Dan Boyle blocked a shot with his hand and now he’s out 4-6 weeks. That hurts. Coming off the heels of a nice 3-2 win. For most fans it took some of the joy out of beating the St. Louis Blues.
Matthew Lombardi had his contract voided and now he’s headed back to Europe. He refused to report to the AHL so both parties are moving on.
Rick Nash had a great performance, a two-goal game, and a game-winner to boot. That’s all you can ask for on opening night. With the Boyle injury and Stepan being out at least another 7-9 games, the Rangers need to play .500 to stay competitive and in approximate playoff position.
Mike Kostka has been recalled. No big deal there. He can block shots. Matt Hunwick switches to the right side, we’ll see if he can handle that.
Looks like Ryan Malone could be a healthy scratch it depends on Tanner Glass’s back. All game time decisions.
Anthony Duclair looked good too.
Marty St. Louis looked good. He was in mid-season form on offense. His 36% on face-offs is a potential issue. He’s going up against the best centers in the league and that may be too much of a mismatch for the converted winger.
I’m not a fan of the forward at the power play point. Never will be no matter the player. I always think it’s a defensive liability and a few times a season that forward, unless he’s a big guy, can get overpowered for the puck and a breakaway ensues for the opponent.
Chris Kreider has always been the real deal. I always told people that even when John Tortorella was misusing him. Alain Vigneault has made sure the team springs him free a few times a game causing mismatch problems for the other team.
I think he’s the Rangers best home-grown, forward since Jean Ratelle. That’s right. I know who else is on that list but I stand by my statement. I’m not comparing their playing styles because they’re different. And the game is different too. Every team in the NHL is trying to draft players with Kreider’s skill set and his incredible strength.
Mats Zuccarello got into his first NHL fight. He fought T.J. Oshie. The tale of the tape is this.
The Hobbit: 5-7, 179
T.J. Oshie: 5-11, 189 - This was his third-career fight.
Oshie won easily but Zuccarello smirked as he went off to the penalty box.
Final Thought: When the Rangers signed Boyle I felt like it was the second coming of Doug Harvey. Harvey a perennial all-star was also a 7-time Norris Trophy winner so I’m not comparing anything but their ages and points. At 37, Harvey got 30 points, and at 38 he got 39 and he was effectively just hanging on after that. At 38, I think Boyle will get around 30-35 points even with the injury. You can decide if that’s worth the 2-yr, $9 million they are currently paying him.
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