What Chris Kreider really means

Chris Kreider doesn’t have to be a difference maker at this stage of his career even if that would be a nice bonus. What he needs to do is be able to add depth to the forwards and help Tortorella roll line after line and add his speed to the mix. Brian Boyle is exhibit A of how in the playoffs it’s often the depth that wins games and scores the big goals.

There will be plenty of games when the likes of Marian Gaborik get shutdown. It’s then that the likes of Brian Boyle need to be the difference. That’s why this Rangers team has the chance to go deep; because they have that depth. It’s one of the main reasons the Bruins won the cup last year; behind spectacular goaltending and depth. And we know this Rangers team has goaltending.

In game three, Kreider looked timid at first but grew as the game wore on. His line may have lacked cohesion but right now all Kreider has to do is hold Hagelin’s spot, learn on the fly and not be a liability. Kreider should stay in the line up when Hagelin returns because with both kids in the team and with Gaborik in full flight, there are not many teams that can match this kind of explosive speed up and down a line up.

Kreider should improve as the playoffs continue. Simply through more practice, a longer adjustment period and with fewer nerves (after all, it was his pro debut) Kreider should be able to become a bigger factor. In his 11:11 worth of ice time Kreider got better each shift. That’s no mean feat against a team that threw the kitchen sink at the Rangers towards the end.

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Eastern Quarterfinals Game 3: Rangers at Senators

Series: Tied 1-1.

NYR Regular Season Leading Scorer: Marian Gaborik (41-35-76)
OTT Regular Season Leading Scorer: Jason Spezza (34-50-84)

NYR Goaltender: Henrik Lundqvist (62 GS, 1.97 GAA, .931 SV%)
OTT Goaltender: Craig Anderson (60 GS, 2.83 GAA, .910 SV%)

Rangers Lines (looks like these are the official lines to start the game):

Chris Kreider-Brad Richards-Marian Gaborik
Brandon Dubinsky-Artem Anisimov- Ryan Callahan
Ruslan Fedotenko-Brian Boyle-Brandon Prust
Mike Rupp-John Mitchell-Derek Stepan

Defense:

Ryan McDonagh-Dan Girardi
Michael Del Zotto-Anton Stralman
Marc Staal-Stu Bickel

Henrik Lundqvist gets the start

Probable Scratches/Injuries:  Mike Sauer (concussion), Mats Zuccarello (wrist), Carl Hagelin (suspension), Steve Eminger (healthy), Jeff Woywitka (healthy), John Scott (healthy)

Preview: For all their mistakes in Game One, the Senators made the Rangers pay in Game Two. Their goal was to get under their skin and play a tougher game, and it worked.

We learned that the Senators are willing to take it to the next level when needed, and that they can do it successfully. The scarier thing is that we learned that the Rangers can be beaten at their own game. This is now a very interesting series.

Much like with Game Two, the wild card here is the referees. The officiating in both games has been incredibly inconsistent, and both sides have seen their share of bad calls and non-calls. It’s a shame really, this had the potential to be a great series, but it’s marred by terrible officiating.

Crazy Thought: Dubi gets a hat trick and a Gordie Howe hat trick. Dude appears to be that fired up.

Crazier Thought: A powerplay goal. For the love of all that is holy…a powerplay goal.

Eastern Quarterfinals Game 2: Senators at Rangers

Series: Rangers up 1-0.

NYR Leading Scorer: Marian Gaborik (41-35-76)
OTT Leading Scorer: Jason Spezza (34-50-84)

NYR Goaltender: Henrik Lundqvist (62 GS, 1.97 GAA, .931 SV%)
OTT Goaltender:  Craig Anderson (60 GS, 2.83 GAA, .910 SV%)

Rangers Lines (probable):

Carl Hagelin-Brad Richards-Marian Gaborik
Artem Anisimov-Derek Stepan- Ryan Callahan
Brandon Dubinsky-Brian Boyle-Ruslan Fedotenko
Mike Rupp-John Mitchell-Brandon Prust

Defense:

Ryan McDonagh-Dan Girardi
Michael Del Zotto-Anton Stralman
Marc Staal-Stu Bickel

Henrik Lundqvist gets the start

Probable Scratches/Injuries:  Mike Sauer (concussion), Mats Zuccarello (wrist), Steve Eminger (ankle), Jeff Woywitka (healthy), John Scott (healthy), Chris Kreider (healthy)

Preview: The Senators didn’t play well in game one, revealing their biggest weakness which is a subpar team defense. As I said in our recap, the Senators will likely make the necessary adjustments and should be tighter for game two.

We also learned from game one that the Senators had to abandon their trap once the Rangers took the lead. This forced the Senators to be more aggressive, but also exposed them defensively. Even with the lead the Rangers stayed aggressive and it’s their commitment to backchecking combined with the mobility of their defensemen that keeps the Rangers from experiencing the same flaws.

The wild card here is the referees. I thought Don Van Massenhoven Tom Kowal and Dan O’Halloran were very inconsistent in their calls in game one. I can’t say I am familiar with Kowal, but O’Halloran was one of the refs (including Sutherland) who was guilty of re-writing the rulebook for Sean Avery AND always seems to swallow the whistle against Pittsburgh. None the less, the Rangers need to do exactly what they did in game one and play through any BS calls.

Not That Crazy A Thought: Rangers just need to get it done tonight. I do not want to go to Ottawa with the series tied.

Eastern Quarterfinals Game 1: Senators at Rangers

Series: Series is tied at 0-0. Senators took the regular season series 3-1.

NYR Leading Scorer: Marian Gaborik (41-35-76)
OTT Leading Scorer: Jason Spezza (34-50-84)

NYR Goaltender: Henrik Lundqvist (62 GS, 1.97 GAA, .931 SV%)
OTT Goaltender:  Craig Anderson (60 GS, 2.83 GAA, .910 SV%)

Rangers Lines (probable):

Carl Hagelin-Brad Richards-Marian Gaborik
Brandon Dubinsky-Brian Boyle-Ryan Callahan
Artem Anisimov-Derek Stepan-Ruslan Fedotenko
Mike Rupp-John Mitchell-Brandon Prust

Defense:

Ryan McDonagh-Dan Girardi
Michael Del Zotto-Anton Stralman
Marc Staal-Stu Bickel

Henrik Lundqvist gets the start

Probable Scratches/Injuries:  Mike Sauer (concussion), Mats Zuccarello (wrist), Steve Eminger (ankle), Jeff Woywitka (healthy), John Scott (healthy), Chris Kreider (healthy)

Preview: It’s the first time in a long time that the Rangers have opened the playoffs at home, and it’s a great feeling. The Rangers have a tough draw with the Senators, but it’s definitely a winnable series. Suit previewed the Senators style of play here, and Justin previewed Craig Anderson’s goaltending style here. Make sure you read up on those before reading my series preview here.

Not That Crazy A Thought: Hank gets the shutout in a blowout.

Rangers and Senators first round series preview

Well, the day has finally arrived. Tonight, the puck will drop at MSG for the first round of the 2012 NHL playoffs. The Rangers have the top seed, and drew the Ottawa Senators in the first round. This is a tough matchup for the Rangers, as they went 1-2-1 (essentially 1-3) against the Senators during the regular season. The Rangers were awarded the Senators after Ottawa lost their last three games of the year. The Rangers don’t have much of an advantage there, as they have lost their last two games.

The playoffs are about more than recent streaks and regular season records, so let’s see how these two teams match up against each other.

Offense

The Senators boast a very talented top line. Milan Michalek-Jason Spezza-Daniel Alfredsson is one of the most dangerous top lines in hockey, scoring a total of 96 goals and 203 points between the trio. Those 96 goals represent 38.5% of Ottawa’s 249 goals (tied for 4th in the NHL) during the regular season. But perhaps their biggest weapon offensively is Erik Karlsson, who led all NHL defensemen with 78 points (19-59-78).  Karlsson does it all for the Senators, and is the catalyst of this dangerous offense. When it comes to depth, the Senators have just one additional player (Nick Foglino) who cracked 40 points this year. Suit broke down the Senators aggressive hybrid trap and how they use this to generate chances off turnovers. So if you missed it, go read up before the puck drops.

The Rangers are extremely similar to the Senators when it comes to offense. They boast a dangerous duo in Marian Gaborik (41-35-76) –the only 40 goal scorer in this series– and Brad Richards (25-41-66), their two leading scorers. Rookie Carl Hagelin completes that top line, where his pro-rated point total would have topped 40. The Rangers, like the Senators, have just four players who topped 50 points and one additional player that topped 40 (Hagelin not included).

The difference here is that the Senators have Karlsson, while the Rangers best offensive threat from the blue line is Michael Del Zotto (10-31-41).

Advantage: Senators.

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The Staal Factor

While this season the Rangers top defensemen have undoubtedly been the Dan Girardi and Ryan McDonagh tandem, perhaps one of the most key aspects of a successful first round series against the Ottawa Senators may be the play (and subsequent impact) of Marc Staal.

Without doubt Staal is and has been a number one defenseman but as everyone knows, injury has meant his play has taken a while to get close to his own high standards. Indeed, he’s still not the Marc Staal of old however his play has been steadily improving of late and how Staal handles the quick and tricky Senators offense could have a huge bearing on the series.

Every Ranger fan know of the team’s 1-2-1 record in the four games against the Sens this year and will be acutely aware of how the team has struggled to score against them.  Amid the 14 goals credited to the Sens in the season series it perhaps went unnoticed that Girardi was a -3 in those four games while Ryan McDonagh was -1.

Both players were also held scoreless despite providing the Rangers with solid offensive seasons with 29 and 32 points respectively. Clearly neither player has produced their best performances against the Sens and therefore how guys like Mike Del Zotto, but especially Marc Staal, cope in the series will be essential. The Rangers don’t want the top pairing munching 30+ minutes a night if they have realistic designs of a deep run.

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Rangers first round schedule

This was released on Sunday, but for those who missed it, the schedule is below.  Also note that MSG will cover all of the first round games, in addition to the stations listed below. NBC was not given exclusivity to the first round.

Thursday, April 12, 2012                7 p.m.                Ottawa at NY Rangers        NHL Network, CBC
Saturday, April 14, 2012                7 p.m.                Ottawa at NY Rangers        NBC Sports Network, CBC
Monday, April 16, 2012                7:30 p.m.                NY Rangers at Ottawa        CBC, CNBC
Wednesday, April 18, 2012                7:30 p.m.                NY Rangers at Ottawa        CBC, CNBC
*Saturday, April 21, 2012                7 p.m.                Ottawa at NY Rangers        NBC Sports Network, CBC
*Monday, April 23, 2012                TBD                NY Rangers at Ottawa        TBD
*Thursday, April 26, 2012                TBD                Ottawa at NY Rangers        TBD

Florida, Washington, or Buffalo

With two games left in the regular season, the Rangers only have two unknowns. The first is the President’s Trophy, and the second is their first round opponent. Florida, Washington, and Buffalo are in a dogfight for the last two spots in the Eastern Conference. One of Florida or Washington will win the Southeast and lay claim to the third seed. The other will be fighting with Buffalo for that last spot.

Smart logic puts Florida in as the third seed and Southeast Division champions. They need one point in their next two games –Washington to not get a point in their final two games– to clinch the division. Despite their goal differential (-25), Bettman point bonuses (18) or their low number of regulation/OT wins (31), the Panthers will return to the playoffs as Southeast Division champs.

As for Washington and Buffalo, well they are both tied with 88 points with two games left to play. Washington has the lock on ROW wins, so Buffalo needs to finish ahead of the Caps in points in order to make the playoffs. Both teams are facing two playoff teams in their final two games, so it’s could come down to the last game of the year.

Washington has the clear advantage here, their magic number is at four. A loss hurts Buffalo much more than it hurts the Caps, so it will be interesting to see how this plays out. In all likelihood, the Rangers will get the Caps or the Sabres. Both are capable of beating the Rangers in a seven game series. The Caps have done it routinely over the past few seasons, and any team with Ryan Miller in net is a dangerous team. It’s going to be a tough draw in the first round.

Will playoff inexperience hurt?

With the top seed in the Eastern Conference all but wrapped up (the Rangers need one point in the next three games, or a Pittsburgh loss of any kind), the attention has turned to the playoffs. The Rangers will either get Florida, Washington, or Buffalo in the first round, and it’s tough to say that the Rangers are more experienced than any of those teams in the playoffs.

The Rangers have three Cup winners (Mike Rupp, Brad Richards, Ruslan Fedotenko), and just six guys with more than 20 games experience (Marian Gaborik, Brandon Dubinsky, Ryan Callahan, Dan Girardi, Marc Staal, Henrik Lundqvist). Of those five players, only one has made it past the second round (Gaborik).

Everyone else on the roster has six games or less of playoff experience at the NHL level. Of course, that doesn’t mean they don’t have playoff experience at other levels. Carl Hagelin, Ryan McDonagh, and Derek Stepan all competed at the Frozen Four. And a number of the kids that played in Juniors have made the playoffs.

When John Tortorella’s Tampa Bay Lightning won the Cup in 2004, that team wasn’t very experienced either. They had a lot more skill of course, but they weren’t the grind-it-out team that the Rangers are. Different teams, different styles, same amount of experience. Sometimes experience can be overrated, but sometimes it’s invaluable in a pressure packed game 7 or overtime.

One thing is for certain, if experience is going to be a factor, then the Rangers are going to turn to Rupp, Richards, and Fedotenko to keep the lineup calm and composed for the playoffs. It’s why all three were brought in.

Rangers on the road; would It matter?

Do the media and Box office have too much influence over the NHL?

Led by Rick Carpiniello at his Rangers Report blog, rumours are beginning to circulate that the Rangers are considering (somewhat) giving up home ice advantage due to contractual commitments (concerts) at the Garden, the condensed NBA season schedule and of course, NBC’s television scheduling demands.

If true, this will create quite a stir amongst Rangers fans and crank up the negative feelings towards NBC whose prime concern is being able to show both the Rangers series and the Pens – Flyers (surely a big ratings draw). The initial rumour/suggestion can be read in Carpiniello’s blog and would see the Rangers still retain game 7 at home if needed.

Rangers fans shouldn’t necessarily see it all as a negative however. Change can be a good thing, even if it is temporary change. At the end of the day, we’re still discussing the second best road team in the NHL starting on the road. This isn’t exactly the 11 win Columbus Blue Jackets giving up home ice to Vancouver.

If the Rangers did end up starting on the road for two, before apparently three straight at home, and they could just split that pair it could even be advantageous given the team’s strength at home this season. What this all does suggest however is the league’s desperation to get in bed with NBC and hints at their attempts, regardless of the means, of increasing exposure to the league. Sometimes that’s a good thing sometimes that’s a bad thing.

…..Or is it just an April Fool’s joke?……