Rangers 6, Sabres 3.
Click here to read my game story from lohud.com.
Click here for the boxscore with links to the game summary, etc.
Click here for Alain Vigneault’s post-game press conference video.
Thoughts:
1) Everything’s relative, right? Compared to Sunday in Ottawa, this was a masterpiece. Compared to some of the games in December, this was pretty darn good. Alain Vigneault stuck with the script, which has been pretty accurate in my opinion, that besides the Ottawa game, his team is taking the right steps back toward where it needs to be. Mostly. “I do believe that this group is on the right track,” AV said. Then he interrupted the next question and laughed out loud, “and you know, every time I say that, something like (the Ottawa game) night happens. But no, just kidding.”
2) But, my God, it was a mess at times. Trading chances with a terrible team like that, giving up a two-goal lead in a span of 1:13 of the third period? I mean, is this really how a legitimate contender performs? There was no excuse for the effort in Ottawa, none. This one was better, there was effort, but it was incomplete and slovenly at times, and it was a great escape with two very-much-needed points headed into the seven-day John Scott All-Star break. Derick Brassard (2-3-5) said he wasn’t aware of some of the things Vigneault said about Sunday’s game. “He doesn’t have to say it,” Brassard said. “We’re pretty honest with each other. We’re old enough to know if we played a good game or bad. But we just answered with a good effort tonight. We didn’t play well (Sunday). Our head was not in the game. We tried to play a good game, and tried to leave everything out there.”
3) I’m going to be honest, until the empty-net goal, I had no idea that Brassard had four points. Like everyone else, he was awful in Ottawa, and much better vs. Buffalo. But I don’t think this was one of those five-point games that make you go, Wow! They’re going to need him to produce, to be a better player over the final 33. (Guess who was the last Ranger with four points in one period of a regular-season game … answer below).
4) This team, as we’ve said, is really lacking in top-end skill on the first two lines. You could argue, as I have, that they really don’t have a star-type first-line center, and outside of Rick Nash – who has woefully underperformed in terms of his main job, scoring goals – they really don’t have another star-type forward. So for this team to go, its other “second-line” types need to play to their level, or beyond. Most of them have performed below.
5) I’ve made it pretty clear that I think Brassard has terribly underperformed, as well. And there’s no need for it. He’s a terrific skater, has great vision, a tremendous and underappreciated (even by him, I think) shot. He’s not winning any Selke Trophies. His team needs him to be the player he was last night. And that doesn’t mean five points every game – as I said, I don’t think that was a five-point type of game. He needs to play hard, much harder than he has, and he needs to contribute offense. His numbers for the entire season (17-19-36) are damn decent. But we know that too many nights he’s been a ghost in their offense.
6) Buffalo was the perfect foe at the perfect time. I mean, after what happened in that mailed-in game on Sunday, you don’t want to have to beat Washington or Chicago or even Florida or the Islanders the next night. Alain Vigneault gave the Rangers some what-for publicly, said the performance – after the Rangers had taken all those small, but mostly forward, steps – “sort of buckled me.” No kidding.
7) So the Rangers needed a turn-around, and here was Buffalo, served like a bucket of chicken wings. AV’s words couldn’t have been followed by a better opponent. It reminded me of …
8) … Trying to remember which baseball manager used to call a team meeting for a good chewing-out on the day his ace was pitching. Might have been Casey Stengel with Whitey Ford, or Red Schoendienst with Bob Gibson or Walter Alston with Sandy Koufax … whatever. Makes your chew-out look good.
9) There were nine goals in this game, and a bunch of them were accidental to whatever degree. Quite unique. Vigneault said, by his team’s stat-keeping, the Baby Buffaloes had three legit scoring chances in the first two periods. I could have sworn I saw one by Evander Kane 14 seconds into the game, beating Dan Girardi from behind the icing line, and Henrik Lundqvist had to make a quick save.
10) Seven seconds later, Chris Kreider – one of many who had a snoozer in Canada’s capital, hit a post. Then Ocho Cinco Johnson made the miraculous stick-paddle save on Oscar Lindberg after the Viktor Stalberg steal and Kevin Hayes pass. It was on.
11) Then the Rangers took over for a long stretch. Poor J.T. Miller – the Rangers’ best forward, maybe best player, lately – got drilled by a Hayes shot and was stung. The next time he was out, he went to the net – something that didn’t happen much at all Sunday – and caused a ruckus as Dylan McIlrath’s shot went in off Rasmus Ristolainen’s stick, the goal originally credited to Miller.
12) McIlrath – in for Dan Boyle, whom AV said was tired and not playing well, but who will probably be right back in there when the season resumes in Newark Feb. 2 – had a couple of good early shifts. Ten seconds before the goal, his keep-in (if it did stay in) and shot created a rebound chance for Mats Zuccarello.
13) Funny, McIlrath was on the ice during a stoppage in the second period when they announced the scoring change, giving him his second NHL goal. He looked up at the board and smiled, and Keith Yandle, whose play has really been good on the rare occasions he’s been able have McIlrath riding shotgun with him, came over and gave him a tap on the pads.
14) Before I get too far along, I want to go back to Lundqvist, who made some saves early, but wasn’t really very good at all. He was great in some games lately, let them hang in for a long time in Ottawa, and got away with one Monday. The Brian Gionta waste-high deflection, I don’t know. It bounces off the ice. But short-side? That can’t be a good goal. He got beaten on a virtual breakaway, and an in-close uncontested shot by the John Scott of last season, Zemgus Girgensons. Not his best game. No real softies by definition,but not his best.
15) Also, Nash, ICYMI, had an MRI, which was negative. Just a bone bruise, and AV expects him back after the break (lot of acronyms in those sentences). The Rangers are 3-1 in the games he’s missed, somehow, but they are a different team without him.
16) Even Hayes was moving his feet, though he had an early chance and passed up a shot chance to dangle in closer, got in too deep and put the puck behind Ocho and through the crease. Then he had a terrible icing in the middle of the period, standing near the defensive blue line and flinging it down the ice. There was an equally bad one by Jesper Fast later in the period.
17) So back to the “accidental” goals. The puck was bouncing – and not because of bad ice, but off of sticks, legs, skates, etc. when Marcus Foligno knocked one off of Hayes’ stick, it dribbled toward the slot. Stalberg took a swipe at it. It would be difficult to classify it as a shot. But it beat Ocho Cinco for a 2-1 lead late second.
18) Early third, Kevin Klein kept the puck in. Fast’s pass looked to be intended for Miller, went through the slot and in off Brassard’s skate (p.s., you’re seeing names of guys who really struggled Sunday and were a lot better in terms of “try” and “compete” Monday – Zuccarello, Klein, Hayes, Kreider). At 3-1, 1:06 into the third, against that team, it should have been Game Over.
19) It wasn’t. Marc Staal and Stepan were beaten for a puck by Jack Eichel – who is going to be a beast, and going to beat a lot of players to a lot of pucks. Klein, Kreider and Zuccarello all had front-row seats as Girgensons scored all by his lonesome. Just 1:13 later, a turnover – sorry, I forgot who committed it – then a jailbreak for the Baby Buffaloes. Worse, Tanner Glass decked Klein, which made it a 2-on-1, for Eichel and Girgensons of all people. Staal couldn’t prevent Eichel’s pass from going across, Girgnesons had a breakaway from the top of the circle, 3-3. Ooof. Complete mess. Fire drill. (Since it was Esa Tikkane’s birthday, let’s call it, as he did, a “Fireplace”).
20) Two quick goals against? That never happens to the Rangers (sarcasm). But remember how many times in late-November/December the Rangers just folded like cheap suits in those situations? This time they reacted, and got another break. On a 3-on-2 break, Fast’s pass for Brassard hit Bogosian’s stick and went directly to Miller for a virtual empty-netter and the winner.
21) Then … New York, your long await is over! A power-play goal, the first actual PPG off an actual PP setup, in 13 games. Brassard to Stepan, through the box, to Zuccarello for a one-timer. Imagine. Zuccarello hit a pipe, made some terrific passes (Kreider just shanked a redirection), was involved around the net, used his wheels, and was another guy who stunk in Ottawa and was much better against the Buffaloes.
22) The power play had been beyond lousy since Stepan’s return from broken ribs, which has to be coincidence, because he’s really one of their more gifted power-play forwards/point-men. How is that possible? But the Rangers had a chance to pad the lead with a PP late in the first. Nada. Second period, after Stalberg’s speed drew a penalty by Cody Franson, Zuccarello had a PP rebound chance. But there were four Rangers above the circles – Kreider, Yandle, Stepan and Brassard as that was happening. AV, of course, said he thought they had some Grade A looks. Maybe looks. Maybe some shots. Maybe some reasonable puck movement. But I didn’t think it was anything wonderful by any means.
23) Stepan got flat-out whacked in the nose by the stick of Jake McCabe (Caber!!!) and was bleeding from both nostrils – he said he wasn’t sure if he broke it, but that it sure hurt. Should have been a double-minor. Play on.
24) Wonder if Stepan thanked Ryan O’Reilly for his contract.
25) Ya boys aren’t even gonna practice until next Monday afternoon, then play the Devils in Newark Tuesday. What a whacky schedule this has been. All these back-to-backs, all these three-in-fours, and all these long breaks with no games. Ryan McDonagh (today: good captain) will represent the Rangers at the John Scott 3-on-3 tournament, and you can bet there are going to be some pulled groins or something during that fiasco. Keep your fingers crossed.
26) Man, there are some fragrant teams in this stack of mediocrity known as the National Hockey League.
27) Last Ranger with four points in one period? Sean Avery in 2007.
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My Three Rangers Stars:
1. Derick Brassard.
2. J.T. Miller.
3. Dylan McIlrath.
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Kenny Albert’s Three Rangers Stars:
1. Derick Brassard.
2. J.T. Miller.
3. Mats Zuccarello.
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Leif Skodnick’s Three Rangers Stars:
1. Derick Brassard.
2. J.T. Miller.
3. Jesper Fast.
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Your poll vote for Three Rangers Stars:
1. Derick Brassard.
2. J.T. Miller.
3. Dylan McIlrath.
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Photos by Getty Images.
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