What we learned from the first Traverse City prospects game

The future of the New York Rangers became the present in Traverse City, Michigan with the start of the NHL Prospects Tournament.  It didn’t go well for the baby Rangers as they lost 6-2 to the Columbus Blue Jackets.

The game got off to a disappointing start when it was announced that Kaapo Kakko would not play as he was under the weather.  The other top New York Rangers prospects did suit up and fans got see Vitali Kravtsov, Adam Fox and Igor Shesterkin in action for the first time via a Fox Go livesteam.

Shesterkin didn’t live up to the hype, giving up six goals in the first two periods.  His defense was not exactly stellar, allowing two breakaways for goals at the tail end of the first period and an absolutely ghastly giveaway in their zone led to a power play goal by Nikita Korostelev.

Kravtsov played on a line with Hartford signees Nick Jones and Lewis Zerter-Gossage and acquitted himself well at even strength and the power play.

Adam Fox was paired with Yegor Rykov.  Joey Keane and Matthew Robertson made up the second pair and Hunter Skinner and Tarmo Reunanen was the third pair.

The first goal scored by the Rangers gave them the 1-0 lead.  Brett Kemp scored on assists from Cody Milan and Ryan Dmowski.  Kemp is a center who is committed to the Medicine Hat Tigers of the WHL while Milan is an unsigned winger out of Michigan State. Dmowski was signed by the Wolf Pack out of U. Mass-Lowell.

For a look at some of these young players, click here for more information about them.

After Kemp’s goal Columbus scored three times in the first period.  The first goal was off a scrum in the zone, but the last two were odd man rushes and Shesterkin didn’t have much help.

In the second period, Columbus scored twice in the first 1:35, both goals by Trey Fix-Wolansky.  They happened so fast, it was easy to miss them.  The Jackets wrapped up their scoring with the power play goal off the giveaway.

Kemp added a second goal for the Rangers at the 4:03 mark of the third period on an assist by Anthony Salinitri. The Blueshirts held the Blue Jackets scoreless over about the last half of the game.

The game wasn’t as bad for the Rangers as the score would indicate.  They got into a hole early an couldn’t climb out of it and they were clearly outplayed in goal.  This is a prospects game and the first time most of these players have skated together for real.  The final score isn’t what is important here, it is important to focus on the individual performances and the potential.

The players who stood out for New York included Adam Fox, Patrick Newell, Yegor Rykov, and Brett Kemp.

Notes on the game

One of the challenges of watching the live stream was no announcers and  no replays.  Thus, I don’t know who made the giveaway that led to the sixth Columbus goal.  It was a clearing pass from the corner that was intercepted by Nikita Korostelev  who had Shesterkin at his mercy.

Adam Fox had a lot of ice time on both the power play and the penalty kill.  One thing you notice is that he is not big, but he is quick and decisive in the offensive zone.  One offensive sequence was quarterbacked by Fox along with Kravtsov, Henriksson and Newell and led to a spectacular point blank save by Blue Jackets goalie Elvis Merzlikins.

Merzlikins was a 2014 Columbus draft pick and has been playing in Switzerland. The 25 year old looked looked very good in this game. He is expected to be the backup to Joonas Korpisalo as the tandem that will replace Sergei Bobrovsky.

The Ranger penalty kill was solid (except for that horrible giveaway). The top penalty killing forward tandems were Brett Kemp and Ryan Dmowski and the twosome of Lewis Zerter-Gossage and Nick Jones.   The defensive penalty kill was led by Fox and Rykov with the second pair of Robertson and Keane.

The top power play unit was Kravtsov with either Henriksson or Jones and Patrick Newell.

With his two goals, Kemp made a statement. He is at the camp on a tryout  basis and he could turn pro if offered a contract, though he has committed to return to Medicine Hat in the WHL.

Besides Kakko, the prospects who didn’t play include Nico Gross, Keith Getson and Cody Landry.

The lineup

Here are the forward lines and the defense pairings.  Note that the lines were mixed up and Kratsov also played with Henriksson and Newell.

Line 1: Vitali Kravtsov-Nick Jones-Lewis Zerter-Gossage
Line 2: Karl Henriksson-Patrick Newell-Jake Elmer
Line 3: Brett Kemp-Josh Maser-Anthony Salinitri
Line 4: Cody Milan-Ryan Dmowski-Shawn McBride

Defense 1: Adam Fox-Yegor Rykov
Defense 2: Joey Keane-Matthew Robertson
Defense 3: Tarmo Reunanen-Hunter Skinner

The statistics (unofficial)

First Period: 
Goals: Columbus 3, Rangers 1
Shots on goal:  Columbus 14, Rangers 9
Power plays:  Columbus 0-1, Rangers 0-1

Second Period
Goals: Columbus 3, Rangers 0
Shots on goal: Columbus 10,  Rangers 14
Power plays:  Columbus 1-1,  Rangers 0-1

Third Period
Goals: Columbus 0, Rangers 1
Shots on goal:  Columbus 7, Rangers 9
Power plays:  Columbus 0-1,  Rangers 0-1

Game Totals
Goals: Columbus 6, Rangers 2
Shots on goal:  Columbus 31, Rangers 32
Power plays:  Columbus 1-3, Rangers 0-3

Next game

Action resumes on Saturday at 7pm EST when the Rangers take on the Dallas Stars.  They then play the Minnesota Wild on Monday at 230pm.   Click here for a link to the live streams. You can also watch if you have the FoxGo app.