1. The most unheralded hero so far in the playoffs almost was a Rangers coach. Edmonton bench boss Kris Knoblauch has his Oilers hellbent for a leap into the Cup Final with Dallas now on the ropes.
2. Knoblauch should have gotten the Blueshirts head coaching gig rather than super-retread Peter Laviolette but "Old Boy" politics prevailed. No sweat; as they say "genius will out" and Kris now is king in the Land of McDavid.
3. In a note to The Maven, classy Knoblauch said he's grateful for what the Rangers enabled him to do at Hartford and has nothing but thanks for having worked under the Blueshirt umbrella.
4. The advent of Mike Sullivan as new coach should mean that – once and for all – Zac Jones gets a chance to prove himself; which was impossible under Pistol Pete Laviolette.
5. K'Andre Miller is the most overpaid – often overrated – Rangers blue liner and will remain so until he's dealt; and the sooner the better. Zac Jones easily could fill the gap and be an improvement.
6. The Ranger returnee who most intrigues me is right wing Adam Edstrom. He was really coming into his own when an injury ended his season.
7. Tonight we find out whether there's any wind left in the Hurricanes. If there's any substance to the talk that Rod Brind'Amour is a good playoff coach, we'll learn about it in Beautiful Downtown Sunrise, Florida.
8. Under Brind'Amour the Canes have lost 11 in a row to Florida since 2019. I'd sure love to hear how the man explains that dreadful skein. (At least he can't blame it on the travel.)
9. The best explanation of Florida's mastery of Carolina comes from Sportsnet's Eric Engels. He says that the Defending Champs have inflicted "pain, intimidation and attrition" on the well-conquered Canes.
10. My noble Florida correspondent Al Greenberg says that coach Paul Maurice's stand-up media schmoozes remind him of old-time comic Jackie Vernon.
11. While Big Al is accurate about the Jackie Vernon likeness, the trouble is that only Greenberg and The Maven know who he's talking about; and that includes Paul Maurice.
12. By the way Maurice's career, dating 'way, 'way back to head coaching Hartford in 1995 is a book, or at least should be one. Paul is so good with words he could write it himself without anyone ghosting for him.
13. I asked Big Al Greenberg to name a player from the past that Sam Bennett reminds him of and Al was quick with his answer.
14. "John Ferguson who won many Cups with the Canadiens," says Big Al. "Fergie played with the same mean streak; played on the edge with chippiness and would not back down from a battle. Plus, both at their best at playoff time."
15. Up until the Canes met Florida in the playoffs, Raleigh boasted the loudest building in the NHL. It'll take a miracle for that to happen again this spring.
16. My savvy Upper West Side Manhattan buddy Lloyd MacKay on The Panthers Effect: "Florida's playoff round against the Rangers broke the Blueshirts' spirit and belief in themselves and New York never really got it back. That Panthers' series was the template for the Rangers' downfall."
17. Stick this sage Jess Rubenstein comment on your calendar: "Mark my words; in a couple of years the Rangers will regret that they gave away defenseman Victor Mancini!
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