NYR STRONG THIRD PERIODS, Q&A WITH WOLF PACK'S RYAN GRAVES, PROSPECT REPORT (NEWS AND NOTES)

 Third Periods Becoming Strength for Blueshirts

Photo by Jared Silber/ MSG Photos

From the head coach down, the Rangers feel they're returning to the style of play that has been so successful since Alain Vigneault took over the helm to start the 2013-14 campaign. A big reason for that has been success in the third period.
Since the Rangers defeated the Tampa Bay Lightning, 5-2, on Dec. 30, the Blueshirts have out-scored their opponents 11-2 in the third period, including two goals Monday night that turned a 1-0 deficit in the third period into a 2-1 victory over the Boston Bruins at Madison Square Garden. It just so happens that the Rangers are 3-1-1 in those games.
The victory was the Rangers' first this season when trailing after two periods.
In total through the first 42 games of the season, the Rangers have scored 50 goals in the third period, compared to 37 in the first period and 33 in the second period.
"It was the same as [Saturday against Washington]," said Jesper Fast, who scored the game-winning goal Monday with 1:42 remaining in the third period. "We had a really good push in the third, and I think we had the same feeling coming into this period. We never quit. We have to work hard, and it finally paid off."
Unlike Saturday afternoon, it did pay off for the Blueshirts. They didn't break under a final flurry from the Bruins in the closing seconds of the contest, and didn't sit back waiting for something to happen.
"Those dying seconds there, after what happened with Washington, it's a good sign to get back to protecting the house there and getting that one timely save there from Henrik, which was clutch," said captain Ryan McDonagh, who had an assist and two blocked shots in 24:27. "For the majority of the game, we competed really well and didn't give them too many odd-man looks. Against a team like Boston, they don't give you much."
It was the Rangers' top players being their top players in the third period Monday, helped along by clutch scoring from their depth. The game-tying goal from Derick Brassard came on assists from Mats Zuccarello and McDonagh, while Keith Yandle picked up an assist on the game-winner.
"I think at the end of the day, you need your top players to come up big for you," Vigneault said. "Tonight, you see Quickie come through for us there. He was in front of the net trying to screen the goaltender. Both games we've come back from deficits. It's not easy to do. A very positive sign."
__________________
The Rangers improved to 15-4-1 in their last 20 home games, and have earned at least a point in 17 of their last 21. Dating back to last season, the Rangers have at least one point in 48 of 62 games (41-14-9), including 31 in their last 40 (27-9-4).
No two players have feasted on the Garden more than Zuccarello and Brassard, who have combined for 18 goals and 21 assists for 39 points in the last 17 home games.
__________________
Vigneault coached his 1,012th regular season game Monday, tying Terry Murray for 20th place on the NHL's all-time games coached list. Vigneault's 543rd win passed Billy Reay on the all-time wins list, and he is now tied with Toronto's Mike Babcock for 16th place.
By Matt Calamia

Q&A With AHL All Star Ryan Graves

Chris Rutsch/Hartford Wolf Pack

Last week Ryan Graves, the Rangers 20 year old prospect playing in his rookie pro season with the Hartford Wolf Pack in the American Hockey League, was selected to play in the 2016 AHL All Star Game, the lone Wolf Pack representative and one of only two rookies selected from the Eastern Conference.
The 6-foot-5 defenseman is tied for the goal-scoring lead among Wolf Pack blueliners with three so far this season and his 11 points are third among Hartford defensemen. Graves also has picked up 27 penalty minutes in 37 games played and has been extremely solid and poised, according to assistant coach Jeff Beukeboom, in his own end of the ice.
Graves, who was the Rangers fourth round pick (110th overall) in the 2013 NHL Entry Draft, chatted recently with BlueshirtsUnited.com's Jim Cerny about the All Star honor and his first professional season in Hartford.
BSU: First off Ryan, congratulation on being selected to the AHL All Star Game. What was your initial reaction when you heard the news?
Graves: I was pretty excited and honored to be selected. Obviously I was a little surprised, as well. You never know that something like this is going to happen, but I'm excited and looking forward to the experience.
BSU: What are your expectations for when you arrive for the All Star weekend?
Graves: I'm not really sure how it's going to go. I'm going to go with an open mind and just look to have some fun. There's a skills competition which is always fun, then there's a different format this year with the three-on-three and four-on-four during the game, so I'm sure it'll be exciting for the fans and fun for the players, too.
BSU: Can we expect a breakaway goal from Ryan Graves during the three-on-three?
Graves: (laughing) That would be great if that happened, but I wouldn't count on it!
BSU: You're halfway through your first pro season, so where do you think your game is at compared to when you came to training camp right out of junior this past fall?
Graves: Obviously I want to keep growing and improving as a player as the season goes along. I keep working hard during the season; and there's also a learning curve for me in this league. I'm playing against bigger, faster guys, so I have to try and adjust. We have a pretty young team here in Hartford this year so there are guys in the same situation as me, and we're just trying to get used to it all, learning what it takes to be a good pro.
BSU: Last year your offensive numbers took a big jump from where they had been previously (Graves scored 15 goals in 50 regular season games in the QMJHL and another seven in the post-season). What was the biggest difference for you offensively last season?
Graves: I guess when you are older, it was my fourth year in the league, you tend to have more success and try more things; but really it was a combination of two things. The year before (in 2013-14) I played with a really offensively-minded team in Val-d'Or and I learned a lot from some of the really talented offensive defensemen we had on that team. Then last year (2014-15) playing in Quebec City for (head coach) Philippe Boucher (former NHL defenseman who recorded 300 career points) he helped me a lot. He played in the NHL for a lot of years, was a power play guy who had a lot of points himself. He helped me with technique and my shot and things like when to shoot, where to shoot. He was a huge help to me.
BSU: Do you think your success, both offensively and defensively, plus your great playoff run last spring and the chance to play in the Memorial Cup, all of that really boosted your confidence and set you up for a solid rookie pro season this year?
Graves: Yeah for sure. A big part of hockey is confidence and playing with confidence, and not just confidence in your ability to score points, but confidence in all aspects of your game. It comes from a combination of working hard and experiences like that long playoff run which really helped me grow as a player.
Jim Cerny

Rangers Prospect Report 1.11.16

Photo by Chris Rutsch/ Hartford Wolf Pack

2016 IIHF World Junior Championship
Three Rangers prospects – Brandon Halverson (United States), Adam Huska (Slovakia), and Aleksi Saarela (Finland) – represented their country in the 2016 IIHF World Junior Championship.

Saarela registered the primary assist on the game-winning goal in overtime in the Gold Medal Game on Jan. 5 against Russia. The Rangers’ third round pick (89th overall) in the 2015 NHL Entry Draft registered seven points (four goals, three assists) and posted a plus-two rating in seven games during the tournament while helping Finland capture a gold medal. He tied for first among all skaters in the tournament in power play goals (three).

At least one Rangers prospect has helped his country win the gold medal at the IIHF World Junior Championship in three of the last four years and in four of the last seven years (Saarela – 2016; Anthony Duclair – 2015; J.T. Miller – 2013; Derek Stepan, Chris Kreider, Ryan Bourque – 2010).

Huska led all goaltenders in the tournament in saves (169), even though he only appeared in five games (Huska averaged 33.8 saves per game in the tournament).

Halverson posted a 0.65 GAA and a .973 SV% in two appearances in the tournament. In three appearances in the IIHF World Junior Championship over the last two years, Halverson posted a 0.40 GAA and a .980 SV% (50 saves on 51 shots).

Emerging From the Pack

Mat Bodie tallied an assist/point in each of Hartford’s three games during the week (one goal, four assists), and he posted back-to-back multi-point games on Jan. 9 vs. Bridgeport and Jan. 10 vs. Albany. Bodie notched two assists and posted a plus-three rating on Jan. 9, and registered two points (one goal, one assist), including the game-winning goal in overtime, and posted a plus-three rating on Jan. 10.

Bodie extended his assist streak to five games and his point streak to six games (two goals, six assists, plus-seven rating over his six-game point streak). He has also registered a point in seven of the last eight games (two goals, seven assists over the span). He is tied for the team lead in assists (14) and ranks fifth on the Wolf Pack – and leads team defensemen – in points (17) this season. Bodie also ranks second on Hartford – and leads team defensemen – in plus/minus rating in 2015-16 (plus-five).

Nicklas Jensen tallied a goal, registered four shots on goal, and posted a plus-one rating while making his Wolf Pack debut on Jan. 9 vs. Bridgeport. Jensen, who was acquired by the Rangers from Vancouver on Jan. 8, recorded six shots on goal over the two games he played with Hartford during the weekend.

Adam Tambellini registered two points (one goal, one assist), including an assist on the game-winning goal, led all skaters with six shots on goal, and posted a plus-one rating on Jan. 9 vs. Bridgeport. The Rangers’ third round pick (65th overall) in the 2013 NHL Entry Draft has tallied six points (three goals, three assists) in the last nine games and is tied for second on the Wolf Pack in goals (nine) in 2015-16.

Ryan Graves was selected to represent the Wolf Pack in the 2016 AHL All-Star Game. The Rangers’ fourth round pick (110th overall) in the 2013 NHL Entry Draft has registered 11 points (three goals, eight assists) in 37 games thus far during his rookie season in the AHL.

Quick Hits

Daniel Bernhardt, RW, London Knights (OHL) – Bernhardt committed to and entered into an Ontario Hockey League (OHL) Standard Player’s Agreement with the London Knights on Jan. 8.

Pavel Buchnevich, LW, SKA-St. Petersburg (KHL) – Buchnevich tallied his first assist/point with SKA-St. Petersburg and recorded three shots on goal in 15:36 of ice time on Jan. 6 against Vityaz.

Steven Fogarty, C, University of Notre Dame (NCAA) – Fogarty registered two points (one goal, one assist), recorded five shots on goal, and posted a plus-three rating on Jan. 8 vs. Western Michigan. The Rangers’ third round pick (72nd overall) in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft is tied for third on the team in goals (seven) and ranks fifth in points (14) this season. 

Ryan Gropp, LW, Seattle Thunderbirds (WHL) – Gropp established a single-game WHL career-high with three assists, recorded the primary assist on the game-winning goal in overtime, and posted a plus-three rating in Seattle’s 3-2 win against Everett on Jan. 9. The Rangers’ second round pick (41st overall) in the 2015 NHL Entry Draft has recorded a point in 15 of the last 25 games, tallying 26 points (13 goals, 13 assists) over the span. Gropp is tied for the team lead in goals (18) and ranks fourth on Seattle in points (35) this season (36 games played).

Brandon Halverson, G, Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds (OHL) – After representing Team USA in the 2016 IIHF World Junior Championship, Halverson stopped 34 of 36 shots he faced on Jan. 8 against Erie. The Rangers’ second round pick (59th overall) in the 2014 NHL Entry Draft has made at least 30 saves in 12 of his 21 OHL starts in 2015-16.

Keegan Iverson, RW, Portland Winterhawks (WHL) – Iverson tallied two assists and posted a plus-two rating on Jan. 9 vs. Kamloops. The Rangers’ third round pick (85th overall) in the 2014 NHL Entry Draft has registered four points (two goals, two assists) in the last five games and 15 points (seven goals, eight assists) in the last 21 contests.

Robin Kovacs, RW, AIK (Allsvenskan) – Kovacs tallied a shootout goal on Jan. 8 against Almtuna. The Rangers’ third round pick (62nd overall) in the 2015 NHL Entry Draft leads all players younger than 20 years old in Allsvenskan in goals (13) and points (21) this season.

Ryan Mantha, F/D, Niagara IceDogs (OHL) – Mantha registered two points (one goal, one assist) on Jan. 6 at Hamilton. The Rangers’ fourth round pick (104th overall) in the 2014 NHL Entry Draft extended his assist/point streak to four games (two goals, four assists over the span). He has tallied ten points (two goals, eight assists) in the last 14 games.

Brad Morrison, C, Prince George Cougars (WHL) – Morrison tallied three assists/points in three games last week. The Rangers’ fourth round pick (113th overall) in the 2015 NHL Entry Draft has notched 20 points (eight goals, 12 assists) in the last 19 games, including 12 points (five goals, seven assists) in the last 12 games. Morrison ranks third on Prince George in points (34) and is tied for third in assists (20) this season.

Cristoval Nieves, C, University of Michigan (NCAA) – Nieves registered two assists in each of the Wolverines’ two games last week. The Rangers’ second round pick (59th overall) in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft extended his assist/point streak to four games (six assists over the span), and he has tallied a point in six of his last seven games (two goals, eight assists) and in eight of his last ten contests (three goals, nine assists).

Igor Shesterkin, G, SKA-St. Petersburg (KHL) – Shesterkin made 23 saves and earned his fifth consecutive KHL win on Jan. 6 against Vityaz. The Rangers’ fourth round pick (118th overall) in the 2014 NHL Entry Draft has posted a 5-1-0 record, along with a 2.49 GAA, a .919 SV%, and 1 SO in six KHL appearances this season.

Sergey Zborovskiy, D, Regina Pats (WHL) – Zborovskiy tallied an assist and posted a plus-three rating on Jan. 9 at Spokane. The Rangers’ third round pick (79th overall) in the 2015 NHL Entry Draft has registered three points (one goal, two assists) in the last five games.