Category Archives: NY Rangers

Halfway through the shortened NHL Season

NY Rangers

13-13-4

This will probably be the weirdest NHL season in the history of the league. On top of normal player absences due to injury, Covid protocol for infections are another layer. It’s been hitting every team, removing players from the roster for days at a time, even postponing a few games that will be scheduled later. New Jersey and Buffalo, for example will have brutally stacked schedules to catch up on total games played. The rest of the season is going to be an endurance race and that’s not even talking about the crush of playoff hockey.

Injury and covid absences have strained the Rangers for a few stretches. Panarin, in particular, was out for a stretch along with Chytil, and Trouba at the same time. Right now, Igor Shesterkin has been out for 2 weeks putting a strain on the team’s goaltending (unreliable, to say the least). Panarin was also sidelined for weeks by allegations out of Russia from something that allegedly happened 10 years ago.

The record shows the struggles of the season. Cold goal-scoring veterans, missing players, spotty goaltending. It’s led to a max win streak of 3 games. A handful of 2 games in a row which doesn’t count as a streak. They frequently lose multiple games in a row. I think I said this last time, but they haven’t been playing up to the team’s potential. Struggling to stay close to, not even over, .500 is absurd with the talent on this team.

When they do, it’s amazing stuff. In the video above you can see the clinic they put on the Flyers this week. The game before that, they lost in overtime in a game where they came back from a quick 2 goal deficit. It looked like a horrific game, they rally in the second, and end up not pulling it off. Then they go to Washington where they lose a close game they dominated for 54 minutes. Yesterday they got revenge on the Caps for that loss.

When the whole team shows up, I think they can beat anyone. They just haven’t been able to sustain good luck and momentum. It looks like Mika Zibanejad is emerging from his puzzling point-scoring coma. Kreider has stepped up to try and fill that void but it isn’t enough. Panarin is back and doing everything he can. Pavel Buchnevich is finally hitting his potential. It looks like there is a lot of upside coming but I temper my expectations after so many disappointing losses.

Is it a coaching issue? Maybe? Many fans think Quinn needs to go, citing the destruction of the Flyers as proof (he and the other 2 coaches were out for Covid protocols and the Hartford Wolfpack guys stepped in and up to fill in for 3 games now). That’s not a big enough sample size for me to say the guy needs to go but struggling this much into year 3 of a rebuild where so many player picks have gone right does raise an eyebrow to the idea.

Playing no one but the same 7 teams 8 times is really weird too. It’s a very small sample size of talent and any low-performing team is going to get trounced by the same teams and skew point totals. The Rangers have to get past Philadelphia and Boston to make the playoffs. With the way Philly has been playing lately (serious goal tending issues) moving one step up the ranks is feasible. It’s going to take a serious run in wins to get over Boston and keep them back. Pittsburgh just hit a gnarly injury patch to their roster so a lot of players will need to step up to keep them from sliding. Currently, they are 10 points about the Rangers and that’s a mountain to climb with 26/27 games remaining. If they hit the skids, it is possible but I think that’s a moonshot. No one in the East division is going to catch up to the Islanders or Capitals who are tied with 44 points.

If they make the playoffs, it’ll be a redemption story for the Rangers that will go down in the books.

Well That Went Well

NY Rangers

5-0

A 5-0 win. The Rangers played the exact opposite of game 1. Fast, aggressive, communication, great passing. Alexandar Georgiev planted his flag into the ice in minute one and had the entire crease on lockdown. His fifth career shutout; his second against the Islanders.

Whatever coach Quinn told them and however practice went after that, it worked. This was the team everyone was expecting. Putting in Phillip Di Giuseppe turned out to be smart, putting Tony DeAngelo in a time out for throwing a temper tantrum and getting a stupid unsportsmanlike penalty in game one…could pay off. It’s up to DeAngelo to get it through his head that he needs to be an adult. Quinn ain’t having that noise this season. He was benched last season for discipline reasons too, enough of the nonsense.

Discipline made the difference in this game. The Islanders got way more penalties. They were the ones who struggled to get any kind of control. The Rangers took the lead right away and it made a big difference. You could see the confidence. Kakko even got a sweet goal!

The future looks bright.

Well That Didn’t Go Well

NY Rangers

I didn’t think the Rangers were going to win last night. Islanders were better last season, the team is going to be very rusty from not playing in 5 months, and new players means they need to learn how to play as a team.

But losing 4-0 is about as bad as you can get.

The same problems are still holding this team down. Incredibly slow to start. They looked slow. The first period was a disaster. Bad passing. Little coordination. Shesterkin let a soft one go in. Penalties are out of control. Too many many on the ice? Bush league. Tony DeAngelo gets a double minor because he throws a tantrum like a child. You got caught holding, get in the box and don’t cry about it.

I expect Coach Quinn to jump down some throats over that terrible game. There’s no excuse for it with this level of talent. It’s back at it tomorrow night, game 2 with the Islanders.

The NHL is back!

NY Rangers

The wait is finally over! The season started yesterday and the Rangers play the Islanders for the first time today at MSG. I’m so excited and the hype for the new teammates is off the charts.

This is going to be a wild and weird season. Shortened to 56 games and each division is only playing teams in their division to cut down on risky travel. The first week is going to be rough because no has played a hockey game in ages (those that didn’t make the playoff qualifier last year haven’t played in 10 months and everyone else it’s been 4-6 months).

The Rangers have massive potential. The draft picks from years ago are now coming in so the future of this team is being put to the test now. I’ve been waiting for K’Andre Miller for over 2 years now and it looks like he’s ready to become an all star. Number 1 draft pick Lafreniere also gets his debut and it’s needless to say a lot of eyes are on him too.

This squad is young. Just about every player who was on the team for the Stanley Cup against LA in 2014 is no longer with the team. There are a handful of vets that need to help shepherd these new guys. It’s going to be rough. Mistakes will be made. The potential high side is off the charts. The first line is simply monstrous, easily one of the strongest in the league.

But how is the defense? It’s going to be put to the test every night. The Metro division is stacked with killers and every one them is going to be played 8 times. There’s little room for error, every game counts with 26 fewer games in the season. This team has to stop more shots on goal and win faceoffs. Those were abysmal stats last year and both make it harder than necessary to win games.

Let the games begin! I’m so excited.

The End of an Era

Daaaaaamn!, NY Rangers

Henrik Lundqvist time with the New York Rangers is over. Since 2005 he has been the landmark of the team, playing in New York for his entire professional career. He holds almost every goalie record for the team and his career stats in the league are all near the top. This is been a possibility for a year now and it’s a sad day. He is a legend.

The last year of his contract has been bought out so he now a free agent. He can be signed by any team that needs him or he could retire. It’s impossible to say what will happen. He does still want to play and there will be a lot of goalies on the market this off season (I think it’s like 8 with Hank included) so it’s all up in the air. It’ll be really weird to see him on another team.

Ideally, he’d end his career by retiring with the Rangers, with the final trophy for his collection, the Stanley Cup. So this feels like a let down. The front office has decided that he isn’t worth his salary any longer (one of the highest paid goalies in the league) and Shesterkin and Georgiev can guard the net together. Shesterkin is the future, Georgiev is getting better and better and you can’t have Hank be a backup while paying him starter money. The COVID shutdown put the squeeze on the salary cap so there’s little choice. It makes sense but it’s a hard pill to swallow.

Lundqvist has more highlights than you can shake a hockey stick at. His number will absolutely be retired at Madison Square Garden. With this whole mess he’s not going to get the proper public send off he deserves and that’s gross. I don’t think the organization will let that stand though. I think when he does decided to retire from the NHL and we can pack stadiums again, they’ll throw the ceremony The King rightfully deserves.

2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs

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It’s the middle of September and the Finals are starting.

The West Conference Champions, the Dallas Stars versus the East Conference Champions, the Tampa Bay Lightning.

It’s been non-stop games since the beginning of August. Dallas beat Las Vegas 4-1 in a series that they controlled pretty handily. That was a surprise to me, I thought Las Vegas was in better shape. Dallas has been an underdog in these playoffs, proving in every round that they had what it takes to win.

Tampa Bay won 4-2 over the Islanders. It could have been a sweep but the Isles managed to fight back some. I thought it would have been closer, going into this round the Isles looked strong. It was not an easy series for either team. Long, physical games were the norm.

Safe to say the best team has won so far. Dallas is going to have the immediate edge, they are healthier and played few games getting a longer break going into the finals. Tampa Bay hasn’t gotten a meaningful break in this meat grinder.

It’s been 20 years since Dallas has made it to the Cup Championship games and 5 for Tampa. Tampa has seen great success in recent seasons only to get cut short (last season was embarrassing getting shoved out of the playoffs in a first-round sweep as a first seed team). They have a ton of pressure to win on them. I’m not sure if they can sustain the play necessary to win this last grind. Right now I’m leaning toward Dallas to win and for some reason, I think it’ll be done in 5 games. 6 wouldn’t surprise me though. If Tampa Bay wins the first game tonight, that will be a big signal to their mental and physical focus. Tonight will set the standard of play.

2020 Stanley Cup Conference Finals

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And now we’re in September with the Final Four! Weird to say that as we are at the traditional point of the year when the NHL starts their training for the coming season in October.

The second round in the East ended more or less how I thought it would. Tampa vs Islanders should be excellent. NY has been on a tear, and Tampa knocked Boston out in 5 games. They’ll have about a week off when Game 1 starts and that may or may not be in their favor. A lot more rest (NY gets a day off) but they could be rusty. That may not be a factor for long. I’m not sure who will win it could go either way and I wouldn’t be surprised if it goes 7 games. I think I’d rather see NY win as the haven’t won the Cup since 1984 (the end of the dynasty team) and this is their longest Playoff run since the mid 90s. That’s a long drought!

The betting odds are in Las Vegas’ favor. Strong year (which isn’t that relevant with the COVID shut down of 4 months, the playoffs are basically a new season) and strong playoff games. Dallas is the underdog and have been proving their worth over the last month of play. Vegas is on their third playoff run in three years of existence which is nuts. Last year ended in a Round 1 controversial loss and it feels like they are on the cusp of making history again, they are that good. I think Dallas has their work cut out for them, but they can do it.

Prediction: Vegas vs Tampa for the Stanley Cup.

Stanley Cup Playoffs Round 2

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Vancouver knocking out the defending champions, St. Louis Blues, is probably the most surprising result of the first round. The remaining series should all be close contests and it may come down to a war of attrition with such an aggressive playing schedule. The biggest break is if you finish a series in 5 or less games, then you could get 4 days off in a row. Round two starts today with Colorado and Dallas. Dallas beat Calgary on Thursday (2 days ago) and Colorado 3 days ago. Vancouver is only getting a day off, like Dallas whereas Vegas got 4 days (beat Chicago in 5 games). Now everyone remaining will play a game every other day. That is a grind.

I thought Philly would beat Montreal easily but they put up a major fight and the Islanders are now firing on all cylinders (which is amazing because when the season stopped in March they were a train wreck). This should be a battle. I’m leaning towards Philly still but the Isles could easily take it if Philly lets too many turnovers happen.

I had no idea how Vancouver was this year, I never see their games. Vegas has been my West coast favorite so if Vancouver can keep their roll going (tremendous Game 6 win against the Blues) Vegas is not going to skate through.

I think Colorado is long overdue to get to the Championship so I think they’ll best Dallas.

Tampa Bay is playing with venom in their veins from last season (and many other recent failed cup runs) so they are my favorite over Boston. Boston has seemed a little listless until recently so they’re going to have to come correct at minute one or they’re going to be digging themselves out of a hole the entire season.

Alexis Lafreniere

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The New York Rangers Win The First Draft pick.

This is a massive development. The young man on the top of the prospects is Mr. Alexis Lafreniere from Saint-Eustache, QC, Canada. The 6′ 1″ 193 pounds, LW player has been turning heads for some time now, with many calling him a “generational talent.” That’s about the highest praise you can get for an athlete and while he’s only 18 and time will tell of how he does in the NHL, he’s at the very least a natural talent. Take a look!

The Rangers head office would have to be crazy not to pick him. This is happening at a great time for the team and adds a new piece to work with for at least the next 3 seasons. The offensive line is more and more stacked, the focus on renewing/trading/letting players has to be on the defensive line now. There are big holes in the Rangers defense that need to addressed to get this team to be a Cup contender.

Stanley Cup 2020 Brackets

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Here are our potential champions.

My favorites are Vegas in the West and Philadelphia in the East. The East is stacked though, there are a lot of monsters sitting right there. I think Montreal and Carolina have the most odds against them. There is no way Chicago is beating Vegas. It’s been a long time since Arizona has been in the Playoffs and I have no idea how good they are (Dallas too). It’d be fun to see Calgary go far, and hey Vancouver has a chance too. It’s been ages since a Canadian team has won the Cup. I haven’t seen a single Vancouver game so I don’t know how they stack up against the defending Champions.

The tournament is off to the races already with Tampa’s 5 OT (!) win against Columbus.

Carolina 3 Rangers 0

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Oh the crushing feeling of disappointment. Just a glaze of malaise that seeps into ever pore. A sweep in the first round. It doesn’t really get any worse than than that. I had a weird feeling this was going to happen in the week leading up to the tournament. The NY Rangers historically beat Carolina, the win/loss ratio is far in the Ranger’s favor. Lundqvist has an amazing record against them. In the regular season the Rangers swept Carolina 4-0. Goals against was something like 17-9. Here? 11-4 for Carolina.

The first period was great. The second period started with a blast, Chris Kreider scoring, putting the Rangers in the lead for the first time in the series. Then, nothing went the Rangers way.

I had no confidence that the Rangers were going to make it to the finals this year. Getting to the first round, absolutely. If the Rangers ran into the Flyers, there’s no way they would win. Clearly the better team won in this contest and whoever plays them next has a major challenge in front of them (Carolina went really far last season).

It is what it is. There are still 2 months of Stanley Cup playoffs to go. The 2020-2021 season could start in November. That’s not too far away for the Rangers to be back on the ice and there’s only going to be like 2 months of no hockey from the end off the playoffs to the start of the season (if all goes well).

There is a ton of action for the Rangers in the off season. How is the goalie situation going to play out? Shesterkin is without a doubt the future. Does Hank hang on to end his contract leaving Georgiev to be traded? Or will Hank move on? Cap space is a major concern. With losing so much revenue this season, no team is getting more money to work with. There are a few guys the Rangers probably won’t be able to afford to keep (DeAngelo, Strome). There are a few rookies that should be able to play…the players they don’t keep could be replaced with this new talent. Plus, with losing in this play-in round, the Rangers get put into an advantageous place in the draft.

There are a lot of ice shavings that are going to settle in the next few months.