Bantering Points: 3/18/19

Here are today’s news and links:

Rangers News:

  • Colin Stephenson notes that in spite of his team riding the struggle bus, Mika Zibanejad has thrived in his 3rd season on Broadway (Newsday)
  • Justin Bonhard examines which players the team could recall from AHL Hartford to close out the season on a high note (Elite Sports NY)
  • Nicholas Zararis argues that the Rangers should give John Gilmour one final look against NHL competition before he walks into unrestricted free agency (Blue Line Station)
  • Steve Paulus details how New York’s winless road trip did wonders for their draft lottery position (Blue Line Station)
  • Tom Castro pinpoints the Blueshirts’ inconsistency as one element that perturbs David Quinn (The Hockey Writers)
  • After plateauing on Long Island and flaming out in Edmonton, Ryan Strome may have finally found a long term home in Manhattan (Battle of NY Hockey)/

Around the NHL:

  • Iain Macintyre sees the incident in last night’s contest between the Vancouver Canucks and Dallas Stars as a final straw for referees to be better as the playoffs are fast approaching (Sportsnet)
  • Mike Shulman details how Chicago Blackhawks’ forwards Dylan Strome and Alex Debrincat’s chemistry from their days with the OHL’s Erie Otters has carried over into the show (The Hockey News)
  • As a result of the Minnesota Wild’s 3-2 defeat against the New York Islanders, the Calgary Flames became the first Western Conference team to clinch a berth in the 2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs, and the second overall team behind Tampa Bay (NHL.com)/