The Rangers had a solid effort from top to bottom in their 3-0 win over the Red Wings on Sunday. That was especially true in the play of the blue line, including several individuals, as well as of course Henrik Lundqvist, who notched his 300th victory and 49th shutout, tying him for the lead on the Rangers' career list. In addition, it was good to finally see Chris Kreider score - a pair of goals no less - and who said Derek Stepan had no speed? He sure looked like he was moving on that 2-on-1 setting up Kreider's second of the day.
Game Highlights:
One of my positives from the Carolina win was the special teams performance. Yesterday, that was the case on the penalty kill, as New York went 3-for-3 shorthanded with the Red Wings managing just three power-play shots. This means the Rangers have killed off 15 of 16 penalties in the six games since the Olympic break ended and thwarted nine straight power-play chances over the last three games. On the flip side the power play didn't score but generated some decent chances. One criticism I have of the PP is the neutral zone back pass to allow the trailer some speed through center ice. When it works, it's great, but to me, it opens up the chance of a turnover way too much, resulting in a break the other way.
The Rangers have a "first line," but as we have, any of the top three lines can fill that role. Yesterday, the fourth line got a lucky but hardworking goal and the Kreider-Stepan-Rick Nash got a big second and then hammer goal. As Pat Leonard pointed out, the Rangers scored all three goals on five-on-five after not having tallied at even strength in the previous seven periods across three games. What was a major positive was seeing how active Kreider was, notwithstanding the penalty. He still needs to be better defensively but if he uses his size in front and his speed in the neutral zone, the team can live with those defensive lapses. Separately, unsure if anyone heard his post-game interview with the NHL Network, but oh my god, were those questions horrible. Also, as pointed out yesterday, for all the flaws we perceive and criticisms we give Stepan, his defensive ability cleans up a lot of the messes left by Kreider and he helps out Nash, evidenced by his ninth place finish in last year's Selke Trophy voting. In addition, two assists extended his assist/point streak to six games (one goal, eight assists). He has recorded 17 points (four goals, 13 assists) in the last 16 games, and is now tied for second on the team with 44 points this season.
The blue line was good again yesterday. Pierre McGuire had another gushfest yesterday for Ryan McDonagh and rightfully so. We are running out of superlatives, and maybe we are biased seeing him daily, but we all think he is true Norris Trophy candidate. In addition, I thought Marc Staal was his usual solid self and will cover him more below based on Larry Brooks' column. Lastly, John Moore really came on as the game continued. I thought it was one of his better games, using his speed to create and continue plays while also responsible in his own zone, which was good to see as the Moore-Kevin Klein pairing had struggled at times lately.
Lundqvist was well Lundqvist. Good positionally while also making key saves, like the ones on Todd Bertuzzi and Justin Abdelnaker, to help preserve the lead and momentum. The post-game notes say all you need to know on just how good Hank has been in NY:
He became the 29th goaltender in NHL history to reach the 300-win mark, and is one of six active goalies with at least 300 wins. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, Lundqvist is the fifth fastest goaltender to record 300 wins (560 career regular season games). Lundqvist is now tied with Ed Giacomin for the franchise lead in career regular season shutouts (49), and is one win shy of Mike Richter’s franchise record 301 career victories. Lundqvist has held opponents to two goals or less in 12 of his last 17 games (12-4-1, 2.00 GAA, .933 Sv%, 2 SO), and is 14-5-2 in his last 21 (2.17 GAA, .928 Sv%, 2 SO). Today’s game was the 12th time this season he posted 30 or more saves, improving to 9-2-1 with a 2.07 goals against average, .943 save percentage, and two shutouts in those contests.
Pat Leonard wrote today: Anton Stralman’s agent, Marc Levine, told the Daily News via email on Sunday that a report of the Rangers’ defenseman rejecting a contract offer believed in the three-year, $9 million range was “false.” Levine did not elaborate. The unknown are whether that offer was really in that range and that's what he rejected or if there was no offer at all. Until either is better known, impossible to decide on what really happened.
Larry Brooks wrote in today's NY Post that Marc Staal wants to get his pending free agency after the 2014-15 season settled before next year begins:
"For me, the contract situation is definitely something I would like to take care of over the summer. That’s the goal, but that also has to be the way management looks at it, too, in order to get it done.”
This past year, the Rangers headed into the off-season with several pending free agents. Rather than being proactive, GM Glen Sather decided to let the situation fester and carry into the regular season. In two cases, Dan Girardi and Henrik Lundqvist, it played out the way we all wanted with both players coming back to the fold. In Girardi's case, the dollars and years were what we expected while for Lundqvist, the years were probably in the range we figured though the money was possibly a bit higher than we wanted. In Ryan Callahan's case, it didn't play out the way many of us expected when the year started and the constant questioning overshadowed almost everything to the deadline.
Brooks added:
Sather must make Staal Priority 1 of the offseason. Everyone understands the pull of Carolina, where Staal’s brothers Eric and Jordan play. The Rangers must find out as quickly as possible if Marc, in his seventh year in New York, wants to become a lifer or instead has his sights on joining his siblings upon reaching free agency in 2015.
If it is the former, if Marc wants to stay, then Sather must act on completing a long-term contract for this franchise cornerstone — and, perhaps, next captain — that will all but certainly be in the $5.5-$6 million range per season, no ifs, ands or buts about it because that is his worth in the marketplace. If it is the latter, if Marc intends to skedaddle, then Sather must act on completing an offseason trade with Carolina for a price as equitable as possible, given the circumstances.
I agree with this view wholeheartedly. Staal saw what his brother Jordan went through before he ultimately was dealt to Carolina. Another piece for Marc to consider is while Jordan got his money, I don't think the move there has played like he wanted. The winning he had in Pitt hasn’t been replicated in Carolina while the extended role he was expected to get, as a second line center, hasn't panned out into an increase in production. This is an area that Sather should bring up in negotiations, focusing on the comfort level Marc has here in NY, how much he is a fabric of what has and is being built here and the ability to play his whole career in NY with the team that drafted him.
If Marc wants to go or the $ requested are too high, deal him in the off-season, definitely re-sign Stralman and add another blue liner. If Marc wants to stay at a reasonable level, sign him to a Girardi-esque deal, with the rationale that it may be a mild bargain. How so? Because if Staal has a year where he shows he is healthy and as much as a lockdown d-man with some offensive upside that has been the hallmark of his carerr to date, that would likely drive up his price in free agency, seeing how badly good defenseman are needed around the league. In addition, it would give Marc comfort of mind to know that an injury won't cost him money while the Rangers then have another major component of their blueline in the fold long-term.
Be smart and proactive in this case Glen Sather.
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