Goal Line Report
Entries with the tag: Boston+Bruins
A Brief Look at Two Warriors
by Patrick Hoffman on 05/07/11 at 08:17 PM ET
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I’m obviously talking about the upcoming “battle” between Boston Bruins’ goaltender Tim Thomas and Tampa Lightning netminder Dwayne Roloson.
With Thomas at 37 years old and Roloson 41 years of age, it will be a battle between two goaltenders who are looking to win their first Stanley Cup. Roloson had a good crack at it back in 2006 when he was between the pipes for the Edmonton Oilers until he got injured in Game 1 and never returned to the crease.
Both of these goaltenders are similar when it comes to playing styles. When looking at Thomas, it is easy to say that he is the modern day Dominik Hasek. He may not have Hasek’s stature but what he does have is a terrific compete-level and a willing to do whatever he can to stop the puck. One can easily see this when looking back at some of Thomas’s highlight saves from this past season.
Looking at Roloson, it is almost the same thing. He never gives up on a play but unlike Thomas, Roloson seems to be more of a positional goaltender. Yes, he lunges at pucks sometimes but after making the first save, he usually finds himself in good enough position to make a save on the rebound as well.
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Tags: Boston+Bruins, Dwayne+Roloson, Tampa+Bay+Lightning, Tim+Thomas,
The Bruins Deserve it
by Patrick Hoffman on 05/06/11 at 10:15 PM ET
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There is no doubt that the Boston Bruins deserve to be where they are right now and that is in the Eastern Conference Finals against the Tampa Bay Lightning.
The Bruins were the better hockey team in their 4-0 series win over the second place Philadelphia Flyers. The Bruins had the better offense, defense and goaltending in showing their fans and the rest of the hockey world that this is a much different hockey club than last season and years past.
Offensively, this Bruins’ club is extremely deep and has been so in this year’s playoffs. Guys like Patrice Bergeron, Brad Marchand, David Krejci, Nathan Horton and Milan Lucic, who finally picked up sone goals in scoring two tonight in the Bruins’ 5-1 Game 4 victory, have all stepped up their games and have helped their club move onto the third round.
Unfortunately for the Bruins’ offense, they lost Bergeron tonight in the third period after being hit by Flyers’ forward Calude Giroux. Hopefully, the team will not lose him for the long-term as Bergeron has been dynamite offensively (12 points), defensively, on the penalty kill and has also been absolutely terrific in the face-off circle.
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Tags: Boston+Bruins,
A Potential First Round Matchup for the Ages?
by Patrick Hoffman on 04/09/11 at 08:00 PM ET
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Over at RLD Hockey today, I blogged about which two teams I’d like to see go at it during the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
You can either click here to go to the blog or continue below.
The historic rivalry of Boston-Montreal
By Patrick Hoffman
The best matchups in the Stanley Cup Playoffs usually feature two teams that are rivals and have a history of playing big games against each other as well as games during the season that were exciting with great goals, saves, hits and of course, fights.
Based on these elements, it is easy to see which two teams would provide the best first-round matchup of this year’s postseason: the Boston Bruins and the Montreal Canadiens.
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Tags: Boston+Bruins, Montreal+Canadiens,
Out of Their Hands
by Patrick Hoffman on 04/07/11 at 10:38 PM ET
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That is exactly what it has come to for the New York Rangers after being shutout tonight by the Atlanta Thrashers by a score of 3-0 at Madison Square Garden.
Since it is Thursday night, that means I did not get to watch the game as I had my weekly men’s league hockey game. With that said, it was extremely disappointing to come home and see that the blueshirts lost to a team that is not even fighting for a playoff spot.
With that said, and based on the highlights on NHL on the Fly, it appears that the Thrashers got the better of the scoring chances and that the Rangers were flat. This is somewhat surprising considering the huge effort they delivered on Monday night at the Garden when they defeated the Boston Bruins by a score of 5-3.
Now, prior to the team’s regular season finale against the New Jersey Devils on Saturday afternoon, the Rangers will be scoreboard watching tomorrow night. The ninth place Carolina Hurricanes, who are just two points behind the Rangers, take on the Atlanta Thrashers tomorrow night in Atlanta with an opportunity to tie the Rangers in points heading into Saturday. The Hurricanes then close out their season on Saturday night with a home game against the Tampa Bay Lightning.
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Tags: Atlanta+Thrashers, Boston+Bruins, Carolina+Hurricanes, New+Jersey+Devils, New+York+Rangers, Tampa+Bay+Lightning,
Another Day, Another Big Game for the Blueshirts
by Patrick Hoffman on 04/07/11 at 07:36 AM ET
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The Carolina Hurricanes continue to put pressure on the New York Rangers for one of the final playoff spots in the tight Eastern Conference as they shutout the Detroit Red Wings by a score of 3-0.
With the win, the Hurricanes have pulled to within two points of the Blueshirts. The Rangers will have a chance to increase that lead to four points tonight when they take on the Atlanta Thrashers.
The Rangers are coming off an extremely emotional win over the Boston Bruins at Madison Square Garden on Monday night. The team fought from three goals back to win the game 5-3. Unfortunately, they lost Ryan Callahn, the heart and soul of the team, to a broken ankle in the process.
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Tags: Atlanta+Thrashers, Boston+Bruins, Henrik+Lundqvist, New+Jersey+Devils, New+York+Rangers, Philadelphia+Flyers, Ryan+Callahan,
Prospal Becoming a Strong Leader for the Blueshirts
by Patrick Hoffman on 04/05/11 at 10:02 AM ET
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With the way that the New York Rangers dealt with injuries this season, I am not quite sure anyone thought about how much Vinny Prospal meant to the Blueshirts.
Well, they certainly do now as Prospal has been one of the most consistent Blueshirts since returning to the lineup. In 27 games this season, Prospal has 8 goals and 13 assists for 21 points, which is almost good for a point a game.
Prospal was especially good in last night’s 5-3 emotional win over the Boston Bruins at Madison Square Garden. When the team was down 3-0 in the second period, Prospal scored the team’s first two goals en route to closing out the period down by one goal.
He (Prospal) got the team going and enabled them to carry the momentum he generated in the second period into the third period. The team then went on to have one of their best periods of the season in one of the most important game of the year.
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Tags: Boston+Bruins, New+York+Rangers, Vinny+Prospal,
A Tale of Two Games
by Patrick Hoffman on 04/05/11 at 07:00 AM ET
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I was lucky enough to be at last night’s game between the New York Rangers and Boston Bruins and let me tell you, it was like watching two different games.
In the “first” game, the Rangers were flat, did not generate many scoring chances, had terrible defensive coverage and trailed 3-0. It could have been more if not for the solid goaltending of Rangers’ netminder Henrik Lundqvist.
The second game was the complete opposite. The Blueshirts played with passion, forechecked, threw pucks to the net and cashed in on their scoring opportunities. In this particular game, the Blueshirts outscored the Bruins 5-0.
In the end, it was a 5-3 Rangers’ victory in one of the most exciting games of the season at Madison Square Garden. It was a game in which the team trailed 3-2 with less than four minutes to go, only to score three goals in the final three minutes as Brandon Dubinsky tied the game, Michael Sauer scored the game winner and Derek Stepan sealed it with an empty netter.
Truth be told, may be it was expected that the Blueshirts would come out flat. They played an extremely tough and grueling game against the Philadelphia Flyers on Sunday afternoon and were obviously out of synch and tired.
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Tags: Boston+Bruins, Brandon+Dubinsky, Buffalo+Sabres, Carolina+Hurricanes, Derek+Stepan, Henrik+Lundqvist, Michael+Sauer, Montreal+Canadiens, New+York+Rangers, Philadelphia+Flyers,
Pressure On in a Must Win Game
by Patrick Hoffman on 04/03/11 at 09:51 AM ET
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Losing two straight games will do that and the New York Rangers now find themselves in a must win situation in Philadelphia this afternoon against the Flyers.
The ninth place Carolina Hurricanes find themselves just one point behind the Blueshirts after beating the New York Islanders last night and look to be getting hot at the right time. On the other hand, you have the Rangers who are coming off a 6-2 loss at the hands of the New York Islanders and are now heading into two extremely tough games against the Flyers this afternoon and the Boston Bruins tomorrow night at Madison Square Garden.
This afternoon’s tilt will have a real playoff feeling and the Rangers will need to treat it as such. The Flyers have not been playing great of late but will be looking to improve their play heading into the first round of the playoffs.
If the Rangers want to have any kind of success this afternoon, one thing they will have to do is get their offense going again. The team has scored three goals in their last three games and have not done enough to generate the kind of offense that is needed to put the puck in the net.
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Tags: Boston+Bruins, Carolina+Hurricanes, Henrik+Lundqvist, New+York+Rangers, Philadelphia+Flyers,
A Wake Up Call
by Patrick Hoffman on 03/31/11 at 10:00 PM ET
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That is exactly what you can call the game between the New York Rangers and the New York Islanders tonight.
I had men’s league hockey tonight so I did not get to watch much of the game, so it was extremely disappointing to come home and see that the Blueshirts lost 6-2 to a team that is not contending for the Stanley Cup Playoffs this season. With that said, I am NOT taking anything away from the Islanders because they have come a long way in the last few months and have played some excellent hockey.
Based on reading the game reports, it appears that an Islanders’ 4-goal second period did the team in and put them behind the eight ball for the rest of the hockey game. What is even more concerning is the team’s recent struggles on offense as they only scored two goals tonight, none yesterday in a 1-0 shutout loss to the Buffalo Sabres and one in a 1-0 shutout win over the Boston Bruins on Saturday afternoon.
This is not the time to be struggling to put the puck in the net. The team still has four games left to play and their not exactly easy opponents as they take on the Philadelphia Flyers on Sunday afternoon, the Bruins next Monday night at Madison Square Garden, the Atlanta Thrashers next Thursday night at the Garden (the Rangers SHOULD win that one) and the New Jersey Devils next Saturday afternoon at the Garden.
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Tags: Atlanta+Thrashers, BOston+Bruins, Buffalo+Sabres, Carolina+Hurricanes, New+Jersey+Devils, New+York+Islanders, New+York+Rangers, Philadelphia+Flyers,
Another Big Game on Tap for the Rangers
by Patrick Hoffman on 03/30/11 at 07:58 AM ET
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Coming off a big 1-0 shutout win over the Boston Bruins on Saturday afternnon, the New York Rangers will be back in action tonight when they take on the Buffalo Sabres in Buffalo in what is an important game for both clubs.
The Blueshirts are currently seventh in the Eastern Conference but are just two points up on the eighth place Buffalo Sabres. The Rangers are also now two points behind the Montreal Canadiens for sixth place.
The key for the Rangers will be to stay the course. They will need to continue to get balanced scoring, play disciplined hockey, play smart defense and get goaltending from Henrik Lundqvist if they want to have any kind of success against a very good Sabres hockey club.
Luckily for the Rangers, this is a road game and the Blueshirts have been one of the league’s best away from home ice. The team currently has 23 wins on the road and seem to play with a lot more confidence when not in front of the Madison Square Garden crowd.
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Tags: Boston+Bruins, Buffalo+Sabres, Henrik+Lundqvist, Montreal+Canadiens, New+York+Islanders, New+York+Rangers,
Blueshirts Shut out the Bruins in Important Road Win
by Patrick Hoffman on 03/26/11 at 02:35 PM ET
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Believe it or not folks, the New York Rangers are now tied with the sixth place Montreal Canadiens after shutting out the Boston Bruins in Boston by a score of 1-0.
Rangers’ netminder Henrik Lundqvist was solid once again in picking up his 11th shutout of the season. Lundqvist finished the game with 26 saves and was especially good in the third period when his team was outshot by a 12-1 margin.
The team also did a terrific job of blocking shots. At one point on the broadcast in the third period, Rangers’ announcer Sam Rosen said the team had blocked 25 shots. They probably finished with close to 30 in the game and showed just how important blocking shots can be, especially since the Bruins have guys who can fire the puck frome the point.
Offensively, the Rangers were quiet once again. Yes, they got a goal from Derek Stepan in the first period (his 20th goal of the season) but other than that, they were shut down by the Bruins’ defense and Bruins’ netminder Tuukka Rask, who had 22 saves on the afternoon and was the victim of a helpless offense.
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Tags: Boston+Bruins, Buffalo+Sabres, Derek+Stepan, Henrik+Lundqvist, Montreal+Canadiens, New+Jersey+Devils, New+York+Rangers, Toronto+Maple+Leafs, Tuukka+Rask,
Original Six Tilt in Beantown
by Patrick Hoffman on 03/26/11 at 09:12 AM ET
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That is exactly what will be happening at 1 p.m. today as the New York Rangers will take on the Boston Bruins at the TD Garden in Boston.
The Blueshirts are coming off a 2-1 shootout loss to the Ottawa Senators on Thursday night at Madison Square Garden while the Bruins are coming off a big 7-0 win over the Montreal Canadiens. One team will be looking to score more goals while the toher will continue to do the things that made them successful in their last game.
As always, this is an extremely important game for the Rangers. Both the Buffalo Sabres and Carolina Hurricanes won last night so the Blueshirts are now just two points up on the eighth place Sabres. With a win this afternoon in Boston, however, the Rangers could end up tied with the Canadiens for sixth place in the Eastern Conference. The Canadiens take on the Washington Capitals tonight.
It will be interesting to see if Rangers’ forward Sean Avery will be in the lineup this afternoon. Based on reports from team beat writers at yesterday’s skate, it appears that there is a good chance that Avery will be back in the lineup. However, nothing was confirmed.
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Tags: Boston+Bruins, Buffalo+Sabres, Carolina+Hurricanes, Henrik+Lundqvist, Montreal+Canadiens, New+York+Rangers, Ottawa+Senators, Sean+Avery, Washington+Capitals,
Good, but not Great
by Patrick Hoffman on 03/25/11 at 06:56 AM ET
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Good morning folks. Unfortunately, I did not get to catch the New York Rangers vs. Ottawa Senators game last night as I had a hockey game of my own to play in.
With that said, I was somewhat disappointed to come home and see that the Blueshirts lost 2-1 in a shootout to the Senators, snapping the team’s five game winning streak. Yes, the Blueshirts were able to pick up an important point but as always, there were two points to be had in this game and the Blueshirts failed to get the other one.
It was nice to see that Rangers’ netminder Henrik Lundqvist had another solid game between the pipes in making 29 saves. He seems to be on top of his game and right now, that is a very good thing for the Blueshirts.
It was also nice to see Rangers’ forward Brandon Prust pick up his 12th goal of the season. Prust works hard, is not afraid to go into the corners, sticks up for his teammates, goes to the net and has shown that he can contribute offense to this hockey club.
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Tags: Boston+Bruins, Brandon+Prust, Buffalo+Sabres, Henrik+Lundqvist, Montreal+Canadiens, New+York+Rangers, Ottawa+Senators,
Rangers Look to Extend Winning Streak to Six
by Patrick Hoffman on 03/24/11 at 08:25 AM ET
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The New York Rangers will look to win a “trap” game once again when they take on the Ottawa Senators tonight at Madison Square Garden.
Going into tonight’s tilt, the Blueshirts have won five straight games and have done so with timely goal scoring, smart play in the defensive zone, being disciplined and solid goaltending from Henrik Lundqvist. That has been the winning formula for the Blueshirts all season long and if they use it tonight against the Senators, the team will pick up its sixth straight victory along with points 85 and 86.
The Rangers need to keep winning because the eighth place Buffalo Sabres are just three points behind and are starting to heat up at the right time. With that said, if the Blueshirts continue to win, there is a chance that they could catch the Montreal Canadiens, who are currently sixth in the Eastern Conference with 87 points.
It will be interesting to see how the lineup looks for tonight’s game. One question is will Sean Avery be reinserted back into the lineup? If I am Rangers’ head coach John Tortorella, I stay the course and keep him out of the lineup for at least one more game. The team is doing just fine without him and should not want to change much when things are going right.
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Tags: Boston+Bruins, Buffalo+Sabres, John+Tortorella, Marc+Staal, Montreal+Canadiens, New+York+Rangers, Ottawa+Senators, Sean+Avery,
Big Original Six Matchup on Broadway Tonight
by Patrick Hoffman on 03/18/11 at 08:52 AM ET
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There is nothing like an Original Six mtachup in hockey. There is the history between the two teams, a sense of rivalry, a game of importance and much more.
That will be no different tonight when the New York Rangers take on the Montreal Canadiens tonight at Madison Square Garden in what is a big game for both clubs. The Blueshirts are still seventh in the Eastern Conference with 78 points, just two points up on the eighth place Buffalo Sabres while the Canadiens currently hold down the sixth spot in the conference and are now just three points behind the Northeast Division leading Boston Bruins.
The Rangers have dropped their three previous meetings to the Canadiens so tonight will be important for the Blueshirts to beat the Canadiens. The Rangers come into this game having won four of their last five and having won two straight games on home ice.
The team is obviously playing with a lot of confidence now. They are putting the puck in the net, blocking shots, throwing the body, getting solid goaltending and playing a winning style of hockey.
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Tags: Alex+Auld, Boston+Bruins, Buffalo+Sabres, Carey+Price, Montreal+Canadiens, New+York+Rangers,
Old Time Hockey, Eh?
by Patrick Hoffman on 02/10/11 at 03:00 PM ET
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The game between the Boston Bruins and Montreal Canadiens on Wednesday night is the perfect example of why hockey can be so great.
It had big hits, plenty of fights, highlight-reel goals and it was one of the best rivalry games of the season between two Original Six franchises. It was old time hockey at its absolute best.
With that in mind, the National Hockey League needs to find a way to take advantage of the Original Six Franchises and give them more games to play against each other. Just look at the rivalries that are available to showcase:
- Boston Bruins vs. Montreal Canadiens
- Boston Bruins vs. New York Rangers
- Boston Bruins vs. Toronto Maple Leafs
- Detroit Red Wings vs. Chicago Blackhawks
- Detroit Red Wings vs. Toronto Maple Leafs
- Montreal Canadiens vs. Toronto Maple Leafs
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Tags: Boston+Bruins, Chicago+Blackhawks, Detroit+Red+Wings, Montreal+Canadiens, New+York+Rangers, Original+Six, Toronto+Maple+Leafs,
Boston Bruins Look Like Contenders This Season
by Patrick Hoffman on 02/04/11 at 03:17 PM ET
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Heading into the month of February, the Boston Bruins continue to show the National Hockey League that it has what it takes to contend for the Stanley Cup this season.
Coming into the season after blowing a 3-0 series lead to the Philadelphia Flyers last season, not many hockey pundits or Bruins’ fans knew what to think of this hockey club. That is no longer the case as the Bruins have those in and out of the league believing that this could be a very big year for one of the league’s Original Six franchises.
You may ask yourself why that is the case but looking at the team, it is easy to see why they have what it takes: goaltending, depth and experience.
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Tags: Boston+Bruins,
Tim Thomas is for Real
by Patrick Hoffman on 11/17/10 at 09:39 PM ET
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In their new heritage jerseys, the New York Rangers came out and played a pretty good hockey game despite losing to Tim Thomas and the Boston Bruins by a score of 3-2.
The Bruins’ netminder Tim Thomas was terrific in this game in making 34 saves. He was especially good in the third period as the Rangers outshot the Bruins 16-5 but were only able to put one goal by him, which came off the stick of Marian Gaborik.
After playing through an injury last season, Thomas has come back this season and is playing like the Vezina Trophy winner he was in 2009. He looks fast, is seeing the puck well, is giving many second and third efforts to stop pucks and is winning hockey games for his hockey club. With the win, Thomas is now 10-1 so if there are any Thomas doubters out there, one would think that they are singing a different tune right now.
Thomas and the B’s managed to kill off a 5-on-3 Blueshirt power play with less than five minutes to go in the game. He made an unbelievable save on Ryan Callahan and after that save, the Bruins’ settled down and shut the door on the Rangers for the victory.
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Tags: Boston+Bruins, David+Krejci, Marco+Sturm, Marc+Savard, New+York+Rangers, Tim+Thomas,
Another Test for The Blueshirts
by Patrick Hoffman on 11/17/10 at 12:15 PM ET
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The New York Rangers will face another tough test tonight at Madison Square Garden as the Boston Bruins are in town.
Earlier this season, the Blueshirts defeated the Bruins 3-2 in Boston thanks to a terrific performance from goaltender Henrik Lundqvist. However, Ranger fans must remember that Tuukka Rask was in goal, not the unbelievable Tim Thomas who has almost been unbeatable this season.
This will be a good opportunity for the Blueshirts to see if they can get Alex Frolov, Erik Christensen and Marian Gaborik and play like they did against the Edmonton Oilers on Sunday afternoon.
The team will also need to get scoring from its supporting cast whether it’s Brian Boyle, Sean Avery, Derek Stepan, etc. Stepan needs to get back on the board because since scoring a hat trick in his first game as a Blueshirt, he’s been extremely quiet offensively.
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Tags: Boston+Bruins, New+York+Rangers,
Rangers Get it Done in Pittsburgh
by Patrick Hoffman on 11/16/10 at 09:24 AM ET
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Going into last night’s game against the Pittsburgh Penguins at the Consol Energy Center, New York Rangers’ goaltender Henrik Lundqvist knew that he would have to be at his best.
He was just that last night for the Blueshirts who escaped Pittsburgh with a 3-2 overtime victory on a goal by Ryan Callahan off a great move and pass from Brandon Dubinsky. It was a game that would test the Rangers’ mettle and while not passing with straight A’s, they were able to pick up two points.
As I mentioned above, this game was all about Lundqvist. Lundqvist made 37 saves in stopping the likes of Evgeni Malkin, Sidney Crosby, Kris Letang, and others. He was lass than three minutes away from a shutout until Chris Kunitz tied the game up at 1-1 and then Matt Cooke made it 2-1.
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Tags: Boston+Bruins, Brandon+Dubinsky, Henrik+Lundqvist, Marc+Staal, New+York+Rangers, Pittsburgh+Penguins, Ryan+Callahan, Tim+Thomas,
Gaborik Shines in Rangers’ Explosive Offensive Output Against the Oilers
by Patrick Hoffman on 11/14/10 at 06:43 PM ET
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While it was against a weak Edmonton Oilers hockey club, the New York Rangers flexed their scoring muscles in the name of Marian Gaborik in an 8-2 victory on home ice.
Gaborik had a hat trick and an assist in a game that was his coming out party for this season. Remember folks, this was really Gaborik’s fourth game of the season as he missed close to a month with a shoulder injury.
Two of Gaborik’s three goals came on breakaways where he made Oilers’ goaltender Nikolai Khabibulin look foolish. The first breakaway, he deked Khabibulin out of his pants and on the second breakaway, he ripped a shot past him to pick up his second hat trick as a Ranger.
His linemates, Alex Frolov (two goals and two assists for four points) and Erik Christensen (three assists) also had solid games for the Blueshirts in what was a dominating game. For Christensen, it was a huge game because he could potentially be the odd man out when injured captain Chris Drury comes back. However, if Christensen continues to play like he did this afternoon against the Oilers, he may make it hard for both head coach John Tortorella and general manager Glen Sather to send him down.
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Tags: Alex+Frolov, Boston+Bruins, Colorado+Avalanche+and+Minnesota+Wild, Edmonton+Oilers, Erik+Christensen, Marian+Gaborik, Martin+Biron, New+York+Rangers, Pittsburgh+Penguins,
Rangers Look to Extend Winning Streak to Three tonight
by Patrick Hoffman on 10/24/10 at 11:29 AM ET
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Last night was a great example of a perfect road hockey game displayed by the New York Rangers.
They got two quick goals from Artem Anisimov and Alexander Frolov and an insurance goal by Marc Staal in the second period to defeat the Boston Bruins by a score of 3-2. With that said, the win would not have been possible if not for the play of goaltender Henrik Lundqvist.
Lundqvist made 35 saves on the night and did everything he could to make sure that his hockey club came out of the game with two points rather than one. This was a game where Lundqvist put it all together and finally had the support in front of him to be able to do so.
For the Blueshirts, it’s two straight tough road wins against formidable opponents and in this league, we all know that every two points matters.
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Tags: Alexander+Frolov, Artem+Anisimov, Boston+Bruins, Henrik+Lundqvist, Illya+Kovalchuk, John+MacLean, Marc+Staal, New+Jersey+Devils, New+York+Rangers,
What a Comeback
by Patrick Hoffman on 05/15/10 at 09:10 AM ET
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I for one am stunned that the Philadelphia Flyers managed to come back from a 3-0 series defecit to the Boston Bruins and make it to the Eastern Conference Finals, where they will take on the Montreal Canadiens. I was even more surprised that the Broadstreet Bullies came back to win the hockey game after being down three goals.
Great friend of the blog Russ Cohen had this to say in his most recent article for Sportsology.net:
I know that the Flyers are the third team to come back from a 3-0 deficit in a seven-game series but now it looks like they are the first to come back from a three-goal deficit in a Game 7 and if that’s the case, to me, it’s the greatest comeback in NHL history.
The Flyers have had a “never say die” attitude for the entire playoffs. I have covered a ton of games this season and they are reaching their peak at the right time. Goaltender Michael Leighton has come in and performed very well under tough circumstances. He hasn’t been stellar, but he’s been good.
Click here for more good stuff from my pal Russ.
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Tags: Boston+Bruins, Philadelphia+Flyers, Stanley+Cup+Playoffs,
Rooting for the B’s
by Patrick Hoffman on 05/10/10 at 11:13 AM ET
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Seeing as how I went to college somewhat near Boston, MA (Stonehill College in N. Easton, MA), I have been rooting for the Bruins throughout these Stanley Cup playoffs.
Luckily for me, James Murphy, one of my favorite hockey writers, covers the B’s for NESN.com and he had the following to say regarding the keys to tonight’s big tilt:
1. Clear the traffic in front of the net
The five goals allowed by the Bruins in the 5-4 overtime loss in Game 4 was the most allowed by the B’s in the 2010 Stanley Cup playoffs.
The reason for these tallies had nothign to do with bad goaltending but rather a sea of orange in front of goalie Tuukka Rask throughout the game. The Flyers forwards were allowed free passage to the net, and Rask took full responsibility for the showing despite being helpless at times.
Click here for more from my good pal Murph.
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Tags: Boston+Bruins, James+Murphy, NESN.com, Philadelphia+Flyers,
They Asked for it
by Patrick Hoffman on 03/21/10 at 03:25 PM ET
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If a team is going to come out and play an uninspired brand of hockey, that team deserves to lose.
That was the case this afternoon as the New York Rangers were dreadful in a 2-1 loss to the Boston Bruins at TD Garden. They could not get the power play going, they left their goaltender Henrik Lundqvist out to dry and they made some stupid on-ice decisions that led to the Bruins’ two goals.
When you play that way and do those things, it will ultimately lead to a loss. Unfortunately, for the Blueshirts, this loss may have put a dagger in their playoff hopes as beat writer Andrew Gross of Ranger Rants and The Record tweeted the following after the loss:
Bruins defeat the NYRangers, 2-1, effectively ending Rangers playoff hopes.
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Tags: Boston+Bruins, New+York+Rangers,
Ranger Tribune Blogger Gives Perfect Assessment of Blueshirts
by Patrick Hoffman on 03/21/10 at 09:14 AM ET
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Apparently, every New York Ranger blogger agree that today’s game against the Boston Bruins has huge playoff implications. Looking at the standings, this is not hard to see and as I mentioned in my blog yesterday, every game from here on out is a big one.
Great friend of the blog Nicholas Montemagno of the tremendous Rangers Tribune blog agrees with my sentiments:
Game seven, do or die, sudden death. Those are all phrases that have been used to describe today’s matinee between the New York Rangers and the Boston Bruins at the Boston Garden. It should be easy for both teams to wake up for this game, no matter what time it starts, because they know their season is on the line. Both clubs have been struggling as of late and their fans are showing their displeasure.
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Tags: Boston+Bruins, New+York+Rangers, The+Rangers+Tribune,
Same Old, Same Old
by Patrick Hoffman on 03/20/10 at 05:29 PM ET
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Folks, we’ve heard all this before - tomorrow is a big game. It seems like the Blueshirts have been playing in big games for the last month or so and yet, are not coming out of them with big points.
Tomorrow afternoon, the Rangers take on the Boston Bruins, a team that struggling but one that is also three points ahead of them in the eighth spot in the Eastern Conference. If the Rangers manage to lose the B’s, a team that they have beat three times already this season, they would then be five points back of a playoff spot, making the remaining weeks of the season even more difficult.
After reading Andrew Gross’s Ranger Rants blog today, it seems that as always, all the players/coaches are saying the right things:
“It comes down to a Game 7 for us,” Brandon Dubinsky said. “We’ll be ready to go.”
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Tags: Boston+Bruins, New+York+Rangers,
One Good Thing Going for the Bruins
by Patrick Hoffman on 03/19/10 at 07:48 PM ET
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From great friend of the blog James Murphy at NHL.com:
The Boston Bruins are being amply rewarded for their patience with goaltender Tuukka Rask.
The 23-year-old Finnish goaltender appears to have taken the starting job away from reigning Vezina Trophy winner Tim Thomas. Rask won his last four starts before the Olympic break, on the season he’s 16-10-4, and is first in the NHL with a 2.12 goals-against average and is tied for second in save percentage at .928. All indications are he will play the majority of the Bruins’ 12 remaining regular-season games and possibly the playoffs, should the Bruins get there.
“He’s played well for us,” coach Claude Julien said. “He’s done exactly what we expected him to do this year, coming in and being ready when called upon. I think he’s done a great job.”
Click here for more on the Bruins’ young netminder.
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Tags: Boston+Bruins, Tuuka+Rask,
Taking Care of Business
by Patrick Hoffman on 03/14/10 at 08:39 PM ET
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The Blueshirts did just that on Sunday afternoon at Madison Square Garden this afternoon as they defeated the Philadelphia Flyers by a score of 3-1.
After being a healthy scratch on Friday night in Atlanta, Rangers’ pest Sean Avery came out and got the job done. He scored two goals, was engaged in the action and played on the right edge of the line. He was the Sean Avery of old and the Sean Avery that the Rangers need to have going forward if they want to make the playoffs.
The Rangers also got terrific play out of Chris Drury (2 assists) and Erik Christensen (2 assists). Since returning from the Olympic break, Drury has looked comfortable in his role and for him, that is exactly what he needs to succeed. Sure, the Rangers signed Drur at “first-line” money but this is a player who is a second or third line center who can win you face-offs, kill penalties, and score clutch goals. He may not be scoring clutch goals but he is certainly playing a heckuva lot better than he did prior to the break.
The team was also strong defensively as they only allowed the Flyers to take 18 shots. Henrik Lundqvist made the big saves when he needed to and Michael Del Zotto was especially strong. Del Zotto was not afraid to be physcial, something every team needs to be when taking on the Broadstreet Bullies.
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Tags: Boston+Bruins, Montreal+Canadiens, New+York+Rangers, Philadelphia+Flyers, St.+Louis+Blues,
Not an Easy Road
by Patrick Hoffman on 03/09/10 at 09:26 AM ET
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The title above is perfect when it comes to talking about the New York Rangers.
In three of their last four games, the Blueshirts have picked up four out of eight points and have played well enough to stay in games. They lost in OT to the Pittsburgh Penguins last Thursday night. They lost 2-0 to the Washington Capitals on Saturday night and lost in OT on Sunday night to the Buffalo Sabres.
These were all games that the Rangers played well enough to earn two points instead of 1 or 0. However, the team is still two points out of the eighth and final playoff spot and the road to the end of the regular season certainly does not get any easier.
The Rangers had a golden opportunity to beat the Buffalo Sabres in overtime on Sunday night but were not able to do so. Sure, the team battled hard to tie the game up at 1-1 with less than two minutes to go but were once again foiled in OT, much like they were against the Pittsburgh Penguins last Thursday night.
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Tags: Atlanta+Thrashers, Boston+Bruins, Montreal+Canadiens, New+Jersey+Devils, New+York+Rangers, Philadelphia+Flyers, St.+Louis+Blues,
Medaling the Boston Bruins
by Patrick Hoffman on 02/16/10 at 09:56 AM ET
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From good friend of the blog James Murphy at NESN.com:
What’s an Olympic break without handing out some medals to the Bruins? James Murphy comes at you with deserving winners of the Bruins’ bronze, silver and gold medal—and throws in an honorable mention for good measure.
After the medals breakdown, Murphy speaks to the Bruins’ Stanley Cup hopes. The skinny? The team isn’t quite there as a viable contender—yet. It’s not about being one blockbuster trade away, it’s about developing as a team before the Bruins can be considered Stanley Cup contenders.
Click here to watch Murph give his analysis on video.
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Tags: Boston+Bruins, James+Murphy,
Is there a Trade A “Bruin”?
by Patrick Hoffman on 01/26/10 at 08:35 PM ET
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From good friend of the blog James Murphy at NESN.com:
While Chiarelli obviously wants to avoid blowing up the successful core of players he has put together, there still could be a shake-up trade coming if this current roster doesn’t right the ship soon. Maybe the core chemistry needs to be altered and Chiarelli is not beyond admitting that some pieces of the current core might not actually be the right pieces.
There have been numerous times when players have claimed that “not everyone” is pulling his weight on this team. That’s been painfully evident on the ice, too. The question is, has it been the same players too many times? If so, maybe a bigger trade involving a core player is necessary. Over the last week, for example, the Bruins have been rumored to be interested in the likes of both Phaneuf and Hurricanes forward Ray Whitney.
Click here for more.
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Tags: Boston+Bruins,
Julien to be Cautious with Media
by Patrick Hoffman on 01/26/10 at 01:36 PM ET
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From Joe Haggerty at CSNNE.com:
Claude Julien is apparently tired of seeing his critical words about members of the Bruins get, in his words, “twisted” by the media, so he told reporters Tuesday he will no longer talk about individual players.
It could be for the time being, or it could be for the rest of the season.
Without referencing specifics, the Bruins coach said his words have been “twisted” and that he’s been criticized by media members for “throwing players under the bus” when he talks critically of them.
The message is clearly about Julien’s comments last week about struggling defenseman Dennis Wideman, and the reaction that it sparked both inside and outside the locker room. But he never got into specifics during a largely testy exchange with a group of assembled print, web and television reporters at Ristuccia Arena.
“I’m just going to keep my answers pretty plain, because when I say too much some people tend to twist it whatever way they want,” said Julien. “So I’m just going to keep it to internal things.”
Click here for more. I wonder if Torts’ will ever limit his messaging to the media.
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Tags: Boston+Bruins, Claude+Julien,
Wideman Responds to Julien’s Message
by Patrick Hoffman on 01/21/10 at 02:09 PM ET
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From great friend of the blog James Murphy at NESN.com:
After being called out by head coach Claude Julien after practice Wednesday, defenseman Dennis Wideman wasn’t really in the mood to provide an elaborate response on Thursday morning.
“I don’t really read papers or watch the news, but a couple of the guys told me about it and it’s nothing I don’t know already,” Wideman told NESN.com. “I know what I need to do and I just need to go out there and do it. That’s all I can really say.”
Wideman didn’t seem happy but acknowledged once again that he must go out and improve his game.
Click here for more.
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Tags: Boston+Bruins, Dennis+Wideman,
Boston Bruins and Kovalchuk: Has to be the Right Deal
by Patrick Hoffman on 01/15/10 at 09:29 PM ET
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From great friend of the blog James Murphy at NESN.com:
The 2010 NHL trading deadline is less than two months away, but one player that has been mired in trade rumors all season has been Atlanta Thrashers sniper Ilya Kovalchuk. The 26-year-old forward is set to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1.
The Bruins, along with the Blackhawks and Kings, have been one the teams most commonly mentioned as possible suitors for the two-time 50-goal scorer, should he reach an impasse in contract talks with the Thrashers and hit the trade market. Recently, other teams such as the Islanders and Capitals have been brought up, but according to a reliable source, those two teams are long shots and the Bruins could very well be major players if and when the Kovalchuk sweepstakes take place.
The Bruins are very interested, but as this source pointed out, the current asking price is too high. Kovalchuk has made it known to the Thrashers and his agent Jay Grossman that if he was dealt, he would not sign long term and instead would test his value on the open market this summer. ESPN’s John Buccigross named Blake Wheeler, Tuukka Rask and a 2010 first-round pick (acquired in the Phil Kessel deal) as possible trade bait if the Bruins were to become serious contenders for Kovalchuk.
Click here for more from my good friend Murph!
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Tags: Boston+Bruins, Ilya+Kovalchuk,
Blueshirts Win in Beantown
by Patrick Hoffman on 01/09/10 at 03:48 PM ET
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Another solid effort helps give the New York Rangers a 3-1 win over a struggling Boston Bruins hockey club.
This game saw Rangers’ netminder Henrik Lundqvist stop a penalty shot, goals by Michael Del Zotto, Brandon Dubinsky, and Erik Christensen and a tremendous performance from the team’s defense. These factors have certainly been the story in the Rangers’ latest 8-1-3 streak.
This game could have actually been 5 or 6-0 if not for the play of Bruins’ netminder Tim Thomas. He did everything he could to keep his team in the hockey game but unfortunately, the team in front of him didn’t show up.
Filed in: | Goal Line Report | Permalink
Tags: Boston+Bruins, New+York+Rangers,
Rangers Get the Job Done Without Gaborik
by Patrick Hoffman on 01/05/10 at 12:12 PM ET
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No folks, New York Rangers’ forward Marian Gaborik was not injured last night. It surely looked that way though as three other Rangers decided to score goals to give the team a much needed 3-2 home victory over the Boston Bruins.
The team got goals from Ales Kotalik (finally!), Erik Christensen and Christopher Higgins, who scored the GWG with less than two minutes to go in the hockey game. This was a long time coming as the Blueshirts had to find other guys to put the puck in the net besides Gabby.
The Blueshirts also got another solid effort from Henrik Lundqvist, who continues to look like the Henrik of old and is making timely saves and not allowing any softies to take his team out of the game.
Filed in: | Goal Line Report | Permalink
Tags: Boston+Bruins, Dallas+Stars, New+York+Rangers,
Rangers Look to End Scoring Woes
by Patrick Hoffman on 01/04/10 at 10:38 AM ET
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Scoring has obviously been a problem for the New York Rangers this season. When the team started out 7-1, everyone was contributing and Gaborik wasn’t being relied on too much. Now, the tables have been turned and according to Sam Rosen of MSG Network, Gabby has scored 25% of the team’s goals this year.
That is a problem, folks. For a team to succeed, every part needs to contribute in order for the machine to work. Unfortunately for head coach John Tortorella, this machine has yet to reach its full potential.
It is clear that the team misses Vinny Prospal but they have to get over that and other players have to step up and put points on the board. Why isn’t Christopher Higgins scoring goals? How come Artem Anisimov is having trouble putting the puck in the net? Why is the puck not going in for Ryan Callahan?
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Tags: Boston+Bruins, New+York+Rangers,
An Interview with Tim Rosenthal of Inside Hockey
by Patrick Hoffman on 12/16/09 at 01:25 PM ET
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As all my readers know, I love to do interviews with hockey personalities and bloggers and try to do one every week to every other week.
In this week’s installment, I did an e-mail interview with Tim Rosenthal, the Boston Bruins beat writer and associate editor of Inside Hockey. Tim was kind enough to take time out of his busy schedule to tell us about how he got into hockey, how he started writing/blogging about the game and his thoughts on this year’s Boston Bruins hockey team.
PH: How did you first get into hockey?
TR: People told me I was born a hockey fan, but to answer your question, I was about three or four years old when I first got into the sport. It was the year where the Bruins made the Stanley Cup and I could remember watching Fred Cusick and Derek Sanderson call every B’s game. That was a great team too that underachieved in the Stanley Cup, but it was still great to watch.
PH: Growing up, who was your favorite team and player? Why?
TR: Obviously, the Bruins were my favorite team, not just because they were the local team, but also because they have always stuck with the same motto from the 70’s era, as a tough, blue-collar team. While they couldn’t duplicate the success from that era in the past, I look at this current team and think that they are becoming the Big Bad Bruins that Boston fans loved. The future for Bruins hockey looks bright for sure.
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Tags: Boston+Bruins, Inside+Hockey, Tim+Rosenthal,
Thomas Accepts Responsibility for Struggles
by Patrick Hoffman on 12/15/09 at 05:09 PM ET
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From friend of the blog James Murphy at NESN.com:
Thomas, who is usually front and center right after every game, win or lose, was uncharacteristically nowhere to be found. While the Bruins lost a game they seemed to have within their grasp, blowing a 1-0 lead after two periods, Thomas had nothing to hide from. After all, he was one of the few bright spots, making 35 saves, and with the exception of losing track of tricky shot by Flyers defenseman Kimmo Timonen, positioned him and his team to have a chance to win.
Finally, one of the Bruins’ staff members told the media that Thomas wouldn’t be speaking. Yet just as the horde of waiting reporters began to head toward the dressing room exit, out came Thomas waving them back and saying he would talk. No reason was given for the wait, but Thomas wanted to discuss the game just as he does every game and basically anytime he’s requested for an interview.
“That’s my job,” he said. “Sorry for the delay.”
As he stood there addressing the media scrum around him, he acknowledged that he isn’t where he needs to be at this point in the season and that right now he is battling to get back into the form that earned him the Vezina Trophy last season. Thomas said he is taking a day-by-day approach, trying to not get too high or too low.
“I’m just trying to build every day, and trying to get a lot better every day,” Thomas said. “I’m trying to get back to the level I was at last season. So that’s just my focus on a day-to-day basis.”
Click here for more. Thomas had a great season last year and just hasn’t been himself this season. However, let’s not forget the kind of person he is and remember that he is a great guy to stand up for.
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Tags: Boston+Bruins, Tim+Thomas,
An Interview with a Bruins Writer
by Patrick Hoffman on 12/09/09 at 08:16 AM ET
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It’s a rainy Wednesday morning here in New York and here I am, once again, providing you great folks with another interview, this time with a Boston Bruins writer - Joe Haggerty.
Joe was kind enough to take time out of his very busy schedule to do an e-mail interview with me where we discussed how he got into the game of hockey, how he got into writing about it, and his thoughts on the current team.
PH: How did you first get into hockey?
JH: Believe it or not, I wasn’t a huge hockey fan growing up although I had hockey all around me as a kid growing up in Stoneham, Ma. Most of my friends played hockey, three of my cousins played college hockey with one of them spending four years as a goalie at Northeastern and my uncle is the goalie coach at one of the big time Hockey East programs. We have even had two Finnish kids transfer to my high school during my senior—one of them was Teppo Numminen’s younger brother—just to play hockey for a strong public high school hockey program at Stoneham High. So I grew up around a lot of hockey and picked everything up even if it wasn’t always at the forefront for me.
I played baseball in high school and was a big baseball guy growing up, and that’s the other sport (Red Sox) that I cover along with NHL hockey. I’ve never really played the game on ice (plenty of street hockey), but that’s something I’m actually hoping to change in the future with so many adult hockey leagues out there. Hockey was a natural sport to cover in winter when baseball was over for the season, and that’s how it all started back in 2003-04 when I first began covering the Bruins. But I always enjoyed watching the Cam Neely/Ray Bourque Bruins teams of the 80’s and 90’s growing up, and the two Stanley Cup Finals appearances against the Oilers along with the NHL All-Star game in Boston in the mid-90’s were highlights from my formative years watching sports. Fred Cusick was part of my childhood’s soundtrack without question, and my father was a part of the Bobby Orr generation in Boston—so he would always have us watch the Bruins. It was easy to appreciate and follow those Bruins teams, and I was one of many growing up in Boston during that era that really did.
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Tags: Boston+Bruins, Joe+Haggerty,
Time To Step Up
by Patrick Hoffman on 10/31/09 at 10:02 PM ET
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With the exception of Monday night’s 5-2 win over the Phoenix Coyotes, the New York Rangers have been MIA for the past week and a half.
This was especially true of last night’s 3-2 loss to the Minnesota Wild. For the most part, the Blueshirts were outplayed by a usually offensively-challenged Wild hockey team and as such, lost for the second straight game.
Yes, the team was without the likes of Marian Gaborik, Christopher Higgins and Sean Avery but other players such as Brandon Dubinsky, Ryan Callahan, and Chris Drury need to pick up the torch and be the players that the team is paying them to be. This message is not so much for Callahan and Dubinsky but more for Drury, who seems to be pressing offensively.
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Tags: Boston+Bruins, New+York+Rangers,
Great Day For the Blueshirts
by Patrick Hoffman on 09/19/09 at 09:10 PM ET
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All in all, you have to be pretty happy if you’re a New York Ranger fan today. They went out and resigned Dubi to a two-year deal and then went onto beat the Boston Bruins by a score of 5-2 in their first pre-season win of the season.
The Blueshirts got goals from Ales Kotalik (power play), Sean Avery, a highlight-reel shorthanded goal from Artem Anisimov, Enver Lisin and PA Parenteau. The team also got strong goaltending from Steve Valiquette and once again, Chad Johnson, who could certainly make things very interesting down in Hartford with the Wolf Pack if he gets a chance for a spot.
For more on the Rangers’ satisfying (I know, I know…it’s pre-season) win and the resigning of Brandon Dubinsky, check out the following links:
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Tags: Boston+Bruins, Brandon+Dubinsky, New+York+Rangers, Rangers+Reading,
Not Terrible
by Patrick Hoffman on 09/16/09 at 12:28 PM ET
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Good afternoon folks. The New York Rangers lost their first pre-season game last night to the Boston Bruins by a score of 2-1.
Though they posted an ‘L’ in the standings, they played well enough to win, put plenty of pucks on net, and got a terrific look at their youngsters. Certainly a lot of positives to take from this as they move towards the regular season.
Check out the links below for various recaps from Rangers’ beat writers, bloggers, and more:
- Rangers Report, and here
- Blue Notes
- Ranger Rants and here
- The New York Post
- NewYorkRangers.com
- SNYRangersBlog.com
- Blueshirt Banter
- Scotty Hockey
Filed in: | Goal Line Report | Permalink
Tags: Boston+Bruins, New+York+Rangers, Rangers+Reading,
Rangers First Pre-Season Game Tonight!
by Patrick Hoffman on 09/15/09 at 10:12 AM ET
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Well, New York Ranger fans, it might be just a pre-season game but tonight, hockey will be played on the Garden ice against the Boston Bruins. All those days of complaining and whining about not having hockey have really come to an end and now, it’s time to focus on the 2009-2010 Blueshirts.
As most of you probably know, Marian Gaborik has felt some stiffness in his groin so the team is being extremely cautious with him (I would do if I was paying him millions of dollars). You also all know that Brandon Dubinsky still has not signed and that head coach John Tortorella went as far to say that the whole situation is “stupid”. Let’s hope that something gets worked out quickly and that Dubinsky smartens up and signs a one-year qualifying offer. This way, he can play his butt off, put up a bunch of points and earn and spanking new contract for next season.
Anyways, check links below for the latest New York Ranger news, notes and opinions from the team’s beat writers, bloggers, etc.:
- Blue Notes, here, here, here, here
- Ranger Rants, here, and here
- The New York Post
- New York Daily News and here
- NewYorkRangers.com
- Rink Rap
- SNYRangersBlog.com
- Hockey’s Future, and here
- Blueshirt Banter
- Scotty Hockey, and here
- PuckCentral.net and here
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Tags: Boston+Bruins, New+York+Rangers, Rangers+Reading,
Rivalry starting early between the Flyers and Bruins?
by Patrick Hoffman on 09/08/09 at 10:17 PM ET
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From John McGourty at NHL.com:
More than 200 people crammed the store to hear Thomas, the 2009 Vezina Trophy winner, and Pronger, the 2000 Norris Trophy winner and 2007 Stanley Cup winner, talk about the upcoming season, which will see the pair oppose one another on Jan. 1, 2010 in the Bridgestone Winter Classic at Boston’s Fenway Park.
After an interview session hosted by ESPN The Magazine Senior Writer E.J. Hradek, the floor was thrown open to questions and Thomas a shot in the pads from Gabriel Hall of West Philadelphia.
“After we beat you this season, what else are looking forward to this year?” Hall said to Thomas.
Thomas is perpetually mild, courteous, thoughtful and decent, but Hall hit him where he lives.
“I think you’re getting a little ahead of yourself, fella,” Thomas retorted.
Click here for more.
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Tags: Boston+Bruins, Philadelphia+Flyers,
Could Kessel Be Dealt?
by Patrick Hoffman on 06/25/09 at 01:58 PM ET
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From Michael Russo at The Minneapolis Star Tribune:
The players on the market seem to be fitting into two categories: marginal players with exorbitant salaries, such as Philadelphia’s Joffrey Lupul (four more years at $4.25 million) and Buffalo’s Jochen Hecht (three more years at $3.53 million), and top players who warrant big raises on expiring or soon-to-be-expiring contracts.
One player who falls into the latter category—and one who might intrigue the Wild—is Bruins sniper Phil Kessel, the former Gopher who scored 36 goals in 70 games last season.
The 21-year-old Madison native is a restricted free agent and seeking a deal worth between $4.5 and $5 million a season. While the Bruins plan to meet this week with agent Wade Arnott in hopes of re-signing Kessel, the Bruins are $6 million shy of the anticipated salary cap for next season, and have several other key players to re-sign.
According to numerous sources, Bruins GM Peter Chiarelli is fielding offers, but because he can’t take hefty salaries back, he’s looking for a first-round pick and at least one top young player. If the Wild was to enter the fray, it would likely cost at least the 12th overall pick and James Sheppard or Tyler Cuma.
Click here for more. How do you feel about this Bruins’ fans?
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Tags: Boston+Bruins, Phil+Kessel,
An Interview with a Bruins Blogger
by Patrick Hoffman on 06/22/09 at 09:28 AM ET
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Welcome to my next e-mail interview in my ever-growing series of hockey blogger/journalist interviews. I decided to go outside the box for this one and interview a prolific hockey blogger from another popular team in the Eastern Conference - Matt Kalman who runs The Bruins Blog, which obviously covers everything and anything related to the Boston Bruins.
Continue below to learn more about how Matt got into the sport, got into covering the game, his take on the future of hockey blogging and more.
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Tags: Boston+Bruins, Matt+Kalman, The+Boston+Bruins+Blog,
Well Deserved for Thomas
by Patrick Hoffman on 06/19/09 at 10:40 AM ET
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When Boston Bruins netminder Tim Thomas first came into the National Hockey League, I thought he looked like Gump Worsley in goal - and this wasn’t based on playing ability either.
However, after back-to-back successful seasons in beantown, I see Thomas as someone who never gives up, makes the second and third saves, and personifies everything it means to be a Boston Bruin. This is why it was so nice to see Timmy win the Vezina Trophy as the league’s top goaltender because it shows that executives around the NHL are taking notice that Thomas is more than a bonafied NHL netminder - he’s the real deal, even at the age of 35.
I believe that this will springboard Thomas to have another fine season in 2009-2010 and will even help him garner consideration to be Team USA’s starting netminder at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. What do you folks think?
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Tags: Boston+Bruins, Tim+Thomas,
Thoughts on the Second Round
by Patrick Hoffman on 05/04/09 at 03:57 PM ET
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You can find my thoughts on the second round over at MaxHockey.com. Click below to find out my opinions on each series:
Eastern Conference
- Boston Bruins vs. Carolina Hurricanes
- Washington Capitals vs. Pittsburgh Penguins
Western Conference
- Detroit Red Wings vs. Anaheim Ducks
- Vancouver Canucks vs. Chicago Blackhawks
Also feel free to check out Zach Weinstock’s excellent NHL Playoff page.
Filed in: | Goal Line Report | Permalink
Tags: Boston+Bruins, Carolina+Hurricanes, Chicago+Blackhawks, Pittsburgh+Penguins, Stanley+Cup+Playoffs, Vancouver+Canucks, Washington+Capitals,
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