The Rangers, despite outshooting the Flyers 38-19 and outplaying their opponent after the first 100 seconds of the game, lost 1-0 in their return to action Tuesday. Anthony Stolarz did what seemingly every backup goalie does to New York, stone them while turning into an impenetrable force. The big news prior to and likely during the game was the scratching of Pavel Buchnevich by coach David Quinn.
Game recap:
David Quinn Post-Game:
Pre-Game discussing scratching Pavel Buchnevich:
Lines with Buch sitting and Mats Zuccarello out with a foot infection:
Kreider-Zibanejad-Namestnikov
Chytil-Strome-Fast
Vesey-Hayes-Howden
McLeod-Nieves
Skjei-McQuaid
Staal-DeAngelo
Smith/Pionk-Shattenkirk
Georgiev
1)
Buchnevich - scratching Buch in a game where Zucc is out is suboptimal right of the bat. Add in no goals on 38 shots with an even more material shot advantage and of course Rangerstwitter is up in arms. With Brett Howden now "out for a while" with a knee injury, it's possible Buch gets in, especially since the 11/7 format, despite a solid game, resulted in no goals, but if Zucc's foot injury is healed enough to play, if Buch sits again, we will be at Defcon 1.
We all railed when coach Alain Vigneault sat Buchnevich. Now with a second coach, whose mandate varies broadly from AV, as he is not required to win immediately, also scratching Buchnevich, maybe it is the player and not the coach. Is it effort, body language or a combination of the two resulting in Quinn sitting Buchnevich? With 15 points in 32 games, his production isn't stellar, but with fourth line duty and playing line, that output is reasonable. So clearly other reasons are driving Buchnevich sitting in the press box.
Larry Brooks put it well describing what this message is to Buchnevich. The last paragraph below is the key. If he doesn't get it now, he likely never will. But I am also of the belief that you don't deal talent for a second rate return just to receive an asset back, need I remind everyone of Alexei Kovalev years ago. Hopefully the message was received and will be incorporated by Buch appropriately in his game, resulting in us talking about his production and how well he is playing rather than if he should be sitting.
It is not simply a wake-up call, either, not when it comes in the club’s first match following an extended bye/All-Star break that started Jan. 20, not when it comes without a corresponding move to insert a different forward into the mix, and not when it had already happened three times.
This, rather, is an air-raid siren being blasted into Buchnevich’s ear by David Quinn, who quite obviously had had enough with the third-year pro’s approach on the ice before reaching this stunning decision.
Yes, it must be frustrating for Buchnevich (nine points, six assists, 15 points in 32 games) to get relatively small doses of five-on-five play, and on a team that is starving for offensive production. But his diminishing ice time is on him, not the first-year coach who followed the veteran coach named Alain Vigneault who, lo and behold, handled the winger with very much the same kind of tough love.
Peripheral numbers are not enough.
2)
Hayes, the third-leading scorer on the team, returned to the lineup working between Brett Howden on the left and Jimmy Vesey on the right. But after Howden left midway through the first period with a knee injury Hayes ended up as the second line center, with Filip Chytil and Jesper Fast on his wings. Hayes, who has missed nine games with an upper-body injury, posted six shots on goal in 22:25 in his first game since Jan. 2.
3)
Chris Kreider - dominant performance, five shots and six hits. But when he should have lifted the puck, he didn't, and when he could have shot low, he lifted the puck. Likely could have had 2-3 goals last night.
4)
Anthony Stolarz and Flyers - look at these numbers from the post-game write-up on NHL.com. All you can do is scratch your head.
It was the first shutout of the season and second in the NHL for Stolarz, who had not played for the Flyers since sustaining a lower-body injury in the first period of a 5-1 loss at the Vancouver Canucks on Dec. 15. With the win, Stolarz is 3-3-2 with a 3.44 goals-against average and .896 save percentage in 10 games (eight starts) for the Flyers this season. He had a 3.90 GAA against all other teams before turning into the second coming of Terry Sawchuck.
Oskar Lindblom, beating four Rangers around the net to the puck, scored for Philadelphia (21-23-6), which has outscored opponents 20-10 during the longest active winning streak (five games) in the NHL.
The Flyers have won six games in a row against the Rangers, shutting them out in three of the past four.
5)
Vally on Georgiev:
6)
One more, just added. New York is not about to give up assets to bring in a big name potential free agent now. It's counterproductive, makes no sense and goes against management has said they will do this season. In free agency come July or just before, then by all means, be aggressive. That means no deals for Artemi Panarin, especially what was proposed in the comments in the other blog, because Columbus would likely laugh at that offer. This also means not dealing for someone like Tyler Seguin or anyone of that ilk now. Assets that expire will be moved, with Hayes the one unknown. Those that are viewed as part of the future will remain, and even if a possible future asset is moved, it will be for someone under contract or under control for several more seasons
Will be interesting to see the line combinations in practice and for Thursday night. I will be attending the game. Let me know if any of you will be as well.
New York Rangers Blogger • 
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