The Raanta era - yes, that is firmly tongue in cheek - began with a 4-1 win Sunday in Detroit. With Henrik Lundqvist out 2-3 weeks with a hip injury, Raanta gets another chance to shine. The victory makes Raanta 14-4 in 20 games played and New York is in great shape having him as a back up. This is why I am already concerned about what may happen in the expansion draft. In addition, the other big story was Derek Stepan getting the weight of the world - otherwise known as a 23-goalless streak - off his shoulder following a gorgeous feed from Chris Kreider.
This game was further evidence of how much Ryan McDonagh's game has risen, or reverted to prior form, the past 4-6 weeks. McDonagh's rush up the ice late on the first period short handed resulted in a tap-in goal from the crease. Kevin Hayes raced up the right side of the ice with the puck and put the puck between Petr Mrazek’s legs. McDonagh beat everyone to crease to give New York a 1-0 lead late in the opening period. McDonagh has four shorthanded goals since the beginning of the 2013-14 season, tied for first among NHL defenseman over that span.
After Frans Nielsen tied the game 1-1 early in the second period following a beautiful tic-tac-toe passing play, McDonagh struck again. Raanta stepped up his play then, stoning several good Detroit chances to keep the game tied. Goal goalies make saves at key moments and that's what Raanta did yesterday. Great forechecking kept the puck alive, and Marc Staal - yes, Staal - fed McDonagh in front for the tally. Having both d-men down low isn't usually a wise strategy, but this time it worked.
Just 37 seconds later, a really nice passing sequence made it 3-1. New York gained the offensive zone. J.T. Miller slid down the left side and took a feed from Michael Grabner, then make a hard cross ice pas to Hayes for the goal. That marker was Hayes 17th goal of the season to go along with career-highs in assists (29) and points (46) this year. Miller, who was highlighted in the NBC Sports broadcast for having played in Detroit, had another really solid game while Grabner, back in the lineup after missing two games due to his hip injury, added two assists as that line was reunited. Lots of positives in the win but that trip back together was one large one.
The fourth goal resulted from a solid forecheck by both Kreider and Mats Zuccarello. Zucc created the turnover with the puck landing on Kreider's stick. CK20 made the gorgeous cross-ice feed to Stepan for his first in 24 games. This time, Step had some puck luck, as his knuckle puck floated over Mrazerk's shoulder and under the crossbar for the goal. You could see the relief on his face and from the reaction on the bench that they knew just how important that goal was.
Look for a similar lineup tonight against Tampa. I didn't think Steven Kampfer had a particularly good game. But Adam Clendening is so far down the depth chart, it likely won't matter how Kampfer plays until Dan Girardi, hopefully skating soon, and Kevin Klein, still sidelined, are ready to return. Brendan Smith was fairly good in his return to Detroit. Other than late in the first and part of the second, I thought the team overall played well. Offensively, Rick Nash drove possession while the fourth line, including Tanner Glass, had chances.
While we all - or at least it seems that way - want New York to stay in fourth place and the first Wild Card spot, the Metro continues to remain interesting. The Capitals are in the midst of a huge slump, which has corresponded with the trade deadline, leaving Washington just one point up on the red-hot Penguins with Pittsburgh holding a game in hand. Columbus won't go away, and they are three points behind the Caps also with a game in hand and two back of Pittsburgh. The Rangers, who have played the most games at 69 and lead the league with 25 road wins, trail Columbus (two games in hand) by two points, Pittsburgh (two games in hand) by four and Washington (one game in hand) by five. Stranger things have happened, though with a 14 point on Toronto (two games in hand on New York) and seeing how hot Pittsburgh and Columbus have been, New York is fairly likely to stay where they currently are in the standings.