Category Archives: In the Crease
Emerson Etem and Jesper Fast’s development shouldn’t come at the cost of Tanner Glass playing time
Bobby Bevilacqua
Photo courtesy of MSG Photos.
Alain Vigneault has shown an unwarranted allegiance to Tanner Glass since the enforcer was signed to a three year deal prior to the beginning last season. He’s scratched better players in favor of Glass and seems to refuse to acknowledge the fact that he’s a detriment to the lineup.
Glass played all 19 playoff games last season, playing over others who would have had more of an impact, like James Sheppard. He dressed in 66 regular season games, more than Jesper Fast and Lee Stempniak.
Vigneault decided to play Glass the last two games, scratching Jesper Fast in order to make room for him. While he was surprisingly solid against Columbus, recording seven hits and two shots on goal, last night’s game against Winnipeg was a more telling example of his typical performance.
Glass played on the fourth line with Dominic Moore and Jarret Stoll, and they were practically invisible throughout the night. When Glass was on the ice, the Rangers had a single shot attempt. One. That’s it. The Jets had 14 shots on goal when he was on the ice. Read the rest of this entry
What we learned from the Rangers season opener
Bobby Bevilacqua
- Oscar Lindberg seems like a bona fide pro. His performance against the defending champion Chicago Blackhawks was an encouraging sign of what is to come, and he was my first star from the game.. Lindberg opened the scoring less than two minutes into the game, killing the atmosphere at the United Center. He nearly scored again, but was denied in front by Crawford. For a lot of the night, Lindberg was the best forward on the team. He was a monster defensively, won six of the nine faceoffs he took, and helped spark the offensive production from the third line. Vigneault trusted him enough to try him out as the third line center, giving him more offensive freedom and opportunities to score. Lindberg’s performance, and the whole line’s performance, is part of the reason why there’s no lineup change for tomorrow. Excellent first game from Lindberg.
Photo courtesy of Getty Images.
- JT Miller was Lindberg’s linemate last night, and my goodness was he impressive. Miller kicked off the night with an assist on Lindberg’s goal, making a sweet cross crease pass right to the rookie’s stick. He made an equally impressive pass to Keith Yandle, picking up a secondary assist on Kevin Klein’s goal. While I said that I thought that Chris Kreider could eclipse 30 goals this season, or in the near future, I also said that JT Miller could easily be a 40 point player. Vigneault knows him and trusts him now, which is great for his confidence.
- Speaking of Chris Kreider, he was playing like a man possessed against Chicago. He was effectively using his blend of speed and strength to pressure the opposing defenders. If he hit the net a bit more consistently, I’m sure he would have scored a goal or two. And I think he will score in Columbus.
- No need to worry about Kevin Hayes. After a poor preseason, Hayes fit in perfectly alongside Derek Stepan and fellow Boston College Eagle Chris Kreider. There was some concern over whether or not Hayes could still be a playmaker on the wing, and it seems like he can be. His assist on Derek Stepan’s goal showed excellent awareness and hockey instincts. On top of that, he won all five of the faceoffs that he took. Hayes can stickhandle in a phone booth and pass just as well as anyone on the team, so I’m excited to see him in a top six role.
Six Questions the Rangers face heading into opening night
Bobby Bevilacqua
Photo courtesy of MSG Photos.
Each season, fans and analysts have plenty of questions regarding their team as the season draws near. The Rangers are no different. While the preseason answered the questions about depth, lines and defensive pairings, a lot remains unanswered.
This is a very important year for the franchise, with new GM Jeff Gorton at the helm and the Rangers looking to get oven the final hurdle and win the Stanley Cup for the first time since 1994.
Here are some of the biggest questions that the Rangers face heading into the 2015-16 season. Read the rest of this entry
Rangers roster decisions may hint at a future trade
Bobby Bevilacqua
Raphael Diaz cleared waivers, but where does his future lie? Photo courtesy of Getty Images.
After a successful summer and some smart moves to improve the roster from top to bottom, the Rangers headed into training camp with some questions. Who would play center, would the prospects finally crack the roster, and what would the line look like? These were just a few of the questions that plagued Vigneault and his staff.
With the preseason over, there are still a fair amount of questions that remain unanswered.
The Rangers current roster situation doesn’t make much sense. During the preseason, Vigneault talked about wanting to keep eight defensemen and 13 forwards, but wasn’t sure if they could fit it under the cap. Instead, the Rangers decided to keep 14 forwards and push themselves right up against the salary cap. Read the rest of this entry
Is a seven man defensive rotation a possibility for the Rangers?
Bobby Bevilacqua
Dan Girardi and Ryan McDonagh may need some rest at points during the season, and Vigneault may want to use a seven man rotation on the blue line. Photo courtesy of Bruce Bennet/Getty Images.
In baseball, some teams will opt to utilize a six man pitching rotation in order to keep the arms of their young pitchers fresh, as well as give pitchers who are recovering from injury more time to rest. The Mets used this strategy for most of the season, preserving the arms of Matt Harvey, Jacob deGrom and Noah Syndergaard.
Why not apply this same idea to hockey?
The Rangers are coming off of a season that saw many of their defenders go down with injuries. Dan Boyle broke his hand. Ryan McDonagh hurt his shoulder and broke his foot. Kevin Klein broke his arm. Marc Staal and Dan Girardi both needed surgery on their ankles. And Keith Yandle sprained his shoulder in the playoffs. Read the rest of this entry
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