THE GENIUS GIVETH .... THEN TAKETH AWAY

 Stop the world … it’s time to get off. ZAC JONES played for the New York Rangers Wednesday night. Who? How quickly they forget … Come on! He’s the 24 year old defenseman from Richmond (Glen Allen) who is too good for the team to take a chance and put him on waivers for the purpose of sending him to AHL Hartford yet not good enough to play for a team that has been a major disappointment this season … The Rangers ended Jones’ healthy-scratch run at 18 straight games. Actually, he hadn’t suited up in 20 of 21 games since December 17 … in effect blaming Jones for a three-game losing streak that left NY 15-15-1 after beginning the season 12-4-1 … which was stupid considering he’s outplayed most of the Rangers’ d-men especially in getting the puck out of their end, a season-long problem … Jones also has been plus in the tell-tale plus-minus category – as high as plus 8, currently plus 2 – on a team that includes such stars as MIKA ZIBANEJAD (minus 24), ALEXIS LAFRENIERE (minus 13), ARTEMI PANARIN and CHRIS KREIDER (minus 7) as well as top 4 defensemen D’ANDRE MILLER (minus 4) and RYAN LINDGREN(minus 3).

The Rangers beat Boston 3-2 Wednesday at Madison 

Square Garden in a rare (for them) comeback in the 

third period. Until VINCENT TROCHECK (power 

play) and Kreider (short handed) scored 6 ½ minutes 

apart, the latter with 8:06 to go, NY had won exactly 

one time after trailing going into the final 20 minutes 

… Coach PETER LAVIOLETTE put Jones with 23 

year old BRADEN SCHNEIDER on the third 

defensive pairing … and afterwards Laviolette 

apparently surprised some members of the Big Apple 

press by having some nice things to say about Jones, in 

particular. A year ago, when the Rangers finished with 

the NHL’s best regular season record (55-23-4), 

Laviolette was often referred to as “The Genius.” Not 

any more.

Jones was in the lineup because UHRO 

VAAKANAINEN was ill, Laviolette said, without 

elaborating … other than to say he was confident it was 

a temporary condition … that the defenseman acquired 

in the December trade that sent KAAPO KAKKO to 

Seattle would play for Finland (as scheduled) in the 

Four Nations tournament that gets under way Feb. 12 

… We can only guess that’s why Vaakanainen was 

missing (again) and Jones played in Saturday night’s 

home loss to Pittsburgh 3-2 … even though the 

Penguins were without their two best players, SIDNEY 

CROSBY and EVGENI MALKIN ...and didn’t 

manage a shot on goal the last 20 minutes after doing 

all their offensive damage in the second period to 

overcome a 2-1 deficit.

The decision snapped a two-game winning streak for 

New York which fell five points behind in the battle for 

the second of two wild cards in the playoffs that get 

under way in April … Among the operative 

descriptions used to explain the Rangers’ listless 

performance the one that fit best was pathetic. In his

mandatory post-game press conference, Laviolette used 

a grand total of six words to answer four questions then 

left after less than a minute … His job could be/should 

be in jeopardy. On social media the chat rooms were 

full of “Lavo must go.” … A headline in a New York 

tabloid: “Rangers’ Zac Jones Struggles in Rare Ice 

Time in Loss to Pens” drew considerable comment, too 

… all aimed at the writer for not having a clue … So 

Jones and Schneider were on the ice for Pittsburgh’s 

first goal which knotted the count at one 2:25 into the 

second period … and set up by a MATT REMPE

 giveaway. And wasn’t the No. 2 defensive unit of

 WILL BORGEN and K’ANDRE MILLER directly 

responsible for the tying and winning goals? … Jones 

actually saved a goal, reaching out just in time to 

deflect a shot at the left post … with NY ahead 2-1 on 

only the fourth goal of the year by overworked, 

underperforming ADAM FOX.

To be fair … someone should have noted Kreider’s 

game-winner on the fly, from an almost impossible 

angle against the visiting Bruins was a bad goal … 

made possible by backup goaltender JOONAS 

KORPISALO who failed to cover the near post, 

leaving Kreider more than enough room to shoot the 

puck behind him … IGOR SHESTERKIN suffered an 

upper-body injury against the Penguins and is 

expected to be sidelined at least two weeks. 

The timing, however, could not have been 

better. Starting Sunday, the NHL takes a two-

week break for the Four Nations event 

involving teams from Canada, Sweden and the 

U.S., as well as Finland … For Saturday night’s 

game at Columbus, JONATHAN QUICK was 

already scheduled to start in goal for the 

Rangers. Barring unforseen complications of 

what is thought to be a wrist or hand injury, 

Shesterkin should be available when NY 

resumes its schedule Feb. 22 against Buffalo … 

Rookie DYLAN BARAND was called up from 

Hartford to serve as backup.

Guess what? Against Columbus, The Genius, now 

called “Cement Head” by his more vocal detractors, 

replaced Jones with Vaakanainen, who apparently made 

a speedy recovery … Even SAM ROSEN, lead 

announcer on Rangers TV, seemed surprised, noting 

Jones “played very well” the past two games … So 

what happens? The Blue Jackets score goals 58 seconds 

apart to erase an early deficit. Miller and Borgen left

 KENT JOHNSON alone to the right of Quick for the 

first Columbus goal then Vaakanainen was caught up 

ice, leaving only Schneider in position to defend 

another Columbus rush that resulted in the go-ahead 

score. “Nobody was coming back,” said TV analyst

 JOE MICHELETTI.

As it turned out, for all their mistakes especially at the 

defensive end, the Rangers found an opponent who 

could make more. Final score was 4-3 as WILL 

CUYLLE scored twice in the final period, the second 

(his 15^th overall) coming 1:39 from the end. “He’s been 

asking for more playing time,” Rosen said, adding, 

“Maybe now ...”

Finally, according to hockey insiders, Anaheim and the 

Rangers are discussing a one for one deal that would 

bring forward TREVO ZEGRAS to New York for K 

Miller … and the Blueshirts might sign free agent

 JESSE PULJUJARVI, a forward cut loose by the 

Penguins.

Until next time ...