NYR Goal #1: Richards from Nash and Stepan
I said in the Phoenix recap about the Staal goal that if we saw Nash continue to use his strength and size on the puck, we would see him generate many goals this season. This goal was a prime example of that:
This came off a scramble in the back end that culminated in McD chopping the puck to Nash near the top of the circles. Almost immediately, Jeff Carter was on Nash's back, trying to get the puck free. He ended up riding Nash all the way into the Rangers' offensive zone, with Rick repelling all his poke check attempts...
Why would Doughty try to get fancy in his own zone if he knew Nash was hot on his tail? I don't know, and if he had managed to get around Stepan, it's likely we wouldn't even have noticed it. Step went hard for that puck and chopped it away, in the perfect spot for Nash to collect it.
Now you've got Nash unimpeded on his way to Quick. It was a sharp turn for everybody, so there was no momentum, which almost gave the Kings defensemen a chance to recover.
Nash, again strong on the puck, still fires the shot off. See above, and look where all three Kings are looking. Doughty is trying to reach in and disrupt Nash's shot, Regehr is about to dive or something, and Quick is square to the shot. This time, in the scramble, Richards is the forgotten man. When Quick repels the first shot, the entire net is wide open for Richards to pop it in.
Of course it wouldn't be so easy, because the puck was bouncing and Richards was already in tight to the net. He smartly pulls it back to his forehand to fire an awkward but effective short angle shot off the diving Doughty and into the back of the net.
Tenacious forecheck and strong puck possession created this goal. I've got to say I was all about it when the Ranger's were consistently throwing two and three forecheckers full steam ahead at the Kings back end, and I don't think the Kings ever adjusted. Most teams probably won't if they have to deal with the constant pressure.
NYR Goal #2: Richards from Nash
What else was it I said about Nash this past weekend? He can draw a crowd. And again tonight, he showed why that power can generate chances for others.
Here it's Brassard applying the pressure to the back of the Kings' defensemen. He doesn't stop harassing the puck carriers until they get off a breakout pass to the blue line.
Nash puts pressure on the relay guy as soon as he gathers the puck in. And the puck gets left behind. In the heat of the moment, three Kings immediately converge upon Nash:
What can the defenseman do but try to block the pass. His timing was off though....
And the puck glances off his stick straight through Quick's five-hole.
If you're sensing a trend, you're not alone. Nash can do so much more than score goals for the Rangers. And he is showing us now what he can do. He has been integral to the three goals I've broken down thus far. I can't wait until he starts potting his own though.
LAK Goal #1: Muzzin from Evil Richards
Forechecking and turnovers are a game that can be played in either end though. This goal is highly similar to Richards' second, except it starts with Jeff Carter putting forecheck pressure on Girardi and McDonagh.
Just as Stepan did before, M. Richards stays after the puck and separates it from Pyatt:
McDonagh blocks Richards' first shot attempt:
But Richards stays after it and fires a pass across to a streaking Muzzin. Notice that now its the Rangers' turn to be mesmerized by the puck. Everything behind the blue line drawn on the ice belongs to the Kings at this point.
And Muzzin makes no mistake as the Rangers scramble to wave something, anything, in his way.
Hockey principles work for other teams as much as they work for the Rangers. Don't stare at the puck, know who is coming in on the attack, and know how to keep them from getting the puck. The back end largely seemed to stay disciplined today, with just a few noticeable breakdowns. This was the only time we paid for it though, fortunately.
NYR Goal #3: McDonagh from Boyle
Honestly........ I don't even know. You all saw it as well as I did. You all probably believe it as much as I do. Quick came out to slow the puck down on the clearing attempt, it bounced off his blocker, and went in the net. If McDonagh clears that puck a million times, I bet this happens exactly once.
I'm at a loss. In his attempt to reach for his stick, his blocker went flat on the ice, he looked off the puck, and it caromed straight into the net. When he isn't playing the Rangers, I like Quick, so come tomorrow I'll feel bad for him. But right there he took the air out of the Kings and the building. It happens. Let's move on for now, and watch it tomorrow morning to be sure it was real.
__________
And there you have it, the Rangers' first victory of the 2013-14 season! It was hard fought, just like what we saw from the Rangers of 2011 that made the conference final. My one concern with tonight's high octane forecheck, though, is that we still have a grueling week ahead of us. Straight back at it tomorrow night in San Jose, and I for one will be glad when this west coast swing is done so I can actually get some sleep.
This came off a scramble in the back end that culminated in McD chopping the puck to Nash near the top of the circles. Almost immediately, Jeff Carter was on Nash's back, trying to get the puck free. He ended up riding Nash all the way into the Rangers' offensive zone, with Rick repelling all his poke check attempts...
Carter finally poked the puck away near Nash's offensive faceoff circle, away from the danger Lundqvist had been facing seconds before. Nash's strength is more than just offense. Note in the picture below when Carter gains the puck, three Kings are staring directly at him. Note in particular Doughty's position. Between the time Carter gains the puck and Carter passes the puck to him, Doughty looks away from the puck once in the direction of Stepan and Richards.
What follows is speculation, because I do not know what was going on in Doughty's head. I think he forgets about Nash, who after losing the puck circled around the net and ends up trailing Doughty's attempt to exit his defensive zone. In the image below, Stepan is hard forechecking on Doughty, and Doughty inexplicably attempts to toe drag around him:
Why would Doughty try to get fancy in his own zone if he knew Nash was hot on his tail? I don't know, and if he had managed to get around Stepan, it's likely we wouldn't even have noticed it. Step went hard for that puck and chopped it away, in the perfect spot for Nash to collect it.
Now you've got Nash unimpeded on his way to Quick. It was a sharp turn for everybody, so there was no momentum, which almost gave the Kings defensemen a chance to recover.
Nash, again strong on the puck, still fires the shot off. See above, and look where all three Kings are looking. Doughty is trying to reach in and disrupt Nash's shot, Regehr is about to dive or something, and Quick is square to the shot. This time, in the scramble, Richards is the forgotten man. When Quick repels the first shot, the entire net is wide open for Richards to pop it in.
Of course it wouldn't be so easy, because the puck was bouncing and Richards was already in tight to the net. He smartly pulls it back to his forehand to fire an awkward but effective short angle shot off the diving Doughty and into the back of the net.
Tenacious forecheck and strong puck possession created this goal. I've got to say I was all about it when the Ranger's were consistently throwing two and three forecheckers full steam ahead at the Kings back end, and I don't think the Kings ever adjusted. Most teams probably won't if they have to deal with the constant pressure.
NYR Goal #2: Richards from Nash
What else was it I said about Nash this past weekend? He can draw a crowd. And again tonight, he showed why that power can generate chances for others.
Here it's Brassard applying the pressure to the back of the Kings' defensemen. He doesn't stop harassing the puck carriers until they get off a breakout pass to the blue line.
Nash puts pressure on the relay guy as soon as he gathers the puck in. And the puck gets left behind. In the heat of the moment, three Kings immediately converge upon Nash:
Nash threads a nice pass to Richards and Brassard, who break in for a 2-on-0.5.
What can the defenseman do but try to block the pass. His timing was off though....
And the puck glances off his stick straight through Quick's five-hole.
If you're sensing a trend, you're not alone. Nash can do so much more than score goals for the Rangers. And he is showing us now what he can do. He has been integral to the three goals I've broken down thus far. I can't wait until he starts potting his own though.
LAK Goal #1: Muzzin from Evil Richards
Forechecking and turnovers are a game that can be played in either end though. This goal is highly similar to Richards' second, except it starts with Jeff Carter putting forecheck pressure on Girardi and McDonagh.
Just as Stepan did before, M. Richards stays after the puck and separates it from Pyatt:
McDonagh blocks Richards' first shot attempt:
But Richards stays after it and fires a pass across to a streaking Muzzin. Notice that now its the Rangers' turn to be mesmerized by the puck. Everything behind the blue line drawn on the ice belongs to the Kings at this point.
And Muzzin makes no mistake as the Rangers scramble to wave something, anything, in his way.
Hockey principles work for other teams as much as they work for the Rangers. Don't stare at the puck, know who is coming in on the attack, and know how to keep them from getting the puck. The back end largely seemed to stay disciplined today, with just a few noticeable breakdowns. This was the only time we paid for it though, fortunately.
NYR Goal #3: McDonagh from Boyle
Honestly........ I don't even know. You all saw it as well as I did. You all probably believe it as much as I do. Quick came out to slow the puck down on the clearing attempt, it bounced off his blocker, and went in the net. If McDonagh clears that puck a million times, I bet this happens exactly once.
I'm at a loss. In his attempt to reach for his stick, his blocker went flat on the ice, he looked off the puck, and it caromed straight into the net. When he isn't playing the Rangers, I like Quick, so come tomorrow I'll feel bad for him. But right there he took the air out of the Kings and the building. It happens. Let's move on for now, and watch it tomorrow morning to be sure it was real.
__________
And there you have it, the Rangers' first victory of the 2013-14 season! It was hard fought, just like what we saw from the Rangers of 2011 that made the conference final. My one concern with tonight's high octane forecheck, though, is that we still have a grueling week ahead of us. Straight back at it tomorrow night in San Jose, and I for one will be glad when this west coast swing is done so I can actually get some sleep.
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