Tag: jimmy vesey

Jimmy Vesey getting long-awaited playoff return with Rangers

Before the Rangers started practice Wednesday, ahead of their regular-season finale Thursday, Jimmy Vesey scanned the locker room and took a tally.

He thought he has played the fewest postseason games among his Rangers teammates, but he wasn’t sure.

Vesey knew his number (12) and also the number of seasons since his last appearance (five).

He knew everyone who played during the Rangers’ run to the Eastern Conference finals last season had logged 20, already more than him.

Maybe there was a chance he has played more than defenseman Niko Mikkola, Vesey thought.

But when he checked, Mikkola reminded him about his 16 with the Blues the past two seasons, and reality started to settle in.

Vesey, who will turn 30 in May, has the least postseason experience on the Rangers’ roster.

Their 21 skaters and goalies have appeared in 866 combined playoff games, but Vesey accounts for just 1.4 percent of that.

The last time he made the postseason, he was a Rangers rookie in 2016-17.


Jimmy Vesey is returning to the playoffs with the Rangers
for the NY POST

Everything was easier back then, when playoff berths seemed destined to happen regularly for the Hobey Baker Award winner fresh out of Harvard.

But then the Rangers started to rebuild at the next trade deadline, Vesey was traded to the Sabres, his career spiraled and he began thinking about if — not when — he would make the playoffs again.

That will give the first-round series that will begin next week against either the Devils or Hurricanes extra meaning.

“You certainly don’t envision yourself missing the playoffs five straight years,” Vesey told The Post. “I think everyone envisions themselves every year in the playoffs, and then when it doesn’t happen five years in a row, it’s a little depressing.

“For me, especially, the last couple of years, not knowing if I’d get a chance at it again, it’s exciting for me.”

The entire 2022-23 season, really, has generated similar emotions from Vesey. It started with a professional tryout contract — the second consecutive season he needed one to latch on with an NHL organization — before he made the Rangers and earned a contract extension in January, which provided relief because he “always wanted to be here.”

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Vesey spent time on the first line until Vladimir Taranseko and Patrick Kane arrived at the trade deadline.

He then seamlessly slid down to the fourth unit while also becoming a key presence on the penalty kill.

When Kane missed time last week, Vesey skated with the top line again.

He has 11 goals and 14 assists entering the Rangers’ finale against the Maple Leafs on Thursday.

“I think he’s brought everything,” defenseman Ryan Lindgren told The Post. “He’s played kind of all over the lineup. He’s provided offense. He’s been incredible on the penalty kill.”


Rangers
Jimmy Vesey has excelled in his role with the Rangers this season.
USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Con

But Vesey was still missing another postseason on his résumé.

It wasn’t for a lack of trying, he said.

It wasn’t for a lack of NHL experience, either.

He logged 12 playoff games with the Rangers in 2017, when they beat the Canadiens in the first round before the Senators eliminated them the next round.

The following season, at the trade deadline, the Blueshirts dealt away Rick Nash and Ryan McDonagh and changed the direction of their franchise.

There was the infamous letter to the fans from president Glen Sather and general manager Jeff Gorton.

There was the promise, in that letter, to build “our next Stanley Cup contender,” but no time frame for how long that might take.

Vesey still thought the Rangers had a good team.

But the final two years of his first stint with the Rangers didn’t lead to winning records or the postseason.

The Rangers’ second consecutive appearance in the playoffs means something to everyone, head coach Gerard Gallant said, because it’s “not easy to make the playoffs anymore” — not even with 100 points.

Lindgren added that some Rangers didn’t get their first true taste until last season, during their run to the conference finals.


Jimmy Vesey
AP

But Vesey wasn’t present for that.

He also understands how difficult it can be to reach the 16-team quest toward the pinnacle of the NHL. Last year at this time, Vesey had missed the playoffs with the Devils, and again he didn’t know what the next season would bring.

That’s why the postseason was on his mind again Wednesday morning as it crept closer to a start date.

“My rookie year, looking back, I was really just a kid,” Vesey said, “so if I could get through it then, I’m sure I’ll be fine now.”

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Rangers dominant win validates Kids ‘belong on the ice’

This is what it often looks like when a Peewee AA team from Westchester somehow winds up in the same tournament bracket as a AAA team from Massachusetts.

Carnage on Ice.

So it was at the Garden on Sunday when Rangers-Predators immediately devolved into the kind of mismatch that might have given Barry Trotz pause about accepting the invitation to replace David Poile as Nashville’s general manager as he watched from a press box suite.

The Rangers took six shots between 2:37 and 13:36 of the first period. They all went in, starting netminder Kevin Lankinen allowing four goals before long-man Juuse Saros failed to stop the first two shots he faced.

In the newspaper business, “30” symbolizes the end of a story. In the hockey business on Broadway, “6” sufficed.

“It was not in our heads to get to double digits or anything like that,” Mika Zibanejad said after the 7-0 victory that extended the club’s shutout streak to 150:51 and its winning streak to four. “It’s a tough situation, I’m not sure anyone has a really good answer on how it feels to play a game like this, but I think the focus is to maintain good habits and not get lazy.


Filip Chytil of the Rangers moves the puck down ice during the third period against the Predators on Sunday.
Robert Sabo for NY Post

“You might try something a little bit different if you want to work on something, but you want to continue to play the right way so you can bring that into the next game.”

The Predators, on their way to a playoff miss, were decimated by injury. Ryan McDonagh and Roman Josi were sidelined on the back end. Filip Forsberg and Ryan Johansen were among the missing up front. At least Trotz was able to get an up-close-and-personal look at a number of kids in the system.

In addition to the victory, which gave the Rangers an 8-2-1 record in their last 11 games, there was actually tangible reward in this one. It was not just an exercise in running it out. Indeed, to hear Filip Chytil tell it, this one was a significant one for him and linemates Alexis Lafreniere and Kaapo Kakko to reaffirm their value to this loaded lineup.

“Our top-six has top-top players, so our ice time as a line has gone down the last number of games,” No. 72 told The Post. “This game, with the score, we just rolled our lines so that gave us more time.

“That’s very huge for our confidence and our calmness with the puck.”

Chytil opened the goal-scoring parade by splitting the defense before flicking a forehand past Lankinen at 2:37, 15 seconds after the netminder would make his only save of the night against Braden Schneider. The goal not only ignited a deluge, but it was the first in 19 games for Chytil, who hadn’t scored since Feb. 8.

“I have been staying on and working after almost all the practices,” Chytil said. “This is a confidence boost.”

The Kids’ ice time has taken a hit with the addition of Vladimir Tarasenko and Patrick Kane to the top-six and the subsequent construction of the Jimmy Vesey-Barclay Goodrow-Tyler Motte fourth line that has a spot in head coach Gerard Gallant’s rotation.

But in this one, Chytil was on for 15:16, Lafreniere — who has not scored in his last six games — for 14:40 and Kakko — 0 for his last 11 — for 14:10. That included a power-play spin as a unit. The lads did not score again, but they made the most of their opportunity by impressing Gallant.


Rangers right wing Kaapo Kakko (24) skates with the puck against Nashville Predators on Sunday.
AP

“They deserved it tonight,” the head coach said. “I like to see them take it. It’s not about me giving it to them, it’s about them taking it.

“They really played [well]. It was their best game in a while.”Gallant’s words should be music to Chytil’s ears. For the 23-year-old center had said just about the same thing from a player’s perspective just a few minutes earlier. The Kids aren’t looking for a handout.

“You have to understand, of course, the kind of players we brought in. They are here to help us win the Cup,” said Chytil, who had scored 11 goals in the 13 games immediately preceding the extended drought. “But we want to show that we belong on the ice. We want to prove that we can contribute to the team.

“We want to keep working as hard as we did before when we had a little more time. We want to help the team win. We want to show we deserve to be on the ice.

“That gives us motivation to earn ice time.”

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Rangers’ growing playoff predicament is impossible to ignore

There comes a time when you just have to take a break from hitting your head against a wall. Does anyone today seriously need another rundown of what is going so wrong for the Rangers over a first 23 games in which so little has gone right?

The Blueshirts left the ice following Monday’s 5-3 defeat to the Devils in fifth place (by point percentages) in both the Metropolitan Division and the wild card race in a league in which both the loser’s point and the paucity of head-to-head divisional matches conspire against clubs coming from behind in the standings.

Still, it can be done. In 2018-19, the Blues charged from last place overall on Jan. 2 with a 15-18-4 record to go on a 17-4-1 run that extended to 30-10-5, boosting them not only into the playoffs but to a Stanley Cup. In 2014-15, the Senators, 10 points out of a playoff spot on Jan. 17 with a 22-23-10 mark, went an astounding 21-3-3 the rest of the way to make the playoffs before losing in the first round.

Both of those teams’ revivals were sparked by goaltenders who essentially came out of nowhere — Jordan Binnington for St. Louis and Andrew (Hamburglar) Hammond for Ottawa. Following that model, the Rangers perhaps should dip down into Hartford and promote Dylan Garand, the 20-year-old who recorded his first pro shutout Saturday in, of course, a 1-0 shootout defeat to Hershey.

The Devils’ comeback Monday night at Madison Square Garden left the Rangers 14 points behind New Jersey and buried deep in the Metro standings.
Robert Sabo

Falling fast

A look at the standings is sobering. The Rangers have lost contact with the Devils. They’re out of sight by 14 points and thus should be put out of your minds. The role reversal between these two clubs might make more sense if put this way:

Last season, Jimmy Vesey played on the fourth line for a New Jersey team that missed the playoffs by 37 points. On Monday, Jimmy Vesey was on the first line for a Rangers team went into the season fancying itself a Stanley Cup contender.

This is not a knock on Vesey, who earned a spot on the varsity after coming to camp on a PTO and has been one of a tiny faction of Rangers — Vesey, Adam Fox, Ryan Lindgren, Filip Chytil, Julien Gauthier, Barclay Goodrow and maybe Braden Schneider — to meet expectations. (If you want to lobby for Ryan Carpenter in his role as fourth-line center, be my guest.) Early in camp, Vesey talked about having adopted a fourth-line mentality, how he modeled his game after Tyler Motte, so valuable in a fourth-line role for the Blueshirts last spring. And now No. 26 has played on the first line in eight of the club’s 23 games.

That hasn’t changed the situation Vesey and the Rangers find themselves in. Not only have the Blueshirts have lost contact with the Devils, but the Hurricanes are going to be long gone. The Rangers are going to have to be careful not to lose contact with the Islanders, whom they trail by six points while having only one game left against them.

After watching the Rangers reach the playoffs while playing with the Devils last season, Jimmy Vesey is now watching New Jersey steam toward a potential playoff spot while playing for the Rangers.
Jason Szenes

In order to qualify for the tournament, the Rangers will have to pass three teams they currently trail. Awarding spots to the Devils, ‘Canes, Bruins, Maple Leafs and Lightning, the teams to catch would be the Islanders, Penguins, Red Wings, Canadiens and Panthers.

Again, not one of them and not two of them. Three. Add to the equation that the Blueshirts will also have to stay in front of the Caps, who are three points back.

Strength of schedule

The schedule turns murderous next week, when the Blueshirts travel to Vegas and Colorado before home games against the Devils and Leafs. The Rangers — who have won four out of 12 (4-5-3) at the Garden — wouldn’t be expected to win any one of these.

But before the Rangers get from here to there, the schedule provides a silver lining. The next three games are against 29th-overall Ottawa and 31st-overall Chicago, teams that appear well on their way to Lotteryland. If there can be a soft spot for a team such as the Rangers, this is it. Of course, this is also the way the Senators and Blackhawks might look at it, preparing for a Blueshirts team that has won 10 of 23 overall (10-9-4) and is on a three-game regulation losing streak.

With an upcoming date against Jack Eichel and the Pacific Division-leading Golden Knights, the Rangers’ path to getting back in the playoff hunt isn’t getting any easier.
NHLI via Getty Images

After Wednesday’s match in Ottawa, there is a back-to-back at the Garden on Friday and Saturday, respectively, against the Senators and Blackhawks. Yes, get ready for Jaro Halak in one or the other.

Quick hits

• Is it a coincidence that K’Andre Miller and Alexis Lafreniere have regressed in what is a contract year coming off entry-level deals for both?

• There are 37 defense pairs that have been on the ice for at least 200 minutes at five-on-five. Miller and Jacob Trouba, the tandem that went into this season as the club’s presumptive shutdown pair, ranks 37th and last in goals for/against percentage at 28.57 (8 for/20 against). How’s that?

The Lindgren-Fox duo is 26th at 52.17 percent (12 for/11 against).

K’Andre Miller and Jacob Trouba have struggled to be the defensive stoppers they were expected to be when the season began.
NHLI via Getty Images

• There are 187 forwards who have played at least 250 minutes at five-on-five. (Thanks, Natural Stat Trick.) Vincent Trocheck is tied for 163rd with 0.37 goals per 60:00.

Do you want to know with whom he is tied?

That would be Patrick Kane.

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Jimmy Vesey is a different player in his Rangers comeback

The long and winding road has brought Jimmy Vesey back to where his NHL journey started. Only this time without all — or any — of the hoopla. Only this time without the guarantee of not only a roster spot, but of a contract. 

Six years after the winger signed with the Rangers as a celebrated free agent out of Harvard in 2016 after spurning offers from both Nashville, which had drafted him 66th overall in 2012, and from Buffalo, which had subsequently traded for his rights, Vesey is attending the Blueshirts’ camp on a professional tryout, hoping to earn a job as a fourth-line, penalty-killing specialist. 

At least two-thirds of NHL clubs had been in on the free-agent derby. It was kind of a public circus. Nashville GM David Poile charged that he had been misled. Vesey reported to the Rangers and played for much of his rookie season under a spotlight. 

Now, crickets. 

“To be candid with you, that hype never came from me,” Vesey told The Post before an impressive performance that included a power-play goal and strong penalty-kill work in Monday’s 4-1 exhibition opening victory over the Islanders at the Garden. “I always envisioned myself as a 20-goal guy and when I left here after three years, I thought I pretty much had figured it out. 

“Then I had a tough year in Buffalo and spiraled after that.” 

Vesey is not rewriting history here. He shied away from attention as much as possible. He was soft-spoken then, as now, prone to elongated scoring slumps through which he was eaten alive by bouts of self-doubt. 

Jimmy Vesey was expected to be a top-six dynamo, but struggled to crack the 20-goal mark.
Jason Szenes for the New York Post

“You know the big thing for me has always been confidence,” said the 29-year-old, who added that he had worked with a few mental-skills specialists in the past, “but didn’t hit it off with any of them. 

“I’m still open to the possibility.” 

Vesey recorded 16, 17 and 17 goals, respectively, as a top-six/top-nine in his first Broadway tour and was one of the team’s best players in the 2017 first-round upset victory over Montreal. Sent to the Sabres following 2018-19 for a third-round draft pick, the winger recorded only 20 points (9-11). Then came a lost year split between Toronto and Vancouver. 

“I was up in Canada during the [2020-21] COVID year, locked down, by myself,” said Vesey, who put up a combined 10 points (5-5) in 50 contests. “I didn’t play well. It was very hard on me. 

“It was a miserable experience.” 

But Vesey recreated himself in a different image following that season. He signed as a free agent with New Jersey and became a very effective support player and penalty-killer, joining Michael McLeod on the first PK unit while chipping in 15 points (8-7) altogether. 

“After the year in Canada, I took ownership of the fact that I had to re-invent myself as a fourth-line guy who could kill penalties,” he said. “I’m not one for pumping my own tires, but I think I did a pretty good job of that.” 

Indeed, Vesey was effective enough in that role that it was surprising that he was not dealt as a rental to a playoff-bound team at the deadline. 

Jimmy Vesey returns to the Rangers looking to snag a penalty-killing specialist role.
Robert Sabo

“Well, it almost … it was close,” he said, without divulging juicy details. 

So now it is back to the future after 422 NHL career games for Vesey, who seems to be competing with Dryden Hunt and Ryan Carpenter — a PK guy who played two years for head coach Gerard Gallant in Vegas — for a roster spot on a team that will likely keep only one spare forward. It would appear that there will only be room for two of that group, assuming that Ryan Reaves’ job is not in jeopardy. 

Vesey said that he had offers from other clubs to attend camp on a tryout, presumably from somewhere there’d be an easier path to a contract, but he chose to return to a place he likens to home. 

“I’m the type of person … I’m shy, I kind of like the feeling of home,” he said. “And Chris [Drury] was the assistant GM when I was here. He knows what I’m made of and am capable of contributing. Comfortability is important for me. Plus, I’m at a point in my career where I want to play for a team that can win the Cup. The Rangers are a legitimate contender.” 

As Vesey tells it, he is essentially auditioning for the role held by Tyler Motte following his acquisition at the deadline. Motte departed as a free agent after the cap-stressed Blueshirts could not accommodate his requested price. 

“I know management really valued the role Motte played here. I think I’m of that same mold and can fill that spot,” Vesey said. “I can skate, can kill penalties and I can still score if I shoot the puck.” 

Six years after the hype, three years after leaving, Jimmy Vesey is taking another crack at Broadway. 

“If I look at my career, I’m fine with where I’m at,” said the once-and-again No. 26. “I know what my assets are and what I have to do. 

“It’s good to be back.”

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