NFT: New York Rangers @ Detroit Red Wings, 8:00 pm

the Isles picked up about as lucky a charity point as you'll ever see last night. Two seconds left, they just send one towards the net and it's off the defenseman's skate and in. Luckily, the blew it in OT and only got one.

Major test for this group over the next 4-5 games. Hopefully we see more performances from Talbot like we got the other night.

Benn was in front of the net and it rocketed right off his skate and into the net. God forbid a team in the Metro doesn't get a point somehow.

Fuck 'em. 3 points back with a game in hand is where the real focus is.

we're 1 point back with 3 games in hand

.

carry on

BTW, I'd be satisfied with five points over the next four games. I'd be happy with six (and very happy if those six came against the Eastern teams).

(Last time I said something like this we won every game.)

Can't complain with the points we've gotten with Prince back there, but the offense has been the reason for that. I just hope Hank doesn't come back rusty like he's been starting off the seasons in recent years.

.

Sather and AV just keep saying he'll be fine and he'll be back, he's making progress, skating, he continues to be evaluated, etc.. but there's still no timetable.

I think if he can just get back around the 22nd when we play Anaheim, he should be able to get 10 games in before the playoffs. I think that'd be fine.

In comment 12162590 BrettNYG10 said:

Quote:

BTW, I'd be satisfied with five points over the next four games. I'd be happy with six (and very happy if those six came against the Eastern teams). (Last time I said something like this we won every game.)

Im aiming for 4-0, with at least one forfeit.

with the likes of Datsyuk, Zetterberg and Franzen adding more vets at the deadlone in Cole and Zidlickit. Fewest losses in the league including only 5 at home and the leagues best PP, pretty impressive. Stay out of the box boys and get it done.

In comment 12162515 Kyle in NY said:

Quote:

the Isles picked up about as lucky a charity point as you'll ever see last night. Two seconds left, they just send one towards the net and it's off the defenseman's skate and in. Luckily, the blew it in OT and only got one.

And they'll likely get the Florida Panthers goalie coach on Saturday now. Unbelievable.

But i dont even really care about this division - the Caps are on fire and a really sound team anyway. I just want to finish top 2 so we get home ice in the initial round, i do think that's important.

I think Pittsburgh steals the division anyway. Their schedule the rest of the way is a joke - just 6 playoff teams on their 20 game schedule. If they survive the California trip with a couple of points, they can cruise the rest of the way.

I think it's really dependent on the next four games. No one else in the division is playing that well right now. The Islanders have looked really inconsistent to me compared to October-December when they were consistently the best team on the ice.

Four in a row. Last 10 is 6-3-1.

4 straight games on the road against playoff teams. but even after that we have 8 of final 16 against playoff teams - including another 4 on road (that Boston Minnesota Winnipeg trip will be tough)

Its not that I think pittsburgh is a world beater - it's just that they're built well for the regular season, they're finally healthy, and they made
some nice moves in getting Perron and winnik. and they have very few games left against playoff teams

even if Pittsburgh wins the division I'd only make them slight favorites at best in a seven game series with the caps

just throwing this out there because I'm bored on a Wednesday afternoon, and maybe this has been going on for years and i just never noticed, but seems like this year...

1. Every team out of it dumped their free agents-to-be, for anything... just so they could get something back. NJ for example dumping Zidlicky for a 3rd rounder and skewing the balance of power to an extent in the Atlantic annoyed me.

2. We basically circumvented the cap with the Yandle trade by getting Arizona to agree to park some of our excess salary cap on their balance sheet per se (since they have no alternate use for it next year). Again, we paid a steep price for that balance sheet help in the from of Duclair and a higher draft pick... but to me its every bit the (creative) circumvention that Lou pulled a few years back with Kovy and got docked draft picks for.

I think the playoffs and league would be better served if they cleaned some of this stuff up and maybe adopted MLB's rules of forfeiting draft picks on Free Agency day (July 1) which would prevent some of the fire sales we saw this week. Dont know if players would ever agree to that though.

To me the Champion should be which team pretty much from opening day through June was the best team - not which teams were able to acquire the most expiring contracts on March 1.

Red Wings IMO went from likely first round fodder to legit Cup contender this week with their moves and they gave up basically nothing to get there.

In comment 12162535 YAJ2112 said:

Quote:

we're 1 point back with 3 games in hand

Really just 1/2 a point (w/tie breaker)...

.

Vaughn OHL Goaltender of the Month – Brandon Halverson (Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds):
Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds goaltender Brandon Halverson is the Vaughn OHL Goaltender of the Month for February, going 8-1-0-0 with a goals-against average of 2.00, a .933 save percentage and two shutouts. The New York Rangers prospect helped the Greyhounds maintain their Western Conference lead with back-to-back shutouts on February 14 and 16 to earn CHL Goaltender of the Week honours. Halverson is on a current eight game winning streak that dates back to February 11 and saw the Hounds clinch their second consecutive West Division title. The 6'4", 188Ib sophomore goaltender was busy in the month of February, starting nine games while making at least 30 saves in five victories.

A native of Traverse City, MI, Halverson is in his second full season with the Greyhounds after being the club's seventh round selection in the 2012 OHL Priority Selection. Halverson was the New York Rangers' second round, 59th overall pick in the 2014 NHL Entry Draft and represented the United States in the 2015 IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship. He currently sits second among OHL goaltenders with 34 wins on the season with a 2.73 goals-against average and .912 save percentage in 43 games.

Link - ( New Window )

was supposedly the best puck handling goalie in the system from the minute he was drafted. It still amazes me after a decade that Hank is so poor at handling the puck. Hank might be the worst long term starter I've seen at actually moving the puck. Others maybe make worse decisions, but Hank cant do shit with the puck on his stick.

the Rangers have done well in the two drafts where they didn't have 1's. Two more to go.

In comment 12163676 Phil in LA said:

Quote:

the Rangers have done well in the two drafts where they didn't have 1's. Two more to go.

Assuming they don't trade more first-rounders next year. ;)

Glass scratched. Shep in.

LFG

In comment 12163735 arcarsenal said:

Quote:

Glass scratched. Shep in. LFG

Happy day!

Sounds reasonable. Your post that is. Not that the Mets Are Back..

LGR!

.

In comment 12163770 Bones said:

Quote:

Sounds reasonable. Your post that is. Not that the Mets Are Back..

thanks - and actually the leafs trade with CBJ was most egregious of them all. a big market team gets out of salary cap hell basically by assuming the amnesty settlement with Horton - he will never play for them and doesn't count against their cap. circumvention of the spirit of the rules

anyway... 30 minutes til puck drop. big one tonight with both teams poised for deep playoff runs and after the #1 seed. Habs schedule is tough like ours the rest of the way so Babcock could actually pull a number 1 seed off.

Hank did see the doctor last week and they got "extremely encouraging" news and that everything was healing nicely. He's been skating with the team every day and McKenzie thinks he's back in the lineup in 10-14 days barring any sort of setback.

Do you have a link?

your lips to God's ears my friend!

Brooksie wrote this morning that Lundqvist was still "at least" 2 weeks away... which basically means "at least 6 weeks away".. versus an initial estimate of 4-6 weeks.

Anyway, i thought you were spot on this morning when you said we just wanted him back around those LA/Anaheim games.. not so much the opponent (Though I do want to sweep LA), but since he'll need about 10 games to get back into game shape.

In comment 12163830 Mike in Long Beach said:

Quote:

Do you have a link?

McKenzie said this on NHL Live on NBCSN 10 mins ago.

In comment 12163845 MetsAreBack said:

Quote:

your lips to God's ears my friend! Brooksie wrote this morning that Lundqvist was still "at least" 2 weeks away... which basically means "at least 6 weeks away".. versus an initial estimate of 4-6 weeks. Anyway, i thought you were spot on this morning when you said we just wanted him back around those LA/Anaheim games.. not so much the opponent (Though I do want to sweep LA), but since he'll need about 10 games to get back into game shape.

Yup, if we're being conservative he will probably be back right around then. With the back to backs factored in from then on, he'd be able to get around 10 starts which I think would be sufficient for him to knock off the rust.

I feel a lot better now. Just needed to hear some damn news about the guy.

In comment 12163850 RodneyHamp said:

Quote:

In comment 12163830 Mike in Long Beach said: Quote: Do you have a link? McKenzie said this on NHL Live on NBCSN 10 mins ago.

Ah, thanks Rodney

That would have been a golden chance

Happy with this start. Hopefully a goal is on the way for us.

grief.

...

But what the heck, count it anyway.

We've seen far less called a kick in the past.

.

The rangers deserved to be scored on right there, but why bother having the rule at all if that play is considered a good goal upon review?

Does that shit in front of the net. Accomplishes nothing.

How do they say that was a good goal?

.

.

That would be no goal for the Rangers.

Soda

In comment 12163991 nygmen84 said:

Quote:

That would be no goal for the Rangers.

That's a silly thing to say. The league just has zero idea what it is doing with the enforcement of the kicking rules

It was like a changeup and threw everyone off.