months) have become about. Not to mention the AHL playoffs for our prospects, as well as the recently concluded college hockey season for Jack’s brother Luke, in a heartbreaking OT loss at the Frozen Four. At least we’ll be almost assured of seeing big games if Luke stays in college for one more year, although Michigan won’t be as stacked next season, with some of their other studs like Owen Power making the jump to the NHL. There’s no indication yet Luke will follow immediately, but it seems likely he’ll be playing in the NHL by the start of the 2023-24 season at worst.

Utica is cruising to the playoffs after their historic start in the AHL, hopefully they’ll have a deep playoff run themselves. It’s been a while since any city’s fans of a Devils affiliate have seen a deep Calder Cup run but for guys like former first-rounders Alex Holtz and Nolan Foote, defensive prospects like Kevin Bahl (who’s recently improved his play at the NHL level), Reilly Walsh and Nikita Okhotiuk, plus our young goalie duo of Nico Daws – who’ll presumably be sent back down before the AHL postseason – and Akira Schmid…any playoff experience they get can only help. It’s still hard to get into prospect games you can’t readily watch or listen to without paying a fee though. Not to mention actually going to a minor league game is more prohibitive travel-wise now than it was in the days of them being in Albany, which in itself was almost a three hour drive.

It’s safe to say at least a handful of players on the AHL team plus Luke and perhaps an overseas player or two can put themselves in the mix for a spot on the NHL roster next camp. Especially since it’ll take far less time to list guys who will definitely be with the team next year, than it will be to play guesswork on the rest of the roster. For example, I’m not sure there’s a single goalie in the organization you can make a definitive case should be here next year. Mackenzie Blackwood may help his cause if he comes back and has a few good games down the stretch, but there’s also the rumors of discontent between player and team regardless of his health status. He certainly hasn’t helped his standing in the organization on the ice the last two seasons regardless of any off-ice drama. Jonathan Bernier’s under contract for next year but can you really count on him at his age, after a major hip injury? Nico Daws has stabilized his game a little bit after short-circuiting for a while but you’d still rather have a 22-year old get another full season in the AHL than throwing him back into the fire, or giving him menial games as an NHL backup.

On D there are only a couple more sure things to be on the roster through next year. Obviously Dougie Hamilton’s one of them but I’m not gonna lie, I’m a little concerned over this recent stretch where he’s had just four points in his last nineteen games. He started well early before his run of injuries, and certainly playing with a facial cage is probably hindering his game but still, you’d think a guy with his talent could get more points by sheer osmosis, especially with our top forwards swimming in points over that same stretch. We need him to rebound next year though, he’s not going anywhere with six years left on his deal. Siegenthaler has less contract security but a lot of equity built up after a solid season, I’d even put him slightly above Damon Severson in terms of chances to stay but that’s only because of Severson’s pending UFA status after next season.

Management’s going to have to decide what to do with Severson coming off a bit of a breakout year offensively (eleven goals and 42 points in 73 games so far), along with fellow D Ryan Graves who’s also a UFA after next season. There’s only so many guys you can give UFA money to, even with forwards Jack Hughes and Nico Hischier already looking like quasi-bargain signings. And wither Ty Smith? After struggling most of this season, he’s been showing more flashes of his rookie form lately. Still, a long and rough sophomore slump which finally led to a couple of recent benchings has got to concern the franchise at least a little. And it shows how far he’s fallen I almost forgot to even give PK Subban a cursory mention…nice guy, solid locker room leader by all accounts, but I doubt he’ll be back next season. If anything, maybe he’ll even get a jump on his next career in the media unless he gets an opportunity to play a back-end role for a contender.

Up front, clearly Hughes and Hischier are keepers and obviously the best part of another terrible season has been the dual breakout of both our recent #1 overall picks. Hughes put up 26 goals and 56 points in just 49 games (which is the only mild concern tbh…the GP total) while Nico’s finally blossomed into the uber two-way force many thought he could be, with 20 goals and 58 points in 66 games. Yet you could argue neither one was the team MVP this year given the breakout of Jesper Bratt, who’s only put up 70 points in 70 games. My only concern with Bratt’s breakout is contract-related, after he and his agent played hardball and Bratt bet on himself, now he’s set to cash in and I doubt any hometown discount will be in the cards, the way it was with Jack and Nico to a degree. Although not on the level of those three you also have to put Dawson Mercer in the ‘definite’ column for next year, after a solid rookie season with 16 goals and 41 points in 75 games – all as a teenager.

After that is when you start getting into conjecture. Yegor Sharangovich’s second half has been encouraging, after a slow start that got him benched for a few games. Still, how much can you complain about a 23-year old winger with 38 goals and 73 points in his first 123 NHL games (about a season and a half)? While I’d like to see Miles Wood healthy next season, he’s also coming up on UFA status and who knows how much missing all but three games this season with his own injuries and hip surgery will affect him going forward? He looked great in his brief return, before going on the shelf again with an undisclosed ailment. Perhaps a future replacement/complement will be Fabian Zetterlund, a big body who showed a scoring touch in Utica (24 goals and 52 points in 58 AHL games) and has contributed in his brief stint as a Devil so far. While I still remain a skeptic of this player, I can’t deny Jesper Boqvist has played better recently. Still, is eight goals and nineteen points in 49 games really enough production to hand him the third-line center role and keep Mercer on the wing? And Nathan Bastian’s story was one of the feel-good ones of the season, as his eleven goals in 65 games provided some tangible production to go along with his physical presence. You never know with fourth-liners though, sometimes their production randomly spikes then goes back downward after.

Among guys I’m less invested in coming back are mercurial forwards Pavel Zacha and Andreas Jonsson. As far as the former goes, enough is enough already. I’m a bit tired of seeing Zacha disappoint on our dime. If we’re ever going to take a step forward as a team we need to get rid of players like Zacha who constantly needs the right fit or the right motivation to compete. As far as Jonsson, I do think he competes but he’s been completely invisible in his two years as a Devil other than his Bratt and Mercer-induced surge of scoring the first month of the season. Since getting Bratt taken off his line, Jonsson’s production has flatlined again, to the point where I almost typed in Marcus Johansson instead of Andreas Jonsson (another perimeter winger who couldn’t hack it long-term here). I’d put Tomas Tatar as a Jonsson plus…a guy who will compete and can score a little, but no longer gives you enough production to be anything more than a stopgap if needed through the remainder of his contract, i.e. next season. Jimmy Vesey and his 14 points with a -23 in 66 games will almost surely be a one and done with the Devils, and may be playing his final NHL games this year. After a decent rookie season, Janne Kuokkanen’s played himself into irrelevancy this year. I’m not a huge fan of Michael McLeod…to me he’s like a Dave Steckel, with speed. All he’s really good for is faceoffs, and when you have two franchise centers you don’t really want to carry another guy who can only win faceoffs.

Last but not least (in terms of importance) is the coaching staff. I’ve bounced back and forth on Lindy Ruff all year, mostly cause I’ve always been a fan of his before he got here, and he’s a high-class individual. But let’s face it, after two of the worst seasons in franchise history it’s hard to justify bringing back the same head coach and the same staff for a third straight season. I get you can lump some of the issues of last season on COVID and the wonky division format and some of the issues of this season on goaltending woes but still, it’s ultimately a results-based business and nobody knows this more than an NHL lifer like Lindy. Since he didn’t exactly hire his own staff, his staff’s job security isn’t necessarily going to be tied to his, which I’m not sure is a good thing. Especially when it comes to Mark Recchi, who’s somehow managed to have a woeful power play this year despite three forwards having major breakout seasons…and also somehow managed to have a mediocre power play in Pittsburgh with two of the best forwards ever there. I’m less anti-Alain Nasreddine than Recchi but come on now, how many assistants on losing teams really get to stay through two staff changeovers?!

So that’s basically my thoughts on the organization going forward. Maybe I’ll have a look back on the season in general at some point next week, but there’s not really much positive to go through that isn’t individual player based (and that I haven’t already touched on here – a la Hughes, Nico and Bratt’s breakouts, Mercer’s promising rookie season and Siegenthaler being a revelation). It was nice for the three weeks or so they looked like they were improved early in the season…just like last year’s illusory 6-3-2, this year’s illusory 7-3-2 start was swept under an avalanche of losing streaks.

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Lafreniere’s pair including highlight reel goal help Rangers tie for first place, Kakko exits with ugly leg injury, Amirante and playoff memories at MSG

Posted on April 17, 2022 by Derek

A promise was kept. Following a game off, Alexis Lafreniere returned to the lineup for Saturday’s afternoon tilt against the Red Wings. He didn’t disappoint.

Unaffected by coach Gerard Gallant sitting him out on Wednesday, the 20-year old left wing delivered on Saturday with two goals. That included one for the highlight reel in a 4-0 win for the Rangers over the Red Wings at The Garden.

The latest victory allowed them to move into a first place tie with the Hurricanes. That was due to the Canes later losing 7-4 last night to the Avalanche. Both the Rangers and Hurricanes have six games remaining. That includes one big meeting at MSG on April 26.

Whatever happens, the Rangers are going to host Games One and Two of the first round next month. It’s just a question of will they potentially have home ice for one round or two. Not that it means too much. It all depends on the match-ups and how they do.

While it was a memorable day for Lafreniere after scoring his 16th and 17th goals with the latter one to behold, it was one to forget for Kaapo Kakko. A few days removed from a two-goal game that looked like a step in the right direction, he crumbled to the ice and fell awkwardly.

Kakko suffered an ugly leg injury. It didn’t look good. He left the game after taking five shifts (5:06). Considering that he missed almost three months due to a hand injury, this is a double whammy. Hopefully it isn’t as bad as feared. Especially for the 21-year old former second pick who seems to be jinxed.

Right now, let’s not worry about that. The Rangers will know more by the end of the holiday weekend. If Kakko can’t return this week, they know Lafreniere can play on the third line with Filip Chytil and Barclay Goodrow. He finally showed more confidence by scoring twice.

When asked about his return, he talked about staying focused and just playing his game. It all worked out for the mature former top pick. With six games left, Lafreniere has an outside shot at 20 goals. That would be a nice way to conclude his second season. Especially with the postseason ahead.

In a game I didn’t see, the Rangers handled their business against the Red Wings. This was the second consecutive 4-0 win over a non-playoff team. After Alex Georgiev blanked the Flyers, Igor Shesterkin did the same to Detroit. He only had to stop 20 shots for his fifth shutout (7th career).

It’s exactly how it should go. They dominated a lesser opponent to win on Kids Day. I forgot that was even still a thing. No wonder it was such an early start.

They even did the wave. Something that’s now frowned upon by nincompoops who are never happy. I say let fans do what they want. Especially if a grown bald man can dance on a big screen.

The important thing is they won and gave the younger fans something to cheer for. Those are the ones who’ll remember it. Maybe they’ll be along for the ride when things start up in May. You always want kids to become part of the next generation of Ranger fans. It’s the right time.

As for myself, I am not a fan of early starts. That dates back to my days at ESPN when we had those ABC games. I hated the NBC ones and wasn’t even working. Hockey is better for spectators later in the day. 12:30 PM on a Saturday of a Passover/Easter weekend is nuts. Parking must’ve been horrible. To those who went, kudos.

I haven’t been to one game. I don’t know if that’ll change. I’ve gotten used to watching at home. I know Justin and Dad will probably go to a playoff game. We’ll see. The last game we went to was versus Ottawa. The late John Amirante was in the building for that. He is sorely missed.

A thought echoed by friend Madison Miller who has her own podcast. She loves the Rangers and understands how much of a strong connection Amirante had to the fans. That’s why he was brought back for that special national anthem five long years ago. There was no one quite like him. Why doesn’t he have a banner like the God awful Phish? A Sean McCaffrey reference.

The Rangers could’ve scored more than four goals from the highlights I saw. There were some other close calls with Chris Kreider denied twice by Thomas Greiss of number 51. They also hit a couple of posts.

Mika Zibanejad finally got his 14th power play goal. It came off a perfect Adam Fox pass on a five-on-three. Kreider picked up an assist.

It was the 28th for Zibanejad in a season he’s been more of a setup man. He’s never been a better player. At 28, he’s the team’s best overall forward who has become a well rounded player you can trust at five-on-five, power play and penalty kill. He has 77 points in 76 games and a plus-31 rating. The 49 assists and 77 points are career highs.

Frank Vatrano continues to excel. The bargain from the Panthers scored early in the second period to make it a 2-0 game. On it, Fox got the puck to Zibanejad who moved it up for Vatrano, who snapped a beauty top shelf for his seventh as a Blueshirt.

All Vatrano has done is become the perfect complement on the first line to Zibanejad and Kreider completing a good scoring line. His speed and uncanny ability to get off that shot makes him a threat. He can also get the puck over for open teammates. The goal gives him 100 for his career.

Shesterkin was busier in the second. He made 11 saves to keep the Rangers ahead by two. That left it up to Lafreniere in the final period.

After starting on the checking line in place of Ryan Reaves with Kevin Rooney and Dryden Hunt, he was back with Chytil and Goodrow. That would be a good thing for the Rangers.

He’d gone eight straight games without a point. Prior to that, he had a career best six-game point streak that came mostly with Zibanejad and Kreider. Now, he needed to prove something on the third line where he’ll most likely be.

Sure enough, it was Lafreniere who put in his 16th from Goodrow and Chytil at 4:37 to increase the lead to 3-0. That had to feel good. What happened next is one they’ll be talking about for a while.

Despite his production while playing in a secondary role with second power play time, Lafreniere has the skill, skating and compete to become a star. We see it in his maturity at handling a complex situation. He has produced at even strength. An area they’ll continue to need come playoffs.

On a good play started by Goodrow who moved the puck to Patrik Nemeth (in for Justin Braun), Lafreniere took a feed and then completely faked out Dylan Larkin by going between his legs before whipping a backhand past Greiss for his second of the game with 5:43 left.

It was a jaw dropping play by a special player who hasn’t lost any confidence. The Garden crowd gave him a loud ovation for the highlight reel goal. Teammates were wowed by it. That included a couple of more accomplished stars in the postgame.

As for Lafreniere, he was all business afterwards. There’s a very calm demeanor to him. He’s very even keel. He knows what’s expected. Maybe that’s why Gallant knew the healthy scratch wouldn’t bother his young pupil. He’s still learning and handles himself well.

While picks like Tim Stutzle and Red Wings’ rookie Lucas Raymond are ahead of him due to what their roles are, I don’t think it’ll be long before Lafreniere catches them. I see a young player who will excel once he is given the same opportunity.

Maybe that’s why I’m not so down about where Laffy is in his development. He understands how he must compete both defensively and offensively. Gallant wants him to become a good overall player. That’s a good thing. He can evolve getting more favorable match-ups with Chytil and Goodrow on the third line.

I believe that line can become a weapon. It’ll be a key to how the postseason goes. It’s not only about your established stars. The playoffs are a different animal. We know from past years that heroes can emerge.

Even without Tyler Motte or possibly Kakko, I like the fourth line. They have an identity. Getting Rooney back when Motte sent down was timely. He fills a similar role killing penalties while playing center on the checking line. Whether it’s Hunt with Reaves or the better skating Jonny Brodzinski, I have full confidence they’ll be alright.

Also alright is Braden Schneider. A confident first-year defenseman who gets better and better all the time. He knows when to go. He isn’t shy about stepping in and shooting like the one he nearly scored on. He is referred to as, “Baby Trouba,” by teammates who love his physicality. It’s hard to believe he’s 20.

As they enter these last two weeks of the regular season, it sure has been fun. I’m so excited about the playoffs. The idea of meaningful hockey again with big crowds at The Garden is one that never gets old.

It’s almost time. I’m ready!

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Kakko’s two pair make Gallant look like an Ace, tough decision awaiting

Posted on April 14, 2022 by Derek
Kaapo Kakko sports the Broadway Hat following his two goals that highlighted a 4-0 Rangers’ win over the Flyers. AP Photo by NYRangers via Getty Images

There was another game on the schedule. That was a good thing for the Rangers, who easily won by a count of 4-0 over the hapless Flyers in the City of Brotherly Love.

It was an easy rebound win for them. Especially against a bitter rival that has no identity. Funny enough. Didn’t that happen in the Big Apple once Alain Vigneault left? Poetic. Isn’t it? Does he leave all his former teams in total disarray?

As brutal as the Flyers are, they’re still considered an NHL team. They did get the better of the Rangers in the last meeting at MSG. A disgraceful and distasteful 5-4 shootout loss.

The bottom line is you take the two points and move on. Fortunately, nobody was injured. Braden Schneider took a puck to the chin in the first period. But returned for the second and third unscathed.

With seven games to go following tonight’s match on TNT, Gerard Gallant played a different card in his lineup. Rather, he dealt a new hand by getting Filip Chytil back and moving Alexis Lafreniere to the press box.

That meant Kaapo Kakko got another look on the third line with Chytil and Barclay Goodrow. In just his third game back, Kakko made Gallant’s new lineup a winning hand. He scored twice in the second period to provide exactly what the master motivator was looking for.

The two pair he scored were his first goals since Dec. 15 when he also tallied twice in a victory at Arizona. It nearly was his first career hat trick. But helpless Flyers’ goalie Felix Sandstrom made two good saves on consecutive tries during that lopsided second.

For Kakko, it was the best he’s looked in a long time. The two goals restored his confidence. He was looking shot more and wound up with four on goal in six attempts. Exactly the way the former second overall pick must play to stay in the lineup.

What does it mean for Lafreniere? That might be better left for Gallant to answer. He’s the one who calls the shots. As was noted in an earlier post from Wednesday about him being scratched, Turk has ulterior motives for what he does. Lafreniere could find himself sitting once again. That’s the unfortunate part of a deeper roster.

Since the key additions of Andrew Copp (empty net goal) and Frank Vatrano to upgrade the top six, it’s no longer a lock that both Kakko and Lafreniere will play when the playoffs start. Unless Goodrow goes to the fourth line, which would hurt face-offs, it’s likely one of the prized two lottery picks could sit for Game One.

Putting either on the fourth line would be misguided. The checking line is better suited for gritty and physical players. Kevin Rooney, Dryden Hunt, Ryan Reaves and Jonny Brodzinski certainly fit that description. Tyler Motte would be locked in. Instead, it remains to be seen how long he’ll be out.

Given that his play has come significantly up, Chytil should be a lock to start the postseason. He’s using his skating and skill to get in on the forecheck and create goals like the one he set up Kakko on with a beautiful pass that made it 2-0.

The choice is between Kakko and Lafreniere. If what we saw tonight is the real Kakko, then he has a good case. A year older than Lafreniere, he’s not an explosive skater and hasn’t proven to be a consistent scorer. However, his ability to forecheck and play sound defensively are strengths that can work on a third line.

Lafreniere is also effective on the forecheck. A bit more slick with the puck, he can find open space and finish checks. More of a shooter so far, his game has improved under Gallant. His intelligence and maturity show a player who doesn’t let anything bother him. When he is put back in the lineup, we’ll see how he responds.

In a perfect world, you’d have Goodrow on a checking line with Rooney and a combination of Hunt, Reaves and Brodzinski. That would allow for the three kids to play together like last year. The problem is Chytil isn’t good on face-offs. Goodrow is much better and also adds necessary grit with playoff experience to the third line.

With the Flyers needing a reason to get upset, they went after Goodrow during scrums. The two-time Stanley Cup winner is very effective at agitating opponents with playful banter.

He also can back it up with bravado. Ask P.K. Subban, who had to answer for his cheap shot that ended the season for Sammy Blais. Goodrow is one of those glue guys you love if he’s on your side or hate if he’s against you.

By picking up an assist, it allowed him to set a new career high in points (27). A flustered Travis Konecny took Goodrow off the ice early with the game decided.

Goodrow went 8-for-10 on draws with two assists and finished a plus-three in 11:17 along with 12 penalty minutes. A winning player who’s been worth every penny since he was acquired last summer.

The strong play at five-on-five combined with superb penalty killing and defensive instincts make him an easy player to like. It’s no wonder Goodie became so popular in Tampa. He also was well liked in San Jose. He’s brought the same leadership to the Blueshirts.

By handling their business last night, the Rangers are up to 102 points. Two closer to guaranteeing home ice in the first round. Seven clear of Pittsburgh. Two behind Carolina. Who knows. Maybe that second meeting on April 26th at MSG will decide the Metropolitan Division.

For now, it’s whoever is next on the remaining schedule. That would be the Red Wings on Saturday back at 33rd and 7th. We’ll see what that brings.

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Gallant scratches Lafreniere

Posted on April 13, 2022 by Derek

This isn’t exactly how I pictured tonight’s game starting. With Filip Chytil declared ready to return after missing Tuesday’s game, Gerard Gallant decided to scratch Alexis Lafreniere for the Flyers game.

What went into the decision? Only the coach knows the reason for it. Has the production fallen off since Lafreniere was moved off the top line? Absolutely. As usual, he hasn’t hit the score sheet on the third line.

Is it due to anything he’s not doing? That’s hard to say. Lafreniere got three shots on goal in Tuesday’s 4-2 home loss to the Hurricanes in less than 12 minutes. Line mate Kaapo Kakko had none for the second straight game since returning.

Why is the 20-year old left wing being singled out? Who knows. We know Gallant isn’t conventional when it comes to his lineups. There’s usually an ulterior motive. If he’s looking to motivate Lafreniere, I guess. But his work ethic isn’t in question.

In past interviews, Gallant has explained that he was happy with Lafreniere following games where he didn’t see shifts late in third periods. He’s never indicated that he had an issue with how the former first overall pick plays. It isn’t like he doesn’t finish checks.

Instead, the third line will consist of Chytil, Kakko and Barclay Goodrow. So, they’ll be tried out versus the Flyers tonight. As much as I don’t understand the move, it seems like Gallant wants to take a different look and see how the line would look with Kakko on it.

I’m still skeptical on what Kakko can bring. He missed three months and hasn’t looked in sync yet. This late in the schedule, he either has to prove he deserves that trust or maybe he’s the odd man out.

This is the first time Lafreniere is sitting out as a scratch. He played all 56 games last year finishing with a dozen goals and 21 points. In 72 games during ’21-22, he’s got 15 goals with 10 assists for a total of 25 points. All 15 goals have come at even strength.

The second-year forward also has four game-winners. He’s averaged about the same ice time as his rookie season. Stuck behind the star left wing duo of Chris Kreider and Artemi Panarin, Lafreniere has seen some time on the right wing. He looked okay playing with Kreider and Mika Zibanejad.

However, the key acquisition of Frank Vatrano was made by Chris Drury to upgrade the right side on the first line. Thus far, the former Panther has been a success with Zibanejad and Kreider. He’s posted six goals and four assists for 10 points in 14 contests.

With Andrew Copp proving he’s a huge difference maker on the second line alongside Panarin and Ryan Strome, that leaves four players for the third line. Goodrow seems to be a good fit with Chytil and Lafreniere. His combination of grit and intangibles along with experience have helped.

There’s no harm in Gallant taking a look at Kakko with Chytil and Goodrow. It’s his third game back. There are seven games remaining after tonight. That doesn’t leave the Jack Adams candidate much time.

It’s true that neither Lafreniere or Kakko fit on the fourth line. At the present, it consists of Kevin Rooney anchoring Dryden Hunt and Ryan Reaves. They also have Jonny Brodzinski as a solid option for Reaves depending on the opponent.

Had Tyler Motte not gotten hurt last week, he’d be a lock on the checking line. His skating and sandpaper are an upgrade. It’s unfortunate that he won’t be available for an unknown time. He also showed off his penalty killing prior to the upper body injury [shoulder].

Whatever happens, it’s kids such as Chytil, Kakko and Lafreniere who could play a key role in how far the Rangers go this postseason. It’s up to Gallant to get it right.

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Hurricanes dominant third period the difference in tough Rangers’ loss, Kreider gets number 50, becomes fourth Ranger of 50-Goal Club

Posted on April 13, 2022 by Derek

In what amounted to a bittersweet night, the Rangers lost to the Hurricanes 4-2 at The Garden. The Canes used a strong third period to decide the outcome. With eight games remaining, they lead the Metropolitan Division by four points.

There is one head to head meeting left. It’s in two weeks on April 26. That will also be played at MSG. For now, the Rangers remain in second place with 100 points. They are still five clear of the Penguins, who lost to the Islanders in a shootout. Third place is up for grabs with the Capitals pulling within three of the Pens with two more games left.

The home defeat to Carolina put a damper on a history making night. Trailing by two late in regulation, Chris Kreider was able to steer in a rebound with 1:38 left to score his 50th goal of the season.

In doing so, Kreider joins Vic Hadfield, Adam Graves and Jaromir Jagr as the fourth New York Ranger of the 50-Goal Club. Unfortunately, it didn’t come in a win. But it’s a significant achievement for a focused player who’s the embodiment of this team. Congrats to Kreider!

Photo courtesy MSG Network
Chris Kreider became the fourth Ranger to join the 50-Goal Club.

After he cut the deficit to 3-2, the Rangers pulled Igor Shesterkin for a second time. Hoping for a similar result, it didn’t come. Instead, Sebastian Aho scored an empty netter at 19:54 for the final margin.

Despite the outcome, it was a good game. In a tight checking first period, the Rangers had the better of the play. They were able to generate better scoring chances off the forecheck. Something that wasn’t the case in the previous two meetings in Raleigh.

In a marquee goalie match-up that pitted Freddie Andersen against Igor Shesterkin, both were on from the start. Andersen had to make a few more difficult stops. Shesterkin countered by holding up his end of the bargain.

On a night the Rangers gave a nice video tribute to Jesper Fast after the first stoppage, they also recognized Brady Skjei, Brendan Smith and Tony DeAngelo. There were some boos for DeAngelo. I doubt he cared. Carolina has become Rangers South with Antti Raanta and Derek Stepan also joining those four.

At least they didn’t make a big deal out of it. Outside of Fast, who was here longer, you didn’t hear too much banter from Sam Rosen and Joe Micheletti. Though they did mention that teammates liked DeAngelo. It’s all in the past now.

If there was an area that hurt, it was the power play. Given two opportunities to take the lead, the Rangers did nothing on it. The Hurricanes boast the top ranked penalty kill. They showed why.

By sitting back and standing up at their blue line, it made it hard for the Rangers’ top unit to get anything going. There was no setup time. Instead, there were mistakes leading to easy clears. For the game, they went 0-for-4.

Back at even strength, they had the better of the play. But Andersen stopped Mika Zibanejad. He would also deny late bids from Frank Vatrano and Jacob Trouba to keep it scoreless.

The Rangers got off to a great start in the second period. On a rush that began with a good takeaway from K’Andre Miller, he got the puck to Vatrano who was flying. Vatrano then moved the puck to Zibanejad. With Kreider driving the net front, that opened up a lane for Zibanejad to feed a cutting Miller for his seventh goal at 63 seconds.

A well executed play by everyone involved. Miller has scored five of his seven goals since January. He’s been much more active in the second half. That’s led to good results where the blossoming 22-year old defenseman is jumping up on the rush. He’s also a plus-20 since the calendar year changed.

Following his goal, Vatrano held the stick of Vincent Trocheck. But the penalty kill did a good job. They didn’t give the Canes much. When it was over, it felt like five-on-five play would decide it. I was thinking by a 2-1 score. If only that came true.

Even though they didn’t capitalize on the man-advantage, the Hurricanes picked it up. They were tighter defensively. Unlike a first period that saw the Rangers outshoot the Canes 14-8, the second was much closer. Carolina came on to hold a 9-7 edge.

On a good outlet, Panarin carried the puck and patiently held it before skating around the Carolina net. With Andersen over committed, it looked like he could’ve had a wraparound. But DeAngelo recovered just enough to take that option away. Instead, Panarin centered the puck for Ryan Strome who missed with players in front.

That was a key sequence. Had they been able to score there, that makes it 2-0. It probably winds up being a different game. That’s hockey.

Following that, Smith roughed Barclay Goodrow to hand the Rangers another power play. That wasn’t the only instance they came together. Later in the period, Goodrow collided with Smith’s stick. No call was made. It was accidental.

The way the power play performed, it probably wouldn’t have mattered. The third man-disadvantage felt like that scene from Groundhog Day where Phil slams his alarm clock with the annoying, “I Got You Babe,” playing.

My reaction to it was simple. Next time, decline it. You would’ve thought there were five Canes and four Blueshirts. That’s how little they generated. With the exception of Vatrano, who got a tricky backhand on Andersen that he padded away, it was mind numbing.

With the Canes beginning to tilt the ice with their aggressive forecheck, it finally paid off. Following a Shesterkin save on Seth Jarvis, Andrei Svechnikov got to a loose rebound and banked the puck in off Shesterkin’s skate to tie the score with 6:22 left.

A fluke goal. For sure. But also a smart play by a good player. Svechnikov saw the opening and went for the bank shot and got rewarded with his 29th. It was a crappy way to lose a shutout. That’s how it goes.

There wasn’t a ton of action. At least in terms of shots. You had DeAngelo test Shesterkin’s glove with a high riser that he snapped out of mid-air. Alexis Lafreniere let go of a long wrist shot that Andersen handled. Lafreniere finished with three shots. He was more involved than Kaapo Kakko, who again didn’t have a single shot in his second game back.

With Goodrow on the team’s mind after he was cut by an inadvertent stick, Kevin Rooney challenged Smith in front of the benches. Nothing happened. It was a good teammate stepping up. Given Smith’s injury history, he shouldn’t be going anyway.

Before the period concluded, Andersen made one last save on Adam Fox. After two, nothing had been decided. It was a hard fought playoff style game.

For whatever reason, the Rangers weren’t ready at the start of the third. It was the Hurricanes who came out and quickly gained control. Following a Shesterkin save on Nino Niederreiter, Skjei stepped up in the neutral zone to hit Goodrow.

With the forwards late changing, Skjei and Sebastian Aho got the puck up for Jarvis. He broke in and beat Shesterkin by going to the backhand top shelf at 1:02. It happened that fast. Both Miller and Trouba were on. But they had no support. Zibanejad was too late.

Before you knew it, the Canes made it two in a row when Jordan Staal whipped a wrist shot past Shesterkin for a 3-1 lead with 13:18 remaining. That came off the work of Fast and Skjei. Both had good nights.

On what was a great individual effort, Miller went around two Hurricanes to get in on Andersen who denied him. Strome just missed a follow-up. Miller drew a slashing call on DeAngelo.

Unlike the first three power plays, the Rangers weren’t on it very long. Following a good Andersen stop on a low Zibanejad shot from the left circle, Strome got nabbed for one of those hooking minors. Nauseating because the refs overlooked worse infractions and called that.

As the second half of the period moved on, it didn’t look like Carolina would let the Rangers back in it. Most of their shots were to the outside. Andersen handled those. The Canes continued to play aggressively up by two. Their defensemen stepped up making it difficult to sustain any attack.

Following an icing, Shesterkin was lifted for an extra attacker. On a face-off play where the puck came back to Fox, his shot was deflected by both Strome and Andrew Copp off Andersen. That allowed Kreider to get position and score number 50 at 18:22. A fitting way for him to get it. Nobody is better in front.

There were loud cheers when Rangers PA announcer Joe Tolleson announced the goal. All for a dedicated player who’s worked his tail off to have this special season. Kreider is one of our own. It’s a great highlight of what I hope will be a big postseason.

As much as they tried after finally getting Shesterkin off the ice again, the Rangers couldn’t get much late. Although Kreider did have a rush and took one of those shots that you hoped would elude Andersen. Always looking for that storybook ending.

It wasn’t to be. Andersen blockered it away. Out came Teuvo Teravainen with Svechnikov, who moved the puck over to Aho for the empty that iced it with six seconds left.

If you’re like me, you have to believe the Rangers will see the Hurricanes again. I’m not talking in two weeks either. These are the best two teams in the division. While you never can predict what will happen, here’s hoping we get a second round date with the Canes.

Up next are the Flyers. A team they lost to last time out. I’m not going to rehash anything else. That’s a game they must bounce back in. It doesn’t matter if it’s a back-to-back. We’ll see if Alex Georgiev gets the call.

Three Stars 🌟 🤩 ✨️

3rd 🌟 Chris Kreider NYR goal number 50, becomes 4th Ranger to reach 50 in a season

2nd 🌟 Andrei Svechnikov Canes goal (29th) plus assist, 4 SOG, +2 in 14:31

1st 🌟 Seth Jarvis Canes goal (14) plus 🍎, +1 in 13:40

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Rangers Clinch: Dominate Senators to return to Playoffs, Kreider gets numbers 48 and 49, Panarin puts up three points, tie Hurricanes for division

Posted on April 10, 2022 by Derek

It’s official. The New York Rangers are back in the playoffs. They clinched their first postseason since ’16-17 by dominating the Senators 5-1 before a raucous atmosphere at MSG.

This was the perfect way to wrap up a playoff berth. They did it by taking over the game after an early wakeup call when Austin Watson scored only 2:22 in. It was all Blueshirts the rest of the way. They got the game’s last five goals to cruise in style.

There were plenty of highlights. Headlining the list is Chris Kreider. His dream season continues. Facing the defenseless Senators, he flat out dominated. On a night he could’ve had four or five, Kreider scored twice to reach 49 goals. In getting numbers 48 and 49, the true captain is one away from 50.

By hitting 49, Kreider’s now tied with Mike Gartner for the fourth most goals scored by a Ranger in a single season. His next one would make him the fourth ever player in franchise history to reach 50. Vic Hadfield hit 50 in ’71-72. Adam Graves broke his record with 52 in ’93-94. Jaromir Jagr is the current record holder scoring 54 in ’05-06.

Another big headline was the continued hot play of leading scorer Artemi Panarin. He’s caught fire over the last month. Playing a stronger all around game that’s seen him come back defensively and shoot the puck more, Panarin keeps getting better. He scored his 21st goal and added two more assists to give him a career high 67.

The Bread Man needs two points for 90. Twelve to hit the century mark. Something that didn’t look possible two months ago when he was struggling. Since March, he’s turned it on. With a three-point night, Panarin is up to 32 points (7-25-32) over his last 20 games.

Even better, the chemistry he has with Andrew Copp is undeniable. The good Copp continues to pile up the points while adding more of a North American style to the second line with Panarin and Ryan Strome. The entire line each had a goal and were a combined plus-eight with five points (3-2-5).

Copp has 11 points (4-7-11) since coming over from Winnipeg. He’s been everything advertised. A good player who makes smart plays with the puck. Since Strome returned, that line is dangerous. It’s a big difference having Copp in the top six. He’s made an impact and helped balanced the scoring along with Frank Vatrano.

Speaking of Vatrano, he didn’t score. But set up Kreider with a perfect lead pass that allowed him to cut in and beat Anton Forsberg for his 49th with 2:31 remaining to put the exclamation point on the big victory. Frankie V adds that speed element and shoot first mentality to the top line that’s made things easier for both Kreider and Mika Zibanejad.

The key additions of Vatrano and Copp have really changed the dynamic of this team. Even without Filip Chytil and Tyler Motte, they’re better equipped. Tonight marked the returns of Kaapo Kakko and Kevin Rooney. One struggled while the other fit back in to help offset the loss of Motte. Rooney can fill the void on the fourth line and penalty kill.

Kakko got his first crack on the third line. He played with Alexis Lafreniere and Barclay Goodrow, who shifted back to center. Goodrow dominated on face-offs winning an incredible 76.5 percent (13-for-17). Goodie was effective on the penalty kill and had four shots. Both Kakko and Lafreniere struggled. They’ll need to be better in the final nine games.

One other change saw veteran defenseman Justin Braun come back into the lineup for Patrik Nemeth. Gerard Gallant is doing what I figured. He’s rotating both Braun and Nemeth in and out on the third pair where they’re working with poised first-year defenseman Braden Schneider. So far, so good.

If you’re keeping track, Saturday’s win allowed the Rangers to catch the Hurricanes. They’re now tied for first in the Metropolitan Division. Both teams have 100 points.

Technically, Carolina has the edge due to having an extra game and the first tiebreaker. But the Rangers have closed the gap. They’re up to 39 regulation overtime wins (ROW) while the Canes have 40. Carolina plays tomorrow against the Ducks at home. The Canes will visit the Rangers on Tuesday.

It was a light night for Igor Shesterkin. He hardly was tested. After only making two saves in a lopsided first, he stopped six more in an uncompetitive second. He did see 13 shots in the third. He finished with 21 saves on his way to his 34th win. He heard “Ig-or, Ig-or”, chants late as the fans saluted him. They’re not here without him.

The game was delayed a few minutes due to it also being on Hockey Night In Canada. MSG Network had it locally.

At least we had Henrik Lundqvist paired with Steve Valiquette, who again went Staterrific with his clear sighted Scienterrific crap. Two words I made up in reference to close buddy JPG. I call him the Statmastah. You can only imagine why. I think Valiquette and him got their degrees in Stateology.

FYI. It’s sarcasm folks. Valiquette likes to use a lot of statistics to make himself look better. While I appreciate the hard work he puts in, it can be a bit much. Especially when he starts citing Expected Crap and defining Stolen Wins. I can deal with the Slot Chances. It at least informs the audience that the Rangers have improved offensively on those rushes off transition.

Lundqvist is more straightforward in his analysis. He uses game insights from a great career. He’s fun to listen to and doesn’t bs. I enjoyed what he said about Ottawa following the second period. He basically said they were very bad and had nothing. It showed.

Everyone who pays attention knows the Senators rely heavily on Anton Forsberg. He’s had a heavy workload. He seems to have found a home in Ottawa, who recently extended him for a couple of years. A smart move since Forsberg sees a ton of rubber and is a good puck stopper. But tonight, he was overwhelmed due to the lack of defense.

The Sens feature some good players who are a big part of their rebuild. Led by captain Brady Tkachuk and top goalscorer Josh Norris (stolen in the Erik Karlsson trade), they have some pieces.

That includes Tim Stutzle, Drake Batherson, Mathieu Joseph (acquired from Tampa for Nick Paul), Shane Pinto (injured) and top defenseman Thomas Chabot Shalom. Chabot has been out a while. Stutzle and Batherson didn’t play either. 

Basically, what happened was expected. The Rangers took care of business. This wasn’t a cautious game plan like recent wins over Pittsburgh and New Jersey. It was an all out blitz.

The ironic part was the start. As if they needed to be reminded, the third line got victimized on the only Ottawa goal. On a good early cycle from Parker Kelly and Mark Kastelic, they combined to find Watson open in the slot for the game’s first goal at 2:22.

It was the third pair of Braun and Schneider out. But they were back. Lafreniere missed the assignment. He was late getting back and made a lazy attempt. Too late. Watson buried it for his seventh.

If you were looking for Kakko and Lafreniere to find chemistry, it never happened. Neither registered a shot and were a minus-one.

Kakko added nothing to the third line in his return. It made me long for Chytil. Kakko will have to show more to remain in the lineup. If he can’t, Gerard Gallant should do what’s best come First Round. If that means he sits, so be it. They’re in it to win it.

Following the goal against, Zibanejad got a great opportunity to tie it. Adam Fox made a good pass from the corner to find him in front. But he fanned on the shot sending it wide. It probably would’ve been a goal.

Then came the annoying part of the broadcast. We all love Sam Rosen. But when he and Joe Micheletti start talking over the action, they’re not paying attention. It isn’t cohesive. They began channeling their love of former Blueshirts Michael Del Zotto and Nick Holden. Can you imagine if Artem Anisimov still played there?

The action picked up thanks to the checking line. On a strong shift from Ryan Reaves, who finished a good check on Del Zotto that led to a Dryden Hunt shot that Forsberg denied, Hunt drew a stick hold on Norris.

On their only power play, the Rangers did a whole lot of nothing. They got no shots through to Forsberg. Credit the Sens for doing a good job on the penalty kill. They took away the top unit. When the second unit came on, Lafreniere was open and instead of shooting, passed to nowhere. Not what you want to see.

Despite not doing much, it was the home team who began coming at the Ottawa defense in waves. They used their game-breaking speed and skill to generate chances. However, Forsberg made the stops to keep his side ahead.

For a while, the Senators’ shot total remained on one. Meaning their one shot went in. The Rangers led in shots 7-1. They hadn’t solved Forsberg, who was sharp early.

With less than 10 minutes left in the first, Tkachuk finally ended the Ottawa drought with a good, low shot on Shesterkin. He was able to shut it down for a stoppage.

Off a draw in the Senators’ end, Strome and Copp combined to free up a puck that came right back to Panarin. He let go of a snap shot that deflected off of Colin White past Forsberg to tie the game. The goal was unassisted. Credit the work of Strome and Copp though.

As the period went on, the second line was buzzing. In particular, Panarin who was in full fire mode. He got a tough shot from the slot on Forsberg, but he made a superb blocker save to keep it tied. In the first, the Bread Man had two shots and five attempts. It felt like more.

In the early portion of the second, the dangerous Joseph was able to get a step on Copp. He took a great shot labeled for the upper portion. But it rang off the far goalpost. On the play, Jacob Trouba pinched up. Copp couldn’t cover for him, leaving only K’Andre Miller back on the two-on-one.

With the game still even, Lafreniere made a good play on the forecheck. He carried the puck deep to draw two Senators before feeding it back for a pinching Schneider. With time to shoot, he made a smart pass for a tricky Goodrow redirection that Forsberg gobbled up.

After that sequence, it was Ottawa’s turn. On a rush, they came close to going back ahead. Shesterkin had trouble with a high shot to his blocker, leaking a rebound that just missed. It looked like it hit the outside of the post. Then Fox took down Kastelic.

That was the only power play for the Sens. It was abominable. The improved Rangers’ penalty kill had at least three great looks shorthanded. First, it was Kreider and Zibanejad. With a clear shot, Mika tried to get it over for Kreider. But a sliding Del Zotto made a good play.

Then in came Strome. He had a clean breakaway. He made a good move and tried to beat Forsberg over the left pad. But the Ottawa netminder stacked the pads to deny Strome.

Once they were back to full strength, things opened up. It was mostly Blueshirts. They really turned it into a track meet. That meant eventually, the Sens would get a chance. They did on a three-on-two that an aggressive Shesterkin robbed Norris on point blank.

Back came the Rangers in the opposite direction. Taking a Miller feed, Panarin skated up ice into the Ottawa zone. He moved down the left side before finding the good Copp for his 17th at 6:56. An absolute snipe top shelf that put them ahead.

Over two minutes later, this time Kreider got on the scoreboard. Taking a pass from Ryan Lindgren on a play started by sidekick Zibanejad, he decided to let go of a shot that whizzed by a frustrated Forsberg for number 48 at 9:05.

As Rosen noted, the goal tied Pierre Larouche for the fifth best in franchise history. He scored 48 in ’83-84. Interestingly, JD (Jag) noted that due to him sitting out a few games at the end of that weapon, it prevented him from hitting 50. He could’ve become the first player in NHL history to get 50 with three different teams. Larouche did it with the Penguins and Canadiens.

Firmly in control, the Blueshirts upped the margin to three on another brilliant pass by Panarin to Strome for his 17th at 17:27. Lindgren got the puck to Panarin who then skated past Senators who were standing still.

There seemed to be some debris on the ice that made it difficult to figure out how he got in and set up Strome. No matter. After holding a 13-6 edge in shots, the Rangers led 4-1 after two periods. The total shots were 25-9. Lopsided.

The third was basically a coronation. Unless you were an Islander fan, there wasn’t the slightest chance of an Ottawa comeback. They totaled four more shots (13) than their two period total (9). But Shesterkin was his usual self.

With time winding down, Vatrano sent Kreider in on Forsberg for his second of the game. Another great finish from the former first round pick who’s been unbelievable this season. He sure deserves it.

As the final 2:29 elapsed, the announced sellout crowd paid homage to their heroes. A Clyde Frazier expression. When it was over, Kreider gave fist bumps to every teammate. All business.

It’s all been there under Gallant, who has the right pulse of his team. He never gets too high or too low. He knows when to critique their play and when to ease up. His temperament has been perfect.

I have no clue why Vegas got rid of him. Nothing against Pete DeBoer, who’s a good coach as well. But Turk has done a masterful job. He deserves serious consideration for the Jack Adams.

It’s hard to believe this team has a 47-20-6 record with 100 points. But they’ve earned it.

The never say die attitude of these Blueshirts is one fans can get behind. All the comeback wins. The huge saves from Shesterkin. The big goals. The enormous hits led by Trouba and Reaves. The blocked shots. The tremendous character.

No matter how this ends up, it’s been a delight. We waited patiently for a team that could get back to the playoffs and have a puncher’s chance. These guys do. As long as they stick to the system and play their game, it could be a special year.

Three Stars 🌟 🤩 ✨️

3rd 🌟 Copp/Strome NYR goal each, 5 SOG in 7 attempts, +5, 6-and-6 on face-offs

2nd 🌟 Chris Kreider NYR 2 goals (48 & 49), 49 goals tied for 4th best all-time in franchise history, 5 SOG in 9 attempts, +2 in 15:18

1st 🌟 Artemi Panarin NYR goal (21) plus 2 🍎 (66, 67), 3 SOG in 8 attempts, +3 in 16:03

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Tough hit for Rangers, significant upper body injury to Motte and Chytil also hurt, Kakko practices along with Rooney

Posted on April 8, 2022 by Derek

Today wasn’t a good day for the Rangers. After defeating the Penguins 3-0 with a great team effort, they got some bad news. The injury bug has hit with 10 games left in the regular season.

During Thursday night’s game, key checking forward and penalty killer Tyler Motte absorbed a tough hit from Pittsburgh forward Anthony Angello. In a prone position, the former Canuck was caught up high on a hit from the side that knocked him down. He would exit the contest.

Unfortunately, it appears that the injury to Motte is serious. Coach Gerard Gallant provided an update to reporters. Terming it a significant upper body injury, it’ll keep Motte out the remainder of the schedule.

It doesn’t sound promising. What that could signal is that Motte won’t be available for the first round of the playoffs. While I don’t know the full extent of the injury, my guess is he suffered a shoulder separation. Depending on what Grade it is will determine how long he’s out for.

What a bummer. Acquired from Vancouver for a fourth round pick, the 27-year old Motte has been a good addition to the fourth line. Also a valuable penalty killer, his combination of speed and instincts make him a player who’s fit in well.

Motte is always willing to finish checks and sacrifice for the good of the team. In nine games, he recorded 27 hits and blocked seven shots. While he didn’t register any points, Motte created scoring opportunities off his hard work. He totaled 18 shots on goal.

That gritty style made him a trusted player under Gallant. Motte was averaging 12:33 of ice time per game. Now, it’ll be up to their depth players to offset the loss.

It could fall on Kevin Rooney and Jonny Brodzinski. Rooney is close to returning. He is also a solid checking player that kills penalties. Brodzinski plays the game hard and utilizes his speed to make things happen. A center who is over .500 on face-offs, he can play a supporting role and penalty kill.

Another player who is hurt is Filip Chytil. The 22-year old center had been playing better. He was more noticeable during shifts while centering Alexis Lafreniere and glue guy Barclay Goodrow.

Although it’s been a disappointing season for him, Chytil looks to have locked up a third line supporting role. He’s been using his speed and playing more of a straight ahead game to generate chances.

The latest injury is unfortunate. This is a player who’s had setbacks. Friend of the blog Sean McCaffrey refers to him as Filip Brittle. As much as I hate to say it, that’s a fair assessment of Chytil at this point of his career. He’s never played a full season yet. Not even in the Covid shortened ’19-20 or last year’s abbreviated 56-game schedule.

So far in Year Five, he has seven goals and 12 assists for a total of 19 points over 60 games. A disappointing number considering his capability. Eighteen of the 19 points have come at even strength. Even if you aren’t the biggest Chytil fan, it hurts to lose him. Hopefully, he won’t be out that long.

Without Chytil, Goodrow practiced as the center of the third line between Lafreniere and Kaapo Kakko. Yes. It looks likely that we could finally see Kakko return to action tomorrow versus Ottawa. He hasn’t played since Jan. 21 at Carolina.

If Kakko does play on Saturday, it’ll be interesting to see how he looks. We know the ugly statistics. Five goals and nine assists in 37 games. But this is a chance for a new season. We’ll see what he brings.

Rooney also practiced today. As Vince Mercogliano noted above. He was back on the fourth line between Dryden Hunt and Ryan Reaves. The extra line had Brodzinski with Greg McKegg and Julien Gauthier.

If we assume those are the third and fourth lines for the Senator game, then you know the rest. I’m not even going to spell it out.

One thing I forgot to mention in last night’s blog is that Gallant went back to Patrik Nemeth with Braden Schneider. I didn’t have a problem with it. Too many of our fans are fickle. Nemeth didn’t make one mistake. Let Turk do his job. He will continue to assess both Nemeth and Justin Braun. Schneider looks like he’ll be penciled in for Game One next month.

If the Hurricanes defeat the Islanders in regulation tonight, the Rangers officially clinch. That would be appropriate. Since I don’t care who they’ll play, Let’s Go Canes. For one night only.

That’s gonna do it for now. This team should have enough depth to be okay without Motte. I hope we get to see him again in a Blueshirt this season. That would mean big time games this Spring.

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Rangers handle the Penguins minus Crosby, Shesterkin gets fourth shutout, total team effort to put distance, Pens have meltdown at the end

Posted on April 8, 2022 by Derek

If ever there was a message sent, it was in tonight’s game. Facing a potential first round opponent for the fourth and final time over a month, the Rangers handled the Penguins 3-0 at The Garden.

The win allowed them to take the final three meetings and win the season series. Let’s chalk that up as bookkeeping. While it’s nice to have the mental edge over an old rival, we have to keep proper perspective.

Based on the ridiculous actions of the Pens at the end of the game, they tried to send a message that this isn’t over. Maybe not. With 10 games left for each team, the Rangers could see the Pengwhines again in May.

I don’t normally refer to a team by such a name. But it sure applies after Thursday night. Let’s just say I’m a little fed up with their antics following the second period and the mind numbing conclusion tonight.

They want to jump our best goalscorer at the buzzer. It comes off weak. It was nice to see Chris Kreider get up and purposely point with two fingers to the scoreboard. The perfect response to the frustrated Pens’ madness.

I guess losing to our team has gotten to them. They did skate without Sidney Crosby (illness) and defenseman John Marino. Obviously, Crosby is a lot more important to them. The franchise captain didn’t take warm-ups after missing the morning skate. It was obvious he wouldn’t play.

Should no Crosby take away from what the Rangers did? No. You go out and play the game. They did exactly what they had to do. Igor Shesterkin stopped all 30 Pens’ shots to earn his fourth shutout of the season. He didn’t have to stand on his head. It was a total T-E-A-M effort.

The way they defended the net front for Shesterkin made it much easier on him. I counted four big saves during the game. One that was seen on ESPN Plus. I put it on my tablet so I could actually see the action better. It still isn’t the same experience as watching it on the tube. Don’t tell the NHL or MLB. That’s all I’ll say on streaming.

When I say it was a team effort, you know that our side played well. They frustrated the Pens, who had trouble getting anything on the inside. Shesterkin was able to see the shots. He stopped them and also silenced reporters who were ready to write a book on his demise. The affable Russian Czar at least was honest in the postgame about his recent play.

Here’s the thing. At one point, he had a ridiculous .940 save percentage. Not even Dominik Hasek ever did it during his legendary Hall Of Fame career. The closest he came was .937 in ’98-99 en route to a fifth Vezina and third place finish for the Hart. A trophy he won twice. Hasek is still the best goalie I’ve ever seen. Don’t forget he won all six Vezinas and both Harts on the Sabres.

The point is in today’s more high scoring, speed oriented offensive game, it’s much harder for a goalie to put up such gaudy numbers. Even following his slide, Shesterkin still has a .935 save percentage and 2.10 goals-against-average (GAA). His record is up to 33-10-4. Remarkable stuff from the unflappable 26-year old fourth round gem the Rangers stole in the 2014 NHL Draft.

By giving him Tuesday off in favor of Alex Georgiev, who turned in a good game, Gerard Gallant made a wise decision. He’s keeping Shesterkin fresh down the stretch. The right move regardless of who they wind up drawing in the first round. Shesterkin paid back Turk by denying bids by Jake Guentzel, Evan Rodriguez and Jeff Carter.

There’s still a chance at first place in the Metropolitan Division. The Hurricanes trailed 3-1 against the improved Sabres before rallying back with four straight to pull out a 5-3 home win. That kept them two up on the Blueshirts. Carolina has an extra game left and hold the first tiebreaker with 40 regulation wins to the Rangers’ 38. It could come down to the two games they play at MSG on April 12 and 26. The latter likely more meaningful.

While all of this is nice, let’s remember that no matter where they wind up, there’s still a job to do next month. It’s self-explanatory. Play their game and stick to the system. One that took a while for them to execute under Gallant. There’s structure. If they execute it, then these New York Rangers can beat anyone.

As a friendly reminder to fans and readers of the blog, it won’t be easy. Playoff hockey usually isn’t. So, whether it’s the Penguins, Lightning or even the Bruins, expect it to be tough. That’s why the Pens had a meltdown and acted like babies at the conclusion of Thursday’s game. They were completely frustrated. That’s good.

You want potential opponents to show that emotion. That means you’re hard to play against. In the four regular season meetings, the Rangers not only took the final three. They only allowed four goals. Even better, Shesterkin was in for all four going 3-1-0 with a 1.01 GAA and .960 save percentage. He allowed four goals on 101 shots in 238 minutes.

If you think about it, the only Pens’ win came in controversial fashion on a phantom call that led to a Evgeni Malkin power play goal back in Pittsburgh during the first meeting on ABC. A playoff style game that deserved overtime. If you don’t think he’s in their heads, all you had to do was observe their extra passes in the third period to notice it.

When it comes to sports, 90 percent of it is mental. We’ve seen hot goalies get into an opponent’s mind before. Henrik Lundqvist versus the Capitals. Mike Richter vs the Devils. Tim Thomas vs the Canucks. You can include Hasek, Martin Brodeur and Patrick Roy. The play of the goalie can affect shooters.

In terms of potential first round opponents, don’t discount Tristan Jarry or the top goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy. He is that until proven otherwise. In my opinion, Vasilevskiy is the best goalie of this era. We’ve also seen unknowns get hot before. The playoffs are unpredictable.

As far as Thursday night goes, the Rangers hosted the Penguins at the World’s Most Vaccinated Arena. Well, it probably still is despite the changes. If only that included loyal workers who lost their jobs. The emergency medical workers, policemen, firefighters, teachers, etc.

Enough about that. Interestingly, the ESPN game actually started earlier than expected. Usually, they drop the puck around 7:08 PM. This was faster. When I looked at my tablet, it was 7:06. It was a welcome surprise compared to the nauseating delays on TNT.

If only we can get those kind of starts once the postseason starts up. Without Crosby, the Pens had Malkin between Guentzel and Bryan Rust. Here’s how they lined up:

One Penguin made their NHL debut. That was forward Filip Hallander. ESPN highlighted the rookie taking his pregame lap before teammates joined him. That’s always cool to see. One hockey tradition I love.

The first period was a feeling out process. It was eerily similar to the first match-up last month. You had both aces in net doing their thing. As expected, it was a tight checking, playoff style kind of period. That is how it was played.

My one takeaway is that the Pens aren’t the same team without Crosby. That was noticeable throughout. What makes him so great is he’s still a top five player. As good as Malkin, Kris Letang, Guentzel and Rust are, he drives it. What’s gonna happen when Crosby hangs it up one day? He’s still got good years left. But you get the point.

Where as the Pens still are so reliant on their 34-year old meal ticket, the Rangers boast stars in their prime. Artemi Panarin scored a gorgeous goal for his 20th in the deciding second. He’s been on a roll. Kreider factored in along with Mika Zibanejad on the game’s first goal scored by key pickup Frank Vatrano. Adam Fox had an impact without recording a point.

This is all positive stuff. Having players in their prime including Shesterkin can make a big difference. That’s without worrying what Alexis Lafreniere will become or Braden Schneider, who is here to stay. Since adding Vatrano, Andrew Copp and Tyler Motte and Justin Braun, there’s a lot to like about this core. One that is better with Ryan Strome back on the second line.

Whatever they decide to do with Kaapo Kakko, I don’t care. I am not even sure where he fits. Maybe Gallant will try him with Lafreniere and Filip Chytil. But I really like the chemistry they have with Barclay Goodrow. A glue guy who really got Malkin off his game near the end.

We’ll see how bad the Motte injury is. He took a tough hit from Anthony Angello late in the third period. The hit came from the side and didn’t make any head contact. It was clean. Unfortunately, Motte was caught in a prone position and left the game. Gallant had no update. Let’s hope he is only out short-term. Motte has become a key penalty killer and active checker who fits in seamlessly.

I’ll admit even having the game on the tablet, it isn’t easy to follow. Part of that is due to it being a smaller screen. While a very evenly played first period was going on, I also had an eye on an excellent game won by Denver over Michigan at the Frozen Four. It went to overtime. Carter Savoie won it.

I like the Frozen Four. I don’t care for John Buccigross on the call. He’s much better in studio. Don’t tell ESPN that. But that was a great game. I felt bad for the Michigan players. The Pioneers were the better team than the Wolverines. So, they’ll play Minnesota State for the championship on Saturday night. Too bad college hockey fans got jerked around.

ESPN airs too many games. It didn’t help that it was Opening Day. We have ESPN U. So, I guessed right and flipped to it to see the conclusion. All while peeking in on the Rangers and Penguins.

That was the save Shesterkin made on Guentzel. It was his best of the game. There were some other key stops. But that was the one that really told the Pens they needed to do something special to beat him.

Early on, Guentzel absorbed a Jacob Trouba hit against the boards. Unlike most of his hits, this one wasn’t clean. He led with his elbow and got sent off for elbowing. It was a sharp penalty kill that limited the Pens to one shot. A Mike Matheson try from distance that Shesterkin plucked out of the air.

Following the successful kill, the third line got a pair of scoring chances. First, Lafreniere was denied by Jarry. Then, Chytil got a step on Matheson and drove hard to the net. But Jarry denied him point blank before Chytil’s momentum carried him into the Pittsburgh netminder. It was clean. Play on after the stoppage.

Danton Heinen tried a wraparound that Shesterkin got across and denied. Then, it was Jarry’s turn to make a stop on Dryden Hunt. Halfway through the period, a pinching Trouba drew a tripping minor on Rickard Rakell.

Instead of doing anything with the man-advantage, it was man disadvantage. This was maybe the worst I’ve seen from the top unit. They did nothing. No setup time. No shots. Lousy entries. Easy Penguin clears. The second unit was no better. Brutal.

If you thought special teams would matter in this one, you were wrong. Neither team established much on the power play. The Pens went 0 for 3 while the Rangers took the collar in two forgettable five-on-four’s where they never registered a shot. As well as he played overall, is Adam Fox allowed to SHOOT THE PUCK? Holy moly.

Funny enough, when Fox took a shot during five-on-five, he hit the post. I wish he looked shot more on the power play. It can’t always be pass with him. He has 10 goals and none have come on the five-on-four. Nine even strength. One shorthanded. Think of how much better he could be if he shot occasionally on the power play. That’s what makes Cale Makar better. He is always a threat.

Late in the period, Kreider got ahead of the play and had a good rush. But his shot just missed with eight seconds to spare. That close to number 48. I expected it to go in. Vatrano also missed wide before the buzzer sounded.

Shots were 10-9 home team. There really wasn’t much separating them. It was hard fought. Both Shesterkin and Jarry made the saves. The defense was solid. Plus you had the physicality you’d expect in such a meaningful game. The Pens knew the importance. They didn’t want to fall six points behind in the standings.

Whatever was said between periods, it was the Rangers who came out sharper in the second. Right away, Zibanejad got the puck up for Kreider on a three-on-three rush. However, both Brian Dumoulin and Malkin got caught puck watching.

When Kreider had a pass deflect in front, it came right to Vatrano who in one motion swept a backhand underneath a still sliding Jarry for the game’s first goal 24 seconds in. Make that six goals for Frankie V. He’s 6-2-8 in a dozen games since coming over from the Panthers. Julien Gauthier has 3 in 47. Kakko five in 37.

Buoyed by the early goal to take the lead, the Rangers continued to make life difficult on the Pens. After a couple of stops from Shesterkin on Rodriguez and Rakell, they blocked shots and turned up the physical play.

On one shift where Brian Boyle thought he had an opening, Schneider quickly closed it by leveling him with a solid hit that shook the big man. Boyle did go back at Schneider. Playoff caliber hockey.

It was that kind of game. Overall, the Rangers blocked 17 shots. They were led by a more assertive Fox, who had five. Partner Ryan Lindgren also played inspired by adding four. When they play like that, they’re a much tougher pair for opponents to deal with.

There were quite a few hits delivered by Angello and Mark Friedman. The Pens finished with 28 hits while the Blueshirts had 22 led by the gritty Goodrow (5). He was a pest. That’s exactly why I wanted Chris Drury to get him last summer. Goodie is worth it. That combination of skill, grit and toughness wins.

If there was a key sequence, it came nearly at the halfway point. Following a near miss by Rust on a tip-in, Shesterkin made a routine stop on Rodriguez to get a face-off. On a win from Copp, the second line came up the ice in transition.

Trouba led Copp, who drew attention while the Pens got distracted. Chad Ruhwedel puck watched Copp, who eventually was able to make a good pass to a wide open Panarin. He cut in and roofed a backhand past Jarry at 9:47 to make it 2-0.

You could’ve tuned out after that. There was no way the Pens were coming back. Not with Malkin skating around aimlessly without a single shot. Shesterkin wasn’t having it. After denying Rodriguez, he then robbed Guentzel on the doorstep to familiar “Ig-or, Ig-or,” chants. For good measure, he gloved a Matheson shot later.

As the period expired, the Rangers nearly scored. But it was too late. That’s why Jarry didn’t bother. He heard the horn and knew the play was over. What wasn’t was the obvious anger some Pens had at the end of the second. It didn’t work.

Shesterkin made early saves twice on Carter. He’s still a good player. While former 2003 first round pick Ryan Getzlaf calls it a career with the Ducks, veterans like Carter and Corey Perry are still hanging around continuing to be effective players. Full credit to each. Look at Boyle. He was in that draft too. He still can play a checking role.

As usual, the Rangers didn’t have many shots in the third. However, they got the best opportunity. On a smart play, Zibanejad came around the net and nearly snuck a wraparound by Jarry. But he came up large to give his team a chance.

Pittsburgh would get the next five shots all at five-on-five. Shesterkin wasn’t cooperating. To be fair, most of these saves were ones he saw. They were defended well. The Rangers were good defensively. They protected the house. You rarely saw Guentzel by himself directly in front. Rust was also not a factor. A rarity for a good player.

Finally, Malkin was able to draw an interference on Trouba. It was questionable at best. That’s all I’ll say. I saw a lot of our fans complaining including the incomparable Howie. He hates every ref. I enjoy his rants.

The Penguins didn’t do much with the power play. Not unless you consider a long Letang point shot that Guentzel missed a threat to our goalie. The penalty kill was outstanding. Kreider, Goodrow and Motte all made key defensive plays.

Motte played his usual spunky game. Unfortunately, he exited following the Angello hit that changed things. With Motte down and hurting, teammates responded during a scrum. Nothing happened. They reviewed the Angello hit and made the right call of an interference minor.

Instead of putting the game away, the Blueshirts had a power outage. It was infected by Penguins. Was the ice covering up 🐧 underneath the surface? Who knows. A Batman reference. Danny Devito would be proud along with Burgess Meredith.

With under five minutes to play, Jonny Brodzinski got his stick into Rakell to take one of those needless holding minors. Following a Shesterkin denial on Guentzel, he missed the net on a good pass. That is the Igor factor. We’ve seen it before.

Then in the neutral zone, Malkin lost his cool with Goodrow. The two started wrestling in front of the benches. The linesmen finally blew the play dead to regain control. But not before Matheson jumped in on Goodrow. Somehow, the idiots calling the game thought Kreider could’ve been third man in. Did they even watch? He only came in due to Matheson.

At the end of the day, both Malkin and a chatty Goodrow each received matching roughing minors. I loved it. It never gets old seeing Malkin lose it.

Eventually, Mike Sullivan lifted Jarry for the extra attacker. Following missed empty nets by Copp and Trouba, it was Hunt who hit it from inside his own zone to finish off the Pens with 38 seconds left. A nice reward for a tenacious player.

Predictably, after a Hunt check on Marcus Pettersson with a couple of seconds remaining, it was a bunch of angry Pens that jumped Kreider near the side boards after the final buzzer sounded. Sheer lunacy.

My favorite part is after Kreider got up and shook it off, he had some choice words before using two fingers to point to the scoreboard. It was the Rangers that got the two points. The defacto captain handled it like a champ.

Even following the traditional wave of the sticks to salute the crowd, the Pens stayed on the ice and waited. This was minor league stuff. They really wanted to start a brawl. Pengwhines.

There is nothing else left to add. This was a satisfying win. One that was expected. Especially without Crosby playing for the Pens. Even though Shesterkin made 30 saves including a few of the key ones I mentioned, there was never any sense that they would beat him.

It was an easy win because the Pens were already defeated. At least that’s how it looked. There are three weeks left in the season. Then playoffs. The first real postseason since 2017. MSG will be rocking.

https://twitter.com/BattleOfHudson/status/1512263205443284992?t=SYLzTEHxSPMLdKbUM7uHcg&s=19

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