Rangers get Knighted in forgettable loss at Vegas

Posted on January 7, 2022 by Derek

There wasn’t much that went right at the Fortress for the Rangers. After a good first period followed by Chris Kreider’s team-leading 21st goal to tie things up early in the second, they fell apart in a 5-1 blowout loss to the Golden Knights.

Vegas didn’t treat them too kind. Unless they try their luck at the slots, blackjack or poker with the next game versus the Ducks scheduled for Saturday uncertain, the Blueshirts will want to forget quickly about the way they played last night.

Facing a perennial Stanley Cup contender, this wasn’t even a contest. It was a bad night. The first game of a scheduled five-game road trip didn’t go exactly as coach Gerard Gallant had planned. Honored before the game by the classy pregame video tribute from the former expansion franchise he guided to a Stanley Cup appearance, Gallant was quick to point out what went wrong.

He was referring to the dismal second period. Following Kreider catching Robin Lehner napping with an unscreened wrist shot that went by his glove at 52 seconds to tie the score, they unraveled. Unable to get anything going with the forecheck, they instead turned pucks over and paid dearly due to the speed of the Golden Knights.

They countered through the neutral zone with token resistance. In fact, Alex Georgiev was under siege. Making the start for Igor Shesterkin, who’s in the protocol (out a minimum of 3 games), he certainly was sharp. In the first period, Georgiev denied consecutive shots on a rush. He wasn’t to blame for this mess.

It was the lackluster play of the team defense that came back to haunt them. After Georgiev allowed a Jonathan Marchessault power play goal with 1:25 left in the first on a Ryan Lindgren trip, he had to deal with a ton of relentless pressure from Vegas. For a while, he kept the Rangers all even after Kreider’s goal. Eventually, it became too much.

Chandler Stephenson intercepted a Libor Hajek pass in his zone and started a counterattack up ice. With the Rangers having four players back, they seemed to be in good shape. But Adam Fox dove to take himself out of the play. The end result was Evgenii Dadonov passing back across for a Mark Stone skate redirection into an open net with Georgiev pulled wide.

On the play, they reviewed to see if it was a kick after Georgiev complained. However, there was no question that Stone legally deflected it in off the heel of his inside skate. That’s not a kicking motion. Something Gallant knew, which is why he didn’t challenge.

Trailing by one, the mistakes continued. On what also was an emotional night for Ryan Reaves, the popular former Knight was given a nice video tribute and ovation from appreciate fans at T-Mobile Arena. Unfortunately, it was his fourth line that got victimized on the crucial third Vegas goal.

After failing to get the puck deep, a giveaway allowed Keegan Kolesar to get the puck over for Mattias Janmark, who was able to get a step on Hajek and fire a shot past Georgiev, who was too deep in his net. While many hung the goal solely on Hajek, who had a tough game going minus-four with rookie D partner Zac Jones on for three goals against, the Rangers’ backup could’ve been more aggressive and challenged.

Chalk it up to being overwhelmed. The shots for the second favored Vegas, 13-7. But most of their shots came off the rush. Matador D is how I’d describe the Blueshirts. A Walt Clyde Frazier Knicks term. They didn’t defend much and allowed the Knights to dictate the tempo. It was a bad recipe.

On a night where there weren’t many penalties, special teams favored Vegas. After a near miss from Jones on a great Alexis Lafreniere set up that hit the goalpost, it was the Golden Knights who capitalized at 18:35 in the first when a Nicolas Roy low shot saw them outnumber K’Andre Miller and Georgiev. Fox came out high to challenge. The Knights got three looks before Marchessault potted his 17th on a backhand in front.

The one thing the Rangers won at was hits. But it didn’t matter. If you’re the one finishing most of the checks, that’s usually not good. It means they were defending too much. They outhit the Knights 45-17.

Trailing 3-1 after two, it wasn’t over. At least technically speaking. But any comeback hopes were dashed by the superior Knights. To make matters worse, Dylan Coghlan moved the puck up for an actually healthy Nolan Patrick. He made a smart move and pass to open up the ice for Brett Howden. Like the game at MSG last month, he scored by going five-hole on Georgiev at 2:11 of the third period.

While Howden was all smiles after getting his fourth (half versus NYR because of course), it was another dismal period. Who knows why. Was it the flight? The Rangers were all but invisible. If I didn’t know any better, the guys in the white jerseys were ghosts. They may as well have been.

It went from bad to worse. On a play at the blue line, Hajek got caught to lead to a two-on-one rush for Vegas. With only Jones back, he gave Marchessault the shot. He had no trouble snapping one upstairs on Georgiev, who was a bit off his angle to make it 5-1 Vegas.

That was it. There was nothing else significant that happened. This was a bad game. They do happen sometimes. The Golden Knights are very good. Getting Stone back helped. Even minus top sniper Max Pacioretty and eventual top center Jack Eichel, who’s skating on his own, they are a handful. There’s no shame losing to them.

I wish our side had played better. But there were too many passengers. I can’t think of many Blueshirts who showed up aside from Kreider. This was one you burn.

Will they play Anaheim on Saturday? I don’t know. The NHL just rescheduled a game between the Red Wings and Ducks. Given that the Western part of the road swing is spread out, it’s possible Saturday gets moved. We’ll see.

With easy target Hajek having a night time forget along with Jones, you have to expect Gallant to make changes to the defense. At least he kept putting them out. They didn’t miss a shift. In games like last night, that’s the only way young players will learn. I would figure Nils Lundkvist gets back in and Patrik Nemeth if he’s finally ready to return.

https://twitter.com/BattleOfHudson/status/1479324661926318081?t=laldyDr2KcSsYs46oAIOxw&s=19

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Devils’ winning streak ends amid more bad news

Posted on January 5, 2022 by hasan4978

Despite the Devils’ three-game winning streak before last night’s tilt in Boston, I wasn’t getting all nuts about what it meant for our playoff chances (playoffs…playoffs?!) even though in theory a matchup against the current second wild card in Boston would be big given the fact we were only three points behind them. I mean after all, with a team like Boston you have to count on them getting at least 5-6 extra points with all those games in hand – plus they’re flat out better than us anyway so running them or any of the other current East playoff teams down would be extremely unlikely even in the best of circumstances.

Of course we didn’t play the Bruins last night in the best of circumstances with a storm of injury news marring what in theory should have been a big game. From the fact that Dougie Hamilton had surgery on a broken jaw and will now miss a few weeks, to Nico Hischier missing last night’s game with a swollen ankle after his stirring OT winner in Washington plus the news of Pavel Zacha and Yegor Sharangovich going into COVID protocol, our lineup was drastically changed over the last week. Not to mention the confirmation that Jonathan Bernier had hip surgery and is all but confirmed out for the season just added more gloom to a busy injury news dump on a Tuesday afternoon, and a reminder of how screwed we are in net with Mackenzie Blackwood’s play going to crap and no other realistic option to threaten his job.

So no, the playoff race wasn’t exactly my biggest concern last night although if you had any delusions about the Devils making a last-ditch surge for the second wild card (cough MSG cough), their 5-3 loss in Beantown should have pretty much ended that. What was annoying about last night is in spite of everything, this game was eminently winnable too. After a shocking win in Washington – their first win over the Capitals since before the pandemic (including an 0-8 last year) – the Devils were right on the cusp in Boston despite our depleted lineup. Unfortunately two familiar themes came back to bite us yet again – Blackwood’s continued decline, and Ty Smith’s continuing series of meltdowns defensively. Blackwood gave up two, possibly three soft goals yesterday alone while Smith cutting behind the net and oleing the puck as David Pastrnak cut in front of the net on the winning goal late in the third was a braindead decision on the par of Zach Wilson’s QB sneak Sunday afternoon.

It was because of the latter that I couldn’t bear to watch Devils-Capitals on Sunday afternoon right smack after my football team’s blowup in the final two minutes. Even as the Devils got out to a 3-1 lead in Washington I feared the collapse, which eventually came in the third period as Blackwood’s horrible puck management (a more charitable way of saying it was a late Christmas present) handed the Caps their tying goal. Fortunately some #1 overall magic between Jack Hughes and Nico Hischier led to the Devils’ OT winner and a third straight win, tying their longest streak of the season.

Last night we weren’t so fortunate, except with Nico off the ice as a rumored fracture turned out to be just a bruise and the captain’s expected to play tomorrow night. Essentially my only goal from the rest of the season is to see more of what we’ve seen in the last four games – production from our #1 overalls and other younger players we hope can be a part of the future. Not to mention our improving D outside of the Hamilton injury and Smith concerns. A normally inconsistent Damon Severson seems to be responding with increased icetime the last few weeks, with two goals and five assists in his last seven games with an even plus-minus in spite of the goaltending woes, while playing 25+ minutes in six of them. While we’re not looking for point production from Jonas Siegenthaler, he’s certainly responded as well, the way he has all season with solid work in his own zone and giving us quality minutes pretty much all year.

Despite those two, PK Subban and Ryan Graves holding down the fort for the most part defensively, there’ve been too many mistakes around then in recent games. As bad as the Devils’ defense has been at times, there’s no reason other than shoddy goaltending that Blackwood should have allowed 28 goals in his last seven starts (exactly four a game). Once again GM Tom Fitzgerald finds himself in between a rock and a hard place in net with their supposed 1B again being out of the equation early in a season while the 1A looks far less worthy of it by the season. As much as I didn’t really care about losing Scott Wedgewood early on, post-Bernier injury we could sure use a guy like that now. Or really anyone that this coaching staff will deign to play enough to give Blackwood some deserved pine and needed rest, even a scrub at this point would give you the level of play Blackwood has lately. I don’t want to hear the he’s playing through injury excuse…it goes back to the famous Jimmy Connors line, if you’re injured don’t play, if you’re playing you’re not injured. We’ll need more from Blackwood in the second half, and he needs more too, otherwise Fitzy may be doing more than just looking for another 1B this offseason.

Tomorrow night, the Devils return home to the Prudential Center to play Columbus. Also returning will be the black jerseys, for my first game in attendance to see ‘Jersey’ play. Despite the fact I haven’t been to a home game for about three weeks now I’m not looking forward to tomorrow night, particularly with COVID cases still spiking across New Jersey and the new mask mandate in effect. I’m only going because A) I’m picking up my long-sleeve t-shirt giveaway, and B) I’m expecting a spaced out crowd and can get a drink with my free f/b card to give myself a mask breather. Not to mention C, tickets aren’t selling regardless of A or B. I can’t promise I’ll stay for all three periods either, that’ll depend on both the crowd around me and the game itself. While I may be there tomorrow, I don’t know when my next game will be after that even if I can’t sell my pairs for certain games.

Hopefully the Devils at least give me something to watch going forward, wherever I am for games.

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What a difference two months make for improved Blueshirts, Lafreniere and Miller emerging after win over Oilers

Posted on January 4, 2022 by Derek

It was two months ago that they met the same opponent at Edmonton. At that time, the Rangers were winning hockey games. But relying largely on Igor Shesterkin. It wasn’t sustainable. Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl exposed them in comeback fashion while Alex Georgiev struggled.

They then were blown out completely by the better Flames. It was also a road trip that saw them blow a third period lead to the Canucks before they made a coaching change. The only win on that trip was over the expansion Seattle Kraken out Northwest. They were lucky to get the two points.

It’s almost exactly two months later. A lot has changed. Playing a better overall game under Gerard Gallant, the Blueshirts are winning by outworking opponents. It isn’t all about the stud goalie, who got a night off due to a busy schedule. It’s also become about Georgiev, who played very well in backstopping the Rangers to a satisfying 4-1 home win over the struggling Oilers.

It’s Edmonton who looks like they need a face lift. Following a strong start led by the dynamic duo of McDavid and Draisaitl, they’ve fallen on hard times. So much so that it’s possible the Rangers might’ve helped send coach Dave Tippett to the unemployment line soon. His team relies too much on the skill of the game’s best two players. They don’t have the will like the grittier Blueshirts.

Let’s highlight that grit. By adding high character players like Barclay Goodrow and Ryan Reaves last summer, Team President and GM Chris Drury is looking like a genius these days. His hire of the experienced Gallant behind the bench is paying off. He continues to push all the right buttons while having a calm demeanor win or lose.

It isn’t only the veterans who are excelling. Highlighted by a three-point game out of Ryan Strome and 33 saves from a refocused Georgiev fresh off the protocol, the Rangers also got arguably the best game of the young career of Alexis Lafreniere. The emerging 20-year old former top pick recorded a goal and assist while being assertive throughout. He was named the game’s Second Star for his effort.

He wasn’t alone. There has also been a noticeable improvement during this winning streak from K’Andre Miller. The second-year defenseman seems to be maturing. After logging a team high 26:52 in an impressive 4-0 win over the Lightning on Saturday, he continued to make outstanding reads and have an active stick against the likes of McDavid and Draisaitl. Although he and physical partner Jacob Trouba didn’t hit the score sheet, they were rock solid at five-on-five. Miller got the most even strength minutes (21:47) with Trouba (20:31) right behind.

Buoyed by the return of Ryan Lindgren, who had an assist and one very strong hit on Slater Koekkoek, the Rangers had consistent play from all three defense pairs including Libor Hajek and rookie Zac Jones, who stayed in the lineup over Nils Lundkvist. Each received at least 15 minutes and were responsible. Adam Fox was involved offensively with a pair of assists while making subtle defensive plays as usual in over 21 minutes.

If there was one contrast from Edmonton where they don’t like to play in their end, the Rangers blocked 22 shots to the Oilers’ three. In fact, both Trouba and Hajek each had four blocks. Kevin Rooney made three in his return out of protocol. Although he would be bailed out by Georgiev, who made the save of the game to rob McDavid on a crucial Edmonton power play. Rooney definitely gave Georgiev some love in the postgame.

As is also part of their identity under Gallant, they finished checks against the star players in Oilers jerseys. That even included Fil Chytil knocking down McDavid at the end of a shift. If that doesn’t show commitment, what else will? As a team, the Rangers out-hit the Oilers 29-12. Some of that was due to the puck being in their end in the second and third period. But for the most part, they didn’t allow either superstar to break loose like the run n’ gun nightmare on Nov. 5.

This was a complete effort by 20 players. Let’s call it The Turk Effect. He has successfully changed the way the Rangers play. You notice it with a maturing Lafreniere in how he comes back harder defensively and breaks up plays. You see it with Kaapo Kakko too. Even though the scoring is still an issue, the other 20-year old high pick works hard. It is that commitment to all three zones that Gallant has been able to get his emerging team to execute.

When they need a big save, Shesterkin or in Monday night’s case Georgiev can give it to them. It’s become a good trend. It’s why they are where they are in the standings. I’m not going to make a big deal out of it. Go read other hot takes. The truth is through 34 games, they find themselves in good position thanks to a 22-8-4 record with 48 points. What that means is a good first half. It’s not time to toot our own horn. There’s more work to do.

In a first period mostly controlled by the Blueshirts in the second game of a back-to-back, it was a smart dump in by Lindgren that caused problems for Koskinen. With the puck outside the designated area (crapezoid), Koskinen got into trouble when a hustling Strome beat him to the loose puck and centered for Lafreniere, who buried another one into a vacated net. For the cynics who cry over everything, Lafreniere puts himself in the right spots to get those goals. He’s now up to eight. All at even strength.

After holding Edmonton to only six shots, the second period was different. The Rangers would have to defend a lot more. However, not before Barclay Goodrow continued his consistent play. On a subtle defensive play from Strome, he moved the puck up the boards trapping Duncan Keith. Out with the puck came a flying Lafreniere. He knew what to do dishing across for Goodrow, who scored for the third time in three games. That gave Lafreniere a two-point game. He earned it.

There weren’t many penalties in the game. However, a Koekkoek hold on Mika Zibanejad gave the Rangers a golden opportunity to extend the lead. But before they could do much of anything, a Kakko hook evened things up.

Afterwards, they still had chances. Zibanejad rang one off the crossbar. A lot of their plays came off counters due to forcing Oilers into turnovers. That even held true for McDavid and Draisaitl. They take risks. That can be exposed by harder working teams. Something our team is becoming.

One thing I noticed was how many one-on-one battles they won. They got their sticks on pucks against both McDavid and Draisaitl to break up plays. Miller was a standout during a four-on-four. He was very aggressive and made the right reads to break plays up and use his skating to go in the opposite direction.

However, the Oilers began to tilt the ice in the second half of the period. Consecutive strong shifts from the McDavid line and Draisaitl line had the Rangers working extra hard. Following an icing, an exhausted Fox was able to get free for a two-on-one. But over two minutes into his shift, he couldn’t quite finish with a diving Koskinen able to get on top of the attempt and cover up. That kept the score at 2-0.

Ironically, it was actually the Oilers’ support players who finally made it a game. On a good play along the boards to gain entry by vet Kyle Turris, he got the puck over to Tyler Benson. With Chytil defending, Benson was able to slide the puck in front for a Ryan McLeod finish to cut the deficit to one with six minutes left in the second. It was a well executed play.

With momentum, Edmonton sure came. They spent more time looking for the equalizer. But unlike the game a couple of months ago, the Rangers didn’t break defensively. They were still able to keep the Oilers to the outside. When there was a good opportunity, Georgiev was locked in and made the key saves. He definitely looked like he had something to prove. It was understandable.

Entering the third, the Rangers were nursing a one-goal lead. Lately, third period leads have not been automatic. But this time, they got some huge insurance on special teams. On nothing but sheer hustle from gritty veteran Greg McKegg after stealing the puck, he drew a tripping minor on McLeod.

With the game hanging in the balance, the top unit went to work. After Fox twice fed Zibanejad in his office for good shots with Koskinen kicking one out with the other attempt just missing, a good Kakko recovery kept a play alive. Although he didn’t get a point, it was that determination that allowed a patient Fox to calmly shoot a low wrist shot for a Chris Kreider special. He got just enough of it to squeak it through Koskinen, who couldn’t quite hang on.

That gave Kreider a new career high with 12 power play goals. It also was his 20th of the season. It marks the seventh time in his NHL career that he’s reached 20 goals in a season. The big difference is the 30-year old is having a career season. Now up to 31 points (20-11-31) in 34 games, Kreider has never played better. He continues to make defensive plays and lead by example. O’ Captain! My Captain!

That goal would prove large. Not only because it made it 3-1. But due to the Oilers. A desperate man, Tippett double shifted Draisaitl with McDavid. They are like two horses when together. Think Crosby and Malkin. As imposing as they are, the Rangers were up to the challenge. Jones even got baptized by fire having to go up against McDavid for a shift. He was successful.

Things got interesting. Following Strome drawing a slash on Kailer Yamamoto, Trouba caught Colton Sceviour up high for a hi-sticking minor penalty. This was after the Rangers spent the first 1:38 on a five-on-four that could’ve sealed the game. Instead, there was some four-on-four followed by the dangerous Edmonton power play.

It looked like the penalty kill would escape. But with a clear opportunity to shoot the puck down, instead Rooney made a puzzling puck decision that almost proved costly. He decided to pass back. As I yelled, “No!!!!!”, at the TV, Draisaitl intercepted it. Everyone knew where the puck was going. Over for McDavid, who would score. Not so fast. A quick reacting Georgiev got over and made a fantastic save. Fantabulous. A word I once made up to describe such things. Save of the season?

The key to that 10 bell save was how aggressive he was. Georgiev knew what Draisaitl would do. He’s not the best passer in the game for nothing. He just anticipated it and absolutely stole a sure power play goal for McDavid. If he scores there, who knows. Maybe it’s a different finish. They never got to that point. How’s that for confidence from a goalie we were ready to run out of town?

To his credit, Gallant never stopped supporting Georgiev. He continues to call both Georgie and Igor great goalies. They sure have been a good tandem. Even though we know how special Shesterkin is. You gotta give Georgiev a lot of credit. He stayed ready by taking shots in practice. But more than that, he turned his year around after Shesterkin went down. He stepped up. That shows true character.

Following the save, it was obvious that Edmonton was done scoring. It didn’t matter that McDavid had seven shots. He was held off the score sheet with Draisaitl for only the fifth time all season. A total T-E-A-M effort by the Blueshirts.

If you needed confirmation of how good a night it was for Strome, he took a Goodrow pass and came up ice and had his centering feed bank in off an Edmonton player. His eighth from Goodrow and Fox put it away with 5:49 remaining.

Despite getting outshot 14-5 in the third, the Rangers closed it out for their third straight win. For now, it counts as another victory against a playoff team. I’m skeptical about the Oilers. They don’t play like a together team. There’s too many passengers.

One thing is certain. The Blueshirts are a true team in every sense of the word. Remember how much they used to struggle without Artemi Panarin? No problem anymore. They have the players who step up including Strome, who didn’t need Panarin to earn the game’s First Star with a goal and two assists. He is a leader. Just listen to his postgame interview. He has a bright future as either a coach or color analyst. That’s after his career which is peaking.

Next up are the Golden Knights in a rematch from last month. Good. Bring on another good opponent. They’ll be without Max Pacioretty for a while. But they’re playing well and are back in first having left Edmonton in the dust. Vegas is a tough place to play. That’s on Thursday.

The Rangers also will be out West for the improved Ducks, Kings and Sharks. They conclude a five-game road trip at Philadelphia on Jan. 15. That’s if there’s no more surprises in the schedule. The next game at MSG is not until 1/19 versus Toronto. The final regular season meeting.

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The Good, Bad and Ugly for improving Devils

Posted on January 4, 2022 by Derek

Yesterday afternoon, the Devils took on Alex Ovechkin and the Capitals in DC. They won their third in a row thanks to overtime heroics from captain Nico Hischier. His second goal of the game gave the Devils a 4-3 OT win.

The good was the continued emergence of former top pick Jack Hughes. It was his smart defensive play and good pass that allowed Hischier to get the winner. For the third straight game, Hughes recorded at least two points with a pair of assists. During the team’s three-game winning streak, he’s caught fire by tallying seven points (3-4-7) with a plus-five rating.

At age 20, Hughes is starting to figure it out. Even though he missed significant time due to a shoulder separation, he’s now at a point-per-game in his third season. The seven point outburst over the three wins since they returned shows what he’s capable of. Hughes has eight goals and eight assists for 16 points in 16 games.

We’re seeing the superb skating and elite skill he has. It was his great move and finish past Mike Smith during an overtime home win over Edmonton that ended 2021 on a bright note. He used Connor McDavid as a screen by shooting through him to fool Smith. That capped off a two-goal, one assist game. One in which he was the hero in an exciting New Year’s Eve game against McDavid and Leon Draisaitl.

The improvement of Hughes is a great development for the Devils. It’s his team. He is the best player they have who’ll lead the franchise for years to come. Hopefully, for suffering fans like Blogger Hasan, out of obscurity and back to relevance in the Metropolitan Division.

Another encouraging sign is the two-goal game from Hischier on Sunday. Also a former top pick, the 22-year old captain hasn’t been known for scoring consistently. Injuries have held him back. It’s easy to forget that in his rookie year of ’17-18, he scored a career high 20 goals and tallied 32 assists for 52 points while playing all 82 games under former coach John Hynes.

That was the last time the Devils sniffed the playoffs. It’s hard to believe that was almost four years ago. They were carried by surprising Hart winner Taylor Hall. Hischier centered the top line which also included Kyle Palmieri. Even more shocking is that it was the play of current Rangers’ third string goalie Keith Kinkaid that helped that team qualify for the postseason. It was a best case scenario.

Since then, Hischier hasn’t played a full season. After going 17-30-47 in 69 contests in ’18-19, he had 36 points in 58 games during the COVID-19 shortened ’19-20 season. He hardly established himself due to more setbacks last year. Hischier went 6-5-11 in only 21 games.

Now in Year Five, he’s finally healthy enough to contribute. With Hughes doing the heavy lifting by centering the current first line that features the emerging Jesper Bratt and Yegor Sharangovich, Hischier is playing with Pavel Zacha and at the moment Jesper Boqvist. He’s on a current five-game point streak.

The six points (2-4-6) date back to 12/8 and 12/10 before Hischier extended the streak when he returned after Christmas. Even in another pandemic interrupted season, he’s quietly up to 20 points (6-14-20) over 28 games. A good overall player who is over 53 percent on face-offs that plays both power play and penalty kill, he’s an important player. If he was more durable, the Devils could have a good 1-2 punch at center.

With rookie Dawson Mercer on the third line having a good first season with nine goals and 10 helpers for 19 points, the Devils are strong at the center position. Checking pivot Mike McLeod plays on the fourth line. But it’s the promise of the top three that should be cause for optimism in Newark. Especially with Hughes. All three centers are 22 or younger.

Surrounding them with good finishers will make a big difference. Alexander Holtz was participating in the U20 World Junior Championships for Sweden before a few positive cases shut down the marquee prospect tournament in Edmonton and Red Deer. It was poorly handled by organizers. Let’s leave it at that. Holtz has 10 points (6-4-10) in 11 games with AHL Utica. The 19-year old former ’20 first round pick could become a fixture with the big club in the future.

With the team having won three straight to brighten moods for the New Year after struggles, they have to feel better about themselves. It helps to have Hughes and Hischier leading the way. Something that should be the norm moving forward. That’s the Good.

The bad would be Dougie Hamilton leaving the game after taking a puck to the face. He didn’t return for the third period. The big scoring defenseman was taken to the hospital for evaluation. Here is the latest from MSG Devils reporter Amanda Stein.

Also bad was Mackenzie Blackwood totally butchering a loose puck in front which he turned over for the tying Caps goal. They rallied from a 3-1 third period deficit to get a point before Hughes’ fantastic play for the Hischier winner.

The ugly continues to be a disturbing trend for veteran defenseman P.K. Subban. On a Nic Dowd goal, he was caught in an interesting position with his leg against Garnet Hathaway.

It’s dangerously close to a slew foot. Something that has become far too common for Subban. There have been three previous incidents including one in the preseason against Ryan Reaves. There also was the unfortunate play in the corner that ended the season for Sammy Blais.

Not once has the Department Of NHL Player Safety stepped in to suspend him. If you’re a repeat offender involving a dangerous play frowned upon, it shouldn’t matter what your position is in the league. Subban has definitely skated by only receiving a $5,000 fine.

If he continues to do this, it’ll have serious consequences. Perhaps someone will take matters into their own hands. Let’s hope not.

The Devils next game is Tuesday night in Boston. A win would pull them within one game of NHL .500. They’ll enter play with a record of 13-15-5 with 31 points in 33 games. Undoubtedly, they would prefer to keep things moving in the right direction.

We’ll see how they do this week. After the Bruins, they got the Blue Jackets at home on Thursday. It’s a home-and-home series concluding this Saturday in Columbus.

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Mika Day At Garden! Eighth career hat trick for Zibanejad and huge first period from Shesterkin carries Rangers to statement win over Lightning

Posted on January 2, 2022 by Derek

For a while, you wondered if we’d ever see the same Mika Zibanejad from ’19-20 when he caught fire prior to the long pause. In fact, we attended his remarkable five-goal game which was Capped off by a highlight reel overtime winner to win it 6-5. That was Mika Night. Sunday afternoon was Mika Day.

In a much earlier start without Artemi Panarin (protocol), Zibanejad had the magic back. He again stepped up big time by recording his eighth career hat trick to highlight a statement 4-0 win over the Lightning at MSG. He wasn’t the only star. Igor Shesterkin shined brightly with an unbelievable first period. He stopped all 18 Tampa shots (38 overall in his 2nd career shutout) while Zibanejad scored twice on the power play followed by an important Ryan Strome goal at even strength to build a 3-0 lead.

This was a terrific game by the Blueshirts. Without their top scorer and minus both Ryan Lindgren and veteran defenseman Patrik Nemeth (who played well in the New Year’s Eve win at Tampa), they sure delivered a message to the rest of the league. In sweeping a two-game home-and-home series with the champs, who were healthier in the rematch, these were the biggest two wins of the season.

Many naysayers pointed to a 3-8-2 record versus playoff opponents prior to the pair of games. Now, they can eat crow or cry about charts and foolish ‘Expected Statistical’ crap in their basements. Games aren’t decided by that. Rather by the way the team plays. And while they were out-attempted by a wide margin in a very wide open first period that probably favored the Bolts, it was the brilliance of the goalie along with the star of Zibanejad that stood out the most.

https://twitter.com/BattleOfHudson/status/1477707941662932995?t=4ZMHhacU_q7AkbsXGfAd3g&s=19

Zibanejad got the party started early on. With the Rangers on the power play, he waited for Chris Kreider to move just out of the way of Andrei Vasilevskiy, whose vision was interrupted enough for Mika to get that patented wrist shot through low stick side for the game’s first goal. Of note, Zibanejad was back in his office in the left circle. A place he did most of his damage in his career season two years ago. It’s where he should be even when Panarin returns.

Despite falling behind, the Lightning certainly got their scoring chances on Shesterkin. What they discovered was that the recently turned 25-year old Russian was a brick wall. He celebrated his birthday on Dec. 30. It’s hard to believe he was a fourth round pick in 2014 who went number 118. If there’s one thing the organization can do, it’s find goalies late in drafts. When healthy, it’s my belief that Igor is every bit as good as Henrik Lundqvist. The proof is in the chants from the crowd. It’s gone from, “Hen-rik, Hen-rik,” to “Ig-or, Ig-or!”

Indeed, Czar Igor as friend Sean McCaffrey of bluecollarblueshirts.com likes to call him, is the heir apparent to Number 30. When his jersey goes up to the rafters later this month despite the ridiculous whiny crap from Larry Brooks, it’ll be a very special night at the World’s Most Vaccinated. The torch will officially be passed to Igor Shesterkin, who when healthy is a big difference maker for this team.

He showed it in the first period. In between a pair of Zibanejad power play goals including a pass for Kaapo Kakko that banked right off former Rangers’ captain Ryan McDonagh, there was Shesterkin denying the dangerous Lightning time and time again. Two of his best stops were stoning Brayden Point in the slot off a good Anthony Cirelli feed, and then stretching out to rob Mikhail Sergachev with a great glove save. That one may as well have been from the old Lundqvist highlight reel. There was a time when his glove was pretty good. Just ask Alex Ovechkin. He’d be a lot closer to Gretzky if not for the work Henrik did over their careers.

If there was a momentum shift that told you it wasn’t Tampa’s day, it wasn’t the Zibanejad bank shot off McDonagh that made it 2-0. We’re talking about the Lightning here. They were turned away by Shesterkin, who must’ve had at least seven great saves. It was the Strome goal at five-on-five that really was meaningful. Taking advantage of a Cirelli turnover in the neutral zone, Barclay Goodrow gained the Tampa zone and found Strome open in the slot for the third goal. One that snuck underneath Vasilevskiy, who wasn’t at his best. It was his first game back.

Even up three, the Rangers were hanging on defensively. They let Shesterkin do most of the work in the first. By the second, it wasn’t only the performance of the brilliant Vezina candidate that kept the Bolts in check. After being on their heels the first seven minutes, the home team picked it up. They blocked several shots with Alexis Lafreniere making a good play to take away a chance and Chris Kreider diving in front of a shot to lead by example. There was also a big hit from Jacob Trouba on Mathieu Joseph that resulted in, “Trouuu” chants from the crowd. It reminded me of the classic “Beuuuukk” chants. He’s gaining a reputation as one of the game’s best open ice hitters.

The best part of the win was how the defense improved over the contest. Even without Ryan Lindgren and Patrik Nemeth, the kids stepped up. K’Andre Miller had a second straight strong game. He played a few more minutes with Trouba as they were relied upon more by coach Gerard Gallant. It’s all about improvement. Speaking of stepping up, Libor Hajek was back with Adam Fox. He was solid in extended time. Rookie third pair Zac Jones and Nils Lundkvist were okay. With the exception of Jones getting turned around by the very tricky Point on a chance, they were fine.

Still leading by three, there was some anticipation for Zibanejad to get the hat trick. We’ve seen it before. It was a subtle play that lead to his eighth game of three goals or more. In a strange play, he knocked down a clearing attempt to keep the puck alive. This would be challenged by Lightning bench boss Jon Cooper. Then Kreider swatted the puck before making a good pass over for an easy Zibanejad tap in for the hat trick.

As hats flew down with fans celebrating, Cooper made the coach’s challenge. After a lengthy review, it was determined that Zibanejad’s stick wasn’t high. To the naked eye based on the replays, it looked okay. He was crouched down and looked like his stick was low enough. That’s exactly what the refs determined on video review. It was the right call. There wasn’t enough conclusive evidence to overturn it. Even as Steven Stamkos pouted, he was brushed aside by an emphatic ref who if you read lips gave him an expletive. Cooper just shook his head. It wasn’t his team’s day.

https://twitter.com/BattleOfHudson/status/1477720293024178177?t=irTSB26hP5Zeakslop2SdA&s=19

After Shesterkin made 11 more saves for 29 through two periods, all that was left was whether he’d get that category where there’s a zero next to his name on the game sheet. To my observation, it looked like the Zibanejad third goal which made it 4-zip really took the wind out of the Lightning’ sails. Psychologically, it’s a huge difference being down three compared to four.

We saw that in how the Bolts played the third. It wasn’t so much that they gave up. They didn’t. They’re repeat Stanley Cup champs for a reason. But none of the nine shots they got ever felt like they were destined to get by the razor sharp Shesterkin. Or Shestyorkin. If you prefer Russian like me since I took it in high school and mastered the language (94 on the Regents), that’s Игор Шестёркйн! Очень хорошо Хоккей.

Part of the third was also how the Blueshirts defended. They didn’t give up too much. You didn’t see Shesterkin having to stand on his head in the first. That was even true for the second where they blocked at least nine shots. The Lightning also had some attempts go wide. You also noticed some over passing. Something you see when a hot goalie is in a zone.

It was a much better game from Shesty, who wasn’t at his best Friday or in the Panthers’ loss. Maybe the way he denied the three big Lightning shooters in the skill competition got him going. It was his third game back. It takes time for a goalie to get sharp. That was evidenced by Vasilevskiy giving up a couple of goals he normally has.

One of the real takeaways from this victory is they beat a healthier Lightning. They had Vasilevskiy, Cirelli and Erik Cernak back. But none of it mattered. That is what was most impressive about the win. Not only did it back up their hard fought fugaze shootout win in what can best be described as a strange and sloppy game.

They did it by out-Lightning the Bolts. Especially in that fast paced race track that was a very entertaining first period. It really was great action by both teams. The score could’ve been very different if not for Igor. The play of the goalie matters. Ask some of my Bolts friends about how much Vasy means to their team. I’ve watched a lot of their games. More often than not, Vasilevskiy is their best player. I put him in the MVP conversation with the Oilers’ twins and Ovechkin.

If Shesterkin could stay on the ice, perhaps you could make a case for him as well. But that’s more of a long-shot. Overall, it was a great win. The best of the season. Especially with the Oilers coming in tomorrow night for the second of a back-to-back.

I’m going to say this right now. If our team doesn’t get sucked into another run and gun with the flawed Edmonton team despite McDavid and Draisaitl, they’ll win. Forecheck them to death. We know what happened at Edmonton. They don’t want a repeat. Especially if it’s Alex Georgiev in net like last time. This is a different team now. I expect them to win tomorrow and move Dave Tippett one step closer to the unemployment line. We’ll find out soon enough.

One other point of emphasis from today’s game. I thought Lafreniere played well. He was very active throughout. His defensive awareness is improving. He is coming back defensively and making good reads. He also looked more noticeable with a real center as opposed to the incomplete and puzzling Fil Chytil. I don’t see it at all with him. Even Julien Gauthier got a clean breakaway in the final period where Vasilevskiy easily turned him down. Imagine if Gauthier had hands.

I also want to give credit to Greg McKegg. The Keg Man played a solid game on the fourth line. He’s a gamer. There’s nothing wrong with having him fill in for Kevin Rooney until he’s medically cleared. McKegg works hard and hustles. That plays in this league. Dryden Hunt fits much better on the checking line too. Keep him there.

There’s nothing else left to add. It was a very good day for the Blueshirts. Let’s keep it going.

BATTLE OF HUDSON 3 STARS

3rd 🌟 Chris Kreider, NYR (3 assists including perfect set up for Zibanejad hat trick, diving block, a real leader)

2nd 🌟 Igor Shestyorkin, NYR (38 saves including 18 for 18 in first period for 2nd career shutout)

1st 🌟 Mika Zibanejad, NYR (3 goals for his 8th career hat trick, dominant throughout)

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Panarin in protocol, Jones in for Nemeth, Lafreniere on second line for big test in rematch versus Lightning

Posted on January 2, 2022 by Derek

Normally, I don’t post blogs leading up to a game. However, with it being a good measuring stick to see where the team is, the rematch versus the champion Lightning starts soon in a Sunday afternoon matinee at MSG.

News broke that leading scorer Artemi Panarin won’t be available for the game. He’s in the dreaded protocol. With the Bread Man out, Gerard Gallant has had to tweak his lines for a big match-up.

Alexis Lafreniere will get a chance in the top six. He’s in Panarin’s spot on the second line with Ryan Strome and Barclay Goodrow. It’ll be interesting to see how he does. Coming off a win where he notched his seventh goal thanks to a Brian Elliott gaffe, he’ll have a bigger role. It’s a good test for him.

Also of note, the Rangers list defenseman Patrik Nemeth out due to “illness.” Whatever that means. Top secret. Witness protection! Without him, K’Andre Miller gets a shot on the top pair with Adam Fox. We’ll see if he can build on a good game in Friday’s shootout win in Tampa.

Obviously, that also means different pairings for the other two. Libor Hajek gets to play with Jacob Trouba. His job is to keep it simple and make a good first pass. Cancel that! Hajek back with Fox while Miller stays with Trouba. My mistake due to little sleep. Tough night.

With the D a bit shorthanded, rookie Zac Jones plays his first NHL game of ’21-22. He showed some potential last year. Now, he will have a small role on an all rookie third pair with Nils Lundkvist. How much they play depends on how the game goes.

Don’t forget the Rangers host Edmonton tomorrow night. So, a back-to-back which could signal Alex Georgiev. That could be a factor in how much ice time Gallant gives to his supporting cast.

Mika Zibanejad will need to step up with Chris Kreider and Kaapo Kakko. He did when Panarin was out prior to the long Christmas break. But the second line will be a key.

There is also the marquee all Russian goalie match-up between Igor Shesterkin and the returning all world Andrei Vasilevskiy. That makes it an intriguing game. If you don’t care about the NFL like me due to the pathetic Giants, then this is the kind of game to look forward to.

Even with the lineups probably favoring the Bolts, it’s an opportunity for the Rangers to get a sweep versus the champs. It’ll be interesting. I’ll have more later.

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Canadiens pause through Jan. 6 including AHL affiliate Laval while show goes on in Minnesota for frigid Winter Classic

Posted on January 1, 2022 by Derek

In the most unsurprising news ever to start 2020 +2 a New Year, the Montreal Canadiens announced that they’re pausing activity through January 6. That also goes for the Laval Rocket of the AHL.

Considering that they basically played with mostly an AHL roster in a 5-2 loss at Florida on New Year’s Day, I get it. No NHL team should ever be forced to ice a roster that only features a few regulars.

For the Habs, only Jonathan Drouin, Nick Suzuki, David Savard, Cole Caufield, Brett Kulak, Cedric Paquette, Michael Pezzetta, Ryan Poehling and Kale Clague can be considered regulars that dress daily. Of the nine, three are rookies including Caufield, Clague and Pezzetta. Jesse Ylonen, Rafael Harvey-Pinard, Cameron Hillis and Lukas Vejdemo all are first-year players too.

Without Jake Allen, third string veteran Sam Montembeault made his eighth start and allowed five goals on 48 shots. Undoubtedly, the 25-year old goalie faced a Cats’ onslaught.

It hasn’t been fun for Montreal following their stunning Stanley Cup Finals appearance last year. They have only seven victories in 34 games (7-23-4) for only 18 points. The fewest in the NHL aside from the Coyotes’ 15.

Most surprising is that this is the first real stoppage for the Canadiens. They are tied with Vegas and Anaheim for the most games played. This while teams such as Boston, Ottawa, Colorado, Dallas, Calgary and the Islanders have played less than 30. In fact, following their second consecutive win at home earlier this afternoon, the Isles’ next three games have all been postponed due to the pandemic. Absurd for a team that was forced to use most of Bridgeport in a loss to the Rangers at their new arena.

The Habs will not play another home game at Bell Centre until Jan. 15 against the Devils. They aren’t scheduled to return to action until 11 days from now when they visit the Bruins 1/12 and the Blackhawks 1/13. Part of the design is due to the attendance issue plaguing Canadian teams up north. By adhering to very restricted protocols in Canada, there will be little to no fans at Montreal, Ottawa and Toronto.

With an increase in games being canceled, it only causes more heartache for the league. Even by opting out of the Olympics in Beijing, that’s a three week window to try to reschedule all these games. Right now, it seems unrealistic that the NHL can do it without extending the regular season past April. Something they weren’t anticipating.

While questions remain for some markets including Seattle, the Wild are hosting the Blues in below frigid conditions at Target Field for the Winter Classic. So far, so good. At last check, the game was tied after a period with the temperature eight below zero. That makes it the coldest ever outdoor hockey game.

Photos taken by Derek Felix courtesy the NHL on TNT.

It definitely looks cool to see the game played in its natural element outdoors in hockey state Minnesota. They even had former Twins great Tony Oliva out at center ice with Kent Hrbek, Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau.

While it will be a successful marquee event with over 38,000 freezing fans cheering on the Wild and Blues, hopefully there won’t be any issues afterwards.

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Cooper heaps praise on Goodrow, who has a special night against former team

Posted on January 1, 2022 by Derek

If there was a memorable night for a player from last night’s 4-3 win over the Lightning, it came from Barclay Goodrow. The interchangeable Rangers’ forward who was moved up by Gerard Gallant rewarded him by scoring a pair of goals.

That included a shorthanded goal during the second period. A play where Tampa backup Brian Elliott made his second mistake of the game. His turnover allowed Greg McKegg to help set up Goodrow in front for the shorthanded tally that gave the Rangers their first lead.

On an emotional night where the Lightning presented him with his championship ring and then showed a nice video tribute during a stoppage in the first period, Goodrow showed why the Rangers went out and got him. He would also score his second of the game to give his new team a 3-2 lead on a nice deflection with under seven minutes remaining in the third period.

Although they weren’t able to hold the one-goal lead due to Corey Perry putting in a rebound of a Steven Stamkos shot with just under two minutes left, it was Goodrow’s strong play that impressed former coach Jon Cooper. The Lightning bench boss paid him a nice compliment following a shootout loss at Amalie Arena.

“He meant so much to us on and off the ice,” Cooper said of Goodrow when speaking to Arthur Staple of The Athletic. “Did we want the two points? Of course. But if they were going to get them and Goody was going to score two, I can live with that.”

Even Goodrow felt pretty shocked by his good luck facing the team he helped win consecutive Stanley Cups with.

“It’s one of those moments where you’re thinking, ‘What is this life?’” the veteran forward said. “It’s something beyond my wildest dreams. Being able to score a couple goals to top it all off — there was a lot of good things that happened today.”

For Goodrow, he continues to fill whatever role Gallant asks of him. Whether it be moving up to the second line with Artemi Panarin and Ryan Strome or sliding down to play on the fourth line while providing good penalty killing and energy, Goodrow does it without a fuss.

The 28-year old Toronto native is up to six goals and seven assists for 13 points in 32 games thus far. Even if he does get paid a lot ($3.64 million AAV) per year, Goodrow is a high character player who brings intangibles. Never a big scorer, his tenacity and grit are what make him successful.

In 55 games last year, he tallied six goals and 14 assists for 20 points. The key secondary scorer added six points (2-4-6) in the playoffs while playing on the third line with former Bolts Yanni Gourde and Blake Coleman. All three now play for different teams with both Coleman and Goodrow cashing in via unrestricted free agency. Gourde was taken by Seattle in the Expansion Draft.

With still over half a season left to be played in the 2022 calendar year, Goodrow is two goals away from matching his career high in ’19-20. The 26 points (8-18-26) he put up with both San Jose and Tampa are a career best. He hit 20 points for the second time last season. He could be on his way to a third straight year of 20 points or more.

Goodrow also doesn’t shy away from hits. He has 61 so far while also blocking 23 shots. He also has taken his share of face-offs. In fact, he’s already took more this season than last year. Goodrow has won 49.0 percent of draws by going 173-and-180.

That’s the kind of hard-working player he is. It’s exactly why Team President and GM Chris Drury sent a ’22 seventh round pick to the Lightning last off-season to negotiate a new contract to get Goodrow signed. His addition along with Ryan Reaves and Dryden Hunt helped the Rangers establish more grit on their secondary lines. A healthy balance to go with their skill.

He won’t have to wait long to see his former teammates again. The Lightning visit The Garden tomorrow afternoon on January 2 in the first game of 2022 for both teams. If it’s anything like Friday night, it should be interesting.

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A New Year’s Eve Bash! Goodrow celebrates return in style, Zibanejad beats champion Lightning in shootout, Rangers overcome sluggish start to end 2021 with a good win

Posted on January 1, 2022 by Derek

This was an irate Gerard Gallant getting his money’s worth before a critical face-off with over two minutes left. He sure had his say at refs Corey Syvret and Graham Skilliter, who let him sound off. Maybe he knew the delay in which Chris Kreider was sent back to the bench for Ryan Strome was a key moment.

At the time, Barclay Goodrow had put the Rangers ahead 3-2 on an unbelievable deflection of a K’Andre Miller shot with 6:25 remaining in a strange third period against the defending champion Lightning. Despite at times looking disjointed including a total no show in a bad first period, here they were with a chance to beat the Lightning in regulation.

Somehow, they led by a goal thanks to Goodrow, who sure had a memorable day getting his Stanley Cup ring while catching up with a classy bunch of former teammates. He then got a nice ovation from the appreciate crowd who understood what he meant to those back-to-back Stanley Cups. Now, he looked like the hero for the Rangers, who were on the verge of a statement win even if the Lightning didn’t have ace goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy.

But there was still that defensive face-off. One that highlighted Gallant all fired up over how long they took to review who was on the ice. Of course, they were right. When the Lightning won the key draw, chaos ensued. Off a feed from Ondrej Palat, Lightning captain Steven Stamkos’ heavy one-timer from the left circle rebounded off Igor Shesterkin and took a favorable home hop right to Corey Perry, who buried his eighth to tie the score with 1:57 remaining.

Predictably, Gallant was fuming on the Rangers bench. His face was beet red. The perfect color for New Year’s Eve. It’s those face-offs that matter. Instead of escaping trouble and possibly winning in regulation, his team had to work a lot harder. Following a strange overtime that included a failed Rangers’ four-on-three power play along with some rare four-on-four and finally three-on-three, nothing was decided.

It was Mika Zibanejad who scored in the third round of the skill competition to give the Rangers a 4-3 road win over the Lightning in Tampa. After Shesterkin made a great point blank pad stop to deny the very tough Brayden Point on a series of dekes in the top of the third, here came Zibanejad with his more simple one fake and forehand high glove past Tampa backup goalie Brian Elliott to give the Rangers a good win.

Even if it was at times ugly and choppy hockey, they got the job done. It would be easy to point directly at the role Elliott had in helping our team mount a rally in a bizarre second period. Without two awful mistakes from the veteran netminder, the Blueshirts probably don’t come back to win. But Elliott was the Best Ranger of The Game in the first two periods. He sure helped the cause with not one, but two primary assists on goals.

After mailing in the first period where they only could muster three shots on goal, the Rangers predictably fell behind when Stamkos let go of a rocket for a power play goal at 18:21 of the first to put the Bolts ahead. Ryan Reaves got sent off for roughing Perry. He protested, but it didn’t matter. Chris Kreider was unable to clear the zone. Palat then passed over for Victor Hedman, who found Stamkos in his office for the hammer past Shesterkin.

Playing for a second consecutive night after getting blown out by the Panthers 9-3 when they had more of an AHL roster, the Lightning got back Elliott along with defensemen Mikhail Sergachev and Andrej Sustr. Not exactly significant except for Sergachev, who is the third big defenseman they have behind behemoth Hedman (game high 33:27) and Ryan McDonagh (25:02). Sergachev logged 27:09. The irony being Darren Raddysh got 7:55 as the sixth D. He was with the Wolf Pack the previous three years.

Let’s just say Tampa had its top four which includes Jan Ruutta. Zach Bogosian was out with an injury. The Lightning have been winning a lot of games without Nikita Kucherov and other top players including Point, who missed significant time before recently returning. They skated without Anthony Cirelli.

The less said about it, the better. I’m fed up with the situation. What Hasan said about the NHL caving into the old mighty buck due to Canada is the absolute 💯 truth. It’s an absolute joke what’s going on. How many more games do they plan to cancel? One look at what was on the schedule the past three days and it defies logic. That’ll be my only commentary going forward.

If the first period wasn’t much to talk about, the second provided some much more interesting stuff. Even if most of it was ugly hockey, the Rangers took advantage of two dreadful Elliott misplays to get into the game. Prior to that, it could’ve been worse.

A very undisciplined hi-sticking minor on Zibanejad where he caught Point off the opening draw wasn’t exactly the start to the period they had in mind. However, a good penalty kill of the dangerous Lightning power play helped. They contributed by continuing to over pass to Stamkos, who only managed one low shot that Shesterkin kicked out.

It was a dump in behind the Tampa net that changed things. With an aggressive Julien Gauthier in on the forecheck, Elliott panicked and threw the puck away right to Alexis Lafreniere, who took the early New Year’s Eve gift and deposited it home for his seventh unassisted at 5:30. Every time he’s called it by fans including in this space, the 20-year old former top pick does something to silence the doubters. If only he could get a real center. More on that later.

If the opening period wasn’t much, the middle stanza had its moments. Gallant began tweaking the lines. In search of a spark with Dryden Hunt having a bad first period that included an offensive zone penalty, he decided upon Goodrow to play with Ryan Strome and Artemi Panarin. The very curious thing is Goodrow got double shifted. After previously taking a shift with Lafreniere and Kaapo Kakko, he moved up to the second line. They looked better.

So did the fourth line which spent some time in the Lightning zone. Hunt was moved down to that line alongside Reaves and Gauthier, who was sparingly used. He got less than seven minutes. But did more than Filip Chytil, who really seems to be losing Gallant. He hasn’t done enough to merit consistent ice time. At this point, I’ve seen enough. There’s a good chance he could be gone by March.

Gallant also made one other notable change. Unlike Wednesday, he decided to move Libor Hajek off the top pair and down with Nils Lundkvist. You hardly noticed them. That’s a good way of saying they didn’t play a lot. In Hajek’s place was everyone’s favorite Patrik Nemeth. You know my thoughts on him. However, he gave a good account in over 22 minutes while paired with Adam Fox. Like Hedman, Fox also saw plenty of shifts and logged 30:51 including over 10 minutes of special teams. For all that time, he can do better than just two shots.

Speaking of Nemeth, he drew an undisciplined holding minor on Alex Killorn. It was a bad penalty by a gritty and skilled player who is that guy you hate if he’s your opponent. But love if he’s on your side. He once broke Ranger hearts a while back. The guy seems to get better with age. A good asshole.

While on the five-on-four, Kakko got nabbed for running into Boris Katchouk at the Tampa blue line. He was attempting to set a pick play. If you’re not subtle, they’ll get you every time. Kakko’s interference minor put each side on some four-on-four.

When it became a Tampa man-advantage, another ridiculous Elliott misplay allowed Goodrow to score shorthanded. He simply intercepted the dying quail and went backhand five-hole for an emotional goal at 14:30. Greg McKegg got credit for an assist on the play. No complaints about the honest effort from the Keg Man.

Suddenly up a goal without really having done anything except receive generosity from Elliott, the Rangers gave it right back. Late in the period, a turnover resulted in a quick Lightning transition up ice. Killorn made the play to Point, who then gained entry and found an open Ross Colton for a one-timer that went past the glove of Shesterkin to tie the score with 2:29 left. It was another stoppable shot.

Before the second was out, some sloppy play in their end nearly put them behind. A bad turnover allowed Perry to drive a one-timer off the crossbar. The puck then caromed out to Gauthier. Out of frustration, Perry tripped him up to put the Rangers on a power play with 46 seconds left in the period. A key Hedman clear sent the game to the third still tied.

Despite having over a minute left on the power play, they weren’t able to capitalize. After the Bolts got their kill, things slowed down. The teams played more defensive minded. Very expected in a tie game between two playoff caliber teams.

On a Rangers’ scoring chance, Hunt got into a wrestling match with Katchouk in front of the benches. After Katchouk gave Hunt a shove, he retaliated with two punches. It wasn’t much between the two other two minutes of roughing apiece.

There wasn’t much in the way of shots. The Rangers had six on Elliott, who managed to settle down when the crowd wasn’t getting on him whenever he had to play the puck. It was funny. The Lightning got eight shots on Shesterkin, who was sharper. He had to make a couple on Stamkos and also turned away Hedman on a great use during a four-on-four.

It was Goodrow who looked like he would play the hero. On a offensive draw won by Strome to Panarin, the puck was moved up to Miller. Having played one of his better games, he fired a low shot that somehow Goodrow was able to redirect past Elliott for a 3-2 lead with 6:25 left in the third. It was splendid work by the gritty former Bolt.

Unfortunately, the Rangers again couldn’t hold a lead. They simply haven’t handled prosperity well in third periods lately. With the Lightning pressing for the equalizer, Shesterkin made a couple of good stops in tight. But he had to face more.

Finally came the hotly debated face-off that drove Gallant nuts. When Palat set up Stamkos for that heavy one-timer past a diving Jacob Trouba who went for the block, it screened Shesterkin just enough to leak out a juicy rebound that Perry finished at 18:03. Tie hockey game.

Honestly, I wasnt shocked. The game had overtime written all over it. It was eerie and unpredictable. There was a twist before they got there. A Sergachev misplay over the glass while under pressure had Jon Cooper hot under the collar. He incorrectly felt that it was deflected. There also was an questionable icing that helped lead to the fourth Rangers power play with 1:14 remaining in regulation.

I thought at that point, they’d win it. But Elliott suddenly made a couple of big saves including one on a tough Zibanejad shot that Kreider deflected. He isn’t exactly a lights out goalie anymore. But his two clutch stops forced it to extras.

Still on a four-on-three to start, the Blueshirts simply weren’t able to cash in. In fact, the overtime was played very cautiously. The only two shots were from Rangers. Elliott stopped both. They had most of the puck possession.

The best chance came when Filip Chytil had Lafreniere wide open for what looked like a gimme. Instead, his pass was 12 feet behind Lafreniere. It was hideous. The reactions from irate fans told the story. Many are fed up with Chytil, who looks like another overhyped prospect. Lias Andersson plays harder in a fourth line role for the Kings. I’m not kidding.

Finally in the non-hockey portion, it was shootout time. In Round One, Shesterkin stopped Hedman followed by Elliott stuffing Kakko on the backhand. Then, Stamkos went for high glove but missed the net. But Panarin was turned away by Elliott.

It came down to Round Three. Point, who’s usually money in these big spots, came in with a lot of speed. But Shesterkin stayed right with him to get his left pad on the forehand deke to keep it out. Then out came Zibanejad. Everyone knew what he’d do including Elliott. He still couldn’t prevent Zibanejad from winning it with his trademark forehand deke top shelf.

The Rangers earned two points against the champs. It wasn’t pretty. It wasn’t a masterpiece. It didn’t have to be. Just a good character building win with the rematch Sunday afternoon on January 2nd at MSG. That should be interesting.

https://twitter.com/BattleOfHudson/status/1477131900657577990?t=R7Z71vom81ZnbDG6_xkQPQ&s=19

Happy New Year 🎇 ✨ 🎆⭐🎉

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Wild OT win over Oilers sends New Jersey into the New Year on a high

Posted on December 31, 2021 by hasan4978

I don’t normally double up on blogs with two in the same day, but this game deserved it – and in a good way for once. Plus I don’t really have much else to do on New Year’s Eve anyway, with most of the people I know laying low because of the COVID variant spreading through NJ (and most other places) like wildfire. Other than the three home games I went to in December, this was the most I’d watched any Devils game the rest of the month. Not that I was really watching it all the time but I had it on and didn’t flip channels other than getting the occasional update from Rutgers’ ill-fated (and gifted) bowl loss to Wake Forest.

From the start you knew this game was going to be entertaining if nothing else, with three goals in the first 3:05 of the game, four goals in the first six minutes and five goals in the first 11:10 with the action going back and forth all afternoon long. In a wild coincidence all five goals in the first period were scored by former first-round draft picks, with the first three goals all coming from former #1 overalls. Jack Hughes’ power play (!!!) goal was quickly followed by Connor McDavid taking advantage of some…interesting coverage by the Devils (re: zero) to score a wide-open goal. Just seventeen seconds after McDavid’s first goal, Nico Hischier scored off a rebound, caroming the puck off of goaltender Mike Smith’s skate and into the goal. Our second lead didn’t last much longer than the first one as Kailer Yamamoto’s deflection went past Mackenzie Blackwood to tie the game again at the six-minute mark. A nice give-and-go play by Andreas Johnsson and Dawson Mercer gave the rookie his ninth goal of the season and the Devils their third lead of the period.

Shockingly after that barrage of goals, there would only be one more until the third period. Not so shockingly, it was McDavid who scored again in the second period after he split defensemen Ty Smith and Ryan Graves on a breakaway and put home his 19th of the season. Still, in a wide-open game like this one you knew more goals were coming. And come they did in the third period, with Janne Kuokkanen’s slapshot beating Smith to give the Devils their fourth lead of the night at 5:14 of the third. Less than two minutes later, Devin Shore tied the game again when a Ryan McLeod feed went through Ty Smith and right to Shore in front.

As if the game wasn’t wild enough after four blown leads, the most inexplicable sequence of the game occured barely a minute later and gave the Oilers their first lead of the night when Yamamoto scored his second of the night after a delayed penalty. Things got dicey was after it was obvious Dougie Hamilton clearly swatted the puck as the ref was calling the penalty and Hughes arguably touched it later on in the sequence as well, before Leon Draisaitl’s cross-ice pass found Yamamoto for the goal. Interim coach Alain Nasreddine challenged the play but after a nine-minute review (!!!) the officials did an about-face and said the call wasn’t challengeable in a garbled attempt at an explanation. Clearly they thought it was, or we would have been tagged with a delay of game on it as well.

It was right about then I was glad I wasn’t at this game, I might have gone hoarse shouting ‘REF YOU SUCK’ after that sequence. As annoyed as I was at the refs, I also knew to a degree we deserved our own bad luck on that when Hughes stopped playing, appealing for the call off the second touch and allowed the cross-ice pass through. Even more laughably, the refs tagged Yegor Sharangovich for a delay of game on a faceoff a couple minutes later, claiming he played the puck with a hand pass when he arguably was just making a motion getting up after falling down. That was less possession of the puck than Hamilton had on the non-whistle on our delayed penalty.

As if the hockey gods were looking to make things right, both Sharangovich and Hughes would gain redemption soon after. First, there was the matter of tying the game again. Still trailing 5-4 with the net empty, Sharangovich’s top-drawer deflection beat Smith to tie the score at 5-all with just thirty-two seconds remaining in regulation. Then came overtime, with both Jesper Bratt and Hughes getting stopped on breakaways early, but a Hughes slapshot on his next shift of OT hit the beleaguered Oilers goalie, bounced off him and into the net for the winner – Hughes’ second OT winner of the year, and second souvenir stick tossed into the crowd. So at least we’ve gone from six losses in a row to two wins in a row. As they say in the movie Major League, you win one more…that’s called a winning streak! I don’t really want to think about who we have to play to earn that winning streak (the Caps at Washington – shudder), for one night I’d rather just enjoy the Devils pulling out an entertaining win with Hughes having his second dominant game in a row, showing signs he may well be taking that next step.

Notes: So in the first post-break game with the new arena protocols the Devils’ announced attendance was 13,044…oof. I didn’t think it’d be that bad, even with noticing how much ticket prices dropped for this game. I’m not too unhappy about missing this game, even with a lesser than expected crowd. Clearly I’m not the only one who’s got some ambivalence about going to games with a mask in the midst of another pandemic surge either.

BoNY Three Stars:

  1. Jack Hughes (two goals including the game-winner, one assist in 19:40)
  2. Dawson Mercer (goal, assist, +2 in 15:54)
  3. Yegor Sharangovich (game-tying goal)
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