Goal Line Report
Entries with the tag: Henrik+Lundqvist
The King Returns to his Throne
by Patrick Hoffman on 12/19/09 at 03:46 PM ET
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New York Rangers’ goaltender Henrik Lundqvist is slowly but surely getting his game back and for the Blueshirts, it’s certainly welcomed.
In the last games, Lundqvist has stopped 71 of 74 shots in allowing three goals to the New York Islanders and Philadelphia Flyers and beating them by scores of 5-2 and 2-1. He’s been square the shooters, stopping the first and second (as well as third) shots and looking very confident in goal.
It should be said that the “King” has been the catalyst in these two wins. He’s been there when his team hasn’t and he’s given his team every chance to win a hockey game. In a goaltender, there is really not much else you can ask for.
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Tags: Henrik+Lundqvist, New+York+Rangers, Philadelphia+Flyers,
Rangers’ backup Goalie Situation a “Mess”
by Patrick Hoffman on 12/11/09 at 03:12 PM ET
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From Andrew Gross at Ranger Rants:
On the backup goalie situation: “It’s a mess. Let’s call it what it is, it’s a mess. Honestly, I talked to Valley (Steve Valiquette) at the beginning of the year, we were looking to get him 15-17 games. That’s what I like to do, especially that Hank’s going to be there in the Olympics and all that. Would I still like to do that? I don’t know if I can. Johnson’s going to get a game here along the way, I think that’s going to determine how we go about this. Has it changed? It had to change. We sent a veteran backup down and he’s still struggling down there and we don’t even know what we have with Johnson as far as a backup. I’m not trying to paint a lousy picture but that’s the picture it is. It’s an ongoing thought in my head what we’re going to do. That’s the best I can do.”
Torts is certainly right. With the way the team’s defense looks like right now, Lundqvist is going to continue to get peppered and at some point, Johnson will need to be thrown into the fray so show the organization what he can do.
Gross thinks that the team should put him in against the Islanders next Thursday night at the Coliseum. What do you folks think?
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Tags: Chad+Johnson, Henrik+Lundqvist, New+York+Rangers, Steve+Valiquette,
An Interesting Perspective
by Patrick Hoffman on 12/04/09 at 12:59 PM ET
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Over at New York Rangers blog The Rangers Tribune, Nick Monte talks about how the New York Islanders passing the Blueshirts in the Atlantic Division is a good thing.
Nick believes that this is a big kick in the pants for the Rangers and that this will motivate them to get it going and start winning hockey games. I happen to agree with Nick and believe that if the team uses this as motivation, they may be able to to get themselves going in the right direction.
However, a lot needs to be done in order for that to happen. The team still needs secondary scoring and needs to stop relying on Marian Gaborik to score all their goals.
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Tags: Henrik+Lundqvist, Marian+Gaborik, New+York+Rangers,
Thoughts on Lundqvist
by Patrick Hoffman on 12/01/09 at 03:06 PM ET
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In his postgame wrapup blog, Andrew Gross from Ranger Rants delivers some intriguing insights on New York Rangers’ goaltender Henrik Lundqvist:
The breakdown of Mike Rupp’s winning goal is this: Michal Rozsival, who had played a good game until that moment, made a horrible mistake heading to the center of the ice, allowing Rupp a clear lane on the left side. And then Rupp beats Henrik Lundqvist over his glove. That’s the scouting report going around the NHL right now, shoot high to Lundqvist’s glove save. And since the NHL is such a gossipy circuit, that news is traveling fast.
Later in the blog:
And don’t be surprised if Tortorella starts turning some verbal screws with Lundqvist. Tortorella said after the game the team needed big plays - a big offensive play, a big defensive play and big save. This is two Lundqvist games in a row - also Friday’s 5-1 loss at Tampa Bay - where, it seems to me, Tortorella has deliberately included Lundqvist among what was lacking in the game.
Frankly, the way Lundqvist has played lately, giving up four goals or more in three of his last four starts, he deserves to share in the blame.
What do you folks think? Is Gross right in his assessment of King Henrik?
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Tags: Henrik+Lundqvist, New+York+Rangers,
Interesting Look at Lundqvist
by Patrick Hoffman on 11/27/09 at 05:19 PM ET
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I know that this is a few days old but here’s a good look at New York Rangers’ goaltender Henrik Lundqvist from Dan Rosen at NHL.com:
With Henrik Lundqvist, you have to appreciate the honesty.
All the New York Rangers goalie does to self-evaluate his play during the past 12 starts is recall the extra goal or two or three that he’s allowed—the goals that frustrate elite goalies—and the analysis becomes easy because the losses have mounted.
“Like the other night (against Florida) I felt I played really well, but I let in that fluky goal in the second and that was the difference in the end,” Lundqvist told NHL.com, discussing Jordan Leopold’s goal off a soft shot that wound up being the winner in a 3-2 Rangers’ loss. “I need to know that my game is right there and I played pretty well. It’s just that they got a fluky goal and that was the difference.”
The frustrating part for Lundqvist is the difference on most nights has been one goal and, until Monday, when the Rangers broke out for seven goals, he hasn’t been getting much offensive support.
Click here for more on how the “King” analyzes his game.
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Tags: Henrik+Lundqvist, New+York+Rangers,
Rangers Push On Despite Injuries
by Patrick Hoffman on 11/11/09 at 06:07 PM ET
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From Jim Cerny at NewYorkRangers.com:
Last season, the Rangers had tremendous luck when it came to injuries, losing a remarkably low 31 manpower games to injury or illness. However, just six weeks into the 2009-10 campaign the Rangers have seen that last year’s good fortune regarding injuries has not carried over into a new season.
Just one look at their last game in Calgary on Saturday night provided a glimpse into what a difference a year can make.
Center Brandon Dubinsky will miss a few weeks of action with the hand injury he suffered blocking a shot last weekend in Calgary. Already without No. 1 goalie Henrik Lundqvist and rugged forward Donald Brashear in the lineup due to minor injuries, the Rangers lost their captain, Chris Drury, to a concussion just 49 seconds into the contest, and another top center, Brandon Dubinsky, who broke a bone in his right hand while blocking a shot in the second.
Click here for more.
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Tags: Brandon+Dubinsky, Chris+Drury, Donald+Brashear, Henrik+Lundqvist, New+York+Rangers,
Satisfying Start
by Patrick Hoffman on 10/04/09 at 09:37 AM ET
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Good morning folks. I apologize for not having blogged anything Rangers yesterday but I was busy last night at the New York Islanders’ game as part of their media staff. I know, I know…I’m a Rangers fan but if I want to make it in the game as a writer, I have to go with whoever is going to take a chance on me. Plus, it was great to see phenom John Tavares pick up his first two points in the NHL (1g, 1a).
With that said, however, it was nice to see the New York Rangers post a 5-spot on the board last night in defeating the Ottawa Senators. In catching the Rangers in 60 when I got home into the wee hours of the morning, it was nice to see Marian Gaborik pick up a couple of points in his home debut and see players such as Brandon Dubinsky, Michael Del Zotto, Vinny Prospal and of course, Henrik Lundqvist, all play a key role in the team’s first win of the season.
In his first two games of the season, Dubinsky already has four points (2g, 2a). I know that he got off to an extremely hot start last season but may be this season, he’ll be more consistent given the players he is playing with.
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Tags: Brandon+Dubinsky, Henrik+Lundqvist, John+Tavares, Marian+Gaborik, Matt+Gilroy, Michael+Del+Zotto, New+Jersey+Devils, New+York+Islanders, New+York+Rangers, Ottawa+Senators, Vinny+Prospal,
Should Henrik Play Less?
by Patrick Hoffman on 09/22/09 at 09:27 PM ET
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From Stan Fischler at MSGNetwork.com:
Given his druthers and his competitive nature, Henrik Lundqvist likely would want to play all 82 games of the Rangers season.
In a theoretical world, why shouldn’t he?
In a real world, Glenn Hall of the Chicago Blackhawks once had a streak of 503 consecutive games—and he did it without wearing a protective mask.
But that was then and this is now with John Tortorella coaching the Blueshirts and not Rudy Pilous coaching the 1960s Blackhawks when Hall didn’t even have a back-up goalie.
If there’s one item that remains stuck in my mind after conversing with Torts this offseason, it was his insistence that Lundqvist play fewer games than he did last year. The coach based his proposal on the Rangers sudden collapse in the first playoff round against Washington after having built a three-games-to-one lead. He remained convinced that Henny had become worn down.
Click here for more from the Maven.
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Tags: Henrik+Lundqvist, New+York+Rangers, Steve+Valiquette,
Lundqvist or Richter?
by Patrick Hoffman on 08/29/09 at 10:36 AM ET
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Good morning folks. I volunteered to do a guest blog this morning over at Rangers Report:
Since the offseason began, it seems that New York Rangers pundits and fans alike have focused on the following topics and questions: line combinations; prospects; who is going to be the club’s No.1 center?; how will Marian Gaborik play in his first season on Broadway?; what will head coach John Tortorella be like for a full season?
While these topics are great fodder around the water cooler and for countless numbers of Ranger blogs, I would like to go in a different direction and may be spark a debate with the following question: Is Henrik Lundqvist the new Mike Richter?
It’s a question that has probably been going through Blueshirt fans’ minds ever since the “King” burst onto the scene in 2005-06 and had one heck of a rookie season in posting 30 wins, 2 shutouts, a 2.24 goals against average and a .922 save percentage, good enough to place him among the finalists for the Vezina Trophy Trophy as the league’s top goaltender, something he would also do in 2007 and 2008.
Click here for more of my thoughts on Henrik Lundqvist and Mike Richter.
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Tags: Henrik+Lundqvist, Mike+Richter, New+York+Rangers,
Same Old Rangers Get Knocked Out by the Capitals in Game 7
by Patrick Hoffman on 04/28/09 at 10:00 PM ET
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This was a typical Tom Renney-style of hockey game for the New York Rangers and much like it did during the regular season, it cost them dearly. This time, however, it cost them the season as the Washington Capitals were able to come back from a 3-1 series lead to defeat the Rangers in Game 7 by a score of 2-1.
The Blueshirts looked great in the first period, outshooting the Caps by an 8-2 margin and getting a goal from Nik Antropov. However, they ended the period tied thanks to a fluky goal off the stick of Alexander Semin and from that point on, the Caps took it to the Rangers.
Much like during the regular season, the Rangers struggled to find offense and had to revert to relying on their defense and goaltender Henrik Lundqvist to save the day. While Lundqvist was often spectacular in making 22 saves, the game-winning goal he allowed to Sergei Fedorov is one that I’m sure he wants back as he once again got beat high short side, something that happened a lot this series.
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Tags: Alexander+Semin, Derek+Morris, Henrik+Lundqvist, New+York+Rangers, Nik+Antropov, Nikolai+Zherdev, Sergei+Fedorov, Simeon+Varlamov, Tom+Renney, Washington+Capitals,
Time for Game 7
by Patrick Hoffman on 04/28/09 at 11:31 AM ET
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There is nothing like a Game 7 in the Stanley Cup playoffs. Both teams go all out and when all is said and done, leave it all on the ice whether they win or lose.
Tonight, the New York Rangers (seventh seed) look to upset the Washington Capitals (second seed) in Game 7 at the Verizon Center. This was a series in which the Blueshirts led 3-1 but failed miserably in Game 5 and 6, leading to tonight’s do or die match up.
Tonight is also one of the main reasons why Rangers’ general manager Glen Sather signed Chris Drury back in the summer of 2007. Back then, Drury was known for coming up big in the playoffs and scoring goals/points when the team needed them the most. If there was ever a night for Chris Drury to be Chris Drury, tonight would certainly be that night.
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Tags: Brandon+Dubinsky, Chris+Drury, Glen+Sather, Henrik+Lundqvist, Markus+Naslund, New+York+Rangers, Nik+Antropov, Nikolai+Zherdev, Ryan+Callahan, Scott+Gomez, Sean+Avery, Washington+Capitals,
Lundqvist Leads the Blueshirts to 3-1 Series Lead
by Patrick Hoffman on 04/23/09 at 09:30 AM ET
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Its been said by hockey pundits and experts that you need goaltending to win in the Stanley Cup playoffs.
Case in point: Henrik Lundqvist and the New York Rangers.
Thanks to Lundqvist’s 38 saves last night, the New York Rangers beat the Washington Capitals by a score of 2-1 in Game four to take a commanding 3-1 series lead. He was not only able to stop initial shot attempts, but he was also able to stop rebound attempts and frustrate the likes of Alex Ovechkin (who scored the Caps only goal), Nicklas Backstrom, Alexander Semin and Mike Green.
Through four games in this series, Lundqvist has stopped an incredible 141 of 149 shots, good enough for a 2.00 goals against average, .946 save percentage and one shutout. Simply put, Lundqvist is the main reason why the Blueshirts are one victory away from eliminating the Capitals in the first round.
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Tags: Alexander+Semin, Alex+Ovechkin, Henrik+Lundqvist, Mike+Green, New+York+Rangers, Nicklas+Backstrom, Rangers+Reading, Washington+Captials,
UGLY
by Patrick Hoffman on 04/21/09 at 10:30 AM ET
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Last night’s 4-0 loss in Game three to the Washington Capitals brought back memories of Tom Renney’s New York Rangers.
The team failed to score on the power play (what else is new?), failed to create quality scoring chances, left their goaltender Henrik Lundqvist out to dry and made Caps’ rookie netminder Simeon Varlamov look like the second coming of Patrick Roy. It was a game in which the Blueshirts had the chance to take a commanding 3-0 series lead. Instead, they have given the Caps’ some life and this could end up hurting the Blueshirts in the end.
It’s been said by many hockey pundits that special teams are crucial come playoff time. Well, the Rangers realize this when it comes to penalty killing but when it comes to power play, they do not seem to get the point. The team is still trying to look to make the perfect play more often than not and when they do get into prime scoring areas, they shoot the puck right into the goalie. What happened to the club that scored two power play goals in Game one?
Secondly, where was the defense? They allowed the Caps’ to fire at will (40 shots) on Lundqvist and many times, left Lundqvist all alone out there. What happened to the ‘d’ that tightened up for their goaltender and protected him when he needed it the most?
Third, captain Chris Drury should not be in the lineup. It’s obvious that he’s playing hurt and that the injury has something to do with his arm or wrist as he looks scared to shoot the puck, cannot take any face-offs and played the game with one hand on the stick.
Lastly, this team needs to start scoring goals. They were able to get four in Game one and then one early in the first period in Game two but since then, have been kept off the board. If you can;t score goals, you’re not going to win. It’s that simple.
Be back with more later, hopefully.
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Tags: Chris+Drury, Henrik+Lundqvist, New+York+Rangers, Patrick+Roy, Simeon+Varlamov, Tom+Renney, Washington+Capitals,
Rangers Not Flustered By AO and the Capitals
by Patrick Hoffman on 04/20/09 at 05:16 PM ET
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From Dan Rosen at NHL.com:
“Over on the Capitals side, they know they have to play with more of an edge if they’re going to avoid the dreaded 0-3 hole. That means going harder to the net and paying more of a price in their battle to get Henrik Lundqvist off his game even the slightest little bit.
Even Lundqvist hinted that he hasn’t been flustered yet in this series and Rangers defenseman Derek Morris went as far as saying, “They’re trying to get there, but maybe we’re just outworking them a little bit.”
Click here to read more.
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Tags: Derek+Morris, Henrik+Lundqvist, New+York+Rangers, Washington+Capitals,
Keep it Going
by Patrick Hoffman on 04/19/09 at 01:20 PM ET
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Many hockey pundits and analysts figured that the Washington Capitals’ offense would dominate the New York Rangers in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs. However, with two games in the books, the Blueshirts are up 2-0 with the next two games at Madison Square Garden.
Surprised? I’m actually not because I’ve written before that if the team could shut down the Caps’ big guns and get timely goal scoring against the Caps’ suspect goaltending, this team would have a chance win.
Through two games, the Rangers have gotten 67 saves (on 70 shots) from their star netminder Henrik Lundqvist, lots of blocked shots by forwards and defensemen alike, and timely goal scoring from their young guys (Brandon Dubinsky and Ryan Callahan). For the Rangers, this spells s-u-c-c-e-s-s.
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Tags: Alexander+Semin, Alex+Ovechkin, Brandon+Dubinsky, Henrik+Lundqvist, Mike+Green, New+York+Rangers, Nicklas+Backstrom, Ryan+Callahan, Simeon+Varlamov, Washington+Capitals,
Thoughts Heading Into Game 2
by Patrick Hoffman on 04/17/09 at 12:00 PM ET
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Tomorrow afternoon at the Verizon Center, the New York Rangers look to go up 2-0 in their first round series against the Washington Capitals.
While the Blueshirts were able to pick up a 4-3 victory in Game one on Wednesday night, there are a few things that the team will most likely look to improve upon:
- Limiting Alex Ovechkin. In Game one, Ovechkin fired 13 shots at Rangers’ netminder Henrik Lundqvist. Luckily, the “King” was on his game.
- Staying out of the box. Markus Naslund was guilty of taking three penalties on Wednesday night. The last thing the Rangers’ want to do is give the Capitals power play time with lethal weapons such as Ovechkin, Mike Green, Nicklas Backstrom, Alexander Semin, and Sergei Fedorov.
- Face-offs. The Caps’ outclassed the Blueshirts in the face-off circle on Wednesday night. Hopefully, the return of captain Chris Drury will change that.
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Tags: Alexander+Semin, Alex+Ovechkin, Chris+Drury, Henrik+Lundqvist, Markus+Naslund, Mike+Green, New+York+Rangers, Nicklas+Backstrom, Rangers+Reading, Sergei+Federov, Washington+Capitals,
The Right Stuff
by Patrick Hoffman on 04/15/09 at 10:00 PM ET
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Without their captain in the lineup, the New York Rangers went out and defeated the Washington Capitals by a score of 4-3 at the Verizon Center. They did it with timely goal scoring, great defense in the last few minutes, solid goaltending and a good power play (I’m not kidding).
Chris Drury skated in the warm-ups and realized that he couldn’t go and in the first few minutes of the game, it didn’t look like the Blueshirts were ready to go as they took a penalty 18 seconds into the game. However, the team killed it off and settled down into a barn-burner of a game with the Caps.
The Rangers got great performances from Scott Gomez (1 goal and 2 assists for 3 points), Nik Antropov (1 goal and 1 assist for 2 points), Markus Naslund (1 goal and 1 assist for 2 points…needs to stay out of the penalty box though) Brandon Dubinsky (game-winning goal) and goaltender Henrik Lundqvist, who stopped 32 of 35 shots, 13 of which came off the stick of Alex Ovechkin.
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Tags: Alex+Ovechkin, Brandon+Dubinsky, Chris+Drury, Henrik+Lundqvist, Jose+Theodore, Markus+Naslund, New+York+Rangers, Nik+Antropov, Scott+Gomez, Verizon+Center, Washington+Capitals,
All Eyes on The King
by Patrick Hoffman on 04/14/09 at 09:35 AM ET
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When the puck drops tomorrow night at the Verizon Center, all eyes will turn to New York Rangers netminder Henrik Lundqvist as the Blueshirts take on the Washington Capitals in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs.
If the Blueshirts are going to advance to the next round, the “King” will need to be at his best when he faces the likes of offensive machines Alex Ovechkin (56 goals, 54 assists, 110 points), Nicklas Backstrom (22 goals, 66 assists, 88 points), Alexander Semin (34 goals, 45 assists, 79 points) and stud defenseman Mike Green (31 goals, 42 assists, 73 points).
Lundqvist will face pucks from all angles and will have to steal at least one of the first two games of the series if the team wants to give themselves any kind of shot when the series shifts back to Madison Square Garden.
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Tags: Alexander+Semin, Alex+Ovechkin, Atlanta+Thrashers, Henrik+Lundqvist, John+Tortorella, Mike+Green, New+Jersey+Devils, New+York+Rangers, Nicklas+Backstrom, Washington+Capitals,
These Guys Can Play
by Patrick Hoffman on 03/31/09 at 09:10 AM ET
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There is no doubt about it - Henrik Lundqvist saves his best games for Martin Brodeur and the New Jersey Devils.
Last night at Madison Square Garden, Lundqvist, who made 38 saves in his third shutout of the season, and the New York Rangers handed the Devils a 3-0 loss thanks to solid goaltending and timely scoring from Brandon Dubinsky, Dan Girardi and Ryan Callahan. The win gave Henrik an 18-6-4 record (regular season and playoffs included) against the Devils but as Henrik told the team’s web site after the game, he was just focused on picking up the two points.
“I am happy for this one because I made up my mind before the third period that I wanted this one, and it worked out,” Lundqvist said.
The Blueshirts knew how important this game was and that certainly showed in the first period as they came out and outshot their Hudson rivals 20-10 in the first period. They were relentless in their forecheck, put traffic in front of Brodeur, crashed the net for rebounds and were solid defensively, all marks of a playoff-caliber hockey club.
For the Rangers to keep marching on towards the playoffs, they will need to deliver the same kind of performance against the Carolina Hurricanes on Thursday night and then again on Saturday afternoon against the Eastern Conference leading Boston Bruins, certainly not an easy task.
However, if last night’s game tells you anything, it should be that when the Rangers are on top of their game, they can be tough to beat.
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Tags: Boston+Bruins, Brandon+Dubinsky, Carolina+Hurricanes, Dan+Girardi, Eastern+Conference, Henrik+Lundqvist, Martin+Brodeur, New+Jersey+Devils, Ryan+Callahan,
Four Big Points on the line this weekend and some Ranger Notes
by Patrick Hoffman on 03/19/09 at 10:50 PM ET
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With the Eastern Conference standings changing every day, every game from here on out means something for the New York Rangers.
This would especially be true for the two games they have this weekend at home against the Buffalo Sabres and the Ottawa Senators. In actuality, the Blueshirts should be able to come away with four points but since the Sabres are still battling for a playoff spot and the Senators are playing better hockey under their new coach, four points are certainly not guaranteed.
The good news? The Rangers are finding ways to win, getting their offense into high gear and looking like a team that deserves to be in the playoffs.
Other notes:
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Tags: Buffalo+Sabres, Dan+Girardi, Henrik+Lundqvist, John+Tortorella, Marc+Staal, New+York+Rangers, Nik+Antropov, Nikolai+Zherdev, Ottawa+Senators, Ryan+Callahan, Scott+Gomez, Sean+Avery,
Big Two Points
by Patrick Hoffman on 03/18/09 at 10:10 AM ET
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Last night’s game was the kind of game that the New York Rangers may have lost under Tom Renney. However, it was a much different outcome for the Blueshirts under new guy John Tortorella, who overcame some bad bounces and bad goals allowed to beat the Montreal Canadiens 4-3 in a shootout at the Bell Centre.
Yes, I know that the team needs to continue to learn how to win games in regulation but let’s face it - they need all the points they can get and last night’s two points put them in sixth place in the ever-increasing tight Eastern Conference.
Nik Antropov continues to show the Blueshirts that he was worth getting at the deadline as he added another goal in regulation while also putting one in in the skills competition. He’s a big guy who has soft hands and a powerful wrist shot and is still working towards being a more consistent player with each passing game.
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Tags: Buffalo+Sabres, Carolina+Hurricanes, Chris+Drury, Colorado+Avalanche, Florida+Panthers, Henrik+Lundqvist, John+Tortorella, Montreal+Canadiens, New+York+Rangers, Nik+Antropov, Tom+Renney,
Tough Loss in Philly
by Patrick Hoffman on 03/14/09 at 04:05 PM ET
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The New York Rangers fired everything but the kitchen sink at the Philadelphia Flyers this afternoon and came away with a 4-2 loss, putting them at risk of dropping out of the top eight in the Eastern Conference.
The team was certainly not afraid to shoot the puck as they fired 41 on Flyers’ netminder Marty Biron, who made 39 saves and was the major reason why the Broadstreet Bullies picked up two points. Aaron Asham also played well for the Flyers, scoring his sixth and seventh goals of the season.
This was a game that the Blueshirts could have won. They had lots of shots on goal, they moved the puck around well but as always, they had trouble burying their chances.
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Tags: Aaron+Asham, Henrik+Lundqvist, John+Tortorella, Marc+Staal+Scott+Hartnell, Marty+Biron, Mike+Richards, Nashville+Predators, New+York+Rangers, Nikolai+Zherdev, Philadelphia+Flyers, Sean+Avery,
Crucial Tilt Against The Predators
by Patrick Hoffman on 03/12/09 at 10:20 AM ET
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As of this morning, the New York Rangers were ninth in the Eastern Conference with 76 points, just one point out of the 8th spot (currently held by the Florida Panthers) and two points out of the 7th (currently held by the Carolina Hurricanes) and 6th (currently held by the Pittsburgh Penguins). This makes tonight’s game against the streaky Nashville Predators extremely important and much like the Blueshirts, the Predators are doing everything they can to stay in the thick of the playoff race (currently 8th in the Western Conference with 71 points).
Another reason why tonight’s tilt in Nashville is important is because of what a win would mean for Blueshirts’ netminder Henrik Lundqvist. The “King” is one win away from establishing a new NHL record by becoming the first goaltender in NHL history to win 30 or more games in each of his first four seasons. That should show you just how valuable Henrik is to this team and that he is one of the major reasons why the team has qualified for the postseason in each of their last three seasons.
While Monday’s night 3-0 loss to the Hurricanes wasn’t pretty, the team still looks like they are close to where they need to be in order to make the playoffs. They’re scoring more goals (except for Monday), going harder to the net, getting goals from guys that should be scoring, still playing sound defense and getting great goaltending from Henrik.
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Tags: Carolina+Hurricanes, Florida+Panthers, Henrik+Lundqvist, Nashville+Predators, New+York+Rangers, Pittsburgh+Penguins, Sean+Avery,
Rangers Learning to Bend, But Not Break
by Patrick Hoffman on 03/09/09 at 11:00 AM ET
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In yesterday’s 4-3 win over the Boston Bruins, did any of you New New York Ranger fans think that this game would go to overtime when the Blueshirts blew a 3-1 lead? I know that I certainly did.
However, this is a new coach, a new team and may be even a new era for the Rangers and as such, the team produced a new result for their fans yesterday afternoon.
Another positive result - the guys that scored the goals: Nik Antropov, Scott Gomez, Ryan Callahan and Nikolai Zherdev. If the team wants to continue to be successful and make a full court press towards clinching a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference, these guys and other notables will need to continue to produce.
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Tags: Boston+Bruins, Henrik+Lundqvist, John+Tortorella, New+York+Rangers, Nik+Antropov, Nikolai+Zherdev, Ryan+Callahan, Scott+Gomez, Tom+Renney,
A New Season
by Patrick Hoffman on 02/20/09 at 10:45 AM ET
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When the New York Rangers beat the New York Islanders on Wednesday night, Rangers’ netminder Henrik Lundqvist said it was a good start to the new season.
It’s a good thing that the Blueshirts are looking at this as a new season since more than halfway through this 2008-09 campaign, a season that has been mired with a lack of scoring, a lack of finish, a terrible power play and overall, inconsistency.
This weekend, the team looks to continue its perfect new season with games against the Buffalo Sabres (tomorrow night in Buffalo) and Toronto Maple Leafs (Sunday night at the Garden). To pick up four points, the team will need to do the following:
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Tags: Buffalo+Sabres, Chris+Drury, Henrik+Lundqvist, New+York+Islanders, New+York+Rangers, Scott+Gomez, Stephen+Valiquette, Toronto+Maple+Leafs, Wade+Redden,
A King and an Ace
by Patrick Hoffman on 02/14/09 at 12:30 PM ET
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When Mike Richter suffered a concussion early in the 2002-03 season, the New York Rangers knew they were in trouble. Sure, they had youngster Dan Blackburn as a capable backup but nothing close to an elite netminder who could handle everyday life in the National Hockey League.
It would be that way for the rest of the season as the Blueshirts became a revolving door for goaltenders such as Blackburn, Mike Dunham and Jussi Markannen. However, when the lockout ended and play resumed in 2005-06, there was a new masked man in town that would change the culture of the Rangers to this day forward.
His name is Henrik Lundqvist, a Swedish goaltender that was drafted 205th overall in the 2000 NHL Entry Draft. Lundqvist enjoyed much success in Sweden with Frolunda, especially in the season prior to coming to the NHL when he was 33-8-3 with six shutouts and a stellar 1.79 goals against average.
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Tags: Buffalo+Sabres, Chris+Drury, Dan+Blackburn, Henrik+Lundqvist, Jaromir+Jagr, Jussi+Markkanen, Mike+Dunham, Mike+Richter, New+Jersey+Devils, Pittsburgh+Penguins, Scott+Gomez,
Where’s the Spark?
by Patrick Hoffman on 02/04/09 at 09:14 AM ET
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Things certainly started right last night at Madison Square Garden when the New York Rangers raised Adam Graves’s No.9 to the rafters. It was a night filled with Ranger stars such as Mark Messier, Mike Richter, Brian Leetch, Rod Gilbert, Eddie Giacomin, Mike Gartner, as well as guys like Glenn Healy, Sergei Nemchinov, Tie Domi, Darren Langdon and Jeff Beukeboom, all there to give praise to one of their greatest mates, Adam Graves.
It was unfortunate that the current Ranger squad had to play afterwards because they put on a dismal performance against the lowly Atlanta Thrashers and lost 2-1 in a shootout. Yes, the team peppered Thrashers’ netminder Kari Lehtonen. Yes, Nikolai Zherdev played a tremendous game by generating many scoring chances. The team also got a good look at Artem Anisimov, who played well but needs more playing time to be effective. And yes, the team got a solid performance, with the exception of the shootout, from their goaltender Henrik Lundqvist.
However, it still wasn’t enough to be the second worst team in the NHL while also being a game in which they could have gained some ground on the New Jersey Devils as they lost to the Washington Capitals 5-2 last night.
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Tags: Adam+Graves, Artem+Anisimov, Atlanta+Thrashers, Brian+Leetch, Chris+Drury, Darren+Langdon, Eddie+Giacomin, Glenn+Healy, Henrik+Lundqvist, Ilya+Kovalchuk, Jeff+Beukeboom, Mark+Messier, Markus+Naslund, Mike+Gartner, Mike+Richter, New+Jersey+Devils, New+York+Rangers, Nikolai+Zherdev, Patrick+Roy, Rod+Gilbert, Scott+Gomez, Sergei+Nemchinov, Tie+Domi, Tom+Renney, Washington+Capitals,
Let the Games Begin
by Patrick Hoffman on 01/26/09 at 09:30 PM ET
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Tomorrow night, the New York Rangers will begin the second half of their season with a tilt against the Carolina Hurricanes at Madison Square Garden.
For the Rangers, the second half of the season will determine whether or not they are good enough to win the Atlantic Division title. For the team to do so, they will need to do the following:
- Score goals. It’s that simple folks. Being able to put the puck in the net wins games whether’s it an even strength, power play, or shorthanded goal. For this to happen, guys like Markus Naslund, Nikolai Zherdev, Scott Gomez, Chris Drury, Ryan Callahan and Brandon Dubinsky will need to step up and get the job done. And yes, it wouldn’t be a bad thing if Lauri Korpikoski or Petr Prucha were put in the lineup more often and as of this writing at least, it looks like they will be in tomorrow night.
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Tags: Atlantic+Division, Brandon+Dubinsky, Carolina+Hurricanes, Chris+Drury, Henrik+Lundqvist, Lauri+Korpikoski, Markus+Naslund, New+York+Rangers, Nikolai+Zherdev, Petr+Prucha, Ryan+Callahan, Scott+Gomez, Stephen+Valiquette, Tom+Renney,
Not Bad
by Patrick Hoffman on 01/21/09 at 10:30 AM ET
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The New York Rangers went into the NHL All-Star break last night with a 4-2 victory over the Anaheim Ducks.
The team got strong performances from Henrik Lundqvist (not a surprise), Scott Gomez (1 goal and 1 assist), Markus Naslund (1 goal and 1 assist), Blair Betts (blocked a few shots and scored a shorthanded goal) as well as from their special teams, as the team scored two power play goals and two shorthanded goals.
With the victory, the Blueshirts head into the break with a 28-16-4 record, good enough for 60 points and the top spot in the Atlantic Division for now. As such, as inconsistent as this team has been, Blueshirt fans really cannot complain too much.
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Tags: Aaron+Voros, Anaheim+Ducks, Atlantic+Division, Blair+Betts, Henrik+Lundqvist, Lauri+Korpikoski, Markus+Naslund, New+York+Rangers, Nikolai+Zherdev, Petr+Prucha, Scott+Gomez,
Look at the Bright Side
by Patrick Hoffman on 01/19/09 at 02:35 PM ET
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Yes, yesterday afternoon’s 3-0 loss at the hands of the Pittsburgh Penguins certainly stings but look on the bright side: the New York Rangers picked up points in four of their five road games, including wins against the Ottawa Senators, New York Islanders and the talented Chicago Blackhawks.
The trip saw Rangers’ goaltender Henrik Lundqvist return to form, especially his statistics: 23 wins, a 2.54 goals against average, a .913 save percentage and two shutouts. These numbers certainly show why he is attending this year’s NHL All-Star game in Montreal.
The team’s recent road trip also saw Chris Drury come alive as well as the continued strong play of Ryan Callahan and Nigle Dawes. Hopefully, these three will continue to play well because they are the only ones that are performing consistently on an offensive level in the past couple of weeks.
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Tags: Anaheim+Ducks, Buffalo+Sabres, Chicago+Blackhawks, Chris+Drury, Henrik+Lundqvist, Madison+square+Garden, New+York+Islanders, New+York+Rangers, NHL+All-Star+Game, Nigel+Dawes, Ottawa+Senators, Pittsburgh+Penguins, Ryan+Callahan,
The Captain Gets It Done In Chicago
by Patrick Hoffman on 01/16/09 at 11:30 PM ET
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Every New York Ranger fan knew that tonight’s game against the Chicago Blackhawks was going to be a test for their Blueshirts and the team passed it with flying colors thanks to their captain, Chris Drury, who scored to give the Rangers a 3-2 overtime victory at the sold out United Center.
Many Ranger fans, myself included, were wondering what was wrong with Drury not too long ago. He wasn’t scoring, he wasn’t as sharp defensively and he looked lost. However, in the past two weeks or so, Drury has come alive and in his last six games, has five goals and an assist for six points.
Tonight, both of his goals came on the power play and he scored the way the team should be on their power play all season long: by not being afraid to shoot the puck and go to the net.
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Tags: Atlantic+Division, Chicago+Blackhawks, Chris+Drury, Henrik+Lundqvist, New+York+Rangers, Pittsburgh+Penguins, Tom+Renney,
We’ll Take It
by Patrick Hoffman on 01/14/09 at 03:45 PM ET
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It certainly wasn’t one of their best games of the season, especially against one of the worst teams in the National Hockey League, but the New York Rangers were able to come away with a 2-1 victory over the New York Islanders thanks to the play of Henrik Lundqvist and a rather successful power play.
Lundqvist appears to be returning to form as he posted his third solid performance in a week by making 33 saves en route to his 22nd victory of the season. He was especially good in the first two periods, stopping 24 of 25 shots and enabling his club to hold onto a 2-1 lead going into the third period, a lead that they would not relinquish.
“We knew we would create some chances against them, and it finally paid off in the second period, and then we locked it down the rest of the way,” Lundqvist told the team’s web site. “It was a great effort, and we are definitely on the right track here.”
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Tags: Chicago+Blackhawks, Chris+Drury, Henrik+Lundqvist, National+Hockey+League, New+York+Islanders, New+York+Rangers, Nigel+Dawes, Tom+Renney,
Another Shutout for The King
by Patrick Hoffman on 01/10/09 at 10:30 PM ET
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For the second time in three games, New York Rangers goaltender Henrik Lundqvist picked up a shutout (his second of the season). This time, it came at the hands of the struggling Ottawa Senators in a 2-0 victory.
This was a game in which Lundqvist had excellent rebound control, was in position for both the first and second shots (if there was one) and more importantly, he gave his club a chance to win a hockey game, which they did thanks to goals by Brandon Dubinsky (finally) and a beauty from Lauri Korpikoski off a great feed from Nikolai Zherdev.
As a team, the Blueshirts were disciplined, tough in front of their own net and made the game easy for Lundqvist. When they do things like that, it’s easy to see why they would win.
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Tags: Bobby+Sanguinetti, Brandon+Dubinsky, Brendan+Shanahan, Brian+Elliot, Chris+Drury, Henrik+Lundqvist, Lauri+Korpikoski, Michal+Rozsival, Nassau+Veterans+Memorial+Coliseum, New+Jersey+Devils, New+York+Islanders, New+York+Rangers, Nikolai+Zherdev, Ottawa+Senators, Petr+Prucha, Scott+Gomez,
Will He Actually Play and other Ranger Musings
by Patrick Hoffman on 01/10/09 at 04:30 PM ET
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As Sam Weinman reported in his blog, the New York Rangers have called up defenseman Bobby Sanguinetti in the event that defenseman Michal Rozsival cannot play tonight after suffering a facial injury in last night’s 2-1 shootout loss to the Buffalo Sabres.
The question that both Weinman and I are wondering is what does this say about Corey Potter? Potter played with the Blueshirts a few weeks ago and did just fine and yet, when the team is in a bind like they could be tonight, they potentially look to Sanguinetti. Yes, Sanguinetti is an all star in the AHL and leading the Hartford Wolf Pack with 20 points in 39 games, but is he ready to step in against a potentially potent offense in the Ottawa Senators?
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Tags: Bobby+Sanguinetti, Buffalo+Sabres, Corey+Potter, Hartford+Wolf+Pack, Henrik+Lundqvist, Jim+Cerny, Michal+Rozsival, New+York+Rangers, Nigel+Dawes, Ottawa+Senators, Rangers+Report, Ryan+Miller, Sam+Weinman, Stephen+Valiquette, Tom+Renney,
Time to Step Up
by Patrick Hoffman on 01/08/09 at 09:15 PM ET
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As I’m sure all of you New York Ranger fans are aware of, goaltender Henrik Lundqvist was named to the Eastern Conference All Star team. He’s been a Vezina Trophy finalist in each of his three seasons in the National Hockey League so it’s nice that he finally got recognized by the league as one of the game’s elite netminders.
With that being said, if NHL management based their selections on the last two months, Lundqvist would not be on the team. Much like he did in 2006-07 and last season, Lundqvist is having trouble finding consistency. Just take a look at this week, for example. On Monday night, he stymies the Pittsburgh Penguins in a 4-0 shutout and last night, he allows five goals in a 6-3 loss to the Montreal Canadiens. The team’s beat reporters went about as far to say that Lundqvist was one of the main reasons why the team lost last night. I’m sure most of you would agree.
This weekend, the team takes on the Buffalo Sabres (Friday night, 7:30 p.m., at the HSBC Arena) and the Ottawa Senators (Saturday night, 7 p.m., at Scotiabank Place). These are four points that the Rangers should be able to get so hopefully, Henrik will be on top of his game in the tilt he starts (assuming that backup goaltender Stephen Valiquette will start one of the two) because as Henrik goes, so do the Blueshirts.
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Tags: Buffalo+Sabres, Eastern+Conference+All+Star+Team, Henrik+Lundqvist, Montreal+Canadiens, New+York+Rangers, Ottawa+Senators, Pittsburgh+Penguins, Stephen+Valiquette,
The New Season
by Patrick Hoffman on 01/03/09 at 12:00 PM ET
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The New York Rangers will look to put up their second straight win tonight when they take on the Washington Capitals at the Verizon Center.
In the team’s last meeting, the Capitals overcame a four goal deficit to defeat the Rangers 5-4 in overtime thanks to the play of their fearless superstar, Alex Ovechkin. It was a real gut-check moment for the Blueshirts that showed them that they still have a lot of work to do before being considered one of the NHL’s elite teams, despite being tied for third place with the Philadelphia Flyers in the Eastern Conference, who each have 49 points.
In order for the Blueshirts to get back to playing consistent hockey, a lot of things have to happen.
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Tags: Alex+Ovechkin, Chris+Drury, Eastern+Conference, Henrik+Lundqvist, New+York+Islanders, New+York+Rangers, Philadelphia+Flyers, Scott+Gomez, Washington+Capitals,
Let Valiquette Play
by Patrick Hoffman on 12/31/08 at 12:05 AM ET
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While New York Rangers netminder Henrik Lundqvist might be one of the world’s top goaltenders, he certainly hasn’t played like it lately.
In the last nine games, he’s allowed 36 goals, which means he is allowing four goals a game, well above his career average of 2.33.
Furthermore, his goals against average for the season continues to rise (now 2.67) and his save percentage continues to drop (.908).
So what gives?
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Tags: Henrik+Lundqvist, Los+Angeles+Kings, New+York+Rangers, Stephen+Valiquette, Washington+Capitals,
A Brand New Day
by Patrick Hoffman on 12/26/08 at 04:00 PM ET
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First off, I hope you all had a happy and safe holiday, especially you New York Ranger fans out there who were looking to shake off Tuesday night’s terrible loss to the Washington Capitals.
Tomorrow night’s game against the New Jersey Devils should be looked at as a fresh start for the Rangers. Again, they’re coming off a terrible collapse against the Caps’ and have displayed rather inconsistent hockey over the past month or so.
So what better way to shake off the cob webs and play the best hockey they can play than by beating their Hudson River rivals?
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Tags: Andrew+Gross, Blue+Notes, Blueshirt+Bulletin, Chris+Drury, Dubi+Silverstein, Eastern+Conference, Glen+Sather, Henrik+Lundqvist, New+Jersey+Devils, New+York+Rangers, Philadelphia+Flyers, Ranger+Rants, Rangers+Report, Sam+Weinman, Scott+Gomez, SNY+Rangers+Blog, Steve+Zipay, Washington+Capitals,
Close But No Cigar
by Patrick Hoffman on 12/21/08 at 12:15 PM ET
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In what was the team’s biggest test of the season, the New York Rangers passed with flying colors despite losing to the league’s best team, the San Jose Sharks, 3-2 last night at the HP Pavilion Center.
Despite a poorly played first period, last night had to be one of the team’s best efforts all season. They were especially good in the third period, when they controlled play and dominated the Sharks, outshooting them 17-7. Unfortunately, the Blueshirts were unable to get one by Sharks’ netminder Evgeni Nabokov, who played well after dropping his previous two decisions to the Detroit Red Wings and the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Yes, the team lost a valuable two points last night but this was a game where the Blueshirts proved that they are not far off from being considered one of the league’s top teams this season.
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Tags: Alex+Ovechkin, Brandon+Dubinsky, Columbus+Blue+Jackets, Detroit+Red+Wings, Evgeni+Nabokov, Henrik+Lundqvist, New+York+Rangers, Nikolai+Zherdev, Ryan+Callahan, San+Jose+Sharks, Washington+Capitals,
All About Two Points
by Patrick Hoffman on 12/17/08 at 09:50 PM ET
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The New York Rangers hope to extend their win streak to three tonight when they take on the Los Angeles Kings at the Staples Center.
The Blueshirts are coming off an impressive 3-1 win last night over the Anaheim Ducks, getting goals from Chris Drury, Nigel Dawes and Nikolai Zherdev. The team also got another strong performance from their goaltender Henrik Lundqvist, who stopped 19 of 20 shots.
It doesn’t appear that the whole Mats Sundin situation is a distraction to the team as all they are focused on is winning.
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Tags: Anaheim+Ducks, Atlanta+Thrashers, Chris+Drury, Henrik+Lundqvist, Los+Angeles+Kings, Mats+Sundin, New+York+Rangers, Nigel+Dawes, Nikolai+Zherdev, San+Jose+Sharks, Steve+Valiquette, Steve+Zipay, Tom+Renney,
Where’s The D?
by Patrick Hoffman on 12/13/08 at 11:00 AM ET
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In a surprising turn of events last night, the New York Rangers finally lost to the New Jersey Devils by a score of 8-5.
Yes folks, you read that right: the Blueshirts allowed eight goals to the Devils.
For the past few weeks, the Rangers have struggled to keep the puck out of the net. On Thursday December 4, they allowed six goals in a 6-2 loss to the Montreal Canadiens. Last Sunday night against the Calgary Flames, they allowed three goals in a 3-0 loss and obviously, last night wasn’t so pretty.
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Tags: Calgary+Flames, Carolina+Hurricanes, Henrik+Lundqvist, Markus+Naslund, Montreal+Canadiens, New+Jersey+Devils, New+York+Rangers, Nikolai+Zherdev, Scott+Gomez, Tom+Renney,
Records can be Deceiving
by Patrick Hoffman on 12/01/08 at 09:30 PM ET
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With a record of 17-8-2 and sitting first in the Eastern Conference, one would have to think that the team and its fans would be happy.
In the case of the New York Rangers, not so much. Looks can be deceiving folks and yesterday afternoon’s 4-0 clunker at the hands of the Florida Panthers proves that point.
Over at Sam Weinman’s (The Journal News) Rangers Report Blog, MSG’s John Giannone points out that of the club’s 17 wins, six have come in the shootout. If there were no shootouts, the team would have a substantially lower record and would be 11-7-8.
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Tags: Calgary+Flames, Chris+Drury, Florida+Panthers, Henrik+Lundqvist, John+Giannone, Markus+Naslund, Michal+Rozsival., Montreal+Canadiens, New+York+Rangers, Nikolai+Zherdev, Ottawa+Senators, Phoenix+Coyotes, Pittsburgh+Penguins, Sam+Weinman, Scott+Gomez, Tampa+Bay+Lightning, Wade+Redden,
Skills Competition Bails out Rangers
by Patrick Hoffman on 11/29/08 at 11:00 AM ET
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For the second straight game, the New York Rangers needed a shootout to pick up two points, this time against the Florida Panthers.
It was also the second straight game that both Markus Naslund and Nikolai Zherdev scored in the “skills competition” to give the Rangers a 4-3 victory.
Unlike there many other games that went to the shootout, it was the opposing team that tied up the game with just over a minute to go in the tilt as David Booth ripped in an in-tight shot past Rangers’ goaltender Henrik Lundqvist (38 saves) with 1:33 left to go in the hockey game.
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Tags: Craig+Anderson, David+Booth, Florida+Panthers, Henrik+Lundqvist, Markus+Naslund, New+Jersey+Devils, New+York+Rangers, Nikolai+Zherdev, Petr+Prucha, Stephen+Valiquette, Tampa+Bay+Lightning, Tom+Renney,
Rangers on the Prowl in Miami
by Patrick Hoffman on 11/28/08 at 11:30 AM ET
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The New York Rangers continue their two-game road trip in the South with a matchup against the Florida Panthers tonight at the BankAtlantic Center. A win would give them 36 points on the season and a chance to keep their lead in the Eastern Conference.
One would have to expect that Rangers’ head coach Tom Renney will implement the same lineup he used on Wednesday night against the Tampa Bay Lightning, which includes keeping the line of Markus Naslund, Brandon Dubinsky and Nikolai Zherdev together.
Last season, the Blueshirts were 2-1-1 against the Panthers. This season, the Panthers have struggled under new coach Peter Deboer, going 8-11-2 with a minus- 12 goal differential, scoring just 48 times in 21 games and allowing 60 goals.
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Tags: Brandon+Dubinsky, David+Booth, Florida+Panthers, Henrik+Lundqvist, Markus+Naslund, New+York+Rangers, Nikolai+Zherdev, Peter+Deboer, Stephen+Valiquette, Tampa+Bay+Lightning, Tom+Renney,
Valiquette to Start
by Patrick Hoffman on 11/22/08 at 12:00 PM ET
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According to Sam Weinman of The Journal News, the New York Rangers have elected to start Stephen Valiquette this afternoon against the Ottawa Senators.
Valiquette played half the game on Wednesday night against the Vancouver Canucks and stopped all 15 shots he faced after Henrik Lundqvist was pulled by Rangers’ head coach Tom Renney (five goals allowed).
However, according to Weinman, Valiquette had been penciled in for this game for a long time and it’s not just a coincidence that he is starting after Lundqvist’s struggles on Wednesday night.
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Tags: Eastern+Conference, Henrik+Lundqvist, New+York+Rangers, Ottawa+Senators, Sam+Weinman, Stephen+Valiquette, The+Journal+News, Tom+Renney, Vancouver+Canucks,
Embarassing
by Patrick Hoffman on 11/20/08 at 05:30 PM ET
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Last night’s 6-3 loss to the Vancouver Canucks can be described in one word: embarrassing.
Through the first 30 minutes of the tilt, the New York Rangers were nowhere to be found, especially in the defensive zone as Rangers’ goaltender Henrik Lundqvist was hung out to dry.
That brings me to my next point: Lundqvist did not pull himself from the game last night.
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Tags: Henrik+Lundqvist, New+York+Rangers, Ottawa+Senators, Sam+Weinman, Scott+Gomez, Stephen+Valiquette, Tom+Renney, Vancouver+Canucks,
Never Say Die
by Patrick Hoffman on 11/15/08 at 11:45 PM ET
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It was just four weekends ago that the New York Rangers were down 2-0 in third period and managed to come back and win the game 3-2 in a shootout over the Pittsburgh Penguins.
It was deja vu all over again tonight as the Rangers were down 2-0 in the third to the Boston Bruins, only to tie the game in the third period with 53 seconds to go and win it in a shootout thanks to a goal from captain Chris Drury.
Welcome to the new NHL folks.
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Tags: Boston+Bruins, Chris+Drury, Fredrik+Sjostrom, Henrik+Lundqvist, Markus+Naslund, New+York+Islanders, New+York+Rangers, Nigel+Dawes, Nikolai+Zherdev, Ottawa+Senators, Pittsburgh+Penguins, Tom+Renney,
True Test for the Blueshirts
by Patrick Hoffman on 11/15/08 at 11:00 AM ET
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Just over a month into the season, the New York Rangers will have their toughest test of the young regular season campaign tonight at Madison Square Garden: the Boston Bruins.
The Bruins are just three points behind the Blueshirts and are coming off an impressive 6-1 win over the Montreal Canadiens. They’ve gotten strong play from guys like Phil Kessel (7 goals), former Ranger Marc Savard (17 points) and from their netminder Tim Thomas, who has a goals-against average of under two goals per game and a save percentage that is close to 95 percent.
It should also be noted that the B’s are tied for the fewest goals allowed, something that could impact the Rangers tonight who typically don’t score a lot of goals on Garden ice.
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Tags: Boston+Bruins, Chris+Drury, Henrik+Lundqvist, Lauri+Korpikoski, Michal+Rozsival, New+Jersey+Devils, New+York+Rangers, Nikolai+Zherdev, Phil+Kessel, Tim+Thomas,
Rangers Burn The Devils
by Patrick Hoffman on 11/12/08 at 10:00 PM ET
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It took a period (the first period of the game) of undisciplined play, stupid penalties, being outshot 13-5 and outscored 1-0 to awaken the New York Rangers.
The second period began and it was as if a new team was on the ice and this team dominated the New Jersey Devils by scoring four goals on 20 shots, cashing in on the power play and getting back to playing defense the way they know how, all en route to a 5-2 victory.
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Tags: Chris+Drury, Dan+Girardi, Henrik+Lundqvist, Kevin+Weekes, Lauri+Korpikoski, Michal+Rozsival, Nikolai+Zherdev, Scott+Clemmensen,
Drury Breaks Out
by Patrick Hoffman on 11/07/08 at 06:00 PM ET
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This may be his second season as a New York Ranger but in last night’s 5-2 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning, Chris Drury finally broke out.
He helped the team’s power play break out of its funk with two goals with the man advantage. Drury also scored the team’s first shorthanded goal of the season.
All in all, not too shabby for the Trumbull, CT native.
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Tags: Boston+Bruins, Chris+Drury, Edmonton+Oilers, Henrik+Lundqvist, New+Jersey+Devils, New+York+Rangers, Ottawa+Senators, Steve+Valiquette, Tampa+Bay+Lightning, Tom+Renney,
