Saturday, May 23

Neil Parker

2015-05-23

Rangers-Lightning Game 4, Henrik Lundqvist, All-RFA team and breakout defensemen.

***

The Rangers grabbed a 1-0 lead in Game 4, and then they went absolutely rope-a-dope in the second period.

Tampa Bay peppered Henrik Lundqvist with 19 shots in the second and only scored once.

Lundqvist robbed Steven Stamkos early on a wrap-around opportunity, which really could have swayed momentum. Then he slammed the door on an Alex Killorn breakaway.

Next, he stopped Nikita Kucherov in tight, which was the second time Kucherov was parked in prime real estate and didn’t score. The first time he was so surprised the puck landed on his stick, he fired a seven iron into the glass. All he needed was his putter.

But, back to Lundqvist. He won that game early in the second period. Because after Tampa Bay laid it all out offensively and couldn’t capitalize … well …

After that, it just fell apart for the Lightning.

 

Ben Bishop‘s lateral movement was exposed, and cross-ice passes were an element of each of the final four goals. Albeit, one went off of Victor Hedman and in, but still, it followed a lengthy east-west pass.

 

It is nothing new. When Bishop — like most “big” goalies — is moving from side to side, he is vulnerable. “Get the goalie moving,” is as old as “Get pucks on net.”

 

New York took their punches, grew lumps and kept the puck out of their net. When they went on the offensive, Tampa Bay couldn’t do the same.

 

Maybe they’re options as a building block to help kick-start a rebuild.

 

With that in mind, I quickly assembled my All-RFA Team. And outside of spotty defensemen, it looks awesome.

 

Centers

 

Derek Stepan – Two deep playoff runs of experience and two-way acumen. 

Evgeny Kuznetsov – Emerging offensive force entering his prime.

Nazem Kadri – Made huge strides defensively and could have more offensive upside.

Mikael Granlund – While undersized, perfectly comfortable in a top-six role.

Mika Zibanejad – His full breakout nears and posted 17 points over 20 games as a teaser.

 

Wingers

 

Vladimir Tarasenko – Future Rocket Richard winner with an elite shooting arsenal.

Mark Stone – A top-tier scorer from November 1 through the end of the season.

Brandon Saad – He already has over 50 goals and 50 playoff games in the league.

Gustav Nyquist – 55 goals over the past two seasons, and he may not have hit his peak.

Tyler Toffoli – Already a plus-49 for his career, and has only played one full season.

Colin Wilson – Does his true full-season breakout happen next year?

Jakob Silfverberg – A gifted shooter with two-way smarts.

Marcus Johansson – The poor man’s Nicklas Backstrom skates well and can defend.

Craig Smith – Consecutive 20-goal seasons with 466 total shots.

Jonathan Huberdeau – 50 helpers in 2015-16 shouldn’t shock anyone.

 

Defensemen

 

Dougie Hamilton – Entering his age-22 season, stardom and 50-plus points are near.

Michael Del Zotto – Scored 22 points over a 28-game stretch to return to the fantasy map.

Adam Larsson – Over the final 43 games, he posted 20 points and 23:06 minutes per.

Justin Schultz – Bet his numbers would look a lot better with this group than Edmonton.

Thomas Hickey – His skating will keep him in the real game, but aim higher in the fake.

Ian Cole – Doesn’t tip the fantasy scale significantly, but he’ll be around for a long time.

Ben Chiarot – A real-time stat sleeper, he paired nicely with Dustin Byfuglien

Nathan Beaulieu – Projects to be a solid low-end fantasy option sooner than later.

 

Goalies

 

Braden Holtby – A top-five goaltender entering 2015-16.

Jonathan Bernier – Depending on your format, he returns all kinds of saves.

Jake Allen – The future No. 1 goalie on a perennial playoff team.

 

 

Did I miss anyone?

 

 

Seriously, how good is that team, though, right?

 

 

 

***

 

 

I’ve crunched some numbers, and I should turn a profit from my playoff pools. It is amazing, really, because I was heavily invested in the St. Louis Blues.

 

Still, in my deep 22-team pool, Derek Stepan, Victor Hedman and Alex Killorn have given me a sniff of the payouts, and I’ll cash if Tampa Bay advances.

 

However, in another pool, the Rangers advancing and facing the Anaheim Ducks should secure a first place finish, and a few dollars more.

 

With that said, it could all go up in smoke. Although, I’ve only calculated how I could win, because before the offensive outburst in the Rangers-Lightning series, I had already concluded losses across the board.

 

I’ll keep you posted. I loved the Ducks all season, and why I didn’t pounce on them more frequently over St. Louis, I’ll never know.

 

I’m going to blame @SlimCliffy for always telling me the Ducks aren’t very good.

 

 

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