Thursday Morning Bathroom Break (3-18-21)
This Day in Music (3-18-2017)
“The Father of Rock & Roll,” Chuck Berry dies at the age of 90.
Things took a turn for the absurd last night at Madison Square Garden, in more ways than one. As the Rangers arrived at MSG on Wednesday night ahead of yet-another matchup against the Philadelphia Flyers word broke that the entire coaching staff for the Rangers had been put under COVID-protocol and would not be eligible to coach the game. Despite this oddity, the contest went ahead as scheduled with the Rangers AHL-affiliate Hartford Wolf Pack coaching staff and assistant general manager Chris Drury stepping behind the bench for the Blueshirts. As the game unfolded, it was hard not to make cynical jokes about Wally Pipp as the Rangers absolutely blitzed the Flyers, 9-0, scoring seven alone in the second period. The Rangers simply could not miss on Wednesday night, and that was especially true for the team’s embattled #1 center Mika Zibanejad. While Zibanejad’s struggles this season have been well-documented, last night offered the first glimpse since a pre-COVID world at a Mika Zibanejad who is capable of being one of the best players in the entire league. Recording six points on the seven Rangers 2nd period goals, Zibanejad busted through in a major way, and even found his scoring touch. Though the game was already comfortably in-hand, Zibanejad seized his moment late in the second period and scored a natural hat-trick (even-strength, power-play and short-handed goals) in just ten minutes of game time. While it was not his heroic, 5-goal performance of last March against the Capitals, Wednesday night was a not-so-subtle reminder of why the Rangers went into this season with any expectations at all. The dynamic of the team when Zibanejad is at his best is palpably different than when he struggles. Perhaps no player, outside of possibly Artemi Panarin, is capable of driving his line mates and fellow forwards the way Zibanejad can at the top of his game. While the postseason still seems like a long-shot at best, the Rangers recent play against Philadelphia has caused the Flyers to fade, leaving just a three point gap between them and the Rangers. While the young Blueshirts still have three games beyond that to make up in order to catch the Penguins, it’s possible we have yet to see the best hockey this Rangers team has to offer.
The Islanders quest for the franchise’s fifth Stanley Cup was dealt a devastating blow this week as the team found out they had lost captain Anders Lee for the remainder of the season to ACL surgery. The injury occurred Sunday in a victory over the New Jersey Devils, but the aftermath of the injury saw the nine-game winning streak of the Islanders come to an end at the hands of the Washington Capitals Tuesday night. With their victory, the Capitals re-gained control of the Eastern Division lead, and in defeat the Islanders are left to wonder whether or not, without their captain, they’ll have enough scoring to survive the gauntlet of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Luckily for the Islanders, team president and general manager Lou Lamoriello is one of the more ideally-equipped executives to solve such a problem. During years of success in New Jersey, Lamoriello showed a willingness to make necessary moves and a knack for identifying the perfect fit for his team. Last year, Islanders fans were privy to this talent themselves, as Lamoriello acquired Jean-Gabriel Pageau, who since coming over from Ottawa has asserted himself as an irreplaceable part of the Islanders team. While it is decidedly not in the style of Lamoriello to pay the king’s ransom necessary to acquire a player such as Jack Eichel, his current Buffalo teammate and impending free-agent Taylor Hall offers exactly the type of investment Lou is known to make. With no shortage of teams looking to adjust their rosters ahead of this summer’s expansion draft, there stands to be many opportunities for the Islanders to fortify their forward group after the loss of their captain.