Jack Hughes scores a highlight reel goal in Devils rout of Canucks, former ’19 top pick establishing himself as a superstar

Posted on March 1, 2022 by Derek
Jack Hughes continues his torrid play establishing himself as one of the game’s brightest young stars. Photo by Derek Felix courtesy MSG-Plus and New Jersey Devils

The Devils are scoring goals at a high clip. Jack Hughes is front and center during a hot stretch that’s seen them score seven times in three times over the last seven games.

They’ve totaled 37 goals over that span. That means they’re averaging over five goals per game since a 7-1 win over Montreal on Feb. 8. Offense isn’t a problem for a red hot Devils who now boast a 20-year old superstar in Hughes. His highlight reel goal to open the scoring during last night’s 7-2 rout of the Canucks was the latest proof of what the explosive center is capable of.

Following a Vancouver turnover, Hughes exploded through the neutral zone into the Canucks end at warp speed before ripping a laser past Jaro Halak for his 16th goal. The unassisted tally was breathtaking. Here’s how it looked and sounded.

https://twitter.com/BattleOfHudson/status/1498462678322405377?t=1Xzi_4ay6Ak6LF1ZeSY7lg&s=19

Hughes has become a breathtaking player to watch. Almost every game, he does something incredible to get fans out of their seats. No longer struggling as he did his rookie season after the Devils took him first overall in the 2019 NHL Draft, Hughes has a four-game multi-point streak. He has 10 points (3-7-10) over that stretch.

Dating back to Jan. 31, he has a seven-game point streak (5-8-13). If you go back further, Hughes has produced eight multi-point games since 12/29. That includes five three-point games. He’s registered 11 goals and 19 assists for a remarkable total of 30 points over that 19 game stretch. Prior, he only had eight points in the first 14 games.

How good is that? It shows how special Hughes is. The hype was real. It took a while. He overcame a shoulder separation that cost him over a month. With 38 points (16-22-38) in 33 games, he’s over a point-per-game on a team that isn’t there yet. The Devils remain a work in progress due to an inconsistent defense and lack of a proven number one goalie.

Without both Mackenzie Blackwood and Jonathan Bernier, rookie Nico Daws is splitting time with Jon Gillies. It’s the play of the 21-year old third round pick in 2020 that’s shown promise. In his second consecutive start after making 37 saves in a 6-1 win over Pittsburgh, Daws made 36 last night to win a second straight game. He is young. So, they’ll probably micromanage which games he gets. Perhaps it’s Daws who’s the future in net.

Hughes is doing this while playing with the much improved Jesper Bratt, who with a goal and assist hiked his total to a career high 50 points (19-31-50) in 48 games. The 23-year old Swede has been a steal for the Devils. Picked 162nd in the sixth round of 2016, he’s gone from an inconsistent 30-point secondary scorer to a consistent performer in his fifth year. That means he’ll get paid this summer as a restricted free agent.

Is the jump real? Playing with Hughes helps. But it should be noted that Bratt only plays on the top power play with him. He is on the second line with Nico Hischier, whose play has picked up. Bratt is a big reason for that.

When it comes to Hughes, he makes everyone better. Yegor Sharangovich has surged since being put back on the top line with Hughes. The second-year forward scored for a fourth game in a row. He also added an assist. He has a seven-game point streak (5-6-11) entering tonight’s home match at Columbus. Prior to that run, Sharangovich only had 17 points in his first 40 games. He’s a streaky player with a nose for the net. Could the 2018 fifth round pick stick? He’s certainly benefited from playing with Hughes.

With him establishing himself before he turns 21 (May 14) after the season, Hughes is the face of the franchise who gave him an eight-year extension worth an average cap hit of $8 million. That now looks like a bargain. They invested in a talented player who has the character and drive to become one of the game’s elite. You also see the disappointment when he makes a mistake. There’s an edge to the kid from Orlando with the quirky personality that’s similar to American buddy Trevor Zegras. The confidence isn’t cocky. He’s that good.

I had suggested that coach Lindy Ruff should move rookie Dawson Mercer into the top six. Originally, he was playing his natural position at center on the third line. That wasn’t helping production wise. By bumping him up to the first line where he’s shifted to the right side, Mercer has picked it up. With a power play goal and helper on Monday night, he has six points in four games. He’s up to 31 points for the season.

With Hughes everywhere, it really keeps opponents honest. Take a goal Sharangovich scored in a recent game. He stole the puck behind the Chicago net and threw a backhand on goal that turned into a rebound which Sharangovich put in. Hughes created it with his quick thinking. He’s the kind of player who can open space. Now that he’s shooting the puck and finding success, that allows him to find teammates for good looks.

Although the results aren’t consistent due to the issues they still have as a team, Hughes’ growth bodes well. With Dougie Hamilton back and getting his eighth goal yesterday, and Jack’s younger brother Luke Hughes having a great freshman year at Michigan, it won’t be long before a third Hughes joins the NHL. Jack got bragging rights over older brother Quinn last night. He’ll be footing the bill on a piece of art they want to purchase for their house.

At 19-29-5 with 43 points, the Devils have 29 games remaining on the schedule. Game 54 of 82 is at the Blue Jackets later tonight. Columbus is hanging around. Had they not blown a third period lead in a tough one-goal loss to the Pens, they’d be within eight points of the slumping Caps. Instead, they’re still 10 behind with two extra games left.

The Blue Jackets have also been scoring goals lately. So, the game could be entertaining. The Devils will go with Gillies on a back-to-back while Columbus starts J-F Berube. Figure there to be some offense. If you care about the goal total, it’s 6.5. It’s not hard to imagine the two teams going over that number.

While the Jackets are still in wild card contention, the Devils are playing the role of spoiler. They also have players who are playing for their future. That includes Damon Severson and the polarizing P.K. Subban. Andreas Johnsson too. Do any of them get moved later this month? GM Tom Fitzgerald has decisions ahead.

Devil fans don’t have to worry about Hughes. He is the franchise player who’ll only get better.

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Demko stones Kreider, Rangers as the Canucks win at MSG, Miller Time, spirited third period comeback too late, questionable lineup decision by Gallant

Posted on February 28, 2022 by Derek

It was too little, too late for the Rangers. A spirited third period comeback didn’t change the outcome. In the end, Thatcher Demko (31 saves) and a dismal second period were too much to overcome in a 5-2 loss to the Canucks at MSG.

Playing for the third time over four days, the Blueshirts didn’t have the same pep in their step. Despite a solid first period where they probably deserved better than a two-goal deficit, the Rangers couldn’t maintain the pace in a bad second that saw them outscored 2-0 and outshot 15-6 to fall behind Vancouver 4-0.

Ultimately, the flat middle period was their undoing. Even on a rare night where backup Alex Georgiev made the start and was expectedly not at his best, the play in the second was miserable. Chalk it up to the busy schedule catching up. Now, they’ll have two days to recover before the Blues visit on Wednesday. A TNT game.

Make no mistake. The first period was good enough. The trouble was Demko, who made some terrific saves including several big ones on top finisher Chris Kreider (game high 8 shots). By night’s end, he must’ve wondered what he had to do to get one by the Canucks starter.

These were Grade A chances. I counted at least five that he could’ve scored on. Between Tristan Jarry Saturday and Demko on Sunday, Kreider probably should have past Leon Draisaitl and tied Auston Matthews for the goal scoring lead. Instead, he still sits at 34. Two behind Draisaitl and three in back of Matthews.

In the first period alone, Demko stopped all 13 Rangers’ shots. It was high quality stuff from one of the better goalies whose numbers aren’t as good due to his team. They don’t play well defensively. However, they are back in the playoff picture since veteran coach Bruce Boudreau took over. He encourages a more aggressive approach which means they do score. They just put up seven on Calgary to end their 10-game win streak.

A huge part of that offense is J.T. Miller. Originally a first round pick of the Rangers who had some good years here, the 28-year old American has developed into a star forward in Vancouver. It took a trade out of Tampa Bay for him to finally mature to become the complete player we see now.

Having entered play on fire with 11 points over his last five, Miller added two more points with a pair of assists to set up the first two Canucks goals. Both were primary. On each, he was on the puck and created opportunities for teammates. Now playing center, Miller has shined. If he really is available for the right price at the March 21 trade deadline, then Chris Drury should be on the phone. This was a great showcase of the kind of impact player Miller is. I already cited in the previous post why I don’t think the Rangers will be able to get him.

If you were watching closely, then you saw why Miller is highly coveted by contenders. It was his play on the puck that drew attention before he passed it to Tanner Pearson for the game’s first goal at 3:12. One misguided fans pinned on Georgiev. A goalie who last played on Jan. 27. I don’t count his 41 second cameo versus Boston on Feb. 15.

To be blunt, Gerard Gallant has mishandled the backup goalie. It’s understandable why he’s played Igor Shesterkin as much as possible. He’s a great goalie and the Vezina frontrunner. However, it came at the expense at getting Georgiev a few more starts to keep him sharp. Every goalie needs work. A small area that Gallant left open to criticism.

It’s not often I’ll critique Turk, who’s done an outstanding job. However, he butchered Georgiev and also made a questionable lineup decision not dressing a healthy Filip Chytil for a second straight game. It’s one thing to roll with the same lineup after a win like the one they had against Washington. But quite another to keep out a more capable scorer in Chytil for a bunch of checkers that can’t put the puck in the ocean. He left himself open to criticism.

Some might say how can I support an inconsistent young player like Chytil. While I’m not exactly a big fan of the former 2017 first round pick, the fact remains that he’s a better option on the second line than Dryden Hunt. A gritty forward whose game I respect. He hasn’t scored a goal since Dec. 1. I’m not going to bother with how many games it’s been. You do the math.

There’s no reason to play Hunt with Artemi Panarin and Ryan Strome. Why Gallant chose to go back to it over Barclay Goodrow is mind numbing. I get the logic behind wanting Goodrow to anchor a strong checking line. He’s proven effective with Julien Gauthier and Ryan Reaves. However, the versatile Goodrow has also produced when used on the second line. At the very least, Gallant should’ve made the switch before the third period. Hunt went back to the fourth line.

If they aren’t using Chytil, then how does it help his trade value? I’ve concluded that he’s not long for Gallant’s team based on what he expects. However, by not playing him, it only hurts Chytil’s value. We’ve seen him look more effective playing the right side with Panarin and Strome. Why not go back to it for now until Drury makes a move? It’s a better option.

Especially if he wants to keep Goodrow in that checking role with Reaves and Gauthier, who continues to play hard. Unfortunately, he also continues to blow scoring chances by missing the net like he did on a great rush. Just call him Stone Hands Goat 🐐. That’s my new nicname. This isn’t a knock either. Gauthier is a hard-working player who draw peernalties and goes to the net. He just can’t finish.

Speaking of which, can you play all checkers on your bottom two lines and be successful? By continuing to play Greg McKegg along with the ice cold Kevin Rooney (no goals since 12/7), it hurts the scoring. There isn’t much depth to begin with. He also decided to take another look at Morgan Barron. A checking forward who only received 7:53 of ice time after getting 7:41 yesterday. Nothing against Barron, who looks like a serviceable player. But if you’re going to play him, PLAY HIM!

Chytil wouldn’t get so little ice time. But Turk has decided that he’s better off with a healthy Keg Man. At least Gauthier broke 11 minutes. You never know how Gallant will use his bottom six. It varies game to game. Tonight, with them trailing by four, he decided to take the handcuffs off and play certain players more. Understandable with how little he got from Panarin and Strome. Yes. They did combine for a goal to make it interesting late. But they aren’t getting it done.

Here’s a question for the coach. Can your team survive when your leading scorer has only 14 goals and your second center just scored his 11th of the season? That BTW matches Goodrow, who’s plugged everywhere. If they don’t make an upgrade soon, the scoring is going to disappear. It’s already beginning to.

Since defeating the Panthers 5-2 on Feb. 1, they’ve scored three goals or more in only one of the last six games. That came against the Caps on Thursday. A team that’s headed the wrong way. The Rangers have totaled 11 goals over that span since returning to action on Feb. 15.

There’s also the status of Kaapo Kakko. Sean McCaffrey spotted this via Twitter. That’s a cast. Yikes.

We know honesty isn’t the best policy with MSG. Kakko is missed. Despite my gripes about his lack of finishing ability, he can forecheck and is defensively responsible. His return is up in the air. That’s even more reason for Drury to work the phones for a top six forward. Preferably someone who’s offensively capable. Phil Kessel still qualifies. He might not be the player he once was. But his 27 assists and 33 points would rank in the top six on our roster. He plays on the Tucson Coyotes.

While the Rangers figure it out between now and March 21, they know there are players available who can help the offense. As I’ve noted before, it’s very top heavy. Kreider leads in goals with 34 followed by Zibanejad, who has 20. It drops off to Panarin (14) and the emerging Alexis Lafreniere, who got number 12 earlier to place fourth ahead of both Strome and Goodrow.

It would also help if Adam Fox looked at the net and tried to score. He passes up a lot of open shooting opportunities. The one in the Pens’ loss was frustrating. As special a player as he is, Fox needs to think shot more. You don’t have to ask Jacob Trouba to shoot. He does when it’s available. They haven’t been going in. He’s in a slump with no goals over the last 11. Trouba has eight goals on 143 shots while the better scoring Fox has seven on 94 shots. I included tonight.

The power play has also cooled off. Granted. They haven’t been getting as many recently. But they took another collar in three attempts. They’re 0 for the last 8. When the man-advantage isn’t as efficient, that means they must score more at even strength. Something they did in the 4-0 shutout of the Caps.

If you run into a hot goalie, that doesn’t help. Both Jarry and Demko were over 24 hours. Demko not only robbed Kreider, but also thwarted Zibanejad early before Miller found Pearson open for his 10th to put the Canucks in front.

Trailing by a goal, the Rangers went to the power play on a delay of game from Luke Schenn. The best chance came in front with Kreider stoned on the doorstep by Demko. This would become a theme throughout. Gauthier would then break in and miss completely on a backhand by sending it into the corner. Stone Hands Goat 🐐.

A couple of shifts later, Demko stopped Strome on a tip-in. He really was the story. It continued later in the period. After Panarin drew a hook on Vasily Podkolzin, Kreider was robbed twice more on consecutive point blank shots from in tight. Then he missed on a backhand. He usually converts these. Not tonight.

In a crushing sequence, Demko robbed K’Andre Miller on another backdoor try with under a minute left. The Canucks quickly transitioned the opposite way with Matthew Highmore and Miller combining to feed Tyler Myers for a shot that went off the far goalpost and banked in off of Georgiev, who was a bit off his angle with 39 seconds left. That was a huge turning point. Of course, it was the first goal for Myers. A Blueshirts tradition.

The second was nothing like the first. It was completely different. Following an early Trouba shot on Demko, the Canucks tilted the ice. Georgiev settled down to make some good saves. That included a strong denial on Alex Chiasson.

However, a Zac Jones pass up the boards to no Ranger went right to Luke Schenn for a wrist shot that Juho Lammikko redirected past Georgiev for his sixth at 6:06. On the play, Jones sent the puck around, but there was no support. Instead, the Canucks turned it into a goal that made it 3-0 thanks to a good Schenn pinch.

With Vancouver continuing to press the attack, it appeared that the Rangers were running on fumes. Considering the gas prices, I think we all can relate to being on an empty tank.

I wish Ukraine wasn’t under attack by Russia. I follow a local reporter who traveled back home to cover it. Thankfully, she’s safe and has been providing updates while traveling with many other Ukrainians to Poland. The situation is insane. God bless them. I can only imagine what they’re going through. That’s my only war reference in this blog. Pray for peace. 🇺🇦💙✨

Back to the game. In a period where not much went right, the Rangers failed on another power play. It wasn’t even close though. They didn’t set up much. The Canucks were aggressive forcing turnovers.

After the power outage, Goodrow took a very lazy holding minor when he grabbed Elias Pettersson. Most of the penalty kill was good. However, they couldn’t quite keep the Canucks off the scoreboard. With only one second left on the power play, Highmore got loose and deflected in an Oliver Ekman-Larsson shot at 15:16. That made it 4-zip.

As the period wound down, you could hear collective groans from the crowd. What really disappointed me were the boos some “fans” gave our team as the second expired. On what planet did they deserve that? This team has done nothing but overachieve. They’re a good team that’s going to the playoffs. Those aren’t true fans. What fools.

Entering the third, I wanted to see this team compete. It would’ve been easy to go away and lose even worse. One thing about the ’21-22 Rangers is they never quit. There was a lot of fight in them for period nine over the last four days. That’s called character.

Gallant decided to start Ryan Reaves on the invisible second line with Panarin and Strome. One thing he did was deliver a big hit on defenseman Quinn Hughes. That woke the crowd up. It wasn’t the only instance in which Reaves finished a check on Hughes. I was half wondering if the Canucks had anyone who could respond. Hughes is their top defenseman and young. There wasn’t any response.

With the Canucks backing off a little bit, suddenly the Rangers began to pressure them. A noticeable change from Gallant was his increased usage of third pair Zac Jones and Braden Schneider. They were good in the period. There definitely is chemistry. How about the give and go Jones tried with Schneider. Only Demko prevented a highlight reel goal by staying up to get a blocker on the Schneider high shot.

Gallant also mixed up his line combinations. One player whose name kept coming up was Lafreniere. We’ve seen his confidence grow. Finally, Zibanejad skated into the Vancouver zone and dished the puck across for a lightning like one-timer Lafreniere whipped top shelf past the outstretched glove of Demko. His 12th at 9:53 got the fans back into it.

Still down by three, the re-energized Rangers kept coming. Suddenly, they pinned the Canucks in for shifts. It was Demko again being called upon to make key stops. You could feel momentum shifting.

For most of the third, I hadn’t noticed Panarin or Strome. Then, out they were when Panarin finally did something. He sent a pass down low for Strome, who was able to sneak it in past Demko right in front. That made it 4-2 with 5:57 remaining. The crowd erupted.

On the scoring play, Fox added his 43rd assist. His 43 helpers lead all NHL defensemen. It also gave him 50 points on the season. Even though he wasn’t particularly good in this game, Fox always must be accounted for.

As soon as the scoreboard changed to Canucks 4, Rangers 2, Boudreau didn’t mess around. He called his timeout to pause the Rangers’ momentum. He didn’t say anything to his players. He didn’t have to. It was just a reminder. A very smart move by a proven coach who has his team within a point of the wildcard after their poor start.

With over three minutes left, Gallant lifted Georgiev for an extra attacker. Unfortunately, they never got any closer. Demko made the saves. He stopped 12 of 14 in the third again stoning Kreider, who was everywhere despite not scoring. That’s what we now expect from him.

Following a Demko outlet, Pettersson was able to find just enough of an angle to send a backhand by Jones that hit the target to make it 5-2 Canucks with 2:09 to go.

Was this loss disappointing? No. Only because it was the second of a back-to-back following an emotionally charged game that was physical. They didn’t have a lot left. Could they have won had Shesterkin started? Possibly. But I only felt Georgiev gave up one bad goal. The crusher to Myers. He was okay making 29 saves on 33 shots. It was his first start in a month.

The only part that annoyed me was Gallant’s insistence on playing Hunt on the second line. Mystifying. He’s a fourth liner. That’s fine. Use him that way. As a high energy guy. Similar to Gauthier.

Both Panarin and Strome need to get it in gear. The games are going to get tougher. There’s 29 left. They need the Bread Man and his center to pick it up. They’re likely not getting a new right wing until at least the second week of March. Panarin is supposed to be the superstar who drives it. He hasn’t been for a while. They pay him a lot of money. It’s not just to pass the puck or over pass.

Next up are the Blues. You know what that means. Pavel Buchnevich. The next three days are going to be insufferable thanks to NYR Twitter. A place where a bunch of misfits don’t realize that Kreider’s success came due to the subtraction of Buchnevich, who’s also succeeded without Zibanejad. He had to go due to the salary cap. Otherwise, they couldn’t keep Zibanejad and extend Fox.

Had Sammy Blais stayed healthy no thanks to the dirt bag P.K. Subban, nobody would care about Buchnevich. Good for him on finding a new home in St. Louis and reaching his potential. Newsflash. It would’ve never happened here. See Kovalev, Alexei. A much better player who needed a change of scenery to blossom.

I’m not going to add anything else. The Blues are quite good. They boast better players than Buchnevich. Vladimir Tarasenko. Brayden Schenn. Ryan O’Reilly. Jordan Kyrou. Robert Thomas is a very underrated playmaking center. Buchnevich definitely has benefited from the talent the Blues have. They have more scoring depth. Even Ivan Barbashev is a 40-point player. Plus that pest David Perron.

They’re like the polar opposite of the Rangers. Lots of scoring. Depth. But questionable goaltending. Unless Jordan Binnington is able to regain his Stanley Cup form. He shutout the Blackhawks. But they’re not good. Is he going to regain his job over Ville Husso? We’ll see.

That’s going to wrap things up. If you want to follow our hockey account, that’s BattleOfHudson on Twitter. If just me, it’s DFlex2123. I am sometimes on either. Depends if it’s a busy hockey night. Wednesday, I’ll probably be back on our official Battle Of Hudson account. See you soon! Stay safe. 💜 ✨⭐

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Rangers and Penguins gave us a glimpse into potential first round series, the controversial call on Lindgren a reminder of NHL hypocrisy, it’s Miller Time with Canucks in town

Posted on February 27, 2022 by Derek

Yesterday’s afternoon game was the return of the NHL on ABC. In the old 3 o’clock window that I previously mentioned from my days spent at ESPN in the trailer providing Stat paks for the production crew, the Rangers and Penguins did battle in the Steel City on Saturday.

Considering that the rivalry dates back to the classic Patrick Division in the old Wales Conference where I’m reminded of Messier, Leetch, Graves and Richter doing battle against Lemieux, Jagr, Francis and Barrasso, it was the right choice by ESPN/Disney for hockey’s return to ABC. Unfortunately, there’s no Gary Thorne, Bill Clement or John Davidson to provide the commentary that made those games compelling. Yes. Thorne is missed on ESPN these days. He really was the voice of National Hockey Night. Great energy mixed with the right flair.

Now, we get Sean McDonough and Ray Ferraro. McDonough is a pro. So, I don’t mind him on the call. Ferraro is excellent on color and has been at it a while in his seamless transition from successful hockey player to good analyst.

It’s definitely a bit strange seeing Steve Levy as a studio host instead of calling the B games which he was really good at. He sets things up with Chris Chelios and Mark Messier. Messier is a natural at providing insight. Chelios is okay. It’s not quite John Saunders (God bless him) and Barry Melrose.

That’s how long ESPN has been away. Bob Wischusen works with Brian Boucher on most of the B games. Wischusen is well respected and we know Boucher from his work at NBC. I like the addition of Leah Hextall, who is better between the benches than on the call. She has ties to Bryan Hextall, who played on the 1939-40 Rangers Stanley Cup championship team. He was her grandfather. Pretty astonishing.

Bryan Hextall scored the Cup clincher in overtime to lead the Rangers to a six-game series win over the Maple Leafs. At that time, it was the Rangers’ third Cup. As we know, they’ve only won one since. Partially due to playing all their playoff games on the road due to the circus. Something that didn’t change until the recently passed Hall Of Famer Emile Francis took over as GM in 1964. Without the Cat, who knows how long it would’ve took to make that change.

Now that I’ve provided some background to ESPN/ABC and their return to covering hockey which also includes John Buccigross on some games and hosting The Point, let’s get to yesterday’s game. One that was won by the Pens 1-0 in a playoff style contest that had plenty of checking and scrums.

Admittedly, I didn’t catch any of the second period. However, I caught the first and could tell early what kind of game it would be. Based on the Devils’ 6-1 humiliation of the Pens on home ice, I fully expected them to come out and play much better. So, when our side didn’t score early on Tristan Jarry despite an 8-1 lead in shots that included a power play, I knew it would be tough. As it turned out, they never solved Jarry, who had a great game finishing with 27 saves for his fourth shutout of a bounce back season.

I also caught most of the third period where the game was decided on a controversial call. I had just returned to the TV when Ryan Lindgren was sent off for a “hooking” minor penalty on Sidney Crosby. I’m going to be clear. I used to hate Crosby like most of our fans because he’d embellish and complain to get calls like the one they made in a well played game. I don’t think that was the case here. This was on the refs for not noticing that Lindgren made a legal stick lift on Crosby who went down with the two close together.

The play in question was harshly criticized by many circles on Twitter including from people I follow. When even Mollie Walker questions the penalty, that should tell you something. She did in her story that appeared in today’s New York Post. Good blogger friend Sean McCaffrey was pretty outspoken about it. It didn’t gel with how such a fiercely contested game was officiated.

Of course, the Penguins took full advantage of the hooking and converted when Evgeni Malkin made a great shot off a Bryan Rust pass where he one-timed it against the grain past a moving Igor Shesterkin. It was a perfect shot. Not many can make that. He did.

Crosby made the play along the wall to set up the goal. He is a generational player who recently scored his 500th career goal versus the Flyers. I respect him and appreciate what he’s been. An all-time great. At this point, he’s not working the stripes or diving. That’s why I don’t pin it on him. That’s misguided. He didn’t make the call. Look at Tom Chmielewski (who?) and Steve Kozari. They decided it.

Still, the Blueshirts played well enough to win. They controlled enough of the third to create scoring chances on Pittsburgh. Unfortunately, Jarry made the key stops. That included one on Artemi Panarin prior to the Malkin power play goal. He also thwarted Chris Kreider a few times during the game. Sometimes, credit the goalie for coming up big. Jarry did. That included a power play where Marcus Pettersson repeatedly cross checked Dryden Hunt while he was down until they finally were forced to make a call.

Two things on the critical power play. The Pens did a good job taking away the Mika Zibanejad one-timer. They also limited time and space for Kreider. That forced the Rangers to move the puck around more for shots. That included a great opportunity for Adam Fox. But Jarry somehow saved it by getting his blocker on a high labeler. I don’t know how he saw it. He also denied a Jacob Trouba one-timer and allowed no rebound.

I thought Pittsburgh really defended well in front of Jarry the rest of the third. They back checked and made it tough for the Rangers on entries. Even though they had 10 shots in a very evenly played period with the Pens getting 11, they never found the equalizer.

Shesterkin also made a few sparklers to give his team a chance. That included a point blank denial on Jake Guentzel following a good Pittsburgh forecheck that forced Trouba into a turnover. He was so calm on it like he is most of the time. That’s what makes Igor so good.

It’s too bad the game didn’t go to overtime. Imagine a scoreless game between two rivals who could meet in the first round decided in extras. This was the first of four meetings. They’ll see the Pens three more times. The next one is March 25 at MSG followed by March 29 in Pittsburgh. The final meeting is April 7 at The Garden.

With the Hurricanes winning already today and where the Pens and Rangers are in the standings, I really think this will be your first round series. Home ice could be important. The Rangers have two extra games remaining. They enter tonight’s match versus the Canucks a point behind the Pens. They’re currently playing Columbus. At the very least, let’s keep pace.

J.T. Miller returns to MSG again. It’ll indeed be Miller Time at the world’s most vaccinated. Miller paces Vancouver in scoring with 57 points (20-37-57) in 51 games. The 28-year old versatile forward is over a point-per-game. He’s been on a roll lately. He checks in with 11 points over the past five games highlighted by a four-pointer in a home rout of Calgary. In that one, Miller scored on his first NHL penalty shot, leaving Flames’ backup Dan Vladar’s jockstrap in the stands.

A superb player, Miller’s name has been attached to the Rangers for some time. He once played here before the sell off by JD and Jeff Gorton where they got nothing back for both Miller and Ryan McDonagh. Amazing how bad that trade turned out. Nils Lundkvist can’t even break the lineup and probably doesn’t have a future due to Braden Schneider and Zac Jones. Brett Howden has rebounded with a solid year in Vegas. Libor Hajek is essentially an 8th defenseman. Vladislav Namestnikov went from Ottawa to Detroit where he’s still a solid secondary forward I think Chris Drury should consider to upgrade the third line. I don’t think we’ll ever see Karl Henriksson. Yikes.

As for Miller, he has another year remaining on a contract that pays him an average of $5.25 million on the cap. He earns $6 million for ’21-22 and $4.5 million in ’22-23. Obviously, his asking price will go up when he hits unrestricted status at 30 next year. He turns 29 on March 14. Would I make the trade for him? It all depends on the cost. It’ll be more than people think. He’s a better player and point producer than Tyler Toffoli, who the Flames added. If you think they’re getting him for Lundqvist, Vitali Kravtsov and a first, I doubt it. They probably would ask for Brennan Othmann or Will Cuylle. They also reportedly have interest in Schneider, which is a non-starter for me.

It’ll be Alex Georgiev reappearing in net tonight for the Blueshirts. We’ll see if he stayed sharp enough.

One final point. Why is it okay for the NHL to punish Brad Marchand for repeat offenses, but not another established star like Nathan MacKinnon? The six games Marchand got for his lunacy were justifiable. You can’t react that way by going after and punching Jarry and then hi-sticking him. It was ridiculous. He needs to wise up.

As for MacKinnon, he can do whatever he wants. At least that’s how it looks. Ask Nolan Patrick and Vegas. Or the linesman who MacKinnon whacked. WTF?!?!

https://twitter.com/Parker85/status/1495878758888312835?t=LvyDTAp0jkSa0aWMJjQsqA&s=19

This is why the league can’t be taken seriously. Zero consistency. MacKinnon delivered a blindside hit to Patrick’s head. Anyone that knows Nolan Patrick’s history knows how reckless it was. And MacKinnon got nothing. Not even a slap on the wrist. Brutal.

That’s all for now. I’ll have something later on tonight’s game. Enjoy it.

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A Rangers Pioneer Part I: Emile “Cat” Francis

Posted on February 26, 2022 by Derek
Emile Francis stands behind the Rangers bench looking on. The Cat passed away at 95 last Saturday on February 19th, 2022. On Part I, we take a look back at his beginnings with the Blueshirts.

On Saturday, Feb. 19, 2022, the Rangers lost a legendary pioneer. Emile “Cat” Francis was a huge part of the Original Six franchise. He was 95.

It was as a coach and general manager that he helped shape the team from also rans into Stanley Cup contenders. A former goalie who did have a brief NHL stint with the Blueshirts in the early 1950’s after getting his start in Chicago, Francis was a backup who was a Ranger between ’48-49 to ’51-52.

Most interesting is that he was traded to Cleveland (AHL) for future Maple Leafs Hall Of Famer Johnny Bower. Bower lasted three years before he was dealt back to Cleveland. Eventually, the Leafs claimed him. The rest is history.

After spending the rest of his pro career playing minor league hockey until 1960, he made the transition to management. Francis first was an assistant general manager with the Rangers before taking over as GM in 1964. Eventually, he’d double as coach the following season.

As a GM and coach, Francis made his mark in the Big Apple. For years, the Rangers had been a struggling franchise that didn’t make the playoffs when there were six teams. The Original Six era saw the top four teams qualify for the postseason with Stanley Cup Semifinals and Finals determining the winner.

In fact, the last time they made the playoffs was in ’61-62. They lost to the Leafs in the Semifinals four games to two. Toronto won three consecutive Cups from 1962-64. Bower was the goalie for all of them. He also was part of their last Cup in ’67 with Terry Sawchuk getting six of the eight wins.

During that era, Andy Bathgate was the captain and team leader. A great Ranger who won the Hart in ’58-59 when at the age of 26 he had 40 goals and 48 assists for a career best 88 points in all 70 games, the popular center only made the playoffs four times in NYC. Sadly, the Blueshirts never advanced past the Semifinals. His final appearance with them was in ’61-62 when they lost to Toronto.

In a twist of fate, Bathgate was traded to the Leafs two years later. On Feb. 22, 1964, he was sent to Toronto with Don McKenney for Arnie Brown, Bill Collins, Dick Duff, Bob Nevin and Rod Seiling. Of the five players they acquired, Nevin and Seiling both stuck around a while and were part of the late 60’s rebuild by Francis that led to the Rangers becoming Cup contenders in the early 70’s.

While Bathgate won a Cup with the Maple Leafs in ’64 where he put up five goals and four assists, both Nevin and Seiling produced well for the Blueshirts. They easily could’ve been part of a Stanley Cup roster. If not for a bad break in ’71-72 with Jean Ratelle breaking his ankle on March 1 that season, they probably beat the Bruins to win the Cup in ’72. Instead, Ratelle returned for the Stanley Cup Finals and was not himself in a crushing six-game series defeat to Boston. Had he been healthy centering the GAG Line with Rod Gilbert and Vic Hadfield, that would’ve altered history.

It was under Francis that the Rangers became a good team. In fact, they never missed the playoffs from ’66-67 to ’74-75. By the 70’s following 1968 Expansion, teams had to go three rounds to reach the Stanley Cup Finals. It wasn’t as easy to get there. Especially with the Bruins, Canadiens, Blackhawks and later the Flyers standing in the way.

When looking at the Emile Francis Rangers Era, we have to take into account some of the Hall Of Fame talent they faced during that time. Boston had the incomparable Bobby Orr and Phil Esposito leading the way along with John Bucyk and Gerry Cheevers. Along with Ken Hodge, Derek Sanderson and Wayne Cashman, they were a handful. Montreal featured Guy Lafleur, Pete Mahovlich, Steve Shutt, Larry Robinson, Ken Dryden, Guy Lapointe, Serge Savard and Jacques Lemaire. Some of the greatest collection of talent ever assembled.

The Blackhawks boasted Stan Mikita, Bobby Hull, Tony Esposito, Dennis Hull along with Pit Martin and Jim Pappin. They even reached the Final after Bobby Hull bolted for the WHA for more money in Winnipeg. He was 33 when he left the NHL. At the time, he came off his fifth career 50-goal season. What if The Golden Jet had stayed in Chicago? Hull scored 610 goals in the NHL. 604 came as a Blackhawk. There’s no telling how many he would’ve scored.

This exemplifies the kind of high caliber talent you had to face. It was no picnic. That was truly a different era for hockey.

When he first took over at 39 and replaced Red Sullivan in ’65-66, the Rangers weren’t good. They were a bad team that hadn’t been to the playoffs since 1962. In his first year behind the bench, Francis went 13-31-6. Overall, they finished 18-41-11 with 47 points to rank sixth.

At the time, the team had some good players who Francis could build around. They included Gilbert, Ratelle, Hadfield, Nevin, Seiling and Ed Giacomin. Harry Howell was near the end of his Rangers career.

In fact, the Hall Of Fame defenseman won his only Norris in ’66-67 when Francis guided the Blueshirts back to the playoffs. Poetically, Howell became the answer to a trivia question. Who was the last defenseman to win the Norris before Orr? He would own the award over a record eight consecutive years.

Over the next couple of seasons, some new faces would help turn the Rangers into a playoff contender. Names that became synonymous with the franchise’s success under Francis. In the next part, we’ll take a look at those key players who provided fans with plenty of excitement to usher in the new Madison Square Garden that opened its doors in 1968.

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Devils improved offense, same old goaltending lead to mixed results

Posted on February 26, 2022 by hasan4978

The best thing I can say about these last two games – besides the improved offense – is just the mere fact at least hockey’s back to stay for a while, until the end of the season in another two months anyway. In terms of meaningful hockey for fans, the season ended a while ago for the Devils but with a young team you can still get some value out of stretch run games. Particularly given we’re finally starting to see some consistent production (and health) from the Devils’ key young forwards. Since coming off the COVID list, Jack Hughes has put up three goals and six assists in a mere four games. Jesper Bratt is still humming along with four goals – and five points – in these two post-break games and captain Nico Hischier is starting to add more offense with six goals and nine points in his last seven games. Even a guy like Yegor Sharangovich is starting to find more consistency with four goals and five assists in his last six games.

Somewhat coincidentally, those six games have been one of the best stretches offensively we’ve seen from the Devils in quite some time – with thirty goals total over that stretch. You would think the team would be able to win at least five of those six games where you’re averaging five goals a game. Unfortunately this team only managed to win three out of six, underscoring the defensive and goaltending issues that are still very real. Sure it was nice to see Dougie Hamilton finally back after his own bout with COVID, a broken jaw and a couple of other so-called minor injuries but is he even 100% yet? Can’t say I trust the medical team after rushing other guys back to play this season and seeing them get hurt again – specifically our two starting goalies.

Either way it’s troubling when you have games with your supposed starting defense all nominally healthy coughing up eight goals last night, including three on the PK. Other than Hamilton and 2021-22 breakout player (or a close second behind Bratt) Jonas Siegenthaler, there isn’t one guy on this D I can say should be here next season. It’s iffy whether PK Subban will even finish this season with the team given his impending FA status. Although his cap figure makes it difficult to move him, I’m sure there’ll be some kind of a market at 50% retained – assuming they even get enough back to bother flipping Subban. Ty Smith probably will be here but my god, talk about a sophomore slump…he may be a Hughes buddy but sooner or later they’re gonna have to make a hard decision with this kid if he keeps struggling. Damon Severson and Ryan Graves both will be free agents after next season and contract decisions will probably have to be made on both this offseason, and both bring different skillsets to the table making a decision on each more interesting.

Severson is clearly the better offensive player with thirty points in 50 games this year, and makes plays that you go ga-ga over like his stretch pass to Bratt for a late second-period goal last night. Last night was peak Severson though, cause he gave back that goal with his horrendous positioning on a two-on-one conceding not only the shot but the front of the net on Kirby Dach’s tiebreaking goal late in the third period, essentially turning a two-on-one into a breakaway. What Severson creates offensively, he tends to give back offensively given the fact he somehow has a -15 with thirty points while Graves conversely has twenty points but is only a -1, so clearly Graves is better defensively though it’s not like he’s been all that great either since a hot start. I doubt the Devils wind up re-signing both so we’ll see what Fitzy does this offseason.

I’ve held off mentioning the goaltenders’ (specifically dumpster pickup Jon Gillies) role in the fact we’ve somehow lost last night as long as I could – in regulation no less – after scoring five goals, and in our last game before break number two, Gillies coughed up a 3-1 second period lead to the Lightning with a series of soft goals. I almost feel like a bully picking on Gillies at this point though, I mean he’s essentially our fourth goalie with the top two being injured seemingly for good this season, and the third string guy (Scott Wedgewood) doing his best to ruin the Arizona tank since getting claimed off waivers by the Coyotes, with a .908 save percentage in twenty starts there. I almost don’t even count Nico Daws and Akira Schmid – both of whom should be in Utica for the rest of the season – but to be fair to Daws he actually had a couple of the team’s best goaltended games this year – a sloppy win against Buffalo early in the season and Thursday’s shocking 6-1 blowout of the Penguins. Maybe he’ll get some run in the next couple weeks, but Fitz needs to get another goalie in here regardless, I’m tired of hearing about how teams are hoarding goalies via the taxi squad and COVID, you can’t keep having these kids lose these type of games and start pressing cause they have to play perfect to win with this bad goaltending and questionable defensive system.

I guess you could say at least the Devils are making games entertaining to watch but pond hockey with atrocious goaltending is the polar opposite of what we were used to around here for so long. It probably serves the purpose of being more entertaining for fans in a hopeless season, not that it did me much good since I couldn’t watch the Thursday game and was paying more attention last night to the back-and-forth pond hockey special. I’ll probably be there on Monday for my first game in a few weeks, with the mask mandates still annoyingly in effect, at least through that game. Maybe by the week after the mandate will be lifted when the Devils have four home games in six days. That, even more than the pond hockey will at least make me want to go to a few more of the games before we finally get the super long summer break we’ve become too used to as Devils fans.

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Lafreniere shines in strong win over Capitals, Reaves turns Wilson into a ghost, Kreider gets 34th as Rangers move into second with the Penguins on deck

Posted on February 25, 2022 by Derek
Alexis Lafreniere celebrates his goal in the second period of a 4-1 win over the Caps. AP Photo by New York Rangers via Getty Images

Way back in October, there was so much anticipation for the season opener at Washington. That fell flat along with the Rangers, who dropped a 5-1 decision to the Capitals on Oct. 13.

There were no fireworks then. In Game 51 of 82, it was a complete role reversal. Even as ESPN aimlessly lobbied for a showdown between Ryan Reaves and Tom Wilson that only Mark Messier dismissed, there was nothing but total domination. In the second of only three match-ups, the Rangers had their way with the Capitals. Led by Alexis Lafreniere, they easily won 4-1 at a packed MSG to avenge the early loss.

Taking advantage of a flat Caps team that hadn’t played in a week, the Rangers were simply better throughout the match. In fact, it was by far their best effort since returning from the very long break.

Unlike the sluggish starts that had become a bad pattern, it was the Rangers who had the better of the play. Although it might not have showed in the shots which favored the Caps 11-7, that was meaningless. Most of Washington’s 37 total shots including 17 in the third period came from the outside. That doesn’t work against Igor Shesterkin, who came within 62 seconds of a shutout. No thanks to Bob Wischusen.

Even though he didn’t get the zero next to his name which drives fans nuts, Mika Zibanejad didn’t seem to mind. In the postgame, he spoke about how the much the two points matter. While they won’t be pleased about losing focus late to negate the shutout, they are now up to 71 points. When they play the Pens for the first time on Saturday afternoon on ABC (time warp), the first of four meetings will be for second place in the Metropolitan Division. Combined with a 6-1 Pens’ loss to the Devils, the Rangers moved a point ahead of Pittsburgh.

It’s exciting to have meaningful hockey back. These division games are where it’s at. Too bad the NHL schedule makers think that emphasizing match-ups outside the conference are more important. It’s similar when you have our team playing the Atlantic Division the same amount of times in some cases as an old rival like the Capitals. It doesn’t make sense. Be that as it may, all they can do is play the games on the schedule and win.

While ESPN continued to exaggerate a false storyline that ended last year under former bench boss David Quinn, all the Rangers did was out-skate, outwork and protect the house better than Washington. Even with them getting T.J. Oshie back and Justin Schultz, most of the big name Caps were missing in action. Where were Alex Ovechkin, Nicklas Backstrom, John Carlson, Evgeny Kuznetsov and Wilson? The latter could’ve been on a milk carton.

Credit Ryan Reaves for turning Wilson into a ghost. He didn’t run around once at any Blueshirt. Artemi Panarin had nothing to worry about. I’ve never seen Wilson reduced to a spectator. He did nothing. The best part was the one time he lined up opposite Reaves, they both skated and it was Reaves who forced Ovechkin into a turnover that led to Barclay Goodrow converting a two-on-one that made it 4-0.

Ryan Reaves assist, 5 hits, +1 in 12:54

Tom Wilson 1 shot, 0 hits, -2 in 14:57

Advantage Rangers. About that whole thing on not trading for and signing Reaves to another year? Wrong. In fact, his fourth line with Goodrow and Julien Gauthier were superb throughout putting together a few good offensive shifts. They were noticeable.

In terms of the game, the first went fast. It wasn’t played with much intensity. Whether it was the layoff or something else, the Caps were lacking. It was mostly their secondary forwards who got shots on Shesterkin, who had no trouble stopping all 11. He didn’t have to stand on his head.

More notable was the improvement of Lafreniere. The 2020 top pick looked like it in this game. Coming back to make a defensive play and get the puck out, or taking a Zac Jones outlet and then gaining a step before making a great drop for a Mika Zibanejad one-timer goal by Ilya Samsonov, he was a factor. In one of his best games, Lafreniere scored a goal (11th) with an assist while finishing plus-three. The effort was recognized by the press who gave him the game’s First Star.

On the Zibanejad goal, it was a strong power move by Lafreniere to give himself enough time to find the trailer Zibanejad for a shot that was clocked at 100 MPH. That might’ve been hard enough to throw Samsonov off. Zibanejad’s 20th went through him for the game’s first goal at 12:57. It marked the fifth consecutive season Mika has scored at least 20. For his career, he’s done it seven times.

Aside from a needless Ryan Strome minor penalty at the conclusion of the first, it was a good period for the Rangers. I didn’t agree with the call. But he always seems to get them. The one he took at the end of the second was even worse. Someone needs to get in his face and tell him enough already.

Despite giving the Caps power plays, the Rangers got it done on the penalty kill. In fact, Washington couldn’t even muster a shot on the first two. The first was negated by an Ovechkin hook on Kevin Rooney over a minute into the second period. Following some four-on-four, the Rangers actually got some set up time on an abbreviated power play. It actually was their best look. The second power play in the third was abominable.

For once, they did it all at even strength. All four goals scored came during five-on-five. An area that’s been a sore spot in an otherwise good season. As Brian Boucher noted during the ESPN telecast, they entered the match only plus-one in five-on-five goal differential. This was a step in the right direction.

The second saw the old Patrick Division rivals even in shots (9-9). It just didn’t feel that way. While the Caps did generate shots on Shesterkin, only one or two could be considered quality. He didn’t face any traffic due to the defense boxing out. In particular, K’Andre Miller had a great game. He was very active throughout and used his skating and reach to create takeaways and stifle Washington. It’s one of the best games he’s played.

When the Capitals did get a few opportunities, it was mostly off a few Rangers’ turnovers. The best one was Garnet Hathaway. He got a step on Lindgren following a stretch pass. But Lindgren forced him to go to a backhand that Shesterkin easily read to deny.

With a little over a minute left in the period, a Caps’ mishap resulted in Lafreniere getting loose to tip-in a Lindgren point shot past Samsonov for a big goal. That increased the lead to two with 1:12 remaining. Ironically, I told our friend Jon that I thought Lafreniere was finding more chemistry with Zibanejad and Chris Kreider. His confidence is growing. It was evident on Thursday night. Fortunately, our friend saw him succeed live in a win. A nice reward for a good guy.

Even with the ridiculous Strome (that’s what I’m calling it) at the end of the second, it couldn’t put a damper on a good night. This time, the Caps got three shots on their third power play. Only one was dangerous with Shesterkin kicking out a shot and easily denying a Kuznetsov rebound in which Lindgren checked him. Washington went 0-for-4 on the man-advantage.

While it was the more desperate opponent who got more shots through in a 17-5 third period, it didn’t matter. Most weren’t high quality. Even Ovechkin found it tough to get off shots from his office. Even if he got one in garbage time to ruin the Shesterkin shutout, he was reduced to a non-factor.

It was just a matter of time before the Blueshirts put this one away. A familiar face decided to do it on a play he’s known for. During the broadcast, Leah Hextall noted that Kreider had a league-leading 15 goals off tips and deflections. The most since Tomas Holmstrom over a decade ago. Sure enough, he deflected an Adam Fox point shot that Samsonov couldn’t handle and easily put home the rebound for number 34 at 6:57. That broke a three-game drought. What a year for Kreider. If Shesterkin is Team MVP, Kreider deserves the Steven McDonald Award.

Following the goal which made it 3-0, finally the Caps showed some passion. They got more physical by going after Jones. He absorbed a heavy hit on a tough shift that later led to a turnover. Oshie also caught him at center ice, leading to Braden Schneider having words with the forward. Not surprisingly, the hitting picked up. Morgan Barron nearly got into it near the benches during a heated shift.

Even with the Caps continuing to throw shots on Shesterkin, he was a brick wall. For the game, he made 36 saves to improve his Vezina candidacy. He is 25-5-3 with a 1.98 GAA and .940 save percentage. Nobody has better numbers at this point. It’s astonishing how quickly the 26-year old has dominated at this level. His stick handling allows teammates to play freely.

Even with the increased physicality, it was a play by Reaves that really typified the night. He stripped Ovechkin of the puck and sent Kevin Rooney and Goodrow on a two-on-one. Rooney patiently got the puck ahead for Goodrow, who opened up the five-hole of Samsonov to tuck a backhand past him for his 11th at 11:09.

Game. Set. Match. They were that much better. It was decisive. So what if the shots were 37-21. That statistic didn’t matter. Anyone who watched closely knows it. This was a very satisfying win. One that really signaled how far this team has come since that ugly season opener.

The Rangers won’t be pushed around. Conor Sheary got into a battle with Lindgren in front of Shesterkin. That led to the two wrestling. The refs broke it up. Each received four minutes to end their nights. Lindgren is a glue guy. He might not be the biggest, but boy is he tough. He’s a warrior. Think Paul O’Neill. One of my favorite Yankees. Or Dan Girardi. He always got the jersey dirty and face. That’s Lindgren.

Unfortunately, Shesterkin lost the shutout when Ovechkin tallied career goal number 762 with 1:02 remaining. To be honest, it was doomed once Wischusen mentioned the word “shutout” with a few minutes to go. He got some hate for it. I laughed it off.

Now, it’s the Penguins tomorrow at 3 PM on ABC. Is it 2001 or 2002 again? I hated getting up early for those afternoon games in Bristol. Especially on a weekend. But once everything was sent out to the production crew, we took in the game on the ESPN Live Feed. If you’ve never experienced that, it’s classic. We got to hear the broadcasters off air make funny jokes and other cool stuff. Can I time machine back? That was fun.

Battle Of Hudson Three Stars 🌟 🤩 ✨️

3rd 🌟 Igor Shesterkin, NYR 36 saves on 37 shots including 16 of 17 in 3rd

2nd 🌟 Ryan Reaves, NYR assisted on Goodrow goal, 5 hits, turned Wilson into a pumpkin

1st 🌟 Alexis Lafreniere, NYR goal (11th), assist, +3 in 14:05

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Rangers Flashback: Tony Granato

Posted on February 22, 2022 by Derek
A look back at former New York Ranger Tony Granato. AP Photo via Getty Images

In 1988-89, the Rangers boasted a pair of rookies who had an immediate impact. Of course, Brian Leetch is well known. Following a 17-game cameo fresh out of Wisconsin in ’87-88, he scored 23 goals and had 71 points to win the Calder Trophy. Number 2 would go on to bigger and better things.

While Leetch was a huge part of a bright future for the club, there was another first-year player who certainly proved he belonged. That would be Tony Granato. Selected in the sixth round back in 1982, the University of Wisconsin product actually played with future starting goalie Mike Richter for the Badgers. So, the Rangers did quite well at drafting player who played at Wisconsin.

Unlike Leetch, who lasted one year in Wisconsin before making the jump to the NHL, Granato played all four seasons for the Badgers between ’83-84 to ’86-87. He was a good scorer totaling 100 goals and 210 points. That included 73 points (28-45-73) his senior year.

After a successful college hockey career, Granato played for the Colorado Rangers of the International Hockey League (IHL) in ’87-88. Ironically, so too did his former Badger teammate Richter. Other notables included Darren Turcotte, Ulf Dahlen and Ron Duguay. In 21 games, Granato performed well by scoring 13 goals with 14 assists and 27 points.

Afterwards, he joined the U.S. National Team. That roster featured Leetch, Richter, Kevin Stevens and Craig Janney. While Leetch went on to debut with the Blueshirts, Granato had to wait until the following season.

For a sixth round pick who went number 120 back when the league only had 21 teams, Granato impressed fans with his quick wrist shot. It found twine 36 times which paced the ’88-89 Rangers. Of the 36, 28 came at even strength to also lead the team. Interestingly, he also had the most shorthanded goals with four to best Leetch and Brian Mullen, who both had three.

Among the highlights were recording three hat tricks including a four-goal game versus Pittsburgh on Oct. 30, 1988. That came a week after he scored his first NHL goal on a nice pass from popular enforcer Chris Nilan.

Granato also added 27 assists. In 78 games, he finished with 63 points, a plus-17 rating and 140 penalty minutes. His first season was recognized. He finished third for the Calder trailing winning teammate Leetch and Trevor Linden. Kind of poetic in a sense considering Leetch and Linden would meet five years later when the Rangers played the Canucks for the Stanley Cup.

The ’88-89 Rangers qualified for the playoffs with a 37-35-8 record giving them 82 points. However, their postseason was short-lived due to the Mario Lemieux led Penguins, who swept them in the Patrick Division Semifinals. Granato had a goal and assist while Leetch put up three goals and two helpers to tie Tomas Sandstrom for the team lead.

Also in that series, Richter debuted making one start in Game Four where the Pens edged the Rangers 4-3 to eliminate them. Although they lost in four straight, Ranger fans had plenty of reason for excitement. With a bright future that included Leetch, Richter, Granato and late call-up Turcotte, things were looking up.

It was early in the ’89-90 season that a surprising trade was made by first-year General Manager Neil Smith. On Jan. 20, 1990, he dealt Granato and Sandstrom to the Kings for Bernie Nicholls. At the time, Granato had 25 points (7-18-25) in 37 games. Also a good Ranger, Sandstrom had 38 points (19-19-38) with 100 penalty minutes over 48 contests.

The trade definitely was a disappointment for me. I had become a fan of Granato and liked Sandstrom, who led the team in scoring the previous season. But Smith had other ideas. By acquiring the proven Nicholls, he decided to turn the Rangers into more serious players.

As it turned out, Nicholls lasted a year and a half before he was packaged with Louie DeBrusk, Steven Rice and future considerations for Mark Messier on Oct. 4, 1991. In essence, Smith turned Sandstrom and Granato into Messier and Jeff Beukeboom, who was later sent to complete the deal. Ironic how it worked out.

In regards to Sandstrom and Granato, they became part of a contending Kings roster that featured Wayne Gretzky, Luc Robitaille and Jari Kurri. In fact, Granato put up three consecutive 30-goal seasons between ’90-91 through ’92-93. He totaled 106 goals including a career best 82 points (37-45-82) during ’92-93. A season that saw him and Sandstrom play key parts in the Kings’ Stanley Cup Finals appearance against the Canadiens.

During their run, Granato had six goals and 11 assists while Sandstrom produced eight goals and 17 assists. Gretzky carried Los Angeles past the Maple Leafs in a memorable seven-game upset in the Western Conference Finals. He had 40 points (15-25-40) to lead all scorers. Unfortunately, the Kings fell short in five games to Montreal.

Following that season, the Kings fell apart in ’93-94 missing the postseason. Granato battled injuries that season, posting just seven goals and 21 points in 50 games. He spent two more injury riddled seasons in Hollywood before signing with the Sharks.

Granato put up 25 goals and 40 points in ’96-97 to win the Masterton Trophy. The last one where he eclipsed 20 goals. He would finish his career in San Jose. His last year was ’00-01. For his career, he recorded 248 goals and 244 assists for 492 points in 774 games with 1,425 penalty minutes.

The former Ranger moved onto a successful career as a coach. He was an assistant with the Avalanche and head coach. Colorado qualified for the playoffs twice in three seasons Granato spent behind the bench. He also was a top assistant with the Penguins and Red Wings.

Eventually, things came full circle with Granato returning to Wisconsin to take over head coaching duties in ’16-17. Although record wise they haven’t had a lot of success in the Big Ten, Granato has restored pride to the Badgers. Under his guidance, they’ve produced current NHL players Luke Kunin, Trent Frederic, K’Andre Miller and Cole Caufield.

Granato was recently inducted into the U.S. Hockey Hall Of Fame in 2020. A well deserved honor. A hockey lifer, the 57-year old American from Downers Grove, Illinois has returned home. After leading the Badgers to the Big Ten title last year, it’s been a tough ’21-22 season. They’re 9-20-3 overall.

How do I view Granato, whose short stint on Broadway indirectly resulted in his Rangers success leading to Messier helping the franchise win their first Cup in 54 years? As a good player, who didn’t back down from anyone. The former number 18 went onto a respected career even coming back from a brain injury due to a serious hit to the head. His perseverance in ’96-97 and surprising production as a Shark won him the Masterton for his inspiring comeback season.

All this time later, I still have a Granato ’89-90 rookie card somewhere. Whether O-Pee-Chee or Topps, it remains a nice card to have. Once a Ranger, always a Ranger!

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Strome snaps drought in hard fought 2-1 win over Senators, Panarin gets winner on power play, Shesterkin almost scores empty net goal

Posted on February 20, 2022 by Derek

Hockey is a game of inches. It was literally for Igor Shesterkin. With over a minute left and his team nursing a one-goal lead, he gathered the puck and took a good shot at the empty net. It looked like it was going in. The excitement in Sam Rosen’s voice was palpable. It just missed.

He was that close to scoring an empty net goal. For the Team MVP, it isn’t a shock that he can handle the puck and is a threat to score an empty netter. One day, it’ll happen. Instead, Shesterkin made a difficult stop with Brady Tkachuk in front to help preserve a 2-1 win for the Rangers over a pesky Ottawa team that skated without several regulars.

Shesterkin finished the game with 29 saves. Over half came in a good third period. He stopped all 15 Senators’ shots. The win improved him to a remarkable 24-5-3 in just 32 games. It’s that kind of superior goaltending he provides that has him as the frontrunner for the Vezina and possibly in the Hart discussion. Nobody has been better.

As special as Shesterkin is, he got enough help from his supporting cast in the win. Particularly Ryan Strome and Artemi Panarin. Strome entered the contest in a scoring slump with no goals in the last nine. He snapped out of it with a goal and assist to have a good game.

So did Panarin. The leading scorer for the Blueshirts helped set up Strome’s 10th and got the game-winning power play goal. With the Senators focused on stifling Mika Zibanejad and Chris Kreider (no goals in three straight), they needed the second line to step up. They got the job done.

Starts have been an issue lately. The first few shifts were controlled by the Rangers. Facing an opponent playing a back-to-back and sixth game over nine days, they looked better than the previous couple of games. However, they couldn’t get to third string goalie Filip Gustavsson early.

Instead, the Senators took advantage of a Filip Chytil turnover to start a quick counter and get the game’s first goal from Tim Stutzle at 4:52. Chytil carried the puck into the Ottawa zone, but lost it due to Nikita Zaitsev. Adam Gaudette moved it up for Stutzle who pulled up at the right circle and whipped a perfect shot past Shesterkin blocker side for his 11th.

In a tightly contested period, the Blueshirts were able to come back to tie it less than three minutes later. Patrik Nemeth made his return to the lineup after missing time due to COVID Protocol. In for Zac Jones on the third pair with Braden Schneider, he had one of his best games. It was his keep in that allowed Panarin to set up a good Schneider shot that went right to Strome, who kicked it to his stick before firing it in at 7:27. That was his first goal in 10 games.

With the game knotted, it was that third pair of Nemeth and Schneider was the Rangers’ best. They did a good job in their zone and jumped up offensively. That led to some sustained pressure. Schneider continues to play with confidence. His primary assist on the Strome goal gave him five points (1-4-5) in his first 13 games. He has assists in two of the last three. With the way he uses his size and defends along with the unique combination of skating, there’s reason for excitement. The third pair no longer feels like a weakness.

With no penalties called in another first period, the game remained even. Ottawa held a slight edge in shots 8-7. Both netminders played well. If there’s one noticeable difference since the extended break, the Rangers aren’t drawing many penalties. That means more play at five-on-five. An area they must improve at.

After a fairly even opening period, it was mostly Blueshirts in the second. At one point, they led in shots 10-2. Able to forecheck more effectively, they had a territorial edge in play. That included some good work from the third and fourth lines. Dryden Hunt did some grunt work throughout. Chytil improved his game. Ryan Reaves and Kevin Rooney worked diligently.

It was a strong shift from the second line that finally drew a penalty. The trio of Panarin, Strome and Barclay Goodrow had a good game. Finally, Panarin was hooked by Zaitsev for the game’s first power play.

On it, Ottawa really focused on stopping Mika Zibanejad from the left circle and Kreider in front. That meant more room for Panarin. He took a Zibanejad feed and took his shot. It beat Gustavsson for the key power play goal at 9:14. His 14th from Zibanejad and Strome proved large.

As well as they played throughout the second, Ottawa responded with a few good shifts to regain the momentum. Brady Tkachuk was active as usual. But it wasn’t just his line. A couple of turnovers allowed the Tyler Ennis line to apply some pressure. Ennis has always been a solid player. He was noticeable along with Connor Brown and Parker Kelly.

Hanging onto a one-goal lead, the Rangers never could find the insurance marker to pull away. Instead, it was the tenacity of Ennis that resulted in another strong shift. After K’Andre Miller was unable to clear the zone with the puck trapped in his skates, that allowed the Ennis unit to extend the offensive play in the Ranger zone. Finally, an attacking Ennis drew a tripping minor on Jacob Trouba.

On the power play for the first and only time, Ottawa created some chances. But Shesterkin wouldn’t allow them to draw even. The Senators had five shots on their one man-advantage. The Rangers had Shesterkin, who can be the difference maker in low scoring games. He was this afternoon.

The Sens never stopped pressing. They fired 15 shots in the final period. It wasn’t as if the Rangers didn’t get their own opportunities. They had 11 shots. That included a second power play when Panarin drew a hold on Nick Paul with 4:15 remaining.

Following a first half where they couldn’t get it done, a couple of whistles allowed Gerard Gallant to get his second unit off back in favor of the top unit. They never did get another puck past Gustavsson, who played well in defeat. He finished with 31 saves on 33 shots.

A couple of effective shifts spent in the Senators’ zone killed some clock. For a while, it didn’t look like Gustavsson would get to the bench for an extra attacker. However, after he finally did, Shesterkin saw the chance of a lifetime. Here is how close he came.

It really looked like it was going in. I thought so. I know my brother did after we discussed the exciting play that wound up turning into an icing with 1:15 left.

He might not have made history there joining the likes of Ron Hextall and Martin Brodeur. But one day soon, Shesterkin probably will do it. That’s how good he is at playing the puck. Something Mike Richter and Henrik Lundqvist could only dream of doing. That’s saying something. We’re talking about Rangers legends.

There was still the matter of the final 75 seconds. The Sens got one really tough point shot on Shesterkin with Tkachuk setting a great screen. Somehow, he saw it all the way and calmly gloved the puck away from harm’s way. He’s very focused. It is tough to beat him.

That save was the one that allowed him to already pick up his 50th career win. He made a little bit of history by doing so in his 79th game.

The win allowed the Blueshirts to pull within a point of the Penguins for second in the division due to Pittsburgh losing to Carolina 4-3 in regulation. With their next game not until Thursday against Washington, the Rangers have two games at hand on the Pens, who they still haven’t played. That’ll change real soon. Those will be big games.

For now, they’ll have the next three days off. Then, the schedule picks up. In between that, we’ll be thinking about Emile Francis. The Cat passed away on Saturday night at age 95. He was a huge part of the Rangers franchise. I’ll devote a separate post on what he meant to people like our father and the older generation who saw him turn around the team into Stanley Cup contenders during the 1970’s.

RIP Emile “Cat” Francis 💜🙏😥

https://twitter.com/BattleOfHudson/status/1495557840924196871?t=9fPeBrFQUUMXiJYvxXRErw&s=19

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A deserved point for Rangers in six round shootout loss to Red Wings, Staal cheered in return, Strome misses on chance to win it, Shesterkin save prevents loss in regulation

Posted on February 18, 2022 by Derek
Chris Kreider goes for a skate against the Red Wings. The Rangers dropped it in a shootout 3-2. AP Photo by New York Rangers courtesy Getty Images

Let’s be honest. Did the Rangers get what they deserved last night? Absolutely. All you had to hear was coach Gerard Gallant in a brief press conference indicate that his team got the one point they deserved.

For a second consecutive home game after the break, they weren’t good enough to win in regulation or even overtime. Instead, they left it to chance in the shootout. This time, their coin came up heads like in The Dark Knight with Harvey Dent. They lost to the Red Wings 3-2 in the sixth round of the shootout at MSG.

When you leave it to chance, even the unpredictable can happen. Who had veteran Thomas Greiss in the winner’s pool over Igor Shesterkin? Exactly. Greiss found a way to steal it for the Red Wings by stopping five of six shooters while also making 37 saves in 65 minutes of the hockey portion.

But as birthday boy Adam Fox put it afterwards, they got a point. It isn’t always perfect with this team. Take his shootout attempt. With a chance to win it in the third round, the birthday boy lost control of the puck before his attempt. That was later followed by Mr. Wide, Ryan Strome who had Greiss totally faked out but missed a wide open net to groans at the end of five.

That was the turning point. Shesterkin was unable to stop Pius Suter in the top of the sixth. That left it up to Filip Chytil. However, the way Greiss was seeing the puck, it wasn’t a surprise that he denied Chytil on his forehand attempt to clinch the win for Detroit. So, a 36-year old netminder who entered with over a 3.00 GAA won for the eighth time this season.

You wonder if Greiss felt like he was back in Islanders gear the way he played. Not that he owned the Rangers the way Semyon Varlamov used to. Maybe I spoke too soon. Although he didn’t get as many starts versus them, Greiss has never lost in regulation against the Rangers. For his career, he is now 6-0-1 in nine games with a 2.44 GAA and .931 save percentage. Strange but true.

Is it odd that they’ve never beaten him in 60 minutes? Yes. But it’s a small sample size. Hard to believe they didn’t face him more. But that is largely due to Varlamov. Greiss is a decent backup. They shouldn’t be struggling to score at even strength on him. An issue that must improve over the remainder of the season.

On paper, the Rangers had 39 shots. Thirty-six came at even strength including 33. The other three during another scintillating three-on-three overtime that again didn’t disappoint. The goaltending from both Greiss and Shesterkin was outstanding.

So too were a couple of back checks with Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin literally hustling back to help deny Artemi Panarin from winning it on a breakaway. It was an unbelievable effort. He also whizzed a last second shot high over Shesterkin on the other end. Larkin is very impressive. He looks like an emerging star now.

For a team that only has 13 regulation wins, the Wings aren’t far away. The additions of rookies Lucas Raymond and stud defenseman Moritz Seider have really sped up their rebuild. They still can use a couple of better defensemen to help out Alex Nedeljkovic, who’s been up and down since coming over from Carolina. But they’re on the right track.

If you thought this would be a cakewalk, you haven’t been paying attention. The Rangers struggled to beat the Bruins minus Patrice Bergeron and The Rat. While they aren’t great defensively, Detroit competes hard. They have some good skaters and game-breakers in Larkin, Raymond, Tyler Bertuzzi and the very polished Seider, who in my view looks to be as good as any young defenseman. He’s impressive.

Part of the problem for the Rangers is these slow starts. For a second game in a row, they fell behind early. On Tuesday, it was Charlie Coyle cashing in on a rebound off a turnover. This time, it was Troy Stecher who of course got his first of the season 2:18 in when his shot deflected off Zac Jones and past Shesterkin.

The flat start forced them to chase the game again. Something Gallant emphasized. It is an area that must be corrected. Too often, they rely on their all world goalie to bail them out. As special as Shesterkin is, he isn’t always going to be able to do it. Especially when the games get tougher. Think playoffs.

They can get away with the inconsistent play against a Detroit or Arizona. They won’t be able to in a seven-game series against a Pittsburgh or Carolina. It really becomes about sustainability. As much as we love this team, they still have a ways to go.

The game also marked the return of Marc Staal. He was given a nice video tribute by the Rangers and got a well deserved ovation from the appreciative crowd. In watching him throughout, he still gets the job done defensively. He might not play as many minutes, but Staal fits in well with the Red Wings. He’ll always be one of my favorites. The guy had so much heart coming back from injuries including a concussion by his own brother.

Five-on-five is a legit concern. Two goals in the first two games back isn’t going to get it done. They haven’t exactly earned many power plays. An area they excel at. If not for a Robby Fabbri tripping minor on Fox, Mika Zibanejad doesn’t bury his saucer pass for his 11th power play goal to tie the game with 8:09 left in the third period. Zibanejad sure has a rocket from his office.

A frustrating aspect is the play of Strome. A good player who’s been productive playing with Panarin, he’s been ice cold for a while. He went a ninth straight game without a goal. He only has four assists over that span. With three goals all coming in early January including the last versus Toronto on 1/19, Strome needs to hit the net more. A very unselfish player who thinks pass first due to Panarin, he can’t continue to be so predictable. The over passing leads to turnovers. Something Panarin is also guilty of. He passed up two wide open shots from prime scoring areas.

The Rangers are very top heavy. They really lean heavily on Panarin, Zibanejad, Chris Kreider to score a bulk of the goals. Throw in Fox and that’s most of the offense. Especially when Strome isn’t producing.

It’s why there’s going to be a tough decision coming for Team President and GM Chris Drury. While the defense might be straightening out due to the emergence of rookie tandem Zac Jones and Braden Schneider, an upgrade or two up front is needed. With over a month to go before the March 21 trade deadline, what will the organization decide? Good question.

As the first period moved on, the Rangers finally got going. A strong shift from the first line with Alexis Lafreniere, Zibanejad and Kreider helped the cause. Trailing by a goal, they came close twice to tying it. First, Panarin found open ice and fired a shot off the goalpost. Barclay Goodrow took a hi-sticking minor when he went to lift the stick of Bertuzzi. It put Detroit on the power play.

The Red Wings got a couple of good looks on the man-advantage. But Shesterkin kept them at bay. In particular, Seider looked very poised playing the point. For a 20-year old defenseman, he is really imposing. Not only can he defend well, but he knows when to go. His 35 points make him the leading candidate for the Calder over Raymond and Trevor Zegras.

Late in the period, it sure looked like the combination of Lafreniere, Kreider and Zibanejad had the tying goal. On a beautiful passing play started by Lafreniere, who’s gaining confidence, the puck came to Kreider who had Zibanejad for what looked like an easy one. But he missed. Probably out of frustration, Jacob Trouba took down Sam Gagner to hand the Wings their second power play.

It was a hard-working Goodrow who got off a shot shorthanded on Greiss late. With time winding down, Shesterkin denied a Suter tip-in to keep the deficit at one.

The second period saw the Blueshirts pick it up. A flurry that included good chances from Panarin and Chytil were stopped by a sharp Greiss. Goodrow also misfired on a close opportunity. That kind of night.

After Greiss calmly stopped Kreider, you wondered if they’d get one past him. It took a special play from K’Andre Miller to tie the game. Buoyed by his shootout heroics the other night, following a Goodrow face-off win back to him, Miller made a great individual effort to score on a wraparound just underneath Greiss’ pads. What a play. Miller’s fourth at 12:18 was one for the highlight reel.

Unfortunately, the momentum off the Miller tying goal was short-lived. A minute and a half later, Detroit struck back to reclaim the lead. On a Seider pass, Danny DeKeyser let go of a wide shot that took a favorable carom right to Larkin for a put away at 13:48.

Larkin is up to 26 goals. He’s doing it in obscurity on a team that won’t make the playoffs. At 25, the overlooked center is up to 52 points in 46 games and is plus-eight. Since Jan. 29, he has 14 points (6-8-14). Dating back to 1/15, Larkin has posted 10 goals and 10 assists for 20 points over 13 games. Flat out dominance.

That goal took some steam out of the crowd. Despite an 18-12 edge in shots, the Rangers still trailed by one after the second period. Overall, the shots were 26-23 Blueshirts headed to the third.

With the game hanging in the balance, things got heated. Following a cheap hit from Red Wings tough guy Givani Smith who caught Julien Gauthier from behind with the puck long gone, it led to Dryden Hunt standing up for his fallen teammate. He exchanged punches with the very imposing Smith, who got the better of it.

Of course, the Rangers somehow wound up shorthanded. Never mind the cheap shot from Smith on Gauthier should’ve been an interference minor. They didn’t even assess a penalty for that crap. Instead, they gave Smith a roughing minor while Hunt received a double minor for roughing. If there’s a point of contention with the NHL, it’s these types of calls. How can they justify it? This happens all the time. At worst, it should’ve been two apiece. But no. NHL logic. What a soft league. It really would be unbelievable if it weren’t so predictable.

Gallant absolutely gave the refs the business. They deserved it. So did the fans. The familiar, “These refs suck,” chants returned. A chant more common in the post lockout days during the Lundqvist Era. It felt like the days of sitting in Section 411 when The Garden was still the Garden.

Fortunately, the Red Wings got nothing going on their third power play. With it nearing conclusion, Fabbri got his stick into Fox to trip him up behind the Ranger net. Finally a power play. They sure needed it.

Once on the five-on-four, it didn’t take long to get it set up. After Panarin moved the puck up for Fox, he feathered a perfect pass into the wheelhouse for Zibanejad, who buried the one-timer top shelf past a helpless Greiss to tie the score with 8:09 remaining in the third. Filthy.

With the game tied, both sides looked to end it in regulation. Zibanejad got a great chance from point blank range. But Greiss stoned him. Then came a dangerous Larkin bid with under a minute to go. Given too much time and space, he had a great chance. But his laser ticketed for the upper portion of the net was coolly picked out of the air by the cat-like reflexes of Shesterkin.

Jaw dropping stuff as chants of, “Ig-or, Ig-or!,” rained down. Larkin could only look skyward in disbelief. Shesterkin’s brilliance has to get Hart consideration. There’s no question he’s the Team MVP. You listen to teammates interviewed such as Miller on Tuesday and they never doubt Igor. They have full confidence in him.

The overtime was exciting stuff. Similar to the Boston game, you had a lot happening. Zibanejad tried to end it early, but Greiss wasn’t buying. Bertuzzi got a chance that Shesterkin denied. Then it was Greiss’ turn to stop a Zibanejad tip-in that felt like game over. Shesterkin then stoned Bertuzzi again and made one more save on Fabbri.

The most exciting play during the three-on-three was when Shesterkin following a save had the presence of mind to outlet for a hanging Panarin. He just didn’t have enough steam to get in without Larkin racing back to make a great defensive play. Wow.

In the shootout, Raymond beat Shesterkin five-hole in the top of the first. Zibanejad replied back in the bottom half by using his forehand deke and tuck with Greiss guessing backhand.

Then, it became a game of chicken. In Round 2, Shesterkin aggressively challenged to glove away Larkin’s shot. Panarin tried one too many fakes with his forehand try denied by Greiss. Following Adam Erne losing control of his attempt, Fox also lost the puck at the end of the third round.

Following an easy save by Shesterkin on a weak Bertuzzi deke attempt, Greiss read Lafreniere and calmly padded away his wrist shot. It was in Round 5 that the skill competition could’ve been decided. After Shesterkin made Gagner’s attempt look bad, Strome came in with speed and had Greiss dead to rights. But he couldn’t score from a tough angle, sending the puck wide of the gaping net.

That set the stage for Suter. A good scorer who the Blackhawks didn’t re-sign, he simply made one fake and beat Shesterkin blocker side to put the Red Wings up. It came down to Chytil versus Greiss. He made a strong move. But Greiss was patient enough to stuff his forehand try to give Detroit their first win in three years over the Rangers.

The next game is at Ottawa on Sunday. They’re another young rebuilding club starting to come together. They’re winning more lately. Boasting pest Brady Tkachuk, Thomas Chabot and Tim Stutzle, they’ve gotten better goaltending lately from both Matt Murray and Anton Forsberg. Even without Drake Batherson and Josh Norris, they’re competitive. Don’t expect it to be a picnic.

The Rangers will need to bring their A game. It won’t be given to them. Even in the strange environment of Ontario where only a few thousand fans can attend thanks to the clueless Prime Minister.

Battle Of Hudson Three Stars 🌟 🤩 ✨️

3rd 🌟 Dylan Larkin, Red Wings goal (26th), 5 SOG in 8 attempts, 15-for-26 on face-offs, +1 in 24:36, tremendous defensive play to deny Panarin in OT

2nd 🌟 Igor Shesterkin, NYR 31 saves on 33 shots including a game saver on Larkin to get a point, MVP caliber

1st 🌟 Thomas Greiss, Red Wings 37 saves on 39 shots, stopped last five Ranger shooters to improve to 6-0-1 career vs them

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USA loses to Slovakia in quarterfinals upset at Olympics

Posted on February 16, 2022 by Derek

In case you’re wondering about the former Ranger coach, David Quinn had guided Team USA to a perfect record in Olympic preliminary action. They even beat Canada to earn the top seed in the elimination round.

None of that mattered. USA was upset by Slovakia 3-2 in a shootout to lose in cruel fashion in the Olympic quarterfinals in Beijing. While I haven’t actively followed the tournament, I was well aware that the group of Americans that featured several younger college prospects had done well.

That all ended on Wednesday. USA blew a 3-2 lead by giving up a late Slovakia goal that forced overtime. Following a scoreless OT, the game went to a shootout. Under Olympic rules, it’s five shooters just like soccer.

The problem was nobody could beat the Slovakian goalie. All it took was one goal in the fourth round and one more save to send a heartbroken American team home without a medal.

In the tell me where you’ve seen this before moment, here was some reaction to Quinn’s choice of shooters.

Matty Beniers is one of the best prospects in all of hockey. Having represented USA Hockey at the prestigious U20 World Junior Championships where he helped them beat Canada to win gold last year, it’s unfathomable that he wasn’t used by Quinn under the circumstances.

The Seattle Kraken first round pick has a bright future. He’s had a great year producing well for Michigan. While the less won’t have any long-term affect on the future top Kraken center, it had to be frustrating watching from the bench as five teammates were turned away.

In regards to Quinn, this is nothing new. He would frequently punish young players during his three years as Rangers coach. If they made a mistake, they’d be on the fourth line. Something that was frustrating.

While it’s true this was an entirely different situation, I can’t understand how Quinn didn’t use Beniers among the shooters. But what do I know. He made the decision. It’s an awful way to lose a big game. Especially knowing that they had opportunities to put it away in the third on the power play.

I don’t wish failure on Quinn, who is a good hockey man. But I wonder what’s next for him. Until then, there will always be this.

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