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Pelech/Varlamov on road trip

New York Has A Goaltending Problem-Varlamov out/not going on road trip

Sorokin's faced a season's worth of shots already, and Varlamov was injured most of the second half last season going 3-7-1 after 1/6/23.

John Collins/NYI Business Operator leaving SPAC being sued by 12/31/23

This does not take Collins off the hook for the lawsuit against the SPAC he was a part of or possible future money owed in a legal decision.

Reality Check...........Happy Holidays

If the norm was winning this way, I would be happy, but again this is about getting in the playoffs, then winning the Stanley Cup. We don't live in an NHL where 16/21 teams qualiy anymore, and a sub 500. Vancouer team can play NYI in finals. I fully admit there has been a goaltending drop around the NHL where teams are loaded with mediocre options, it was surprising the Canes new goalie was playing very well, and was terrible against NYI, but our teams has run into a lot of that which has helped the scoring. And let's give Horvat his due who looks like a 1st line player now, with others starting to produce, while Ping Pong Pageau gives them nothing, neither does Engvall, while Palmieri usually needs a shot from inside a foot from the goal to finish. Nothing's getting easier, in fact, when they do slump the same people ignoring it now will go back to fire Lane/Lamoriello mode.
For now we'll see, Sorokin can't keep facing forty shots, the penalty kill must improve, and the scoring they are getting must continue, and Noah Dobson should be leading all Norris consideration.
Happy Holiday's

Oilver Haarmann 10 percent investor?

It's not last season for New York....

Same trends/but moving up standings...Expect progress to continue? No.

Doug Weight got his team to eight over allowing 40+shots in 2017-18 also before it caved in.
Halak-Greiss-Berube all had 50 save wins, and played great to make it only two under 500.
This year the team faces 40+ shots most games, always allows goals when other teams (even Sharks) puts on the pressure.
Anyone thinking this is sustainable for 82 games or thinks another 12 over is a playoff seed, don't see it, the mild west is awful as usual, and Devils/Canes with their offense can rip off 9/10 wins despite their goalie issues. Flyers for now not going away, and usual fringe teams (not Wings) could take the next step at any time.
Our team is waiting on those 53-15-21-44-18 goals not coming often, but worse they got MUCH slower in the defensive zone in crunch time, and killing penalties, and for now have journeyman Robert Bartuzzo/Mike Reilly holding it together with Bolduc, as Dobson has been nothing short of a Norris canidate, who's outside shots produce most of those bad goal rebounds this team lives on for now, as Romanov is showing signs off his injury, and Mayfield is clearly playing big minutes hurting also.
Nice to see Lee showing signs but skating open ice goals he produces not happening. What happened against the Kings besides a bad goalie allowed two poor rebounds? Oh, that's right Sorokin had to stop a breakaway to get game to overtime, teams know.
The goaltending has prevented the blow outs, the opposing goaltending has been horrendous which is a new league trend which keeps NY in games as point shot rebounds produce most of the goals while we see the 40 shots against/100 shot attempts against.
My guess is Dobson's shots stop finding big rebounds, Nelson keeps producing, and we will see with Horvat, who does look settled in finally here as a legitimate top line talent. So many players are overdue to produce but here we are at 9-1-2 (blown Devils game/Sharks as 1-2) and they have to make that push to ten over playing this way. Do I expect this to be the formula that works? No.
Does it buy Lambert time? Absolutely as coaches are dropping like flies but here this family cluture really bonds them together, but you need an offense to produce three goals which is happening (somehow) as goaltending has turned blowout losses into wins or overtime points.

Bortuzzo trade/Pulock to IR/Odd games/Odd trends

This is not last season where they lost to bad teams, and beat teams they were not expected to win against. It's also not 2021-22 where the over 500. teams dominated them. 2023-24 is one where they are fragile, give up 35-40 shots vs almost everyone, are rarely blown out, and without scoring from so many, rarely lose in regulation with an aging/slow forward group. My estmimate is they need 17 over to qualify. Many times I have written the name of the game is don't lost in regulation, but all seasons produce new trends, and this one has been how fragile they are when other teams make a push in games that should have been wins. It's as odd as a 6th overall powerplay that just has inflated numbers because of bounces/Dobson's skills.

A lot of luck, bounces, and great goaltending vs bad goaltending