New York Islanders Upended by the Furious Flyers in Game Five

From the desk of: NO SLEEP TILL BELMONT

NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE

2019   PLAYOFFS   2020

Isles lead Flyers; 3-2

I - NYI 4; PHI 0

II - PHI 4; NYI 3*

III - NYI 3; PHI 1

IV - NYI 3; PHI 2

V - PHI 4; NYI 3*

*overtime

Lost Opportunity Number One; Isles Have Two Chances Left to Clinch Series

Perhaps I spoke too soon?

A repeat of game two?  Somewhat .. the Isles in game two storm back with a trio of third period goals to send the game into overtime.  In game five they storm back with two goals in the third from Brock Nelson and Derick Brassard to send the game into overtime.

Similar, but different ...

In game two the Flyers take 31 shots on goal, while the Isles block 13 other attempts.  That theoretically is 44 attempts on net.  In game five the Flyers take 32 shots on goal, but the Isles are forced to block another 28 attempts.  Now we're theoretically speaking about 60 shot attempts in a game which only requires 2:41 minutes of overtime. 

Long Island is still outscoring the Flyers by a 16-11 margin.  They scored four times in game one and have tallied at least three goals in every game since.  Philadelphia's only breaks the three goal barrier during games two and five.  Said another way, the Flyers are having to labor into overtime in order to achieve victory.

Both teams have fifteen different skaters whom have scored during these playoffs.  Both teams also are generally staying out of the box.  Face-offs are likewise being cut down the middle (143-142) favoring the Isles.  What's needed is a difference maker.  Defense is what got the Islanders this far.  Thus, the question which begs asking is can the Islanders limit the Flyers to a just a pair of goals.  Three times in this series they have limited the Flyers to a pair of goals or less.  But in order to do that again they clearly need to tighten up.  Otherwise the real question we should be asking is if these teams are finally playing up to the their respective seedings, or in the Isles case, playing down to their final regular season standing.

We're gonna find out on Thursday, or maybe game seven.

N.Y. Rangers: Game Seven; Defend This House!

From the desk of:  RAISE GRESCH WITH THE GREATS

Defend This House!

2014-2015

STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS

Eastern Conference Finals

Series tied 3-3

I - NYR 2; TBL 1

II - TBL 6; NYR 2

III - TBL 6; NYR 5

IV - NYR 5; TBL 1

V - TBL 2; NYR 0

VI - NYR 7; TBL 3

GAME SEVEN

Tampa Bay Lightning

vs.

NEW YORK RANGERS

FROM

The Center of the Universe

33rd Street @ 8th Avenue

N.Y.C.

NEW YORK RANGERS: Both teams drove their flag into each other's ice this series.  Now it's time for Tex's Rangers to Defend This House!

ICYMI:

Barely Alive After Game Five 

The Goonies Strike Back

What We Learned In Game One

Derick Brassard enjoyed the best regular season of his career, and has been the Rangers best forward throughout the post-season.  Facing elimination in Game Six of the Eastern Conference finals, he played his finest game.

As a team, the Rangers came correct!

Just 3:36 into the opening period, Brassard lit the lamp on the Rangers first shot of the game, and muted the arena with haste (except for all those Rangers fans in attendance that is..).  Roughly 12:00 minutes later, Brassard fed Keith Yandle, whose goal gave the Rangers a 2-0 lead.

At the 17:00 mark, Derek Stepan, Steven Stamkos, and Chris Kreider (who actually started the whole thing) were all awarded minor box time for beating each other with sticks, fists, and fists holding sticks.

With Tampa on the power play, an Anton Stralman pass split Ryan McDonagh and Dan Girardi like a football through the uprights, and caught Callahan's stick mid-stride at the blue line.   For 8 seasons as a member of the New York Rangers, Ryan Callahan took shots against Henrik Lundqvist every day in practice.  In Game Six, he took one more and converted on a breakaway to make it a 2-1 Rangers lead.

• On that note, one of the keys in Tuesday's victory was limiting penalties and preventing Tampa from going on what's been a highly fruitful power play.  The Blueshirst committed just two penalties all game, which matched their low from Game Three.  They did not commit their second until Dan Girardi's delay of game infraction with 4:24 left in the game.  Otherwise, the Rangers have put Tampa on the PP an average of 3.7 times per game.  Tampa in turn has gone 7 for 22 (32%) and scored in every game except Game Four.  The Rangers mission for Friday night, then, is to keep penalties at a minimum.

Henrik Lundqvist played an inspired 2nd period to preserve the Rangers precarious 2-1 lead.

Then came New York's unforeseen, nevertheless explosive 3rd period.

It's not so much that Tex's Rangers scored 3 times within the first 7:30 of the period, or scored 5 goals throughout the period, that should be taken away from their performance.  It was refreshing to see them opt against the defensive shell strategy and continue pressing the Bolts instead.  They came out strong and stayed on the attack.

• The Nash/Brassard/Miller line played like titans.  They combined to score 13 points, on 5 goals and 8 assists.  Derick Brassard scored 5 of those points, while Miller had a goal and 3 assists, as did Rick Nash.

After Nash and Brassard set up J.T. Miller's goal at 3:02 of the 3rd, the Rangers kept coming in waves.  A mere 3:00 later, James Sheppard literally crashed the net and scored again.  Then just over a minute later, Rick "the Brute" Nash brilliantly picked Nikita Kucherov's pocket, and set up Miller who fired on net - Brassard then cleaned up a juicy weak side rebound to make it a 5-1 game.

That was the back breaker, literally - to see Ben Bishop sprawled on the ice in the dead cockroach position, then heading towards the bench when Coach Cooper pulled him in favor of back-up Andrei Vasilevskiy with nearly 13:00 minutes still left in regulation.

Rick Nash eventually went on to score, and at 18:19, Derick Brassard shot into an empty net to complete a hat trick and give the Rangers their 7-3 margin of victory.

Like Bulls in a China Shop! 

As noted, Derick Brassard's third goal was scored into an empty net, while Keith Yandle scored in the 1st period from the point.   Otherwise, 5 of the Rangers 7 goals in Game Six were scored from Ben Bishop's (and Vasilevskiy's) doorstep.  You could even say Yandle scored because Bishop was screened.  He never saw the puck coming, which means the Rangers had sufficient traffic in front during 6 of their scoring opportunities.

You can't deny that I've been screaming about that since Game One.

Whenever Alain Vigneault let the bulls loose inside Tampa's china shop this series, the Rangers won each and every time.  Tampa has left the gates to their front porch wide open, and have displayed no desire to push the Rangers out of the way.  That's why I found it utterly ponderous Coach Vigneault and the Rangers went away from it in games Two and Five.

Don't stray again!

Line in the Sand:

There's a lot of familiarity that builds over the course of a 7 game series.  Alain Vigneault's line adjustments have been subtle, yet very effective.  Maybe another not so subtle shuffle is warranted.

My Spidey sense tells me there is a shake up in store for Game Seven, partly in an effort to awaken Carl Hagelin, and to get anything they can from Martin St. Louis (who by the way should finally be excused from the power play).  The Rangers have had two days off, which is plenty of time for new line partners to get acquainted.

That said, I'm very curious to see how often Coach deploys Dominic Moore (who is the only one pulling his weight on face-offs), and with whom.

James Sheppard and Kevin Hayes saw limited minutes in Game Six.  All I know is that Hayes is big, physical, skates with speed, will crash the net when told, and as a rookie doesn't seem the least bit intimidated by the enormity of playing in the conference finals.

If both teams aim to dominate the neutral zone, there's going to be a lot of dumping and chasing.  I would think some of the Rangers larger forwards should be able to bull their way through Tampa's smaller bodies, and retrieve the puck..., right?

Stop Bullying Those Blueshirts:

Steve Stamkos has been the Lightning's toughest player...all 6'1", 188 pounds of him!  I wonder if it's time to give him some Tanner Glass?

I was okay with Chris Kreider going after Stamkos for his hit on McDonagh.  He just didn't need to go after Stamkos twice.  I think that's the general consensus.  Stupid on Kreider's part..., again, but still worthy of a pat on the back this time.  Chris obviously needs to exercise more self-control Friday night, and get back to being the play maker he's been during this post-season.  The Rangers do not get this far without some gritty play on his part.  That's the Kreider the Rangers need in Game Seven.

Don't get me wrong though, Friday night Steven Stamkos needs to get hit, repeatedly.

The Triplets haven't exactly responded well to physicality either.  That needs to continue.

Ice Breakers:

So much for Ben Bishop being lauded as some net-minding hero after Game Five.  In the 3rd period, he got caught in a crossfire hurricane.  And I howled, at my ma in the drivin' ....  Sorry, I digress.

How quickly can he recover?  Is his confidence even recoverable?  I expect Tampa to execute a similar game plan to Game Five in order to minimize opportunities against him.

In truth, it may be too late for Bishop, as the book on him is already out.  By now, everyone knows how to beat Tampa's goalie.  If you don't know, then you haven't been watching.  The Rangers just need to follow through with what got them to Game Seven, which has been playing tough and being relentless around the net.

Meanwhile, the book on Lundqvist is still being researched.  The league has been trying to figure him out for a decade now.

Henrik Lundqvist has been in Ben Bishop's shoes before, but he's a master at deleting such poor performances from his mind and moving on.  Henrik is also an experienced proven performer under elimination circumstances.

About that...

A lot is being made of Henrik's brilliance in past Game 7 performances.  I don't pay mind to that, as none of it has any bearing on Friday's game.  This is strictly about playing hard for 60-minutes, defending well in front of Henrik, and coming out on top.

I will cede, however, that Henrik Lundqvist needs to tighten up his game.  He has no doubt surrendered a handful of questionable goals this series.   However, when I listen to Coach Cooper speak, this is what I interpret from him: 

...the Rangers goalie is better than my goalie; my goalie's confidence is questionably shattered; and I don't trust him to win Game 7 on the road.

I was drowned, I was washed up and left for dead.  I fell down to my feet and I saw they bled.

Yeah, yeah, I frowned at the crumbs of a crust of bread.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, I was crowned with a spike right through my head.

But it's all right now, in fact it's a gas!

That's what I hear...




Mike

N.Y. Rangers: Time For A Carl Hagelin Reemergence; Game 2

From the desk of:  RAISE GRESCH WITH THE GREATS

STANDING TALL!

2014-2015

STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS

Eastern Conference Finals

Rangers lead series 1-0

I - NYR 2; TBL 1

II - MONDAY

GAME TWO

Tampa Bay Lightning

vs.

NEW YORK RANGERS

FROM

33rd Street @ 8th Avenue

GOTHAM

NEW YORK RANGERS: Now that they've established a physical advantage, Blueshirts need to keep it up.

Did the Lightning's lack of playoff experience rear its young head in Game One?

For such a high scoring, skate and possession team such as Tampa to spend so little time in their offensive zone, to turn over the puck as much as they did, and to get limited to just 5 shots on goal in the 3rd period, the answer could very well be..., maybe.

The Rangers on the other hand, are very experienced.  After playing what seems like an eternity of gut-wrenching 1-point games, the tested Rangers have an overwhelming calm about them.  Dan Boyle and Martin St. Louis won a Cup with Tampa.  Most of these Rangers went to the Stanley Cup finals last season, and several more have now been to the Eastern Conference finals 3 times with the Rangers in the last 4 years.

Did the Rangers also go old school on Tampa?

If you watched Tex's Rangers play a more physical game - initiating hits and throwing their bodies around with purpose, battling along the boards, pushing Bolts off the puck, causing turnovers, and blocking shots - like they used to under Tortorella, then the answer is definitively yes.

The Rangers out-jolted the Bolts by a 30-18 count, and their 10 takeaways somewhat off-set losing the face-off battle by a 30-23 margin.

Do I think the Rangers will maintain their physical edge?  They should!

They better!

The Need For Speed:

Did the Rangers also skate with speed reminiscent of an Alain Vigneault coached team?  You bet.  I guess Rangers fans CAN have it both ways, sometimes.., I guess.., (against the Lightning at least).

Attention Carl Hagelin - the Tampa Bay Lightning seem like a perfect opponent for him to get his game going into a higher gear, considering all the wide open hockey expected of these two teams and all...

In the previous round, Hagelin registered a mere assist in Game One, then got sand thrown in his motor by the very physical Capitals, whom not incidentally had the Rangers scurrying on defense for large portions of the series.

The Penguins on the other hand, are a step down in physicality, and with that being said, Hagelin's game improved as the series against Pittsburgh wore on.  He scored a goal in Game 3, assisted on Kevin Hayes OT winner in Game 4, and of course scored the overtime winning goal in Game 5.

Now with yet another down tick in physicality against the Bolts, I similarly expect an uptick in Carl Hagelin's performance as this series progresses.

Shake and Bake:

I think the Rangers can forget about beating Ben Bishop top shelf, unless they can put one through his chest.  His 6'7" frame covers a lot of net.  And if he can see the puck, he'll challenge shots, and stop them.

When Rick Nash set up Kevin Hayes for a clear shot on goal, Ben Bishop challenged Hayes straight forward, and made an easy glove save.  Later when Derick Brassard and Nash rushed 2 on 1, Brassard kept the puck and shot into the glove of a well positioned, and unflinching Bishop.

• By the way, the Nash/Hayes/Brassard line did not score a goal, but played a brilliant game together.  In yet another line tweak, Brassard and Hayes assisted on Moore's goal.  The aforementioned line, however, may very well turn into the leading unit this series, as the Kreider/Stepan/Fast line was last series.

In Game One, Bishop was instead the victim of two costly deflections.  More importantly, the Rangers were able to create, maneuver, and effectively operate in traffic.

Derek Stepan's goal came off Chris Kreider's initial shot from the slot, that deflected off a Bolt in front, and presented itself for Stepan to clean up.  Bishop got beat moving to his right.

The second Rangers goal came on Kevin Hayes' bad angle shot/pass from the left corner.  Dominic Moore skated around from behind net to create the disruptive traffic and wound up getting credit for the goal.  On the play, Bishop got beat moving to his left.

If Game One served as any indication, then the way to beat Ben Bishop is by causing disruptive traffic, and by getting him to move laterally.

Gotta shake him, and bake him.

ICYMI:
Blueshirts Short Circuit Bolts In Game One
Rangers Need To Keep Lightning From Sparking A Wildfire




Mike

N.Y. Rangers: Blueshirts Short Circuit Bolts in Game One

From the desk of:  RAISE GRESCH WITH THE GREATS

Blueshirts Strike First!

2014-2015

STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS

EASTERN CONFERENCE FINALS

Rangers lead series 1-0

I - NYR 2; T.B. 1

II - MONDAY

NEW YORK RANGERS: Serving Up a Blue Line Special.

Derek Stepan picked up where he left off in Game Seven against the Capitals, by opening the scoring in Game One against the Tampa Bay Lightning with one of those morale breaking goals at 19:47 of the 2nd period.

No one expected Tampa to stay quiet for very long though.  Ryan McDonagh got called for a high stick, and at 6:45 of the 3rd, the Lightning scored on Andrej Palat's power play goal.

Despite the Rangers playing a very strong defensive game, giving Tampa a man advantage is something they can least afford to do, if only because of the Bolts already high potential for scoring.   The Rangers gave Tampa four power play opportunities - three in the 3rd period.

Can't do that boys!

On Saturday, they got away with it, but they'll need to tighten that up by Monday.

I fully expected the Bolts to visit the box more often than the Rangers this series, and still do.  In Game One however, they limited the Rangers to just two PP opportunities.  The Rangers went scoreless which makes them 6 for 40 in the post-season.

Dominic Moore was guilty of tripping at 15:05 of the 3rd, which could have spelled big trouble.  But, the Rangers did well limiting Tampa to just two shots.

Out of the box, Dominic turned the puck over in the offensive zone.  Roughly 20 seconds later, however, Kevin Hayes' feed from the left corner deflected off Dominic Moore's skate as he attacked the crease, and by Ben Bishop for what proved to be the game winning goal.

Game One Final

Lightning  1

Rangers    2

Coming with just 2:25 left in regulation, you might as well file Dominic Moore's goal along with the other demoralizing goals the Blueshirts have scored in either the opening or closing moments of a period.  It was close enough.

• The Rangers lost the face-off battle by a 30-23 margin.   Dominic Moore was 9 for 19 on face-offs (47%), Brassard was 6 for 13 (46%), and Derek Stepan was 7 for 16, (43.8%).  Tampa's Valtteri Filppula destroyed the Rangers, going 10 for 13 (76.9%)

The Rangers finally got off the snide.  Ben Bishop is now 8-1-0 in career against the Blueshirts.  On Stepan's goal, he was forced to slide right and got beat stick side low.  On Moore's goal, he was forced to slide left and got beat glove side low.

Just saying....

Dan Boyle still might be suffering affects from the hit laid upon by Brooks Orpik.  He nonetheless played near 18:00 minutes Saturday.  He and the rest of the blue liners limited the Bolts to single digit shots on goal in the 1st and 3rd periods.  The Rangers also posted 10 takeaways.  Tampa took 24 shots overall, with only one getting by Henrik Lundqvist.

The Rangers took 30 shots on goal.  Nice adjustment by Alain Vigneault moving Kevin Hayes up on the line with Rick Nash and Derick Brassard, whom led the Blueshirts with 6 shots on goal.  Dominic also happened to be in the ice with Brassard and Hayes in the closing minutes - another (in-game) adjustment by AV.

Ryan Callahan did not have a shot on goal.  He was credited with 2 hits though.  However, it was the Rangers who applied the body, outhitting the Bolts by a jolting 30-18 margin.

Mike

N.Y. Rangers Need to Prevent Lightning from Sparking a Wildfire

From the desk of:  RAISE GRESCH WITH THE GREATS

Saturday Afternoon Fever

2014-2015

STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS

Eastern Conference Finals

GAME ONE

Tampa Bay Lightning

vs.

NEW YORK RANGERS

FROM

33rd Street @ 8th Avenue

GOTHAM

NEW YORK RANGERS: The Best of Frienemies..

Regardless whether you spent your hard earned cash and bought one, or received one for your birthday, or as a gift for Christmas, there are many Rangers fans with a Ryan Callahan jersey hanging in their closet.

• For the moment, that's problematic.  Twenty years from now, not so much.

The former home grown captain and supremely popular Blueshirt, Ryan Callahan was the embodiment of everything John Tortorella wanted the Rangers to be.

Brian Boyle and Anton Stralman put in very admirable work for the Rangers as well.

That being said, I like to think that after the opening face-off, there are no such things as friends.

There's nothing wrong with a healthy respect for one's opponent, but, ti's the season for adversaries, enemies and foes.

Ryan Callahan (appendicitis aside) has actually been a minor contributor for the Lightning.  In 12 post-season games he has registered a mere 3 assists.  However, Callahan was acquired to add a respectable measure of front line toughness and grit, as the Tampa Bay Lightning are a less physical team than say the Washington Capitals, or the Rangers teams Callahan played for.

Under Barry Trotz, the Capitals executed a system right out of the John Tortorella manual, but the Bolts more closely mirror the Rangers under Alain Vigneault.  That makes Callahan's individual performance against the Rangers quite intriguing.

The Lightning swept the season series 3-0, and outscored them by a 15-7 margin.  However, all three games came before New Year's, when the eventual President Trophy winners were still languishing with an 11-9-4 record.

Season Series

I - (Nov. 17) T.B. 5; NYR 1

II - (Nov.26) T.B. 4; NYR 3

III - (Dec. 1) T.B. 6; NYR 3

In Game One, Ryan Callahan scored a power play, and an even strength goal.  

In Game Two, a power play goal, an even strength goal, and an assist.  

He had a negligible impact on Game Three.

For his part, Martin St. Louis has 4 assists in 12 post-season games.  Three came against the Capitals. He, like Callahan, has yet to score a goal in the playoffs.  But in three regular season meetings against the Bolts, St. Louis scored power play goals in Game One and Three.

Callahan finished the regular season with 24 goals and 30 assists.  St. Louis finished with 21 goals and 31 assists.  It would seem, then, the only real difference between the two would be their age.

Martin St. Louis did have his chances against the Capitals.  Opportunities presented themselves.  He was simply fire-walled by Braden Holtby like so many other Blueshirts.

On Saturday afternoon, the fans of Madison Square Garden will be cheering and encouraging Martin St. Louis, like they used to for Ryan Callahan, whom is now the enemy.

*          *          *          *

There is no getting around the fact Tampa can score goals, and score in bunches.  The Bolts led the NHL with a 3.16 goals per game average.  They presently have three skaters with double-digit points, while Tyler Johnson leads the post-season with 8 goals.  By contrast, the Rangers have only two skaters with 8 total points, but, were one of only three NHL teams (T.B., DAL) to average three goals or better per game this season.

• In 13 games played, the Bolts average 2.62 goals per game.  The Rangers are averaging exactly 2 goals per, over 12 games played.

Over two rounds of hockey, Tampa's best line (Ondrej Palat/Tyler Johnson/Nikita Kucherov) has produced what it has taken two Rangers' lines to produce.  In 13 games, they've combined on 17 goals and 14 assists, for 31 points.  Obviously, that does not account for Steven Stamkos or Ryan Callahan.

The Rangers line of Jesper Fast/Derek Stepan/Chris Kreider combined on 9 goals and 8 assists, for 17 points in 12 games.  The Rick Nash/Martin St. Louis/Derick Brassard line has combined on 7 goals and 12 assists for 17 points.  That's 16 goals and 20 assists for 36 points in 12 games.

During the first half of the season, Steven Stamkos and Rick Nash ran neck and neck for the NHL lead in goals, that is, until Alex Ovechkin overtook them both.  Both forwards have struggled to score goals in the playoffs.  Stamkos has 3 goals and 7 assists in 13 games, while Nash has 2 goals and 5 assists in 12 games.

The Rangers power play, then, must become a decisive factor.  I believe they'll get ample opportunities because the Lightning will commit penalties.   Tampa finished 13th in the league in penalty minutes, averaging nearly 10 minutes per game.  The Rangers were 3 for 20 against the Penguins, and 3 for 18 against the Caps.   That's 6 for 38, good for a 15.8% rate of efficiency.  They'll have to do better this series if they want to hang with the Bolts, who's penalty kill finished the season 7th best.

Tampa's power play finished the season 14th best.  In the post-season, the unit has either scored in bunches, or not at all.  They were just 2 for 30 in the first round against Detroit, but were 7 for 20 in the second round against Montreal.  In two rounds they totaled 9 for 50, good for an 18% effective rate.  The Rangers had better keep their eye on Nikita Kucherov who leads Tampa with 5 points on special teams.  The Rangers penalty kill was ranked 6th best in the league.

Ben Bishop vs. Henrik Lundqvist

• Goalie Ben Bishop was one of only four goalies to post 40 or more victories this season.  He appeared in 62 games, and posted a 40-13 record, with a .916 SV%, and a 2.32 GAA.  In Round Two against the Canadiens, he allowed 13 goals in 6 games for a .940 SV%, and owns a .931 SV% for the playoffs.

• No team has allowed less goals in this year's playoffs than the New York Rangers.  Henrik Lundqvist should still be fresh, despite an exhaustive series against the Capitals.  He only appeared in 43 regular season games, and posted a 30-13-3 record, with a .922 SV%, and a 2.25 GAA.  He allowed 12 goals in 7 games to the Caps.  In 12 games, Henrik has a .944 SV% and a 1.60 GAA.

This will be a series of New York Rangers experience versus Tampa Bay's inexperience.  We'll see how much that works in the Blueshirt's favor.

And lastly, how about the Rangers win some face-offs, aye?  Even if they have to put Dominic Moore out there, then have him rush off the ice....  The Rangers need puck possession against the Lightning.

Otherwise, it's time.  Let the games begin.




Mike

N.Y. Rangers: Final Showdown Versus Capitals - Game 7

From the desk of:  RAISE GRESCH WITH THE GREATS

In Henrik We Trust

Series tied 3-3

I - WAS 2; NYR 1

II - NYR 3; WAS 2

III - WAS 1; NYR 0

IV - WAS 2; NYR 1

V - NYR 2; WAS 1*

VI - NYR 4; WAS 3

*overtime

VII - Wednesday Night

GAME SEVEN

Washington Capitals

vs.

NEW YORK RANGERS

from

MADISON SQUARE GARDEN

33rd Street @ 8th Avenue

N.Y.C.

NEW YORK RANGERS: Both Head Coaches Have Previously Banged on the Door, But Failed to Break it Down.  Both Have Much to Prove With Their Respective New Teams, But Only One Can Win.

With a Game 7 loss, Washington stands poised to become the same old Capitals again.

Right?

Maybe....

The Capitals have Brooks Orpik and Matt Niskanen - two defensemen extremely familiar with Washington's present dilemma.  If anyone can impart upon the Capitals what to expect Wednesday night, it should be them.  They manned Pittsburgh's blue line last season when the Penguins had the Rangers down three games to one, and wound up losing the series.  Orpik and Niskanen are now potentially 60:00 minutes from reliving that nightmare.

Maybe...

These are Barry Trotz' Capitals now.  I respect what he's brought to Washington.  He believes in defense, more defense, physicality, and on-ice accountability - a throwback to John Tortorella's system.  His changes took time to take effect, but the Capitals finished the regular season as the Eastern Conference 4th seed, and by now feel the full heat he's generating behind the bench.

In the coach's own words, Trotz said he wants Ovechkin doing what Ovechkin does best when he has the puck, but doing what Coach Trotz demands when playing without the puck.  Never mind that Ovechkin only has 2 goals in the series, and none since Game 2.  He's capable of sudden offensive outbursts at any time, and against any team.

"We're going to come back, and win this series.  We're going to play our game and we're going to come back and we're going to play Montreal or Tampa." - Alex Ovechkin after Game 6.

The main thing is that Alex Ovechkin is listening to his coach - something I do not think Bruce Boudreau, Dale Hunter, or Adam Oates ever accomplished, and which could very well be a huge reason why Washington lost two previous post-season series to the Rangers in 2012 and 2013, or, will advance under Trotz this time at the expense of the Rangers.

• Speaking of Bruce Boudreau, how does Washington like him now?  He was the last Capitals head coach to defeat the Rangers in the post-season, and is presently leading the (mighty) Anaheim Ducks.

There's also the little Russian Rocket to consider now.  Evgeny Kuznetsov finished his first full season.  He will turn 23-years old on May 19th, and leads the Caps with 5 goals.  Who saw that coming?  As a centerman, he only scored 11 goals all season.  Do the Rangers need a dedicated spy on him too?

Of course, never overlook the fact Washington owns the best power play in hockey.  Alex Ovechkin led the NHL in power play goals.

For years, Barry Trotz banged on the door with Nashville, but failed to break it down.  The Capitals know that scenario well.  But, Trotz and Braden Holtby are Washington's difference makers now.

We'll see how much of a difference they'll make Wednesday night.

Now, if the Power Play Can Just Get Going 

Be Lazy, Blame Henrik 

Staring at the Blueshirt in the Mirror 

Blueshirts Should Expect Big Cap Hit in Washington 

Let's Try This Again, Shall We? 

Oh No! Not You Again? Game One

In Game 6, the Washington Capitals attacked in waves of fury, and nearly wiped out a 4-1 deficit.   But, the King withstood the fiercest siege yet brought upon his crease.  He faced 45 shots in hostile territory, and with 5:43 left in regulation, saved the Rangers from a tie game, or worse, from being completely demoralized.  At one point, Washington was out-shooting the Rangers by a 32-0 margin. Despite allowing 2 goals in the 3rd period and 3 overall, the Rangers indeed have Henrik Lundqvist to thank for keeping their season alive.  His 42 saves were a post-season high.

The Rangers waited till Game 6 to do it, but they did it nonetheless.  After two failed attempts in Games 3 and 4, then twice facing elimination, Tex's Rangers finally wrestled back home ice just in time for a decisive Game 7 showdown.

Hey!  Sometimes you have to win games by an unsightly 5-4 score, or in the case of Game 6, by a 4-3 final.  Every game can't always fall on Lundqvist to pitch a shutout.  That's not good hockey; that's not Stanley Cup hockey.

That said, see what happens when everyone cooperates?  Chris Kreider continued his romp, the power play scored a goal, and, yes, Rick Nash finally lit the lamp!

Chris Kreider did it again.  He has become the consistent scoring threat the Rangers sorely needed while Nash suffers through his post-season malaise.  He opened Game 6 with a stinging left jab a mere 0:40 seconds into the game, and closed out the 1st period with a straight right at the 19:59 mark. Kreider is now tied with Derick Brassard with a team leading 5 goals, while 4 of them have come this series.  All of them have been clutch.

The skill has always been there.  It's his mind that wasn't always properly focused.  One of the biggest differences in Kreider's game has been his ability to avoid taking stupid penalties.  He was second on the team (behind Tanner Glass) with 88 penalty minutes during the regular season, which limited his ice time to an average of 15:43 minutes a game.  Kreider has only served a mere 4:00 penalty minutes in 11 post-season games played thus far, which has allowed him to average 17:32 minutes of ice time.  Free from the penalty box, he is second behind Derick Brassard with a 17.2 shooting percentage.

Rick Nash's goal was not only the result of patience, strength, and stick-handling skill.  His second goal of the playoffs scored at the wee 0:54 mark of the 3rd period was very significant, unlike the inconsequential goal he netted against Pittsburgh.  At the time, it made Game 6 a 3-1 affair in favor of the Rangers.  The Rangers then got outscored 2-1, and grossly out-shot from that moment forward.

There's no denying Rick Nash has been playing a very effective game within a game, but without beating a dead horse, he was brought to Broadway for the purpose of scoring goals - many goals - playoffs goals.  Of course, there would be no better time than Game 7 for Rick Nash to reemerge as the team's top scoring threat.

There's a lot of pressure on Alain Vigneault.  Wednesday's game is perhaps the most important one of his short Rangers career.  The Rangers might have been content with just reaching the Stanley Cup finals last season.  This season, however, they set a franchise mark for wins and points, and captured a President's Trophy.  With that comes weighted expectations.  Meanwhile, his failure to win a Cup with Vancouver remains an 800 lbs. gorilla in the room.

Alain Vigneault's Rangers have thus far been characterized by resiliency and fortitude, and have been more effective at making game-to-game adjustments than Barry Trotz and the Capitals have.  As the home team, Alain Vigneault will have the advantage of final change, while the Rangers get the slight advantage on face-offs.

For the series, the Rangers are losing the face-off battle by a 167-203 margin.  The Rangers won the face-off battle in Games 2 and 5, but only barely.  In the Rangers Game 3 loss, the Capitals had their way with a 40-18 mark.  Face-offs mean puck possession - that's the name of Alain Vigneault's game.

Like it, or lump it - the Rangers must turn up their physicality.  They must go into the corners and other dirty zones of the ice, and earn their possessions.  They must fight for those 50/50 pucks, win more battles along the boards, and continue creating disturbances in front of Braden Holtby.

May the better team advance.  Or, should I say, may the better system prevail.




Mike

N.Y. Rangers: Now if the Power Play Can Just Get Going - Game Six!

From the desk of:  RAISE GRESCH WITH THE GREATS

Capitals lead series 3-2

I - WAS 2; NYR 1

II - NYR 3; WAS 2

III - WAS 1; NYR 0

IV - WAS 2; NYR 1

V - NYR 2; WAS 1*

*OT

GAME SIX

NEW YORK RANGERS

vs.

Washington Capitals

from

The Center of the Universe

D.C.

NEW YORK RANGERS: It's Simple - Play With Abandon, Be Relentless to the Puck, Hit Hard and Often, and Get Traffic in Front of Holtby.

"Go out there and play like a bunch of crazed dogs..."   stuff Lawrence Taylor used to say.

Facing elimination and 50:00 minutes of scoreless hockey into Game V did nothing to inspire better play out of Kieth Yandle.

The age old question for defensemen is when to pinch, and when not to pinch.  The problem with Keith Yandle's decision midway through the 3rd was that he pinched too deeply into the zone.  He committed himself all the way to the top of the left circle, with absolutely no one covering the rear.   Coupled with his already glaring propensity for turning over the puck, the Rangers had a disaster on their hands.

It came in the form of one stretch pass out of Washington's defensive zone to the anonymous Curtis Glencross, and a breakaway the other way.  Henrik Lundqvist made the initial save, but Glencross cleaned up his own rebound to give the Capitals a 1-0 lead before a dejected Garden crowd.

That began the Times Square doomsday clock ticking 2:00 minutes closer to midnight.

At 11:35 of the 3rd, the Rangers missed a wide open net opportunity.

With the final bell tolling for Tex's Rangers off-Broadway show, the heroes finally emerged.   The Rangers finally got the two clutch goals they've been waiting all series for when Chris Krieder tied the game with just 1:41 left in regulation.

Henrik Lundqvist was the next to save the season, making a brilliant save with 0:27 left in regulation. That made the Captain's game winning goal in overtime possible.  At the 9:37 mark, Ryan McDonagh punched the Rangers ticket back to Washington.

Win, and they bring the series back to Madison Square Garden for a decisive Game Seven.  Lose, and they'll be cleaning out their lockers and wondering where to stick that President's Trophy.

The Rangers' season still breathes life today because Chris Kreider is finally taking ownership of his potential.  Ever since he mistakenly idled down in the final seconds of Game One, he has been the Rangers best player.  For both he and the Rangers, his opening goal in Game Two was a huge attitude adjuster after suffering a brutal loss in the closing moments of Game One.  Friday, he scored his third goal of the post-season, very literally, when the Rangers needed it most.

His was also the Rangers best forward line.  The trio of Stepan, Kreider, and Jesper Fast, have given the Rangers much to be thankful for - and not just in Game Five.

Entering Game Six, the Rangers should be aware that Braden Holtby can, and has been beaten glove-side high, and generally above the shoulders.  Krieder and Derick Brassard have demonstrated that several times already.  However, Martin St. Louis doesn't seem to have gotten the memo.  He's been shooting into Holtby's pads all series.  It's time to elevate the puck, son.

Theoretically, all the pressure is on the Rangers.  They're behind, they're on the road, and they're favored.  This technically gives Washington room to play with.  Therefore I fully expect them to ratchet up the physicality again, particularly at home.

The Rangers power play was 0 for 2 again.  Want to win in the playoffs, particularly when scoring is at a premium?  Score on the power play!  The Rangers are 1 for 11 in the series, and 4 for 31 (13%) in the post-season.

This Alain Vigneault's unit to fix.

Make it happen in Game Six.

N.Y. Rangers: Be Lazy, Blame Henrik

from the desk of:  RAISE GRESCH WITH THE GREATS

Where are all the King's horses, and where are all the King's men?

Can Alain Vigneault get this team back in sync again?

Capitals lead series 3-1

I - WAS 2; NYR 1

II - NYR 3; WAS 2

III - WAS 1; NYR 0

IV - WAS 2; NYR 1

V - FRIDAY

Game Five

Washington Capitals

vs.

NEW YORK RANGERS

from

MADISON SQUARE GARDEN

NYC

NEW YORK RANGERS: Blueshirts Hockey 101 - Stop Blaming Henrik. It Makes You Sound Stupid.

Part of the reason why I started this blog was because I have my own opinions, and frankly, I find myself disagreeing with a substantial portion of the radio views, or in some cases, don't care much for their elitism.

I hardly, if ever, waste my time taking jabs at talkies.  However, there's one matter which becomes topical this time of year - one of which I can no longer withhold my grievance.

After Wednesday night's loss to the Capitals, I could have told you word for word, what those dumb asses would have been talking about on Thursday:

"Henrik needs to be better; 

he needs to stand on his head; 

he needs to shutout the Capitals.  

He is failing the Rangers.

Braden Holtby is outplaying Henrik.

Henrik Lundqvist is not an elite goalie."

They've been singing this same song for too many years now.  For a hockey-minded talkie, the above could have been passed-off as just lazy analysis after a long night out.  But for the unlearned media, that's just plain ignorant of them to say.  Whenever the Rangers fall behind in a series, Lundqvist's name is the one they always resort to.  It's the easy, safe, and uninformed thing to do.

Look, I'm just a dude with a blog and an opinion, but I'm yet to say anything remotely negative regarding Henrik Lundqvist this entire post-season, because, the man is a non-issue!

That said, I get a kick out of real hockey authorities coming on their show as guests, and summarily rejecting everything previously postulated by the host.

There's one word (used above) that might provide you with a hint as to whom I'm really talking about.  I'll give you another hint - he's an egomaniac, and an overly intellectual dolt - even about stuff he's a so called expert on.  There is another runt sitting on the panel these days, and the same goes for him as well.  Only the third member of the show is a true hockey aficionado.

With regards to the aforementioned two, for as much as they prefer not to hear it, truth is truth.  If they don't know hockey, they shouldn't pretend like they do, and shouldn't push the notion they do.   Don't then turn against the listeners when they criticize you for not knowing hockey to the extent you know baseball, basketball, or football.  Hockey fans are unlike baseball, football, and basketball fans, because, yes, hockey is a different kind of sport.  They're on skates, do not play with a ball yet they carry sticks, and fighting is part of the game.

How alien, I know.

These guys even had the nerve to say the Rangers were playing a version of themselves under John Tortorella - actually quite insightful.  Funny..., I've already been through that:

Staring at the Blueshirt in the Mirror 

  

Blueshirts Should Expect Big Cap Hit in Washington 

Let's Try This Again, Shall We? 

Oh No! Not You Again? Rangers vs. Capitals; Round Two

Unfortunately, this is what I mostly hear from them:

• There's 10 guys skating around, bumping into each other and being inconsequential, and, the goalie needs to be perfect or else they'll lose.

There are good talkies who freely admit they know nothing of the game.  But, because of their agreeable personalities, and perhaps by speaking about hockey in jest or otherwise, they are actually well received.  

It's the know-it-all, the non-humble type who in actuality knows nothing, whom draws our (hockey fans) ire.  They're indeed going to get criticized from time to time for not incorporating more hockey into the show.   This is a metropolitan area with 3 freaking professional hockey teams.  What did they expect?   

But, when they do drop the puck, it just comes off as simple, and uninformed.  It's shameful, really.   At the same time, I can see their agitation with fans wanting it both ways.  Nevertheless, what irks fans is when talkies are so out of their element, yet try to portray themselves as authorities.  It's insulting.  THAT's the reason why fans get upset when their talk focuses on hockey.  In this town, not many can pull it off.

The reason the Rangers are down 3-1 in this series to the Capitals has nothing to do with Henrik Lundqvist's goal tending.  With that kind of mindless thinking, we might as well blame him for not being Canadian as well.

With regards to Game IV, the Rangers made two huge mistakes, and Washington capitalized.   Turnovers by Chris Kreider and Ryan McDonagh twice put Henrik Lundqvist in bad situations, and made 20-year old Andre Burakovsky look like Brett Hull.   Turnovers are part of the game, but each of these were of the inexcusable kind.  In the playoffs, the price to be paid for such misplay is extremely costly.

Then, there are matters of crowd control and Capital confusion.  The Rangers have consistently allowed the Capitals to create disruptive traffic in front of Henrik all series, while they themselves have not done the same in front of Braden Holtby.  To Holtby's credit, he has made his share of brilliant saves.  Look no further than his huge save against Carl Hagelin's penalty shot.  Otherwise, the Capitals are sacrificing their bodies and blocking shots, and have effectively pushed everything to the outside where Holtby has been able to get clear, and unobstructed views of the puck.

In front of Holtby, the Capitals have what the Pittsburgh Penguins did not - Brooks Orpik and Matt Niskenen - two veteran defensemen and longtime teammates, extremely familiar with the Rangers.

Then, once one considers that Alex Ovechkin and Niklas Backstrom have been relatively quiet this series, one is forced to recognize the considerable affect Coach Barry Trotz's system has had on these new and improved Capitals.

In 11 games this post-season, the Caps have scored 23 goals, for a 2.09 per game average.  As noted many times previously, the Rangers averaged 2.2 goals in 12 games during John Tortorella's final playoff run in 2013.  These Rangers are now averaging 1.77 goals after 9 games played.  This was the NHL's 3rd top rated offense during the regular season.

Lundqvist is making big saves as well.  At 19:00 of the 3rd period, Henrik made an otherworldly save which prevented the Capitals from driving another stake through their hearts.  

The Rangers limited scoring this series has come down the middle, a la Derick Brassard's opening goal in Game IV, or Hagelin's breakaway goal, or Kreider's rebound goal, etc.  Tex's Rangers better start crashing the net with purposeful haste then, or have their President's Trophy season crash and burn in disappointment.

That hasn't happened to the Rangers since 1992, but for Alain Vigneault, dare I saw it's becoming old hat.

If anything, the Rangers underlying problem was displayed with just over 2:00 minutes left in the game.  The Rangers dumped the puck deep into Washington's zone.  The first Capital defenseman to catch up with the play easily knocked the Rangers off the puck, and skated back up ice in transition with haste.  That's been going on throughout the playoffs.  Moreover, the Capitals forecheck in the closing minutes prevented Coach Vigneault from pulling Lundqvist for an extra skater in a timely manner.  And once on the ice, the Rangers couldn't even keep the zone.

But, I suppose the Rangers lack of post-season scoring is Henrik's fault because he isn't pitching shutouts.  All I know is, you can't win games 0-0; someone has to score first, and, or, last.  But, score they must.

Derick Brassard's performance should be putting the Rangers over the top.  Instead, his teammates are burdening him with an increasingly heavy load.

Mike

N.Y. Rangers: Staring at the Blueshirt in the Mirror - Game IV

From the desk of:  RAISE GRESCH WITH THE GREATS

Eastern Conference Semi Finals

Capitals lead series 2-1

I - WAS 2; NYR 1

II - NYR 3; WAS 2

III - WAS 1; NYR 0

IV - WEDNESDAY

Game Four

NEW YORK RANGERS

vs.

Washington Capitals

from

Conglomerate Named Arena

D.C.

NEW YORK RANGERS: Jay Beagle's Goal Puts Blueshirts in a Very Familiar Bind.

Outside of the obvious character, personality, disposition, sociability, and overall attitude differences that exist between John Tortorella and Alain Vigneault, etc, the Rangers are not that much more evolved (two seasons later) as one might think - at least not in results - or at least not to me.

Something about the Rangers recent play has me thinking - where have I seen this all before?

ICYMI:

Blueshirts Should Expect Big Cap Hit In Washington 

Let's Try This Again, Shall We? 

Oh No! Not You Again? - Rangers vs. Capitals; Round Two

Don't get me wrong..., John Tortorella needed to be fired.  He mastered every infraction in the "How to get fired in a blaze of infamous glory for Dummies" instruction manual.

On the ice, two of the many dilemmas faced by Tortorella were trying to get better and more consistent play out of Carl Hagelin and Chris Kreider, and, what to do about a pathetic power play.

If you remember, Alain Vigneault was hired in part, to improve said power play.  In Tortorella's final two regular seasons, the power play operated at a 15.7 rate.  They finished 23rd in the league each time.  This season under Coach Vigneault, the power play posted a 16.8 mark, 21st best in the NHL.

In the 2013 playoffs, Tortorella's Rangers went 4 for 44 in 12 playoff games for a 9.10 rate.  In these playoffs, the Rangers are 4 for 28, good for a 14.8 mark.

In 2013, Rick Nash, Carl Hagelin, and Derek Stepan, combined with Brad Richards and Ryan Callahan to score a total of 11 goals in 12 games.  As a team, the Rangers averaged 2.2 goals in those playoffs.

In 8 games during these playoffs, Carl Hagelin and Derek Stepan each have 2 goals and 2 assists, and Rick Nash has one goal and 4 assists.  Derick Brassard has 4 goals, and Chris Kreider has 2 goals.   The Blueshirt Five have so far scored 11 goals in 8 games.  As a team, the Rangers have scored 15 goals in 8 games, for an average of 1.9 goals per game.

You can make of these numbers what you will.

John Tortorella once tried incorporating Carl Hagelin into the power play to no avail.  Hagelin remains a non-participant on the power play to this day.  Moreover, if he's not on a rush, or on a breakaway, where he can utilize his speed in open ice, he's usually passing off, or getting bogged down by bigger bodies, and getting pushed off the puck.

Then there's Chris Kreider, whom it was thought, that if he ever managed to escape the wrath of Tortorella, he would flourish.  He has 2 goals in these playoffs.  Despite a loss in Game Three, Kreider actually played a very effectively.  He also opened the scoring in Game Two.

Kreider is most intimidating when he's crashing the net, which he has done a few times during this post-season.  The problem lies within his varying levels of reliability - you never know when he'll decide to take the night off, commit a mindless penalty, or lose his bearing from shift to shift, as he did in the closing seconds of Game One.

He is too big, strong, fast, and skilled, to play inconsequential hockey.  Weren't those John Tortorella's exact issues with Chris Kreider?

The Rangers won 52 games this season and won the President's trophy.  It was Vigneault's third award.  But guest what... the Vancouver Canucks fired him and hired Tortorella because they wanted to adopt a tougher mentality and more physical style of play.  That wasn't a Rangers issue; that was strictly a Vancouver thing.  That should nevertheless speak to someone, no?  Tortorella additionally won 50 games with the Rangers, with arguably less talent.

...just saying.

But Glen Sather steered the Rangers away from the more methodical, and extremely physical team coached by Tortorella, and transformed them to align with Alain Vigneault's philosophy and system.

This team is younger, well rounded, and more skilled than any edition Tortorella coached.  Three lines of defense, transition and speed, passing and puck possession, have rendered physicality an inconsequential component of the Rangers' game.  Those methods are the new preferred way to thwart opposing team's physical play.

Then again, timing is everything.  In the two seasons under Alain Vigneault, we have witnessed the end of the New Jersey Devils era, a considerable drop off by the Boston Bruins, the decline of the Pittsburgh Penguins, not to mention the disarray of the Maple Leafs, and particularly the perennially tough Flyers (no more).  In other words, the Eastern Conference opened up very conveniently for the reprogrammed Rangers to step in and seize control of a less physical conference.

After all that said, the word that keeps entering my head is, negligible, as in minimal net gain.  The team is still in search of an elusive winning goal, and dependent on Henrik pitching a shutout every game.

Indeed, these coaches actually have two things in common.

They've both had to list Rick Nash as missing in action.  In the end, both coaches could wind up suffering the consequences of Nash's annual playoff disappearances.  After leading the team during the regular season, Nash scored one goal for Tortorella in the 2013 playoffs.

Secondly, both coaches ultimately resorted to worshiping at the House of Henrik.  When all else seems to fail, and does, they both fell in rank behind The King.

Nevertheless, Tortorella was his own worst enemy, and consequently worked himself out of Hockey.

But, Vancouver's overwhelming reason to ultimately part with a successful head coach is somewhat of an omen with regards to the Rangers' presently deteriorating situation, and near future - IF they fail to make Rangers history together, that is.

Before Tex's Rangers can claim the Eastern Conference title (after all they are the favorites), they need to tie this series against the Capitals first.  Easier said than done.  Then again, the Rangers were a superior team on the road this season, weren't they?

For now, just win Game IV in order to regain home ice advantage in a short series, and quiet down a lot of noise.

I tip my hat to the new constitution....

...so I get on my knees and pray, we don't get fooled again.  -  (stuff The Who would say.)





Mike

N.Y. Rangers: Blueshirts Should Expect Big Cap Hit In Washington

From the desk of:  RAISE GRESCH WITH THE GREATS

(circa 2009 playoffs)

Alex Ovechkin is clearly the series' most tenacious player.  

He has elevated his performance to stupid levels, 

and perhaps is just getting started, or, as he puts it,

All Night Long!

*          *          *          *

2014-2015

STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS

Eastern Conference Semi Finals

Series tied 1-1

I - WAS 2; NYR 1

II - NYR 3; WAS 2

III - MONDAY

GAME THREE

NEW YORK RANGERS

vs.

Washington Capitals

from

Some Conglomo Named Arena

D.C.

Tex's Rangers March on Washington for Game Three.  We Should Know Very Early On What Kind of Night it Will Be.

A perturbed Alain Vigneault said the team would make adjustments after Game One, and they did.  In Game Two, Tex's Rangers more resembled the President trophy winners they are.

When you give up a goal at 19:58 of the final period, as they did in Game One, that doesn't leave much time to respond.

The next best way to answer back I guess would be to score at 0:38 in the opening period of the very next game, like Chris Kreider did in Game Two.

With the way things have been going, two Rangers goals in the 1st period, and the game winner in the 3rd, could be considered an offensive explosion.

There must be something about Game Two's.  The Rangers hadn't scored more than 2 goals in a game since they lost Game Two by a 4-3 margin to the Penguins in round one.

Maybe Washington's continuing play after a big Game 7 win over the Islanders, and the Rangers rust for lack of action prior to Game One against the Caps explained Thursday's outcome.  And maybe going seven games, plus one, finally caught up with Washington (if just for a game), as they only managed 4 shots on goal in the 1st period.  Meanwhile, the Rangers played a far crisper game, seemingly got their timing and legs back, and maintained possession of the puck.

In any event, the series is now even.  The Caps did what they needed to do - steal a game on the road. 

Next mission critical for Tex's Rangers - wrestle back home ice advantage by taking a game in Washington.

JUST WING IT: In Hockey, Being Mr. October is a Bad Thing.

Derick Brassard continues having best season of his career, and is presently the Rangers top performer in the post-season.  He has 4 goals and 5 points in 7 playoffs games, leads the team with a plus-4, has 2-points on the PP, and leads the team with a 22.2 shooting percentage.

If you look around the tournament, Tampa's Tyler Johnson is just having a stupid post-season with 7 goals, the Ducks Corey Perry has 5 goals, Zach Parise, Ovechkin and Evgeny Kuznetsov, and Derick Brassard all have 4 goals each.

To that effect, Killjoy phoned in, and said he will not be sold on Mats Zuccarello's absence as any kind of excuse for Rick Nash's poor production.  He knows, MatsZucs is a spark plug.  The fact remains that Nash needs to be better - 

...an old battle cry at this point.

In Rick Nash's defense, Steven Stamkos has yet to score a goal in the post-season, and only has 3 assists in 8 games.  In 7 games, at least Nash has one goal and 5 points.

• Update: Don't look now, but Stamkos finally scored his 1st goal of the playoffs Sunday against Montreal.

At the moment however, Tampa means nothing to the Rangers (yet), and Stamkos plays center, like Brassard does.  Nash is the Rangers problem, and Stamkos is theirs.  Nash plays wing, like his present opponent Alex Ovechkin, who scored an absolutely ridiculous goal in the 3rd period of Game Two, and made an equally astonishing pass that led to Joel Ward's game winner in Game One.  His Game One slap shot/goal was virtually unstoppable.  Ovechkin now has 4 goals in the post-season, one in each game against the Rangers, and 8 points overall.

...because that's what the elite players of this league are supposed to do.

• Baseball: Being dubbed Mr. October means you're an elite playoff producer - a la Reggie Jackson.  When The Boss signed Dave Winfield, the newcomer started the regular season on fire.  He then went 1 for 25 in the 1981 playoffs to earn the moniker Mr. May from Mr. Steinbrenner.

• Hockey: The opposite applies.  Players on the ice strive to be Mr. May, or better yet, Mr. June.  To be labelled Mr. October in Hockey, is, for all intents and purposes, a disparaging term.

Rick Nash isn't even in the top ten in post-season points - a list that still features two St. Louis Blues on it, but no Blueshirt.  The other top 8 scorers are still alive and playing with Minnesota, Tampa, Chicago, Anaheim, and Washington.

Talk of Nash fading away is warranted.  Let's face it, he finished the regular season poorly.  In the final 19 games of the regular season between March 2nd and April 7, Nash only registered 5 goals.   His last goal came during a losing effort in Game Two against Pittsburgh.  

Mats Zuccarello was still on the ice throughout that time.

Hey Killjoy!!  

The Rangers advanced to the NHL Finals last season despite Nash's lack of productivity, 

and seem to be moving along just fine this season.....

If the Capitals defensemen start factoring into their offense more, like they're so adept at doing, how long then can the Rangers rely on Brassard, Carl Hegelin, Derek Stepan, and Chris Kreider for consistent scoring?

When Nash chooses to utilize his size and skill, and bullies his way towards net, he is the only Ranger whom is able to go on an offensive tear seemingly at will.  Chris Kreider could, if he tried, but he has yet to learn to play a full game, and keep his head involved.

No, Martin St. Louis does not get a free pass.  He has 2 assists in 7 games, and was recently moved up to the 1st line with Nash, but to no avail.  He posted 8 goals in last year's playoffs.  This year, he turns 40-years old in June.  He has not scored a goal since April 6th.

Without Nash and St. Louis contributing, the Rangers quest to the Cup remains a bumpy ride.

And, just in case no one has noticed, Braden Holtby has played a little better than anticipated, which makes Rick Nash's contribution that much more pressing as the series shifts to Washington.

After making an initial save, Braden Holtby served up a fat rebound Chris Krieder took full advantage of.  On Dan Boyle's pp goal, Rick Nash established great position to block Holtby's view.

Rich Nash also assisted on Derick Brassard's 3rd period goal.

Nice, but not enough.

Enter the Dragon:

Henrik Lundqvist tapped into his inner Kung-Fu Panda to kick back the Washington Capitals Saturday.  He made 30 mostly brilliant saves, but perhaps none better than his martial arts kick save against Kuznetsov.

Chris Kreider's strong game was offset by Alex Ovechkin's exploits, which in effect makes Henrik Lundqvist the true savior of Game Two.

The Rangers also did themselves a huge favor by committing just one penalty.  On the other side, Washington was busy killing off four penalties.

I Will Break You:

If I understood Ovechkin correctly after Game Two, the Capitals intend to increase the physicality of the series.

Speed, puck possession, passing, a supreme effort on defense, and a superior goalie are the formula here.  Outside of Tanner Glass, no other allotments have been made for toughness.  Of course, that's been a major issue of mine.

That style didn't get the Penguins very far though, and by Game 5, they were playing it straight.  The Capitals, however, stayed aggressive, and were quite physical against the Islanders in Game 7 of their series - even committing a questionable hit or two with impunity.  The Islanders might have suffered stage fright in their series finale, but are nonetheless a tough team as well.

To a certain degree then, you have to believe the hype.  These Capitals are better defensively, and certainly more disciplined than Washington teams of the past.  And yes, they are tough as ever.

We remember what happened at the end of Game One, don't we?  Just ask Dan Boyle what happened.  The stripes do not seem to be blowing the whistle for such infractions, so, we should know very early in Game Three what kind of night it will be.

Lastly, I said it before, and it's worth saying again: Chris Kreider must play smarter, more consistent, and more physical hockey while staying out of the box.

Mike