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..
Gerard Gallant didn’t see the elbow Oliver Wahlstrom delivered that cut Ryan Lindgren. A missed call that led directly to the crushing Kyle Palmieri game-winner with 2:44 left in last night’s 2-1 loss to the Islanders before a great environment at The Garden.
However, he didn’t agree with two of the penalties earlier in the hard fought game that went against Barclay Goodrow and Ryan Strome. Unlike the narrative that came out of Thursday night, the experienced coach didn’t blame the officiating for the defeat.
Instead, he spoke about how much he liked the game. Particularly the way his team played. If there was a positive to take out of a one-goal loss to their bitter rivals, it was how the Blueshirts played. It was hardly fought in the trenches with both teams finishing checks and getting superb goaltending.
That’s the kind of style they’ll see in the first round. Whether it’s the Penguins, Capitals or a division winner (worst case scenario), they can take solace in how they competed against an experienced Islanders team that have had success in the postseason.
As Gallant noted, they are where they are due to a rough first half that included injuries and Covid. The truth is a healthier Isles are a good team. One that’s better than their record and point total. So, it didn’t come as a surprise that the second meeting between the rivals was so intensely fought.
Sometimes, you run into a hot goalie. Ilya Sorokin has been playing well for a while. The close friend of Igor Shesterkin has supplanted Semyon Varlamov as the Isles’ starter. He’s had a good year on a team that won’t qualify for the playoffs. The save on Artemi Panarin off a perfect feed from newest Ranger Frank Vatrano was remarkable. Sorokin had a great night to edge Shesterkin in an old fashioned goalie duel.
When you have both the coach and some players taking away the positives in a game they probably deserved a better fate in, that is the big picture. They know they were in a battle. They controlled a good portion. Even if it didn’t go their way due to the missed Wahlstrom elbow, it doesn’t take away from the game they played.
“I’ll take the effort we had tonight. We don’t like the result. But I’ll take that over some of the wins we’ve had this year with the game we played,” defenseman Jacob Trouba told reporters in last night’s postgame interview.
“I think there’s a lot we can take from this game.”
Trouba is also excited to have close friend Vatrano to play with. They played together during their teens and know each other well. He praised Vatrano for his hard work and honest game that should be a good fit. Especially his shoot first mentality. It’ll be interesting to see what develops this weekend for Vatrano, Panarin and Ryan Strome. As Trouba said, they have two tough games ahead in Tampa Bay and Carolina.
“We’ll learn a little bit ourselves this weekend for sure. We’re gonna need to bring this same effort. I think this effort going forward is the standard. We know we can play that way. If we play like that, we like our chances in a lot of hockey games.”
“It’s always good to see familiar faces. … I played at the U.S. program with Troubs for a couple of years. I played World Championships with Foxy and Kreids. … To know those guys coming in, it’s always very helpful,” Vatrano said after the game about the opportunity to play for the Rangers.
He definitely seems excited about the chance to play with a talented player like Panarin, whose recent stretch has been much better. Even though he didn’t have a point yesterday, he certainly generated chances and had quality shots like the point blank one that a sprawling Sorokin robbed.
Hopefully, that new second line can find chemistry quickly against two good opponents this weekend. It shouldn’t be easy visiting the Lightning and Hurricanes for back-to-back games. But it’ll definitely be a good test.
These are the exact kind of teams you want to battle against. Both are Cup contenders. The Lightning just went out again and added a good young forward in Brandon Hagel to upgrade their secondary scoring. They sure paid a premium in giving up depth forwards Taylor Raddysh and Boris Katchouk along with two first round draft picks to the Blackhawks in exchange for Hagel and two fourth round picks.
We have acquired forward Brandon Hagel and Chicago’s fourth-round picks in 2022 and 2024 from the Blackhawks in exchange for forwards Taylor Raddysh and Boris Katchouk and our first-round picks in 2023 and 2024.https://t.co/13TD2xxNaO
Already a loaded roster that’s won consecutive Cups, the Bolts are all in on trying to make history. There hasn’t been a team to three-peat since the Islanders dynasty between 1980-83. Even the Oilers and Penguins fell short of winning three in a row. In getting the 23-year old Hagel who has been on fire, the Lightning have added a good young player to a core that features established stars Steven Stamkos, Nikita Kucherov, Brayden Point, Victor Hedman and Andrei Vasilevskiy.
Considering how competitive the Atlantic Division is, it’s easy to see why they made the move. The Panthers remain in first with the Maple Leafs and Bruins not far behind Tampa for second. Home ice in the first round could prove critical. With Florida going all in for Ben Chiarot and possibly Claude Giroux (hot rumor), the next three days are sure to be busy.
Meanwhile, the Hurricanes lead the Metropolitan Division. They’re four up on the Pens and six ahead of the Rangers, who also have to worry about the suddenly resurgent Caps breathing down their neck. Carolina could have Tony DeAngelo back for the weekend. A key contributor to their offense from the back end, he’s having similar success in Raleigh that he did on Broadway two seasons ago.
The Blueshirts know they’ll have to bring their best hockey over the next 48 hours. Similar to how they played against the Islanders. However, they’ll have to provide more run support for Shesterkin, who could get both starts. If not, we could see Alex Georgiev once more. His status remains uncertain entering Monday.
For tomorrow when they try to sweep the regular season series from the Lightning with face-off not until after 8 PM, the lineup will likely be the same. Expect Gallant to have Vatrano with Panarin and Strome while 40-goal man Chris Kreider, Mika Zibanejad and Alexis Lafreniere continue to comprise the top line.
The third line of Filip Chytil, Barclay Goodrow and Dryden Hunt won’t change. They looked good together with Hunt moved down into the top nine. Gallant has liked what he’s seen from Jonny Brodzinski, who puts himself in good position. He’ll probably stay on the checking line with Greg McKegg and Ryan Reaves.
That should leave Julien Gauthier as an extra unless Turk decides to give the former Carolina first round pick a game on Sunday. Always a possibility. When Kevin Rooney is ready, he’ll be back in the lineup to bolster the fourth line. It remains to be seen when both Rooney and Kaapo Kakko return. It won’t be until post deadline.
Unless they think an upgrade on left D is needed over Patrik Nemeth, who’s looked better since returning from the birth of his second boy, the Rangers could look to add another depth forward to improve scoring. Phil Kessel, Rickard Rakell and Andrew Copp are worth exploring.
If they move on from Georgiev, then maybe they should consider adding a vet like Craig Anderson from Buffalo. I’d prefer him over Keith Kinkaid, who’s better off in Hartford. We don’t know what the market is for Georgiev, who wants out. It might wait until the summer.
The Rangers have 21 games remaining. How they play down the stretch will determine who they play. That includes two tough games over the next two days and three meetings left with Pittsburgh. Plus a pair with the Islanders, who are going to play spoiler.
It won’t be easy. It isn’t supposed to be. It’ll also be fun. We’ll see where they wind up. The next two games being a good measuring stick.
I’ll be honest, it’s still hard for me to get into watching the Devils right now. Even if there are some genuine reasons for optimism going forward with both Jesper Bratt and Jack Hughes each putting up points at over a PPG pace. Except for Taylor Hall’s MVP season, no other Devil has scored at that rate since Ilya Kovalchuk in 2011-12. Coincidentally, those were the Devils’ last two playoff seasons – a stark contrast to this season where the team is still puttering around twelve games under NHL .500, with just 22 wins in 61 games after being whipped 6-3 in back-to-back games on their Western Canada swing, yet another setback for the franchise after a promising homestand where they won three out of four – including a stirring comeback from 3-0 down to beat the Avalanche.
Of course, it doesn’t help that right when there was a ray of hope after the Devils’ most recent homestand they were playing late weeknight games – one of which I was more interested in the Rutgers NCAA tournament play-in game on at the same time anyway. Not that I missed much in either game other than Nico Daws’ Cinderella story reaching midnight after being pulled in two straight games following a solid eight-game stretch where the team went 5-3 and he only allowed eighteen goals on 250 shots. Even during that stretch I was fearful of the bottom eventually falling in for the 21-year old rookie and seemingly that happened with some bad goals allowed in both games contributing to second-period pulls. He shouldn’t be playing but sadly he’s the best option available considering just how awful Jon Gillies is. Still, at a certain point you have to start prioritizing what’s best for this kid’s development over attempting to win a couple more junktime games. Even if I’ve been harping on the fact the rest of the team needs to start earning better results, there’s a balance between going for results and doing what’s best for development.
With the trade deadline mercifully upon us on Monday, action is finally starting to happen around the NHL. I wasn’t necessarily expecting the Devils to be among the big wheelers and dealers (and still really don’t), given our only expiring contract of any significance is PK Subban, who might not even want to be dealt to begin with. If he does, I doubt he has much value given his cap figure – even with 50% retention you’re talking about $4.5 million prorated, which will be hard for win-now teams who are cap strapped to justify for a middle pairing defender. PK or maybe a 5th rounder for Jimmy Vesey is not going to inspire me to refresh Twitter over the weekend or Monday.
All that said, there may well be some action beyond our slim UFA pickings with rumors of them finally having enough of Pavel Zacha and soliciting offers for the mercurial Czech – who’s gone back to being a disappointment this year after seeming on the verge of a breakout last year and early this season. While there haven’t been any rumors yet on Damon Severson, if you’re GM Tom Fitzgerald you have to at least throw it out there to see what his market value is given that from the few moves that have happened so far it seems to be shaping up as a sellers’ market, especially for guys with team control beyond this season. At the very least, I can’t see us re-signing both Severson and Ryan Graves, who are pending 2023 UFA’s. Neither Severson or Zacha is the biggest name rumored to be on the block, however.
On latest 32 Thoughts Podcast, @FriedgeHNIC says Mackenzie Blackwood is available.
Blackwood and team have had "difficulties getting on the same page".
What’s telling is that it’s hard to figure out the meaning of being on the same page, and where it’s coming from although there are some clear possibilities. Is the team still skeptical of Blackwood after his well-publicized vaccine hesitancy in the fall, and/or do they feel he hasn’t managed his injuries well (or been honest about the extent of them)? Or is Blackwood the one annoyed over the team’s handling of his injuries, or them leaning on him to get the vaccine the way 99% of the NHL has? Whatever the case, Blackwood did change agents recently, and you generally don’t do that if you want to maintain status quo. Not long after he gained new representation is when these trade rumors have been popping up. So perhaps it’s his camp trying to engineer his way out.
I can’t see what kind of market he would have at this point coming off of two bad and injury-plagued seasons, although given that we’re apparently being held hostage just trying to find schlebs on the goaltending market, maybe Blackwood still has more trade value than I think. It’s hard to see how a contender could think he would be an immediate answer with his questionable health status. I’m not sure a deal happens now, but it sure seems likely these two parties are headed for divorce one way or another by this offseason. Clearly there’s blame to go around for everyone with this mess, but the bottom line is if the player had played better the last two years it’s unlikely we’d be at this point, to where he wants out and we’re relying on a 21-year old kid to play down the stretch.
I kind of have the feeling something happens at the deadline, I just don’t know what. I’ll be surprised if we only move Subban, disappointed if we really don’t trade anyone at all (or trade for anyone) but I’m not expecting miracles either. It’ll be interesting to see where this goes by Monday afternoon.
It’s not often a goalie outshines Igor Shesterkin. Especially this season when he’s the leading Vezina candidate with 21 games left. However, it was his Russian friend Ilya Sorokin who was the story in tonight’s game. His highway robbery on Artemi Panarin was part of a great game.
Unfortunately, the Rangers didn’t win. Instead, the hated rival Islanders spoiled the fun thanks to a late goal from Kyle Palmieri to prevail 2-1 before an energized MSG. His goal with 2:44 left in regulation made Sorokin a winner. He earned it by making many tough saves en route to 29 to get the better of Shesterkin, who was stellar as well. He made 26 saves.
Sometimes, that’s the breaks. The Rangers probably deserved a better fate. They played a really good 60-minute game against an Islanders foe that’s been playing better. Since getting healthier, they’re winning more than earlier. So, it wasn’t a surprise that this was a hard fought game.
If there was a gripe, the officiating wasn’t good at all. The refs made two tacky calls on each side and missed more blatant stick infractions. One was a Mat Barzal cross check on Mika Zibanejad in a tie game. He let them know about it during a stoppage.
The other was an elbow Ryan Lindgren took from Oliver Wahlstrom that cut him. Whether it was incidental or not, he had a legit beef. Predictably, Palmieri scored the game-winner on the same shift. Lindgren fumed at the officials following the goal.
Palmieri bats one by Shesterkin off a deflected Pulock shot. Lindgren was stuck on the ice for a long shift after he caught an elbow in the face from Wahlstrom, missed by both referees. 2-1 #Isles with 2:44 left.
Let’s be fair here. When it comes down to it, the stripes have a tough job. It is a fast game. The players are bigger, faster and stronger. The officials are going to miss some calls. It happens with regularity. You hope it’s not something that leads to a winning goal. That was the case tonight.
The thing is the games are getting tougher. They always do. The closer we get to Spring with the playoffs around the corner, there are going to be fewer penalties called. Whether you agree or not, the standard changes.
I’ve always been consistent in wanting the blatant stick fouls called over the petty obstruction crap that sometimes isn’t a penalty. Ask both Ryan Strome and Brock Nelson about that. Their penalties late in the second were bogus. Exactly why both Kreider and Anders Lee were on the refs at the conclusion of the period.
Let’s not get carried away and blame the refs. That’s not why the Rangers lost. They simply didn’t find a second goal on Sorokin. There were plenty of opportunities. But he was brilliant. He’s quietly had a very good season for a team that won’t be in the postseason. It’s flown under the radar.
The feeling following a one-goal defeat to the bleeping Islanders is always the same. Insert curse words. Or slam something out of frustration. I actually did because I was disgusted. But nothing over the top. It’s never fun to lose to your biggest riva4l. Especially when every win and point matters. It was a missed opportunity.
As far as how the game was played, I have no complaints. The Rangers played well enough to win. They had more of the play at even strength. The forecheck was there in Frank Vatrano’s Rangers debut. He wore the same number he did with the Panthers. That would be number 77. Forget the silly conspiracy theories over Tony DeAngelo, who they’ll probably see on Sunday in Raleigh.
If you love good skating, clean hitting, strong goaltending and little to no stoppages, then the first period was a treat. It was so competitive during most shifts.
You also had a couple of thumping hits from Ryan Reaves, who caught Cal Clutterbuck with a clean reverse check. He then nailed the towering Zdeno Chara on the same shift. The crowd loved it. So did Reaves, who heard it from Chara as they went to their respective benches. It wasn’t the only run-in. Good hockey at a good atmosphere in a rivalry that matters.
As good as the checking was, how about the improved forecheck from the Rangers. In his first appearance with the Blueshirts, Vatrano was effective throughout. He debuted playing the right side on the second line with Strome and Artemi Panarin. They generated chances with Panarin attempting seven shots while Strome had a near miss on a redirect.
Frankie Vatrano only wound up with one shot on net. But he looked good with the Bread Man and Strome. He also got some power play time on the second unit with Filip Chytil, Alexis Lafreniere, Barclay Goodrow and K’Andre Miller. He had one attempt go high over the net. He has a shoot first mentality. That should help the offense.
Maybe the most frustrating aspect of the opening 20 minutes was how well they played. But Sorokin kept it scoreless. His diving stick save on Panarin (as seen above) was of the highlight reel variety. At the time, I was listening to the action in the car with Justin. We could tell by both Kenny Albert and Dave Maloney’s reaction how good it was. Maloney raved about it. It was even better when we put the game on to catch the replay.
He got it with the paddle while being almost on his back. Remarkable. It wasn’t a goal because Sorokin somehow reached out with his paddle and got a piece of it. That kind of key stop in a low scoring game like Thursday can be momentum turning. It definitely was.
Barry Trotz's reaction to Ilya Sorokin's ridiculous save tonight?
In a period they controlled by holding a 12-7 edge in shots, the Rangers still were held off the scoreboard. They could’ve had a couple of goals. Sorokin also denied Mika Zibanejad and Strome in tight.
The best save from Shesterkin came when he stoned Palmieri who was dangerous. He’s been on a good roll lately. After only scoring one goal in his first 29 games, he’s gotten 10 since. He absorbed a big check from Reaves during the first as well. Reaves was a human wrecking ball with five of his seven hits coming in the first period. This was his best hockey in a while.
Late in the period, Goodrow got nabbed for hooking into Barzal. The game’s first penalty with 70 seconds left didn’t result in much initially for the Islanders. To their credit, the Rangers’ penalty killers got the job done to end the period.
However, with a fresh sheet of ice, the Islanders took advantage to take the lead. With the power play about to expire, some good passing from Noah Dobson and Barzal led to Lee sniping his 23rd by Shesterkin 49 seconds into the second. They left him open in the slot and he buried the one-timer over Shesterkin for a 1-0 Isles lead.
After the goal, the Islanders had a couple of chances to increase their lead. But Barzal was wide on one shot and then stopped by Shesterkin on a second attempt. The speedy top center made life difficult. He was good throughout. He would later nearly set up Wahlstrom only for a sprawling Shesterkin to get over and stack the pads. His best save of the game.
A good Chytil play led to Adam Pelech taking a minor for holding. However, the first Rangers power play was mind numbing. The Islanders took away time and space. Only Adam Fox got a shot on Sorokin that he had no trouble with.
The Rangers continued to finish checks. They got a good scoring chance from the Chytil line. The only gripe was why didn’t Dryden Hunt take a wide open shot from the high slot. Instead, he passed. Chytil got a backhand on Sorokin that he handled. A missed opportunity.
Sorokin would later stop Kreider. He also was stoned by the Islanders starter on a breakaway during a power play. It was on that second man-advantage that Kreider stayed on to draw the Rangers even.
With Scott Mayfield off for an ill advised interference minor by hitting Vatrano late, the Rangers’ leading finisher decided to extend his shift. While the rest of his unit changed, Kreider stayed on. It paid off.
On a quick up from Jacob Trouba, Alexis Lafreniere fed a flying Kreider who fired a wrist shot from the left circle that snuck in short side low blocker on Sorokin to tie the game at 13:38. This was a fantastic shot. It also was number 40 for Kreider. His league-leading 21st power play goal tied the game with 6:21 left in the second.
Chris Kreider scores his 40th goal of the season. Kreider ties Mark Messier and Vic Hadfield (both w/ 61 GP) for the sixth-fewest games needed in franchise history to reach 40 goals in a season.
— Stat Boy Steven 🇳🇱 🇿🇦 🇮🇪 (@StatBoy_Steven) March 18, 2022
The physicality continued. Reaves finally paid back Mayfield for his foolish penalty. The feisty Mayfield returned the favor on a heated shift for the Rangers’ fourth line. Everybody was hitting. Lafreniere got one on Anthony Beauvillier. Then Pelech returned the favor on Lafreniere.
It was that kind of game. Grit was on display. The teams combined for 48 hits (27-21 Rangers). The Islanders blocked 16 shots. They were a pain in the ass. That’s what you expect from a Barry Trotz coached team. The Rangers only had nine by comparison. That was due to them having the puck more.
Two brutal calls were then made late in the period. First, Strome got called for a phantom rough on Dobson. We get on him a lot for his penchant for bad penalties. When Micheletti laughed at the replay, you knew it was bad.
Fortunately, the penalty kill was better this time around. With the Isles still on the power play, this time it was Nelson who was sent off for a nothing interference on Zibanejad. The definition of a make up call. That’s basically what Maloney said during intermission on ESPN Radio. The feeling was both penalties were bogus calls.
With the game still even entering the third, it set up a good finish. But it didn’t go the right way. Instead, the Islanders found a way to stay with the Rangers and get the gut wrenching goal that left a bad taste in your mouth.
In a very evenly played period where both Sorokin and Shesterkin were good, the difference turned out to be a fluke play. Following a Sorokin stop on Panarin, it was the Islanders who caught a break when Wahlstrom got his elbow up with Lindgren closing in on him along the side boards.
Could it have been called by the linesmen? Sure. Was it accidental? Perhaps. However, Lindgren was cut and continued playing on the extended shift. With the Isles on the forecheck, Pelech got the puck to Ryan Pulock. In traffic, he took a strange shot that seemed to hang in the air before it came right to Palmieri who redirected it in with 2:44 remaining.
It was a bit perplexing. It didn’t feel like anything would happen. All Pulock did was shoot the puck and it took an Islanders bounce with Palmieri doing the rest for the game-winner. Not much else to add.
As much as Lindgren yelled at the refs, the Rangers still were able to pull Shesterkin for an extra attacker. But the Islanders made it tough. They defended well and even came close to getting the empty netter. Only some hustle prevented it.
A Zibanejad shot from an angle with two seconds left was stopped by Sorokin for his final save. The only shot he saw after denying Panarin with 3:44 remaining. That’s not good enough.
The Rangers got no points out of this game. They played well enough, but ultimately fe short. Disappointing. That’s all to say.
Of course, the Pens came back to win at Nashville in a shootout. So, they’re up to 83 points in second while the Rangers remain at 81 with an extra game left. Don’t forget the three remaining meetings between the rivals. That’ll likely determine home ice. With the Caps winning again, they’re up to 78 with 20 games left. It’s going to be a photo finish.
There’s no time to think. The Rangers have the first place Hurricanes on Sunday. A team that handled them once. DeAngelo will probably play for Rangers South. He didn’t play in tonight’s 3-2 loss at Toronto. But is said to be close to ready. You know he doesn’t want to miss the second meeting versus his former team.
Right now with 21 games remaining and one before the big March 21 deadline, the Blueshirts have at the Lightning Saturday and then the Canes Sunday. The final two games before Armageddon.
They’ve been reportedly linked to veteran Alex Radulov. Why? He’s had a lousy season for Dallas. I’d like to see them in on someone else. I don’t mean a left defenseman that’s going to cost essentially what the Panthers paid Montreal for Ben Chiarot. They’re a legit Cup contender who’s all in. The Rangers have to be careful here. Add what you can that’s reasonable.
That’s going to do it for now. If anything earth shattering happens, I’ll have it up on here. Until then, Happy Saint Patty’s Day! Happy Purim!
Chris Drury made a move today. In what could be a signal the Rangers are going to be busy until next Monday’s March 21 trade deadline, the team made a sensible deal by acquiring Frank Vatrano from the Panthers for a fourth round pick.
Vatrano has spent the last few years in Florida. Formerly a Bruin who the Cats stole for a third round pick, he’s a solid depth forward who can contribute offensively.
In fact, his final game for the Panthers saw him score twice including in overtime to beat the Sharks last night. The pair of goals gave him 10 for the season. It is the fourth consecutive year he’s hit double digits. Vatrano notched 24 goals in ’18-19, 16 in ’19-20 and 18 last season.
The left wing has a shoot first mentality. Something that the Rangers need. He was successful with Florida due to being able to find the back of the net with his good shot.
A productive secondary scorer, the 28-year old forward had 73 goals and 53 assists for a total of 126 points in 271 games with the Panthers. Sixty-four of his 73 goals came at even strength including nine of 10 this season.
That is exactly the kind of player the Rangers can use. With Vatrano in the final year of a contract that pays him $2.6 million including a $2.53 million AAV, the Blueshirts agreed to pick up the remainder of the tab to help Florida clear space. They’re going to be serious players over the next few days.
This is the type of movement 'buyers' are hoping for ahead of Monday's deadline, in what should be a buyer's market: High prices 📉#FlaPanthers were originally seeking a 2nd round pick for Vatrano. He ends up going for a (low) 4th.
In helping out a team they could even see if things go right this postseason, the cost was less. Frank Seravalli reported that the Panthers originally wanted a second round pick. So, Drury did pretty good to upgrade the bottom six. He sure didn’t overpay.
Vatrano can slot in on the third line with Filip Chytil and possibly Barclay Goodrow depending on how Gerard Gallant wants to use him. Goodrow can also center the checking line. His versatility has been an asset.
The addition of Vatrano means someone comes out of the lineup when the Rangers host the Islanders tomorrow. Given what Jonny Brodzinski has provided, he should stay in on either the new third line or checking unit. I actually prefer Greg McKegg over Julien Gauthier for the fourth line. I’d scratch Gauthier.
Morgan Barron will likely be reassigned to Hartford to clear room on the roster. Barron has only gotten in the lineup occasionally. He’s been used sparingly. It makes more sense to send him down where he can get top line minutes with the Wolf Pack.
It’s also worth noting that by picking up Vatrano, who will hit the market this summer, they’re admitting the obvious. Both Kaapo Kakko and Kevin Rooney won’t be back soon. However, when they eventually return, the lineup should be improved.
Depending on if Drury makes an addition to the second line that would drop Dryden Hunt to the bottom six, there could be more to come. That would strengthen a team weakness. They’ve depended so much on Chris Kreider, Mika Zibanejad and Artemi Panarin to provide most of the offense. By addressing the obvious, the lack of scoring depth should improve.
This was an easy transaction for Drury to make. The Rangers got better today.
Foxy: Adam Fox celebrates his overtime winner for the Rangers who defeated the Ducks 4-3 at MSG. AP Photo by New York Rangers via Getty Images
It was a Foxy kinda night at 33rd and 7th. Adam Fox’s goal at 55 seconds of overtime gave the Rangers a 4-3 win on home ice. His 9th of the season was perfectly set up by Artemi Panarin, who continued his surge with three assists to give him eight points (1-7-8) in the last two games. Both wins.
On a night where they didn’t have their best game, it was mostly the brilliance of Panarin that helped carry the Blueshirts to a second consecutive victory. Coming off his third career five-point game, Panarin had it going against the Ducks at The Garden.
It was his line that controlled most of the action. Along with sidekick Ryan Strome and the gritty Dryden Hunt, the Panarin line dictated for long stretches in the Ducks’ zone. Their defense struggled against the Rangers’ second scoring unit.
This was more like how Panarin played in his first season in NYC. A welcome sight for the Garden Faithful. He not only setup goals, but was more aggressive shooting the puck. The Bread Man had four shots on net and seven attempts. That’s the mindset the Rangers need from their leading scorer. By putting up eight points over two games, he’s up to 71 (16-55-71) for the season. A good sign.
Fox had a second straight good game. He’d slumped recently. But in this one, the ’21 Norris winner was everywhere throughout. A more active approach led to him having his best game in nearly two months. Not only did he pass the puck well, but looked for his shot. For the game, he had a team high six shots in eight attempts.
The end result was a three-point effort by the Rangers’ leading star defenseman. That included helping set up Chris Kreider’s league-leading 20th power play goal to tie the score with 6:20 remaining in regulation. It also saw him finish off a great pass from Panarin by beating losing Ducks’ goalie John Gibson with a wrist shot in close for the overtime winner.
When the stars play well, this team has a much better chance of being successful. Mika Zibanejad also scored his 24th goal and added his 37th helper on the game-tying Kreider goal following a smart timeout by coach Gerard Gallant. He rested his top unit to keep them fresh. They delivered with Fox sending a shot wide that took a Ranger carom for a Kreider backhand that gave him his 39th to tie the contest at three.
They also got a nice contribution from the third line. Earlier in the game, a Filip Chytil clear out of his end allowed Jonny Brodzinski to score his first goal as a Ranger 4:29 into the contest. Chytil has played better recently. It was nice to see the hard-working Brodzinski get rewarded. Even if his shot from range was a bad one for the slumping Gibson to allow.
Since appearing in the All-Star Game following a good first half, Gibson has hit hard times. He entered play having allowed at least three goals or more in every start since Jan. 31. He wasn’t as bad tonight. But the final statistics were four goals allowed on 38 shots to extend his miserable run to 11. Yikes.
The first period was a bit strange. There weren’t a whole lot of shots or what I’d call high quality scoring chances. However, it was the Blueshirts who drew first blood.
On a good defensive by Braden Schneider, he got the puck up to Chytil along the boards. He was able to move it up for Brodzinski who simply gained the Anaheim zone and fired a wrist shot from the right circle that eluded Gibson. It was his eighth career NHL goal. The first in 11 games this season. He scored one last year in a five game cameo.
Despite getting off to the good start, the Rangers couldn’t or wouldn’t fire more shots on a fragile goalie. That allowed Gibson to eventually get into a rhythm. Something that’s been uncommon for the 28-year old American.
The only line that created consistent chances was the Panarin unit. Able to gain the zone, forecheck and win loose pucks, they had the Ducks pinned in often. It just didn’t lead to much early. Interestingly, the third line that featured Brodzinski also cycled effectively. Brodzinski was credited with three of the team’s seven shots in the first period.
With the Rangers still up by one, a Ducks’ forecheck led to them getting the tying goal. Adam Henrique worked the puck to Troy Terry, who came out and centered a pass that banked in off Max Comtois with 5:55 remaining. The puck also appeared to bounce off K’Andre Miller simultaneously. A bad break.
With the game tied, a good Strome hit in the corner of the Ducks’ end resulted in Sam Carrick taking a holding minor. On their first power play, the Blueshirts couldn’t do anything. Instead, the improved Ducks’ penalty kill were aggressive at clearing the zone. They were able to kill it off.
Late in the period, some Anaheim pressure led to Ryan Lindgren throwing the puck away for a delay of game minor with 14 seconds left. Despite what both Sam Rosen and Joe Micheletti said, he had enough time. It was an unforced error.
The Ducks remained on the five-on-four into the second period. Even though they didn’t score, their power play created opportunities on Alex Georgiev, who got the start. Of course, some fans negatively reacted to him playing this game. But what are they supposed to do? Play Igor Shesterkin in every remaining game. That makes no sense.
Interesting to note that Georgiev entered the start 3-0 versus the Ducks in his career with only four goals allowed. You do the math. This was a calculated move to maybe get him one more show case just in case they move on. Given some of his postgame commentary following recent losses, it’s obvious this is it for him. Whether he goes at next week’s deadline or this summer, his time as a Blueshirt is coming to an end.
To be fair, Georgiev was okay. He’s also fared better at home than on the road during his career. It’s interesting that Gallant has used him more on the road where he hasn’t been as successful. Perhaps that’s due to the schedule and the monster season from Shesterkin.
With the game even entering the second period, the Rangers killed off the Lindgren penalty. That included a nice save from Georgiev. Following that successive kill, Alexis Lafreniere’s takeaway sent Zibanejad in with Kreider. His pass in front for Kreider was denied by Gibson.
Following that sequence, the Panarin line again dominated an offensive shift against the Ducks. In the period of the long change, that unit forechecked until Hunt drew a delayed call. But with the six skaters showing patience, eventually Panarin and Fox combined to set up Zibanejad for a one-timer from a tough angle that beat Gibson high short side for a 2-1 lead.
The six-on-five goal was well executed. They kept the puck possession the entire time against an exhausted Ducks five-man unit. Finally, Zibanejad picked up number 24 off a good Fox pass at 3:06.
But before they could feel good about themselves, Jacob Trouba took down Isac Lundestrom to go for tripping. The Ducks didn’t waste any time. With Henrique able to get the puck up top for Cam Fowler, the veteran defenseman let go of a point shot that Georgiev couldn’t pick up to tie the score at 4:53. Fox forgot about Comtois who screened Georgiev in front.
Tied at two, that’s how it remained during a pretty even period. It wasn’t as dull as the first. The teams combined for 21 shots. The Rangers held an 11-10 edge. Both goalies made key stops to keep it even headed to the third.
The Rangers were able to kill off one of those Strome penalties late. He also missed an open net on a one-timer off a Panarin feed. A regular occurrence. Both the bad penalties and easy misses are known as the Ryan Strome for a reason.
If he buried some of these opportunities, he would have over 20 goals by now. Nobody would be complaining. He is still a key player. It’s absurd that there’s a small contingent that want him traded. Come on. They need to add players. Not subtract.
For most of the third, it was mostly Rangers. They really had the Ducks on the ropes. To his credit, Gibson stopped the puck to give Anaheim a shot. His timely stops nearly helped them steal the game.
With the Rangers applying more pressure, Patrik Nemeth had a shot blocked. With him caught and all three forwards trapped, Danny O’Regan moved the puck up for Derek Grant in the neutral zone. Able to get a step on Schneider, the checking forward broke in and beat Georgiev by shooting over him to make it 3-2 Ducks with 9:25 left.
My only gripe with Georgiev on the goal is he didn’t challenge enough. He had Schneider skating back chasing Grant. Even though the rookie defenseman took the wrong angle, if Georgiev had been more aggressive, he could’ve come out and denied Grant. The indecisiveness cost him. Breakaways have been a bugaboo for him. It wasn’t all his fault.
With the Ducks leading for the first time, Fox was able to get a step on Comtois and draw a hooking minor. On the power play for the second time, they couldn’t get the shot they needed during the first half. That included a passive Kreider not shooting and forcing a pass into the middle that was sent down the ice.
Following a Gibson save, Gallant again used his timeout to keep his top unit fresh. He’s had success with it this season. After the breather, Zibanejad won an offensive draw back for a Panarin shot that Gibson gloved.
After controlling another face-off, they went to work. Off a Panarin set up of a Fox shot, the puck banked off the back boards right to Kreider, who did what he does best. He was able to put in a backhand for his NHL best 20th power play goal.
It also was his 39th goal and 54th point. The goal was career point number 400. The 54 points are a new career high. So, now Kreider has career bests with 39 goals and 54 points. Better than that, he’s clutch.
That goal allowed the Blueshirts to force overtime. It didn’t take long to decide a winner. A Zibanejad defensive play helped send Panarin in behind the Anaheim skaters. After he was caught, he was strong enough to get the puck over for Fox, who beat Gibson for the exciting game-winner at 55 seconds.
It wasn’t perfect. They don’t all have to be. Gallant didn’t sound particularly thrilled I the postgame. The scowl he gave following the Grant breakaway goal was as mad as I’ve seen him during a game. There was definitely steam coming out.
Part of that is by design. With the Islanders visiting town on Thursday, they’ll have to be sharper. The Isles have played better hockey lately. Even though they’re a playoff afterthought, they haven’t quit. Too much pride.
Anders Lee is hot coming in and Noah Dobson is having a breakout year. Ilya Sorokin has quietly put together a good first full year. He’s got six shutouts. You will likely get the Sorokin versus Shesterkin match-up at MSG.
For the Rangers, it’s a chance to play against their number one rival. It’s only the second meeting. They need to win. No excuses. Expect it to be tough. The Islanders are now spoilers.
3 STARS 🌟 🤩 ✨️
3rd ⭐ Max Comtois #FlyTogether goal (3rd), screened on Fowler PPG, 3 SOG, 3 hits, +1 in 17:09
2nd ⭐ Artemi Panarin #NYR 3 assists including Fox setup in OT, 4 SOG, +2 in 20:41
1st ⭐️ Adam Fox #NYR overtime winner (9th goal), 2 🍎, 6 SOG, +2 in 24:38
By show of hands, who had this team in second place with 79 points through 59 games? With a 37-17-5 record, the Rangers have had a splendid season. They entered Sunday tied in points with the Penguins, who take on the first place Hurricanes this afternoon in Pittsburgh.
Regardless if the Pens win to move two up in the standings, the Blueshirts would have a game at hand and still hold the first tiebreaker with 32 regulation wins. If that is the first round match-up, the final three meetings between the old Patrick Division rivals will likely decide home ice. Something probably more vital to the younger Rangers.
Whatever happens when they return Tuesday to host Anaheim, it’s been an exciting year. Under Gerard Gallant, the postseason was an expectation. However, even the most optimistic fan probably didn’t have this team 20 games over .500. Eighteen points clear of ninth seed Columbus and 25 better than the desperate Islanders who pull into Penn Station this Thursday, the Rangers are a playoff lock.
It’s been that way for a while. In an Eastern Conference where we already know the eight teams who’ll compete for the Prince of Wales Trophy when the postseason begins, it’s all about putting yourself in the best position possible. A Carolina win in regulation today would give them 89 points. Ten clear of second. Even without Tony DeAngelo, they continue to be successful.
If the Canes look like a runaway Metropolitan Division winner vying for home ice with current Atlantic Division leading Florida, then that leaves six teams competing for seeding for the first round.
It’s a bit more undecided in the Atlantic where the Lightning have dropped three in a row. The Maple Leafs can pass them with a win against the Sabres in the NHL Heritage Classic at Tim Hortons Field. The outdoor game can be seen on TNT or SportsNet. The Bolts are in action later tonight at the Canucks.
A hot stretch led by David Pastrnak and emerging Calder candidate Jeremy Swayman (eight straight wins) have the Bruins up to 77 points. They’re in the first wildcard. But can move up if Tampa continues to falter with Toronto having goalie issues. Much is still up for grabs.
A much needed 7-4 road win in Dallas gave the Rangers exactly what they needed last night. They erased an early two-goal deficit by getting the next four in a high scoring first period. Artemi Panarin had his best game of the season by recording his third career five-point game. That included his 16th goal that made it 4-2. He set up four more to earn the game’s First Star.
After allowing a soft goal to Esa Lindell early and then giving up a Tyler Seguin deflection, Igor Shesterkin settled down. He finished with 29 saves on 33 shots. Many of those saves were tough due to a very aggressive Stars’ mindset which included bumping Shesterkin without any resistance. A sequence where Ryan Lindgren and Adam Fox just stood and watched the Rangers’ MVP absorb contact was unacceptable.
Without the brilliant play of their number one goalie, they’d be sunk. More often than not, the 26-year old Russian netminder has bailed out his team. Too often on Saturday night, the Stars got whatever they wanted. There were far too many high danger chances. It was too easy for the fast skating Stars to gain the zone and generate good shots on Shesterkin.
He’s unflappable. But he can’t save this team by himself. As was evidenced in ugly defeats to the Wild and Blues, even the great Igor isn’t perfect. He needs help. The six goals they scored sans a Ryan Strome empty netter were a step in the right direction.
So too were the contributions support players Greg McKegg, Julien Gauthier, Dryden Hunt and Barclay Goodrow supplied. Scoring depth has been an issue. The over reliance on the stars has been a common theme. A Mika Zibanejad power play goal that tied the game made it 39 of 43 PPG’s for the first unit. A remarkable number. That lethal unit has the team ranked second in the league at 26.5 percent.
It features league-leading power play goal getter Chris Kreider, whose 19 are the most in the NHL. Half his career high 38 goals have come on the man-advantage. With a PPG yesterday, Zibanejad is up to 12. He has 23 on the season. That’s 31 for the Rangers’ top two finishers. Panarin, Strome and Fox comprise the rest. More setup men than shooters, they have a combined eight on the power play. Five for Panarin and three for Strome. Fox has none.
It’s great to have a top unit that can do so much damage. However, the games get tougher. There will continue to be more attention paid to Fox, who runs the power play. Recent opponents are attacking him up high to limit time and space. If you give Fox time, he’ll find open teammates. A great passer of the puck, his 50 assists lead all defensemen. It was nice to see him score a goal on a tip-in of a Jacob Trouba shot.
While Kreider and Zibanejad have starred on Broadway to score the big goals in most wins, the Rangers will need more games like last night from Panarin. The Bread Man is a very skilled player with great peripheral vision. He can find open ice.
The best part about Saturday night is he was able to do it at five-on-five. No better example than controlling play and finding a pinching Trouba for an open shot Fox redirected to make it 3-2. Ditto on Panarin’s 16th where he took a pass from K’Andre Miller and fired a wrist shot by Jake Oettinger to increase the lead to 4-2.
It was a rarity to see guys like McKegg, Gauthier, Hunt and even Filip Chytil have an impact. Gauthier set up the McKegg goal that started the comeback. Hunt notched a career best three assists by playing an assertive game. Chytil made a defensive play that led to Goodrow beating Oettinger five-hole to give them a 6-4 lead with the Stars pressing.
Secondary scoring is a necessity come postseason. As the trade deadline approaches in just over a week, it’ll fall on Chris Drury to make the key decisions that can improve the roster.
What he must determine is are the Rangers a piece or two away from serious contention. To the naked eye, it doesn’t seem so. That’s why I’d tread carefully as March 21 approaches.
Is it worth overpaying for a proven commodity such as J.T. Miller if the Canucks make him available? Vancouver is only a few points out of the wildcard. They’ve been playing better under coach Bruce Boudreau. They could decide to keep Miller, who leads them in scoring and has another year left on his current deal.
I’ve mentioned the Canucks’ rumored interest in young Rangers’ rookie defenseman Braden Schneider. Not something I’d even contemplate. I’m a fan of Miller, but not at the cost of Schneider, who has the look of a shutdown right defenseman that can contribute offensively due to his skating. He has a bright future.
With Kaapo Kakko still uncertain, the Blueshirts need to upgrade at right wing. As honest a game as Hunt plays, he isn’t the right fit for the second line. He’s better suited in a checking role. Preferably on the fourth line. His hitting and energy are a plus. Any offense is a bonus.
Who is the missing piece that can fit with Panarin and Strome? Two very unselfish players who think pass more than shot. That would explain the combined 30 goals between them. Although I have no idea how Strome blows so many chances with open nets. At least he didn’t miss last night.
If both Miller and Filip Forsberg aren’t available, then what. Phil Kessel can be had for a mid-level prospect and mid-round draft pick. While he isn’t the same scorer he was with the Pens, Kessel can still get off his shot. A scenery change can work for the two-time Stanley Cup winner.
Let’s say Drury were to add two forwards. One a proven scorer who can also play second power play. The other a solid bottom six forward that can forecheck and contribute offensively.
I’ve been on record as saying I’d love a reunion with Colin Blackwell. A guy who plays bigger than his 5-9 frame. He had success here last year with Strome and Panarin. If you put him in a secondary role, that could work. He also kills penalties and is a shorthanded threat.
Whether it’s a Blackwell, Vladislav Namestnikov, Connor Brown, Artturi Lehkonen or Tyler Motte, those are the type of high energy players who are capable of helping a team too reliant on its top six. The cost shouldn’t be as much.
What about Rickard Rakell of the Ducks for the second line? The 28-year old is unrestricted this summer. With Anaheim fading, acquiring Rakell could make sense. Although he’s not what he once was, he still has 16 goals and 28 points. That includes five power play goals. A good right shot, he could be worth exploring for Drury.
Another area the organization could decide to upgrade is third pair, left defenseman. Patrik Nemeth has played better since his wife gave birth to a baby boy. He even scored a big goal late in the second period last night. So, it isn’t a necessity to replace him in the top six.
Besides, the cost of a Ben Chiarot or Hampus Lindholm will be astronomical. Is it really worth coughing up high picks and possibly a good prospect (Brennan Othmann, Will Cuylle, Zac Jones) for a rental? I doubt it.
The truth is this team isn’t a couple of pieces away. They’d have to catch lightning in a bottle to make a deep run. This isn’t to suggest it isn’t possible. The core is good. They’re a close knit group with chemistry.
It hinges on Shesterkin. He’s the straw that stirs the drink. At 29 wins with a 2.07 GAA and .938 save percentage, no goalie has been better. He’s certainly capable of stealing a series. But is it similar to Henrik Lundqvist in ’06-07 and ’07-08? Given the age of the current roster, I’m inclined to say yes.
Realistically, they could be capable of getting out of the first round. That would be a good accomplishment. Especially against the battle tested Pens, who look like the likely opponent.
If the first game two weeks ago was any indication, it would be a tough series. Especially facing Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Kris Letang and Jake Guentzel. Tristan Jarry has had a great bounce back season. The Pens are no longer a run and gun team. Think tight checking with Crosby and Malkin the game-breakers.
In terms of seriously competing against possibly the Canes, Lightning or Panthers, they’re deeper. Only Florida doesn’t defend well. Plus Sergei Bobrovsky doesn’t have the best track record. The Canes and Bolts are more proven.
From my observations, Carolina appears to be the best team. They defend extremely well and have a good forecheck. Five-on-five is a strength. The only question is in net with Freddie Andersen. A veteran goalie who’s had a great season. But like Bobrovsky isn’t a proven playoff performer. But they have superb depth and would be tough to beat in a seven-game series.
If they are right, the Lightning are a handful. The two-time defending champs boast the game’s best goalie in Andrei Vasilevskiy. With apologies to Shesterkin, who’s having the best season, it’s Vasilevskiy who has the proven track record. A Vezina winner who’s come up clutch in elimination games, he’s the one goalie you’d go with in a Game Seven.
When you factor in a deep roster that features stars Steven Stamkos, Nikita Kucherov, Victor Hedman, Brayden Point along with Alex Killorn, Ondrej Palat, Anthony Cirelli, Ryan McDonagh and Mikhail Sergachev, the Lightning are championship caliber. They also boast depth thanks to veterans Pat Maroon and Corey Perry along with Ross Colton, they’re not a team you’d want to draw. Especially if they don’t get eliminated early.
How do the Rangers compare to Boston or Toronto? The scoring isn’t as good if it’s the Leafs. If it’s the Bruins, who play more of a checking style that now involves their top three lines, it’s a little closer. A goalie match-up of Swayman versus Shesterkin would be interesting. Of course, this is a hypothetical. Probably not realistic.
The Leafs score at a high rate and boast the best power play along with the game’s top finisher in Auston Matthews. He only enters today with 44 goals. Five up on Leon Draisaitl and six ahead of Kreider. He missed some games and still should hit 60. The combo of Matthews and Mitch Marner is deadly. With Jack Campbell out and having slumped after a strong first half, who stops the puck? Maybe they can call Felix Potvin.
Whether they’re ready for prime time remains to be seen. There will be meaningful hockey at The Garden for the first time in five years. That’s significant. Whatever they decide, it must be with the best interest in mind.
If it’s not this year, ’22-23 could be a better time frame. By then, the roster should have a different look. Shesterkin will be 27 and in his prime. Just like another Rangers legend Mike Richter. That could be a good omen.
Dryden Hunt called it a ‘must win game.’ The gritty forward played a key part in another comeback win for the Rangers. After falling behind by two early, they turned the tables completely on the Stars to pull out a wild 7-4 win to conclude a four-game road trip.
For his part, Hunt had three assists to help the Rangers snap a two-game losing streak. Two ugly losses that were the worst of the season. They needed a game like this. Maybe not getting down early before coming back. It showed character.
On a night coach Gerard Gallant opted for another strange 11 forward, 7 defensemen alignment, it worked out alright. This time, it was Ryan Reaves getting his first healthy scratch of the season. While he got a night off, Gallant decided to dress Libor Hajek for the second time on the road trip.
Initially, Ryan Lindgren was listed as the seventh defenseman. He’s been struggling lately. Perhaps it’s due to being banged up. As the game progressed, Lindgren regained his status on the top pair with Adam Fox, who looked more like himself.
By going with seven D and only 11 forwards, Gallant basically had three lines and worked in Julien Gauthier and Greg McKegg, who made a nice contribution in his return. In a very unpredictable game, both Gauthier and McKegg were responsible for a huge goal that swung the momentum.
It also was a big night for Artemi Panarin. The team’s leading scorer finally had the kind of impact game they needed from the star player. He erupted for a season high five points with a goal and four assists. It was the best he’s looked in a while. He scored and set up goals the way he can.
Artemi Panarin collects his third career five-point game (1G-4A):
Facing a good team that doesn’t lose often on home ice, the Blueshirts got off on the wrong foot. It was just 49 seconds in that defensive defenseman Esa Lindell was able to sneak a backhand from a bad angle by Igor Shesterkin short side top. Not the start he wanted after being chased from the net in St. Louis.
Before the game was five minutes old, Tyler Seguin was able to redirect a Joel Kivaranta shot in to give the Stars a quick 2-0 lead. At that point, there had to be concern. Were the Stars about to blow the doors off the Blueshirts? Thankfully, it never happened.
On a strong Gauthier forechecking shift behind the Dallas net, he was able to outwork two Stars and throw a puck out to a pinching K’Andre Miller. Using a defenseman as a screen, the more confident Miller let go of a wrist shot that changed direction to beat Jake Oettinger at 9:45.
Greg McKegg redirects home K'Andre Miller's wrister from the top of the circle to put the Rangers on the board!#NYRpic.twitter.com/Ovc4jA8wkJ
— Hockey Daily 365 l NHL Highlights & News (@HockeyDaily365) March 13, 2022
The hard work from Gauthier led to the big goal that changed the first period. It was his first point in 16 games. Originally, the goal was credited to Miller. That would’ve been a new career high six. But replays showed that McKegg was able to get his stick on the puck to pick up his second of the season. A gritty play by the veteran.
Jonny Brodzinski drew the only penalty of the period on Roope Hintz, who hooked him down. The second ranked power play made short work to even it up. Needing only seven seconds due to a face-off win, Panarin one touched the puck to Ryan Strome, who moved it in the slot for a Mika Zibanejad one-timer that went off the far goalpost and in. It was his 12th power play goal and 23rd overall.
Suddenly with momentum, the Rangers stayed on the attack at even strength. On a good shift where Panarin found room, he got the puck over for a Jacob Trouba shot that Fox tipped in front for the go-ahead tally with 5:46 left. His eighth was the first goal he scored since Jan. 19. It broke a 15 game drought.
NHL Video Highlight – Adam Fox scores against the Dallas Stars to make it 3-2. pic.twitter.com/rJCzwedPUQ
On the very next shift, it was some more good work by the second line that allowed them to make it four consecutive goals. Hunt moved the puck for Miller up top. He then passed for Panarin, who moved into the right circle and surprised Oettinger with a wrist shot that beat him. That made it two goals in 36 seconds.
Following the crazy first period where the teams combined for six goals, the second wasn’t as high scoring. For the most part, both young goalies settled down to make key saves.
After the Rangers were unable to capitalize on a second man-advantage Alexis Lafreniere drew on Radek Faksa, Lindgren took another penalty for interference. As Dallas worked the puck around, Brodzinski took down Jamie Benn to give them an abbreviated five-on-three.
With only 22 seconds on it, the Stars caught a nice break to pull within one. Following a Hintz pass to John Klingberg, he centered down low for Jason Robertson, who had the puck go off his glove and in. Shesterkin immediately threw his hands up and protested the controversial play. He had a point.
NHL Video Highlight – Jason Robertson gets a piece of John Klingberg's shot in front to deflect in a goal on the power play, his 30th of the season. pic.twitter.com/BrgKBxqRen
Even on the Stars’ feed, color analyst Daryl Reaugh thought it wouldn’t count. A well respected broadcaster, Reaugh tells it like it is. When both he and Joe Micheletti think it shouldn’t count, there’s a good reason for it. A player isn’t allowed to direct the puck in with their glove. The problem was it was hard to tell if that’s what Robertson did. He’s an outstanding player.
Lighting the lamp in a losing cause for the @DallasStars on Saturday, Jason Robertson has reached 30 goals in 2021-22. As this shows, his path to get there (49 games) has only been bested once on this list of Stars scorers (since the franchise's 1993 move to Texas from Minnesota) pic.twitter.com/e3mMrQLjvh
I don’t think the play in question can be challenged. Gallant certainly was animated while discussing it with refs Jake Brenk and Steve Kozari. They probably couldn’t do anything. So, it stood as the 30th goal for Robertson. A great player many teams passed on in the 2017 NHL Draft. He went number 39 to the Stars, who also took Miro Heiskanen (mononucleosis) third and Oettinger 26th in the first round. Don’t bother looking at that draft.
The Robertson goal that made it 4-3 definitely gave the Stars life. They really carried the play for almost the rest of the second period. But whenever it appeared they’d find the equalizer with the Blueshirts hanging on, Shesterkin was there to make the critical stops. In a period his team was outplayed and outshot 13-8, the Vezina favorite made 12 big saves.
With it looking like Dallas could tie it on an extended offensive shift late in the stanza, an important goal was scored by an unlikely source. On a strong cycle from Hunt and Panarin, Patrik Nemeth took the puck behind the net and then came around for a backhand stuff in try that Oettinger stopped. However, he jammed away at a loose puck as the whistle blew with 1:40 left.
Initially, nobody seemed to realize that the puck crossed the line. However, a horn sounded from above which usually signals a goal. Following the review in which replays indicated that the puck was indeed in prior to the whistle blowing, Nemeth had his second goal since becoming a Dad for the second time.
It was a nice reward for a guy who’s certainly been criticized enough. Nemeth made a smart play around the net and realized Oettinger didn’t completely have the puck covered along his post. That allowed him to poke it in to give the Rangers a huge goal that put them ahead 5-3 with a period remaining.
In the third, the Rangers did a solid job defensively. They didn’t give up many shots early on. In fact, the Stars barely mustered anything the first several minutes. However, one good offensive play led to Joe Pavelski tipping in a Hintz shot for his 23rd at 8:09.
On the scoring play, Klingberg got the puck over to Hintz. He then took a shot with Pavelski in front. With Lindgren a bit off him, that allowed Pavelski to do what he does best. The 37-year old veteran American is having a great season. Having just re-signed for a year at a cap hit of $5.5 million with an extra $500,000 in performance bonuses, Pavelski is over a point-per-game. Remarkable.
Again with momentum from a goal that cut the deficit to one, the Stars looked on the verge of drawing even. They had the play in the Ranger end. But a good defensive play from Filip Chytil cleared the zone. It also allowed Barclay Goodrow to come out with the puck.
Skating into the Stars’ zone, he let go of a wrist shot from the left circle that eluded Oettinger for the momentum shifting goal that gave the Rangers enough breathing room. Goodrow added to his career high with number 13 by beating Oettinger five-hole. That made it 6-4 with 5:53 left.
Dallas coach Rick Bowness eventually lifted Oettinger for an extra attacker. However, it was the effective combination of Panarin and Hunt that combined to move the puck ahead for Strome. Needing a goal desperately for his psyche, even he couldn’t blow the empty netter that came with 1:37 to go.
Prior to Strome getting his 14th, an over excited Shesterkin went for it again. As soon as he got the puck, he saw the Dallas empty net. Perhaps a bit over anxious, he shot too quickly. It nearly resulted in disaster. The Stars came close to making it a one-goal game. Fortunately, Shesterkin’s mistake didn’t cost him.
At the end of the day, this was an important win. Maybe not a must win as Hunt said. But considering how poorly they played in lopsided defeats at Minnesota and St. Louis, it was nice to see them get off the mat. The victory allowed them to earn a split on the road trip. It also prevented three losses in a row in regulation.
They now can return home in a better mood. The Rangers have the next two days off before the Ducks visit MSG on Tuesday. Believe it or not, the Islanders then are on the schedule this Thursday.
The victory tied the Blueshirts with the Penguins for second in the Metro. Both have 79 points with 23 games remaining. By virtue of three more wins in regulation, the Rangers are second. Pittsburgh takes on first place Carolina this afternoon. The Canes are up to 87 points and show no signs of slowing down.
500th NHL point for Derek Stepan and my goodness, was it ever pretty. 😍
Congrats to former Ranger Derek Stepan on his 500th career point. A nice assist on a Steven Lorentz goal in the Canes’ 3-1 home win over the Flyers. Proof that good guys don’t always finish last. I’ll always be a fan of Step. Kudos to him on the milestone.
Battle Of Hudson Three Stars
3rd 🌟 K’Andre Miller NYR 2 assists, 3 SOG, 2 takeaways, +2 in 19:59
2nd 🌟 Dryden Hunt, NYR career high 3 assists, +2 in 17:10
1st 🌟 Artemi Panarin NYR goal (16th) plus 4 🍎 for season best 5 points, +2 in 20:18
Last night was one to forget for the Rangers. Facing the Blues for the second time in eight days, they were no match in St. Louis.
The Blues backed up captain Ryan O’Reilly by blowing out the Rangers 6-2. It was last week that O’Reilly thought his team was better than the Rangers following a 5-3 defeat at MSG. One in which a good third period along with the brilliant play of Vezina and Hart candidate Igor Shesterkin allowed the Blueshirts to come back and win.
Maybe O’Reilly wasn’t wrong. The interesting part is unlike that game which featured the return of Pavel Buchnevich, the rematch didn’t. Buchnevich missed Thursday’s game due to being in concussion protocol due to an unpenalized dirty hit from Austin Watson who wasn’t disciplined for it. Of course not.
This is the hit that knocked Pavel Buchnevich out of last night’s game, and will likely prevent him from playing tomorrow
Shoulder directly to the head… No penalty, no supplemental discipline #stlblues
Even without Buchnevich, the Blues boast plenty of scoring depth. Led by O’Reilly who got the fourth goal just 15 seconds into the second period that chased Shesterkin for the first time when healthy this season, they humiliated the Rangers.
Twice, Robert Thomas was allowed to score easy goals. So too did Ivan Barbashev, whose goal that made it 2-0 in a three-goal first period was so wide open that you wondered if there were any Blueshirts on the ice aside from a helpless Shesterkin.
‘They should feel embarrassed,” is how coach Gerard Gallant put it to reporters in the postgame. Although he didn’t raise his voice regarding their second consecutive listless performance, you could feel the disappointment. His remarks which included the dreaded “soft” word to describe how they played were pointed.
It was true. The worst part is their best players were responsible. Once again, the top pair of Ryan Lindgren and Adam Fox had a forgettable night. How bad were they? Lindgren twice took minor penalties in another undisciplined first. Astonishingly, the team killed off three straight St. Louis power plays including a 67 second five-on-three.
Following the third successful kill, the Blueshirts melted down. The Blues got goals from Thomas and Barbashev 45 seconds apart to go up 2-0. Thomas would add his second to make it three straight goals over a 2:36 span.
On the Blues’ second and third goals, Fox and Lindgren were caught out for both. They didn’t defend either sequence well. There was no support from the forwards which included Mika Zibanejad and Chris Kreider on Thomas’s second tally. Both were culpable throughout.
In fact, those four players went a combined minus-15. Fox, Lindgren and Kreider each finished minus-four while Zibanejad was minus-three along with Alexis Lafreniere. At least he showed a pulse going after goalscorer David Perron during a scrum in the third period.
When your best players don’t show up, you’re not going to win on most nights. We’ll absolve Artemi Panarin and Ryan Strome, who at least had some chances against winning St. Louis netminder Ville Husso. He still came up with a couple of big saves on Dryden Hunt and Panarin that helped the Blues pull away.
The only time the Blueshirts scored was on the power play. Trailing by three late in the first, Strome took a Fox pass and beat Husso with a slap shot for his 13th at 18:37. It also marked the first assist for Shesterkin, who started the play with a nice outlet for Fox. The only good moment for the Rangers’ Team MVP.
Instead of bringing momentum from the Strome power play goal into the second, they lost the opening face-off and then stood around and watched O’Reilly beat Shesterkin from the slot high blocker. The goal came at 15 seconds. On it, Zibanejad fell down. It was another easy goal for the Blues.
At that point, Gallant had seen enough. He mercy pulled Shesterkin from the net. Obviously, it had nothing to do with him. He entered play with 28 wins a GAA below 2.00 and over a .940 save percentage. That changed due to allowing four goals on 17 shots in 20:04. When he returns to face Dallas tomorrow, it’ll be 28-7-3 with a 2.02 GAA, .939 save percentage and three shutouts.
It didn’t get any better. Alex Georgiev relieved Shesterkin. Following a 5-2 loss to the Wild in which he was very candid afterwards about needing to play more, he gave up two more Blues goals in 38 seconds. He fell down when Jake Walman made it 5-1. Then, Perron had a shot go off Patrik Nemeth past Georgiev to put the Rangers down five.
Pitiful. Most alarming is that all six Blues’ goals came at five-on-five. An area that isn’t a Rangers’ strength. They have relied on their highly rated power play a lot. In fact, K’Andre Miller scored his first career power play goal to close out the scoring yesterday. The two PPG’s last night pushed them to number two in the league.
The Rangers click at 26.3 percent (42-for-160). It’s mostly due to the lethal top unit. Featuring league leader Kreider (19 PPG) and Zibanejad (11 PPG), they’ve done damage on the five-on-four. In fact, 38 of the 42 goals on the power play have come from the foursome of Kreider, Zibanejad, Panarin (5) and Strome (3). The other four are from Jacob Trouba, Miller, Kaapo Kakko (top unit) and current Wolf Pack defenseman Nils Lundkvist.
That’s putting a lot of eggs in your basket. At least Miller got one. He was able to get behind and take a Panarin feed to beat Husso for his fifth. A play in which he showed off the superb skating and offensive capability that once made him a forward. Considering his overall improvement, there’s much to like about Miller. No longer a player I would part with.
One of the reasons for the five-on-five struggles is the lack of a consistent forecheck. Far too often, the Rangers are one and done. Opponents are finding it too easy to transition and gain the zone without much push back. Those are correctable areas Gallant can address in practice and by showing video.
It doesn’t help matters that the bottom six forwards aren’t getting it done. While Gallant remains steadfast in keeping the gritty Hunt with Panarin and Strome on the second line so he can keep Barclay Goodrow in a checking role, it isn’t helping. At least Goodrow has 12 goals and 23 points.
Hunt (4-7-11) is a good energy guy who plays hard. But he can’t be on the second line. At least he broke a long drought by scoring his fourth from Strome against the Wild. The trouble is that’s a rarity. He blew a great chance by shooting back into Husso’s pads when it was still close last night. The four goals and 11 points are a career high. Hunt also has 120 hits.
Imagine what Vitali Kravtsov could do if he’d been given a chance with Panarin and Strome. Of course, he was already behind Lafreniere and Kakko on the depth chart. Don’t forget that was before Lafreniere adjusted to being moved to the right wing on the top line. Kravtsov had two goals and an assist in a four-game sweep for Traktor in the first round of the Gagarin Cup.
It’s not like Kravtsov is a realistic option once his KHL season ends. Given his history with Team President and GM Chris Drury and the way he left without reporting to Hartford, it’s much likelier that Kravtsov is part of a package in a trade to upgrade the scoring.
I just can’t figure out how Hunt and Julien Gauthier are better options. The latter a player who routinely blows scoring chances that define logic. Gauthier has three goals in 44 games. His shooting percentage is 4.8 percent. He was a former first round pick.
Meanwhile now with the Kraken, Colin Blackwell is up to eight goals with eight assists in 36 games. Six points have come over the last five for a complementary player who had success with Panarin and Strome last season. Blackwell posted career bests with 12 goals, 10 helpers and 22 points in 47 contests as a Blueshirt. Seventeen of those 22 points came at even strength. Looks like they left the wrong player unprotected.
In a similar development, former Ranger Brett Howden has eight goals and 11 assists for 19 points on the struggling Golden Knights. He centers the fourth line. Some players aren’t always what you think. He is a checking forward and solid penalty killer. The Rangers thought Howden was more than that due to his surprising early success.
I’m not suggesting they should’ve kept Howden. He had a nightmarish ’21 where he only scored one goal with six assists over 42 games. Sometimes, a player needs a change. In his case, Howden did. Good for him on regaining his confidence.
What’s most disappointing is that Filip Chytil has had a similar forgettable year. He played in his 46th game yesterday. In 14:54 of ice time, the 22-year old had four shots and was denied by Husso on a mini break. He also drew a penalty.
While he’s looked better since returning, six goals and 14 points isn’t what was expected. It looks like another former first round pick will be sent elsewhere by March 21. He isn’t happy with how he’s been used.
Gallant noted that they’re missing some players. He was referring to Kakko and Kevin Rooney. The latter who also hasn’t scored since December. Sammy Blais is severely missed now. These days, when there’s hardly a semblance of a forecheck, the former St. Louis Blue who plays with the necessary edge would have fit in well. He was prior to P.K. Subban ending his season. Blais sure could’ve solved some of the issues.
With such a lack of scoring punch on the third and fourth lines, it puts more pressure on the top six to perform. They’ve gotten a special year from Kreider, whose 38 goals and 19 on the power play lead the team. His next point will be a new career high. In 58 games, he has 53 points. That was last reached in ’16-17 in 75 games. Without the true captain, the offense would be sunk.
While Kreider and Zibanejad have been the most consistent performers at even strength, Panarin has struggled recently. The 35 even strength points still pace the Blueshirts. However, he’s become too much of a one trick pony. There are too many instances where he passes up quality scoring opportunities for fancy passes that lead to turnovers. Combined with sidekick Strome, who also is very unselfish, they haven’t been as effective this season.
Not having a true right winger hasn’t helped. If Drury can go out and get a proven player better suited for Panarin and Strome, that would go a long way to fixing the problem. Then, when Kakko returns, there wouldn’t be as much pressure. He could play on the third line and still get second power play time. Who knows what to expect. There’s still no timetable.
It would seem Drury should target two forwards. One who can finish and one who isn’t offensively inept that can forecheck. There are some candidates that could be available. Cross Joe Pavelski off the list. He re-signed with the Stars for another year. A move that was expected. Dallas is in wildcard position right behind the Wild and Predators.
Whether they decide to move J.T. Miller remains to be seen. The Canucks are in the hunt. Miller is their best player and has one year remaining on a cap friendly deal. Vancouver could look to trade Brock Boeser instead. He has over a seven million qualifier this summer and turns unrestricted the following year. If I were them, I’d keep Miller and extend him.
We know the Rangers have interest in Miller along with other suitors. He sure would solve a lot of issues. Any team that acquires him would have Miller as a two-year rental. Unless they could reach an agreement on an extension. If the ask includes Braden Schneider or Brennan Othmann, that’s a pass. Schneider is a player Vancouver is rumored to be interested in. He plays with poise. It’s understandable. If you’ve seen Oliver Ekman-Larsson play, you know why.
If Nashville stays where they are, would Filip Forsberg really be available? I wouldn’t if I were them. They should show a commitment to winning. Nashville fans love their team and don’t want to see their top finisher leave. Especially when they boast an elite goalie in Juuse Saros and top defenseman in Roman Josi.
I’ve mentioned Phil Kessel before in this blog. He just became a Dad. Congrats. He’s been available for a while. The Coyotes are moving forward in their rebuild. They sure aren’t hurting offensively. Clayton Keller and Nick Schmaltz are filling it up.
The 34-year old Kessel can be had on the cheap. He’s a proven performer and Stanley Cup champion. While he’s struggled to finish this season, it’s not due to a lack of shots (117). His luck would probably change on a different roster.
I can see Drury getting on the phone with John Davidson, who’s back in Columbus. Max Domi is a hard-nosed player who is unrestricted this summer. With the postseason less of a possibility due to the Caps’ recent resurgence, Domi is likely to get moved. He could be a nice addition for a contender looking to bolster secondary scoring.
What about the Canadiens? Since Marty St. Louis took over, they’re winning games and scoring. The Habs have three potential trade targets including checking forward Artturi Lehkonen. He’s caught fire recently with six goals and eight points over the last five games.
The 26-year old Finn is a solid player who can add to a third line. Twenty-five of his 28 points have come at even strength. He also has two shorthanded goals. Lehkonen is restricted this off-season and unrestricted in 2023. He makes $2.3 million.
Veteran defensemen Jeff Petry and Ben Chiarot could be on the move. Chiarot has been heavily rumored. The Rangers could look to upgrade the third pair by adding a player of Chiarot’s caliber. Nemeth is currently on the left side next to Schneider. The 30-year old would be an upgrade. But at what cost? Jeff Gorton surely would want Drury to pay up. It might be too much.
Petry is a right defenseman who is very experienced. He was having an awful season before St. Louis took over. He’s been much better since. Unlike Chiarot who can walk, he’s signed through 2025 with a $6.25 million cap hit attached. At 34, that makes him unlikely for some teams.
It’s impossible to know what Drury is thinking. However, it’s better that the last two games happened now. They weren’t competitive in either loss to the Wild or Blues. Two good teams that play a heavy style.
Gallant’s reasoning for taking Lafreniere off the first line against Minnesota and replacing him with Ryan Reaves was due to them taking liberties. Something the Blues also did in last night’s rematch. It’s not like the Rangers back down from anyone. Under Gallant, they go back at opponents and stand up for each other.
However, when more teams are using the strategy to go after Fox in the corners, it could explain his unsteady play. This is his third season. He’s never played a full 82-game schedule. He also isn’t as equipped as Cale Makar for the physicality. Fox is smaller and elusive. But the ice tends to shrink as the games go on. That’s exactly what we’re seeing.
Tighter checking makes it harder on skill players. Especially Panarin. A great skater and playmaker, his East/West passes aren’t connecting as frequently. If he shot more, it wouldn’t be as predictable. He and Strome are also not strong defensively. They’ve been victimized on some goals against. That’s why they need a strong right wing to fill the void.
They still miss Jesper Fast. Why the old regime didn’t re-sign him I’ll never understand. He’s playing well for the first place Hurricanes. Of course, Fast is a good five-on-five player who’s defensively responsible. He also is strong at winning battles and loose pucks. Stuff the smaller Blackwell also did well while filling in last year.
There’s still time for the Rangers to make the upgrades. Adding players capable of contributing is much better than Gallant talking up Morgan Barron or Tim Gettinger. Jonny Brodzinski isn’t the answer either. Establishing a checking line that can forecheck is a must.
In the playoffs, it can’t be the same guys. That’s not a winning formula. It’s usually the players you least expect who step up and make a name for themselves. That’s exactly why they got Goodrow. He’s only one guy. They need more.
Addressing the lack of scoring depth is a necessity. The only question for Drury is how far is he willing to go with this roster. Is he all in? Or is it wiser to wait one more year when 2021 first round pick Brennan Othmann could be on the third line by 2023? So could Will Cuylle.
At what cost are they willing to risk this year when it looks more realistic to seriously contend next year? We’ll get the answer soon enough.
How can one sum up the Rangers’ 5-2 loss to the Wild? In a word, ugly. It was probably one of their worst performances of what’s otherwise been a surprising season.
Sloppy turnovers and poor defensive coverage were themes in their second defeat to Mats Zuccarello and the Wild. They also got beat on Henrik Lundqvist Night over a month ago. At least that was close.
This wasn’t. Even following consecutive goals from Dryden Hunt (first since 12/1) and Mika Zibanejad (shorthanded) which briefly tied the score, they fell apart in epic fashion.
Kevin Fiala responded to the Zibanejad shorthanded goal with a goal on the same Minnesota power play 66 seconds later. That really took the wind out of their sails. Something both Henrik Lundqvist and Steve Valiquette discussed on the MSG postgame.
The Rangers were never able to seize back control. Instead, total breakdowns led to breakaway goals from Marcus Foligno and Fiala before the second period concluded. When you don’t play near your best against a better opponent (than Winnipeg as Lundqvist noted), this is the result you get.
They didn’t get away with it. It was the Wild who came with more energy and were able to maintain the frenetic pace to run away with a big win to boost their playoff chances. They’re locked in a tight race with the Stars, Predators and Oilers. Their urgency allowed them to pass Dallas in the standings and stay a point up on Nashville for third in a very competitive Central Division.
Sometimes, it’s as simple as the opponent being better. That was the case throughout the second game of four on the road for the Rangers, who didn’t seem to have their legs. They weren’t that good in any facet. A lack of cycle game and checking left little used backup Alex Georgiev out to dry.
It added up to a tough night for Georgiev. An easy culprit when things go wrong, the 26-year old goalie allowed five goals on 28 shots. Sadly, he has lost his last five starts dating back to Jan. 10 at LA. In each of the last four, Georgiev has permitted four or more goals.
Can Georgiev change anything to stay sharp when he's not playing?
"There's only one way to be in the game rhythm – to play. We've been we've been doing some drills with Benny & working hard in practice. I don't know what else we could do, and that's maybe for us to think about."
— Vince Z. Mercogliano (@vzmercogliano) March 9, 2022
It’s been tough to watch. Whether you want to point the finger in the direction of the goalie, I don’t think it’s entirely fair. Far too often, he hasn’t gotten much suppprt. It’s almost like they play worse with him in there. Is that due to a lack of confidence, or mere coincidence? You be the judge.
Gallant on Georgiev:
"It's gotta be tough on the kid… You feel for him a little bit, and hopefully he's going to get a win here sooner or later… We're trying to worry about wins, and we can't worry about every individual player. But he's a man. He'll own up to it."#NYR
— Vince Z. Mercogliano (@vzmercogliano) March 9, 2022
What is understood is that Gerard Gallant can’t play Igor Shesterkin every night. He knows it. The Hart candidate indicated to the coach that he was tired. So, Turk gave his best player a breather. Igor will be back for the rematch with the Blues. A team that’s also slumped since their loss last week to our team. What excuse will Ryan O’Reilly come up with if his team doesn’t win on Thursday?
Gallant said he wasn’t happy with how his team played. He felt it would be a different game. Instead, the Blueshirts didn’t give their best effort. The Wild did. They had slumped badly losing six of seven and eight of 10.
Minnesota got key gritty forward Jordan Greenway back. He isn’t the point producer Kirill Kaprizov, Fiala or Zuccarello are. But the big strong forward is an integral part of the Wild’s identity. Coach Dean Evason uses him on the big second line that features Joel Eriksson Ek and Foligno, who ironically snapped out of it with a three-point night to earn the game’s First Star.
The addition of Greenway with Matt Dumba, who just returned to stabilize a struggling blue line, definitely gave Minnesota a boost. They had an extra jump in their step.
At the start, it wasn’t lopsided. There was plenty of skating, open ice and zero penalties. With the game exclusively at five-on-five, you had few stoppages. It made for compelling action.
The most interesting aspect is that the teams combined for only four shots in the early going. Ryan Lindgren got a long shot on Cam Talbot, who made his first save. On the flip side, Georgiev started out okay by denying both Ryan Hartman and Kaprizov. Perhaps the lack of shots didn’t help his rhythm.
There was some hitting from Patrik Nemeth, who delivered a couple of thumps on one shift. His play has been night and day since the birth of his second baby boy. He and Braden Schneider are working well together on the third pair. That no longer is an issue. If they want to go out and add a veteran for security, fine. But it isn’t urgent.
At the halfway point of the first, Artemi Panarin had a good shooting opportunity in the high slot. All set up, he fanned on the shot. That would hurt. On the same shift, Kaprizov picked up the puck and blew into the Rangers zone, dropped for a Hartman wrist shot that went right through Georgiev to give the Wild a 1-0 lead at 10:38.
It happened that quickly. Kaprizov is such an electric skater that once he gets going, you expect something to happen. The Wild fans definitely were out of their seats on a few of his rushes. Kirill The Thrill made a great dash to back up the defense and passed back for a Hartman shot that deflected off Georgiev’s blocker and in. It was a bad goal. One he should’ve had.
Following Hartman getting his 23rd, Georgiev then robbed Kaprizov after he was left alone in the slot for a good one-timer. That time, he was square to the shooter and closed up the five-hole to make a good save.
However, that stop didn’t spark the Blueshirts. Rather than swing the momentum, they did some puck watching on Eriksson Ek, who was able to redirect a Foligno wide shot over Georgiev for a 2-0 Wild lead at 14:41. Adam Fox was the closest on the play. He and Lindgren haven’t been the lock down pair since whatever was ailing him prior to the games he missed before the break.
There was some hitting after Eriksson Ek got his 17th. Both sides didn’t pass up an opportunity to finish checks. There also was the customary Julien Gauthier rush that turns into nothing. Back in the lineup for Libor Hajek, he skated into the Minnesota zone and tried a centering feed that missed completely.
Afterwards, Steve Valiquette had a good criticism. He said that Gauthier should shoot the puck more. He got the hint in the second period. The frustrating part is that as hard as he works, the former Hurricanes first round pick doesn’t contribute enough offense. I don’t see him staying in the lineup once Chris Drury decides to upgrade. At least Colin Blackwell has hands. He got his eighth for the Kraken last night.
The second had to be better. At least that was my prevailing thought. It started promising enough. After a Wild chance that Georgiev stopped, Panarin made a defensive play to move the puck out for Ryan Strome. This led to a two-on-one sequence where Strome got the puck across to Hunt for his first goal in three months at 5:03.
Predictably, on another shift Strome tried one of those dying quails for Panarin that was easily intercepted. Ugh. These two remain stuck on a combined 27 goals. Hardly enough production from the second line if this team is to make a run. What are they waiting for?
Astonishingly, there was just one penalty called. It happened when Nemeth took down Nick Bjugstad. That one Wild power play really determined the outcome.
On it, Zuccarello made a big mistake. Trying to reset by carrying the puck into his own zone, he lost control. That allowed Zibanejad to close quickly. At live speed, it appeared he hooked down Zuccarello before scoring a shorthanded goal to tie the game at 8:07. But the replay MSG provided later showed that Zibanejad lifted the stick and then made a great shot on Talbot for his 22nd. A great individual effort by the team’s best forward.
Zibanejad chases down Zuccarello, nets a short-handed goal to tie the game. It all starts with a key save from Georgiev #NYRpic.twitter.com/69dJDQRfFO
However, the Wild were still on the same man-advantage. They made the most of it. On a good play down low, Foligno was able to draw Miller to him with Jacob Trouba already in the vicinity. This left a wide open Fiala all alone for a tap in to put the Wild back up at 9:13. Credit Matthew Boldy with the pass. He’s a good rookie.
The Rangers never recovered. Following that back breaking goal, not much happened. But an aggressive Kaprizov tried to go around Miller. Instead, Miller delivered a great open ice hit to knock the ultra talented Russian star down. It was impressive.
Miller used his body a lot more during this game. Although his homecoming playing in front of family and friends didn’t go the way he hoped, I liked the physicality. He’s playing with more purpose. Chalk it up to him trying to do too much.
Following a turnover, Dumba sent Foligno in on Georgiev where he absolutely abused him by going to the backhand for his 19th on a breakaway. Both Miller and Trouba got dusted on the play. That made it 4-2 Wild.
Things unraveled. A bad Fox pinch led directly to a Minnesota quick transition for another breakaway goal. This time, Fox lost control of the puck inside the Wild blue line. Zuccarello picked it up and sent Fiala flying in where he also was able to find room on the backhand to beat Georgiev for his second of the game.
Just like that, it was 5-2 Wild. They scored three unanswered over eight minutes. This was one team utilizing their speed, skill and grit to overwhelm the Rangers. Our side hardly got anything done on the forecheck.
Even with Alexis Lafreniere getting a couple of shots on Talbot, Gallant went away from that match-up. He opted for Ryan Reaves, who took the final two shifts of the period and started the third with Zibanejad and Chris Kreider.
Here’s the thing. As good as both have been, neither distinguished themselves in this game. Kreider and Zibanejad each had one shot on goal. Zibanejad scored shorthanded. Kreider had one of his quieter nights. I thought Lafreniere was the most noticeable of the three.
When asked why he made the switch, Gallant felt the match-up wasn’t good. But he also praised Lafreniere and said he’s very happy with him. This was a choice by the coach. It didn’t spark anything.
The third period wasn’t much to write home about. Lafreniere played with Filip Chytil and Barclay Goodrow. I was listening in the car when I caught Dave Maloney critiquing the passing part of Chytil’s game. It really sounded like an indictment of him as a center. He doesn’t make line mates better. I’ve said it for a while. He needs a change.
Although they got 12 shots through, Talbot stopped all dozen to earn the win versus his former team. He needed it for his confidence. It was the first time he allowed two goals or fewer since Feb. 12.
When it ended, a rare scene saw both teams go to center ice and shake hands with referee Brad Meier, who’s retiring. No matter what you think of refs, they’re good people. I thought this was extremely classy. Joe Micheletti also noted that this is it for Ian Walsh. A nice gesture following the game.
There isn’t much to take away here. The Rangers stunk. Far too many good players were ineffective. That included Fox, whose play has slipped at even strength. People are noticing. He had one lousy giveaway that led to a point blank opportunity Georgiev stopped. Very uncharacteristic.
Is it the injury? Who knows. Right now, i feel more comfortable when Miller is out with Trouba at five-on-five. They didn’t have a good game either. That’s how it went.
Next up are the Blues. They’ve been doing a lot of losing lately. They even were beaten by the Senators on Tuesday night 4-1. Pavel Buchnevich might not play tomorrow. He’s in concussion protocol.
You know St. Louis will be desperate. They’re not that far ahead of Minnesota, Nashville or Dallas. Four points separate second from fifth. A lot can change.
As for our team, they didn’t lose any ground. The Pens lost at home to the Panthers 4-3 in regulation. Both teams remain at 77 points with the Blueshirts having an extra game left. They’re each six ahead of the Caps, who won a third straight by coming back to defeat Calgary 5-4.
Alexander Ovechkin tied Jaromir Jagr for third on the all-time goal scoring list. His 764 trails only Gordie Howe and Wayne Gretzky. I have my own thoughts on Ovechkin and how Russian players are being treated by hockey circles. That’s for another day.
When he gets going, Chris Kreider can turn on the afterburner literally. In tonight’s 4-1 win over Winnipeg, he turned on the jets literally. The Rangers won their third straight game by defeating the Jets before a very quiet crowd at Canada Life Centre.
Normally, Winnipeg is one of the loudest arenas. However, you barely heard a mouse for most of the game. That’s due to the disjointed play from their hockey team. The final stats might’ve read: Jets 45 shots, Rangers 22. But anyone who watched it knows how misleading the total shots were.
To be blunt, the game was pretty boring until the Jets finally converted on their third power play when Nik Ehlers beat Igor Shesterkin to pull Winnipeg within a goal at 13:34 of the second period. A rash of penalties threatened to change the game. But Shesterkin locked in and stopped 14 of 15 power play shots. Far too many.
For the game, Shesterkin stopped 45 of 46 shots. He improved to 10-0 when he faces 40-plus shots. The more busy he is, the harder it is to beat him. He upped his record to 28-6-3. When he wakes up tomorrow, his GAA will improve along with the save percentage that was at .940. There isn’t anything left to say. If he keeps this up, it’s an all-time season for a goalie.
As lopsided as the shots on goal were, most of the Jets’ shots were kept to the outside. Shesterkin dirty face much traffic either. This wasn’t like the heroic effort where he stole a game from the Devils. It was just him continuing to repel shots. Most of which he saw. His best one was an acrobatic desperation reverse stop that would’ve made Dominik Hasek proud. He also denied Pierre-Luc Dubois after he went around Adam Fox.
The biggest takeaway were the penalties. Gerard Gallant can’t be happy with them. They took some ill advised minors throughout. Particularly in the first two periods. Anytime you take three in a period, that’s not good. They did so in the first and still came out 2-0 up due to goals from Barclay Goodrow (12th) and Kreider (league-leading 19th PPG).
As strange a game as Winnipeg played, they still are a threat to score on the five-on-four. They boast some considerable talent in Mark Scheifele, Kyle Connor, Blake Wheeler, Dubois, Ehlers and Paul Stastny. It isn’t easy to keep killing penalties. They’re a good shorthanded team. But the lack of discipline can’t continue when they visit Minnesota Tuesday and then St. Louis for a rematch on Thursday. The four-game road trip concludes on Saturday at Dallas.
Winning hockey games is one thing. They do that quite well. In game 56 of 82, the Blueshirts got timely scoring from Goodrow, Kreider (37 and 38) and Mika Zibanejad to pass the idle Pens for second in the Metropolitan Division. Both rivals have 77 points, but the Rangers hold one game at hand. Don’t forget the remaining three games between the two. That’ll likely determine who finishes higher in the standings. Each trail the first place Hurricanes by six points. Carolina won 3-2 over Seattle.
Before getting into the particulars, Gallant made two lineup changes nobody could’ve predicted. Normally he doesn’t change anything after wins. But for tonight, out were Julien Gauthier and Morgan Barron. In were Tim Gettinger and forgotten eighth defenseman Libor Hajek. Neither played eight minutes. Strange.
Whatever the reason, this is what the lineup was. It basically featured 11 forwards and 7 defensemen. That allowed Gallant to double shift his better players while working in Gettinger and Jonny Brodzinski, who impressed enough on Friday night to stay in. He deserved it. Not only did he, but Soda Brodzinski received 15:21 of ice time in an expanded third line/penalty killing role.
Don’t forget they’re without Kevin Rooney. Maybe they like the way Brodzinski plays. I’ve never come away unimpressed when he has. He recently signed a two-year extension staying with the organization. It’s obvious why. He is a leader for the younger kids at Hartford. He also knows how to play the game. Kind of like former Ranger Colin Blackwell, who has seven goals on the Kraken. I wouldn’t mind a reunion with Blackwell if it’s to fill a 4th line role. But perhaps they’re taking a look at Brodzinski.
In regards to the defense, Hajek was worked in by Gord Murphy for 10 shifts all at even strength. As long as he doesn’t screw up, fine. He didn’t. The sad part is Hajek was credited with one more shot on net than Artemi Panarin.
The Bread Man is a mystifying star player who has become allergic to shooting. Sure. He picked up two assists giving him a team best 61 points. Lately, the fiddling around between him and sidekick Ryan Strome is driving me nuts. You can’t have two of your better players combine for two shots. Ridiculous. It’s also maddening watching them play with No Hands Dryden Hunt. A solid energy guy who belongs on the checking line. He finishes checks and is an honest player. That’s all.
A positive from this game was the play of the third line. Mostly made up of Goodrow, Filip Chytil and Brodzinski, they were on for the first goal. On a Chytil pass to Jacob Trouba, he drove the lane and found a wide open Goodrow for his 12th at 2:01 of the first period. Goody as Lightning fans call him, continues to close in on his career high in points for a season. He’s up to 23 (12-11-23) in Year One on Broadway. In ’19-20, he had a combined 26 (8-18-26) with the Sharks and Lightning where he won back-to-back Stanley Cups.
The bottom line is Goodrow is a good player. He can play wherever you need him. Whether it’s centering the third line or filling the void on the right side on the second line, he fits how Gallant wants to play. We’ve also seen Goody be effective with Ryan Reaves and Gauthier or Rooney on a checking line. Something we’ll probably see more of once Chris Drury makes a move for a scoring right wing.
Following the goal that opened the scoring, the penalty fest started. First it was Ryan Lindgren for tripping up Wheeler. Then, it was Chytil for holding Josh Morrisey. As they killed the first two minors with Shesterkin holding down the fort, the Jets returned the favor. After Lafreniere drew the first one on Dylan DeMelo (tripping), the second unit drew a second consecutive power play when Goodrow was interfered with by Logan Stanley. It was lazy.
Handed a second power play in a row, the Rangers made it count. After Panarin took an Adam Fox feed in the right circle, he tried to pass across for Zibanejad. However, it deflected off a Winnipeg skate right to Kreider, who lifted a backhand over the shoulder of Connor Hellebuyck for number 37 at 17:28. That made it 2-0.
It’s been that kind of season for Kreider. Everything is working for him. Whether it’s all the success on tips and deflections, or plays like that one where Panarin’s pass bounced right to him for a league-leading 19th power play goal, it has been a treat to watch our homegrown player be the finisher I always believed he could be. Maybe not to this level. But 30 goals always felt possible. He is now tied with Leon Draisaitl for second in goals (38). One behind Auston Matthews (39). Well deserved for the leader of this team.
Poetically, Trouba got a reaction penalty on Dubois, who got in a shot on partner K’Andre Miller. He didn’t like it. So, he got nabbed for taking Dubois down. Winnipeg finished the odd first period on another power play. When it concluded, they had 18 seconds left to start the second.
Naturally, the penalty kill got it done. Then, there actually was five-on-five play. It favored the Rangers. Not normally a strong even strength team, they controlled the puck and had Winnipeg on its heels for a good portion of the second. That included consecutive long shifts by the Panarin line where it looked like they’d draw a penalty or score. Instead, they did neither.
Strome also blew one of those scoring chances in front where he was all set up. How? Only Ryan Strome knows. At least he didn’t take one of his usual penalties. Now known as the Ryan Strome. I’m referring to one of those mindless offensive zone minors where the puck is in the opposite end.
When you don’t take care of business, things can get interesting. Even against inconsistent opponents like the Jets, who at times looked disinterested. I guess Paul Maurice wasn’t the problem. He thought they needed a different voice. Maybe they need to be blown up. If Andrew Copp is available, I’d be interested. He can help our lack of secondary scoring. He also throws his weight around.
Lafreniere hooked Stastny to hand Winnipeg their fourth power play. This time, they were able to convert. Instead of using their first unit, it was the second unit that got them on the scoreboard. Copp took a Neal Pionk feed and got the puck to Ehlers up top. After Kreider blocked his first attempt, Ehlers recovered it to go around Kreider and fire a shot that beat Shesterkin inside the goalpost at 13:34. It was his 14th in his 36th game.
Suddenly alive, the Jets began to skate better. They generated some chances which Shesterkin shutdown. On a forecheck in the Jets’ zone, Brodzinski went to play a puck and accidentally hi-sticked Pionk for the Rangers’ fifth minor of the game.
However, Winnipeg wasn’t able to draw even. Shesterkin made a couple of saves to prevent the Jets from turning things around. Had they scored, the crowd would’ve come alive. Instead, they still trailed by one after two periods.
If there was one message I’m sure was delivered by the coach, it was to stay out of the box. Even if you are a good team, you can’t keep taking penalties and expecting the goalie to bail you out.
In the third, Winnipeg came hard. Even as they got 17 shots on net, Shesterkin was unflappable. To their credit, the Rangers kept most outside and he was able to track most of the shots. That makes it easier on a goalie.
The Rangers got timely scoring to put it away. After a good defensive play from Lafreniere, who blocked a shot, the puck came to Zibanejad. All he did was send a bank pass off the side boards that led to a race won by Kreider over Nate Schmidt. The faster player, he made a nice move to get the loose puck and then caught Hellebuyck in between which allowed him to score on a backhand deke for number 38 at 6:21. Splendid stuff.
With the Jets reeling, some play behind their net allowed Panarin to set up a Trouba shot that took a funny hop inside the far goalpost. It looked like his ninth goal. However, it was changed to Zibanejad. He must’ve got a piece of it. Instead, it was his 22nd from Trouba and Panarin at 9:32.
SCORING UPDATE: The goal was changed back to Trouba. So, it’s Trouba’s ninth from Panarin. Braden Schneider originally got a secondary assist.
UPDATE: The NHL determined that the puck did not make contact with Zibanejad. Therefore the goal now reads Jacob Trouba from Artemi Panarin. It is Trouba’s ninth of the season. https://t.co/IGvHHUoufC
That made it 4-1. Too much for the Jets to overcome. They didn’t quit. But when you’re up against a hot goalie like Shesterkin playing the way he is, turn out the lights. Nothing else substantial happened. Even when the improved Patrik Nemeth took a Ryan Strome with a minute remaining, it didn’t matter.
This was exactly what I expected. My score prediction wasn’t far off. I had the Rangers winning 5-2. Right margin. They’re a better team than the Jets, who look like they’re headed for changes. I’m curious to see what they do at the deadline and in the off-season. They’re not making the playoffs. What a disappointment for Winnipeg.
Next up are the Wild. Minnesota isn’t winning lately. Despite the remarkable scoring of Kirill Kaprizov and splendid seasons from Ryan Hartman and old buddy Mats Zuccarello, they’re slumping. They lost 6-3 on Sunday at home to the hot Stars. Dallas has caught Minnesota in the standings. Jason Robertson had another hat trick. How did so many teams miss on him in 2017? Second round. Number 39.
Minnesota is a better team than how they’re performing. Kevin Fiala is a scoring threat. Matthew Boldy is another American rookie who has good upside. But they’re not getting much from Joel Eriksson Ek or Marcus Foligno lately. And the defense had trended down along with the goaltending. Especially Cam Talbot.
We’ll see what happens. St. Paul is a great place for hockey. Figure it to be exciting.
hasan4978
Derek
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