Travis Yost: Better Know a Draft Pick: Radek Faksa, Kitchener Rangers
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Over the next few weeks leading up to the 2012 NHL Entry Draft on June 23rd in Pittsburgh, I’ll be covering some of the potential first-round selections for the Ottawa Senators. After their first-round elimination at the hands of the New York Rangers, Ottawa was locked into the fifteenth-overall draft pick — a beautiful landing spot for a playoff-caliber club.
Since Ottawa could essentially go in either direction be it forward or defenseman, I’ll be touching on a variety of talented prospects expected to step towards the podium in the middle of the first-round. Up next? Radek Faksa.
Previous Reviews
1. Griffin Reinhart, Edmonton Oil Kings
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Name: Radek Faksa
Team/League: Kitchener Rangers, Ontario Hockey League
Position: Center
Size: 6’3, 202 lbs.
Production: Calling Faksa’s transition to the North American style of hockey a success might be a conservative descriptor. Faksa was a PPG+ [29G/38A]player through his first sixty-two games in the Ontario Hockey League, playing a major role in Kitchener’s sixth-ranked offense in the regular season. Prior to his work with the Rangers, Faksa was absolutely lighting up Czech competition — his 49 PTS [19G/30A] in 28 GP with HC Trinec (U18) in ’10-’11 solidified his first-round status for the 2012 NHL Entry Draft a full year ago. More impressive than his offensive output, though, is his two-way play, highlighted by boorish physicality in the defensive zone. Faksa might not be the world’s most brilliant offensive talent, but he’s as well-rounded of a forward as there is in the upcoming draft. Another Mika Zibanejad (including past head trauma)? It’s certainly a fair comparison.
Interesting Quote: Love this bit via NHL.com between Kitchener GM Steve Spott and Radek Faksa right after his jump across the pond:
Prior to his initial season in the Ontario Hockey League, Spott asked his first-year import from the Czech Republic to jot down the number of goals he thought he would score as a rookie in Kitchener. Faksa predicted 15; Spott had other plans.
“I had 15 goals before the season but he crossed that out and put 25,” Faksa told NHL.com. “I already have passed that 15-goal mark, so maybe it’s possible. I didn’t believe him.”
“I did do that,” he said. “I think if there’s any negative to Radek Faksa, it’s his humility. He doesn’t realize how good he could be. He’s very respectful and I think sometimes just doesn’t give himself enough credit.
“When he came in here and put down 15 goals, I just told him, ‘Hey that’s not where you need to be.’ I told him 25 is the benchmark.”
And guess what? He reached his goal.
Trouble Areas: Discipline, for one. Faksa expressed to the Edmonton Journallast December that he was far too often taking lazy penalties, and would try to clean up his game as the season progressed. More troubling, though? Scouts remain a bit weary of Faksa’s overall game and subsequent ceiling. The Czech native has few deficiencies in his game — an unlikely mark in player development at such a young age. However, questions of his skill set have limited his stock from climbing even higher. Just how much upside does Radek Faksa have?
More, courtesy AllHabs.net:
While Faksa’s assets seem like the ideal combination for a big center; it is the belief of many scouts that none of his assets are truly elite and if he could take any one of them to the next level he could be considered a strong candidate to be a top line player. As mentioned, Faksa’s hockey sense is the closest to an elite-level, but it’s been said that if he could develop more confidence in his skill, and trust his abilities, he could be a dominant player in the NHL. The beneficial aspect to this would be that confidence is often earned through experience; therefore it is not out of the question that Faksa can develop into a top-line forward. Due to Radek’s size, and board-play, it is the belief of some scouts that he may be converted to a wing position to be used more effectively. Radek must also develop more strength to truly harness the power of his six foot three frame.
Why Ottawa?: Well, even with the addition of Kyle Turris, there’s not a massive amount of quality center depth in the organization. Zack Smith’s transitioned nicely to the NHL game, but if a player cut from Radek Faksa’s cloth was still available at fifteen, my guess is Bryan Murray doesn’t hesitate and immediately pulls the BPA trigger. And, as mentioned previously, Faksa could end up playing on the wing — another area where Ottawa could use some help. Lastly, as more of a developmental-type talent at the tender age of eighteen, Faksa could enter an environment where he’s not likely rushed into the NHL ranks.
If Not Ottawa — Where?: Much like Griffin Reinhart yesterday, Faksa’s more likely than not going to be off the board come fifteen. Still, the volatilty of the draft and potential for a trade-up does make Faksa an option. Likely landing spots for Faksa include the Tampa Bay Lightning at ten and Buffalo Sabres at twelve. Tampa Bay’s best C prospect remains Vladislav Namestnikov; Buffalo’s best C prospects include Kevin Sundher and Daniel Catenacci.
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Rangers Have Bounces Break Against Them in Another Game 2: A Fan’s Recap (Yahoo! Contributor Network)
The Philadelphia Flyers found out the price of not putting away the New Jersey Devils when they had the chance. Flyers fans like myself will point to Game 2 of the second round as proof, as they went from having a 1-0 lead after two periods to losing 4-1 and never recovering. Now the New York Rangers hope they won’t have to look back on their rotten third period of Game 2 against the Devils in the same way.
The Rangers weren’t blown out to end Game 2 with the Devils on May 16, yet they didn’t come through like they needed to anyway. As such, for the third straight playoff series, New York has lost a Game 2 and a 1-0 series lead, while New Jersey has won a Game 2 and erased a 1-0 deficit for the second straight time with a 3-2 victory.
This time the bounces just broke New Jersey’s way, as virtually every goal was scored on a tip or deflection. The one that broke the 2-2 tie in the third went off David Clarkson’s stick, as the Devils would not be outscored by 3-0 in the final 20 minutes again, like in Game 1 on May 14.
The Rangers have no trouble seizing control in that manner for a Game 1, yet a Game 2 is quite another matter. Because they keep losing chances to get big leads in a series, they keep getting pushed to longer battles than they’d like. As such, after two seven game ordeals in a row, a third now looks a lot more likely than it did earlier.
When the Devils rallied back to salvage an opening split over the Flyers, they had control for the rest of the way. But they didn’t impose their will like that over the Rangers despite the victory, so this may look more like their seven-game first round showdown with the Florida Panthers. Maybe that favors the Rangers since they’re more experienced in a long series, yet barely skating by like that might cost them eventually.
New York can point to how it won Game 3′s over the Ottawa Senators and Washington Capitals on the road after losing at Madison Square Garden. Yet if the formula finally breaks and the Rangers face their first 2-1 deficit, they might just have to be afraid of turning into the Flyers after all.
The Flyers played with fire all season until the Devils found an opening to finally make them pay. The Rangers have been skating on edge throughout the playoffs, and after another blown chance to make things easier on themselves, their bill could come in at New Jersey if they aren’t careful.
Robert Dougherty is a life-long Philadelphia resident and a Flyers fan since the age of eight – who has become quite familiar with the Rangers in that time.
Other stories from this contributor
Ex-Flyer Carter leads Kings halfway to Stanley Cup finals
Can Rangers finally take control in a series?
Rangers finally solve Devils late in Game 1
Will Devils fall apart as suddenly as Flyers did?
Rangers, Devils come full circle from 1994
Devils rally past Rangers, 3-2, tie series, 1-1 (The Associated Press)
NEW YORK (AP) The New York Rangers don’t like being all even after two games, but they sure are used to it.
For the third straight series, the Eastern Conference’s top-seeded team has failed to build on an opening-game win, and now they have yielded home-ice advantage yet again. The Ottawa Senators and Washington Capitals couldn’t make the most of it. The New Jersey Devils have other plans.
”We’ve been in this situation before,” Rangers captain Ryan Callahan said after New York‘s 3-2 loss on Wednesday night. ”We just have to go into Jersey and try to get that next game. We can’t get down.”
The Rangers bounced back with Game 3 wins in both previous rounds. They will get their next chance Saturday in Newark.
Two things New York can probably count on are a close game and another series that goes the distance. The Rangers outlasted the Senators and Capitals in seven games to reach the conference finals for the first time since 1997. Of the Rangers’ 16 postseason games, 12 have been decided by one goal.
After posting the best regular-season record in the East, New York is only 9-7 in the playoffs.
”Overall, we just have to be better,” goalie Henrik Lundqvist said.
With a two-day break between games, both teams will skip practice on Thursday before getting back on the ice Friday.
The Devils quickly changed the game plan from the opener. Instead of letting the Rangers block their shots, they decided to deflect some themselves. It worked twice. David Clarkson scored a tip-in goal off Adam Henrique’s shot 2:31 into the third period as New Jersey rallied from a 2-1 deficit to win.
”It’s a very hard building to play in, and 1-1 sounds much better than down 2-0,” Devils captain Zach Parise said. ”We’re happy. We would have liked to have snuck out of here with two wins, but it didn’t happen. We’ll take 1-1.”
Before the game, the Rangers stressed how important it would be to grab a 2-0 lead, which would have been their first two-game edge in this postseason, but then didn’t provide the necessary effort to get it done.
”You need to improve as hockey team every game,” said succinct and disappointed coach John Tortorella, who declined to say what areas were deficient.
Clarkson built off the momentum created by Ryan Carter’s deflected goal late in the second period that tied the game, 2-2. Ilya Kovalchuk had given the Devils a 1-0 lead with a power-play goal in the first. Defenseman Bryce Salvador added two assists, and Martin Brodeur stopped 23 saves for his 108th playoff win.
Clarkson has three goals this postseason, and every one has been a game-winner, including the series-clincher against Philadelphia in Game 5 of the second round.
”Mr. Clutch? I don’t know about that,” Clarkson said. ”I’m going to skate up and down and finish the checks and just bounce off people. It’s just a great feeling to be able to contribute. To get a tip on that felt pretty good.”
New Jersey had 26 attempted shots blocked in Game 1, 5 more than they got through to Lundqvist. The Devils cut the blocks to 16 on Wednesday and managed to get 27 on goal – two more than New York.
”That team blocks so many shots,” Clarkson said. ”It’s unbelievable how many. I think we found a way to shoot it and get sticks on it, and definitely that was big for us.”
Marc Staal and Chris Kreider scored power-play goals in the second period for the Rangers, who had 24 saves by Lundqvist.
New Jersey got even when Salvador wound up for a shot at the blue line and fired a drive that Carter – with his back to the net – brilliantly deflected past Lundqvist with 1:51 left in the second. Marian Gaborik stood up straight in front of Salvador, but didn’t drop down as many of his teammates have to try to block the shot. For that, he was pinned to the bench by Tortorella, even through New York’s power play in the third.
”On the second goal, I didn’t get the puck out, I guess. I don’t know. You’ll have to ask him,” said Gaborik, who returned to the ice with 8:40 remaining as the Rangers pressed to tie.
The Devils kept the pressure on the Rangers at the start of the third and wiped out the good work New York displayed in the second.
”It was a much different reaction when we went down by a goal than it was in the first game,” Parise said. ”We didn’t change the way we played, and I think that was a big difference. We were comfortable with how we were playing. ”
After spending much of the first penned in their own end, the Rangers rebounded to erase their early deficit and briefly take the lead thanks to their previously inept power play.
With Alexei Ponikarovsky off for interference, Staal fired a shot that sailed wide of the net and struck the back boards before popping back in front and pinballing into the net off Salvador and Brodeur at 2:23. The goal was originally credited to Derek Stepan, who was in front, but the puck managed to miss him both on the way toward the net and on the bounce back.
”I saw most of the pucks, but the Rangers came out hard,” Brodeur said. ”They were around me a lot, and there were some bad bounces. It’s such a tough place to play sometimes here. There are bad bounces, and the boards are terrible.”
Staal nearly netted another moments later when he ripped a drive that Brodeur had to lunge fully to his left to snare with his glove.
Kreider, the rookie from Boston College, scored for the second straight game to give the Rangers a 2-1 lead at 12:19. Anton Stralman let go a shot from above the right circle that ticked Kreider’s stick and fluttered past Brodeur for the rookie’s fourth goal. He had to wait to get it because it was first given to Stralman before being changed during a commercial break.
But that was hardly the longest delay of the night. Before Kreider’s power-play goal, the action was stopped for about eight minutes as arena workers struggled to get the door to the Devils’ penalty box opened. Travis Zajac stood patiently as he waited to have a seat in the box. He even managed to laugh as did New Jersey coach Peter DeBoer and the usually stoic and agitated Tortorella.
Zajac, who first was sent to the Rangers’ box, stayed in New Jersey‘s sin bin for only 1:47 before Kreider scored the Rangers’ second power-play goal of the night.
New York registered the first six shots of the period before New Jersey had its first about 8 minutes in, but the teams were even at 17 through 40 minutes.
Whether Brodeur was kidding or not about wanting Rangers to be injured by blocking shots, the home team wasn’t deterred from getting in front of drives.
”We have to try to get in lanes,” Callahan said. ”Try to limit their time with the puck. If we do that, they are not going to have time to shoot.”
NOTES: The Rangers were 10 for 61 (16.4 percent) on the power play in the postseason before Wednesday. … The Devils returned defenseman Peter Harrold to the lineup and sat rookie Adam Larsson.
Posted in Ottawa Senators News | 
Tags: Associated, Devils', past, Press, rally, Rangers, series | 
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Alfredsson ‘an inspiration’ for Swedish teammates
How the Last 13 Stanley Cup Champions Didn’t Repeat, Part 3: Fan’s Take (Yahoo! Contributor Network)
In the past 13 years, all 13 Stanley Cup champions fell short of raising the Cup another consecutive time. The first part of this series looked at how the champions from 1999, 2000 and 2001 failed to repeat. Last week, part two studied how the 2002, 2003 and 2004 champions missed the chance to win again. This week, part three explains how the 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009 champions were undone the next year.
2006: Tampa Bay Lightning
The Tampa Bay Lightning entered the 2006 playoffs matched up with the Ottawa Senators and starting the series in Canada’s capital city. The hometown team won Game 1, and though the Lightning rebounded to win Game 2 by just one goal, the Senators soon seized control of the series. They won Game 3 by a score of 8-4, added a Game 4 win and then, in another one-goal game, knocked the defending champions out of the playoffs altogether.
Notable Lightning players included Brad Richards, who is with the New York Rangers now, Paul Ranger and Vincent Lecavalier, who is still on the team today.
Meanwhile in the East, the Carolina Hurricanes were storming (pardon the pun) up to the top of the pile. A sometimes chaotic quarterfinal series against the Montreal Canadiens included a decision to let then-rookie Cam Ward see time after Martin Gerber gave up three goals in the first period of Game 2. Ward became the hot hand for much of the playoffs and is the Hurricanes’ workhorse goalie today. It also included a controversial incident in Game 3 where Saku Koivu‘s face was clipped by Carolina‘s Justin Williams. Koivu got an eye injury; Williams got no penalty. The rest of the six-game series was tight, with all of the games decided by just one goal, and Carolina defeated Montreal in six.
In the semifinals, the Hurricanes met the New Jersey Devils. They opened the series with a 6-0 shutout where all but one goal came on the power play, built on the momentum with a 3-2 overtime win and put together another 3-2 victory. Down a very risky three games to nothing in the series, the Devils made a mark in a 5-1 win, but that wasn’t enough and the Hurricanes downed them in the next game.
They then took on the Buffalo Sabres in the conference final. The first three games were all one-goal affairs, Buffalo taking the first, Carolina nabbing the second and Buffalo getting the third. The Hurricanes responded with a 4-0 shutout, but then the series turned tight again. Game 5 was decided by a Carolina overtime goal and Game 6 by a Buffalo overtime goal. But in Game 7, Carolina came from behind to take a 4-2 win and a trip to the Stanley Cup Final.
The Edmonton Oilers awaited in the Stanley Cup Final, and while the Hurricanes built up a two-game series lead with a hard-fought Game 1 win and a shutout, the series tightened up again. The Oilers avoided a three-nothing deficit via a Game 3 win by a 2-1 score, the Hurricanes got their own 2-1 win and the Oilers took a 4-3 overtime victory. Perhaps tired of suddenly tight series, the Oilers put together a Game 6 shutout and forced a decisive Game 7. Decisive it was-for the Carolina team, who won 3-1 and brought the Stanley Cup to the South again.
2007: Carolina Hurricanes
The 2007 Carolina Hurricanes missed the playoffs altogether. Actually, both teams that were in the 2006 Stanley Cup Final missed the 2007 postseason. So, instead this section will focus on how the Anaheim Ducks made it to the Stanley Cup.
The Ducks began the playoffs against the Minnesota Wild, the team that took them out of the conference final back in 2003. But things were different this time: the Ducks opened the series with a win, added another victory at home and put together a three-game series lead. With the Wild on the brink, they fought to maybe change the tone of the series with a 4-1 win in Game 4. The Ducks replied by beating the Wild by the exact same score in Game 5.
They then faced the Vancouver Canucks in the semifinals, starting things off with a rousing 5-1 win. The Canucks rebounded, though, taking a 2-1 double overtime win to even the series. That would prove to be Vancouver’s only win, though, as the Ducks won Game 3 and Game 4 by a 3-2 score and finished the series with a double overtime victory too.
In the conference final, the Ducks took on perennial playoff team the Detroit Red Wings. The Red Wings, hoping to repeat the success that came from the last time they made it to the conference final, started things off with a 2-1 win. The Ducks bounced back for a 4-3 overtime win that was followed by the Red Wings putting together a 5-0 win, the biggest playoff loss in Anaheim history. But they used that as inspiration to do better in Game 4, and while one team scored five goals in the 5-3 decision, it was the Ducks notching five this time. They followed up with two tightly-won wins, 2-1 in overtime and then 4-3 to send the Red Wings home.
The Stanley Cup Final was played by two teams without a Cup win to their name: the Ducks and the Ottawa Senators. Anaheim got the 2-0 series lead at home, first with a 3-2 win and then with a razor-thin 1-0 shutout that had the only goal coming in near the end of the third period. Russell Williams, who was in the house when the old Senators won the 1927 Stanley Cup against the Boston Bruins, attended Game 3 in Ottawa. Maybe his presence inspired the home team-they won 5-3. But that would prove to be their only victory in this series. Anaheim extended their series lead by winning 3-2 again and then, in a potentially decisive game at home, they voted out the Senators 6-2 and kept Lord Stanley in a southern city, though this time in the west.
Notable Ducks players included Ryan Getzlaf, current team captain, Corey Perry, who is still a Duck today, and the legendary Teemu Selanne, still a Duck too.
2008: Anaheim Ducks
The Ducks came into the 2008 playoffs matched up against the Dallas Stars, who got things started with a 4-0 shutout that saw every single goal scored on the power play. Anaheim players took 11 different penalties, giving the Stars lots of chances to score on the man advantage. They rode that momentum into Game 2, winning 5-2, though this time only two Dallas goals were on the power play and Anaheim got a PP goal too. The Ducks turned the tide with a 4-2 win, another game with lots of man-advantage scoring, but couldn’t even things up in Game 4, a 3-1 win where their only goal came at 19:52 of the third period. At the risk of elimination, the Ducks did prolong their playoff lives a little more by winning 5-2, but that wasn’t enough and they lost 4-1 in Game 6.
Notable Ducks players this year included Getzlaf, Selanne and Chris Pronger, who is now the captain of the Philadelphia Flyers, though he played just 13 games in 2011-12 and is suffering from post-concussive symptoms, according to his wife Lauren.
Meanwhile, the President’s Trophy-winning Red Wings found themselves facing the Nashville Predators in the quarterfinals. They created a two-game lead at home with a 3-1 and a 4-2 win, but couldn’t go up three games when Nashville beat them 5-3. The Predators proceeded to tie the series with a 3-2 win. However, the pattern of a team winning two in a row continued, this time for Detroit: they beat Nashville 2-1 in overtime and then shut them out 3-0 to advance to the semifinals.
In the semifinals, they met the Colorado Avalanche, but this time the Avs proved to be of little difficulty. The Red Wings won Game 1, Game 2, repeated their Game 1 score and then dominated Game 4 by scoring eight goals to Colorado’s two.
The Stars, who’d dispatched the defending champions, met the Red Wings in the conference final. Detroit continued their winning ways from the previous series, winning Games 1, 2 and 3. But the Stars, maybe not wanting to meet the same fate as the Avalanche, shook things up with a 3-1 win in Game 4. They then kept their hopes alive for one more game by taking a win in Game 5, but their glimmer of hope faded after the Red Wings won Game 6.
Then in the Stanley Cup Final, Detroit opened strong, shutting out the Pittsburgh Penguins in back-to-back games. Pittsburgh replied with a 3-2 win at home, but Detroit answered by winning Game 4. Pittsburgh took Game 5 to the late-night hours, finishing it in triple overtime to make their 4-3 win the fifth longest game in Final history. That wasn’t enough, though, and the Red Wings took home their fourth Stanley Cup in 11 years. Foreshadowing: Mario Lemieux, following the Penguins’ loss, said that his team would know what to do next time.
2009: Detroit Red Wings
In the 2009 playoffs, the Red Wings met the Columbus Blue Jackets in the quarterfinals. This was Columbus’ first trip to the playoffs and it was not a good one for them: Detroit swept the series and put up at least four goals in each game, although Game 4 was harder-fought than the others.
The semifinals saw the Red Wings matched up with the Ducks. Detroit won Game 1 and Anaheim answered by taking Game 2 in triple overtime. In Game 3, the Ducks won 2-1, although it could very well have been tied and sent to overtime if not for a referee’s whistle just before Marian Hossa appeared to score near the end of regulation. The Red Wings bounced back from that by winning Game 4, 6-3, and added a Game 5 victory. The Ducks forced a seventh game by winning Game 6, though the Red Wings would make the decision in Game 7 by one goal.
The conference final series between Detroit and the Chicago Blackhawks started off with Detroit taking a 5-2 win and adding a 3-2 overtime victory. Chicago took their own overtime win in Game 3, which the Red Wings replied to by winning 6-1 in Game 4. This series’ flirtation with overtime was not over, though: Detroit’s decisive win in Game 5 came in extra time too.
The Stanley Cup Final ended up being a rematch of the previous year. Against familiar foes, the Red Wings put together a pair of 3-1 wins to start the series. The Penguins, perhaps fans of patterns too, won Games 3 and 4 by the same score of 4-2. Detroit broke the patterns with a 5-0 shutout in Game 5. But then Pittsburgh started another pattern, this one leading to success: Game 6, a 2-1 win, and Game 7, also a 2-1 win. Lemieux’s prediction turned out to be correct.
Notable Red Wings included Nicklas Lidstrom, Kris Draper and Tomas Holmstrom, who were on the team for the 1997, 1998, 2002 and 2008 victories but were not able to go for five in 2009.
Next week, in the last part of this series, the three most recent champions will be studied.
Roger’s House warms heart of toughest Senator
Travis Yost: Better Know a Draft Pick: Griffin Reinhart, Edmonton Oil Kings
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Over the next few weeks leading up to the 2012 NHL Entry Draft on June 23rd in Pittsburgh, I’ll be covering some of the potential first-round selections for the Ottawa Senators. After their first-round elimination at the hands of the New York Rangers, Ottawa was locked into the fifteenth-overall draft pick — a beautiful landing spot for a playoff-caliber club.
Since Ottawa could essentially go in either direction be it forward or defenseman, I’ll be touching on a variety of talented prospects expected to step towards the podium in the middle of the first-round.
Up first? Griffin Reinhart.
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Name: Griffin Reinhart
Team/League: Edmonton Oil Kings — Western Hockey League
Position: Defenseman
Size: 6’4, 200 lbs.
Production: Joined by fellow talented blue liners Martin Gernat(Edmonton Oilers) and Mark Pysyk(Buffalo Sabres), Reinhart was responsible for the Edmonton Oil Kings 4.3 GPG average — second only to the Portland Winterhawks of the Western Conference. In fifty-four games of action, Reinhart tallied 36 PTS (12G/24A) in just 54 GP, good for a 0.66 PPG average. However, it’s Reinhart’s overall two-way ability that’s made him such a hot commodity among National Hockey League scouts. Reinhart’s expectedly physical for a player of his stature, but can also get up and down the ice with ease, exhibiting the early signs of a player cut from Shea Weber’s cloth.
Interesting Quote: Speaking of Shea Weber — that’s precisely who Griffin Reinhart models his game around. Said Reinhart to The Good Point:
“They want me to be a shutdown-type player with an offensive upside; responsible in my own end, but still occasionally jumping into the play and contributing offensively on the power play,” Reinhart said, while also mentioning he models his game around similar players in Shea Weber and Chris Pronger.
Trouble Areas: As mentioned previously, Reinhart is actually a pretty respectable skater for a player of his size at the WHL ranks. Still, he’ll need to dial up the speed and agility should he succeed at the professional level. Admittedly, Reinhart’s already targeted this as one area he’d like to improve in the coming off-season.
Why Ottawa?: The Senators are in moderate need of a high-profile defensive prospect, especially after the exodus of D David Rundblad via trade to Phoenix. With Jared Cowen and Erik Karlsson already logging NHL minutes, there isn’t anything that’s blowing you away in the prospect cupboard, and Bryan Murray would be wise to address such an issue in the first couple of rounds.
If Not Ottawa — Where?: With so much upside and the natural size/skill that general managers crave, it’s possible — if not likely — that Reinhart’s off the board a bit earlier than fifteenth overall. A pair of teams in the 10-11 range, starting with the Tampa Bay Lightning and ending with the Washington Capitals. Tampa Bay’s best D prospect is Mark Barberio; Washington’s best D prospect is Dmitri Orlov, and he’s graduating after a sixty-game campaign in his rookie season.
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Can Rangers Finally Take Total Control in a Series?: A Fan’s Preview (Yahoo! Contributor Network)
The Philadelphia Flyers were once where the New York Rangers are right now. Flyers fans like myself thought we would have it easy against the New Jersey Devils after winning Game 1 of their second round matchup. Yet Philadelphia never won again after that, which means New Jersey is hardly panicking over its Game 1 loss to New York on May 14 as well.
Will the Rangers get overconfident from their late dominance of the Devils in Game 1 and collapse out of nowhere, like the Flyers did? At the very least, it wouldn’t be surprising for them to lose Game 2 on May 16, since New York has been ill equipped to take total command in a playoff series thus far.
This is the third straight time that the Rangers have had a chance to take a commanding 2-0 lead with a Game 2 win in New York. Yet they let the Ottawa Senators and Washington Capitals back into range by losing Game 2, and paid for it by being pushed to seven games both times. The Rangers probably can’t afford to face a third straight seven-game series, so they could really stand to get some breathing room for once.
But New York has blown 1-0 and 2-1 leads in each of its first two series, and has never led by more than one game in the postseason. The only time the Rangers had a postseason winning streak was when they staved off elimination with Game 6 and 7 wins over the Senators. Aside from that, New York has been trading wins and losses for virtually the entire playoffs – although they’ve been on the right side of that pattern so far.
Yet given that the Rangers are 0-2 in Game 2′s, while the Devils are 2-0 and have bounced back from two straight Game 1 defeats, things do look promising for a New Jersey revival. However, the Devils probably can’t expect to have their way with the Rangers like they did when they rallied over the Flyers. New York hasn’t rolled over like that – although it hasn’t taken control in these playoffs when it had the chance as well.
Eventually, the Rangers may need to steamroll towards the Stanley Cup instead of going back and forth with wins and losses. In contrast, the Los Angeles Kings have mastered the art of blowing by their opponents and burying them early – and they did it by taking three straight 2-0 leads on the road.
If the Rangers still can’t take a 2-0 lead at New York, then they may need to tire themselves out for yet another series. The Devils already know they can bounce back from Game 1 losses and then some, so it would behoove the Rangers to actually keep an opponent down and out for once.
Robert Dougherty is a life-long Philadelphia resident and a Flyers fan since the age of eight – who has become quite familiar with the Rangers in that time.
Other stories from this contributor
Rangers finally solve Devils late in Game 1
Will Devils fall apart as suddenly as Flyers did?
Rangers, Devils come full circle from 1994
NHL final four formed entirely at Flyers’ expense
Rangers showing same Game 7 magic as 1994
Playoff Puck Previews: Kings look for 7th straight road win in Game 2 vs. Coyotes (Puck Daddy)
AP“Beat LA” strikes me as a really unimaginative slogan. Was “Win the hockey match” taken?
Preview: Los Angeles Kings at Phoenix Coyotes, 9 p.m. ET
The Coyotes will attempt to do what no other team has done versus the Kings this postseason: win a game at home. The Kings have won 6 consecutive road games, just one off the NHL record held by the Blackhawks of 2010, the Islanders of 1980 and 1982, thew Devils of 1995, and the Avalanche of 1999. The Coyotes will have to pick their game up considerably to avoid a repeat of Game 1, where they were out-possessed handily and outshot 48-27. Do they have it in them? The key will be shutting down Dustin Brown and his linemates, something no one has been able to do thus far. If they can’t, the Kings will tie that record.
Evening reading
• CTV cites “bloggers” in its report on David Booth’s bear hunt. The fact that they didn’t name names is silly enough, but the fact that, upon investigation, the “bloggers” turned out to be posters at the Canucks.com message board is even worse. [PITB]
• Cam Cole compares bad hockey to love, in that it means never having to say you’re sorry. [Vancouver Sun]
• Former Ottawa Senators’ coach Cory Clouston has been fired by the WHL’s Brandon Wheat Kings. [Sportsnet]
• Scotty Bowman traces the current style of playoff hockey back to Roger Nielsen. Time to tear down that statue outside of Rogers Arena. [The Globe & Mail]
• Congratulations to Claude Giroux, who has won a local award you’ve never heard of. [Broad Street Hockey]
• Penn State’s hockey and football coaches want an outdoor hockey game at Beaver stadium. [Collegian]
• In case you were wondering, Niklas Kronwall plays the exact same way in international hockey:
Puck Buddy Comment of the Day: Mike, on the Devils’ since-deleted “Don’t re-sell your tickets to Rangers” campaign:
If you’re a real hockey fan, you wouldn’t be selling your ECF tickets to begin with…
Mike has a point.
Bold prediction: Another Kings win and more Dustin Brown magic.