N.Y. Rangers: Confused Mission Statement

From the desk: RAISE GRESCHNER WITH THE GREATS

Friday Night Is Alright For Fighting

 Kevin Rooney vs. Scott Laughton

Flyers       1

Rangers   4

FINAL

I began the season with no expectations and saying this campaign is about learning how to lose.  I mean that within defeat lay the education and gaining insight into the little things it takes to win at this level.  

This season's division alignments provided a wonderful classroom for just that, with intensified schedules against the Capitals, Bruins, Islanders, and Penguins.  I wanted these kids thrown into the fire.  What doesn't kill you makes you stronger, but the experience would have been invaluable if it weren't for one thing: Coach Quinn and his incessant reconfiguring of lines on the fly.  When Coach Quinn and the coaching staff were made to quarantine, AHL coach Kris Knoblaugh filled in wonderfully by rolling four lines and leaving them alone.

How refreshing!

The Rangers still trail the Bruins by four points.  Despite playing them twice more to end the season, the Bruins still have two more games in hand.  And quite frankly, I don't want the Rangers making the playoffs because I feel Quinn has left them unprepared for that level of play.  Therefore, I want him devoting the remaining minutes of the season more towards this team's up-and-coming talent from here on out.

Friday against the Flyers, Alexis Lafreniere skated 22 shifts for 17:49 minutes, and that's a good thing.  In return, the highly touted teenager rewarded Quinn with a goal and an assist.  However, Filip Chytil was held under 14 minutes, while Kaapo Kakko and Vitali Kravtsov were held under 13 minutes.  I would like to see Lafreniere, Chytil, and Kaako Kappo on a line together more, so they can grow and learn to play together.  After all, that's what rebuilding teams do, and that's what these Rangers are, and that's why Quinn has frustrated me through the second half of the season.

Kaapo Kakko and Artemi Panarin assisted on Chytil's third-period goal, his eighth of the season.  Likewise, it was Kakko's eighth assist of the season. 

Don't you wanna see more?

Chris Kreider opened the scoring at 6:02 of the first while on a power play.  That's fine, but I know he's not carrying this team if they make the playoffs.

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.

N.Y. Rangers: Coach Quinn Returns With Mixed Results

From the desk: RAISE GRESCHNER WITH THE GREATS

RETIRE #4 ALREADY!!!

Adam Fox has now registered points in ten consecutive games.  The streak ties a Rangers record shared by (among others) Ron Greschner and Brian Leetch.

In fact, Fox has 18 points over his last ten games with two goals and 16 assists.

The sophomore blueliner finished his rookie season with 42 points and a plus-22 through 70 games and placed fourth in the Calder voting.  This season, Fox to date has notched four goals and 29 assists through 36 games.  His 33 points presently are the second-most points by a defenseman this season behind Victor Hedman.  Saturday's game also marked the seventh time this season he's registered multiple points in a game.

Making his NHL and Rangers debut, Vitali Kravtsov generated three shots on goal while participating in 14 shifts during 10:45 minutes on ice.  He joined fellow Rangers' first-round draft pick Filip Chytil, K'Andre Miller, Kaapo Kakko, and Alexis Lafreniere.

🏒

Buffalo is the lone NHL team still with single-digit victories and own a league-worst minus-46 point differential.  Saturday's win over the Rangers was only their eighth this season for their still league-worst 22nd points of the season - six points behind the Ducks and seven behind the Red Wings.

But the Rangers apparently never received the memo.  In two straight games against the worst team in the league, the Rangers fail to win either during regulation time.

Artemi Panarin opened the scoring at 10:02 of the first period with a power-play goal on feeds from Fox and Chris Kreider.  Panarin's second goal of the night came at 17:52 of the second period, assisted by Ryan Lindgren and Adam Fox.

Buffalo's Casey Mittelstadt tied the game the first time at 13:01 of the first.  In the third period, Artemi Panarin got beat in the defensive end, which led to Victor Oloffson's game-tying goal at the 16:19 mark.

Joining Panarin with a minus-one for the game were Kaapo Kakko, Ryan Strome, K'Andre Miller, and Jacob Trouba. 

After a scoreless overtime, Buffalo's Linus Ullmark outlasted Igor Shesterkin in the shootout.

The Rangers were 4-2 in Coach Quinn's absence.  Mika Zibanejad scored 16 points while Coach was away; twelve of those points came in two games against the Flyers.  They are now 2-1-1 since Coach Quinn's return, and Zibanejad has notched just one point.

Otherwise, the Rangers' centermen came up empty once again with just five shots on goal and no points.  Pavel Buchnevich had more shots on goal than the Rangers' centers combined.

Chris Kreider is no different.  The erratically effective forward is averaging just two shots per game.  But I put that more on David Quinn and his inability to establish a team identity.  With just under a half-season left, Kreider might very well reset his career-high in goals.  Just imagine Kreider spending more time shoving bodies in front and cleaning up rebounds.  Apparently, Quinn can't.

At one point, Quinn paired Filip Chytil and Kaapo Kakko with Pavel Buchnevich.  I don't mind the line, per se, but I'm getting tired of his inconsistencies and constant reactive line changes.   

Yeah, I'm looking at the guy calling the shots.