Good morning, and happy Thursday! I wanted to get a quickie out here as the NHL action is coming fast and furious. We’ll get you up to speed on the exciting games that took place Tuesday night in Around the Rink, but first I wanted to talk about the Rangers clinching their playoff spot. Let’s dive in!
Playoff Bound
In the words of Peter Laviolette, “wow, huh.” Tuesday night’s matchup with the Flyers was nothing short of a roller coaster. What was a sleepy 2-0 Philly lead became a 6-5 Rangers OT win. Adam Fox sniped home the GWG, clinching the Blueshirts place in the playoffs. Now this “clinch” was mostly a formality, but nonetheless it stands as the first achievement of a season the Rangers hope to end as the champs. As the Garden celebrated, I was struck by the thought of how fun this season has been after most of the fanbase was seemingly not looking forward to it.
As mentioned in the last article of this series, the Rangers weren’t expected to do much this year, but from the get-go they have worked to prove doubters wrong. There were some bumps along the way (January) but in the end they have truly put together a brilliant campaign. The hard work has only just begun and hopefully your heart passed the test Tuesday night, there is more stress ahead.
Before we move on I wanted to hit on a few topics from the game, and no they don’t include the Rangers poor defending, I’ll chalk that up to personnel and an off night. Instead, I want to highlight Mika Zibanejad’s big night. While he may have overpassed a bit early, I felt he was the best Ranger on the ice (the bar wasn’t high). As the game wore on he took over scoring a goal and setting up Trocheck’s shorthanded beauty. He’s been hot of late with (3 Goals and 3 Assists in last 5 games), long may it continue.
I also wanted to offer a few thoughts on the Rangers opponent here. Give the Flyers credit, they’re extremely resilient! They have defied the odds all year and while they’ll be kicking themselves for losing this one, they have a lot of character. This comes as no surprise as John Tortorella has molded Broad Street in his own image. Philly is as gritty as they come, a real throwback to Ranger teams of the early 2010’s. Should they make the playoffs, and I expect them to, they won’t be an easy out.
Before we move on to Around the Rink, congrats to Ranger coach Peter Laviolette on his 800th win in the NHL. Lavy’s had a brilliant run in this league and deserves far more respect than he gets at times. He came in this year to a muted reaction at best, but he and this team have won the fans over. Laviolette and his staff have gotten the most out of this group and improved the way they play every night. Let’s hope he and his assistants can lead the Blueshirts to the promised land next.
Around the Rink
With our Ranger recap in the can, it’s time to see what happened in the other key playoff races and games in “The National.” It’s time to go Around the Rink.
Party on Broadway: Death, Taxes and the Predators winning hockey games, at least that’s the trend of late. Their furious comeback victory over the Golden Knights on Tuesday night was capped by a winner off the stick of Roman Josi. The sudden death win makes them 16-0-2 in their last 18 games, further solidifying Smashville’s place in the playoffs as the first wild card team. It feels like they will be quite the threat this spring as Andrew Brunette and Barry Trotz have turned this team around quickly, making them candidates for coach and GM of the year.
Strome’s OT Strike: The Rangers and Predators weren’t the only to make a comeback Tuesday night, as the Capitals rallied to knock off fellow Wild Card contenders Detroit. The Wings held a third period lead but the Caps stayed with it and were carried to the win by an OT GWG from Dylan Strome. Strome is almost as good a story as the Caps are this year as the journeyman center is enjoying a career year with 60 points through 71 games. If he can help Washington finish the race as Wild Card number two, it will complete a Cinderella season.
Crash Landing: While several teams are red hot around the league, the Winnipeg Jets are ice cold. Their OT loss at home to the Oilers Tuesday night pushed them to an 0-3-1 record in their last four. That four-game stretch follows their biggest win yet this season as they knocked off the Rangers in New York, but since then it’s been downhill. They now sit third in the Central division and are slated to face the Avalanche or Stars in round one without home ice advantage. As good as the Jets are, they are staring down a very tough draw if they don’t turn things around.
Battle of the Atlantic: Let’s move over to the Atlantic Division. The Bruins visited the Panthers and pulled off the upset victory in Sunrise 4-3 Tuesday night. The game was yet another physical contest between these two after their playoff rivalry kicked off last spring. The win moves Boston atop to the division and into position for a top two seed in the East. If they B’s hang onto first, all those OT points will have been worth it.
Triumph and Foolishness: Let’s take a pause from breaking down Tuesday nights excitement and talk about Oilers forward Zach Hyman hitting a major milestone. Hyman has been a brilliant signing in Oil Country and this season has been the pinnacle of his success as he hit the 50-goal mark for the first time in his career. Hyman is well liked by his teammates and players around the league, and received plenty of congratulations for the achievement, but of course because we live in 2024, someone had to knock him down for it. NHL reporter Andrew Berkshire used Hyman’s big moment as an opportunity to knock the barriers young people worldwide have to face when trying to play hockey. While there is certainly validity to Berkshire’s thoughts about the game, calling a player “lucky” to hit the 50-goal mark because he grew up wealthy, especially a player like Hyman who has grinded since joining the league, maybe you should leave things alone. I won’t link the clip here so I can save you the brain cells, instead I’ll just congratulate Hyman on the big moment!
Legacy Night: While it’s mostly been another forgettable season for the Coyotes, Tuesday night’s contest against Columbus was a bright spot for desert dogs. Josh Doan, son of Coyotes legend Shane Doan, made his NHL debut in style, scoring two goals in front of his parents. It was a magical night for the young man, and hopefully there are more where that came from.
He Scored How Many?: File this one under the “weird” category this season. Journeyman checking center Jason Dickinson has had a career year for the tanking Blackhawks, scoring his 20th goal Tuesday night against the Flames. Dickinson has always been a fine player, but this is certainly out of the norm for him. Hopefully he’s enjoyed the fun of becoming a fan favorite in Chicago.
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