The morning after defeating the Buffalo Sabres on Thursady night, it was quite an eventful day in hockey Gotham for he New York Rangers. The Blueshirts are currently in seventh place in the tightly contested Eastern Conference, announced bad news regarding one of the team's top four defensemen. The team also announced injuries to another star rear guard and a scoring forward.
The team also plucked one of it's top prospects from his Swedish Elite League club and assigned the player their AHL affiliate.
Veteran blue liner Kevin Shattenkirk said Friday morning that he has been dealing with a painful injury to the meniscus in his left knee since the end of training camp. Shattenkirk kwill undergo surgery on Monday to repair the damage to his knee. Shattemkirk said he tried to play through the pain and discomfort, however, he felt he's "come to a point now... it's the right time to get the surgery."
Shattenkirk, 28, signed a 4-year, $26.6 million contract ($6.65M AAV) with the Rangers last summer. His first season in Gotham has been a rollercoater ride. In 46 games played, Shattenkirk has 5 goals and 18 assists. He's a disappointing -14 rating. He's averaging 21 minutes TOI per game. A power play specialist, Shattenkirk scored 13 goals and 43 assists in 80 games played last season with the St. Louis Blues and Washington Capitals. Acquired at the 2017 trade deadline by the Caps, Shattenkirk disappointed in the playoffs scoring only 1 goal and 5 assists in 13 games played.
Shattenkirk will be sidelined indefinitely.
To replace Shattenkirk in the lineup, the Rangers have recalled Anthony DeAngelo and Daniel Catenacci.
Rangers bench boss Alain Vigneault said Friday morning that forward Jimmy Hayes and defenseman Marc Staal will travel and skate prior to Saturday's game in Colorado, and both are 50/50 to play in Sunday's game in Los Angeles.
Remember the Team Sweden captain who threw his silver medal into the crowd at the recently completed IIHF World Junior Hockey Championships in Buffalo? His name is Lias Andersson.
The talented young forward created quite the hockey buzz at the WJC's when he launched his silver medallion over the glass and into he crowd after losing the gold medal to Team Canada. The exquisitely skilled young forward made more news today. Andersson had been on loan to Frolunda of the Swedish Elite League Sweden, however, he is now a member of the Hartford Wolf Pack.
Andersson was part of the silver medal-winning Swedish World Junior Team earlier this month. Andersson grinded away and competed well for Team Swedden despite an AC joint injury to his shoulder. Andersson was the captain of the squad and recorded seven points in seven games while rlling on his team's top scoring line alongside Elias Pettersson (Vancouver) and Alex Nylander (Buffalo). Andersson shocked the world when he was frustrated by the late goal Sweden allowed to lose the tournament. Andersson would later get his medal returned to him from a passionate fan from Buffalo.
Andersson chucked his silver medal into the crowd. You don't see that often from NHL first round draft choices , do you?
Team Sweden officials intercepted Andersson before he did something stupid with the trophy he was presented with in the postgame ceremony. Breathe, Lias. Breathe.
The fan in the "America" sweater who caught Andersson's silver medal did the kid a solid and gave is back to a Team Sweden official. I'm a diehard hockey fan, however, I have never rocked THREE hockey tarps at the same time.
Have you?
Savage move. Nice salad.
I'm intrigued by the Rangers assigning Andersson to Hartford. Are they contemplating calling the skilled Swede to plug and play on Broadway during the playoff run? Andersson has himself an impressive first NHL training camp. Andersson has scored 14 points in 22 games for Frolunda. Can the kid slide into the NHL after a brief stint in the AHL?
Another angle on Andersson that I heard at the World Juniors in Buffalo is that that Rangers were willing to use the kid as trade currency to attarct a high profile, top six forward to the Rangers. The Rangers have been looking for an even strength goal scorer since earlier this month when they lost power forward Chris Krieder to a long term injury. Kreider, who has 22 points (11 goals, 11 assists) in 37 games. The top line left winger is out indefinitely following rib resection surgery on January 7 to address a blood clot in his right arm. There is no timetable for Kreider’s return to hockey.
Parlay the Kreider injury with the Shattenkirk long term injury and one wonders if teh Rangers are about to make a blockbuster trade for a forward and D. One also ponders if teh Rangers see themselves more as a seller than a buyer.
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Talk about a punch in the ribs you didn't see coming.
The dreadful season of the Edmonton Oilers has taken a turn for the worst.
The Oilers announced Friday that forward Ryan Nugent Hopkins will miss the next 5-6 weeks with broken ribs.
OUCH!
I once broke three ribs in a hockey collision. I smashed the wall and the wall won. The pain lasted for me for months, not weeks. Good luck RNH.
The Oilers are 3-6-1 in their last 10 games with RNH in the lineup and currently find themselves in 13th place in the Western standings and to quote the immortal Tom Cochrane, they are "sinking like a sunset".
RNH is the leading goal scorer for teh Oilers with 16 goals (McDavid, 15). He also has 15 assists in 46 games played. He's avering 17:39 TOI per game. Last season, RHN scored 18 goals and 25 assists.
The playoffs are a pipe dream for McDavid and company this season. I'll bet dollars to donuts that Pete Chiarelli tears it down and sells off his assets at the February 26 trade deadline.
How cute. The Oilers, Sabres and Coyotes are going back to the future. This time around, the cellar dwellers are
#FreeFallinForDahlin
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The Department of Player Safety has given Kings forward Dustin Brown a very light sentence for yet another punk hit on yet another vulnerable opponent. Brown's change purse is $10,000 lighter after this scumbag hit on Justin Schultz of teh Pittsburgh Penguins on Thursday night. Brown was assessed a boarding major and a game misconduct. Damn straight. When will this guy learn?
Brown was given a hearing with the Department of Player Safety on Friday so that they could collect a $10K skin from the two-time Stanley Cup champion.
Brown is a repeat offender and deserved a one or two game suspension for his stupid, avoidable, dangerous hit on the defenseless Schultz.
I fully and completely expected Brown to receive a suspension, especially with a previous incident in his past that earned him two games for an elbow on Jason Pominville. Though it happened more than 18 months ago and would not classify him as a repeat offender in regards to the salary he would have to forfeit, all history is taken into account by the DoPS when handing out supplementary discipline.
Player Safety handed a $5K fine to Geno Malkin for his spear to Dustin Brown's nether region.
For Malkin, the incident came in the first period when he appeared to purposefully lift his stick forcefully between Brown’s legs when they came together at the boards. Malkin was not penalized on the play, but will now be under more scrutiny from the referees and league going forward
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