The Rangers came home Sunday, fresh off a 1-0 win over Montreal on Saturday; a contest in they matched and many times exceeded the speed and physical play of the Canadiens. New York ran into a Kings squad that turned the tables on them, using a similar style that they so effectively utilized Saturday in notching a 1-0 win on Sunday. The victory by LA continued the Rangers' struggles against the West, versus whom they have just one victory, that coming in the second of the season against these same Kings. (Sorry for delay, in DC on vacation for a few days with my wife. Down the block from Verizon Center,nastily hate seeing that logo and red)
Game Lowlights:
The contest was one in which each goalie made several tremendous saves. Henrik Lundqvist made at least 6-10 spectacular stops to keep the Rangers in the contest. He was matched save by save and actually exceeded by at least one by Ben Scrivens, who notched his third shutout in the five games he has played. Since Jonathan Quick went down, all Scrivens did was sweep three games in New York-New Jersey, allowing just two goals in the three contests with whitewashes in two of them.
Of course, the main story was the overturned goal, in direct contract to what was announced on the ice when it was said that 'the call on ice is confirmed.' The resulting conversation has centered around whether goals put in via a kicking motion should count in general, should it matter if it was deflected in first, which as was pointed out in the blog, still wouldn't count per the rule, and should it matter if the kicking motion came inside or outside the crease. With the NHL looking to stimulate the game and boost goal-scoring, I am a bit unsure why a goal via kicking motion shouldn't be allowed, save for the possible safety issue, and can we at least define or have some consistency as to what is defined as a kicking motion versus a skating one? I can understand not allowing it in the crease due to the potential for injury given all the bodies there, but you can also tweak the rule so that if the skate comes off the ice, the goal is disallowed, but if remains on the ice with a kicking motion, it counts.
Rule 49: Kicking
49.1 Kicking – The action of a player deliberately using his skate(s) with a kicking motion to propel the puck or to contact an opponent.
49.2 Goals - Kicking the puck shall be permitted in all zones. A goal cannot be scored by an attacking player who uses a distinct kicking motion to propel the puck into the net. A goal cannot be scored by an attacking player who kicks a puck that deflects into the net off any player, goalkeeper or official.
A puck that deflects into the net off an attacking player’s skate who does not use a distinct kicking motion is a legitimate goal. A puck that is directed into the net by an attacking player’s skate shall be a legitimate goal as long as no distinct kicking motion is evident. The following should clarify deflections following a kicked puck that enters the goal:
(i) A kicked puck that deflects off the body of any player of either team (including the goalkeeper) shall be ruled no goal.
(ii) A kicked puck that deflects off the stick of any player (excluding the goalkeeper’s stick) shall be ruled a good goal.
(iii) A goal will be allowed when an attacking player kicks the puck and the puck deflects off his own stick and then into the net.
A goal cannot be scored by an attacking player who kicks any equipment (stick, glove, helmet, etc.) at the puck, including kicking the blade of his own stick, causing the puck to cross the goal line.
The bigger resulting discussion has been on the Rangers inconsistent offense. Yes, the power play did not look great, especially on the 5-on-3, but the attack had notched goals in six of their past none games, including the game-winner and only goal Saturday. The consistency in terms of attack and production has not been there, but it is eons beyond where it was the first 10 games of the season. In addition, LA has to get some credit; their physical play, speed and just as important, their ability to dominate in the face off circle 40-23, many of which in the D-zone, were immense in their win.
This brings up something that I wanted to cover. We need to remember that one game is just that, one game. Making generalizations or wide swings in emotion for a regular season game is overkill. In the playoffs, given the stakes, I can understand it. Trends over a longer period is the key. In this case, some of the argument makes sense as the production has been like a roller coaster. For the most part, those on the site get the fact that games can't be viewed in a narrow prism or vacuum and a broader view is needed. However, the are others who were so full of praise Saturday night, yet ready to make wholesale changes on Sunday evening. Changes will likely be made, but to expect anything to happen before Nash returned was a bit short-sighted.
There are lots of players whose performance have been up and down the scale. Kreider. Zuccarello. Stepan. Richards. You could almost name every player on the team that has fallen into to this type of situation. But again, you could almost say that about every player in the league, including Crosby and Malkin given their recent struggles on offense. I expect some changes to occur but when Nash returns, there should be three solid scoring lines, which should assist the inconsistent offense.