Tag: Neal Pionk

  • Game Recap: New Jersey Devils v.s Winnipeg Jets 10/4/19 (NJD Home Opener)

    Game Recap: New Jersey Devils v.s Winnipeg Jets 10/4/19 (NJD Home Opener)

    Game Recap:

    Tonight the New Jersey Devils opened up their season at home against the Winnipeg Jets. The first two periods saw the Devils come out and take a commanding 4-0 lead over the Jets. Goal scorers featured Nikita Gusev (who scored his 1st NHL goal), Sami Vatanen, and Blake Coleman who scored twice. Coleman’s second goal of the season is an early goal of the year candidate as he was down on the ice and lifted the puck with one hand on the stick and into the back of the net for a sensational highlight reel goal.

    In the second period, the Winnipeg Jets would score their first goal at the 19:49 mark as Dmitry Kulikov would blast a shot from the point past Devils goaltender Cory Schneider. The Devils would lead 4-1 after the second period.

    However, things started to turn around and change in the third. Devils goaltender Cory Schneider would leave the game due to injury and backup MacKenzie Blackwood would enter the game. The Jets were able to fight their way back in the third to tie the game on goals from Jack Roslovic, Matthieu Perrault, and newly acquired Neal Pionk. At the end of three periods, the scored would be tied 4-4 going into overtime.

    The first two minutes of overtime was extremely exciting as both teams would exchange several two on one chances to put the game away for either side. However, the game would be decided in a shoot out where the Jets got the game winning shootout goal by their captain Blake Wheeler. The Jets would go onto win the game with the final score being 5-4.

     

    Lineups:

    New Jersey Devils

     

    Winnipeg Jets

     

    1st Period Highlights

    https://twitter.com/NJDevils/status/1180272306641391617?s=20

     

    2nd Period Highlights

    https://twitter.com/njdevils/status/1180276319814406149?s=21

    https://twitter.com/NJDevils/status/1180280773234044929?s=20

    https://twitter.com/njdevils/status/1180279880329641985?s=21

     

    3rd Period Highlights

     

    Overtime/Shootout

     

    Final Stats:    NJ-4            WPG-5

    Shots:             39                30

    Hits:               21                13

    PP:                 0/2               0/2

    Face offs:     50.9             49.1

     

    Next Up:

    NJ Devils @ BUF Sabres 10/5/19 7pm EST

    WPG Jets @ NY Islanders 10/6/19 7pm EST

     

    Sponsored by:

    DerpyCon_General Ad.png

     

  • NHL Trade Alert: Jacob Trouba to the New York Rangers

    NHL Trade Alert: Jacob Trouba to the New York Rangers

    Seemingly out of the blue, New York Rangers GM Jeff Gorton completed a trade for defenseman Jacob Trouba.

     

    Trouba, who has long been rumored to be traded out of Winnipeg, was finally traded to the New York Rangers in exchange for defenseman Neal Pionk and the 20th pick in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft. The hockey world is still coming to terms with this trade and how it shakes up the landscape of the NHL. Let’s take some time to analyze this for both squads.

     

    Winnipeg’s end of the deal

    The Winnipeg Jets, while the initial reaction is understandably not very positive, do get their first rounder back in a very deep 2019 draft. That will help them as they continue to try to find the right pieces to compete for a Stanley Cup and there will still be some great prospects available at the 20th overall spot. While this draft is considered to be as unpredictable as any in recent memory the Jets will have their pick of quality prospects. WIth the trade of Trouba, the Jets should look to a guy like Sweden’s Tobias Bjornfot to eventually replace him on their blueline.

    As for Neal Pionk, well this is a bit more complicated. During Pionk’s time in New York he showed flashes of being a good offensive defenseman but ultimately, he hasn’t shown any of the consistency that the Rangers hoped for. He had 26 points this past season which wasn’t bad at all but his plus-minus at a minus-16 was absolutely awful. The advanced stats also aren’t very kind to him as they paint him as one of the worst defensemen in the NHL last season. The thing is in Winnipeg, the Jets won’t force him into a top pair role. He can play on the bottom two pairs, or hopefully bottom pair where he is more suited, and have an easier time finding his way in the league. If Pionk can become a serviceable offensive defenseman for the Jets as the years go on, that would be good as they compete for a Stanley Cup.

    The Jets defense pairing should look like this next season:

    Josh Morrissey – Dustin Byfuglien

    Ben Chiarot – Tyler Myers

    Dmitry Kulikov – Neal Pionk

     

    New York’s end of the deal

    The Rangers acquire a 25-year-old right handed first pair defenseman. That is EXACTLY what they needed this offseason. Jacob Trouba, along with Brady Skjei and prospects K’Andre Miller, Nils Lundkvist, Adam Fox and others will lead New York’s blueline into the future as they hope to get back to Stanley Cup contention. Trouba had eight goals and 42 assists last season for 50 points during his age 24/25 season and will be a cornerstone on the Rangers blue line for years to come. GM Jeff Gorton essentially turned three months of Kevin Hayes and Neal Pionk into Brenden Lemieux and Jacob Trouba. Fantastic job by the boss in New York. The Rangers have put their rebuild into overdrive and this Friday  they will get the chance to add Kaapo Kakko or Jack Hughes at the entry draft in Vancouver. It has been an amazing year since the Rangers announced their plans to rebuild.

     

    The Rangers defense corps should look like this next season:

    Brady Skjei – Jacob Trouba

    Libor Hajek – Adam Fox

    Marc Staal – (prospect to be determined)