Battle Of Hudson covers the Rangers and Devils, who's intense rivalry heated up in the 90's. With fresh faces added, they battle for supremacy in NYC and NJ..
Of course, they couldn’t stop themselves from talking up the 24 comeback wins between periods. That means jack shit when this team plays these guys. I wanted to throw the remote control through the TV screen.
Shut up! Nobody cares how many times Adam Fox leads a rush. Steve Valiquette and his ridiculous clear sighted statistics. Or analytics. I don’t care about the 24 comebacks. If they can’t beat the Islanders in a dull, checking game when they’re not making the playoffs, what the flying fuck!
Shutout again by Semyon Varlamov for a FOURTH consecutive time at MSG! That’s embarrassing. Did he even have to sweat on the 27 saves? You know the answer. Zero net front presence. Not enough hunger to win at the ugly grinding game the Barry Trotz Isles play.
The final score was 3-0. Last time out, it was 2-1 on Saint Patty’s Day. That at least was competitive. They fought tooth and nail. But gave up a late goal to Kyle Palmieri. The coach and players weren’t dissatisfied with the effort.
These kind of games aren’t always easy on the eyes. But they have to get used to it. In the wins over the Pens and even the Canes, the Blueshirts were fine.
Although we can be honest and give a nod to overly critiqued Alex Georgiev for the win at Carolina. Don’t remind Ron Duguay. He’s ridiculous. I’ve lost respect for him with his views on Georgiev, who isn’t in an ideal situation. I hope he winds up elsewhere and makes Duguay eat crow.
If you do a podcast and are a Rangers alumni, you support the entire T-E-A-M. Duguay is a hypocrite. I don’t care about his relationship with Sarah Palin. That’s for losers. It’s like the moronic MSG telecast celebrating a Ranger and Islander fan. Can they be any more predictable?
It’s bad enough they play “Strike It Up,” for obnoxious super fan Larry Goodman. He’s a self promoting lunatic! I’m not saying he’s a bad guy. But the ridiculous lengths they go to push self-serving loons is absurd. Give me a fan who doesn’t need to be the center of attention and appreciates the team history.
By now, you probably understand this isn’t your conventional game summary. Yes. The Islanders got the first two goals from Casey Cizikas and noted sniper Matt Martin, who was left all alone early in the second on a Mat Barzal pass, it made you wonder if any Blueshirt was on the ice.
If you’re letting Martin score on Igor Shesterkin from a wide open slot due to miserable defensive coverage on only the Isles’ sixth shot, you’re not winning. The turnover Dryden Hunt had didn’t help.
Barzal is the last guy you want to see with the puck in transition. He also stole the lunch money from Braden Schneider and Patrik Nemeth early in the third when he blew right in and roofed a backhand past Shesterkin to end the suspense.
Alexis Lafreniere, who did have a solid game offensively, also was late on the coverage. He got caught puck watching. It was a total team effort. I won’t blame one player. They weren’t good enough. Something Gallant noted in a brief postgame.
How come whenever they face Barzal, he makes our defense look like a bunch of statues? They looked like traffic cones. Of course, that highlight reel goal also happened to be his 300th career point.
April Fools Day is supposed to be fun. Don’t tell Mets fans. It sure applies to the Rangers tonight. They really didn’t do enough to distract Varlamov. It was Groundhog Day at 33rd and 7th. They shot pucks into the crest and when there were rebounds, they were Julien Gauthier’d by Filip Chytil.
What is a Julien Gauthier? It’s when a player blows a scoring chance by missing the net wide. Or in Chytil’s case, hitting a goalpost within eight feet. That actually happened with the team down three.
You also had a steamed Gallant referencing the lack of physicality until the third when Ryan Lindgren delivered a hip check that Anders Lee didn’t like. They already were down 3-0 at that point. Lee would knock down Lindgren high. He’d later be held accountable by the ultimate team guy Barclay Goodrow.
Goodrow going after Lee the second after Lee gets out of the box. #21 is a great teammate. #NYR
We saw Artemi Panarin dance a lot without much success. And yet Joe Micheletti thought he was having a great game. But in the next breath, he and Sam Rosen couldn’t wait to bow down and pay the Islanders every compliment. It was maddening. Why don’t they hand them the trophy. It was their Stanley Cup.
Panarin (via translator): “We came out and shit our pants out there.”
The Islanders aren’t going to the playoffs. Thank God. I will spare you my thoughts on that. If they didn’t field an AHL roster in the Turkey Eve meeting on home ice, our team might be 0 for 3 in the season series. I wish I was joking. There’s one meeting left in Elmont. They better win.
In failing to do so on Friday night, they missed an opportunity to go back to three points up on idle Pittsburgh. They trail by a point for second in the division.
By now, it’s obvious Rangers vs Pens is a foregone conclusion. Home ice could matter. But I’ll take my chances with Shesterkin against Tristan Jarry. It is a fascinating match-up. But it isn’t only the goalies. It will probably be a great series.
For now, there’s still 13 games left. We’ll see how things shake out. The Rangers are off today. They return to The Garden to host the God awful Flyers. That better be a victory. They stink. But our side must show up ready to play.
If they don’t, it’s their own fault. Rather than say anything else derogatory, I’ll refrain further. This summary is a reflection of what our side put in. Which wasn’t much.
No three stars. Unless you’re an Islander fan or Sam and Joe waving the dark navy blue and bright orange pom poms. This was bad. It can’t be repeated.
It doesn’t matter how you win. That’s the takeaway from tonight’s 5-4 overtime win over the Red Wings at Little Caesars Arena in Motown. Considering how much of a struggle it was, the Rangers will take the two points and move on.
They earned their NHL best 24th comeback win of the season thanks to some late heroics from Chris Kreider and Andrew Copp. The victory moved them three points ahead of the idle Penguins and within three of first place Carolina.
With 14 games remaining, the Rangers are up to 44-19-5 and 93 points. They still have two home games versus the Hurricanes in April. Both are at home on April 12 and 26. Between that, they got the Islanders on April 1st on Friday at MSG. April Fools’ Day better go better than the last meeting.
Playing for a second straight night in a back-to-back following the emotional rollercoaster win over the Pens, it wasn’t easy versus the Red Wings. To be honest, I expected it. Detroit had an extra day off to stew over an 11-2 drubbing against the Pens. Unsurprisingly, they played much better in the Original Six match-up.
As expected, Gerard Gallant opted to start backup Alex Georgiev for the second time in three games. By resting Igor Shesterkin, it allows them to keep him fresh. Georgiev didn’t have a particularly good game. He allowed four goals on 26 shots. Two of the goals were ones he should’ve had.
At least he made some key stops late to help the team win a third straight game. Maybe we’ll see him on Sunday against the Flyers. However, Gallant might want to give Shesterkin both the Islanders and Flyers to get back into a rhythm. They have next Monday off before paying a visit at the Devils in six days.
Facing a struggling opponent that’s lottery bound, Gallant decided to dress Greg McKegg over Jonny Brodzinski. Not what I would’ve preferred. But Turk is the coach. Maybe he wanted to get the Keg Man back in. He centered the fourth line of Tyler Motte and Ryan Reaves, who seems to rise to the occasion on national TV. He’s now scored all three of his goals on TNT.
On a bit of a broken play, Reaves came away with a loose puck and beat Alex Nedeljkovic from in close for an unassisted goal at 3:23. That gave the Rangers an early lead.
But in a choppy period where they didn’t play well, it was the Red Wings who struck back. On a Taro Hirose forecheck, Michael Rasmussen took a pass and beat Georgiev through the wickets to tie it up at 9:59. His shot went off Jacob Trouba and right through Georgiev, who gave up a bad goal.
There has been a bad trend lately. The penalty kill continues to give up power play goals at an alarming rate. Despite having good personnel, this is an area the coaching staff must fix. Special teams are crucial in the postseason. They allowed the Wings to go 2-for-3 on the man-advantage.
With Copp off for tripping, Detroit cashed in late when Jakub Vrana took a good Moritz Seider feed across and ripped a wrist shot from the right circle past Georgiev with three seconds left in the power play. It was way too easy for Seider to make that diagonal feed to set up Vrana for a 2-1 lead with 2:37 left.
The better part was the immediate response by the Blueshirts. Filip Chytil tipped in a Patrik Nemeth shot for his first goal in 13 games. That came only 11 seconds later to even the score. Braden Schneider picked up a secondary helper giving him points in two straight games.
Considering the recent improvement, Chytil deserved that goal. It’s been a tough year. But his play has picked up. He has a goal and two assists over the last four games. Since Gallant moved Alexis Lafreniere back down with Barclay Goodrow, the third line has been more noticeable. They’re doing a good job creating chances off the cycle.
It also was Lafreniere who won the offensive draw back to Schneider to help set up Chytil’s seventh. Even though he didn’t pick up a point, the big face-off win allowed them to tie the score. A well executed face-off play.
Whenever Kaapo Kakko returns, I’m not sure I’d change that line. He might find it hard to crack the lineup. It all depends on if he’s back to full strength. The current lines are going well.
That’s without Ryan Strome, who missed his second straight game with a lower-body injury. Maybe Kakko can replace Dryden Hunt. But Hunt adds grit and is a good fit on the bottom line. Right now, he’s on the second line until Strome returns.
With only seven seconds remaining in the first, McKegg took an unnecessary tripping minor to hand the Red Wings their second power play. Once the teams returned for the second period, Detroit only took 29 seconds to go back ahead.
On another smart read from Seider after receiving a Lucas Raymond pass, he drew everyone to one side before finding a rotating Tyler Bertuzzi up top. Bertuzzi had time and space to fire a slap shot by Georgiev blocker side for his 26th. Georgiev wasn’t screened on the play. He just didn’t challenge enough.
It was still another blown assignment by the penalty killers. These follies can’t continue. What’s that now? Nine of the last 10 games an opponent has scored on the power play. They have to do a better job. Tighten it up.
With a secondary assist, that gave Raymond 30. He also has 20 goals which means the rookie is up to 50 points. That allowed him to become the first Red Wing rookie to record 20 goals and 30 assists in a season since the legendary Sergei Fedorov. Can you believe the Red Wings still haven’t retired number 91? Wow.
The Rangers again came back to tie it up later in the period. Before they did, an extended shift where Kreider was out with the fourth line had the Wings pinned in. But a terrific defensive play from Seider a minute in a half into his shift got them out of trouble. He was able to take away the puck from Kreider. Not easy to do.
Following that shift, out came Artemi Panarin with Zibanejad and Frank Vatrano. He made the most of it. On some sustained pressure by Vatrano behind the net, he was able to center for a Panarin one-timer that beat Nedeljkovic far side with 7:45 left in the second. His 18th goal.
If he thinks shot more, that makes the Bread Man more dangerous. With two more helpers tonight, he’s up to 62. That gives him 80 points. Imagine if Panarin shoots more. A scary thought considering it hasn’t been his best season.
On the next shift, Nedeljkovic was able to deny a Copp backhand. On the opposite end, Georgiev stopped Danny DeKeyser from long distance. Raymond had a better chance, but sent his shot wide.
Jacob Trouba delivered one of his big open ice hits when he leveled Rasmussen. Another clean check. This time, there was no retaliation. Just the Red Wings going back at Trouba when they could. That’s hockey.
Off a good rush, Lafreniere skated into open space and fired a wrist shot wide. It was a good opportunity. Hit the net and maybe he scores. His confidence is growing. We’re seeing him carry the puck more and get off that shot. A positive.
After a stoppage, it was an aggressive Lafreniere who forced Gustav Lindstrom to hook into him. That gave the Rangers their first power play. That it came with 2:22 remaining in the second isn’t a good look. Neither was the five-on-four.
They got one chance early. Zibanejad was unable to lift the puck in tight to beat Nedeljkovic, who made the save. That kept it tied at three headed to the third period.
If you were looking for a better third, it didn’t happen right away. Instead, the Red Wings again re-took the lead thanks to a face-off play. Pius Suter beat Zibanejad to get the puck back to Marc Staal. The former Ranger was able to fire a shot that took a Detroit bounce right to Adam Erne, who fired a backhand off Adam Fox past a frustrated Georgiev at 5:56.
For a while, it looked like they’d come up empty against a bad team. Lafreniere took a tripping minor to put the Wings back on the power play. Thankfully, the penalty kill finally got the job done. That gave them a chance to come back.
One thing we know is this team doesn’t give up. No matter how they’re playing, they usually find a way. That’s exactly what they did on Wednesday night.
A little after Nedeljkovic stopped Kreider twice, Lindstrom took down Hunt. That would prove to be the turning point. On the man-advantage for a second time, Zibanejad tried a set play for a Kreider deflection at the side of the net. But Nedeljkovic gloved it.
However, the combination of Fox and Panarin worked the puck down low for Kreider. Looking back door, he had his pass bank in off Seider past Nedeljkovic for his 46th goal to tie the score at four with 3:38 remaining.
The power play goal was number 24 for Kreider. He tied Jaromir Jagr’s franchise mark for a single season set in ’05-06. He’s now four away from the 50 Goal Club. There are 14 games left. It would be great if Kreider joined the Rangers’ exclusive list that includes Vic Hadfield, Adam Graves and Jagr.
On another shift spent on the top line, Panarin received a Zibanejad pass in perfect shooting position. Instead of one-timing it, he opted to pass for Vatrano, whose shot was stopped by Nedeljkovic. That is one Panarin has to shoot. He had the better scoring opportunity.
With under a minute left, Chytil had a nice rush and got off a tough backhand that Nedeljkovic handled. He’s more confident with the puck. A good sign. Maybe they made a wise decision not moving him. Especially if the third line continues to perform. Secondary scoring is going to be needed.
The game would need overtime. During the three-on-three, the Red Wings had the first couple of chances to end it. But on a night that he struggled, Georgiev twice denied Bertuzzi to come up large.
Finally, Copp won a defensive draw back to Panarin. He then let the Bread Man work his magic. Copp then lost Bertuzzi in coverage. As Panarin flew down the right wing, he made a bullet pass for Copp that he sniped over the right pad of Nedeljkovic for the overtime winner at 1:34.
Copp called game. He now is up to seven points (2-5-7) in five games. The guy I was pushing for has fit in perfectly. He can play anywhere and makes things happen. Without Strome, he’s centering the second line and they’re not missing a beat.
In his home state, Andrew Copp scores his first career OTG.
Copp tallies a point for a sixth-straight game, establishing the longest point streak of his career.
The 42 points (15-27-42) are a new career high between the Jets and Rangers. He’s increasing his value. What a pickup by Derek Felix Chris Drury! It’s not often I get it right. I’ve watched the good Copp for a while. He makes a difference.
Onto Friday. The Islanders are back in town for another game at The Garden. Last time out, they got the late goal to win a goalie duel in regulation. Needless to say, every game matters. The Rangers will have to play better to get the win.
Battle Of Hudson Three Stars 🌟 🤩 ✨️
3rd 🌟 Moritz Seider Red Wings 2 primary assists, 2 takeaways, 3 blocks, +1 in team high 23:44, deserves the Calder
2nd 🌟 Andrew Copp NYR scored OT winner (2nd as a Ranger), 5 SOG, 9-and-6 on draws, +2 in 17:37
1st 🌟 Artemi Panarin NYR goal (18) plus 2 assists (61, 62), +3 in 17:50
The end of last night’s game is still being discussed in some hockey circles. Why not? It’s not everyday that you have such a wild conclusion to a game.
Fortunately, the Rangers held on for the 3-2 win over the Pens to move into second place in the Metropolitan Division. I doubt they had missing at least four empty nets and needing a gigantic Igor Shesterkin save on Jake Guentzel in coach Gerard Gallant’s manual.
The ridiculous sequence where Andrew Copp passed over for Mika Zibanejad followed by Chris Kreider and Barclay Goodrow was how not to close out an opponent. But it sure was entertaining. If you can stand the excitement.
Kevin Weekes broke it all down on NHL Network. The best part was the praise he gave Rickard Rakell for how he played goalie by getting up against the near goalpost. Yes. It’s okay to acknowledge that. Even if it drove our fans nuts. Here is Weekes’ illustration below.
The @penguins made some UNREAL saves to protect their empty net!
My response got a like from Weekes. Hopefully one day soon, he’ll be hired as a Team President or GM. He deserves it. The former goalie is a wealth of knowledge. He has many contacts around the league and is now breaking trades. He’s the man!
Do you think if Copp did it over again, he would take the shot instead of being unselfish by passing over for Zibanejad? It was open! Hopefully, Gallant had the team go over how to score into an empty net prior to tonight’s game in Detroit.
The game isn’t on MSG. It’s on TNT which means face-off isn’t until 7:45 PM. That’s national TV for you. Hopefully, there won’t be any weird camera angles that make the viewer feel drunk.
The chaotic sequence at the end of an intense rivalry game summed it up perfectly. When the buzzer sounded as a Kris Letang desperation shot sailed wide, the Rangers had held off the Penguins’ late comeback attempt to earn a 3-2 win in Pittsburgh.
What a dramatic conclusion it was. If you love rivalry games that have significance, this was it. As much as they controlled large portions, the Rangers could never put away the pesky Pens.
The likely first round opponent got a Sidney Crosby power play goal and made their push. Having been shutdown by a stingy Ranger defense following the Crosby tally that made it a one-goal game with 9:23 left, the Penguins lifted Tristan Jarry after an icing with 2:32 remaining. What happened next was wild.
Even after a Crosby face-off win with a six-on-five attack, the Rangers got in the lanes and took everything away. The crazy part is they had at least four cracks at the empty net. Whether it was Kreider having a shot blocked or Barclay Goodrow flat out missing, they couldn’t score on an open net. Even without Ryan Strome, this was like watching Julien Gauthier fire blanks on a breakaway.
All the great chances to put it away and they somehow kept the Pens alive. Evgeni Malkin checked Mika Zibanejad from behind. He was milking the clock. The only missed call in what was a good officiated game. Had they given up a tying goal, Gerard Gallant would’ve fumed at the bench. Thankfully, it didn’t come down to that.
They can thank Igor Shesterkin for making a clutch save to stone Jake Guentzel on the doorstep. He made that one huge stop to deny Guentzel of forcing overtime. That close to regretting all the shots at the empty net they blew.
Shesterkin wasn’t called on for too many saves. There was a long stretch where he didn’t see any rubber. The Pittsburgh crowd groaned at their team for a lack of shots during a tentatively played second period. However, they picked it up by getting 11 on net in the third. Shesterkin stopped 10 of 11 on his way to 23 saves for his 32nd victory.
Despite totally outplaying their opponent in a lopsided first period, the Rangers couldn’t beat Jarry. Unlike Friday’s 5-1 win on home ice where they got three quick ones before five minutes elapsed, they had trouble with a much sharper Jarry. In fact, his brilliant play was the difference early. He made nine saves including absolute gems to rob Frank Vatrano and Zibanejad.
So effective was the forecheck that it gave the Pens fits. After an initial good start, they really struggled with the new Gallant lineup. Without Strome, Andrew Copp centered Artemi Panarin and Dryden Hunt. That line was excellent.
Filling in on the fourth line was ex-Penguin Ryan Reaves. He played with Jonny “Soda” Brodzinski and Tyler Motte. The latter had another strong game. It won’t be long before he gets one. He works so hard. What a steal for Chris Drury. A fourth round pick for a player Turk can use anywhere.
One Blueshirt that didn’t need an invitation to shoot the puck is Jacob Trouba. He never hesitates. He attempted at least four in a terrific first period. Jarry had to make some tricky saves on low Trouba shots. He also would have the benefit of a goalpost later in the period.
On the flip side, Shesterkin came up with his best save when he stayed right with Bryan Rust to deny his backhand deke. It was the result of a Vatrano turnover at the point. Rust broke in and instead of going shot, went for the deke and backhand that a too quick Shesterkin slid across and got.
Despite icing the puck repeatedly, it was the Pens who grabbed the lead. On a Letang pass across, Brian Dumoulin had his long shot redirected by Brian Boyle for his ninth with 5:36 remaining. Not much Shesterkin could’ve done. The sound strategy paid off. Boyle got position on Ryan Lindgren for the gritty goal. That’s who he’s always been.
Then off a Alexis Lafreniere forecheck behind the net, he moved the puck up top to K’Andre Miller. He then got it to Trouba for a one-timer that rang off the goalpost. He was the best Ranger in the period. Trouba really had an outstanding game. He was involved later on.
Late in the first, Motte would get another opportunity to score. But his shot from the right circle hit the outside of the net. He keeps getting chances due to his speed and awareness. Eventually, he’ll get rewarded. The attention to details is why I love this pickup. When Kevin Rooney returns in April, he’s not coming out of the lineup.
The score remained 1-0 Pens at the end of one. That was despite a 9-5 edge in shots for the guests. Even though they trailed, you had to come away feeling good about their effort. Braden Schneider did the intermission interview and indicated so. He also discussed what he has to do to stay in the lineup.
Also during intermission, Henrik Lundqvist couldn’t help but feel for Kevin Lankinen while John Giannone did the MSG 120. The Blackhawks blew a 4-0 lead and 5-4 lead to lose 6-5 in regulation to the Sabres. The game-winner banked off the back boards and then Lankinen, who broke his goal stick in frustration. Sean McCaffrey of bluecollarblueshirts.com loved what Lundqvist said.
Hank on the Sabres' GWG from last night: I would've smashed my stick too lol #NYR
I laughed at it as well. We know Lundqvist would’ve done the same. How can anyone forget some of his emotional outbursts after bad goals or missed goalie interference calls? Henrik had that fire. He showed it. He was one of us.
Last night was Garden Of Dreams Night. Nobody does it better than MSG when it comes to raising money for underprivileged kids. It was a rousing success. Lundqvist didn’t have to shave his head. A side bet with Steve Valiquette if they didn’t raise at least $100,000 for the worthy Garden charity. McCaffrey even put his money where his mouth was after winning on some of his wagers.
Won money on the game and living up to my word. Don’t care if I win anything, but if I do – please no Vagistick! I want a Micheletti signed puck, with the inscription of “FABULOUS” on it! #nyrpic.twitter.com/BSaQ3qBQBI
The Garden of Dreams is the best thing they do. It puts people who need help first. Something Lundqvist always did. No matter what kind of game he had, he is a selfless person. Congrats to all involved.
I also want to note that Eugene Melnyk passed away on Sunday. He was the owner of the Ottawa Senators. Melnyk was sick. Not much was known. It was handled privately. He was 62. Very sad news. They had a moment of silence before the Ottawa at Nashville game. Sending my thoughts to the Melnyk and Senators family.
Most of my game stories, I don’t usually have to make such important notes. But Melnyk was part of the NHL family. The hockey community mourns his loss. I sure hope the Senators can continue to survive. Their rebuild is starting to produce some good players. It won’t be long before they’re back to respectability.
Back to the game. If the first was largely controlled by the Rangers, the second period was a hard one to summarize. That’s because it consisted of two different parts.
The first half saw the Pens pay closer attention to defense by making it more of a deliberate pace. They also forechecked more. The odd part was the lack of shots. At times, they passed a few up due to Shesterkin. One of the obvious reasons is unscreened shots don’t work. They tried to get bodies to the net.
The other reason for so few shots was the improved Ranger defense. They are doing a better job coming back and taking away the inside. Particularly from Trouba and Miller, who each logged over 25 minutes. They were matched up a lot against the Crosby line. They were held in check at five-on-five.
It was becoming frustrating watching Jarry make the key stops. That included one on Panarin, who had a second straight very good game. By that, I mean overall. He didn’t make bad decisions with the puck and was active defensively even registering two hits. If he plays like that in May, that could bode well.
Lindgren took an interference minor by grabbing an attacking Guentzel. I didn’t like the penalty because he avoided a Guentzel hit to lose the puck. It was soft from a player who is better than that.
This put the Pens on the power play. But instead of getting momentum off it, they were turned away by the aggressive Rangers’ penalty kill. That included Copp and Barclay Goodrow. Zibanejad with Kreider along with the duo of Motte and Brodzinski. Motte’s hustle helped kill it off to keep the deficit at one.
Following that, a diving play from Schneider broke up a Pens’ two-on-one. It was a crucial defensive gem by the rookie. Especially with Pittsburgh looking to increase their lead. A huge sequence.
The second part of the period is when the game changed. Needing a good forecheck shift, the Rangers got it from the third line. Lafreniere and Filip Chytil applied pressure down low. They changed for the Panarin line, who continued to keep the Pens hemmed in.
Able to change for the Zibanejad line, Trouba kept the play alive with a great pinch. The puck came to Kreider, who was able to get it in front for Zibanejad. Drawing defenders, he quickly passed across for a Vatrano finish in the slot to tie the game at 13:32.
That’s three consecutive games with at least a goal for Vatrano. Since Gallant moved him onto the top line, he’s been tremendous. I should point out that Dad always was a fan of Frankie V. When that move was made, he loved it. Florida didn’t need him. But boy. Did the Rangers get scoring help. He’s up to five goals in only seven games.
Frankie Vetrano really has provided some serious secondary scoring since joining the NYR that was badly needed
Less than four minutes later, a big Trouba hit took a Pen off the puck in his end. That allowed Copp to move it up for Panarin, who gained the Pittsburgh zone and pulled up. With the Pens backing in, he found the trailing Schneider for his second goal to give the Rangers the lead with 2:56 remaining. An outstanding play by everyone involved.
Andrew Copp has registered a point (1G-5A) for a fourth-straight game with the Rangers. The last skater to start his tenure with New York on a four-game point streak was Carl Hagelin in 2011-12.
So in what amounted to a feeling out process, the Blueshirts figured it out and led by a goal after two periods. But before the two sides skated off, the Pens again showed frustration. A Guentzel shot to Lindgren resulted in three roughing minors. He and Mike Matheson got matching roughs while Guentzel got the extra for starting it. That proved large.
Handed a power play for the first time to begin the third with a fresh sheet of ice, the Blueshirts made Guentzel pay for his selfish penalty. Sixty-six seconds into the man-advantage, Kreider was able to put home a wide Adam Fox carom past Jarry for his 45th goal. It also was his 23rd power play goal.
He is five shy of becoming the fourth Ranger to reach 50 goals in a single season. Kreider is one away from tying Jaromir Jagr for the most power play goals by a Ranger in a season. It’s been astonishing to watch him. Good for him. He is the real captain of this team. He’s certainly led by example.
Following the Kreider tally that put them up by two, some sustained pressure from the Pens resulted in Shesterkin denying Rickard Rakell from in tight. That was a big save.
On a quick transition, Kreider got the puck and let go of a good wrist shot from the circle. Jarry had trouble with it. He was able to keep it out. But it’s why I want Kreider to take shots from that exact spot. He passed up a wide open one prior by passing for Zibanejad, who tried a pass that didn’t work.
Goodrow lost position on Rust taking him down for an easy call. Again, the penalty kill took care of business. They were active throughout and broke up plays to get some big clears. The hard work featured both Copp and Motte out-hustling Pens to loose pucks. I can’t emphasize how huge those moves were.
Unfortunately, Copp got too aggressive on one offensive shift behind the Pens’ net. He got his stick into defenseman Chad Ruhwedel to trip him up. An ill advised offensive zone minor. Or Ryan Strome. If you don’t know by now, that’s sarcasm. Strome is day-to-day with a lower-body injury.
Somewhat predictably, the Pens took advantage of their third power play very quickly to make things interesting. Able to control the puck off a face-off, they finally got it set up. With the crowd urging them to shoot, Evgeni Malkin got the puck over for a Crosby point shot that beat a screened Shesterkin for his 25th.
Sidney Crosby hits the 70-point plateau for the 12th time in his career, tying him with Alex Ovechkin and Joe Thornton for most among active players. pic.twitter.com/F4GX1dvg1U
Guentzel provided the screen. Letang and Malkin picked up assists on the Crosby power play goal that cut it to 3-2 with 9:23 left in the third. Crosby quietly has 70 points in 58 games. The goal gave him 98 career points versus the Rangers. He’s five away from 1,400.
After the goal, the Pens got momentum. With the fans encouraging them, a long Matheson shot hit the post. Shesterkin never saw it. That close to a tie game. But his best friend was there to give him some help. Ask Marc-Andre Fleury. He always thanks his goalposts. I bet he’s thrilled to be out of Chicago and in Minnesota.
The Rangers didn’t back up afterwards. They were solid in the neutral zone and standing up at their blue line. The attention to detail allowed them to attack the Pens and kill valuable time. It looked like they would wrap it up without a problem.
Then Trouba iced a puck with 2:32 remaining. At that point, Mike Sullivan wisely lifted Jarry for an extra attacker. What followed was chaos. Pittsburgh native Doc Emrick would’ve been proud.
A Kreider block of a Malkin shot with a minute and a half left looked like the end for the Pens. But Zibanejad hit the crossbar. Then Kreider had two attempts blocked by a diving Rakell. The crazy finish wasn’t over.
Following a Motte block of Letang, here came Goodrow ahead of everyone. But he couldn’t bury the shot from an angle. Instead, it hit the post. He then had another shot ring off the post for another miss with 42 seconds left.
It was absurd. Were they about to blow the game due to all these misses on the empty Pens’ net? They came close. Finally on another insane sequence, Guentzel got the point blank chance in front. But Shesterkin made the crucial save to stop his backhand with under 23 ticks to go.
Guentzel got one more shot from a tough angle that Shesterkin easily closed up with under five seconds remaining. The Pens had one last chance. Off a Jeff Carter face-off win, the came to Letang for a one-timer that missed the target.
Game over. What an ending. What a game. It really felt like three games played over 60 minutes. The Rangers deserved the two points in regulation and got it. They were better to take a second straight over their rivals. They now jump over Pittsburgh into second place in the division with 91 points.
As I told Sean when the insanity ended, I don’t care about that. Only getting the win. To think there’s 15 more games to go before the real season starts. They trail the Canes by five due to Carolina getting a point in an entertaining 4-3 overtime loss at the Lightning. Both have 15 left, but the Hurricanes hold the tiebreaker with two more regulation wins (38-36).
The two do meet twice down the stretch. Thanks to Alex Georgiev, they’ve split the first two in Raleigh. We’ll see what happens in NYC. I don’t know how it’ll play out. But these Blueshirts are improved. They can forecheck more and are tougher thanks to Drury’s additions. I feel better about their chances.
Next up are the Red Wings in your classic trap game. Similar to Buffalo on Sunday. As the players know, you can’t take the opponent for granted. If you do, then you get the ugly result they earned at the Devils. Detroit is coming off an 11-2 drubbing to the Pens. They’ll be ready.
My guess is Gallant will go with Georgiev. It’s a back-to-back situation and the perfect chance to get Shesterkin a night off. Keeping him fresh down the stretch is vital. No matter where they wind up, Igor is the key to the season. He can also rest other players if necessary. We’ll see.
This lasted longer than I anticipated. I hope whoever reads it appreciates what I put into it. It was a game worthy of a more detailed recap. Especially given that it was the Pens. They’ll see them one more time I over a week at MSG on April 7. Another big game.
Battle Of Hudson Three Stars 🌟 🤩 ✨️
3rd 🌟 Braden Schneider NYR scored 2nd NHL goal off smart read, 3 blocked shots, key defensive play, +1 in 12:01 in 19 even strength shifts
2nd 🌟 Chris Kreider NYR team best 45th goal plus 🍎, 4 SOG in 8 attempts, 3 hits, +1 in 17:47, 23 PPG lead league, one shy of Jagr for Rangers’ single season PPG record
1st 🌟 Jacob Trouba NYR 3 SOG in 6 attempts, 4 hits, takeaway, 2 blocked shots, +1 in 25:05 including 22:49 at even strength, a beast throughout
Miller Time: Overtime hero K’Andre Miller goes into celly mode after his first career overtime winner off a feed from Alexis Lafreniere. The Rangers defeated the Sabres 5-4. AP Photo by NYRangers via MSG Networks
A win is a win. It sure wasn’t a Picasso or Renoir. The Rangers will take the two points and move on. In what can best be summarized as an inconsistent effort, K’Andre Miller rescued them with an overtime goal at 2:02 to help the Rangers edge the improved Sabres 5-4 at MSG.
After breaking up a play, Miller was on the receiving end of an Alexis Lafreniere pass that he then buried past losing Sabres’ netminder Craig Anderson at 2:02 of overtime. His career high sixth goal gave them a second straight win. The celly wasn’t bad either.
The biggest takeaway is the continued improvement from both Miller and Lafreniere. Each had strong games. The Rangers don’t win without them. Both are blossoming before our eyes. It’s nice to see.
Lafreniere also scored his career high 15th goal. All have come at even strength. With a goal and primary assist that set up Miller’s game-winner, that makes it a six-game point streak. The 2020 top pick is up to two goals and five assists during the best stretch of his young career.
In two games since being shifted back to the left wing on the third line with Filip Chytil, he has two goals and a helper. Though the latter came during three-on-three hockey tonight. He has had the same positive approach and attitude no matter where Gerard Gallant sticks him.
The game couldn’t have started any better. Well aware (at least early on) that the Sabres have been playing better, the Blueshirts got the early jump on their opponent. Frank Vatrano scored twice in only 18 seconds to put them up by a pair.
The former Panther has looked good. Since being put on the top line, he’s scored three goals in two games. Vatrano got the first tally off a Chris Kreider feed at 3:59 for his 13th. He wasn’t done.
Off a Tage Thompson turnover, Vatrano broke in and beat Anderson for an unassisted goal at 4:17. The two goals were the second fastest scored by a Ranger since Jaromir Jagr got two in only a 14-second span. So far, so good for Frankie V. He’s up to four goals in six games as a Ranger.
It could’ve been more than two goals. Tyler Motte came close on a breakaway to increasing it to three. Anderson made a big save to deny him of his first goal as a Blueshirt.
Moments later, Ryan Strome hit the post after Artemi Panarin made a drop pass. That close. Mika Zibanejad also missed an open net prior. So, they could’ve been up by four or five. Instead, the Sabres only trailed by two despite a poor start.
The second part of the first period was sluggish. Instead of continuing to pound Buffalo on the forecheck, the Blueshirts started making mistakes. Sloppy turnovers became an issue. It was similar to the Devil game.
Another unnecessary distraction was MSG Network deciding that we needed an Adam Fox Iso cam. Every time they showed him for a shift, you had to try to focus extra hard on the game.
It was brutal. Nobody needs Sam Rosen and Joe Micheletti to gloss over Fox. It took away from the broadcast. Ironically, he didn’t have a good game. Throw the Iso cam away.
With the Sabres able to regain momentum from a lack of Ranger shots, they finally made it a game. With under two minutes to go in the period, Rasmus Asplund was left alone in the slot to beat Alex Georgiev. Unsurprisingly, it was his first goal in 46 games. Slump busters. Some things never change.
Instead of taking a commanding three or four goal lead to the locker room, the Rangers led by only one. Shots were 7-5 in favor of the home side. By then, the game had changed.
After briefly flipping over to see Saint Peter’s getting blown out by North Carolina in the Elite Eight, I switched back in time for the second period. Only Arthur Staple noticed that Strome was missing from the bench.
Sam and Joe were busy talking to the viewers as if they’d never watched a Ranger game before. “Did you know that Adam Fox is related to Bobby Orr? No, I didn’t.” That didn’t happen. It may well as have. Mind numbing.
Motte with Panarin and Copp to open the second, Strome doesn't appear to be on the #NYR bench
As the second period began, it was the Sabres who got the game tied up in quick fashion. On a long shift in which they moved the puck around, Peyton Krebs found Will Butcher for a wrist shot that beat Georgiev. A player who doesn’t regularly play got his second. Here’s how it looked.
Then, while the ever annoying Fox Iso crap was on, Kyle Okposo undressed him and beat Georgiev through the wickets to make it three consecutive Buffalo goals. Of course, Micheletti pinned it on Georgiev. He should’ve had it. But God forbid they pay attention and notice how poor Fox was letting Okposo skate through untouched.
After the Okposo goal, the “fans” gave Georgiev a Bronx cheer for making a save. Screw them! People who do that are losers. Did they not see Georgiev’s 44 save masterpiece a week ago at Carolina? I’ve had enough of these fairweather fans. Get off the bandwagon. Jump overboard.
Eventually, the Rangers settled down. As pitiful as the first part of the second was, they finally started playing hockey. Lafreniere got the first good opportunity when he fired a tough shot that Anderson denied. He would get the better of the veteran later.
On a good play through the neutral zone started by Jonny Brodzinski, he moved the puck for Chytil, who entered the Sabre zone on a two-on-one. He got the puck over to a cutting Lafreniere, who went forehand, backhand deke to beat Anderson for number 15 at 11:46. A pretty goal by Laffy.
Alexis Lafrenière (@Alexlaff13) extends his point streak to six consecutive games. 🤭
Following a dubious bench minor on Buffalo, the Rangers came close on the power play. But Kreider couldn’t quite put in a loose puck in front. Anderson followed it up with a stop on Fox.
High energy guy Tyler Motte then had an interesting shift. After absorbing a clean hit by Casey Fitzgerald, he got right back up and had a scoring chance. Anderson made a good save on Motte, who continues to play a simple game. He’ll get one soon.
Having not done much in the second part of the period, the Sabres were able to get three scoring opportunities due to a couple of sloppy turnovers by Kreider and Zibanejad. It was a lazy shift. They had three chances to clear the puck and didn’t. That typified the game.
As the second wound down, Chytil fed Motte for another chance. But it was broken up. The Blueshirts remained tied at three after two.
Early in the third, Andrew Copp made another good play to set up a Panarin goal. Off a face-off, he retrieved the puck and passed it up top for Jacob Trouba. Trouba let go of a hard, low shot that Anderson couldn’t control. That allowed Panarin to deposit the loose change in for his 17th at 3:52.
In his first three games, Copp has five points (1-4-5). The former Winnipeg Jet is playing well thus far since coming over last week. He’s winning draws, in on the forecheck and producing. He along with Barclay Goodrow helped offset the loss of Strome.
With less than eight minutes left in regulation, Patrik Nemeth went off for hi-sticking Zemgus Girgensons. The Rangers have been giving up power play goals lately. Too many.
The Sabres converted their only chance when Jeff Skinner rebounded home a Rasmus Dahlin stuff in try with token resistance. It was way too easy. Dahlin was allowed to move in unchecked. Nobody took Skinner. That’s seven of the last eight games the penalty kill has allowed a PPG.
The sad aspect is the Sabres only had two shots the entire period. The Rangers outshot Buffalo 10-2. But they were unable to get a second one past Anderson, who got the Sabres a point.
In three-on-three overtime, Buffalo had possession early on. After a bad pass back into his end for a turnover, a hustling Panarin came back defensively to take away the puck. That play helped the Rangers regain momentum.
On a good defensive read from Miller, he moved the puck over to Copp. Ahead of the play was Lafreniere. Copp’s pass wasn’t the best. But Lafreniere handled it and then had enough patience to find the trailer Miller for the overtime winner. An absolute snipe high blocker at 2:02.
It was Miller time at The Garden. Only this time, it was K’Andre Miller doing the celebrating and cool celly. Well deserved. He has played much better hockey. Lafreniere to Miller could become a good combo.
The growth of K’Andre Miller takes another step forward tonight with his first career OT GWG
Undoubtedly, they won without playing their best hockey. Coupled with the Pens’ 11-2 blowout of the Red Wings highlighted by a Evgeni Malkin hat trick, they remained a point out of second place. They do have a game at hand.
Tuesday is another showdown in Pittsburgh. It’s the third of four meetings with the first round looking very likely. Needless to say, these games are big. They split the first two. We know what just happened on Friday. A 5-1 win on home ice.
Go there and get the ‘W.’ They’ll need a better effort. Igor Shesterkin will be back in for that one. It’s all about how they play. This new lineup gives Gallant flexibility. If Strome can’t go, he has enough options.
MSG cut right to Fox after K’Andre scored the winner. Please never have another broadcast like this @MSGNetworks.
Mika Zibanejad skates off Garden ice after deservedly being named the game’s First Star. His three assists helped him eclipse 500 career points as the Rangers breezed past the Penguins 5-1. AP Photo by Derek Felix courtesy MSG Network and New York Rangers
From the drop of the puck, they were ready to go. Coming off a bad 7-4 loss at the Devils, the Rangers bounced back in a big way by blitzing past the Penguins 5-1 at MSG. The domination moved them within a point of second place in the Metropolitan Division.
Following games on Sunday, the two old Patrick Division rivals will do battle again next Tuesday in Pittsburgh. It’ll be another big game between the potential first round foes. The win in regulation allowed the Blueshirts to even the season series with two games remaining. The final two are on March 27 in the Steel City and April 7 on Broadway.
Entering play, the Pens held a three-point lead for second. The Blueshirts knew the importance of tonight’s game. After one of their worst performances, coach Gerard Gallant made some lineup changes that paid off.
Frank Vatrano moved up with Mika Zibanejad and Chris Kreider while Andrew Copp played with Ryan Strome and Artemi Panarin. Alexis Lafreniere moved back to his natural position of left wing to flank Filip Chytil and Barclay Goodrow. Meanwhile, Gallant sat Ryan Reaves out. Jonny Brodzinski was reinserted and played on the checking line with Tyler Motte and Dryden Hunt.
That’s not all. After an inauspicious debut, veteran defenseman Justin Braun was scratched in favor of rookie Braden Schneider. He returned to the lineup to team with Patrik Nemeth on the third pair. Schneider responded with a better game following a tough weekend.
It all worked for Gallant, who seems to push the right buttons often this season. If he didn’t have a particularly good game in Newark, the veteran coach got his team to respond with a complete effort. In fact, it was one of their best of the year.
In fact, the start was dream like. Facing the Pens who were without Evgeni Malkin due to a mystery illness, they jumped all over them. It began when Chytil got the puck over for Lafreniere who was able to slip a backhand between Tristan Jarry’s pads for a quick 1-0 lead at 2:07. All three players got a point including Goodrow, who started the play.
Continuing to carry the play, they struck again 1:51 later. This time, Zibanejad was able to find Kreider ahead of the play for a breakaway. He beat Jarry with a snapshot for his 43rd for a two-goal lead at 3:58. The assist from Zibanejad gave him career point 500. He and the top line weren’t done.
On the next shift, some splendid passing between Kreider and Zibanejad allowed a wide open Vatrano to tap in his 12th. The goal came just 18 seconds later, giving the Rangers three goals in 4:16. It’s the fastest start to a game in 37 years.
With his team disorganized, Pittsburgh coach Mike Sullivan took his timeout to settle them down. Even though they didn’t give up anymore goals in the first period, it continued to be controlled by the Rangers.
They could’ve had more after Sidney Crosby held Kreider. But they were unable to. If only Chytil had taken the shot instead of passing on the improved second unit. He was wide open.
The only mistake during an otherwise dominant period was a Hunt hi-sticking double minor on Marcus Pettersson with 4:10 left. Given their first two power plays of the game, it was a golden opportunity for the Pens to get back in it.
Following a good Igor Shesterkin left pad save on the set play that saw Kris Letang pass down low for the Crosby deflection, the Rangers only allowed one more Pens’ shot on the four-minute power play. It was the aggressive play of the penalty killers that dominated the Pittsburgh man-advantage minus Malkin.
What a kill. They bailed out Hunt with tremendous defensive work. Two shots for the Pens on a 4-minute power play.
Even Strome was used by Gallant to good effect. He made a good clear with a lift of the puck that gave Motte an opportunity. He hasn’t played penalty kill much, but did under former coach David Quinn. He provided a spark down a man. So did Motte, who has been as advertised. A speedy forward who outworks opponents and finishes checks. Fans are taking notice.
The Pens thought they had a goal. But after a video review in which the refs blew the whistle, they upheld the call on the ice. Shesterkin was pushed in anyway. So, the correct ruling on no goal was made.
The second period saw the Pens try to get back in it. They finally got a few scoring chances. But Shesterkin was strong. He wasn’t about to have consecutive bad games. He was chased from the net after the Devils’ five goal second period barrage. He’s unflappable. That showed even in what turned into a blowout win for the Rangers.
One thing about Shesterkin is he doesn’t shy away from coming out to play the puck. We’ve seen him take shots at empty nets even narrowly missing scoring. Sometimes, his over aggressiveness can get him in trouble. He accidentally threw a puck out for a delay of game minor.
Undeterred, Shesterkin then twice made perfect clears. One led to a shorthanded chance. With the fans chanting, “Ig-or, Ig-or!”, here came Zibanejad and Kreider. Unlike the other night, Zibanejad passed across and Kreider shot. Instant success. His third shorthanded goal continued his special season.
After Kreider’s 44th that pulled him within six of joining the Rangers 50-Goal Club of Vic Hadfield, Adam Graves and Jaromir Jagr, the Pens made a goalie change lifting Jarry for Casey DeSmith. It didn’t last long. He made a great save to deny another glorious Ranger chance. But then was run into by his own player. DeSmith left the game after making three saves in 4:19.
Jarry returned to the Pittsburgh net for the remainder of the game. To his credit, he was better after coming back. Had he not been, the Rangers could’ve led by six or seven. That’s how lopsided it was. It was total domination. Even better, it came at five-on-five. They scored four of five at even strength with the other goal coming shorthanded.
A welcome change from what we’ve seen. When the second period concluded, the Pens acted like babies. Bryan Rust cross-checked K’Andre Miller after the buzzer. This almost led to a fracas. The teams came together. Words were exchanged including from Crosby, who was visibly frustrated.
Cooler heads prevailed in the third. Nothing else materialized. Outside of Nemeth roughing up Crosby that led to the only Pens’ goal coming from Kasperi Kapanen on a power play that made it 4-1, that’s as close as it got.
The Blueshirts got a little sloppy late. They allowed Jeff Carter to get in on Shesterkin for a breakaway. But he calmly shut it down to more Igor chants. He finished with 20 saves on 21 shots on a light night to improve to 31-9-3.
On another amazing night where Jersey City celebrated Saint Peter’s historic win over Purdue to make the Elite Eight in the men’s NCAA Division I College Basketball Tournament, another new Blueshirt made his presence known.
With under three minutes to go, Andrew Copp got his first as a Ranger when he took a good Panarin feed and beat Jarry with a one-timer from in close for the exclamation point. The goal came with 2:13 left in regulation. Both Panarin and Strome assisted. A perfect way to end a great game by the Blueshirts.
They were much sharper than Tuesday. Gallant though his team was mentally tired in the Jersey disappointment. He was right. I felt the two off days would benefit them. Getting some extra preparation in along with rest proved beneficial.
Now, they’ll have Saturday off before returning to MSG to host the improved Sabres. Although they lost to the Caps in a shootout, they’re playing much better. They’ve won four of five.
Tage Thompson and Jeff Skinner are scoring. Rasmus Dahlin is playing like a former top pick. The Rangers can’t overlook them. If they do, see Tuesday in Newark for reference.
That’s gonna do it for now. Enjoy the weekend.
Battle Of Hudson Three Stars 🌟 🤩 ✨️
3rd 🌟 Frank Vatrano NYR goal (12th), 3 SOG, +1 in 13:29
2nd 🌟 Mika Zibanejad NYR 3 assists including career point number 500, 3 SOG, +3 in 16:31
1st 🌟 Chris Kreider NYR 2 goals (43rd, 44th) including SHG, plus assist, 4 SOG, +3 in 14:48, 44-17-61
If they were to take anything from last night’s game, the message is simple. Don’t do it again. For the third time in less than two weeks, the Rangers were pummeled on the road by a good offense.
The end result was a brutal 7-4 loss to the Hudson rival Devils before a packed house in Newark. Astonishingly, the Rangers led 2-0 after the first before a five-goal Devils explosion turned the game around.
A five-goal second period and two goals by Jack Hughes in the third, helped the boys to a 7-4 victory over the Rangers.@CatherineBogart reports. pic.twitter.com/5IEsmyxO6C
They chased Igor Shesterkin by scoring five consecutive times in a forgettable second period. It was a complete meltdown. The Devils scored four goals over a 5:01 span to reverse course. They would add a fifth later following a successful coach’s challenge by Gerard Gallant for offside that wiped out a Tomas Tatar power play goal.
Even though Ryan Strome was credited with his 15th goal on an Artemi Panarin long shot at 3:46 of the third to cut the deficit to 5-3, things didn’t improve. A ridiculous Strome unsportsmanlike conduct penalty allowed Jack Hughes to restore a three-goal Devils lead with 10:24 left.
The 20-year old superstar would then embarrass both Ryan Lindgren and Ryan Reaves by making a brilliant move and backhand shot past Georgiev over a minute later to make it 7-3. It was a mesmerizing goal by Hughes, who got numbers 20 and 21 in his 43rd game. He’s up to 49 points. The 20th gave him his 100th career NHL point.
The only positive if you can call it that was Chris Kreider. Already with an assist on a Mika Zibanejad goal back in the first, he put in a rebound for his 42nd goal with 5:04 left in regulation. It was Kreider’s league-leading 22nd power play goal. Even in a blowout loss, he had a goal and assist to move his point total to 58. He needs two to hit 60.
There isn’t much to say. The game went from looking promising thanks to a good start to a total abomination. On a strong shift from Alexis Lafreniere, he recovered a loose puck down low to get it over for a Kreider shot off Nico Daws right to Zibanejad for an easy rebound goal at 7:10.
The Zibanejad tally was his 26th. He has four goals over the last five games. With a goal and helper in an otherwise nightmarish game, he’s up to 65 points in 64 games. That’s 10 away from his career high of 75 set in the Covid shortened ’19-20 season. He was brilliant that year going 41-34-75 in 57 games. However, he’s a more complete player now. The next point will be his 500th. Maybe it’ll come against Pittsburgh in a win this Friday.
It was the fourth game in a row Lafreniere recorded an assist. The longest streak of his career. Unfortunately, the good feeling wouldn’t last. For reasons only known to Gallant, he cut down to three lines in the third. Lafreniere missed a couple of shifts along with Dryden Hunt and Reaves. All three were singled out despite other players playing just as poorly.
Even worse, they were victimized on the Hughes highlight reel goal after just returning. Talk about a rude welcome back. Hughes can do that to anyone. He’s such an explosive player that it’s scary how good he already is. He doesn’t turn 21 until after the season on May 14. A big yikes for the rest of the league.
During a Zibanejad penalty he was serving for hi-sticking Jonas Siegenthaler, Andrew Copp was sent out with Barclay Goodrow. Wearing number the number 18 due to number 9 being unavailable, he looked good.
On the penalty kill, a good read led to a shorthanded chance. He passed across for an open Goodrow whose bid was denied by Daws. Copp would later set up two Ranger goals and win eight of 15 face-offs. That included one offensive draw that resulted in an Adam Fox goal following the successful kill. He was on in place of Lafreniere to win the face-off.
That was simply a smart decision from Gallant. He didn’t have a good night. But utilizing Copp for key draws is wise. Especially on a team that likes to use face-off plays to create offense. Copp proved why he was so coveted by Chris Drury on Monday’s deadline. He wasn’t a disappointment on Tuesday. He played mostly on the third line with Filip Chytil and Hunt. Eventually, Gallant changed things up in the third.
Even though they were ahead by two, there were some scratchy decisions that made you wonder about the team mindset. There were a couple of times where players got caught causing great Devils opportunities. The best one came when Yegor Sharangovich was in off a three-on-one. Rather than shoot, he passed. They wound up with nothing.
There were a couple of other dangerous chances that either Shesterkin stopped or were just missed by the Devils. This was a point coach Lindy Ruff emphasized to his team between periods. He even told reporters he showed his players video. They altered their strategy. It definitely worked.
The Rangers could’ve been up by more. The aggressive pinching of Fox, Jacob Trouba and K’Andre Miller created chances. But they couldn’t cash in. That included newcomer Tyler Motte, who had four shots while wearing his usual number 64 in his Rangers debut.
Even more notable, they started the second period by getting the first five shots on Daws. But he was sharp. If he hadn’t been, we could be talking about a very different game entirely. Credit the rookie netminder for giving his team a chance at the comeback.
The Devils couldn’t do anything early on in the second. They went without a shot for over seven minutes. However, they took advantage of a Fox turnover to finally get on the scoreboard. Following the miscue, Jesper Bratt passed over for a Ryan Graves shot from the left circle that Shesterkin didn’t have full control of. Tomas Tatar poked at it until Shesterkin lost the puck.
The goal was credited to Graves at 7:12. Suddenly with momentum off a rare Shesterkin mistake, it was the Devils who quickly went to work and tied the game. On a good Andreas Johnsson forecheck, he passed back for a P.K. Subban one-timer that went in through traffic for his fifth at 8:30. Ty Smith added a secondary assist.
It didn’t get any better. Off some more Devils’ pressure, Fox tried to clear a puck. Instead, it was a giveaway at the blue line. Graves took the gift and fired it towards the net with the puck going right to rookie Dawson Mercer, who put home his 16th for the Devils’ third goal over 5:28.
More poor play allowed Tatar to cash his 12th from Damon Severson and Bratt on the next shift. The goal came only 33 seconds following Tatar’s to make it four straight Devils’ goals. On the play, the third pair of Patrik Nemeth and former Flyer Justin Braun were caught out. It would happen again late in the period.
Before that occurred, a very bad Reaves slashing minor on Mason Geertsen put the Devils on the power play. It looked like Bratt scored just 20 seconds into the man-advantage. But the replay correctly showed that the Devils were offside to negate the goal. A successful challenge by Gallant.
Even following the penalty kill, they couldn’t grab any momentum. Instead, the Devils spent an extensive shift in the Rangers’ end. Both Braun and Nemeth were exhausted. They couldn’t get off the ice due to the long change. With no forward able to dump the puck in deep, it left them vulnerable.
Justin Braun's shift before the fifth NJ goal was a crisp 2:13.
Perhaps the #NYR have not yet solved their third-pair issues.
A quick counter by the Devils led to the fifth goal of the period. Dougie Hamilton pushed the puck up for Nico Hischier. He fed Sharangovich in the slot. With Braun back pedaling, Sharangovich used him as a screen to beat a shaky Shesterkin short side blocker for his 16th at 18:07.
The way the Rangers played, I probably would’ve given Shesterkin the hook after the Devils’ fourth consecutive goal. He wasn’t tracking the puck well. Partially due to the lack of attention to details by the skaters. They were lackadaisical. Against Carolina, they got away with it due to Georgiev. Not so fast versus the more explosive Devils offense.
When the third began, Georgiev was finally in for Shesterkin, who gave up five goals on 24 shots in 40 minutes. Such an ugly game really hurts his statistics. He still has a .936 save percentage. A remarkable number in today’s game. The GAA is up to 2.14. Jacob Markstrom also lost tonight. It’s a two horse race for the Vezina.
If you were looking for a response, the Blueshirts tried to give it to you. On a good shift by the second line, Ryan Lindgren moved the puck over to Panarin who filled in up top. Rather than pass, he decided to shoot the puck. It looked like his goal with Goodrow screening Daws in front. But after looking at a few replays, Strome indeed was able to get his stick on it for his 15th at 3:46.
That made it 5-3. Considering everything we’ve seen from this team, they’ve proven capable of coming back. They’ve won 20 games in come from behind fashion. It’s their calling guard. They didn’t give up.
Chytil got a step on the Devils to break in on Daws. But he was on his backhand. He did get a tricky shot on Daws, who was able to shut down the five-hole. That was a big save. He would create another chance later. But fired wide. That’s the kind of year he’s had.
With almost eight minutes played, Panarin tried to put a move on Sharangovich in the neutral zone. Instead, he got belted. Even though teammates reacted to Panarin going down, it was just incidental. He skated into Sharangovich who was just there. Strome lost his cool and took an unsportsmanlike conduct minor. Totally unnecessary.
The latest Ryan Strome [a bad penalty that serves no purpose] really was the final nail in the coffin. Not before the penalty kill got a great shorthanded chance. The Devils have given up many shorthanded goals this season. On a Hischier giveaway, Zibanejad and Kreider came in two-on-one. Too much passing resulted in Kreider having an errant pass for Zibanejad trap both forwards.
Hughes and Hischier flew up the ice for a give and go that saw Hughes get an easy put away at 9:36. Instead of possibly 5-4 and a game, it was 6-3 Devils. All due to the over passing from the two Rangers you’d want to see in that exact situation. East/West doesn’t work in the playoffs. They better learn it fast.
Following Hughes’ power play goal, Gallant took the handcuffs off Lafreniere, Hunt and Reaves. He stuck all three out for a disastrous shift. Never mind I don’t think they’ve played together once. It was a ridiculous decision from a coach who’s done so much right.
After Fox missed wide on a shot, here came the Devils. Like the roadrunner in Looney Tunes, they quickly transitioned up ice. Subban and Sharangovich got the puck to a flying Hughes, who easily gained the Ranger zone and faked both Lindgren and Reaves out before whizzing a backhand over Georgiev to put it out of reach. A fantastic play by a sensational player.
For as much crap as Nemeth and Braun (wore number 61) took, the top pair of Lindgren and Fox were on for three goals against. Miller and Trouba were on for two. This was a total team effort. Most of the forwards didn’t back check. The defense backed up. It was hideous. When you play that poorly, the result is predictable.
In garbage time, Kreider was able to get another power play goal. With Jimmy Vesey off for hooking, a Fox point shot was deflected by Copp off Daws. The rebound came right to Kreider, who buried it for his 42nd goal. He leads the NHL with 22 power play goals. What a season for Kreider.
While that man-advantage took place, Sam Rosen was sure to note that Panarin wasn’t on the top unit. There were five and a half minutes left. It didn’t matter. However, Panarin went to the locker room. My guess is it was precautionary. There was no reason to keep playing him after the collision with Sharangovich. It was his own fault. Hopefully, he’ll be okay for Friday’s big game against the Pens.
Speaking of the Pens, they rolled the Blue Jackets 6-1 to move back into second place. They’re up to 87 points with 18 games left. The Rangers have 85 also with 18 to go. They hold the first tiebreaker with 34 regulation wins. It’s going to come down to the remaining three meetings. Two coming up with the third in April.
The Hurricanes ended their losing streak by defeating the suddenly slumping Lightning 3-2. Carolina is up to 90 points with 19 remaining. Their 36 regulation wins lead the Eastern Conference.
As for what happened in Newark, I think the Rangers will turn the page. Having the next two days off should help. They can use some practice time. That also may help the new players get better acquainted. It’s never easy to find chemistry right away in a new system. That point must be emphasized to the Debbie Downers.
There’s no reason to panic. Has the recent play leveled off. Absolutely. With stinkers in Minnesota, St. Louis, Carolina and New Jersey, they need to tighten things up. Get back to how they played against the Islanders and Lightning.
The Devils also hadn’t beaten the Rangers in a while. They were due. Let this be a lesson to our players. Get it into gear Friday for Pittsburgh at MSG.
On Monday afternoon right before 3 PM, the Rangers completed a successful day by acquiring forwards Andrew Copp and Tyler Motte at the NHL Trade Deadline. Earlier on March 21, they added defenseman Justin Braun.
With his team sitting in second place only three points back of first place Carolina following the Alex Georgiev gem on Sunday, Rangers Team President and GM Chris Drury worked the phones earlier today. He was able to upgrade the roster without sacrificing too much.
If they go on a run this postseason, Ranger fans will remember this day. It had already been circled on the hockey calendar around the league. It’s exciting to see a team with a good core that’s ready to compete with the big boys. Whatever happens this Spring, it’s only the beginning.
In the first of three moves, the Rangers acquired veteran defenseman Justin Braun from the Flyers. Repeat. They made a trade with the rival Philadelphia Flyers. In the deal to get Braun, they sent back a third round pick in 2023.
When I first caught wind of it, I wasn’t too crazy about it. But after my initial reaction, it’s not the worst idea to bring in a proven 35-year old who has 100 games of playoff experience. For over a decade spent with both the Sharks and Flyers, Braun is a tough customer who will take the body and block shots.
In 61 contests this season, he has five goals, 11 assists and 36 penalty minutes with a plus-3 rating while averaging over 20 minutes a night. He’s blocked 114 shots with 79 hits. For a defensive defenseman who mostly starts in his own zone, those are solid numbers.
Is Braun here as insurance? That depends on Gerard Gallant and Gord Murphy. They are responsible for who’s in the lineup. Considering the recent struggles of Braden Schneider over the weekend, he might be hitting a rookie wall. He and partner Patrik Nemeth were pinned in their end often.
Schneider made some mistakes. He’s only 20. The ice time was a little down. It also was a back-to-back situation in less than 24 hours. If he is the odd man out, it’s understandable. As much as we’d like to see him get that valuable playoff experience, they have to do what’s best for his development.
It doesn’t mean he won’t play. There are 19 games remaining on the schedule. Let’s see what Gallant and the coaching staff think. Getting a defenseman was a need. They have been rolling the same six for a while. Schneider can use a breather. Maybe watching from the press box can help. Plus working on his game in practice.
As other teams made moves, we had to wait it out. A night earlier, the Jets had reaccquired Mason Appleton from the Kraken in exchange for a 2023 fourth round pick. That was a hint that the much rumored Andrew Copp was on the move.
Approximately 11 minutes before the 3 PM deadline which went way past that due to a long delay, Darren Dreger all but confirmed that the Rangers were about to get Copp. It was confirmed from other reliable sources.
The #NHLJets have acquired Morgan Barron, two conditional second-round picks, and a fifth-round pick in exchange for forward Andrew Copp and a 2023 sixth-round pick.
When it was revealed, it really ended the worst kept secret. Like quite a few pundits, I felt that Copp would be the perfect addition to the Rangers’ lineup. He checks off a lot of boxes.
The 27-year old center wins is a strong skater who’s capable of contributing offensively both at even strength and on the power play. He also is a good penalty killer. Most notably, he wins face-offs. At 54.0 percent (312-and-266), the left shooting pivot is the kind of player this team needs.
A hard player to play against due to his skating and skill, the good Copp has done well for himself. A former Jets’ fourth round pick in ’13, the Ann Arbor, Michigan native is a good secondary scorer.
Playing in the shadow of established stars Mark Scheifele, Kyle Connor, Blake Wheeler, Paul Stastny and Pierre-Luc Dubois, he has 13 goals and 22 helpers totaling 35 points over 56 games. Copp needs two goals to match last year’s career high of 15 and four points to match the 39 he established in ’21. If he can record five points, he’ll reach a new high.
Copp is unrestricted this off-season. He currently makes $3.64 million. His market value should be up. If he performs up to expectations, it’s possible the Rangers could be interested in bringing him back. It gives them an option to Ryan Strome, who’s been a good player since arriving from Edmonton. Don’t tell that to the naysayers who forgot they only gave up Ryan Spooner for Strome.
Even as the trade was announced, the details remained sketchy. Based on last night, the talk was Winnipeg was hoping for two second round picks. A fair price for someone of Copp’s caliber. Especially in a seller’s market. Don’t believe me? Look what Jeremy Lauzon netted from Nashville? A second round pick. Yikes.
“Versatility’s a great thing to have in your lineup. He’s certainly an exciting piece to have in a #NYR uniform.” – Drury on Andrew Copp
As Drury closed in and executed an easier transaction by sending a 2023 fourth round pick to the Canucks in exchange for Tyler Motte, we were left to wonder what the holdup was on who went to Winnipeg. First, some misinformed person made it sound like one of the Rangers’ defense prospects would go the other way. Names like Matthew Robertson were floated.
Instead, the trade above listed by the Winnipeg Jets official Twitter account indicated it was center Morgan Barron along with conditional second picks in 2022 and ’23 for Copp and a sixth round pick next year. Dreger spelled out the conditions below.
Copp conditions. Conditions are a 2nd that can turn into a first for winning two rounds in the playoffs and Copp play 50% of the playoff games. and another 2 that can be wpg option in 22 or 23.
It’s simple. If the Rangers win two rounds and advance to the Conference Finals this postseason, then this year’s second becomes a first round pick for the Jets. Copp also must play in at least half the playoff games. Let’s keep our fingers crossed he helps them make a run. Winnipeg can choose between ’23 and ’24 on the other second pick.
If they make it to the Eastern Conference Final, will anyone care where Winnipeg will pick in the first round? I won’t.
Copp certainly makes the Rangers better. He can score and set up goals. He’s a trusted top nine forward that Gallant can plug anywhere. That versatility along with Barclay Goodrow is valuable. We all know how well Goodrow has worked out. He can now slot down to the fourth line if necessary. Considering the chemistry he’s had with Filip Chytil and Dryden Hunt (likely fourth line), this is a good thing.
We still don’t know when both Kaapo Kakko and Kevin Rooney are returning. With Drury deciding to also go get Tyler Motte from Vancouver for a fourth pick in ’23, that should signal that maybe one of those players might not be ready for a while. Let’s leave it at that.
As for Motte, having seen him play and turn into a solid checking forward for the Canucks, I love this trade. Why? Go take a look at his season above on Hockey-reference.com.
OFFICIAL: #NYR have acquired forward Tyler Motte from the Canucks in exchange for a fourth-round selection in the 2023 NHL Draft.
Another player from Michigan who Jacob Trouba and Frank Vatrano know well from playing together for the U.S. National Development Team, the 27-year old Motte is having a good season. In 49 contests for Vancouver, he is 7-8-15 with 22 PIM and a plus-3 rating. Fourteen of his 15 points have come at even strength. The other was a shorthanded goal that I happened to see.
Motte is a fast skater who also plays with grit. He will finish checks and win puck battles. He is a solid player that can play in a checking role for the Rangers. There’s no downside. In the Canucks’ most recent postseason, he put up four goals and an assist in 17 games. That was during the expanded format.
Ironically, Motte has a direct link with Artemi Panarin. They were in the same trade that sent Panarin to the Blue Jackets for Brandon Saad and Anton Forsberg on June 23, 2017. Unlike the Bread Man, Motte didn’t stay in Columbus long eventually winding up with the Canucks with Jussi Jokinen for Thomas Vanek. Wow. I forgot he played for the Blue Jackets.
Over the past four years playing in Vancouver, Motte has become a fixture in the bottom six while contributing at five-on-five. Even better, he gets takeaways (27), delivers hits (90) and blocks shots (51). This is a solid player who I think our fans will like. A high energy guy with character.
One fan I exchange tweets with was concerned about Rooney due to the Motte acquisition. They don’t play the same position. Even if Motte plays over him assuming Goodrow slides down to center the checking line, it’s a good problem to have. Let Gallant worry about it. That’s what he gets paid the big bucks for.
Not too long ago, the third and fourth lines were thin. They weren’t capable of contributing any reliable scoring. Since adding Vatrano, whose speed and smarts are very apparent, that’s changed. Now, you can slide him down to play with Chytil and either Goodrow or Hunt. Or he can stick with Panarin and Strome while Copp works with the third line.
That means a lot more options for Gallant at his disposal. I like Jonny Brodzinski. He works hard and is a good skater. But he’s not going to add much offensively at this level. The goal he scored was nice. Ditto for the honest Greg McKegg. The Keg Man has done a nice job when in. But similar to Julien Gauthier, he’s not adding much offensively.
Clearly, Motte is an improvement. So is Rooney whenever he’s back. We know if Kakko returns, he’s in the top nine without as much pressure.
Ryan Reaves has been a good addition. He’s played in almost every game under Gallant, who loves him. He delivers heavy hits and can forecheck. He also is smart out there. But is he going to play every game against say the Penguins if that’s the first round match-up? I’m not sure.
If you can’t get behind what Drury has done between last summer adding Goodrow and Reaves- plus picking up Vatrano, Braun, Copp and Motte- I don’t know what to say. They improved without giving up any real assets.
Barron is replaceable. He didn’t have a spot here. He will go play for Winnipeg as a checking center who can win draws and kill penalties. Best of luck to him.
When they replaced Jeff Gorton and John Davidson last year, it was with the playoffs in mind. It also was due to how they got pushed around by both the Islanders and Capitals. Most notably Tom Wilson. Has anyone seen him since his vanishing act in the Rangers’ last win at MSG over the Caps? Reaves did that.
This season, Drury has delivered on his promise to make the Rangers a more complete team. He’s added more sandpaper and found secondary scoring that didn’t cost the organization any of their top prospects.
Moving forward, the roster is better equipped for the postseason. Whatever happens, let’s enjoy it. Don’t worry about the other teams. They’re competing for the same thing. We couldn’t say that a year ago. This has been a dream season. Enjoy the ride.
It was stolen. Plain and simple. Alex Georgiev put on a show. His 44 save masterpiece allowed the Rangers to come away with a 2-0 shutout over the Hurricanes in Raleigh on Sunday evening.
For over two periods, it literally was Georgiev who held up his end. The much maligned backup was unbelievable in pitching his seventh career shutout. The 44 saves actually fall 11 shy of 55 he made in a win versus the Maple Leafs on Feb. 10 2019.
A time when it looked like Georgiev could become the next in line after Henrik Lundqvist. That was before Igor Shesterkin. It’s hard to believe he once faced 56 shots and beat Toronto at MSG only allowing one goal. His dominance over the Leafs is well documented.
How did last night compare? It’s right there. He made so many great saves while facing a Canes’ onslaught during this game. Honestly, it didn’t feel like one until the final part of the third period. By then, Georgiev finally got some support from some weary teammates who played less than 20 hours after an emotional win in Tampa.
To a man, the players would tell you they weren’t at their best in the second of a tough back-to-back on the road. Especially after getting into Carolina late. It was the third game over four nights. It wasn’t a surprise that they struggled mightily.
It’s one thing to be outplayed. It’s another to get dominated the way they did. Despite being outshot 14-3 and 28-4 at one point (no joke), they were in it for one reason. The brilliance of Georgiev. He was locked in. Nothing broke his concentration in this one. Not even the return of former Ranger Tony DeAngelo.
When the shots reached 28 to 4, Sam Rosen remarked to Joe Micheletti about how unbelievable it was. They both laughed at the extreme difference in shots. Rope a dope was referenced by Micheletti. A John Davidson favorite back in the glory days. It was a good description of the hockey.
Unable to mount any forecheck, they really were on their heels throughout. The Canes came at them in cycles with their relentless attack. The Rangers spent extended shifts defending in their end. They got fenced in for long stretches.
It was a tough game for Braden Schneider. The 20-year old defenseman has spoiled us so far. But he definitely battled at Tampa and Carolina. There were some turnovers that resulted in uncharacteristic penalties. Something he doesn’t do a lot of. Maybe he’s hitting a rookie wall. Patrik Nemeth is holding up that pair at the moment.
With it officially the trade deadline later this afternoon, the Rangers could still be in play for some players. Having already added Frank Vatrano, whose empty netter sealed the win yesterday, it’s possible Team President and GM Chris Drury could be in the market for one more forward and another defenseman to improve team depth.
Every once in awhile a team needs its goaltender to simply steal a game. Alexander Georgiev did that for the Rangers tonight. They had quite the weekend and now Chris Drury has some decisions to make.
Late last night, the Jets reaccquired Mason Appleton from the Kraken for a mid-round pick. The rumors are hot that much coveted forward Andrew Copp could be dealt for a pair of second round picks. Considering the market, he’s probably worth it. A good secondary scorer who can forecheck and finish checks, he checks off all the boxes.
If the Rangers got him for a package of Julien Gauthier and two second picks, I’d be excited. If not him, what about Artturi Lehkonen from the Canadiens? He’s got another year left until he turns unrestricted. I would imagine Jeff Gorton wants more for the checking wing. Likely a good prospect. If there’s a deal to be made that makes sense, I’m sure Drury will do it.
Sounds like #nhljets have some moving parts tonight. Or tomorrow?@WFPJasonBell reporting Jets are on the verge of reacquiring Mason Appleton from #SeaKraken
I’m told Jets have two 2nd round picks tabled for Andrew Copp, but are looking for a 1st. Tomorrow?
When you watch a game like last night, it makes you wonder if they can survive a grueling seven-game first round series. Of course, playing on two straight days in less than a 24-hour period doesn’t help. That won’t happen in the playoffs. For those complaining about the schedule, they aren’t the only team who’s had to do that.
What I’m basically saying here is tough crap. Think about how many days they had off in February while other teams had to make up many games. They were lucky in that aspect. So, can it about the schedule conspiracy. It’s worse than some of the other theories out there. Way more serious mind you. Unless we’re discussing the JFK Conspiracy. I’m a big history buff. That I could talk about all day.
As far as the game went, it was all about Alex Georgiev. He was the best he’s looked all season. In fact, this was his best game in two years. He struggled most of last season too following what happened with DeAngelo. He was making the tough saves to bail out teammates and had good rebound control.
Magnificent is one way to describe what the 26-year old netminder did. For one day, he was Alexander The Great. Time and time again, he turned away the Canes. They had to be shaking their heads. This wasn’t the same goalie they lit up for six goals on 35 shots two months ago.
Instead, there was an intense focus. He never broke all night. Sebastian Aho and Andrei Svechnikov had point blank scoring chances. They were turned away. So was former Ranger Derek Stepan. Jordan Staal had a couple of dangerous opportunities that were thwarted. So did Martin Necas.
Nothing went in for the Canes. They couldn’t beat Georgiev. He was impenetrable. Whatever he had to do, he did. There was even a ridiculous sprawling save that defied logic midway through. This was all about the forgotten guy. Someone who’s gotten plenty of criticism. Some warranted. Some ridiculous.
Good for him. Georgiev made his statement. This was a virtuoso performance from a backup who wants to become a number one goalie in this league. It was eye opening. The Canes also had three power plays. Their seven shots were denied. They had looks. It didn’t go in.
If you could give him all three stars, Georgiev deserved it. He still needed a huge Chris Kreider goal on a remarkable deflection of a Jacob Trouba shot with 4:21 left in the second period to even up his record to 9-9-2.
Kreider’s 41st was sheer determination. How he was able to redirect it and score I’ll never know. But as soon as Alexis Lafreniere passed up top for the Trouba shot, I knew they were scoring. Sometimes, you can tell. That was the shift to make it happen on. They made the most of it.
As lopsided as the play was at five-on-five, the Blueshirts were able to close out the game in better fashion. For a while in the third period, it looked like they could barely skate. They were gassed. Gallant admitted it in the postgame. There wasn’t a lot left in the tank.
But after a series of clutch stops from Georgiev, they finally started to make some good defensive plays in the neutral zone. That led to some sustained pressure in the second half of the final period.
You saw Artemi Panarin hustling back defensively and chipping pucks in. There was the tenacity of Barclay Goodrow, who went right at Svechnikov after he took a run at Nemeth during a shift. Goodrow was effective along with Filip Chytil and Dryden Hunt. He’s been worth his salary.
Speaking of Chytil, he had a goal disallowed due to the refs blowing the whistle. They thought Freddie Andersen had a puck covered. He didn’t. All they could do was apologize to Gallant at the bench. Human error. Turk understood. It’s a lot easier when your team wins.
The Canes got 15 shots in the third. But after holding a huge 29-10 edge through two periods that once was 28-4, they did give up some chances. Andersen made a few key saves in the period to keep it at one goal. The Rangers had eight shots in the period after totaling only 10 during the first two.
Their effort was better. They did enough to take the heat off Georgiev, who was under siege. Hunt had another strong game. He was aggressive throughout and finished checks. It also was a good game for Ryan Strome, who hit a goalpost on a power play and led the team with five shots.
The Rangers had a lot of hits throughout. They had to take the body while doing all that back pedaling. Something Micheletti pointed out during the MSG broadcast. Four different players registered at least four hits. Trouba paced them with four in another busy game where he and partner K’Andre Miller defended well. They were physical.
As a team, they blocked 23 Carolina shots. That’s part of the job description when you’re stuck in your zone. Georgiev called it a “team shutout.” It was. But he was the reason they won. They were out-attempted 94-36. It didn’t matter. You can take all the silly analytic nonsense and throw it in the garbage.
At least for one night anyway. Is this how they can win games in May? No. They’ll have to play more like they did against the Lightning and Islanders. Controlling the neutral zone. Limiting mistakes. Applying a consistent forecheck. That will help prevent them from playing too much in their end. Plus special teams. They have the goaltending. But you can’t over rely on it.
A Mika Zibanejad face-off win against Aho in the defensive zone saw him make the play defensively by clearing the puck off the boards. That allowed Vatrano to pull away and score his first as a Ranger into a vacated Canes’ net at 19:18.
I never got the sense Carolina would tie it. So brilliant was Georgiev that even with all their shots and attempts, they over passed at times. That’s what happens when you run into a hot goalie. 🔥
I don't know if that was Georgiev's last game as a #NYR or not (could always wait until the summer to move him), but if it was, what a hell of a way to go out.
This was Georgiev’s night. Kudos to him for coming in with a great mindset. It was great to see. He got a lot of love from happy teammates. They know it’s been a challenging year for him. That start should keep Georgie here through the end of the season.
For most of the night, the Rangers were powerless against the Lightning penalty kill. Given one more opportunity late in regulation, they made the most of it. Mika Zibanejad’s power play goal with 16 seconds left in regulation gave the Rangers a well deserved 2-1 win over the Lightning.
Among the 19,092 at Amalie Arena, there were plenty of Ranger fans heard throughout a very competitive playoff caliber game. When Artemi Panarin fed Zibanejad for the game-winner at 19:44 of the third period, they made a lot of noise in the Lightning’s home arena.
A pretty big moment for a younger team still learning how to win these tight checking games. Unlike Thursday’s crusher, they won this one with their own gut wrenching goal in enemy territory. In doing so, it allowed them to sweep the season series from the champs. That is a confidence boost.
Even more important, the two points kept them within two of the second place Penguins, who defeated the Coyotes 4-1 on Saturday night. They needed the win to get some breathing room from the Capitals. With 20 games remaining, the Rangers have 83 points. The Caps have 80 with one less game left. The two old Patrick Division rivals will meet the final game of the season on April 29 at MSG.
In besting the Lightning at their arena for the second time, the Rangers proved they could win a chippy game that featured plenty of hitting, scrums and some rough stuff. The teams combined for 66 hits and 32 penalty minutes. There were nine power plays. The Bolts going 1-for-3 by cashing theirs early. The Blueshirts finishing 1-for-6 by scoring the only one that mattered with 16 seconds to spare.
The first period was well played. It had plenty of five-on-five play and strong goaltending from Igor Shesterkin and Andrei Vasilevskiy. Both showed why they’re considered the two best goalies throughout the game. Unlike the other night when he was a save short against Ilya Sorokin, Shesterkin was a save better than Vasilevskiy. In other words, he got the second goal this time to earn his 30th win of the season.
The Lightning were a bit better in the opening period. They had a territorial edge as it moved on. When the Rangers forechecked, it was the newly formed third line that did most of the work. That would be Filip Chytil, Barclay Goodrow and Dryden Hunt, who had a second straight strong game. The cohesive trio came close on one shift with a Patrik Nemeth pass for Goodrow just missing with an open net.
Victor Hedman took the game’s first penalty on a delay of game. Out came the top unit for the second ranked Blueshirts. They didn’t get much done. The Lightning were aggressive by attacking Adam Fox up top and taking away set up time. Zibanejad got off one clean shot that Vasilevskiy gloved. Fox had an attempt blocked and cleared.
Without any momentum from the five-on-four, the Rangers didn’t play their best in the first. They got eight shots on Vasilevskiy. But it was a tacky Nemeth interference minor drawn by an acting Mathieu Joseph that led to the Lightning capitalizing on their first power play.
Following a Shesterkin glove stop on Steven Stamkos from the left slot, he denied a Alex Killorn deflection on a long Hedman one-timer. But unaware where the puck was, he didn’t have it covered. That allowed the clutch Brayden Point to find the puck and jam it in for a 1-0 Lightning lead with 3:19 remaining.
Although Gerard Gallant protested as usual, this was a clear case of the refs making the right call. Had Shesterkin had it, he would’ve let them know. He didn’t react that way. It’s not like it could be challenged. Point’s 23rd from Killorn and Hedman stood for the only goal of the period.
As it was about to end, a sloppy turnover on a miscommunication between Jacob Trouba and Zibanejad nearly cost them. But Shesterkin calmly gloved Anthony Cirelli’s last second try as the horn sounded. Had he not made the big save, it probably would’ve counted. Needless to say, that was a key moment.
Unlike the first which saw the Bolts outshoot the Rangers 16-8, the second was much better. The only issue were all the penalties. There were too many to count. It was a march to the penalty box for each side. That meant less even strength play.
After Goodrow drew a hooking minor on Ross Colton, Fox took down Joseph to negate the man-advantage 49 seconds later. It was due to the way the Lightning defended. Fox wasn’t given much room all night. They took him away.
The interesting part of the second was how much busier Vasilevskiy was than Shesterkin. Despite all the ineptitude on the power play which saw the Bolts turn them powerless, the Blueshirts had the better scoring chances.
A good shift from the second line resulted in Vasilevskiy coming up with four saves. He first denied Panarin shorthanded. Then stopped Frank Vatrano. Panarin and Vatrano were stopped again by Vasilevskiy, who was proving why he’s considered the best goalie. He has a great resume. Even if the Lightning aren’t as strong, he gives them a chance this postseason.
It was the following shift that the Rangers drew even. It was the third line that created the tying goal. A pair of Chytil shots helped create the goal. On for Goodrow, who had just killed a penalty, Alexis Lafreniere made a hustle play to keep a loose puck alive. On a good play from Hunt, a pinching Trouba snuck in to tie the score at 9:25.
His 10th matched a career high set back in his rookie season at Winnipeg. It’s been the consistent play from Trouba that in my mind is the difference with the defense. He and K’Andre Miller are continuing to become a strong shutdown pair that the coaching staff can count on. Miller’s growth has been apparent. He’s more physical. Maybe Trouba has rubbed off on him.
A few minutes after Trouba’s tying goal, Pat Maroon came in behind the net and hit Shesterkin. He got around Ryan Lindgren to get position and bump into our goalie. That immediately got a strong response from Lindgren, who exchanged punches with Maroon. The officials did a good job assessing an extra minor to Maroon for interference. He received four minutes while Lindgren got two for roughing.
Instead of getting anything off the Maroon minor penalty, they did zilch. It was the Lightning who attacked the Rangers up top. They had no room. It resulted in easy clears down the ice for Tampa. It was frustrating.
So too were the ridiculous camera angles ESPN/ABC used. How many different angles does the television audience need? They had so many strange looks that it made me wonder if they were aiming to make the viewers drunk. If I wanted to do that, I’d have some wine or go out and get a couple of cold ones. It really has become nauseating. Stop trying to reinvent the wheel. Stick with what works.
The hitting continued. Nobody passed up a chance to finish a check. The best one came from Hedman, who got a clean shoulder on Goodrow earlier in the period while he was clearing a puck while shorthanded. He got right back up and into the play. When there was a stoppage, he smiled and joked with his former teammate. It was a great open ice hit.
Hunt continued to be effective. He got a good shot on Vasilevskiy that the elite Bolts’ netminder stopped. A couple of minutes later, Zibanejad took away a puck in the neutral zone and drew a Killorn hooking minor with under 60 seconds left in the second.
Although Ryan Strome got a long shot on Vasilevskiy with a few seconds left, it was a broken record. I had already wondered if they should just decline the power play. Funny how that works sometimes.
After holding a 13-5 shots edge in a better second, the Rangers were all even. Business still was to be settled. What lied ahead was worth waiting for.
Even as I flipped to see Saint Peter’s shock Murray State to become only the third 15 seed to make the Sweet 16. A great story in the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Tournament. Not bad for a bunch of scrappy kids from Jersey City. Hopefully, they can keep it going and make history.
The third period was more closely fought. It was intense. Shots were at a premium. So were chances. Tight checking was on display. So too were fisticuffs.
Ryan Reaves didn’t let Maroon off the hook. Just after four minutes had passed, he challenged the Lightning touch guy to a fight. It was due to the hit on Shesterkin. The two squared off at center ice. They danced for a while before engaging. Maroon tried to use his left arm to hold Reaves, who got in a few rights to earn the decision.
Then it was over. That part of business had been taken care of by Reaves. As good teammate as any Blueshirt could ask for. He made Maroon accountable for his actions. Just as Lindgren did. That’s an ingredient this team lacked under the previous regime. They won’t back down.
As the physicality and defensive minded style took shape, there wasn’t as much operating space. Veteran checker Pierre-Eduoard Bellemare was able to get free and fire a backhand that Shesterkin swallowed up. That was a big save.
On Tampa’s next shift, this time he denied both Stamkos and Nikita Kucherov. For the period, Shesterkin made eight saves. He was focused.
With over eight minutes left, Lindgren got a tricky shot ticketed for the short side off. But a sharp Vasilevskiy made the key stop to keep the game tied.
When there wasn’t hitting, you had each team making critical blocks. That’s the kind of game it was. Very fun to watch. These are exactly the style of games we’ll see in six weeks. It won’t change when they visit the even better Hurricanes at 6 PM Sunday before sunset. Isn’t that refreshing to say?
For a five-minute stretch, the Rangers didn’t even have one shot attempt. The Lightning were in control. They got four shots through on Shesterkin, who was equal to the task.
Finally, a skating Chris Kreider was able to get the attention of the refs when rugged Tampa defenseman Erik Cernak hi-sticked him with 2:15 remaining. With the Lightning bench giving it to him, he told them he got the penalty called. Flat out honesty from the unofficial captain.
Gallant used his timeout to rest his vaunted number one unit. It didn’t look like it would matter. A Lightning face-off win and a clear sent them into retreat mode. It really felt like this would need overtime to decide.
But following a neutral zone face-off that Zibanejad controlled over Cirelli, they were finally able to get set up. After he had a shot blocked, the puck came right back to him. Panarin then made a great cross-ice pass for Zibanejad right into the wheelhouse. He didn’t miss.
His 25th of the season (13th on the power play) just beat a still moving Vasilevskiy, who almost got it. Had he, it would’ve been miraculous. Fortunately, Zibanejad was able to celebrate the clutch game-winner with happy teammates. That included Kreider, who was positioned in front when the goal was scored.
That last penalty doomed the Lightning. They were undisciplined. It finally cost them. Even with new acquisition Brandon Hagel added to the core of Stamkos, Kucherov, Point, Hedman, Cirelli, Killorn and Ondrej Palat, the Bolts only beat Shesterkin once. They didn’t create a lot of offense for a team with their talent.
Credit goes to the Rangers, who really played a strong game. They had one period where they allowed too many shots. But really buckled down. Over the final two periods, they outshot the Lightning 19-13. They won a hard-nosed defensive minded playoff style game.
#NYR Jacob Trouba: "We’ve played two games that we’ve had a pretty consistent effort from our whole lineup basically. There’s no passengers and that’s I think what we feel better about, is that we’re building our game in that way."
That Trouba quote is exactly right. These are the games they have to play. Similar to what he said after the 2-1 loss to the Islanders. If they can play this way with that edge, then they will have a better chance to do something in the postseason.
It was a good win. A step in the right direction. Now, it’s off to Raleigh for a big divisional match-up with first place Carolina. The last time they played, it was brutal. Hopefully this time will be much better.
The final game before Monday’s big deadline is another good test. Might it determine if GM Chris Drury makes another deal? We’ll know soon enough.
On the trade front, there were three big deals made yesterday. The Bruins went all in on left defenseman Hampus Lindholm acquiring him from Anaheim for Urho Vaakanainen, John Moore, a 2022 first round pick along with second round picks in ’23 and ’24. They then extended Lindholm, whose expiring contract was 50 percent retained by the Ducks.
TRADE
To Anaheim Ducks #FlyTogether 2022 1st round pick 2023 2nd round pick 2024 2nd round pick D John Moore D Urho Vaakanainen
The Ducks weren’t done sending energizer Nicolas Deslauriers to the Wild in exchange for a third round pick in 2023. A good pickup for the very heavy Wild. But a nice return for new Anaheim GM Pat Verbeek.
Finally, Claude Giroux was sent to the Panthers as expected. With a full no-movement clause, the former Flyers captain who was honored for playing his 1,000th career game, had to approve any trade. He wanted to be in Florida over Colorado. That meant the Flyers didn’t get back as much.
Claude Giroux gets emotional as he salutes the crowd at what was possibly his last home game in Philly 🧡 pic.twitter.com/IAR1RJqDFk
The trade is Giroux with minor leaguers Connor Bunnaman and German Rubtsov along with a 2024 fifth round pick for forward Owen Tippett, a conditional 2024 first round pick and a ’23 third round pick.
We have acquired Claude Giroux, Connor Bunnaman & German Rubtsov and a 2024 fifth-round pick from the Philadelphia Flyers in exchange for Owen Tippett, a conditional 2024 first-round pick and a 2023 third-round pick.
If I were a Flyer fan, I’d be upset. They had no real bargaining power. Tippett should become a good player. But what are the conditions on the ’24 first round pick? Do the Panthers have to win the Cup or reach it?
Sources say Claude Giroux notified #Flyers he was only willing to accept a trade to #FlaPanthers. That was his team, the destination. Florida knew that.
I'm told #Flyers never engaged in conversation with #Avs – or any other team for that matter.
Whatever the case, Florida made some serious upgrades. They went all in on Ben Chiarot to solidify their back end and got the very experienced and still productive Giroux for their Cup push. First Round Picks Optional for the Cats.
There will be more to come with over a day left. Will Marc-Andre Fleury find a new home? The Wild are rumored to be interested. Will the Rangers add one more piece or are they satisfied with Vatrano knowing eventually both Kaapo Kakko and Kevin Rooney will return? It’s anyone’s guess.
This went a bit long. It had to. It deserved it. Just like the team deserved that one-goal win with Zibanejad the hero.
Battle Of Hudson Three Stars 🌟 🤩 ✨️
3rd 🌟 Mika Zibanejad NYR scored game-winner on power play with 16 seconds left in 3rd period for 25th goal
2nd 🌟 Andrei Vasilevskiy Bolts 25 saves on 27 shots including 21/22 at even strength
1st 🌟 Igor Shesterkin NYR 28 saves on 29 shots including 24/24 at even strength for 30th win of season
hasan4978
Derek
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