Tag: New York Rangers

The Stanley Cup Daily – Determining the Top Seeds

NHL News and Notes from Saturday, August 8th, 2020

 

News

  • The following First Round matchups have been confirmed:
    • Western Conference
      • Chicago Blackhawks v. Vegas Golden Knights
      • Arizona Coyotes v. Colorado Avalanche
    • Eastern Conference
      • Montreal Canadiens v. Philadelphia Flyers

 

Game Recaps

Vegas Golden Knights v. Colorado Avalanche – 3p EST Start Time

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In Edmonton the lone game for the Western Conference would take place as the Golden Knights and Avalanche played for first place in the West. After a scoreless first period Jonathan Marchessault would score on the powerplay to open the scoring, but Nathan MacKinnon would tally on the powerplay to tie the game back up at one. Then later in the period both teams would trade goals again as Nicolas Roy would score for Vegas and Joonas Donskoi would tally for Colorado. In the third period Marchesseault would net his second of the game to retake the lead for Vegas, but with 62 seconds left in regulation JT Compher would tie the game at three to force overtime. In the extra frame with 16 seconds left it would be Alex Tuch netting the winner as the Golden Knights claim first place with the 4-3 victory and will face the Chicago Blackhawks in the first round.

 

Philadelphia Flyers v. Tampa Bay Lightning – 8p EST Start Time

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In Toronto we end the day with our only other game of the day as the Flyers and Lightning play for first place in the East. In the first period Nicolas Aube-Kubel would score a pair of goals to give the Flyers the 2-0 lead. Then in the second period Tyler Johnson would score on the powerplay for the Lightning to cut the Flyers lead to one, but Joel Farabee would score to regain the two goal lead. Then in the third period Tyler Pitlick would net the empty netter to give the Flyers the 4-1 victory and the number one seed in the first round of the Playoffs.

 

Today’s Games

12p ET – Boston v. Washington

3p ET – Dallas v. St. Louis

8p ET – Columbus v. Toronto

The Stanley Cup Daily – Thinning Out the Herd

NHL News and Notes from Thursday, August 6th, 2020

 

News

  • The NHL announced that on Monday, August 10th the NHL Draft Lottery will proceed with Phase 2. The eight teams to be eliminated in the Qualifying Round will each get a 12.5 percent chance at the number one overall pick in the 2020 NHL Draft.

 

 

Game Recaps

Vancouver Canucks v. Minnesota Wild – 230p EST Start Time

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For the first time in the Qualifying Round, things start off in the West as the Canucks tamed the Wild to secure the 2-1 series lead. After a scoreless first period between the two teams the Canucks would break free and get on the board as Brock Boeser would score on the powerplay for the 1-0 lead. Then in the third period Antoine Roussel and Elias Pettersson (PPG) would score to make it 3-0 and Jacob Markstrom would be perfect to give the Canucks the shutout victory.

 

Shaggy’s TXHT Recap – Canucks Gain Advantage in the Series

 

 

Washington Capitals v. Philadelphia Flyers – 4p EST Start Time

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Over in Toronto for Round Robin action the Capitals would faceoff with Metro Division rival Flyers. In the first period the Flyers would strike late with a Scott Laughton goal for the 1-0 lead. Then in the second period Travis Sanheim would score to grow the Flyers lead to two. In the third period Laughton would net his second of the game for the commanding three goal lead, but Travis Boyd would score for the Capitals to get them on the board. However, it would not be enough as the Flyers would go on to win 3-1.

 

Vegas Golden Knights v. St. Louis Blues – 630p EST Start Time

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Back in Edmonton the Blues would face the Golden Knights, and in the first period David Perron would strike to get the Blues up on the board for the 1-0 lead. Then in the second it would be an explosion of goals as Colton Parayko would start 1:45 in for the Blues, but the Knights would strike with a goal from Shea Theodore and a pair of goals from Alex Tuch to take the 3-2 lead. However, Parayko would net his second of the game to tie the game at three, and Troy Brouwer would score to take 4-3 lead. In the third period Zach Whitecloud would score for the Knights tie the game at four, and then Mark Stone would score and Theodore would net his second of the game to take the 6-4 victory.

 

Toronto Maple Leafs v. Columbus Blue Jackets – 8p EST Start Time

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Back in Toronto the Maple Leafs would face the Blue Jackets as the road team, and in the first period it would be Cody Ceci scoring his first career playoff goal to give the Leafs the 1-0 lead. In the second period William Nylander and Nicholas Robertson would both score to grow the Leafs lead to three, but Pierre-Luc Dubois would score to get the Jackets on the board. In the third period Seth Jones would get on the board and cut the Leafs lead to one, and then Dubois would net his second of the game to tie the game at three. Then in overtime Dubois would complete the hat trick as the Blue Jackets move one step closer to the First Round with the 4-3 victory and 2-1 series lead.

 

Calgary Flames v. Winnipeg Jets – 1030p EST Start Time

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In the final game of the day the Flames would torch the Jets as they would get goals from Dillon Dube and Sam Bennett int he first period to take the 2-0 lead. Then after a scoreless second period Sean Monahan and Rasmus Andersson would score to secure the 4-0 shutout victory, and the 3-1 series win to advance to the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

 

Dickson’s TXHT Recap – Flames Torch Jets to Advance

 

 

Today’s Games

12p ET – NY Islanders v. Florida

230p ET – Nashville v. Arizona

4p ET – Pittsburgh v. Montreal

645p ET – Edmonton v. Chicago

8p ET – Toronto v. Columbus

1045p ET – Vancouver v. Minnesota

The Stanley Cup Daily – Hurricanes Sweep the Rangers Out of the Bubble

NHL News and Notes from Tuesday, August 4th, 2020

 

News

  • The NHL Department of Player Safety has fined forward Mike Matheson of the Florida Panthers for High Sticking New York Islanders forward Brock Nelson.

 

  • The Carolina Hurricanes would record the first ever sweep in the Qualifying Round to advance to the First Round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

 

Game Recaps

Florida Panthers v. New York Islanders – 12p EST Start Time

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In Game 2 of their Eastern Conference Qualifying Round series, the Panthers look to even up the series and in the first period Mike Hoffman would tally for the Panthers to take the 1-0 lead. In the second period Aleksander Barkov would strike on the powerplay, but the Islanders would come alive in the second period as Matt Martin, Ryan Pulock (PPG), and Jordan Eberle would score to give the Islanders the 3-2 lead going into the second intermission. Then in the third period Eberle would net his second of the game while on the powerplay to give the Islanders the 4-2 victory and the 2-0 series lead.

 

Arizona Coyotes v. Nashville Predators – 230p EST Start Time

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In their second game of their Qualifying Round series it would be the Predators pouncing on the Coyotes as they would get goals from Nick Bonino and Ryan Johansen to take the 2-0 lead, despite being out shot 14 to 5 by the Coyotes. Then in the second period Calle Jarnkrok would score to give the Predators the 3-0 lead, and then in the third period Viktor Arvidsson would tally on the powerplay to give the Predators the 4-0 lead. However, the Coyotes would not go quietly as Clayton Keller and Lawson Crouse would both score 10 seconds apart in the final minute of regulation, but would still fall to Nashville 4-2 and have the series become tied at one.

 

Columbus Blue Jackets v. Toronto Maple Leafs – 4p EST Start Time

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Back in Toronto the Maple Leafs would host the Blue Jackets in an effort to tie the series at one, and that they would as Auston Matthews, John Tavares, and Morgan Rielly would all score as Frederik Andersen would pitch the shutout as the Leafs win 3-0.

 

Calgary Flames v. Winnipeg Jets – 645p EST Start Time

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Back in Edmonton the Jets and Flames look to take the 2-1 lead, and in the first period Nikolaj Ehlers would score a beauty to give the Jets the 1-0 lead, but Elias Lindholm would tie the game while on the powerplay with the tip 18 seconds later. In the second period Andrew Copp would net a powerplay goal for the Jets, but goals from Mikael Backlund, Sean Monahan (PPG), and Matthew Tkachuk would give the Flames the 4-2 lead going into the third period. In the third period Milan Lucic would finally get his goal after his second period tally was waived off for goaltender interference, plus an empty netter for Johnny Gaudreau as the Flames would go on to win 6-2 and take the 2-1 series lead.

 

Carolina Hurricanes v. New York Rangers – 8p EST Start Time

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Back in the Toronto hub, the Rangers look to stay alive and they start off with a goal from Chris Kreider, but goals from Teuvo Teravainen, Warren Foegele, and a pair from Sebastian Aho would give the Hurricanes the 4-1 victory and the 3-0 series sweep sending the Rangers packing.

 

Minnesota Wild v. Vancouver Canucks – 1045p EST Start Time

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In the final game of the day the Canucks would get the jump on the Wild as Tanner Pearson would strike 24 seconds into the game for the 1-0 Vancouver lead. However, Luke Kunin would score late in the first to tie the game at one for the Wild. Then in the second period the Canucks would start to pull away from the Wild with goals from JT Miller and Brock Boeser, and with a third period tally from Bo Horvat to take the 4-1 lead. However, late in regulation Kevin Fiala would net a pair of goals for the Wild, but it would be too little, too late as the Canucks would hold on to win 4-3 and tie up the series at one.

 

Today’s Games

12p ET – NY Islanders v. Florida

230p ET – Nashville v. Arizona

4p ET – Tampa Bay v. Boston

630p ET – Colorado v. Dallas

8p ET – Pittsburgh v. Montreal

1030p ET – Edmonton v. Chicago

The Stanley Cup Daily – Hat Tricks to Start and End the Day

NHL News and Notes from Monday, August 3rd, 2020

 

News

  • The NHL Department of Player Safety has fined Vancouver Canucks forward Micheal Ferland $5000 for Spearing Minnesota Wild forward Ryan Hartman.

 

  • DoPS also announced that they have fined Wild forward Luke Kunin $1000 for Unsportsmanlike Conduct against the Canucks in Game 1 on Sunday.

 

  • Before the Dallas Stars versus Vegas Golden Knights game, Ryan Reaves and Robin Lehner of the Knights were joined by Tyler Seguin and Jason Dickinson of the Stars as they took a knee during the national anthems.

 

  • The weekly NHL COVID-19 update was released, and for the first week of Phase 4 there were no new positive cases. A total of 7,013 tests were administered on a daily basis to all of the the 24 clubs 52 members that traveled to their respective bubbles.

 

Game Recaps

New York Rangers v. Carolina Hurricanes – 12p EST Start Time

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In Game 2 of their Eastern Conference Qualifying Round series, the Carolina Hurricanes looked to grow their series lead over the New York Rangers. In the first period Andrei Svechnikov would score early for the Hurricanes, but Artemi Panarin would tie the game on the powerplay. Then in the final forty minutes of regulation it would be all Carolina as Svechnikov would net two more goals for the hat trick and Jordan Martinook would score to give the Hurricanes the 4-1 victory and the 2-0 series lead.

 

Winnipeg Jets v. Calgary Flames – 230p EST Start Time

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In the first game in the Edmonton hub, things would heat up as the Flames and Jets rekindle their rivalry for Game 2 of their Qualifying Round series. In the first period Jansen Harkins would open the scoring for the Jets, then in the second period Adam Lowry would score to take the 2-0 lead, but the Flames would respond with goals from Elias Lindholm and Sam Bennett to tie the game at two. Then in the third period Nikolaj Ehlers would score on the powerplay to give the Jets the 3-2 victory and tie the series at one.

 

Washington Capitals v. Tampa Bay Lightning – 4p EST Start Time

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In the first Round Robin game of the day the Capitals and Lightning would face off and Tampa would strike twice as Nikita Kucherov and Mitchell Stephens would both score for the 2-0 lead. However, the Capitals would bounce back and get goals from Richard Panik and Evgeny Kuznetsov to tie the game at two and force the game into overtime. After a scoreless five minutes we would see the shootout and it would be Kucherov’s winner in the third round give Tampa the 3-2 victory.

 

Dallas Stars v. Vegas Golden Knights – 630p EST Start Time

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In an exciting back and forth game between Vegas and Dallas in the second Round Robin game of the day, Chandler Stephenson would kick things off with a first period tally 64 seconds into the game to give the Knights the 1-0 lead. In the second period the Stars would shine bright as Joe Pavelski, Jamie Oleksiak, and Corey Perry would all score to give the Stars the 3-1 lead. Then in the third period the Knights would attack as Mark Stone and Nate Schmidt would score to tie the game at three, and then William Carrier and William Karlsson would both score to give the Knights the 5-3 victory.

 

Montreal Canadiens v. Pittsburgh Penguins – 8p EST Start Time

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In Game 2 of their Qualify Round matchup the Penguins captain Sidney Crosby scored 4:25 into the first period to take the 1-0 lead over the Canadiens. Then after a scoreless second period Jesperi Kotkaniemi would score for the Canadiens, but goals from Jake Guentzel and Jason Zucker would secure the Penguins the 3-1 victory and tie the series at one.

 

Chicago Blackhawks v. Edmonton Oilers – 1030p EST Start Time

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In Edmonton the host Oilers would be charged with two quick goals from Connor McDavid as he would score 19 seconds into the game, and then again at the 4:05 mark of the first period, but the Blackhawks would strike back as Patrick Kane would score to cut the Oilers lead to one going into the first intermission. In the second period Tyler Ennis would retake the two goal lead for the Oilers, but goals from Slater Koekkoek and Olli Maatta would tie the game at three. However, on the powerplay McDavid would net his third of the game to complete the hat trick. Then in the third period James Neal and Alex Chiasson would both score to give the Oilers the 6-3 victory and tie the series at one.

 

Today’s Games

12p ET – Florida v. NY Islanders

230p ET – Arizona v. Nashville

4p ET – Columbus v. Toronto

645p ET – Calgary v. Winnipeg

8p ET – Carolina v. NY Rangers

1045p ET – Minnesota v. Vancouver

The Stanley Cup Daily – The Games Have Begun!

NHL News and Notes from Saturday, August 1st, 2020

 

News

  • With today’s action we also saw a touching tribute for those on the frontlines fighting the battle against COVID-19, and also witnessed a powerful speech from Minnesota Wild defenseman Matt Dumba who spoke on systemic racism in both society, and in the game of hockey. Dumba would take a knee during the US National Anthem with Malcolm Subban (CHI) and Darnell Nurse (EDM) stood by his side.

 

  • With today’s Pittsburgh/Montreal game, it marked the first time since 1923 that a Stanley Cup Playoff game would feature two penalty shot attempts (Conor Sheary – 3rd Period and Jonathan Drouin – OT).
    • The last game to feature two penalty shot attempts was the original Ottawa Senators v. the Edmonton Eskimos.

 

  • The NHL Department of Player Safety has announced that Chicago Blackhawks forward Drake Caggiula will have a hearing for an Illegal Check to the Head of Edmonton Oilers forward Tyler Ennis during Game 1 of the Qualifying Round.

 

Game Recaps

New York Rangers v. Carolina Hurricanes – 12p EST Start Time

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To kick off the Qualifying Round the Hurricanes would not need too much time as 61seconds into the game Jaccob Slavin would rip a bomb past Henrik Lundqvist to take the 1-0 lead. Then in the final 40 minutes both teams would trade a pair of goals as Mika Zibanejad and Marc Staal (SHG) would score for the Rangers, but goals from Sebastian Aho (PPG) and Martin Necas would secure the Hurricanes the 3-2 victory and the 1-0 series lead.

 

Russell’s TXHT Recap – Hurricanes Storm the Rangers for Game 1 Victory

 

 

Chicago Blackhawks v. Edmonton Oilers – 3p EST Start Time

CHI RoadEDM Home

For the first game in the Western Conference the Oilers would strike early on the powerplay with Connor McDavid’s snipe tally, but it would be the Blackhawks responding with three straight goals from Dylan Strome, Jonathan Toews, and Brandon Saad before hitting the ten minute mark of the first period. Before the end of the first period Toews would net his second of the game for the 4-1 lead. In the second period Leon Draisaitl would strike on the powerplay for the Oilers, but back to back goals for the Dominik Kubalik to give the Blackhawks the commanding 6-2 lead. In the third period the Oilers would try to surge back into the game as James Neal (PPG) and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins would both score, but the Blackhawks would hold on to take the 6-4 victory and the 1-0 lead.

 

Florida Panthers v. New York Islanders – 4p EST Start Time

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In the second game in the Toronto hub Jean-Gabriel Pageau would score the lone goal for the Islanders in the first period to take the 1-0 lead. Then in the second period Anthony Beauvillier would strike early on the powerplay for the 2-0, however, to start the third period Jonathan Huberdeau would score 23 seconds into the period to get the Panthers onto the board, but a stellar performance by Semyon Varlamov would secure the Islanders the 2-1 victory.

 

Montreal Canadiens v. Pittsburgh Penguins – 8p EST Start Time

MON RoadPIT Home

In the final Eastern Conference game in Toronto the Montreal Canadiens would get the first two goals of the game as Jesperi Kotkaniemi (1st period) and Nick Suzuki (2nd period) to take the 2-0 lead, but the Penguins would strike as both Sidney Crosby and Bryan Rust (PPG) would both score to tie the game at two before the end of the second period. After a scoreless third period the game would go to overtime it would be Jeff Petry to be the hero for the Canadiens as they defeat the Penguins 3-2 and take the 1-0 series lead.

 

Winnipeg Jets v. Calgary Flames – 1030p EST Start Time

WIN RoadCAL Home

In the Edmonton hub for the final game of the day, the Winnipeg Jets would lose top center Mark Scheifele to a lower body injury early in the first period, but a fight between Blake Wheeler and Matthew Tkachuk would fire up the Jets as Andrew Copp would strike to give them the 1-0 lead. In the second period the Flames would heat up as Johnny Gaudreau (PPG), Tobias Rieder, and Mikael Backlund (PPG) would  score to take the 3-1 lead into the second intermission. In the third period Andrew Mangiapane would score late in the period to secure the 4-1 victory, and the 1-0 series lead for the Flames.

 

Today’s Games

2p ET – Arizona v. Nashville (Game 1)

3p ET – Philadelphia v. Boston (Round Robin)

630p ET – St. Louis v. Colorado (Round Robin)

8p ET – Columbus v. Toronto (Game 1)

1030p ET – Minnesota v. Vancouver (Game 1)

Hurricanes Storm the Rangers for Game 1 Victory

It was a case of experience meeting inexperience. In game one of their best-of-five Stanley Cup Qualifiers series, the Carolina Hurricanes defeated the New York Rangers by a score of 3-2. Early on, the game was entirely tilted in Carolina’s favor while the Rangers began to find their legs but albeit a little too late. The Rangers were also on the receiving end of some really bad bounces this game. Let’s jump in. 

 

Early on in period one it was very clear which team had been to the Eastern Conference Final last season and which one did not make the playoffs. Even with their retooled roster that includes a much improved top-six forward corps, the Rangers were on their heels early and Brady Skjei making a questionable hit on Jesper Fast that knocked him out of the game didn’t make it any easier. It seemed no matter what they did they could not find any way to penetrate the neutral zone and sustain any type of forecheck or attack. The loss of Fast hurt the team due to his drive to always get to those dirty areas and how hard he works on the penalty kill. 

 

With a team as inexperienced in the playoffs as the current iteration of the Rangers are, it was important for them to get a great start and it just didn’t happen. Jaccob Slavin scored what felt like a backbreaker just 1:01 into the game and immediately the team that needed to find their footing quicker was playing from behind. The Hurricanes jumped at the chance when Slavin was somehow left wide open to put one past Henrik Lundqvist. Fast was taken out of the game shortly after and did not return. Slavin was Fast’s man on that play and due to him being hurt wasn’t able to defend him like he normally would be able to. The Rangers were not looking good early and only managed four shots on goal in the first period. The Hurricanes were rolling.

 

Before we get to the second period, it’s important to note that Henrik Lundqvist was not expected to start this game. After the game, Rangers personnel confirmed that Igor Shesterkin was supposed to start before being determined as “Unfit to Play.” As good as Lundqvist is, Shesterkin was severely missed due to his puck handling skills and when you’re playing a team like attacks hard and fast like Carolina, that would be great to sort of counteract them. Shesterkin is the Rangers young phenom in goal and he is currently listed as day-to-day with a chance to take back his crease on Monday for Game 2. 

 

Onto the second and there was a lot more of the same. Hurricanes jumping all over the Rangers and giving them as little space as possible. The Hurricanes would score a second time when Sebastian Aho would put one past Lundqvist making the game 2-0. It felt as if today was not the Rangers day but they provided a spark of hope when Mika ZIbanejad deflected a Ryan Lindgren shot past Petr Mrazek to cut the lead to 2-1. The second period would continue on with no more scoring but the Hurricanes still looked like the better team with their suffocating defense.

 

With the third period came an absolute back breaker. A Martin Necas shot would bounce right off Marc Staal’s skate and through Lundqvist’s five hole for a two goal lead making the game 3-1. Even with Marc Staal scoring late in the 3rd, it wouldn’t be enough and the Rangers would fall 3-2 in Game One. Now let;s focus on some bright spots and some dark spots. 

For the Rangers, Kaapo Kakko, Julien Gauthier, Filip Chytil and Brenden Smith (yes, you read that right, Brenden Smith) were the best players all afternoon. Kakko looked like a man possessed and looked like the player the Rangers expected when they chose him with the second overall pick in the 2019 draft. Gauthier used his size and speed to make some nice plays and Filip Chytil did the same. The young kids were beginning to learn what it takes to succeed in the playoffs. Smith played some great defense even if he was a little overly physical in same aspects. 

 

For the Hurricanes, just the suffocating defense worked really well in their favor. They neutralized the Rangers superstar forwards and gave them almost no room to work with. The Hurricanes penalty kill also gets some love here as they killed seven penalties and never really let the Rangers set up giving them fits. If the Hurricanes keep this up, it’ll be a short series. 

 

The bad well… the veterans on the Rangers did not play well and seemed to forget how to get into the offensive zone at some points. Panarin, Buchnevich (who actually had a solid game), Kreider and Strome just couldn’t find their games today and if they don’t soon the Rangers are in trouble. Tony DeAngelo also seemed to forget exactly how to play defense and how to run a power play. DeAngelo is playing for a new contract and if he has a few more stinkers like today he can look to another team. DeAngelo even held the puck behind his own net for almost half a minute with the Rangers down by one with barely any time yet. Seemed like he was killing time for the Hurricanes. Not a good day from the vets and Tony D. 

 

Petr Mrazek makes my bad list for the Hurricanes. “But why he was the winning goalie!!?!?!” Yes but Mrazek just isn’t that good and the way the Rangers scored showed that he really isn’t up to the task and his rebound control you could see just wasn’t all there. If the Rangers can just you know… shoot more than this series changes. That defense of the Hurricanes protects Mrazek heavily for a reason and it’s plain to see why. 

 

Game 2 is Monday at noon and the Rangers needs to bring their A game this one will be over fast.

 

You can follow Russell and his friends over at Skyscraper Sports on Twitter at @SkySportsNYPod.

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Qualifying Round Preview – New York Rangers v. Carolina Hurricanes

The return of the NHL is quickly approaching and here at TXHT we will be breaking down all of the play in and round robin series for you all before the action kicks off on August 1st. The New York Rangers, the 11th seed in the Eastern Conference, will play the Carolina Hurricanes, the sixth seed in the Eastern Conference, in one of the play in best-of-five series. This is going to be a dogfight for both squads as they both have some advantages over the other but one squad does come out with a slight edge. Let’s jump in.

 

FORWARDS

The Rangers possess some superstar forwards in Artemiy Panarin and Mika Zibanejad. Those two lead the forward corps that features Ryan Strome, Chris Kreider, Pavel Buchnevich, Kaapo Kakko and Filip Chytil. Depth guys like Brenden Lemieux, Brett Howden, Jesper Fast and Julien Gauthier round their group out. Look for Vitali Kravtsov, picked 9th overall in 2018, to make a big push to make the roster. 

 

The Hurricanes features a powerhouse top line of Sebastian Aho, Teuvo Teravainen and Andrei Svechnikov. They are easily the three most talented forwards on the Hurricanes and they have great chemistry together. The forward groups rounds out with Vincent Trocheck, Jordan Staal, Nino Niederreiter, Martin Necas, Justin Williams, Ryan Dzingel, Brock McGinn and Warren Foegele. Morgan Geekie, who scored four points in two games prior to the break could provide some nice secondary scoring and be a nice surprise for the team. 

 

So who gets the edge here? It’s tough to say. While Carolina certainly has the more balanced attack, the Rangers do possess higher end forwards than the Hurricanes do. Artemiy Panarin and Mika Zibanejad are superstars. Panarin is the best overall player in this series Sebastian Aho is a superstar but his winger aren’t quite at his level. Trocheck, Necas, Niederreiter and other ensure than Carolina has a deeper forward group with more experience by the Rangers have some rookies in Kaapo Kakko, Filip Chytil and potentially Vitali Kravtsov, who are all full of potential. Kakko especially will be looked upon to provide some scoring. Look for a nice battle between the second overall picks in 2018 and 2019 in Svechnikov and Kakko to see who will make the biggest impact. 

 

If the Hurricanes are unable to contain Panarin and Zibanejad, this series will get ugly fast. If the Rangers defense can’t deal with the balanced and consistent attacks of the Hurricanes than this will be a short series as well. Most likely, both groups of forwards will have big moments and it’s going to be an absolute dogfight. 

 

EDGE?

Ever so slightly, this edge goes to the New York Rangers. Artemiy Panarin is one of the best forwards in the entire NHL and can win MVP this year with how well he played. 95 points in 69 games. He is a bonafide gamebreaker and his play along with the goal scoring ability of Mika Zibaejad, the speed of Chris Kreider and the possible breakout of Kaapo Kakko give the Rangers the slight edge over the Hurricanes in the forward group. 

 

DEFENSE

The Rangers have a nice young budding group of defenseman but they are outmatched here by the Hurricanes combination of skill and depth. Adam Fox had a calder caliber season and Tony DeAngelo, who broke out as one of the best offensive dmen in the league are really good and Jacob Trouba provides some great stay at home work but the combination of Dougie Hamilton, Jaccob Slavin, Joel Edmundson, Jake Bean, Jake Gardiner, Brady Skjei etc. push the Hurricanes over the top here. From top to bottom, the Hurricanes have the stronger defense of the two teams. 

 

At this point, the Rangers have three really good dmen, one still finding his way in Ryan Lindgren and two past their primes in Brenden Smith and Marc Staal. The Hurricanes from top to bottom just have the better depth. Hamilton was on pace for his first Norris Trophy. Slavin is one of the best in the game and has been underappreciated for years. Edmundson is a Stanley Cup champion. Bean is a great young up and comer. Gardiner has great offensive instinct and Skjei in a lesser role can be effective. 

 

EDGE

The Hurricanes and it’s not close. 

 

GOALTENDING

Igor Shesterkin, Henrik Lundqvist and Alexandar Georgiev. The three headed monster of the New York Rangers. All three can win games, all three can come up clutch and all three are more capable than anyone the Hurricanes have. Shesterkin is the new franchise goaltender for the Rangers and had a 10-2 record after being recalled from the American Hockey League this season. He set all kinds of records overseas and it’s his time to lead the Rangers into the future. Lundqvist, the future first ballot hall of famer, has led the Rangers for the past 15 seasons and you can look to him to jump in if Shesterkin falters. Georgiev is another fantastic young goaltender who the Rangers can also choose to lean on if they wish. 

 

Petr Mrazek, Alex Nedeljkovic, James Reimer and Anton Forsberg just don’t match up to the quality goaltending the Rangers have. All four are of course NHL caliber goalies and can steal you a game here and there but none have the type of consistency the Rangers goalies have. Nedeljkovic is the Hurricanes future in net but he isn’t there yet. 

 

EDGE

Rangers and by a lot.

 

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PREDICTION:

This is going to be an incredibly close series. The firepower of the Rangers meets the imposing defense of the Hurricanes. After taking in all the facts about both teams, the way they play and the history between them: The New York Rangers take this series in five games and advance.

 

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Stanley Cup Preview – New York Rangers

When the NHL season was paused due to the COVID-19 outbreak earlier this year, The New York Rangers were one of the hottest teams in the league. Since the All-Star Break, up until their “final” game against the Colorado Avalanche, they went 14-7-1 and seemed to really be coming together as a team. Led by the MVP-caliber season of Artemiy Panarin, the Rangers are seemingly ahead of schedule in their rebuild. Let’s jump right in. 

 

FORWARDS

Going by average age, the New York Rangers are the youngest team in the NHL and their forward corps has a nice mix of veteran players and young players looking to make their mark on the NHL. Their offense was a lot more potent this year than people thought and the Rangers go as Artemiy Panarin goes. Panarin, who was signed as a free agent last summer to a deal worth 11.6 million dollars over seven years, lived up to every single expectation fans and management had for him. Panarin, from his first game in New York, energized this fanbase like other stars had only dreamed of doing. He would score a career high in goals with 32 and add 63 assists for 95 points in his first season in New York. A superstar had truly arrived. 

 

Leading the charge with Panarin is the Rangers number one center, Mika Zibanejad. Zibanejad, for years, had shown that if he could have some consistency to his game he would become a force to be reckoned with. The talent was always there but he had yet to truly unleash his potential. That changed this year as Zibanejad joined the ranks of the top centers in the NHL by scoring 41 goals and adding 34 assists for 75 points in 57 games. Elite. Zibanejad put himself into Rocket Richard trophy contention but ultimately fell short due to the season being postponed. Zibanejad was one of the leagues hottest forwards before the stoppage and look for him and Panarin to lead this offense in the playoffs. Zibanejad’s defining game this season was against the Washington Capitals on March 5th when he scored 5 goals, including the overtime winner at Madison Square Garden.

 

Ryan Strome had a career high 59 points in 70 games and found great chemistry with Panarin over the course of the season. He has entrenched himself as New York’s second line center for the time being and his chemistry with Panarin will be something the Rangers lean on as well. Filip Chytil and Kaapo Kakko are two extremely talented young forwards as well and even though they each didn’t have a lot of point this season, both will be looked at to provide some secondary scoring during the playoffs. They have shown flashes of brilliance and the Rangers want both of them, especially Kakko, to start gaining more confidence and begin to show more of their potential. Kakko, the second overall pick in 2019, was really beginning to find his way before the season got stopped. He had a nice little breakout game, scoring two goal against the Stars, in a riveting game before the stoppage. 

 

Chris Kreider will be healthy and that’s a huge return for the Rangers. Kreider brings an element of speed that the team just doesn’t have when he’s not on the ice. He’s a missile every time he’s out on the ice and he has great chemistry with Zibanejad and Pavel Buchnevich. Overall, the Rangers have a deadly forward group that knows how to score and their forwards will be very fun to watch during the playoffs. Look for rookie forward Vitali Kravtsov to make a big push to be on the play in/playoff roster. 

 

Here’s a preview of what their forward lines could look like going into the play in series:

 

Chris Kreider – Mika Zibanejad – Pavel Buchnevich

Artemiy Panarin – Ryan Strome – Jesper Fast

Phil Di Giuseppe – Filip Chytil – Kaapo Kakko

Vitali Kravtsov – Brett Howden -  Julien Gauthier

 

DEFENSE

The defense of the New York Rangers is most certainly a work in progress but they have some electrifying pieces to build around. Adam Fox, the rookie defenseman out of Harvard University, had hype building around him for quite some time and basically forced his way to the Rangers and to New York. This season, he put up 42 points (8 goals and 34 assists), good for 4th among all rookies and turned himself into the Rangers best defenseman at just 22 years old, Fox, who Rangers President John Davidson said reminds him of a modern day Sergei Zubov, will be one of the pieces that leads the Rangers blueline into the future. Fox was arguably the third best rookie defenseman in the league behind the Vancouver Canucks’ Quinn Hughes and the Colorado Avalanche’s Cale Maker. 

 

Continuing our talk of young talented blueliners, Tony DeAngelo had a breakout season for the team as well. Although he is a controversial player off the ice, DeAngelo was a dynamite player for the Rangers this season. He was fourth on the team in scoring with 53 points in 68 games. DeAngelo showed once he put it all together that he could be one of the top scoring defenseman in the entire NHL and along with Fox, they have two absolutely dynamic defensemen on the back end. DeAngelo’s defining game this season was a five-point outburst against the New Jersey Devils, which included a hat trick. 

 

Fox and DeAngelo had great seasons and put up really great point totals but the unsung hero of the Rangers blueline is Jacob Trouba. Trouba, who was traded to New York last offseason, signed a seven year, 56 million dollar deal with the Rangers. The deal basically handed the Rangers number one defenseman duties over to him and although he didn’t have 50 points like his last season in Winnipeg, he provided solid defense and took some of the harder assignments away from Fox and DeAngelo allowing them to have more space on the ice to grow their game. Trouba, still only 25 years old, will be with the Rangers a long time and will be looked at to be the backbone of the Rangers defense. Every team needs that workhorse guy and that’s Trouba. Look for him to up his offensive game more with a new defensive coach coming in in Gord Murphy. 

 

Rounding out the defense is tough guy Ryan Lindgren who found excellent chemistry with Adam Fox, Marc Staal and Brenden Smith. Lindgren is a great young player but Staal and Smith clearly are not at the heights of their power anymore. The Rangers will have to be careful with how much those two see the ice. Lindgren has shown great shutdown potential. Here’s a preview of the Rangers defensive pairs going into the play-in/playoffs:

 

Brenden Smith – Jacob Trouba

Marc Staal – Tony DeAngelo

Ryan Lindgren – Adam Fox

 

GOALTENDING

The three-headed monster. The Rangers have an embarrassment of riches with their goaltending depth and each of the three can lead the team to win any single night. Leading the way is newly-minted franchise goaltender Igor Shesterkin. Shesterkin, picked in the fourth round in 2014, broke records in the KHL playing for SKA St. Petersberg and is a Gagarin Cup champion. He is only 24 years old and will make the transition from Henrik Lundqvist reign on Broadway quite easy. Shesterkin went 10-2 as a rookie after his call up from the Hartford Wolf Pack and put up a ridiculous .932 save percentage to go along with a 2.52 GAA. He’s the real deal and it’s his starting job to lose. 

 

Behind him, and pushing for the job to start, is Alexandar Georgiev and of course the King, Henrik Lundqvist. Georgiev is a young and promising goalie and was nearly traded this season due to teams needed goaltending help and the Rangers having more than enough to give away. Georgiev has shown flashes of being able to be an NHL starter but he just isn’t as talented as Shesterkin. Lundqvist well… what needs to be said. He’s going to be a first ballot Hall of Famer, he’s won everything a goalie can win except for the cup and you know he wants his starters job back. Lundqvist is a legend but getting past Shesterkin will be tough. 

 

Final Thoughts

The Rangers are one of the most intriguing play in teams and they could very well make some noise with a talented crop of forwards, a young budding defense corps and a new young franchise goalie in net. It’s a fun time to be a Rangers fan.

 

 

 

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The Devil(s) Finds Their Men

Good morning Devils fans! Last night, it was reported by NHL Network’s Kevin Weekes & confirmed that the New Jersey Devils have removed the interim General Manager tag and have given Tom Fitzgerald the job full time. Fitzgerald took over as the Devils GM when Ray Shero was fired back on January 13th, 2020. Also, for his first “official” act as General Manager, Tom Fitzgerald has hired former Buffalo Sabres and Dallas Stars head coach Lindy Ruff for the Devils open head coaching job. Ruff is currently a New York Rangers assistant coach and has been there for the past three seasons. Ruff beat out other coaching candidates such as Girard Gallant, Peter Laviolette, and John Stevens. There is definitely a connection here between Fitzgerald and Ruff. Lindy Ruff was Tom Fitzgerald’s assistant coach during their time together for the Florida Panthers. They even made a Stanley Cup finals appearance together during the 1995-96 season. It definitely makes sense now why he become a top candidate and got the Devils head coaching job. Let’s take a look at the Devils moves.

 

Tom Fitzgerald Reaction

Since the NHL trade deadline at the end of February, I have been campaigning for the Devils to give Tom Fitzgerald the GM job full time. Well, obviously I’m very thrilled he will be staying on as the General Manager. His trades in particular at the trade deadline were absolutely spectacular and should help with the Devil‘s youth movement towards building a future Stanley Cup contender. His leadership style, how he dealt with the media, and his hockey IQ is what sold me on him. The simple fact Fitzgerald was able to trade an aging and declining 37 year old defenseman like Andy Greene and got a top prospect plus a second round draft pick is a miracle in itself. Talk about turning you know what into gold! The Blake Coleman trade was also fantastic as he didn’t even have to trade him. Considering he didn’t have to trade Coleman, Fitzgerald made sure he got exactly what he wanted for him. Not only did he get a first round pick for Coleman (who still has term on his contract) but, he also got a legitimate stud prospect who is considered to be one of the best up-and-coming pure goal scorers and former first round pick in Nolan Foote. He should look really good on a line with either Nico Hischier or Jack Hughes for years to come! Overall, I’m very pleased with this move and can’t wait to see what else Tom Fitzgerald has in store for the future of the New Jersey Devils.

 

Lindy Ruff Reaction

Now this is where I am very unsure here. If you were to have asked over 10 years ago, would I want Lindy Ruff as the Devils head coach? I probably wouldn’t have given it much of a second thought. However, I’m not so sure how he will handle a very young New Jersey Devils team. I will say, Ruff in his last stint in Dallas had his team playing very fast and aggressive while being towards the top of the league in several offensive categories. That will be good for the Devils as they struggled offensively and have a lot of young skilled players to work with. Unfortunately there is a but here. The downside of Lindy Ruff was his team defense. Going forward, can Lindy Ruff get this young team to play a full and committed 200 foot game? Time will only tell. As long as the Devils hire someone who knows their stuff defensively to help out Lindy Ruff, then this hire could potentially work out.

NHL News and Notes from Wednesday, March 11th, 2020

NHL News and Notes from Wednesday, March 11th, 2020

 

Game Recaps:

San Jose Sharks v. Chicago Blackhawks – 8p EST Start Time

SJ RoadCHI Home

In Chicago the Blackhawks would take down the San Jose Sharks as Patrick Kane would net a pair of goals, along with goals from Duncan Keith Brandon Saad, Alexander Nylander, and Dominik Kubalik would secure the Blackhawks the 6-2 victory. Evander Kane and Timo Meier would score for the Sharks.

 

Winnipeg Jets v. Edmonton Oilers – 9p EST Start Time

WIN RoadEDM Home

In Edmonton the Oilers would host the Winnipeg Jets, and after a scoreless first period both teams would net a pair of goals as Blake Wheeler and Patrik Laine would strike for the JEts, and Tyler Ennis and Connor McDavid would score for the Oilers. However, in the third period Kyle Connor would net a pair of goals to gove the Jets the 4-2 victory.

 

St. Louis Blues v. Anaheim Ducks – 10p EST Start Time

STL RoadANA Home

In Anaheim the St. Louis Blues would come to town to face off with the Ducks. In the first period both teams would start off with a goal each, which is where they left off before their game was suspended due to Jay Bouwmeester’s health scare, and it would be Alex Pietrangelo scoring to give the Blues the 2-1 lead. Then in the second period both teams would trade goals as Jani Hakanpaa would score for the Ducks, but Zach Sanford would score to give the Blues the 3-2 lead, and Pietrangelo would score his second of the game in the third period to give the Blues the 4-2 victory.

 

New York Rangers v. Colorado Avalanche – 10p EST Start Time

NYR RoadCOL Home

In Colorado the Avalanche would host the New York Rangers, and in the first forty minutes Mika Zibanejad would score for the Rangers, but goals from Tyson Jost and Vladislav Namestnikov would give the Avalanche the 2-1 lead. However, with 13 seconds left in regulation Pavel Buchnevich would tie the game at two to send the game to overtime which would see JT Compher score to give Colorado the 3-2 victory.

 

Ottawa Senators v. Los Angeles Kings – 1030p EST Start Time

OTT RoadLA Home

In Los Angeles the Kings would play host to the Ottawa Senators, and in the first period Bobby Ryan (OTT) and Trevor Lewis (LA) would score to keep the game tied at one. Then in the third period Jayce Hawryluk would score to give the Senators the 2-1 lead, but Gabriel Vilardi and Martin Frk would score to give the Kings the 3-2 victory.