Covering the Rangers and NHL for
@NewsdaySports
. Yardie. Husband, proud dad of 3 sons. Football/Basketball/Wrestling/Lacrosse dad. Reggae Boyz & LFC supporter.
Panarin confirms Marchand said something about Russia, and that's a no-no. Said he's out $5K, but he thanks the Rangers for paying him $11.6 million per year. He can afford it.
Just talked to Ryan Reaves after the Wild’s morning skate. He clarified he did not ask for a trade. Said when he wasn’t playing, he asked where he stood, found out a trade was in the works, and then asked for them to finish the deal. He’s happy in Minny, where he feels wanted.
Buchnevich just stood at the STL blue line, put his stick between his legs and waited. Mika, from the boards by the Rangers blue line, sent a pass right on Buch's tape.
My flight home from Raleigh today carried the remains of a fallen paratrooper returning home to New Jersey. The Newark Liberty International Airport Fire Department paid tribute with a water cannon salute of our airplane.
Panarin was asked if he heard the Columbus fans booing him. "Not really,'' he said. "When I came the first time, they were louder. They start getting lazy now.''
Columbus fans booing Panarin seems almost half-hearted, compared to what the Flames fans did when Adam Fox touched the puck last Saturday. I mean, you almost can't even hear them.
Zibanejad the last guy off, but he doesn't have Zucc there waiting to give him five and a hug. So, he just fires the puck into the far goal and skates off...
Rangers announce Artemi Panarin is a their team MVP for 2019-20. Jesper Fast is the team’s Player’s Player, for a team record fifth straight year, and Chris Kreider is the Good Guy.
By the way, Artemi Panarin is clean-shaven today. I saw him in the locker room after the morning skate and asked him about it. "No points last game,'' he joked.
#NYR
rookie Matt Rempe insists his hit on WSH D Trevor van Riemsdyk Friday was clean. He looks at his hits to make sure he's doing things right.
"I look at that hit yesterday... I went through the body. I thought everything was tucked. Everything was clean... Just a big hit."
Kakko says he's never been scratched before, at any level. He said that won't affect his decision regarding whether he wants to come back. Says, if anything, it will give him motivation to work harder in the summer.
Pavel Buchnevich and Igor Shesterkin are in New York. Both are observing RTP protocol and not currently skating with the small group working at the Rangers practice facility. Both are expected to be cleared to participate later this week.
Rempe on facing the Devils after being ejected for his hit last time on Bastian: "Last time was just a big hit... No discipline from the league, or anything... Just gonna go and play the same way, play my game, just play hard and fast, physical, mean. And hopefully score a goal."
Zibanejad on the emotions: "I think last game was a little bit of the same feeling, knowing that this could happen. Especially 'Zookie' ... a really good friend of mine, and not seeing him being a part of the team before the game, and being out there with us... it’s tough.''
#NYR
captain Jacob Trouba got fined $5,000 late last night for a high stick on Trent Frederic. There was no penalty call, and no one seemed to notice at the time. Asking for a 25 game suspension seems a little... um, much.
Jacob Trouba should have been suspended a minimum of 25 games for his slash to the head of Trent Frederic, yet he received a $5,000 fine, the maximum allowable under the CBA. George (The Violent Gentleman) Parros is incompetent. As are his cabal of henchmen at
@NHLPlayerSafety
.
I didn't have time to look this up in all the craziness last night, but did you notice that Mika won 14-of-19 faceoffs against TBL? That's good, right?
#NYR
Rangers schedule v. CAR:
(6) Carolina Hurricanes vs. (11) New York Rangers
Saturday, Aug. 1: Rangers vs. Hurricanes
Monday, Aug. 3: Rangers vs. Hurricanes
Tuesday, Aug. 4: Hurricanes vs. Rangers
Thursday, Aug. 6: Hurricanes vs. Rangers*
Saturday, Aug. 8: Rangers vs. Hurricanes*
Fil Chytil was happy to see me yesterday at practice. He said, "Interview me. I haven't scored in a while.'' So I interviewed him. He just scored a beautiful backhand goal. Rangers, 1-0.
Igor says he doesn't have a chance to win the Hart Trophy, given the competition. But he points out he didn't give up a goal to Matthews and didn't play against McDavid.
So while we wait for warmups...
K'Andre was one of a dozen or so players on the ice at the optional morning skate. I was just goofing around, and asked him when he'll finally be old enough to opt out of these.
"The ice is my home,'' he said.
So, in a well-attended optional
#NYR
practice, where Mika, Kreider, Strome, Copp, Fox, Trouba, Lindgren and K'Andre are not skating, Panarin is. Just FYI.
Still learning systems? Laviolette didn't want to hear it.
"Backchecking is a universal language. There's no system involved there. Finishing your checks... competing for pucks is a universal language. Execution has to be a universal language. And so there's no excuses for that."
So, the period ends, and Wilson leaves the penalty box to go to the locker room, and he's yelling at the ref. I mean, he literally attacked a guy after the play was long dead. What on earth could he be mad at the ref for?
And the Rangers score on the power play. Trocheck. And then Tom Wilson loses his mind and attacks Fox. Literally grabs him as Fox is going to join the celebration, and assaults him. Wilson gets a roughing penalty.
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back on the power play.
Kane, on the trade being revived after
#NYR
got Tarasenko:
"When they said it could be a possibility, that obviously got me excited again... I kind of feel bad. I feel like the guys have been playing short for a while, just to just to bring me in, but hopefully it's worth it."
#NYR
coach Peter Laviolette confirmed today Filip Chytil went back to Czechia. He was asked if there's concern Chytil might not be back this season.
"I think we're more hopeful that he will be back,'' he said. "We're just trying a different approach, a different avenue."