Our weekly review of the performances of the three local N.H.L. teams.
Grades
Rangers: The win Monday in Winnipeg was quickly forgotten, as the Rangers had a miserable pair of losses to open their schedule at the remodeled Madison Square Garden. They were beaten in every aspect of the game in the second and third periods of a 4-2 loss to Toronto on Thursday. They also blew a 4-1 lead in the third period to Ottawa and eventually lost the game, 5-4 in the shootout Saturday. “Some of the details of our game are still weak,” Coach John Tortorella calmly said after the deflating loss to the Senators. “Until we get the solid foundation of the details, we’ll sputter.” They face a big challenge Monday when the Sharks come to the Garden. Grade: C minus
Devils: After an impressive 3-0 win in Los Angeles on Monday, New Jersey ended its road trip with losses in Phoenix and Dallas. The Devils were unable to score clutch goals in the third period of their losses. Ilya Kovalchuk and Zach Parise, their go-to stars for offense, were both scoreless and minus-2 Saturday in Dallas. Coach Peter DeBoer was very pleased with the effort in Dallas. “I told the guys after the game if we play like that, we’ll win a lot more than we lose,” he said. New Jersey plays the surging Maple Leafs at the Prudential Center on Wednesday. Grade: C
Islanders: They have lost five games in a row, but it was not all bad for the Islanders this week. After getting shut out by the Penguins at home Tuesday, they took a 2-0 lead but lost, 3-2, in the shootout Thursday in Pittsburgh. They outplayed San Jose on Saturday but lost a heartbreaker in overtime when the Sharks scored a power play goal after a mistake by the on-ice officials. The Islanders do not play again until Thursday, when they host Winnipeg. Grade: C minus
Blown Call of the Week
Early in 4-on-4 overtime on Long Island on Saturday, Travis Hamonic cleared the puck off the top of the glass and into the stands. However, the two referees and two linesmen did not see the puck hit the glass and Hamonic was given a two-minute penalty for delay of game. Brent Burns scored for the Sharks 38 seconds into the power play for the win. The decision was particularly galling to the Islanders because the officials met to discuss Hamonic’s clearing attempt and still got it wrong. Under the rules, referees are not allowed to consult video replay for a better look. Here it is:
Metro Players of the Week
Dan Girardi, Rangers; Andy Greene, Devils; Marty Reasoner, Islanders – A loss-filled, star-less week like this presents a good opportunity to salute unheralded players who rarely hear their names called out for the three stars of the game. Girardi continues to play big minutes for the Rangers while Marc Staal is sidelined and management struggles to find defensemen the coaching staff can trust. Girardi played half of the 65-minute game Saturday. Greene, the Devils’ smooth-skating defenseman, had two assists and was plus-5 over three games this week. Reasoner, the journeyman grinder the Islanders signed as a free agent in July, has been a strong penalty killer and was dominant on faceoffs against the Sharks.
Trending
Down: Brandon Dubinsky – This is how badly the season is going for the Rangers’ forward: on Saturday against Ottawa, he created more and was as active as he’d been in any game his season, and he still ended up minus-2 with two shots on goal in 21 minutes of ice time. Dubinsky has not scored a goal through nine games in 2011-12.
Up: Brad Richards – Although he was outworked by Milan Michalek on the game-tying goal for the Senators, Richards showed signs of life in his offensive game, scoring two goals and adding an assist on Saturday.
Up: Adam Henrique – The Devils’ rookie center has played well since his recall to replace Jacob Josefson. Saturday in Dallas, he won 7 of 11 faceoffs and admirably returned to the game after blocking a shot with his right foot at the end of the second period.
Down: Devils’ “Dirty” Goals – New Jersey scored just six goals in three games this week. A grinding team, the Devils need to crash the opposing net more frequently and with more tenacity.
Up: Travis Hamonic – The Islanders’ second-round draft pick in 2008 has emerged as one of the league’s finest young defensemen in his own zone. Hamonic possesses strength, toughness and hockey sense.
Down: Islanders’ ticket sales – On Saturday, the franchise honored Pierre Turgeon and the rest of the 1993 Patrick Division playoff champions and offered 50 percent off tickets to anyone who showed up in a Halloween costume. Announced attendance was 11,742. For a heavily promoted rivalry matchup against Pittsburgh on Tuesday, Nassau Coliseum was only half full.
This Week’s Head-Scratcher
Islanders Coach Jack Capuano said Evgeni Nabokov, after allowing just two goals in 65 minutes Thursday in Pittsburgh, “was fatigued and not feeling well.” Nabokov was replaced for the shootout by Rick DiPietro, who had yet to play this season. Nabokov said he sustained an injury during the first period, played through the discomfort, but “Jack pulled the trigger” to substitute DiPietro. The Islanders lost the shootout because they failed to score on their three tries while Evgeni Malkin scored on DiPietro. Capuano didn’t come close to making eye contact with reporters in Pittsburgh after the loss, and don’t be surprised if we learn more of this story down the road.
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