Ranger rumbles: Georgiev’s latest and Kravtsov update

The New York Rangers had Sunday off after their win Saturday night at Madison Square Garden.  They were back on the ice today for practice ahead of their quick road trip to Chicago to play the Blackhawks on Tuesday.  They are right back to New York on Wednesday versus the Colorado Avalanche.

It will definitely be Alexandar Georgiev in net in Chicago according to Coach Gerard Gallant.  He was asked if Georgiev will get starts on consecutive days and was noncommital. “We’ve definitely  got to watch the game tomorrow and see where it goes ..see how things go from that.  There’s no decision made yet for what we’re going to do for the next two games .  Georgie is obviously going to play tomorrow…we’ll see from there.”

He left the door open for Adam Huska to get his first NHL start on Wednesday, again deferring to goalie coach Benoit Allaire.

Gallant was asked what he liked about Georgiev and his effort on Saturday.  His answer?  “What do I like about Georgie?  Stopping the puck. Same with Shesty, same with anybody else.”

Adam Fox was the only regular who didn’t practice, but Gallant said it was just a maintenance day and he would definitely play in Chicago.  Gallant said he believed that Igor Shesterkin was going on the road trip and that meant he could get on the ice tomorrow.  The earlier time frame was that they were looking for him to resume skating on Thursday.

About Georgiev’s attitude

There have been some stories circulating about Georgiev and his attitude.  The most prominent account was from Arthur Staple of The Athletic (subscription required) who wrote “His attitude hasn’t been incredibly positive, either, according to sources. The 25-year-old pending restricted free agent has alienated some around the team with his barely hidden desire to be a No. 1 goalie elsewhere.”

After the win, Georgiev stayed away from the topic, telling reporters “I don’t really want to talk about the last two weeks.   Not much playing time. Things haven’t gone the best, but at the same time we got the W’s. I’m happy that I got a chance to play and happy that I got the chance to win games. That’s the most important thing for us.”

That’s the kind of speculation that will fuel an already active social media.  The latest has been the dissection of how players act after a win and how effusive their congratulations are.  Georgiev barely did a glove tap after Shesterkin’s last win and Artemi Panarin did the same with Georgiev on Saturday.

It may be quite a stretch to read anything into postgame kudos, but it’s no mystery that Panarin and Shesterkin are buddies and fans will remember how the two made a joke of the altercation between Georgiev and Anthony DeAngelo last season.

Before we jump to any conclusions, there is absolutely no on the record confirmation of any rift in the locker room and on a team with over 20 players of eight different nationalities, there will be friendships along with players who may not like each other.

The important thing to note is how the team played after Shesterkin was injured and Georgiev had to come in the game cold. They put together a marvelous defensive effort that allowed him to get into the flow of play and he reciprocated with some great saves on a San Jose power play.

Ryan Lindgren talked about how the team played behind Georgiev. “I’ve played with Georgie a long time, going back to Hartford. I know how good of a goalie he is.  Maybe he’s lost a bit of confidence, but we have all the confidence in the world in him and know how good of a goaltender he is. We just play the same way, doesn’t matter if it’s Igor or Georgie in there. ”  He reinforced it, saying, “We know we’ve got two great goaltenders and have all the confidence in the world in them.”

No matter what is going on behind the scenes, the Rangers need Georgiev to play well and there is no doubt that the players put the team above personalities.

Kravtsov update

Since Vitali Kravtsov may still have a future as a New York Ranger or if not, the team will look for the most return for him in a trade, we will keep track of Kravtsov’s progress in the KHL.  Traktor won today in overtime, beating Kunlun Red Star 3-2

Kravtsov assisted on Traktor’s second goal while playing 16:12 and registering two shots on goal.  Traktor ‘s Vladimir Kachayov scored twice in 26 seconds and on goal number two he was fed by Kravtsov who had the primary assist.

Kravtsov was on the ice when Kunlun scored shorthanded in the third period to tie the score.

He now has five goals and eight points in 11 games with plus/minus of +3.   He is averaging 15:38 minutes per game and two of his goals are game winners.   Since he joined the team, Traktor has gone 7-3-1. They are tied for first with 57 points in the KHL’s Eastern Conference.  They were 22-14-3 when he returned to Russia.

Bye bye Vigneault

Alain Vigneault was fired by the Philadelphia Flyers with the team riding a seven game losing streak and after a humiliating 7-1 home  loss to Tampa. He lasted only two years and two months in Philadelphia.  He was able to last five years in New York, but he also coached the Rangers to the Stanley Cup Final in 2014.  This was his fastest exit from a head coaching job in his career.

Vigneault had immediate success in New York and Philadelphia, but the Flyers have been dreadful last season and so far this campaign with a 8-10-4 record and 20 points. Assistant Coach Mike Yeo is taking over on an interim basis.  He follows the entire Vancouver management team to the unemployment line a they were let go on Sunday.

Don’t feel bad for him.  The Flyers are on the hook for his salary for two more seasons after this one at the reported rate of $5 million a year.

The standings

It may seem to be too early to be scoreboard watching, but when you are playing well, it’s a fun exercise.  This was another good weekend for the Rangers. They won on Friday and Saturday and most importantly, gained ground on every team in the Metropolitan Division.

Washington, Pittsburgh and Carolina each won their only game of the weekend while Columbus had a split, the Devil and Flyers lost badly once and the Islanders lost in extra time twice. The only other Eastern Conference team that came away with four points this weekend were the Tampa Bay Lightning.

It’s worth noting that the Rangers have lost their four games in regulation to the Flames, Capitals and Maple Leafs, all teams in the top six when it comes to points. They have the longest current winning streak at six games, tied with Minnesota and Dallas and only the Flames have more road wins than the Rangers’ eight.

The Rangers have eight more points than Pittsburgh, the last team in a wild card playoff spot.