Tag: New York Rangers

NHL Daily – Original Six Action


NHL News and Notes from Wednesday, February 10th, 2021

News

Game Recaps

  • Boston Bruins v. New York Rangers – 7p ET
    • At Madison Square Garden the New York Rangers would host their Original Six rival Boston Bruins for Wednesday night action. In the first period Julien Gauthier would net his first career NHL goal to give the Rangers the 1-0 lead. Then in the second period Chris Wagner would tie the game while shorthanded for the Bruins and Anders Bjork would net his first of the season in the third period to give the B’s the 2-1 lead, but a tally minutes later by Kevin Rooney would tie the game at two and send the game to overtime. In the extra frame it would only take 36 seconds for Brad Marchand to net the game winner and give the Bruins the 3-2 victory.
  • Toronto Maple Leafs v. Montreal Canadiens – 7:30p ET
    • In the other Original Six matchup the Montreal Canadiens would play host to the Toronto Maple Leafs. In the first period Josh Anderson would net his 9th of the season to give the Canadiens the 1-0 lead. Then in the second period the Leafs would heat up as Travis Dermott would net his first of the season to tie the game at one. In the third period goals from Justin Holl and Ilya Mikheyev would grow the Leafs lead to two, but while the Canadiens would get a goal from Tomas Tatar, it would not be enough as the Leafs would ice the game with a Zach Hyman tally to give the Maple Leafs the 4-2 victory.

Today’s Games

  • WAS v. BUF – Postponed
  • PIT v. NYI – 7p ET
  • NJ v. PHI – Postponed
  • TB v. FLA – 7p ET
  • EDM v. MON – 7p ET
  • CLB v. CHI – 8p ET
  • DET v. NAS – 8p ET
  • OTT v. WIN – 8p ET
  • STL v. MIN – Postponed
  • CAR v. DAL – 8:30p ET
  • ARI v. COL – Postponed
  • CAL v. VAN – 10p ET
  • ANA v. VGK – 10p ET
  • SJ v. LA – 10p ET

Rangers Weekly – 2/01/21

The New York Rangers continued their turnaround this week. After a 1-3-1 start, the Rangers are now 4-4-2 and have a four game point streak (3-0-1). Their young players are playing better, the veterans are finally making a huge impact and the goaltending is beginning to solidify. Let’s jump into the two games the Rangers had this past week against the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Washington Capitals.

February 1st, 2021: New York Rangers vs. Pittsburgh Penguins @ Madison Square Garden

Starting Goaltenders: Igor Shesterkin – W, Casey DeSmith – L

Recap:

The New York Rangers came out flying in this game and the improvement they have shown over the past week was evident. The Rangers had some great early chances and were screening DeSmith as much as possible. If not for some nice heroic saves early, the Penguins would have been staring down a deficit. Despite the Rangers great play, Jason Zucker would open the scoring at 9:05 of the first period when he battled for a puck that caromed off the boards. He would stuff the puck past an out of position Shesterkin for a 1-0 Penguins lead. They would take that lead into the locker room.

The second period was where the Rangers took control and never looked back. The Rangers would press most of the second but DeSmith made some great saves once again. At 17:42 of the period, DeSmith would finally falter. A shot from Artemi Panarin would rebound right to Kevin Rooney, who stuffed it past DeSmith to tie the game at one. The teams would go to the locker room tied at one goal a piece. This was a huge goal for the Rangers as they needed to grab some momentum going in to the third period,

The Rangers continued to fight in the third period and at 11:10, Chris Kreider would cash in on the power-play after some hard work from Artemi Panarin and Adam Fox. Panarin would send a quick pass to Fox at the point and Fox head faked one way while shooting towards the stick of Kreider. Kreider would deflect the shot past DeSmith for a 2-1 Rangers lead. The game was tight the rest of the way and Panarin would seal it with a last second shot and goal on the empty net to make it a 3-1 Rangers lead and win. A great night for the Broadway Blueshirts and it was going to get even better.

February 4th, 2021: New York Rangers vs. Washington Capitals @ Madison Square Garden

Starting Goaltenders: Igor Shesterkin – W, Vitek Vanecek – L

The Rangers wore their Reverse Retro Liberty Jerseys for the first time

Recap:

The Rangers would come flying and this time, they would strike first. At just 1:41 of the first period, Ryan Strome would perfectly deflect an Adam Fox wrister past Vanecek for a 1-0 Rangers lead. The boys were jumping early and they would continue their strong play throughout the first period of the game. The Rangers would keep fighting hard to get that next goal but they would enter the locker room with a 1-0 lead over the Capitals.

The second period began with both teams playing well and exchanging chances. Shesterkin had to make some good saves, including a nice one on Tom Wilson. The Rangers would eventually break through once again and in just his second game in a New York Rangers jersey, Long Island’s own Anthony Bitetto, would weave his way around almost the entire Capitals team to score a highlight reel backhand goal. It was his first goal since 2017 and it gave the Rangers a huge boost and a 2-0 lead. The Capitals would finally strike at 18:57 of the second period when Carl Hagelin would score an extremely flukey goal to cut the Rangers lead to 2-1. The Rangers entered the locker room with a 2-1 lead.

The third period was filled with firepower as both teams traded goals and chances. At 7:55 of the third period, Ryan Strome would get his second goal of the game. Strome and Panarin broke in a on 2-on-1 into the Capitals zone and Strome cashed in on the final pass of the play to give the Rangers a 3-1 lead in the third. Strome and Panarin getting going means bad news for the rest of the league. Alexander Ovechkin would cash in on a wicked wrister at 11:01 in the third. There was no one any goaltender was stopping Ovi’s laser like shot. Finally, the Rangers would seal the deal when Pavel Buchnevich would slide the puck into the empty net at 19:33 to give the Rangers a 4-2 lead and seal the victory.

Analysis

The New York Rangers have seemingly found their game. Not only are the kids continuing to play well, especially K’Andre Miller who is already looking like the second best defenseman on the team, but the veterans are finally stepping up. Artemi Panarin and Ryan Strome had incredible weeks and Chris Kreider is finding his game as well. With no preseason it clearly took guys a few games to get up to speed and it’s not showing. Anthony Bitetto has been awesome since being called upon to join the lineup and Libor Hajek, a young defenseman acquired from the Lightning a few years ago, has held his own. The team is beginning to gel,

Of course, Mika Zibanejad needs to get himself going soon. The Rangers need their number one center to play well to succeed in this division and if they hope to make any type of noise. Alexis Lafreniere had his statement goal against Buffalo last week but you’d love to see the kid get another one to boost his confidence. Kaapo Kakko continues to get better each game and he is beginning to look great in his spot next to Strome and Panarin.

The Week Ahead

February 8th, 2021: New York Rangers vs. New York Islanders @ Madison Square Garden

February 10, 2021: New York Rangers vs. Boston Bruins @ Madison Square Garden

February 12th, 2021: New York Rangers vs. Boston Bruins @ Madison Square Garden

February 14th, 2021: New York Rangers vs. Philadelphia Flyers @ Madison Square Garden

NHL Daily – Challenges and Close Games


NHL News and Notes from Thursday, February 4th, 2021

News

Game Recaps

  • Buffalo Sabres v. New York Islanders – 7p ET
    • Postponed
  • Washington Capitals v. New York Rangers – 7p ET
    • In their lone trip to Madison Square Garden for the month, the Washington Capitals would take on the New York Rangers, but a slow start would benefit the Rangers as Ryan Strome would tip one in past Vitek Vanecek to give the Rangers the 1-0 lead. Then in the second period Anthony Bitetto would net his first as a Ranger to grow there lead to two, but Carl Hagelin would get a friendly bounce to let the Caps cut their deficit back to one. Then in the third period Strome would net his second of the game to take the two goal lead back for the Rangers, but Alex Ovechkin would strike for his third of the season to bring the Caps back within one. However, Pavel Buchnevich would get the empty netter to give the Rangers the 4-2 victory over the Capitals.
  • Nashville Predators v. Florida Panthers – 7p ET
    • In Florida the Panthers would play host to the Nashville Predators, and in the first period Jonathon Huberdeau would strike quickly for the 1-0 lead for the Panthers, but Filip Forsberg would strike on the powerplay to tie the game at one. Then Markus Nutivaara would score to retake the one goal lead, but Calle Jarnkrok would tie the game back up at two. In the second period Aaron Ekblad would strike 54 seconds into the period while on the powerplay to give the Panthers the 3-2 lead, but Matt Duchene would strike to tie the game at three for the Preds. However, Aleksander Barkov would strike to retake the lead again for the Panthers, and Huberdeau would net his second of the game to give the Panthers the two goal lead. The in the third period the Predators would come roaring back as Roman Josi and Duchen (2nd of the game) would score to tie the game at five and send the game to overtime. In the extra frame with a minute left it would be Forsberg with his second of the game to give the Predators the 6-5 comeback victory.
  • New Jersey Devils v. Pittsburgh Penguins – 7p ET
    • Postponed
  • Dallas Stars v. Columbus Blue Jackets – 7p ET
    • In Columbus the Dallas Stars would look to rise above the Blue Jackets, and in the first period Oliver Bjorkstrand and Jack Roslovic would tally for the Jackets to take the 2-0 lead. In the second period Roope Hintz would score to get the Stars on the board, but Patrik Laine’s first as a Jacket would let Columbus regain the two goal lead, but Alexander Radulov would strike to bring Dallas back within one. Then in the third period Cam Atkinson would strike for the Jackets to take the two goal lead, and while Jamie Been would strike for the Stars, the Blue Jackets would hold on to win 4-3.
  • Ottawa Senators v. Montreal Canadiens – 7p ET
    • In Montreal the Canadiens would play host to the Ottawa Senators, and in the first period Brendan Gallagher would strike first for the 1-0 Montreal lead, but Thomas Chabot and Tim Stutzle would score to give the Sens the 2-1 lead. Then in the second period Connor Brown would score his first of the season to grow the Sens lead to two. In the third period Josh Anderson would score a shorthanded goal for the Canadiens, but the Senators would hold on to win 3-2 for their second win of the season.
  • Vancouver Canucks v. Toronto Maple Leafs – 7p ET
    • In a Canadian battle, the Toronto Maple Leafs would host the Vancouver Canucks, and in the first period Tanner Pearson would tally for the Canucks, but goals from Auston Matthews and Jason Spezza would give the Leafs the 2-1 lead. In the second period Matthews would net his second of the game to give the Leafs the two goal lead, but Bo Horvat would strike to bring the Canucks back within one. However, Spezza’s second of the game, and John Tavare’s fifth of the season would give the Leafs the 5-2 lead. Then in the third period JT Miller would score for the Canucks, but Spezza would complete the hat trick, and Mitch Marner would score to give the Maple Leafs the 7-3 victory over the Canucks.
  • Carolina Hurricanes v. Chicago Blackhawks – 8p ET
    • In Chicago the Carolina Hurricanes come to town to take on the Blackhawks, and in the first period Sebastian Aho would strike to get the Canes on the board first, but moments later Mattias Janmark would score on the powerplay to tie the game at one, and Dominik Kubalik would get a powerplay tally to give Chicago the 2-1 lead. Before the first was over Andrew Shaw would also tally on the powerplay for Chicago, but in the second period Nino Niederreiter and Andrei Svechnikov would strike within the first minute of the period to tie the game at three. Then in the third period Patrick Kane would net his sixth of the season to give the Blackhawks the one goal lead, but Brock McGinn would strike back for the Canes to tie the game at four. However, Alex DeBrincat would score two goals later in the third to give the Blackhawks the 6-4 victory.
  • Arizona Coyotes v. St. Louis Blues – 8p ET
    • In St. Louis the Blues would go with their 90’s Reverse Retros as they host the Arizona Coyotes, and in the first period Tyler Pitlick and Nick Schmaltz would strike for the Coyotes to take the 2-0 lead. Then in the second period Conor Garland would net his fourth of the season to grow the Coyotes lead to three. Then in the third period the Blues would get a pair of goals from Mike Hoffman and a tally from Ryan O’Reilly, but a goal from Christian Dvorak would give the Coyotes the 4-3 victory.
  • Calgary Flames v. Winnipeg Jets – 8p ET
    • In Winnipeg we would see the Calgary Flames come to town to take on the Jets, and in the first period Andrew Mangiapane would strike to give the Flames the 1-0 lead. Then in the second period Mason Appleton, Kyle Connor, and Mark Scheifele would all score to give the Jets the 3-1 lead. Then in the third period Appleton would net his second of the game to secure the 4-1 victory for the Jets over the Flames.
  • Minnesota Wild v. Colorado Avalanche – 9p ET
    • Postponed

Today’s Games

  • BOS v. PHI – 7p ET
  • DET v. TB – 7p ET
  • NSH v. FLA – 7p ET
  • LA v. VGK -10p ET
  • SJ v. ANA – 10p ET

NHL Daily – Bunch of News and Games

NHL News and Notes from Monday, February 1st, 2021

News

  • Thatcher Demko of the Vancouver Canucks earned First Star honors with both Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl of the Edmonton Oilers out the NHL Three Stars of the Week.

  • The NHL’s Department of Player Safety has announced that Minnesota Wild forward Nick Bjugstad has been fined $5,000, the maximum allowed under the CBA, for cross checking defenseman Ryan Graves of the Colorado Avalanche on Sunday night.

  • The NHL announced that the New Jersey Devils season has been postponed through February 6th as 10 players have been placed on the COVID Protocols List.

Game Recaps

  • Pittsburgh Penguins vs. New York Rangers – 7p ET
    • In New York the Penguins visit the Rangers. In the first period, Jason Zucker opens up the scoring as Pittsburgh takes the 1-0 lead. In the second period, the Rangers tie the game at 1-1 when Kevin Rooney scores his second goal of the season. In the third period, New York’s Chris Krieder scores a PPG to make it a 2-1 Rangers lead. Artemi Panarin scores with one second left in the period to give the Rangers the 3-1 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins.
  • Boston Bruins vs. Washington Capitals – 7p ET
    • In the Nation’s Capital, the Bruins visit the Washington Capitals. In the first period, Zdeno Chara gets the scoring started, as the Capitals take the 1-0 lead. Washington makes it a 2-0 lead when Daniel Sprong scores 11 seconds after the Chara goal. In the second period, John Carlson scores a PPG to make it a 3-0 Capitals lead. David Pastrnak scores to get the Boston Bruins on the board. In the third period, Boston comes within a goal when Pastrnak scores his second goal of the game. Craig Smith ties the game for the Bruins with his third goal of the season. Boston takes the 4-3 lead when Brandon Carlo scores his second goal of the season. Brad Marchand gives the Bruins the two goal lead when he scores his sixth goal of the season. The contest comes to a close with the Boston Bruins handing the Washington Capitals their first regulation loss of the season with a 5-3 victory.
  • Nashville Predators vs. Tampa Bay Lightning – 7p ET
    • In Tampa, the Tampa Bay Lightning look to sweep the two game set against Nashville. In the first period, Ondrej Palat scores his fourth goal of the season to give Tampa Bay the 1-0 lead. Yanni Gourde gives the Lightning the 2-0 lead with his second goal of the season. Tampa takes the commanding 3-0 lead when Brayden Point nets his third goal of the season. In the second period, Steven Stamkos nets his fourth goal of the season, a PPG, to give the Lightning 4-0 lead. In the third period, Nashville gets on the board with a goal from Eeli Tolvanen, his first of the season. Nashville comes within two when Mikael Granlund nets his third goal of the season. Gourde gives the Lightning the 5-3 lead and win with Gourde’s second goal of the night as the Tampa Bay Lightning strike down the Nashville Predators with a 5-3 win.
  • Vancouver Canucks v. Montreal Canadiens – 7p ET
    • In Montreal, the Canucks and Canadiens resume their rivalry. In the first period, Montreal gets on the board first with a Nick Suzuki goal one minute into the game. The Canadiens take the 2-0 lead with an unassisted shorthanded goal by Artturi Lehkonen. Adam Gaudette gets the Canucks on the board with an unassisted goal of his own. Jeff Petry gives the Habs the two goal lead with his third goal of the season. In the second period, Brendan Gallagher gives Montreal a three goal lead with his fourth goal of the season. Petry gives the Canadiens the commanding 5-1 lead with his second goal of the night. Tyler Toffoli gives the Habs a 6-1 lead with his seventh goal of the season, a PPG. As the contest moves to the third period, Jay Beagle nets his first goal of the season giving the Canadiens the 6-2 lead. Montreal goes on to cruise past the Canucks with the 6-2 win.
  • Calgary Flames vs. Winnipeg Jets – 8p ET
    • In Winnipeg, the Jets look to extinguish the Flames. In the first period, Winnipeg’s Kyle Connor scores two power play goals to give the Jets the 2-0 lead. In the second period, Calgary comes within a goal just seven seconds into the period when Christopher Tanev scores his first goal of the season. As the contest shifts to the third period, Calgary ties the game when Johnny Gaudreau nets his sixth goal of the season. The Flames take the 3-2 lead when Andrew Mangiapane gets his first goal of the season. The Jets will tie the game when Mark Scheifele gets his fourth goal of the season. After a scoreless overtime frame, we head to a shootout. The Flames will win this contest in the fourth round of the shooutout when Johnny Gaudreau scores, giving Calgary the 4-3 win.
  • Vegas Golden Knights vs. San Jose Sharks – 10:30p ET
    • Postponed

Today’s Games

  • BUF v. NYI – 6p ET
  • NJ v. PIT – 7p ET
  • DAL v. CLB – 7p ET
  • VAN v. MON – 7p ET
  • CAR v. CHI – 8p ET
  • ARI v. STL – 8p ET
  • CGY v. WPG – 8p ET
  • MIN v. COL – 8:30p ET
  • ANA v. LA – 10p ET
  • OTT v. EDM – 10p ET

Rangers Weekly #2

Rangers weekly round 2! After a rough opening five games where the Rangers compiled a 1-3-1 record, the blueshirts of Broadway looked to right the ship in their three games this week. Up on the docket: two games against Jack Eichel and his Buffalo Sabres at KeyBank Center and a visit from Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins to Madison Square Garden. Let’s jump in.

January 26th, 2021: New York Rangers vs. Buffalo Sabres @ KeyBank Center

Goaltenders: Alexandar Georgiev – L, Linus Ullmark – W

Recap:

After a crushing loss to the Penguins to drop their record to 1-3-1, the Rangers needed to come out with fire in this game and set the tone right off the opening draw. Their initial pressure would pay off as they would strike first. Pavel Buchnevich, who has been the Rangers best forward this season, would take advantage of a Sabres turnover and after circling the net, toss a pass to a streaking Chris Kreider. Kreider would snap the puck past goaltender Linus Ullmark at 6:28 of the first period for a 1-0 Rangers lead. The Sabres would answer roughly six minutes later when they capitalized on the power-play. At 12:50 of the first period, Eric Staal would tap pass the puck to Dylan Cozens in the high slot who lasered the puck past Alexandar Georgiev to tie the game at one. Penalties were costing the Rangers yet again. The teams continued to trade chances as the period went on but a Rangers rookie would give the team a boost in the period’s final seconds.

K’Andre Miller, the Rangers big smooth skating rookie defenseman, would score his first career NHL goal. After receiving a nice feed from Brendan Lemieux, Miller blasted the puck past Ullmark to give the Rangers a 2-1 lead going into the locker room. Miller is already looking like one of the Rangers best defenseman and will be counted on to lead the defense into the future. The second period would be all Sabres.

At 6:03 of the second period, Tobias Reider would make the Rangers pay with his patented speed. Reider sped down the ice and out waited Georgiev before beating him to tie the at two. The goal came right at the end of a Rangers power-play to make things sting even more. The Sabres were pressing and the Rangers did not have an answer for them. Just about a minute and thirty seconds later, with K’Andre Miller off for slashing, the Sabres would score on the power-play. At 7:31 of the second, Jack Eichel would score his first of the season on a blast from the slot. The Sabres led 3-2. The rest of the second and the third would come and go and the Rangers never found the tying goal. The Sabres would go on to defeat them 3-2 at Keybank center. This game would mark the Rangers fourth straight loss (0-3-1).


January 28th, 2021: New York Rangers vs. Buffalo Sabres @ KeyBank Center

Recap:

Goaltenders: Igor Shesterkin – W, Linus Ullmark – L

This was a game that almost felt must-win for the Broadway Blueshirts. In the midst of a four gaming losing streak and the loss of the blossoming Filip Chytil, the Rangers needed to start feeling good about themselves again. Midway through the first period, at 9:44 they would begin their road to a hard fought win. After an excellent zone entry by Pavel Buchnevich and Artemi Panarin, Panarin wired the pick to Ryan Strome, who beat Ullmark for his second goal of the season. The Rangers jumped out to a 1-0 lead. The Rangers almost got to the locker room with a 1-0 lead but Jack Eichel would have another idea. At 19:38 of the first period, Eichel delivered K’Andre Miller his welcome to the NHL moment, beating him to the net and tipping a great pass past Shesterkin to tie the game at one goal a piece.

The Rangers would answer in the second period. At 16:10 of the second period, Rangers superstar Artemi Panarin would find a bouncing puck at the side of the net and whip the puck past Linus Ullmark for a 2-1 Rangers lead. Ullmark had no chance on the shot and Panarin gave the Rangers a big goal. The Rangers entered the locker room with a 2-1 lead. The Sabres would answer in the third period. At 4:47 of the third period, Sam Reinhart would finish off a tic-tac-toe play between himself, Jack Eichel and Victor Olofsson. Reinhart’s power-play goal would tie the game at two and that’s how regulation time would end. Up next, overtime.

There was one play that mattered. At 2:47 of overtime, Colin Blackwell would force a turnover in the neutral zone and break into a two-on-one into the offensive zone with Alexis Lafreniere. Blackwell would hit Lafreniere with a perfect pass and Lafreniere ripped the puck past Ullmark for the overtime winner and his first career NHL goal. The Rangers got their second win of the season and Lafreniere got the money off his back by scoring a huge goal for his team.


January 30th, 2021: New York Rangers vs. Pittsburgh Penguins @ Madison Square Garden
Recap:

Starting Goaltenders: Alexandar Georgiev – L, Casey DeSmith – W


A game with such momentum behind it would turn out to be one of the most heartbreaking of this young season. The teams trade chances early on in this game and Rangers power-play looked especially good. They moved the puck around well, their shooters got some good looks and the team looked ready to build off their strong game against the Sabres. All that good will went out the door as the Penguins struck first again with a prime deflection in front of the net by Jason Zucker at 7:39 of the first period. The Rangers fought back and at 13:52 of the first period, Brendan Lemieux crashed the net and somehow got the puck through DeSmith to tie the game at one for the Rangers. The Rangers looked like they would enter the locker room tied but Brandon Tanev had other ideas and snapped a shot past Georgiev at 19:20 of the first to send the Penguins to the locker room with a 2-1 lead.

The second period might have been the best period of hockey the Rangers played all season. At 7:19 of the second period, Kevin Rooney and K’Andre Miller completed a pretty passing sequence shorthanded to tie the game at two for the Rangers. Miller continues to show he just might be the second best defenseman on the team. The Penguins would strike back at 9:42 of the second period on a Kasperi Kapanen breakaway to give the Penguins a 3-2 lead. The Rangers couldn’t seem to clamp down on the Penguins enough. At 10:25 of the second period, the Rangers would answer. Chris Kreider was a hound on the puck in front of the net and eventually cashed in on a rebound opportunity to give the Rangers life again. The game was tied at three. The Rangers would finally cash in on the power-play at 16:01 of the second period when Artemi Panarin would rocket a one-timer past DeSmith for a 4-3 Rangers lead. The Rangers had climbed back into this and taken the lead. They would lead 4-3 going into the locker room.

The third period began the heartbreak of the night. Rangers nemesis Jake Guentzel, who is beginning to be a pest to this team, scored at 9:18 of the third to tie the game at four. The game would reach overtime and then none other than Sidney Crosby would score the game winner after the Rangers became trapped in their own zone due to multiple egregious errors by Tony DeAngelo. The Rangers would lose 5-4 in OT and fall to 2-4-2 in this season. After the game to make matters worse for the club, it’s been confirmed by the Athletic that Alexandar Georgiev and Tony DeAngelo got into a fight after the game. DeAngelo is on waivers as of today and will hopefully never wear the NYR jersey again.

Analysis:

2-4-2. Two wings in eight games to start a 56 game season. That just flat out is not good enough and some of the veterans need to start waking up. Mika Zibanejad has had an awful start to this year and Ryan Strome just flat out looks like he’s doing cardio out there and not contributing. Their best center this season (Filip Chytil), is out for 4-6 weeks and the goaltending hasn’t been up to par. The young kids have been bright spots this season like Miller and Fox and Kakko but they can’t do it all themselves. Even Number One Overall Pick, Alexis Lafreniere looks like he could use a little help but he has been playing well himself. Hopefully next week, we’ll have a much more positive analysis but man… this Rangers team needs to figure things out.

Last thought of the week: Tony DeAngelo should not play in the NHL again. The end.

The Week Ahead:

February 1st, 2021: New York Rangers vs. Pittsburgh Penguins @ Madison Square Garden

February 4th, 2021: New York Rangers vs. Washington Capitals @ Madison Square Garden

February 6th, 2021: New York Rangers vs. New Jersey Devils @ Prudential Center

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

Skyscrapper Sports

NHL Daily – Saturday Night Hockey

NHL News and Notes from Saturday, January 30th, 2021

Game Recaps

  • New Jersey Devils v. Buffalo Sabres – 1p ET
    • In Buffalo the Sabres would play host to the New Jersey Devils for their weekend series, and after a scoreless first period Eric Staal would score to get the Sabres on the board first, but a tally from Ty Smith on the powerplay would tie the game at one. Then in the third period both teams would trade goals as Tobias Rieder and Victor Olofsson would score for the Sabres and Andreas Johnsson would score his first as a Devil and Janne Kuokkanen would score his first career NHL goal as this game would go to OT tied a three. Then after a scoreless five minutes of overtime, it would be Jack Eichel in the shootout to give the Sabres the 4-3 victory.

  • Pittsburgh Penguins v. New York Rangers – 7p ET
    • In New York, the Rangers and Penguins continue their long-rivalry.  In the first period, the Penguins get on the board first with a goal by Jason Zucker, his second on the season.   The Rangers tie the game 1-1 with a goal by Brendan Lemieux.  Christopher Tanev gives the Penguins the lead back with 40 seconds left in the first.  In the second period, Kevin Rooney will tie the game again for the Rangers.  Pittsburgh takes the 3-2 lead with a goal by Kasperi Kapanaen, his second.  Chris Kreider makes it a 3-3 game with his third goal.  The Rangers take their first lead of the game with an Artemi Panarin PPG.  As the contest moves to the third period, Pittsburgh ties the game at 4-4 when Jake Guentzel nets his third goal of the season.  In the overtime session, Sidney Crosby scores his fourth goal of the season to give Pittsburgh the 5-4 win over the Rangers.
  • New York Islanders v. Philadelphia Flyers – 7p ET
    • In Philadelphia, the Islanders and Flyers face off for the first time of the season.  In the first period, Jakub Voracek gives the Flyers the 1-0 lead.  Philadelphia takes the 2-0 lead with a Kevin Hayes goal.  In the second period, the Islanders come within a goal when Jordan Eberle scores his third goal of the season.  The Islanders tie the game 2-2 with a Scott Mayfield goal,  After no goals are scored in the third period, Philadelphia’s Scott Laughton nets the game winner at 3:16 in the period to give the Philadelphia Flyers the 3-2 win over the New York Islanders.
  • Boston Bruins v. Washington Capitals – 7p ET
    • In Washington, the Capitals take the 1-0 lead when Nicklas Backstrom scores his fifth goal of the season at 18:06.  In the second period, Trevor van Riemsdyk nets his first goal as a Capital to give Washington the 2-0 lead.  Washington takes the 3-0 lead with a PPG from Richard Panik, his first goal of the season.  Boston gets on the board with a PPG from Nick Ritchie.  In the third period, Brad Marchand brings the Bruins within one with his fifth goal of the season.  Charlie McAvoy ties the game for the Bruins with his first goal of the season at 19:02.  In the overtime frame, Alex Ovechkin scores 28 seconds into the frame as the Capitals defeat the Bruins 4-3.

Kassie’s TXHT Recap – Ovechkin Scores 28 Seconds into Overtime to Defeat Bruins, 4-3

  • Dallas Stars v. Carolina Hurricanes – 7p ET
    • In Raleigh, the Stars and Hurricanes face-off.  In the first period, Carolina’s Vincent Trocheck scores two goals to make it a 2-0 Hurricanes lead.  In the second period, Andrei Svechnikov scores a power play goal to make it a 3-0 Carolina lead.  Ryan Dzingel nets a goal to make it a 4-0 lead for Carolina.  In the third period, Joe Palevski nets his fifth goal of the season to give bring the Stars within three.  However a Dallas comeback was not in the cards as the Hurricanes hand the Stars their first loss of the season in a 4-1 Carolina victory.
  • Nashville Predators v. Tampa Bay Lightning – 7p ET
    • In Tampa, this the first match-up of the season between the Predators and Lightning.  In the first period, Nashville takes the 1-0 lead with a Ryan Ellis goal.  In the second period, Tyler Johnson scores his first goal of the season to tie the contest 1-1.  Callan Foote gives the Lightning the 2-1 lead.  Tampa take the two goal lead with a goal by Victor Hedman, his second on the season.  Steven Stamkos scores a PPG to give the Lightning the 4-1 lead.  In the third period, Mathieu Oliver brings Nashville within two.  Viktor Arvidsson scores and brings Nashville within a goal but the comeback falls short as the Lightning defeat the Predators 4-3.

Tim’s TXHT Recap – Lightning Hold on Late to Beat Predators 4-3

  • Florida Panthers v. Detroit Red Wings – 7p ET
    • In Detroit, The first match-up of the season between these two teams took place.  In the first period, Aleksander Barkov scores a PPG to give the Panthers the 1-0 lead.  Anthony Mantha ties the game for the Red Wings.  Detroit takes the 2-1 lead with a Tyler Bertuzzi goal.  Florida ties the game 2-2 with a Keith Yandle goal.  Florida goes on to defeat the Red Wings 3-2 in overtime with a goal by Aleksi Heponiemi, his first on the season.
  • Calgary Flames v. Montreal Canadiens – 7p ET
    • In Montreal, the Flames and Canadiens play in the second of nine on the season.  In the first period, Johnny Gaudreau scores for the Calgary Flames and they take the early 1-0 lead.  After penalties plague the Canadiens in the latter part of the second period, the contest shifts to the third period.  With 32 seconds remaining in the period, Mikael Granlund scores his second goal of the season as the Calgary Flames hand the Montreal Canadiens their first regulation loss of the season as the Flames down the Canadiens 2-0.
  • Toronto Maple Leafs v. Edmonton Oilers – 7p ET
    • In Edmonton, the fourth of nine match-ups between the two squads took place.  In the first, Dominik Kahun gives the Oilers the 1-0 lead.  Toronto ties the game 1-1 with a goal by William Nylander.  Edmonton retakes the lead with a goal by Josh Archibald.  In the second period, Connor McDavid scores a power play goal to give the Oilers the 3-1 lead.  Auston Matthews to bring Toronto within a goal.  Zach Hyman ties the game with a PPG, his second goal of the season.  With no goals scored in the third period, Connor McDavid scores his second goal of the night, and the game winner to give the Oilers the 4-3 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs.
  • Colorado Avalanche v. Minnesota Wild – 8p ET
    • In St. Paul, the first match-up of the season between these two teams took place.  In the first period, Logan O’Connor gets the Avalanche the 1-0 lead.  Minnesota ties the game with a Matt Dumba goal.  Colorado take the 2-1 lead with a goal by Joonas Donskoi.  As the contest moves to the second period, Mikko Rantanen gives the Avs the 3-1 lead.  In the third period, Brandon Saad makes it a 4-1 Colorado lead.  J.T. Compher scores to give Colorado the 5-1 lead and eventual win with his PPG.
  • St. Louis Blues v. Anaheim Ducks – 9p ET
    • In Anaheim, St. Louis strikes 20 seconds into the game to lead 1-0 with a goal from Jordan Kyrou.  St. Louis takes the 2-0 lead 37 seconds later with a goal from Zach Sanford.  Kyrou makes it a 3-0 St. Louis lead with his second goal of the night.  Anaheim gets on the board with a goal from Max Jones, his first of the season.  In the second period, David Perron gives the Blues the three goal advantage.  In the third period, Kyle Clifford gives the Blues the commanding 5-1 lead over the Ducks.  Vince Dunn scores a power play goal as the Blues go on to cruise past the Ducks 6-1.
  • Vancouver Canucks v. Winnipeg Jets – 10p ET
    • In the final contest of the night in Winnipeg, Vancouver strikes 29 seconds in the period when Brock Boeser scores his seventh goal of the season.  Mason Appleton goes on to tie the game with his first goal of the season.  Nils Hoglander nets his fourth goal of the season to give the Canucks the 2-1 lead.  In the second period, Vancouver takes the 3-1 lead when Zack MacEwen nets his first goal of the season.  In the third, Boeser scores his second goal of the night, an empty net goal, as Vancouver defeats the Jets 4-1.

Today’s Games

  • NJ v. BUF – 1p ET
  • DAL v. CAR – 5p ET
  • FLA v. DET – 5p ET
  • NYI v. PHI – 7p ET
  • CLB v. CHI – 7p ET
  • COL v. MIN – 8p ET
  • STL v. ANA – 8p ET
  • OTT v. EDM – 9p ET

NHL Daily – 13 Games of Action

NHL News and Notes from Thursday, January 28th, 2021

News

  • Goaltender Jimmy Howard has announced his retirement from the NHL.
    • Howard spent his entire 14 year career with the Detroit Red Wings organization.
    • Howard would play for the Wings in 11 NHL seasons winning 246 games, third most in franchise history.

  • The NHL announced that they have postponed the Thursday night game between the Vegas Golden Knights and St. Louis Blues due to COVID-19 Protocols.
    • Member of the Golden Knights coaching staff and a player have entered the NHL’s COVID Protocols.

  • The Chicago Blackhawks have signed defenseman Madison Bowey to a two year deal worth $1.45 million.
    • AAV is $725,000 per season.

Game Recaps

  • Pittsburgh Penguins v. Boston Bruins – 7p ET
    • In Boston the Pittsburgh Penguins would be in town to take on the Bruins, and in the first period Chris Wagner would open the scoring for the B’s, but a goal from Cody Ceci would tie the game at one. However, before the end of the period Sean Kuraly would score to give the B’s their one goal lead back. In the second period Patrice Bergeron would tally to grow the Bruins lead to two. Then in the third period Bergeron would net his second of the game to give the Bruins the 4-1 victory over the Penguins.

  • New York Rangers v. Buffalo Sabres – 7p ET
    • In Upstate New York the Buffalo Sabres would play host to the Rangers. In the first period Ryan Strome would strike first for the Rangers to take the lead, but a goal from Jack Eichel would tie the game one for the Sabres. In the second period Artemi Panarin would net his third of the season to give the Rangers the 2-1 lead. Then in the third period Sam Reinhart would strike on the powerplay to tie the game at two for the Sabres and force this game into overtime. In the extra frame it would be Alexis Lafreniere with his first career NHL goal to give the Rangers the 3-2 victory over the Sabres.

  • Philadelphia Flyers v. New Jersey Devils – 7p ET
    • At The Rock in Newark, the New Jersey Devils play host to the Philadelphia Flyers, and in the first period Damon Severson would score for the Devils to open the scoring, but moments later Nate Prosser would score his first as a Flyer to tie the game at one. After a scoreless second period the Flyers would get goals from Michael Raffl and Claude Giroux to give them the 3-1 victory over the Devils.

  • New York Islanders v. Washington Capitals – 7p ET
    • In Washington the Capitals would host the New York Islanders for the second time in three nights, and it would be all Isles in the first period as Oliver Wahlstrom, Casey Cizikas, and Anders Lee would all score to give the Islanders the commanding 3-0 lead. Then in the second period it would be #ALLCAPS as the Capitals would score five unanswered goals to take the 5-3 lead. It would start with Conor Sheary netting his first two goals as a Capital, then Garnet Hathaway and John Carlson would score to give the Caps the 4-3 lead. Then to finish the period Zdeno Chara would unleash a bomb to net his first as a Capital and take the two goal lead. In the third period Tom Wilson would net the empty netter to ice the 6-3 victory over the Islanders.

  • Tampa Bay Lightning v. Carolina Hurricanes – 7p ET
    • In Carolina the Hurricanes and Tampa Bay Lightning would do battle, and after going scoreless in regulation, this game would require overtime which would see Martin Necas score the lone goal of the game for the Canes to win 1-0.

  • Florida Panthers v. Columbus Blue Jackets – 7p ET
    • In Columbus the Blue Jackets would take on the visiting Florida Panthers, and in the first period it would be Mikko Koivu netting his first as a Jacket to give them the 1-0 lead. In the second period Carter Verhaeghe would score for the Panthers to tie the game at one.  In the third period, Max Domi would net a power play goal give Columbus the 2-1 lead.  Florida would tie the contest again when Eetu Luostarinen nets his second of the season.  Columbus goes on to win the contest in the fourth round of the shootout with an Alexandre Texier goal as Columbus goes on to win this game 3-2.
  • Calgary Flames v. Montreal Canadiens – 7p ET
    • Up in Montreal the Canadiens would take on the Calgary Flames, and in the first period it would be the Habs big guns striking as Brendan Gallagher and Shea Weber would both strike on the powerplay to give the Canadiens the 2-0 lead. In the second period the Canadiens would continue to keep the Flames at bay as they would get goals from Josh Anderson and Tyler Toffoli to grow their lead to four. In the third period the Flames would mount a comeback as Milan Lucic and Rasmus Andersson would score, but the Canadiens would hold on for the 4-2 victory.

  • Los Angeles Kings v. Minnesota Wild – 8p ET
    • In Minnesota the Los Angeles Kings come to town looking to tame the Wild, but in the first period it would be the Wild running… well, wild on the Kings. Marcus Johansson, Kevin Fiala, and Kirill Kaprizov would all score to give the Wild the 3-0 lead. Come the second period the Kings would wake up with goals from Dustin Brown and Drew Doughty, Nick Bjugstad would tally for the Wild to maintain the two goal lead.  In the third period Joel Eriksson Ek would score to give the Wild the three goal lead once again.  Alex Iafollo would score for the Kings to bring Los Angeles within two but Minnesota will go on to win this contest 5-3.
  • Detroit Red Wings v. Dallas Stars – 830p ET
    • In Dallas the Stars would play host to the Detroit Red Wings, and in the first period Joe Pavelski would score to take the 1-0 lead for the Stars. Then in the second period Andrew Cogliano would tally for the 2-0 lead, but Valtteri Filppula would score for the Red Wings to bring them back within one. However, before the end of the second Denis Gurianov would score to regain the two goal lead for Dallas.  As the contest shifts to the third, Dallas takes the three goal lead with a goal by Jamie Oleksiak.  Detroit then scores two goals, one from Tyler Bertuzzi, a power play goal, and ther other from Danny DeKeyser to make it a 4-3 Dallas lead.  Dallas then goes on to score three unanswered goals from Ty Dellandrea, Justin Dowling, and John Klingberg to give the Dallas Stars the 7-3 win over the Detroit Red Wings.
  • San Jose Sharks v. Colorado Avalanche – 9p ET
    • In Denver, the Avalanche play host to the San Jose Sharks.  After 40 minutes of scoreless hockey, the first goal comes in the third period by Nazem Kadri, netting his second goal of the season, giving the Avs the 1-0 lead.  Colorado takes the 2-0 lead with a goal from Andre Burakovsky, his third goal of the season.  Kadri nets his second goal of the night to give Colorado the 3-0 win over the San Jose Sharks.
  • Anaheim Ducks v. Arizona Coyotes – 9p ET
    • In Glendale, the Coyotes play host to the Anaheim Ducks.  In the first period, Jakob Silfverberg gives the Ducks the 1-0 lead.  Arizona makes it a 1-1 game in the second period thanks to a goal from Christian Dvorak.  As this contest moves to the third period, Arizona takes the 2-1 lead with a goal from Conor Garland not even a minute into the period.  Anaheim ties the game 2-2 with a goal from Danton Heinen, a power play goal.  Dvorak scores the power play game winner as the Coyotes go on to defeat the Anaheim Ducks 3-2.
  • St. Louis Blues v. Vegas Golden Knights – 9p ET
    • Postponed
  • Toronto Maple Leafs v. Edmonton Oilers – 10p ET
    • In Edmonton, Toronto drops in for a visit with the Edmonton Oilers.  In the first period, Toronto strikes first with a goal from Jason Spezza, his first on the season.  Toronto takes the 2-0 lead with a goal from William Nylander, his third goal of the season.  As this contest moves to the second period, Leon Draisaitl brings the Oilers within a goal.  In the third period, Draistial will tie the game for the Oilers with his second goal of the night.  Toronto retakes the lead with Wayne Simmonds third goal of the season, a power play goal.  Edmonton ties the game again with a goal by Zach Kassian, his first of the season.  Auston Matthews gives the Maple Leafs the 4-3 lead and game-winner with his fifth goal of the season.  
  • Ottawa Senators v. Vancouver Canucks – 10p ET
    • Ottawa drops in for a visit to Vancouver and in the first period, Vancouver takes the 1-0 lead with a Brock Boeser power play goal, his fifth goal of the season.  The Cancuks the 2-0 lead with a goal by Elias Pettersson, his third of the season.  In the second period, Vancouver take the 3-0 lead with a goal by Boeser, his second of the night.  Ottawa gets on the board with a goal by Thomas Chabot, his second on the season, to bring the Senators within two.  Vancouver makes it a 4-1 contest with a goal by Tanner Pearson, his second on the season, which is how this contest comes to an end.

Today’s Games

  • CLB v. CHI – 8p ET

NHL Daily – 13 Games of Non-Stop Action

NHL News and Notes from Tuesday, January 26th, 2021

News

  • The Seattle Kraken announced that John Forslund will be their first TV play-by-play broadcaster for Root Sports-Northwest.

Game Recaps

  • Pittsburgh Penguins v. Boston Bruins – 7p ET
    • In the first match-up on the season between these two clubs, Boston will strike first  when Brad Marchand scores his first goal of the season at 7:41.  In the second period, Nick Ritchie will score his third goal of the season at 7:58 to make it a Boston 2-0 lead.  When the contest shifts to the third period, Pittsburgh gets on the board when Jason Zucker scores his first goal of the season at 9:47.  Pittsburgh will tie the game 2-2 when Kasperi Kapanen scores his first goal of the season.  In the overtime frame with 11 seconds left, Craig Smith scores the game winner, his second goal of the season, to give the Boston Bruins 3-2 overtime win over the Pittsburgh Penguins.
  • New York Rangers v. Buffalo Sabres – 7p ET
    • The first match-up of the season between the Rangers and Sabres starts off when New York gets on the board with a Chris Kreider goal, his second on the season, at 6:28.  Buffalo ties the game when Dylan Cozens nets his second goal of the season at 12:50.  New York retakes the lead when K’Andre Miller nets his first goal of the season and his first NHL goal with seven seconds left in the first period.  In the second period, Tobias Rieder ties the game for the Sabres at 2-2 with his second goal of the season at 6:03.  Buffalo will take the lead and the win in this contest when Buffalo captain Jack Eichel nets his first goal of the season at 7:31 in the period as the Buffalo Sabres defeat the New York Rangers by the score of 3-2.
  • Philadelphia Flyers v. New Jersey Devils – 7p ET
    • In another first time match-up on the season, the Philadelphia Flyers will get on the scoreboard first with a James van Riemsdyk goal, his fourth on the season at 15:03 in the first period.  In the second period, the Flyers will take the 2-0 lead when van Riemsdyk scores his second goal of the night 59 seconds into the frame.  New Jersey will get on the scoreboard when Michael McLeod scores his first goal of the season at 11:59.  New Jersey ties the game at 2-2 with a goal by Travis Zajac at 16:43.  In the third period, Nolan Patrick will give the Flyers the lead back at 7:03 with Patrick’s second goal on the season.  Joel Farabee will score his second goal on the season at 12:36 to give Philadelphia the 4-2 lead.  Ivan Provorov will score his second goal of the season at 18:24 to give the Flyers the commanding 5-2 lead.  Pavel Zacha will score his second goal of the season to make it a 5-3 Flyers lead at 18:52, however there is not enough time left for New Jersey to comeback as they fall to the Philadelphia Flyers 5-3.
  • New York Islanders v. Washington Capitals – 7p ET
    • As these two teams face off for the first time this season, the Washington Capitals will get on the board first with a John Carlson goal, his second on the season at 11:06.  The goal is assisted by Justin Schultz, his second assist on the season, and Nicklas Backstrom, his fourth assist on the season.  The Islanders will tie the contest when Noah Dobson scores his first goal of the season at 15:33.  Matt Barzal and Jordan Eberle will assist on the Dobson goal.  In the second period, the Islanders will get the 2-1 lead when Barzal scores his third goal of the season at 10:01.  Daniel Sprong will tie the game for Washington at 17:21 in the period.  Assists on the goal come from Daniel Carr, his first on the season, and John Carlson, his fifth on the season.  In the third period, Justin Schultz scores his second goal of the season with 27 seconds remaining in the period to give Washington the 3-2 lead.  Assists on the Schultz goal come from Garnet Hathaway, his first on the season and Brendan Dillon, his second on the season.  The Hathaway goal is the game winner for Washington as they will defeat the New York Islanders 3-2.
  • Tampa Bay Lightning v. Carolina Hurricanes – Postponed
  • Florida Panthers v. Columbus Blue Jackets – 7p ET
    • For the first match-up between these two teams on the season, Columbus will get the 1-0 lead with a goal by Kevin Stenlund, his first on the season.  Alexander Teixier will make it a 2-0 Blue Jackets lead with his fourth goal on the season.  Florida comes makes it a 2-1 Columbus advantage when Carter Verhaeghe scores his third goal of the campaign.  In the second period, Aleksander Barkov ties the game 2-2 with his first goal on the season.  As the contest shifts to the third period, Cam Atkinson gives Columbus the lead back at 3-2 with his first goal of the season.  Florida will tie the game once again with a goal by Patric Hornqvist, his fourth on the season.  With no goals scored in the over time frame, this contest heads to a shootout.  In the shootout, Patric Hornqvist will score the winner in the fifth round of the shootout to give the Florida Panthers the 4-3 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets.  
  • Chicago Blackhawks v. Nashville Predators – 8p ET
    • In this match-up, Chicago strikes first when Dylan Strome scores his second goal of the season in the first period at 2:59.  In the second period, Nashville will tie the contest at 1-1 with a goal by Yakov Trenin, his first goal on the season.  Chicago retakes the lead with a goal by Mattias Janmark, his third on the season.  As the contest shifts to the third period, Nashville will tie the game again with a goal by Mikael Granlund, his second goal of the season.  In the overtime frame, Roman Josi nets the game winner, his first goal of the season, at 1:57 to give the Nashville Predators the 3-2 win over the Chicago Blackhawks.
  • Edmonton Oilers v. Winnipeg Jets – 8p ET
    • The second match-up of the season starts off fast when Edmonton gets on the board at 1:48 in the first period when Leon Draisaitl scores his fourth goal of the season.  Winnipeg ties the contest at 1-1 with a goal at 5:14 by Andrew Copp, his third on the season.  Adam Larsson will give the Oilers the 2-1 lead with his second goal of the season at 9:13 in the period.  Ryan Nugent-Hopkins will give the Oilers the two goal lead with his fourth goal of the season at 11:16.  Winnipeg’s Mathieu Perreault will score his first goal of the season to make it a 3-2 Oilers lead.  After no goals are scored in the second period, Nikolaj Ehlers will score his fifth goal on the season to make it a 3-3 game at 3:19 in the third period.  Winnipeg will take their first lead in the contest with a goal by Paul Stastny at 5:26 in the period.  Winnipeg makes it a 5-3 contest with a goal by Adam Lowry, his fourth on the season at 6:46. Edmonton will make it a 5-4 Winnipeg lead with a goal at 18:10 by Connor McDavid.  Winnipeg nets the game winner when Andrew Copp nets his second goal of the night at 19:08 as the Jets down the Oilers 6-4.
  • Los Angeles Kings v. Minnesota Wild – 8p ET
    • In the third match-up in the season series, Minnesota looks to win their third game in the season series while the Kings look to win the first game in the season series.  After no goals are scored in the first period, Los Angeles strikes first when Kurtis MacDermid scores his first goal of the season to give the Kings the 1-0 lead.  In the third period, Joel Eriksson Ek will tie the game for Minnesota.  Carl Gundstrom will score the game winner for the Kings, his second goal of the season as Los Angeles goes on to defeat the Minnesota Wild 2-1.
  • Detroit Red Wings v. Dallas Stars – 830p ET
    • In the first season match-up between the two clubs, Detroit scores first when Vladislav Namestnikov scores his first goal of the season at 11:37.  Dallas ties the game at 1-1 with a goal by John Klingberg at 5:27 in the second period.  After a scoreless third period, Dallas will win the game in the overtime frame when Jason Dickinson scores his first goal of the season as the Stars defeat the Red Wings 2-1.
  • Toronto Maple Leafs v. Calgary Flames – 9p ET
    • The second match-up on the season between the two Canadian clubs starts off when Wayne Simmonds gets Toronto the 1-0 with Simmonds’ second goal of the season.  Auston Matthews give Toronto the 2-0 lead with his fourth goal of the season.  Calgary gets on the board with a Johnny Gaudreau goal, his third on the season.  Toronto takes the 3-1 lead with a Travis Boyd goal, his first on the season.  Calgary makes it a 3-2 Maple Leafs lead when Milan Lucic scores his first goal on the season.  As the contest shifts to the third period, Gaudreau scores his second goal of the night to tie the contest at 3-3.  Mitchell Marner will give the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-3 lead when he scores his fifth goal of the season at 12:14 in the period.  Toronto will go on to down the Calgary Flames 4-3.  
  • San Jose Sharks v. Colorado Avalanche – 9p ET
    • The first of eight games on the season starts off when San Jose takes the 1-0 lead with a Ryan Donato goal, his first on the season.  Colorado ties the game when Joonas Donskoi scores his third goal on the season.  Colorado takes the 2-1 lead with a Brandon Saad goal, his second on the season.  The Avalanche take the 3-1 lead with a Mikko Rantanen goal, his sixth for the season.  In the second period, Valeri Nichushkin scores his first goal for the season to give Colorado the 4-1 lead.  Samuel Girard gives the Avalanche the 5-1 lead at 5:48.  San Jose gets back on the scoresheet with a goal by Noah Gregor at 7:44.  Devon Toews scores to give Colorado the 6-2 advantage.  The goal by Toews is his third on the season.  Saad will score his second goal of the night as the Avalanche goes on to take the 7-2 drubbing of the Sharks.  In the third period, Logan Couture will score his third goal of the season to give the Avs the 7-3 lead.  The Sharks will not have a comeback in the contest as Colorado will go on to defeat the San Jose Sharks 7-3. 
  • Anaheim Ducks v. Arizona Coyotes – 9p ET
    • In the first game on the season between the two squads the lone goal in the contest comes from Anaheim’s Danton Heinen, his first goal of the season at 10:59 in the first period as the Ducks go on to defeat the Arizona Coyotes 1-0. Anaheim and Arizona will resume the season series Thursday night.
  • St. Louis Blues v. Vegas Golden Knights – 9p ET
    • In game one of eight on the season, Vegas will get on the scoresheet with a goal by Alex Tuch, his third on the season at 3:17 in the first period.  St. Louis’ David Perron will be the next two goals in the contest in the contest.  The goals by Perron will bring his season total to three as the Blues take the 2-1 lead.  St. Louis will take the 3-1 lead with a Jaden Schwartz goal, his second on the season.  In the second period, Vegas will make it a 3-2 Blues lead with a Max Pacioretty goal, his fourth on the season.  St. Louis takes the 4-2 lead with a Jordan Kyrou goal, his third on the season.  As this contest moves to the third period, Max Pacioretty will score two unanswered goals of his own to tie the contest 4-4.  St. Louis will go on to win the contest 5-4 after a scoreless overtime session in the third round of the shootout with a goal by Brayden Schenn.

Today’s Games

  • CHI v. NAS – 730p ET
  • OTT v. VAN – 8p ET

Rangers Weekly Recap – The Season Begins

Hi everyone! I’m Russell and I’ll be covering the New York Rangers during the 2021 season for TXHT hockey. Expect recaps, analysis and highlights of the week as well as a look ahead to the following week. To kick off the 2021 NHL season, the Rangers played the Islanders twice, the Devils once and the Penguins twice.

January 14th, 2021: New York Rangers vs. New York Islanders @ Madison Square Garden

Recap:

NYI 4, NYR 0

Starting Goalies: Semyon Varlamov – W, Igor Shesterkin – L

The Rangers fell behind early in this one and just never seemed to find their game. After an offseason filled with hype for the youngest team in the NHL, this season opener was a reminder that the Rangers are still very young and that the wins will not come easy. The Islanders would open the scoring at 2:33 of the first period when Brock Nelson snapped a shot past Rangers goalie Igor Shesterkin for a power-play goal. The Islanders continued their impressive start by scoring against just a minute and 20 seconds later when Anders Lee scored his first goal of the season. The Rangers couldn’t seem to match the Islanders intensity and at 13:31 of the first period Mat Barzal, the Islanders young, skilled and smooth skating number one center, would turn Rangers defenseman Tony DeAngelo inside out en route to scoring a nice goal on Shesterkin. It was 3-0 Islanders at the culmination of the first period.

The last bit of scoring came once again from the Islanders as they would score their fourth goal of the contest at 14:54 of the second period. Anders Lee beat Shesterkin again to score a power-play goal and essentially put the game away. The Islanders would stymie the Rangers the rest of the way and Semyon Varlov picked up the shutout with 24 saves.



January 16th, 2021: New York Rangers vs. New York Islanders @ Madison Square Garden

Recap:

Starting Goalies: Ilya Sorokin – L, Alexandar Georgiev – W

Semyon Varlamov was injured in warmups so Ilya Sorokin would get his first ever NHL start. In a total reversal of game one, the Rangers played one of their best of the last few seasons. The Rangers came out flying and at 2:12 of the first period, Mika Zibanejad would steal the puck from Noah Dobson and set up a streaking Pavel Buchnevich for the Rangers first of the season and Buchnevich’s first of the season. The Rangers onslaught continued at 13:46 of the first period when Brendan Smith would laser a pass to Artemi Panarin, who sped in on a quick breakaway and snapped the puck over the left pad of Sorokin. The Rangers would lead 2-0 after the first period. Georgiev was looking great in his first start of the season.

The second period was all Rangers once again as the team put up two more goals. At 5:57 of the second period, Buchnevich would pick up the puck after a mismanagement by the Islanders in the neutral zone and absolutely sniped the puck past Sorokin to give the Rangers a 3-0 lead. Buchnevich was on fire. At 15:24 of the second period, 2019 second overall puck Kaapo Kakko would score his first of the season off a beautiful tic-tac-toe player between himself, Filip Chytil and Phil Di Giuseppe. Kakko one-timed the puck past Sorokin and the Rangers led 4-0.

In the third period, the Rangers continued the pressure and forced Sorokin to make some tough saves but at 15:56, the Rangers would strike again. Buchnevich’s rebound would bounce right to Adam Fox who shoveled it over to Panarin. Panarin would snap the puck past Sorokin for the Rangers first power-play goal of the season and his second of the contest. The Rangers would go on to win 5-0 and Alexandar Georgiev would get a 23-save shutout in the victory.



NYR vs. NYI Analysis:

The Rangers played one of their worst games of the last five years then proceeded to play one of their best. It was an up and down start to this 56-game season for the Rangers who showed that they have the potential to score on even the best defensive clubs but showed they are still young and have a lot to learn. The 4-0 loss against the Islanders showed a lack of preparation and honestly, nerves from some of their young kids in the line up. The veteran Islanders took advantage of a team not quite ready for the season to kick off (a lack of a preseason will do that to you) but just two days later, the Rangers reminded everyone that their offense has all the potential in the world to be a juggernaut in the NHL. This week will most likely be a microcosm of the Rangers season: an up and down season where the Rangers are still figuring out how to get to themselves to that next level.

Alexis Lafreniere and K’Andre Miller made their NHL debuts this week and while both didn’t have an exceptional game on Thursday, they both seemed to come alive on Saturday. They both made great plays and it was clear their nerves had been shaken off. Lafreniere looked much more confident with the puck and showed that even when he isn’t contributing on the score sheet, he is still an extremely valuable player. The number one overall pick in the 2020 draft is finding his was in the NHL and when he gets going, it’ll just make the Rangers that much more deadly. Miller got turned around a few times on Thursday but on Saturday, he looked every bit like the player the Rangers thought they were getting at 22nd overall in 2018. He used his skating to get out of jams, he made some nice plays and he seemed to begin to figure out how he needs to play to succeed in the NHL. Miller is a big, tough, smooth skating defenseman and the Rangers blueline has gotten a nice injection of talent with his play on the back end. Artemi Panarin picked up right where he left off last season by scoring twice this week and Pavel Buchnevich began what many feel will be his breakout year by scoring twice as well.


January 19th, 2021: New York Rangers vs. New Jersey Devils @ Madison Square Garden

Recap:

Starting Goalies: Alexandar Georgiev – L, Mackenzie Blackwood – W

The Rangers came out looking extremely flat in this game and the Devils jumped on them right out of the gate. Barely two minutes in, Travis Zajac would find a loose puck off a rebound and fire it past Georgiev for a 1-0 Devils lead. The Rangers were looking more like the opening night version of the team rather than the team that destroyed the Islanders in the second game of the year. The Rangers would finally show signs of life in the second period as Chris Kreider would score his first of the season on the power-play to tie the game at one goal a piece. Kreider is a notoriously streaky player so hopefully he can build on this goal in this young season. The Devils would not be denied though.

Jack Hughes, the number one pick of the 2019 NHL Entry Draft, would score twice in the second period, including a gorgeous breakaway tally, to put the Devils up 3-1. Hughes has looked like an entirely different player this year than last and it’s clear he is up to speed in the NHL. Hughes had an up and down rookie year but it seems he is primed to lead the Devils in scoring as early as this season. The Rangers simply had no answer for Hughes as the game rolled. The Rangers would answers once again on the power-play as Mika Zibanejad lasered one of this patented slapshots past Blackwood to give the Rangers a chance and bring them within one goal. The second period scoring wouldn’t stop there as Miles Wood, the Devils speedy and pesky winger winger, would score on the power-play to give New Jersey a 4-2 lead.

Igor Shesterkin would replace Georgiev in the third period. The third period only featured one goal and that was from Rangers 2017 first rounder, Filip Chytil. Chytil would find the loose puck in front of the net after some great work from Pavel Buchnevich and Phil Di Giuseppe and roof it over Blackwood to bring the Rangers within one goal. After that, Blackwood would shut the door and recorded an astronomical 47 saves to seal a 4-3 win over the Rangers.


January 22nd, 2021: New York Rangers vs. Pittsburgh Penguins @ PPG Paints Arena

Recap:

Starting Goalies: Igor Shesterkin – L, Tristan Jarry – W

The Rangers first game on the road this season kicked off similarly to the game against the Devils: The Rangers would give up the first goal yet again. At 10:29 of the first period, Cody Ceci wired a shot on net that was expertly deflected by Bryan Rust to give the Penguins a 1-0 lead. The Rangers would continue to have chances in the first period but Jarry stood tall and the Penguins would enter the locker room clinging to a 1-0 lead.

The second period was a different animal and was quite possibly one of the best periods the Rangers have played all season. The Rangers would score three straight times. The first of the three goals was one of the most gorgeous goals of this young season and might even be a goal of the year candidate. At 2:41 of the second, Filip Chytil wold receive a nice little pass from Phil Di Giuseppe and after a bunch of slick dekes, embarrassed Jarry to tie the game at one for the Rangers. Chytil is beginning to blossom for the Rangers. The second goal of the period came from the Rangers best defenseman, Adam Fox. On the power-play, Artemi Panarin and Fox would toss the puck back and forth along the blueline before Fox ripped a one-timer past Jarry at 5:18 of the second to give the Rangers a 2-1 lead. Just thirty seconds later, at 5:42 of the second period, 2019 second overall pick Kaapo Kakko would join in on the fun and tap a one timer past Jarry for a 3-1 Rangers lead. The Rangers almost got out of the period without any mistakes but they would make one at 16:56 of the second when Jared McCann would score on the power-play to bring the Penguins within a goal. Well, I shouldn’t say McCann scored. Rangers defenseman Ryan Lindgren made an egregious error in judgement and instead of sliding the puck to his goaltender, his pushed it over the goal line. Just a huge gut punch after such a good period by New York.

The Rangers were not able to hold onto their lead and at 11:23 of the third period, Teddy Blueger would capitalize on a chance and tie the game at three for the Penguins. The Rangers had let their lead slip away. Overtime came and went and in the shootout the Penguins would outlast the Rangers with goals from Jake Guentzel and Kris Letang. The Rangers only goalscorer in the shootout was Artemi Panarin. Tony DeAngelo was the last shooter, a controversial decision by Coach David Quinn and his miss sealed the win for Pittsburgh. The Rangers had snatched defeat from the jaws of victory.


January 24th, 2021: New York Rangers vs. Pittsburgh Penguins @ PPG Paints Arena

Recap:

Starting Goalies: Igor Shesterkin – L, Tristan Jarry – W


The Rangers started this game with some jump and they would be rewarded with the game’s opening goal. At 16:36 of the first period, Colin Blackwell would score his first as a Blueshirt, expertly tipping Adam Fox’s shot past Tristan Jarry for a 1-0 lead. The Rangers would enter the locker room with a 1-0 lead. The second period was up and down with the two teams exchanging goals. At 11:24 of the second period, Bryan Rust would take advantage of a Brenden Smith turnover. After Smith turned over the puck at the Rangers blueline, Sidney Crosby wired a pass to a streaking Bryan Rust would snapped the puck past Shesterkin on a breakaway to tie the game at a goal a piece. At 17:17 of the second period, the Rangers would regain the lead after a scramble in front led to a goal from Ryan Strome. Strome has not been good this year and hopefully that goal will lead to more success for him. The Rangers would hold a 2-1 lead going into the third period.

The third period would not be kind to the Rangers. At 2:26 of the third period, Jared McCann would throw a shot on net from the boards that somehow eluded Shesterkin to tie the game at two goals a piece. This goal was one of those where it shouldn’t have gone in but the Penguins just seemed to get all the bounces this game and last. The Rangers and Penguins continued to battle at a stalemate for the rest of the period until a defensive lapse with about a minute and thirty seconds left sealed it for the Penguins. At 18:29, Jake Guentzel would fire home a shot from a Kris Letang pass to seal a 3-2 win for the Penguins. For the second game in a row, the Rangers would snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.


Analysis of NJD and PIT games:

Are there any positives from three straight losses? Yes. The young kids on the Rangers have looked spectacular. Filip Chytil has been the Rangers best center all season and has formed some great chemistry with fellow youngster Kaapo Kakko. Those two are playing some of the best hockey they’ve ever played and the upward trajectory for their careers is sky high. Chytil was always a high risk pick but he’s starting to show why the risk was worth it. He has slick hands and greaton ice vision. Look for Chytil to be the number two center on the team before the end of the year. Kakko has looked ten times better than he did his rookie season. He’s quicker on pucks, he’s making better decisions with the puck and each game he is looking more and more like the kid the Rangers picked second overall in 2019.

As for the defense, K’Andre Miller is showing not only that he belongs, but that he is rady for a top four role already. He is strong, fast and super athletic. Miller has already shown greta body positioning, great usage of his stick and there were times during the two games in Pittsburgh where even Sidney Crosby was getting frustrated by him, The 22nd overall pick from the 2018 draft was another high risk high reward pick and he is already proving the Rangers were right to take a chance on him. He could be the second best defenseman on this team as early as this season. Adam Fox is another player who has completely hit a new gear. He had an amazing rookie season (eight goals and 42 points) and was actually better defensively than both Quinn Hughes and Cale Makar. This year, he runs the top power-play unit and is on the team’s number one pair with Ryan Lindgren. He is the Rangers true number one defenseman and hes just 22 years old. The defense of the Rangers has a bright future.


The Week Ahead:

Tuesday January 26th, 2021: New York Rangers vs. Buffalo Sabres @ KeyBank Center

Thursday January 28th, 2021: New York Rangers vs. Buffalo Sabres @ KeyBank Center

Saturday January 30th: New York Rangers vs. Pittsburgh Penguins @ Madison Square Garden


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

Skyscrapper Sports

NHL Daily – A Busy Sunday

NHL News and Notes from Sunday, January 24th, 2021

Game Recaps

  • Detroit Red Wings v. Chicago Blackhawks – 1230p ET
    • In the first game of the day, we have an Original Six match-up between the Detroit and Chicago.  In the first period Pius Suter scores the first two goals of the season to give the Blackhawks the 2-0 lead with his second goal being a power play goal.  In the second period Tyler Bertuzzi will get Detroit on the board with a power play goal but Chicago’s Connor Murphy will make it a 3-1 Blackhawks lead.  In the third period, Chicago’s Mattias Janmark scores early to make it a 4-1 Blackhawks lead.  Tyler Bertuzzi will score Detroit’s second and final goal, another PPG, to make it a 4-2 Chicago lead.  Chicago’s Pius Suter will score his third goal of the contest and Philipp Kurashev will be the final scorers in the contest and the Chicago Blackhawks will go on to defeat the Detroit Red Wings 6-2.
  • Buffalo Sabres v. Washington Capitals – 3p ET
    • In the fourth match-up on the season between the two teams on the season, Washington looks to win the fourth straight game, while Buffalo looks toe get the first win on the season.  In the first period, Justin Schultz will score an unassisted goal at 6:58 to give Washington the 1-0 lead.  In the second period, Buffalo’s Colin Miller will score his first goal on the season, a power play goal at 10:07 with assists from Rasmus Ristolainen and Casey Mittelstadt.  At 11:51, TJ Oshie will score a PPG, his second goal of the season with assists from Justin Schultz, his first, and Nicklas Backstrom, his third assist on the season to make it a 2-1 Washington lead.  Buffalo’s Victor Olofsson scores his third goal on the season, with assists from Sam Reinhart and Jack Eichel, a power play goal, to tie the game at 2-2 at 13:04.  In the third period, Buffalo takes the 3-2 lead when Eric Staal nets his second goal of the season, assisted by Rasmus Ristolainen and Colin Miller, at 7:24.  Washington goes to tie the game at 3-3 when Nicklas Backstrom scores his fourth goal of the season, with assists coming from Jakub Vrana, third assist on the season, and John Carslon, fourth assist on the season, at 9:28.  After a scoreless overtime session, the game heads to a shootout where Buffalo’s Jack Eichel scores the lone goal in the shootout and the Buffalo Sabres go on to win this contest by the score of 4-3.

Kassie’s TXHT Recap – Sabres Silence Caps with a 4-3 Win in 2nd Straight Shootout

  • Toronto Maple Leafs v. Calgary Flames – 4p ET
    • In the first match-up between these two squads on the season, each team looks to get the win in the first of nine match-ups.  In the first period, Jake Muzzin will score his first goal of the season to give Toronto the 1-0 lead.  In the second period, Sean Monahan will tie the game for Calgary.  With 32 seconds remaining in the period, Wayne Simmonds will score his first goal of the season and as a member of the Maple Leafs, a PPG, to give Toronto the lead again at 2-1.  As this contest shifts to the third period, Auston Matthews gets his third goal of the season to give Toronto the 3-1 lead.  Calgary will make it a 3-2 Toronto game when Matthew Tkachuk nets a PPG, his third goal of the season but the Calgary comeback will fall short as Toronto wins this contest 3-2.
  • Vegas Golden Knights v. Arizona Coyotes – 4p ET
    • For the fourth consecutive time, these teams face off against each other.  After a scoreless first and second period, William Karlsson scores his second goal of the season with only 43 seconds remaining in the contest as Vegas wins this contest 1-0.
  • New York Islanders v. New Jersey Devils – 7p ET
    • In the second match-up of eight between these two on the season, the Devils look to even the season series while the Islanders look to win the second game.  In the first period Jack Hughes will score a power play goal, his third of the season to give New Jersey the 1-0 lead.  Pavel Zacha will score what will eventually be the game winner with one minute remaining in the period to give the New Jersey Devils the 2-0 shutout win over the New York Islanders.
  • New York Rangers v. Pittsburgh Penguins – 7p ET
    • In the second match-up of the season between these two rivals, Colin Blackwell will open up the scoring for the Rangers to give New York the 1-0 lead.  As the contest moves to the second period, Bryan Rust will tie the contest a 1-1 with his second goal of the season.  Ryan Strome will give the Rangers the lead back at 2-1 with his goal at 17:17.  In the third period, Jared McCann will make it a 2-2 goal with his second goal of the season.  Jake Guentzel will score what proves to be the game-winner with his second goal of the season as the Pittsburgh Penguins will go on to defeat the Rangers by the score of 3-2.
  • Los Angeles Kings v. St. Louis Blues – 8p ET
    • In the back-to-back between these two teams, St. Louis will get on the board when Brayden Schenn scores his third goal of the season to give the Blues the 1-0 lead.  The Kings tie the game at 1-1 with a PPG by Alex Iafollo.  Los Angeles will take the 2-1 lead when Carl Gundstrom nets his first goal of the season 24 seconds after the PPG by Iafollo.  In the second period, Gabriel Vilardi gives the KIngs the 3-1 lead with his third goal of the season at 6:25.  Anze Kopitar gives the Kings the commading 4-1 lead with his first goal at 8:22 in the period.  Los Angeles makes it a 5-1 lead with a goal by Lias Andersson at 17:18.   In the third period, Schenn scores his second goal of the night for the Blues as they are still down 5-2.  St. Louis comes within two goals when Ryan O’Reilly scores his first goal of the season but Los Angeles makes it a 6-3 contest when Drew Doughty nets his second goal of the season.  The Kings will go on to defeat the Blues in this contest by the score of 6-3.
  • San Jose Sharks v. Minnesota Wild – 8p ET
    • In the second match-up on the season between the two teams, Minnesota’s Zach Parise will open up the scoring with his second goal of the season to give the Wild the 1-0 lead.  Ryan Donato will tie the game for the Sharks with his second goal of the season at 19:02.  With the contest now shifting to the second period, Evander Kane will score a power play goal to make it a 2-1 San Jose lead.  Noah Gregor will make it a 3-1 Sharks lead with Gregor’s first goal of the season.  Minnesota will come within a goal when Nick Bjugstad scores his second goal of the season.  In the third period, Kevin Fiala will score a power play goal for the Wild to make it a tie game 3-3.  San Jose breaks the tie for good when Brent Burns scores his second goal of the season to make it a 4-3 Sharks lead.  Matt Nieto will clinch the win for San Jose when he scores his second goal of the season as the Sharks go on to defeat the Minnesota Wild by the score of 5-3.
  • Nashville Predators v. Dallas Stars – 8p ET
    • In the second of a two game set, the Stars will look to sweep.   Dallas opens up the scoring when Denis Gurianov scores his second goal of the season, a power play goal to give the Stars the 1-0 lead.  In the second period, Dallas makes it a 2-0 lead when Roope Hintz scores his first goal of the season, also a power play goal.  Nashville scores a PPG of their own when Filip Forsberg his fourth goal of the season to make it a 2-1 Dallas lead.  In the third period, Joel Pavelski scores the Stars third power play goal of the game and makes it a 3-1 lead.  The goal by Pavelski will be his third of the season.  Nashville’s Mikael Granlund scores his first goal of the season to make it a 3-2 Dallas lead but the Nashville comeback falls short as the Dallas Stars sweep the two game set with the 3-2 win.  
  • Colorado Avalanche v. Anaheim Ducks – 8p ET
    • In the second game of a back to back, Colorado looks to sweep the two game set while the Ducks look to split the two game set.  In the first period, Anaheim will get on the board early when Jakob Silfverberg will score his first goal of the season to give the Ducks the 1-0 lead.  In the second period, Rickard Rakell will make it a 2-0 Anaheim lead with Rakell’s first goal of the season.  As the contest shifts to the third period, Colorado gets on the board when Mikko Rantanen scores his fifth goal of the season to bring the Avalanche within a goal.  Hampus Lindholm will make it a 3-1 lead and win for Anaheim when he scores his second goal of the season at 18:20.
  • Edmonton Oilers v. Winnipeg Jets – 9p ET
    • In the first of nine match-ups on the season, both teams look to get the first win in the season series.  In the first period, Winnipeg’s Adam Lowry opens up the scoring with his third goal on the season and gives the Jets the 1-0 lead.  As the contest shifts to the second period, Edmonton’s Ryan Nugent-Hopkins scores his third goal of the season to make it a 1-1 game.  Edmonton takes the 2-1 lead when Kyle Turris scores his first goal of the season at 14:18.  In the third period, Winnipeg’s Nikolaj Ehlers ties the game at 2-2 with his fourth goal on the season.  Winnipeg takes the lead back with a power play goal by Blake Wheeler at 15:07, his third goal of the season.  Edmonton will tie the game at 3-3 when Kailer Yamamoto nets his third goal of the season at 16:55.  With less than a second remaining in regulation, Leon Draisaitl will score his third goal of the season to give the Edmonton Oilers the 4-3 win over the Winnipeg Jets.

Today’s Games

  • OTT v. VAN – 10p ET