N.J. Devils: Newark Offers Wandering Long Islanders No Quarter

From the desks: THE BRICK CITY STYX & LONG ISLAND NOMADS

THURSDAY

Islanders   0

DEVILS      4

FINAL

Islanders Arrive on Familiar But Unfriendly Shores

Newark, New Jersey, is the closest the Islanders have been to home base since departing for an Oct. 14 game at Carolina in the first stop of a Homeric-like season-opening 13 game road Odyssey.  

The Isles defeated the Winnipeg Jets but lost to the Minnesota Wild on the very next night.  Four days later, they sailed up the Hudson River where their metropolitan area neighbors on Thursday night offered them no quarter.  

With their defeat at the hand of the Devils, the Long Islanders are now 5-4-2 with two more road games left before finally swinging the doors open at the brand new UBS Center at Belmont.

I know Barry Trotz isn't one for excuses and is not exactly pleased with their play of late, but I believe the Islanders are still in a good place and that a significant correction will occur when they play 12 of 20 games at home through Christmas.

Semyon Varlamov finally made his 2021-2022 debut during the Isles Nov. 7 game against Minnesota, who went wild with five goals but only three off Semyon, who stopped 34 of 37 shots on goal.  But Varlamov did not earn a second straight start.  Enter Ilya Sorokin.  Making his tenth start and coming off a shutout over Winnipeg, this may have been both Barry Trotz's and Ilya Sorokin's most frustrating game to date.

Long Island's power-play in the first period fell apart like wet toilet paper.  At 12:12, Janne Koukannen capped off a flurry of activity in front of Ilya Sorokin with a shorthanded goal on assists from P.K. Subban and Nico Hischier.

With 0:50 left in the second period, Tomas Tartar scored during a Devil power-play on feeds from Dougie Hamilton and Pavel Zacha.

Dawson Mercer gave Newark a 3-0 lead at 5:46 into the third period, assisted by Andreas Johnsson and Jesper Bratt. Approximately eleven minutes later, Dougie Hamilton closed out the scoring with his third goal this season at the 16:33 mark.

However, the clear star of the game was Newark goalie Mackenzie Blackwood.  He faced 42 shots on net and stopped them all, including 35 at even-strength and five on special teams.  It marks his second consecutive win through three starts and his first shutout this season. 

The Devils improve to 7-3-2, just four points behind the Metropolitan Division-leading Hurricanes.

Next, the Islanders set sail for Tampa.

 

N.Y. Rangers: Eight Points in Six Days Against Devils Keep Blueshirts in Chase

From the desks: RAISE GRESCHNER WITH THE GREATS & THE BRICK CITY STYX

BATTLE OF THE HUDSON

Rangers defeat Devils; 6-2

I - NJD 4; NYR 3

II - NJD 5; NYR 2

III - NYR 6; NJD 1

IV - NYR 6; NJD 3

V - NYR 3; NJD 0

VI - NYR 4; NJD 0

VII - NYR 6; NJD 3

VIII - NYR 6; NJD 3

Young Devils Taking Their Lumps

Had the Devils managed to stay out of the penalty box, they might have gotten somewhere.  Newark allowed the Rangers five power-play opportunities, and the Blueshirts converted on two.  

Nico Hischier got whistled for roughing Jacob Trouba at 5:23 of the first period.  Chris Kreider made the Devils pay just over a minute later on feeds from Mika Zibanejad and Artemi Panarin.  

At 14:03 of the first, Vitali Kravtsov scored his first NHL goal.  It comes in his ninth game with the club.  The 21-year old was selected by the Rangers with the ninth overall pick of the 2018 draft.  

Something which brings me great joy occurred at 5:17 of the second period; Alexis Lafreniere scored his eighth goal of the season on assists from Kaapo Kakko and Filip Chytil.

In a very similar fashion to Saturday's game, the Rangers yielded three unanswered goals at most inopportune times.  Not once but twice, they committed one of the cardinal sins in hockey: never allow a goal in the first or last two minutes of a period.  Mikhail Maltsev did just that at 18:55 of the second period on assists from Yegor Sharangovich and P.K. Subban.  Then just 1:53 into the third period, Marian Studenik scored his first NHL goal on feeds from Andreas Johnsson and Mikhail Maltsev.  Less than four minutes later, Nico Hischier tied the game at three on assists from Nolan Foote and Nicholas Merkley.  

For Foote, it's his first NHL point in his first NHL game, and in his fourth NHL game, Marian Studenik scores his first-ever goal.

Playing minus Jesper Bratt and Pavel Zacha, the Devils won more faceoffs and generated more shots on goal but erred late in their comeback.  At 15:50 of the third period, Ryan Murray was sent to the box for high-sticking Kaapo Kakko.  Mika Zibanejad reclaimed the lead for the Blueshirts just over a minute later on assists from Adam Fox and Ryne Strome.  In turn, Strome scored the capper at 19:35 from feeds by Artemi Panarin and Colin Blackwell for a 6-3 final margin of victory.

New Jersey, one of the youngest teams in the league, is now 2-10-2 in their last 14 games.  They're presently on a six-game skid after losing two against the Penguins and four in a row against the rival Rangers, who remain four points behind the Bruins with eleven games left.  However, the Bruins have two games in hand.

Battle of the Hudson: Rangers Hand Devils Fifth Straight Defeat

From the desks: RAISE GRESCHNER WITH THE GREATS & THE BRICK CITY STYX

BATTLE of the HUDSON

Rangers lead Devils; 5-2

I - NJD 4; NYR 3

II - NJD 5; NYR 2

III - NYR 6; NJD 1

IV - NYR 6; NJD 3

V - NYR 3; NJD 0

VI - NYR 4; NJD 0

VII - NYR 6; NJD 3

VIII - SUNDAY

Pavel Buchnevich Scores First Career Hat Trick on Birthday

Things are winding down to an interesting conclusion.  Not only are the Rangers a mere four points behind the Bruins with twelve games left to play, but the final two regular-season games are at Boston.  

I wonder if this is indeed the reason why the Rangers didn't trade Chris Kreider.  Of all the players purged these last few years by Jeff Gorton, I remain surprised they A)-signed him to a prohibitive contract, and B)-by the simple fact he is still here.  

Chris Kreider scored the Rangers' sixth and final goal of Saturday's match against the Devils into an empty net, that is.  It marks his first point in six games and his first goal since Mar. 28 at Washington.  Since scoring a hat trick on Mar. 4 against these very Devils, Kreider has just three points through nine games in April and just five goals in his last 23 games.

That won't jive in the playoffs.  Just saying ...

Pavel Buchnevich opened the scoring at 7:26 of the first period on feeds by Artemi Panarin and Mika Zibanejad.  The Rangers then scored on consecutive power plays, first by Ryan Strome at 10:27 with assists from Panarin and Zibanejad, then again by Pavel Buchnevich (K'Andre Miller, Colin Blackwell) at the 11:48 mark for a 3-0 Rangers lead.

Artemi Panarin scored within a New York minute to open the second period with assists from Ryan Lindgren and Ryan Strome for a commanding 4-0 lead.  The Rangers appeared on their way towards a third straight blanking of the Devils, but Michael McLeod ended that notion at 12:37 of the second period with his seventh goal of the season.

Into the second intermission, they went. 

A little over five minutes into the third period, P.K. Subban scored his fifth of the season on feeds from Yegor Sharangovich and Jack Hughes.  One minute and four seconds later, Yegor Sharangovich made it a 4-3 game off another feed from Hughes.  But that's where Newark's comeback stops.  The Devils gambled when they pulled goalie Aaron Dell from the net, but the house won.  Pavel Buchnevich scored into an empty net at 18:39, and Kreider followed likewise one minute later.

Pavel Buchnevich scores a hat trick on his 26th birthday!

Artemin Panarin had three assists and one goal; Ryan Strome and Mika Zibanejad score three points each.

After a tough overtime loss against the Islanders, Igor Shesterkin bounces back with back-to-back shutouts of the Devils.  In each of the first two games of this series, he stops 27 and 16 shots on goal.  On Friday, he faces an increased 33 SOGs and allows three goals even-strength (.. but that's because Coach Quinn took his foot off the pedal).

New Jersey played beyond seven periods against the Rangers before McLeod's second-period goal.  The Devils are 1-5 since trading Kyle Palmieri and Travis Zajac with 15 goals for and 27 goals against.  They are likewise 0-5 against the Rangers since winning the first two games of the season series.

N.J. Devils: Look What the Capitals Did to Newark, Again

From the desk: THE BRICK CITY STYX

FRIDAY

Capitals 2

Devils   1

FINAL/OT

Devils Woes Against Capitals Go Unchanged; Fall to 0-7 in Season Series

Just brutal ... like being jabbed with your own pitchfork.

Mackenzie Blackwood had just made a brilliant save against T.J. Oshie to keep overtime moving along.  At the other end, Jack Hughes was likewise denied a game-winning opportunity by Capitals goalie Vitek Vanecek.  Washington then recovered the loose puck and promptly headed the other way.  With just 0:21 seconds left in the extra session, Dmitry Orlov, from the left circle, wristed a high shot past Blackwood's right shoulder for the win. 

It seemed somewhat inevitable.  Like an omen, Orlov proved problematic for the Devils throughout this game.  Tied with Alex Ovechkin, he co-led the Capitals with six shots on goal.  In fact, both Washington goals came courtesy of defensemen.

After a scoreless first period, Washington's John Carlson opened the scoring at 8:22 of the second period.  Within four and a half minutes, Michael McLeod tied the game at one.  But the Caps and Devils would again duel through a scoreless third period.

The Devils had their chances.  They put three shots on goal during overtime versus two by the Caps.  But whereas Vitek Vanecek stopped all but one of Newark's 23 shots on goal, Mackenzie Blackwood was peppered with 40 shots on goal by Washington.  Both goalies turned in stellar performances, relatively speaking, that is.  Otherwise, for Blackwood, this was as tough luck as they come. 

Meanwhile, forwards Yegor Sharangovich and Travis Zajac, along with blueliners Ty Smith, Damon Severson, and P.K. Subban, exit the ice with a minus-one. 

Newark is yet to defeat the Capitals in seven games now.  This game marks their second overtime loss against them.  The Devils are also trending again with four losses in their last five games.

Surging New Jersey Devils Set Sights on Washington

From the desk: THE BRICK CITY STYX

Flyers lead Devils; 2-1

I - PHI 5; NJD 3 

II - PHI 3; NJD 1

III - NJD 4; PHI 3

Storming the Capital ... Hockey Team of Washington D.C., That Is.  Tell Your Friends.

No one is trying to kid anybody.  The Devils, like the Rangers, are still a rebuilding club.  They place respectively seventh and sixth in the division as a direct result of Buffalo's ongoing implosion.  Otherwise, the Devils and Rangers would be fighting a four-point battle between seventh and last place.

Of course, with rebuilding come tempered expectations.  There is no need to tell Devils fans, who very recently suffered through a 4-10-2 stretch after the team's return from a mass observance of COVID protocol.  During that time, I remember P.K. Subban one night in post-game commentary saying (paraphrasing) that these Devils still had more learning to do.

The education continues, and Newark is suddenly trending with wins in four of their last five games versus the aforementioned moribund Sabres, two of three from the Penguins, and Tuesday's win against the flummoxed Flyers.  The regularly scheduled follow-up game against the Flyers had already been postponed due to COVID, this time affecting Philadelphia's camp.

Therefore, the Devils will re-engage the Washington Capitals in a back-to-back set on Thursday and Friday.  It will be interesting to see how the seemingly smarter and (moreover) healthier New Jersey rank and file measure up.  

The Devils this season are 0-4 against the Caps, getting outscored by an 11-17 margin.  But if the Devils are, in fact, trending in the right direction, and they have indeed finally shaken off the last remnants of COVID from their systems, then they just might be up for the task. 

🏒

On Tuesday, the Devils scored early and held on late to defeat the Flyers for the first time in three tries.  Michael McCleod opened the scoring midway through the first period.  After the Flyers tied the game, Kyle Palmieri put the Devils back ahead on a power-play goal with just 0:06 left in the period.  The second period was all Newark.  Goals from Yegor Sharangovich and Travis Zajac staked the Devils to a 4-1 lead.  Zajac similarly closed out the period with his fourth goal of the season with a mere 0:24 seconds showing on the clock.  The Devils then withstood two goals by Philadelphia, the second coming too late, by Sean Couturier at 18:58 of the third period.  

Rookie blueliner Ty Smith assisted on Newark's first and last goals, giving him 17 points in 20 games.

Mackenzie Blackwood faced 33 shots back in net, making nine saves on special teams and 30 saves overall.  He allowed one goal on the PK in the first and two goals at even strength in the third.

N.J. Devils: Straight Out of the Playbook

From the desk: THE BRICK CITY STYX

THURSDAY

Penguins 2

Devils   3

FINAL

As if by design ... I'm sure this was more along the lines of what Lindy Ruff and Tom Fitzgerald had in mind.

New Jersey's 2019 number one draft pick Jack Hughes opens the scoring midway through the first period on assists from Ty Smith and Kyle Palmieri.  After which, the big-name import, P.K. Subban scored on the power play at 8:42 of the second period from feeds by Jesper Bratt and Jack Hughes.  Just over a minute later, Newark's long-time veteran, Travis Zajac puts the game out of reach at the 10:19 mark of the second period with his third goal of the season assisted by Damon Severson.

Goalie Scott Wedgewood takes care of the rest.   It's hard to say the Devils were lucky to come away with the victory because that just isn't the truth.  Jake Guentzel scored during a Penguins power play with a mere 0:13 seconds left in the second period.  Then, with just 0:05 seconds left in the game, Bryan Rust scored making it a 3-2 game and the final margin of victory for New Jersey.  Otherwise, Scott  Wedgewood faced a season-high 42 shots on goal en route to his third win of the season.  Sidney Crosby accounted for eight shots (and no points).  It's the second time in the last eleven days Wedgewood needed to make at least 40 saves in a game, as this contest harkens back to Wedgewoods's 1-0 shut out of the Bruins.

New Jersey's 2018 first-round pick, Ty Smith picked up his twelfth assist of the season, and with two points, Jack Hughes now has 16 points in 27 games.  Now in his 15th season with over 1,000 games played with the Devils, Travis Zajac with an assist picked up point number 543 of his career.

With victories over Buffalo and now Pittsburgh, the Devils win back-to-back games for the first time in a full month, when they defeated the Rangers and Bruins in their first two games back on the ice after returning from COVID quarantine protocol.

Long Islanders Continue Bedeviling New Jersey Hockey Club

From the desks: LONG ISLAND NOMADS & THE BRICK CITY STYX

Islanders lead Devils; 5-1

I - NYI 4; NJD 1

II - NJD 2; NYI 0

III - NYI 2; NJD 1

IV - NYI 5; NJD 3

V - NYI 3; NJD 2

VI - NYI 3; NJD 2*

*shootout

SUNDAY RECAP

Islanders Gain The High Ground

The Long Islanders defeated Newark for the fifth time this season and thereby extended their consecutive winning streak to nine games.  They also increased their division lead by four points over the Capitals and finished the night with the most points in all of hockey.

Devils Get Lost In The Details

Meanwhile, the Devils continue suffering the agony of defeat after defeat.  Sunday's game marked their fourth straight loss.  It's the ninth loss in their last ten games and the twelfth loss in sixteen games since returning from quarantine.

🏒

Each team was minus their respective on-ice captains, Anders Lee for the Islanders, and Nico Hischier for the Devils.  So, there's that ...

After Kieffer Bellows opened the scoring on feeds from Sabastian Aho and Jordan Eberle just 4:18 into the first, the Devils catch a big break on Andy Greene's delay of game penalty.  Janne Kuokkanen makes the Islanders pay with a power-play goal at the 5:12 mark.  New Jersey then takes their own turn committing a big mistake - it won't be the last one - when Brock Nelson scores on feeds from Nick Leddy and Josh Bailey with just two seconds left in the first period, giving the Islanders a 2-1 lead.  New Jersey tied the game at 16:04 of the third when Yegor Sharangovich converted feeds from Dmitry Kulikov and P.K. Subban.

This brings us to big mistake number two.  Subban appeared to score the game-winning goal in overtime.  But the Islanders challenged an off-side violation and were proven correct.  The devilish perpetrator was positioned in place on the far board but on the wrong side of the line, a clearly avoidable mental mistake and costly one.

Sure enough, the Islanders go on to win in a shootout at Newark.  But it's just hockey.  There's nothing more to see here.  All is well.  You can go back to your home now.

Heading In Opposite Directions, Islanders and Devils Speed Past Each Other In The Night

From the desks: THE BRICK CITY STYX  &  LONG ISLAND NOMADS

Islanders lead Devils; 3-1

I - NYI 4; NJD 1

II - NJD 2; NYI 0

III - NYI 2; NJD 1

THURSDAY

(1-3) Devils    3

(3-1) Islanders 5

FINAL

Long Island Is On Fire While Newark Remains Frozen In Ice

Another day, another twenty-minute performance by the New Jersey Devils.  In a near mirror image of their contest against Washington, in which they trailed the Capitals 4-1 after two periods, the Devils fell behind the Islanders 4-0 after two periods.  The Devils scored three times in the third period against the Caps but ultimately lost that game in overtime.  Thursday against the Isles, Newark again rallied for three goals in the third, but it clearly wasn't enough. 

Newark successfully killed off five penalties, which is to say they were completely overrun at even-strength.  They generated just 12 shots on goal through the first two periods and 22 shots overall versus 33 for Long Island.  Meanwhile, the Devils power-play hasn't scored since Feb. 27, against the Capitals.

After two more consecutive losses, the Devils have now lost ten of their last 14 games since returning from quarantine.  Goalie Mackenzie Blackwood appears in lockstep.  Back in January, he posted a .947 SV% through his first three games.  He then registered a decreased .904 SV% over seven games in February.  So far in March, Blackwood owns a .815 SV% through three games.  Through 13 games, he presently sports a .900 SV% and a troublesome 3.13 GAA.

This may be an unpopular take, but the Devils should seriously consider trading Kyle Palmieri and P.K. Subban.  After all, they are a rebuilding team.  Despite a minus-18 point differential and a division-low 58-goals for, the Devils nevertheless appear settled at the center.  There are other good young talents here.  But the Devils have clear deficiencies on the blue line.  Therefore, trade remaining assets and continue forging ahead with a full rebuild.

Lest we forget, the New York Islanders are in first place for a reason.  They own a plus-twenty point differential (28 points better than Newark), and with 38 points in 27 games, the Isles continue leading the division by two points over the relentless Washington Capitals.

Congratulations are in order.  Thursday's game marks Barry Trotz's 100th victory as coach of the Isles.

For the first time this season, the home team also played in front of a limited number of Long Island fans.  Those in attendance got to watch their Islanders win its seventh straight game and ninth win in their last ten.  The bad news is they also watched their Captain Anders Lee exit the ice due to an injury.  He is expected to miss some time.  He clearly appeared in pain, but the severity of the (undisclosed) injury is still unclear.  Anders Lee leads the team with both 80 shots on net and twelve goals in 27 games.  There's no denying he is among the league's toughest and most effective goal area loiterers.  If there's a loose puck, he finds it and converts.  

Getting the call, Ilya Sorokin saw little action through the game's first forty minutes.  However, the Isles eased off the throttle.  In turn, the Devils generated ten third-period shots on goal and found net three times.  In his eighth start, Sorokin nevertheless stopped 19 of 22 shots en route to his fifth straight win of the season.

Elusive New Jersey Devils Defense Disappears Back Into The Pine Barrens

From the desks: RAISE GRESCHNER WITH THE GREATS  &  THE BRICK CITY STYX

BATTLE OF THE HUDSON

Series Tied; 2-2

I - NJD 4; NYR 3

II - NJD 5; NYR 2

III - NYR 6; NJD 1

IV - NYR 6; NJD 3

Bad Just Got Worse For The Devils; Ice Cracking Beneath Their Skates

Straight out of the Pine Barrens ... Newark's defense has been as elusive as the mythical New Jersey Devil itself.  Having lengthened their losing streak to five, they are now losers of eight of eleven games since returning from COVID quarantine, over which time they've been outscored by a 40-27 margin.

The visiting Rangers over the last two games account for twelve of those goals; six on Thursday and six more Saturday afternoon.  Six goals are the most rendered this season by the Devils to any opponent through 20 games, much less in consecutive games.  

Talk about problems of the macro/micro variety ... New Jersey couldn't keep Chris Kreider (hat trick) from loitering around the net two days ago and appeared stuck in the Pineland muck as Adam Fox went endzone to endzone and scored just 2:06 six into Saturday's game.

Trailing 2-0 in the first, P.K Subban scored at the 14:54 mark.  Just 0:17 seconds later, Mikhail Maltsev tied the game at two.  But outside of Nathan Bastian's inconsequential goal at 17:48 of the third, Newark went missing for the final forty minutes of play.

Mackenzie Blackwood was faced with killing five Rangers' power plays.  He allowed one goal and made five saves.  Blackwood otherwise allowed four even-strength goals while making 17 saves, and 22 saves in 27 shots overall.  The Rangers' sixth goal was into an empty net.  This comes on the heels of getting yanked early in the third period of Thursday's game, in which he yielded four goals on just 15 shots.

🏒

Victories Over Buffalo And Newark Are Little To Write Lester Patrick About, But The Kids And Grown-Ups Are Finally Learning How To Play Together

The 21-year old Filip Chytil, since returning from injury three games ago, is a plus-four with a goal and two assists.  It's worth noting he went scoreless in his first game back, which really gives him three points in his last two games.  Chytil was the primary assist on Kevin Rooney's goal late in the first period helping the Rangers regain a 3-2 lead.  Filip then scored at 8:38 of the third, giving the Rangers a more comfortable 5-2 lead.  It's his third goal in only eight games played this season and his first since Jan. 22 at Pittsburgh.  

Meanwhile, Mike Zibanejad was a minus-one with just one shot on goal in back-to-normal shifts and time on ice.  However, he appeared to be in some discomfort during the closing minutes of the game.  Bruised or not, I would again urge Coach to start Filip Chytil on the first line.  There's no sense in disrupting Ryan Strome's role on the second line, not coming off two goals on Saturday and four points in these last two games against the Devils.  He's planted his flag with eight goals and 17 points through 22 games.  Therefore, I say put Mika Zibanejad on the third line for a spell.  Everything Coach Quinn does is already transient in nature.  This would be no different.  Sometimes the best decisions start out being the most unpopular ones.  Otherwise, the Rangers received four goals from their centermen against the Devils on Saturday.

Just 1:33 into the game, Sami Vatanen was whistled for a mindless high-sticking penalty against Brendan Lemieux - not the other way around!  Enter Adam Fox, who at 0:36 into the power play, goes end-to-end, splitting the Devils PK unit straight down the middle, and scored unassisted sans his goalie Alexandar Georgiev.  Cycling back to Lemieux, I'm copacetic with his 12:49 minutes at even strength and a fleeting moment on the power play.

Playing in his first game since Feb. 18, Kaapo Kakko assisted on Ryan Strome's first-period goal.  Also, with an assist, Chris Kreider now has twelve points in his last nine games.  Likewise, with an assist, Pavel Buchnevich now has five points in his last three games.

Similar to the way New jersey started the first period, just 1:05 into the second session, they again commit one of the cardinal sins in hockey when Rangers' blueliners K'Andre Miller and Libor Hajek catch Newark napping.  Hajek converts a Miller feed for only his second goal in 45 career games as a Ranger.  In fact, Blueshirt defensemen contributed two goals and four points.  Even Jack Johnson administered five hits and committed no penalties, and Brendan Smith led the team with four shots on goal.

Still, minus Artemi Panarin and Jacob Trouba, the Rangers are now winners of three straight.  These last two victories against the Devils just happen to be the Rangers' ninth and tenth wins of the season. 

Getting the start in place of the injured Igor Shesterkin, Alexandar Georgiev stopped all but three of 27 shots; two saves on special teams.  Georgiev will have a quick turnaround as the Rangers take on the Penguins at Pittsburgh on Sunday.

Long Islanders Turn Away Visiting New Jersey Devils

From the desks:  NO SLEEP TILL BELMONT & THE BRICK CITY STYX

THURSDAY

Devils         1

Islanders   4

FINAL

Just a couple of observations:

Mackenzie Woodman did not play, and it showed.  The Islanders edged out the Devils (35-31) in shots on goal.  Backup Scott Wedgewood, making his first start of the season and playing in only the 25th game of his spotty career, made 31 saves.  Mathew Barzal opened the scoring at the 4:43 mark, and Jordan Eberle closed out the first period with a goal at the 19:39 mark.  That stings.  All the Devils could muster was an early second period goal from Nathan Bastian.  In the third period, Jordan Eberle scored his second of the game and Brock Nelson netted the Islanders fourth goal of the game, both on the power play, both early in the period.  Said another way, the Devils were undone by penalties and several ill timed goals.

The four-line Islanders had five forwards with at least four shots on goal, and five skaters all together.  Whereas the Devils had just one forward with at least four shots.  Rather they were led by their blue-liners, six shots from P.K. Subban and five by Damon Severson.  Nikita Gusev was next in with four shots from the wing.

Newark will host Long Island when these teams meet again on Sunday.

N.Y. Rangers: Battle of the Hudson Resumes

From the desks of: 

RAISE GRESCHNER WITH THE GREATS  &  THE BRICK CITY STYX

BATTLE OF THE HUDSON - I

New York Rangers

vs.

New Jersey Devils

FROM

THE ROCK

It's time I welcomed myself to the 93rd season of New York Rangers hockey.  It's also high time the Rangers hoist Ron Greschner's #4 to the rafters!

Thank you very much ...

Even though the front office hastened the rebuild, I enter this season with few expectations.  But, boy, am I a happy camper!  The triumvirate of John Davidson, Jeff Gorton, and David Quinn, along with this collection of young talent, has elevated my enthusiasm to levels not experienced since 1992 (Roger Neilson withstanding).  Sure, they financially capped themselves like a jar of marmalade, but I don't care.  Everyone I want in a blue shirt is present and accounted for right down to Anthony DeAngelo's last minute signing.

DROPPING PUCKS

• I mean Mika Zibanejad no slight, but I like the idea of entering the season without a captain.  The Rangers are in a good place.  Let some of these players distinguish themselves first.  If everyone takes the ice with the characteristics of a captain in mind then eventually one will materialize.  But make no mistake, Zibanejad has a big fan in me.

• Henrik Lunqvist's playing time is a big concern.  At this stage of his career perhaps less is more.  Two seasons ago Henrik started 60+ games for the eighth time in his career.  Last season he was limited to 52 starts.  In March he turns 38-years old.  Not one bit do I mind him chasing down career milestones.  In fact, I'm rooting for him.  But closer to the point, I just want Alexandar Georgiev receiving representative minutes in net.

• What is Chris Kreider still doing here?  He is the last person I expected to survive Gorton's purge.  But since he still dons a blue shirt, how about some consistent play for a change.  If Kreider ever gets his head screwed on straight could be a top forward of the league ... but it isn't, and he's not.

NYR - Kaapo Kakko

(2019 #2 overall draft pick)

vs.

NJD - Jack Hughes

(2019 #1 overall draft pick)

And let us not forget Nico Hischier, the 2017 first overall pick of the 2017 draft.

Point being, the next ten years of metropolitan area hockey is shaping up to be a lot of fun.  Just don't say that too loud.  Newark is off to a ponderous 0-4-2 start, and giving away multiple goal leads like candy on Halloween.  With the return to full duty of Taylor Hall, and the big acquisitions of P.K. Subban and Wayne Simmonds, no one anticipated such a start as this.  All I'll say for now is that coach John Hynes deserves to see this through.

Raise Gresch With The Greats