Goal Line Report
Entries with the tag: Henrik+Lundqvist
Time for Another New Winning Streak
by Patrick Hoffman on 02/19/12 at 04:15 PM ET
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With the New York Rangers having missed a chance to extend their winning streak to five games with a loss to the Chicago Blackhawks on Thursday night, the team will look to start a new one from the Columbus Blue Jackets tonight (8:00 p.m.) at Madison Square Garden.
The Blue Jackets, the worst team in the National Hockey League, is coming off a 6-1 loss to the Chicago Blackhawks last night. They are struggling to score goals, not getting good goaltending and one player may not even be getting along the team’s own fans.
At the other end, the Blueshirts are at the top of the Eastern Conference and seven points behind the league-leading Detroit Red Wings. The team is also 7-2-1 in their last 10 games and have been getting their offense going, playing terrific on the defensive side of the puck and getting Vezina Trophy-like goaltending from Henrik Lundqvist.
For the Rangers, it will be important for them to not take this game lightly. Playing in front of your own fans and against the league’s worst teams might make the Rangers want to get too cute with the puck or try and do too much and when that happen, the Blueshirts usually end up in trouble.
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Tags: Chicago+Blackhawks, Columbus+Blue+Jackets, Detroit+Red+Wings, Henrik+Lundqvist, New+York+Rangers,
Struggling Blackhawks Visit Blueshirts
by Patrick Hoffman on 02/16/12 at 03:00 PM ET
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The New York Rangers, one of the league’s hottest teams right now, will take on a struggling Chicago Blackhawks hockey club tonight at Madison Square Garden.
The Blackhawks have lost nine straight games and are currently struggling in all areas of their game. They are not scoring goals like they used to, not playing tight defense and getting wildly inconsistent goaltending from both Corey Crawford and Ray Emery.
On the other end, the Blueshirts come into tonight’s tilt having won four straight games. In their most recent game, which was on Tuesday night in Boston against the Boston Bruins, the team got a 42-save shutout performance from their netminder Henrik Lundqvist in a 3-0 victory.
For the Rangers, a game like tonight’s might actually be considered a “trap” game. The Rangers have won four straight, are one of the best team’s in the NHL, have played well at home and will be facing a team that is at the other end of the spectrum right now.
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Tags: Boston+Bruins, Chicago+Blackhawks, Columbus+Blue+Jackets, Corey+Crawford, Henrik+Lundqvist, New+York+Rangers, Ray+Emery,
Lundqvist Dominates Bruins in 3-0 Shutout Win
by Patrick Hoffman on 02/15/12 at 08:00 AM ET
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There should no reason to be surprised anymore when it comes to New York Rangers’ goaltender Henrik Lundqvist.
Last night, the “King” made 42 saves in a 3-0 shutout victory over the Boston Bruins. It was Lundqvist’s seventh shutout of the league, which puts him first in the league.
Lundqvist’s statistics are simply terrific when it comes to NHL netminders. The soon to be 30-year-old netminder now has 27 wins (4th in the league), a 1.77 goals against average (2nd in the league), a .941 save percentage (1st in the league) and as mentioned above, 7 shutouts (1st in the league).
It may have been a 3-0 win but Lundqvist was busy all night in Beantown. In the third period alone, Lundqvist made 18 saves and in the period before that, stopped 14 shots. He was simply terrific and was the main reason why the Blueshirts won the game.
The team got goals from Ryan Callahan (a power play goal…his 23rd of the season), Ryan McDonagh (his second goal in as many games), and Artem Anisimov (2 goals in his last three games). The club also did a good job of clearing rebounds, blocking shots and working hard in front of their netminder.
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Tags: Artem+Anisimov, Boston+Bruins, Chicago+Blackhawks, Henrik+Lundqvist, Martin+Biron, New+York+Rangers, Ryan+Callahan, Ryan+McDonagh,
Big Tilt in Beantown
by Patrick Hoffman on 02/14/12 at 12:00 PM ET
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The New York Rangers and Boston Bruins, two of the NHL’s Original Six franchises, happen to be two of the top teams in both the Eastern Conference and NHL this season.
With that said, it is the Blueshirts that come into this game with the better record and position in the standings. The Rangers are seven points up on the second place Bruins going into tonight’s game.
The Blueshirts are coming off a weekend sweep of the Philadelphia Flyers and Washington Capitals. Combined, the Rangers outscored their opponents 8-4 this past weekend and hope to carry that offense tonight against a very good defensive hockey team.
The Rangers are being led by their captain, Ryan Callahan, right now. Callahan is coming off a 4-goal weekend and is now second on the team in scoring with 22 goals and 19 assists for 41 points.
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Tags: Boston+Bruins, Brad+Richards, Henrik+Lundqvist, Marian+Gaborik, New+York+Rangers, Philadelphia+Flyers, Ryan+Callahan, Washington+Capitals,
Finding Another Gear
by Patrick Hoffman on 02/12/12 at 07:25 PM ET
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That is exactly what the New York Rangers are doing and for right now at least, it seems to be working.
Coming off a 5-2 win over the Philadelphia Flyers yesterday afternoon, the team knew that it would be in tough this afternoon against the Washington Capitals. Like the team has much of this season, the Blueshirts stood tough and came away with a 3-2 victory over Alex Ovechkin and the Capitals.
The team got another terrific performance from their goaltender, Henrik Lundqvist. Lundqvist made 24 saves on 26 shots for his 26th win of the season. If he continues to play this way, the Vezina Trophy for the league’s top netminder should be his come near the end of June.
The club also got a big goal from defenseman Ryan McDonagh. McDonagh gave the Rangers a 2-1 lead 13:21 into the second period and it turned out to be the game winner.
The goal did not come so easily for McDonagh as on the follow through, he twisted awkwardly and got his skate caught in the ice and fell. He was helped to the dressing room but luckily, returned to finish the game.
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Tags: Alex+Ovechkin, Boston+Bruins, Detroit+Red+Wings, Henrik+Lundqvist, New+York+Rangers, Philadelphia+Flyers, Ryan+Callahan, Ryan+McDonagh, Washington+Capitals,
Rangers’ Best Players Come Through in Win Over the Flyers
by Patrick Hoffman on 02/11/12 at 03:41 PM ET
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When it comes to any professional sport, you always want the best players on your team to play like the best and come up big when they need to.
This happened for the New York Rangers this afternoon in their 5-2 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers at the Wells Fargo Center. For the Rangers, it was their fifth straight victory over the Flyers this season.
The reason why the Rangers came away with the victory this afternoon is because their big-time players came through. For starters, the team captain, Ryan Callahan, scored a hat trick. Callahan now has 21 goals on the season.
Marian Gaborik and Brad Richards also had big games for the Blueshirts. Marian Gaborik picked-up a goal and three assists for four points while Richards also had three assists in the game.
Other forwards that came up big for the Rangers were Derek Stepan (2 assists) and Artem Anisimov (1 goal). Anisimov has really picked-up his game since being reunited with Stepan and Gaborik and now has 5 points (1 goal and 4 assists) in his last four games.
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Tags: Artem+Anisimov, Brad+Richards, Derek+Stepan, Detroit+Red+Wings, Henrik+Lundqvist, Marian+Gaborik, New+York+Rangers, Philadelphia+Flyers, Ryan+Callahan, Washington+Capitals,
Blueshirts Looking for Offense
by Patrick Hoffman on 02/09/12 at 08:27 AM ET
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While the New York Rangers may have gotten screwed out of picking up at least a point against the New Jersey Devils in their 1-0 loss on Tuesday night, it still does not change the fact that this team is currently having trouble scoring goals.
Yes, the team put four in on Sunday afternoon against the Philadelphia Flyers but before that and right now, the offense has been kept quiet. As of right now, Rangers’ forwards Marian Gaborik and Ryan Callahan seem like the only two players that are consistently generating scoring chances.
However, guys like Derek Stepan, Brad Richards, Brian Boyle and others are struggling to score goals. Prior to these last few weeks, the Rangers had scoring depth and right now, it appears to be missing.
When this happens, it puts a ton of pressure on the team’s goaltenders Henrik Lundqvist and Martin Biron. It is like the goaltenders have to be as close to perfect as possible in order to win a hockey game.
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Tags: Brad+Richards, Brian+Boyle, Derek+Stepan, Dwayne+Roloson, Henrik+Lundqvist, Marian+Gaborik, Martin+Biron, Mathieu+Garon, New+York+rangers, Philadelphia+Flyers, Ryan+Callahan, Tampa+Bay+Lightning,
Battle of The Hudson
by Patrick Hoffman on 02/07/12 at 09:09 AM ET
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While it always seems like the New York Rangers and New Jersey Devils play a playoff brand of hockey when the two clubs meet, that will really be the case tonight when they will go at it at Madison Square Garden.
The Rangers, who are on top of both the Atlantic Division and Eastern Conference, are coming off of two straight wins over the Buffalo Sabres and Philadelphia Flyers. In those games, the club got excellent goaltending from Henrik Lundqvist, played a physical style of hockey and won all the little battles within the game.
On the other side, the Devils might just be playing their best hockey of the season. The team from across the Hudson River has won five straight games and is putting the puck in the net with regularity, getting solid performances out of of both Ilya Kovalchuk and Martin Brodeur and playing with a swagger that has been missing from their game the last few seasons.
These two teams met last Wednesday night at the Prudential Center, where the Blueshirts lost a hard fought game 4-3 in a shootout. As I had mentioned last week, this was a game that the Rangers should have won so they will definitely be looking to get the two points tonight on home ice.
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Tags: Buffalo+Sabres, Henrik+Lundqvist, Ilya+Kovalchuk, John+Tortorella, Martin+Brodeur, New+Jersey+Devils, New+York+Rangers, Philadelphia+Flyers, Steve+Eminger,
Rangers Do It Again Over the Flyers
by Patrick Hoffman on 02/06/12 at 09:09 AM ET
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There is no doubt that the National Hockey League would probably love to have both the New York Rangers and Philadelphia Flyers meet in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
If you are asking yourself why, just look at the four games that have been played between the two clubs this season. The games have had it all from timely goal scoring, big hits, fights, and great goaltending.
Unfortunately for the Flyers, they have lost all four tilts at the hands of the Blueshirts. Yesterday afternoon at the Garden, the Rangers were physical, blocked a ton of shots, got timely goal scoring and clutch goaltending from Henrik Lundqvist.
Playing in their Winter Classic uniforms, the Rangers put on a great show for their fans. The team got solid performances out of guys like Lundqvist, Artem Anisimov, Derek Stepan, Marian Gaborik, Dan Girardi, Ryan Callahan and Brandon Dubinsky.
It was a complete team effort, one that gave them another two points in the standings. With the victory, the Blueshirts remain in first place in the Eastern Conference with 71 points, which is three points more than the second place Boston Bruins and five points more than the fourth place Flyers.
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Tags: Artem+Anisimov, Boston+Bruins, Brandon+Dubinsku, Dan+Girardi, Derek+Stepan, Henrik+Lundqvist, Marian+Gaborik, New+Jersey+Devils, New+York+Rangers, Philadelphia+Flyers, Ryan+Callahan,
Heave Ho Four in a Row
by Patrick Hoffman on 02/05/12 at 08:00 AM ET
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That is what the New York Rangers will be looking to do this afternoon at Madison Square Garden when they take on the Philadelphia Flyers.
The teams have met three times already with the Blueshirts coming away with three wins, including winning the Winter Classic by a score of 3-2. The Blueshirts have also beaten the Flyers twice on home ice this season.
There is no doubt that the Flyers are going to come out as a hungry hockey club. In yesterday’s 6-4 loss to the New Jersey Devils at home, the Flyers gave the Devils a 6-0 lead before coming back to score four goals in the third period to make it an exciting hockey game.
This is a Flyers team that has a lot of offense. Guys like Claude Giroux, Scott Hartnell, Wayne Simmonds, Jaromir Jagr and Matt Read can all put the puck in the net. Hartnell leads the club with 25 goals and Giroux is right behind with 20.
With that in mind, the Blueshirts are going to need to be ready to battle. The club is coming off a hard fought 1-0 win over the Buffalo Sabres on Wednesday night in Buffalo and the team more than likely knows that if they play the way they did against Buffalo, they could be in trouble against the Broadstreet Bullies.
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Tags: Buffalo+Sabres, Claude+Giroux, Henrik+Lundqvist, Jaromir+Jagr, Matt+Read, New+Jersey+Devils, New+York+Rangers, Philadelphia+Flyers, Scott+Hartnell, Wayne+Simmonds, Winnipeg+Jets,
Lundqvist Does it Again
by Patrick Hoffman on 02/01/12 at 10:35 PM ET
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Coming into tonight’s game against the Buffalo Sabres, you just knew that it was going to be a tough game for the New York Rangers.
The game lived up to that billing as the Rangers’ were able to come away with a 1-0 shootout win thanks to the shootout winner by team captain Ryan Callahan. However, the main reason the Rangers won tonight’s game was because of the goaltending of Henrik Lundqvist.
Lundqvist made 34 saves in regulation and stopped all but one of the shootout attempts taken by the Sabres in his second straight shutout (6th of the season…tied for first in the league). Simply put, Lundqvist played the way he always has this season for his hockey club.
Had it not been for Lundqvist’s terrific play, this could have just as easily been a shutout for Sabres’ goaltender Ryan Miller. Miller, who won last night over the Montreal Canadiens, was stellar in this game in making 29 saves and giving his team every chance to win a hockey game.
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Tags: Buffalo+Sabres, Detroit+Red+Wings, Henrik+Lundqvist, New+York+Rangers, Philadelphia+Flyers, Ryan+Callahan, Ryan+Miller,
UPDATE/Back to the Grind
by Patrick Hoffman on 01/31/12 at 10:32 AM ET
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UPDATE: Per Rangers’ beat writer Andrew Gross’s Twitter, Martin Biron will be starting between the pipes tonight for the Blueshirts:
Biron in net tonight vs. Devils. Otherwise same lineup for Rangers.
That is what the New York Rangers will be doing tonight at the Prudential Center when they take on the New Jersey Devils.
Coming into tonight’s tilt, the Blueshirts are on a two game winning streak. Two Saturday’s ago, the Rangers beat the Bruins in overtime by a 3-2 score and then three nights later at Madison Square Garden, the club shutout the Winnipeg Jets by a score of 3-0.
The Rangers also currently find themselves in the top spot in the Eastern Conference with 66 points and are one point behind the league-leading Detroit Red Wings. For the Rangers to keep up this kind of pace, they are going to have to get things started on the right foot tonight in New Jersey.
Luckily for the Blueshirts, they have several players who have performed well over the last few games. Lundqvist was terrific in Boston and was good when he had to be against the Jets.
Marian Gaborik, the NHL All-Star MVP, scored two goals against the Bruins and picked-up a hat trick and an assist in the All-Star Game. His confidence should be at a high level right now.
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Tags: Boston+Bruins, Detroit+Red+Wings, Henrik+Lundqvist, Marian+Gaborik, New+Jersey+Devils, New+York+Rangers, NHL+All-Star+Game, Winnipeg+Jets,
Good for Gaborik
by Patrick Hoffman on 01/29/12 at 07:02 PM ET
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While two of the New York Rangers’ All-Stars were on the losing Team Alfredsson today (Henrik Lundqvist and Dan Girardi), one Blueshirt came through for Team Chara and won MVP of the game and that was Marian Gaborik.
Gaborik scored a hat trick in the game and scored two goals against teammate Henrik Lundqvist, including one where he pulled an “Anisimov” after scoring the goal. Of course, when seeing that, I am sure many Blueshirt fans thought back to this.
Overall, it was a pretty good game this afternoon. It is always fun to watch the best players in the league all on the same ice doing what they do best and giving fans in the crowd something to smile and have fun with.
At the same time, it will be great to see the regular season back in action on Tuesday. For the Rangers, it should be an interesting and exciting second half as the club looks to get into the playoffs and hopefully, have home ice advantage come April.
Enjoy the rest of your weekend folks.
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Tags: 2012+NHL+All+Star+Game, Artem+Anisimov, Dan+Girardi, Henrik+Lundqvist, Marian+Gaborik, Team+Alfredsson, Team+Chara,
Rangers’ PP Comes Through in the Clutch In Win Over the Bruins
by Patrick Hoffman on 01/21/12 at 05:47 PM ET
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For much of the season, the New York Rangers’ power play has been lackluster to say the least.
It looked like that was going to be the case again this afternoon against the Boston Bruins until overtime when the Rangers’ were awarded a five minute power play when Andrew Ference hit defenseman Ryan McDonagh from behind. It was then that Rangers’ sniper Marian Gaborik came through by beating Bruins’ netminder Tuukka Rask to give the Rangers a 3-2 victory.
It was Marian Gaborik’s second goal of the afternoon, giving “Gabby” 25 goals on the season. His first of the afternoon came of a blocked shot on Carl Hagelin and he sniped one past Rask to give the Rangers a 2-1 lead.
This was a game that lived up to everyone’s expectations. There was lots of hitting, lots of blocked shots, great goaltending from Henrik Lundqvist (32 saves) and Rask (30 saves), and had the feel of a playoff game.
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Tags: Andrew+Ference, Boston+Bruins, Eastern+Conference, Henrik+Lundqvist, John+Tortorella, Madison+Square+Garden, Marian+Gaborik, New+York+Rangers, Ryan+McDonagh, Tuukka+Rask, Winnipeg+Jets,
Big Tilt in Beantown
by Patrick Hoffman on 01/21/12 at 12:00 PM ET
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When the NHL calendar came out, there probably were not many people thinking that the game between the Boston Bruins and New York Rangers would mean much on Saturday, January 21.
As it turns out, these people are probably surprised that today’s tilt could end up being one of the best games to watch this season. Heading into the key match-up between the two Original Six franchises, both the Bruins and the Rangers are not only at the top of their respective divisions, but are also number one (Rangers) and two (Bruins) in the Eastern Conference heading into this afternoon’s game.
For much of the season, the Boston Bruins have been the story of the National Hockey League. After starting out the season with what appeared to be a “Stanley Cup hangover”.
However, once November hit, the Bruins started like playing the defending Stanley Cup champions that they were supposed to be. They did not lose a game in regulation and are currently 30-13-1 with 61 points.
The club has offensive depth, a strong defense and possibly the best goaltending tandem in the NHL. Hard to beat, right?
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Tags: Atlantic+Division, Boston+Bruins, Henrik+Lundqvist, New+York+Rangers, Northeast+Division,
Lundqvist Named Assistant Captain at All-Star Game
by Patrick Hoffman on 01/21/12 at 11:04 AM ET
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From NHL.com:
Goaltender Henrik Lundqvist of the New York Rangers and forward Joffrey Lupul of the Toronto Maple Leafs have been named Assistant Captains for the 2012 NHL All-Star Weekend in Ottawa, the National Hockey League Players’ Association and the National Hockey League announced today. Lundqvist joins the team of Captain Daniel Alfredsson from the All-Star host Ottawa Senators while Lupul becomes part of the team of Captain Zdeno Chara of the Boston Bruins.
The Assistant Captains will assist with the team selection process during the 2012 Molson Canadian NHL All-Star Player Fantasy Draft™ on Thursday, Jan. 26 (8 p.m., ET, TSN, RDS, NBC Sports Network) and will help their Captains set their team rosters and lineups for the 2012 Molson Canadian NHL All-Star Skills Competition™ on Saturday, Jan. 28 (7 p.m., ET, CBC, RDS, NBC Sports Network) and the 2012 Tim Hortons NHL® All-Star Game on Sunday, Jan. 29 (4 p.m., ET, CBC, RDS, NBC Sports Network).
Lundqvist has backstopped the Rangers to first place in the Eastern Conference standings, posting a 20-10-4 record with a 1.93 goals-against average, .936 save percentage and four shutouts in 34 appearances. The 29-year-old has competed alongside Alfredsson for their native Sweden in two Olympic Winter Games, including the gold medal-winning side in 2006. Lundqvist is the only goaltender in NHL history to post at least 30 victories in each of his first six NHL seasons and is on track to extend that mark in 2011-12. He will be making his third consecutive NHL All-Star Game appearance.
Click here for more on the assistant captains at the ASG.
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Tags: Henrik+Lundqvist, New+York+Rangers,
Do Not Take Lightly
by Patrick Hoffman on 01/19/12 at 01:58 PM ET
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This is the attitude that the New York Rangers should have going into tonight’s tilt with the Pittsburgh Penguins at Madison Square Garden.
The Penguins may be without Sidney Crosby and some of their other better players but they have definitely picked-up their play in the last few games. Guys like Evgeni Malkin, who should be considered the Penguins’ most valuable player right now, and James Neal are doing everything they possibly can to keep their club afloat while Crosby is still recovering.
Furthermore, defenseman Kris Letang will be making his return to the Penguins’ line-up tonight. This will give the Penguins some added firepower and as well as a lethal threat on the power play.
Like team head coach John Tortorella said two nights ago, the club should not be thinking about the Stanley Cup right now. This Blueshirts’ hockey club has a long way to go and needs to take things on a game-by-game basis, something that has worked well for them so far this season.
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Tags: Evegni+Malkin, Henrik+Lundqvist, James+Neal, John+Tortorella, Kris+Letang, Nashville+Predators, New+York+Rangers, Pittsburgh+Penguins, Ryan+Callahan, Sidney+Crosby,
Holding Onto the Top Spot
by Patrick Hoffman on 01/18/12 at 09:24 AM ET
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That is what the New York Rangers continue to do as the team picked-up a 3-0 win over the Nashville Predators last night at Madison Square Garden.
Due to playing in a hockey game of my own, I was not able to catch any of the game. With that said, it was nice to see Henrik Lundqvist get another shutout and the team come out with a much better defensive performance than they did against the Montreal Canadiens on Sunday night in Montreal.
It was also nice to see that John Mitchell scored another goal for the Blueshirts. No one really knew whether or not Mitchell would fit in with this Rangers’ team but he has come in and gotten the job done by working hard every night, forechecking hard, going to the net and cashing in on opportunities when they present themselves.
This is a team that continues to show that it can respond well after a loss. Too many times in the past few seasons would the Rangers follow up a loss with another bad game but this season, team head coach John Tortorella has seemed to keep that to a minimum.
With the win, the Rangers improved to 29-11-4 for 62 points. The team has a one point edge over the Detroit Red Wings for first in the league and a three point edge over the Boston Bruins for first in the Eastern Conference.
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Tags: Boston+Bruins, Detroit+Red+Wings, Evgeni+Malkin, Henrik+Lundqvist, James+Neal, John+Mitchell, John+Tortorella, Montreal+Canadiens, Nashville+Predators, New+York+Rangers, Pittsburgh+Penguins, Sidney+Crosby,
Rangers Impressive in Shutout win over the Leafs
by Patrick Hoffman on 01/14/12 at 09:57 PM ET
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It may not have been the most exciting game but the New York Rangers got the job done tonight with a win over the Toronto Maple Leafs.
For the Rangers, it was important for the club to get their offense going and for the most part, the team did just that tonight with goals from guys who do not score many of them (except for one guy). The Blueshirts got goals from Mike Rupp (4th goal of the season), Brian Boyle (his first goal in 22 games and 3rd goal of the season) and Derek Stepan (10th goal of the season and an assist).
Rangers’ netminder Martin Biron also had a solid game for his hockey club tonight. Biron picked-up his second shutout and 9th win of the season. While he was not bombarded with shots, Biron was good when he needed to be in making 19 saves and also adding his third assist of the season on Stepan’s goal.
With the win, the Rangers improved to 28-10-4 with 60 points. That has them first in the Eastern Conference (three points ahead of the Boston Bruins) and as of this writing, first in the NHL, one point ahead of the Vancouver Canucks.
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Tags: Bell+Centre, Boston+Bruins, Brian+Boyle, Derek+Stepan, Henrik+Lundqvist, Joffrey+Lupul, Martin+Biron, Mike+Rupp, Mikhail+Grabovski, Montreal+Canadiens, New+York+Rangers, Phil+Kessel, Toronto+Maple+Leafs, Vancouver+Canucks,
How About Six?
by Patrick Hoffman on 01/12/12 at 09:32 AM ET
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That is what the New York Rangers will be looking to do tonight against the hot Ottawa Senators.
The Blueshirts have won five in a row and are currently playing a great brand of hockey. The club is getting timely goal scoring, great defense and excellent goaltending from both Henrik Lundqvist and Martin Biron.
The team is also showing that they can win hockey games in many different ways. The Blueshirts can take a team down in regulation, overtime, or a shootout while also being able to come from behind or hold a lead going into the third period.
On the other side, the Ottawa Senators are also playing some great hockey. In their last 10 games, the team is 7-2-1 in their last 10 games and has won two straight. Through 44 games, the Senators are 23-15-6, which is good for fifth in the Eastern Conference.
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Tags: Atlantic+Division, Eastern+Conference, Henrik+Lundqvist, Martin+Biron, Montreal+Canadies, New+York+Rangers, NHL, Northeast+Division, Ottawa+Senators, Toronto+Maple+Leafs,
Rangers Continue to Roll
by Patrick Hoffman on 01/11/12 at 08:34 AM ET
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No matter what the game is or who the team is playing, the New York Rangers always seem to find a way to win.
The team did just that last night in a 2-1 shootout win over the Phoenix Coyotes at Madison Square Garden. The Blueshirts probably could have won the game in regulation time if not for the outstanding goaltending from Coyotes’ netminder Mike Smith (31 saves) but since that did not happen, they won in the “skills competition”.
With the win, the Blueshirts improved to 27-9-4 along with picking up their fifth straight win and their 10th victory in their last 11 games. Not bad for a club that no one really knew how good they were going to be prior to the season starting, eh?
The Rangers really are playing to their identity. They work hard every night, they battle, they stick up for each other and because the team is doing all of this, they are finding ways to win hockey games.
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Tags: Derek+Stepan, Henrik+Lundqvist, Marian+Gaborik, Mike+Smith, Montreal+Canadiens, New+York+Rangers, Ottawa+Senators, Phoenix+Coyotes, Radim+Vrbata, Toronto+Maple+Leafs,
The Elusive Vezina Trophy
by Patrick Hoffman on 01/09/12 at 07:38 PM ET
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Since joining the league in the 2005-06 season, New York Rangers’ goaltender Henrik Lundqvist has been nominated the Vezina Trophy three times (2006, 2007, and 2008).
Unfortunately, he has yet to win it despite deserving to win it each of those three seasons. This season, however, might be his best chance.
Dave Lozo of NHL.com says that Lundqvist is the front-runner to win the award this season so far:
The Rangers’ rise to the top of the NHL standings has been jump-started by the 29-year-old, who has been nominated for the Vezina three times but has yet to win it. His numbers for the season are excellent—18-7-4, 1.89, .939—and he’s been even better recently. Since Dec. 1, Lundqvist is 8-3-1 with a 1.57 GAA and .947 save percentage.
The last Rangers’ masked man to win the Vezina was John Vabiesbrouck, and that was after the 1985-86 season. Prior to the “King”, the last Blueshirts’ goaltender to be nominated for the Vezina was Mike Richter after the 1990-91 season.
Should Lundqvist continue his fine play, the trophy should be his to win.
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Tags: Henrik+Lundqvist, John+Vanbiesbrouck, Mike+Richter, New+York+Rangers,
Rangers Steal Two Points in Pittsburgh
by Patrick Hoffman on 01/06/12 at 09:45 PM ET
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It was not pretty but the New York Rangers managed to find a way to win a hockey game against the Pittsburgh Penguins by a score of 3-1.
The number one reason why the Blueshirts were able to win this game was the play of their goaltender Henrik Lundqvist. Lundqvist was outstanding in making 37 saves on 38 shots. When the team lacked energy and the defense was not there to help him, Lundqvist did his usual to step up and provide the goaltending that they needed in order to win the game.
Rangers’ forward Brandon Dubinsky had himself another strong game. “Dubi” picked-up a shorthanded goal in the second period off a great feed from Ryan Callahan and also picked up an assist on Brad Richards’s goal in the first period.
The team also got a solid performance from defenseman Ryan McDonagh. McDonagh logged over 26 minutes in ice time and did a great job of blocking shots, clearing the crease, breaking up passes and playing within himself, something he has done all season long for the Blueshirts.
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Tags: Brandon+Dubinsky, Henrik+Lundqvist, New+York+Rangers, Phoenix+Coyotes, Pittsburgh+Penguins, Ryan+Callahan, Ryan+McDonagh,
The “King” of NHL’s Masked Men
by Patrick Hoffman on 01/03/12 at 09:35 AM ET
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When it comes to the Vezina Trophy, which is awarded to the NHL’s best goaltender after every season, there is one netminder who has been up for it three times and has yet to win.
With the way this particular goaltender is playing right now, fate might have a different answer for him come near the end of June. Of course, I am talking about New York Rangers’ goaltender Henrik Lundqvist.
The 29-year-old netminder has simply been outstanding for the Blueshirts this season. In 28 games, the “King” is 17-7-4 with a 1.92 goals against average (GAA), a .937 save percentage and 3 shutouts.
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Tags: Brian+Elliot, Henrik+Lundqvist, Jimmy+Howard, Jonathan+Quick, New+York+Rangers, Tim+Thomas,
Rangers Win Classic in Philly
by Patrick Hoffman on 01/02/12 at 06:11 PM ET
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When the New York Rangers and Philadelphia Flyers were a part of the press conference at the Citizens Bank Ball Park to announce that they were the two clubs in the 2012 Winter Classic, Rangers’ general manager Glen Sather said that his team would win.
While it was no Mark Messier-like guarantee, his and head coach John Tortorella’s team did all the hard work to beat the Flyers by a score of 3-2. The win enables the Rangers’ to stay in first in the Eastern Conference while also giving the team a four-point lead over the Flyers in the Atlantic Division.
For the Rangers, this was a typical victory for them. The team overcame a 2-0 lead by working hard, forechecking, getting different guys to contribute and getting timely goaltending from their netminder.
In this particular instance, the Rangers came back from a 2-0 deficit on two goals by Mike Rupp. On both goals, Rupp put two accurate shots through Flyers’ netminder Sergei Bobrovsky and showed that if put on the ice with the right guys, he can provide some offense.
The team’s go-ahead and game winning goal also came from a summer pick-up in Brad Richards. Richards, known for his clutch plays and being in the right place at the right time, did those two things to give the Blueshirts a 3-2 lead 5:21 into the third period.
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Tags: 2012+Winter+Classic, Brad+Richards, Brandon+Dubinsky, Brandon+Prust, Daniel+Briere, Glen+Sather, Henrik+Lundqvist, John+Mitchell, John+Tortorella, Marc+Staal, Mike+Rupp, New+York+Rangers, Philadelphia+Flyers, Ryan+Callahan,
These Blueshirts Are for Real
by Patrick Hoffman on 01/01/12 at 07:20 PM ET
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As the New York Rangers get set to kick of 2012, it might be safe to say that these New York Rangers are for real.
Both team general manager Glen Sather and team head coach John Tortorella had a vision for this team and for once, it was the same. As such, the product on the ice has been quite successful this season so far.
The Rangers’ identity is one that is hard-working, competitive every night, has a never say die attitude and promotes team depth. Put all of these characteristics together and you have where the Rangers are today.
As of this writing, the Blueshirts are first in both the Eastern Conference and Atlantic Division with a 23-9-4 record. The team is one point ahead of the second place Boston Bruins and two points ahead of the fourth place Philadelphia Flyers.
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Tags: Artem+Anisimov, Boston+Bruins, Brad+Richards, Dan+Girardi, Derek+Stepan, Henrik+Lundqvist, Marc+Staal, Marian+Gaborik, Martin+Biron, Michael+Del+Zotto, New+York+Rangers, Philadelphia+Flyers, Ryan+Callahan,
War On Ice: New York Rangers vs. Philadelphia Flyers
by Patrick Hoffman on 12/31/11 at 12:00 PM ET
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When it comes to the greatest rivalries in the National Hockey League, many fans will point out the obvious ones whether is the Boston Bruins and Montreal Canadiens, Chicago Blackhawks and Detroit Red Wings, Toronto Maple Leafs and Montreal Canadiens, and so on and so forth.
One rivalry that deserves attention is one that will get just that on Monday afternoon at the 2012 Winter Classic, the New York Rangers and the Philadelphia Flyers.
When the NHL decided that the 2012 Winter Classic would be between the New York Rangers and the host Philadelphia Flyers, I do not think they thought that at this point in this season, it would end being such a big tilt.
The New York Rangers and the Philadelphia Flyers have one of the greatest rivalries in the league. However, over their 44-year history of playing against each other, it has turned into more than a rivalry.
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Tags: Boston+Bruins, Brandon+Prust, Chicago+Blackhawks, Detroit+Red+Wings, Henrik+Lundqvist, Montreal+Canadiens, New+York+Rangers, Philadelphia+Flyers, Toronto+Maple+Leafs, Wayne+Simmonds, Zac+Rinaldo,
Average
by Patrick Hoffman on 12/29/11 at 09:33 AM ET
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That is exactly what the New York Rangers were last night in their 4-1 loss to the Washington Capitals.
The team was not terrible but they certainly were not great either. This was a game that with better defensive coverage and less turnovers could have easily been a much better game for the Blueshirts.
What was interesting to see was how the Capitals played. Their team certainly played with a lot of energy and may have even looked like the Capitals of old.
With that said, the chances were there for the Rangers’ taking. There were plenty of juicy rebounds left by Capital’s netminder Tomas Vokoun but the Blueshirts failed to cash in on them.
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Tags: Boston+Bruins, Eastern+Conference, Florida+Panthers, Henrik+Lundqvist, John+Tortorella, Martin+Biron, New+York+Rangers, Philadelphia+Flyers, Phoenix+Coyotes, Tomas+Vokoun, Washington+Capitals,
Shooting for Six
by Patrick Hoffman on 12/28/11 at 10:34 AM ET
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That is what the New York Rangers will be doing tonight in Washington when they look for their sixth straight win against the Washington Capitals.
It is easy to say that the Blueshirts are on fire right now. They have won five straight games and are currently first not only in the Atlantic Division, but the entire Eastern Conference as well with a 22-8-4 record.
On the other side, the Capitals are one struggling hockey club right now. They are inconsistent in all areas of their game and are 5-4-1 in their last 10 games. The coaching change has yet to have its full effect on the team and something needs to change sooner rather than later for Dale Hunter and his club.
These two teams met back on Thanksgiving weekend. It was a game in which the Blueshirts came out on top with a 6-3 win and got some timely saves from netminder Henrik Lundqvist.
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Tags: Dale+Hunter, Henrik+Lundqvist, New+York+Rangers, Washington+Capitals,
Tops in the East
by Patrick Hoffman on 12/27/11 at 09:18 AM ET
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That is exactly what the New York Rangers are after shutting out the New York Islanders last night by a score of 3-0 at Madison Square Garden.
With the win, the Rangers improved to 22-8-4, which is good enough for first in the Atlantic Division and now, first in the Eastern Conference. The team is one point ahead of the Boston Bruins and two points ahead of the Philadelphia Flyers.
The team used a solid 60-minute effort to beat the Islanders last night. After coming back from the holiday’s, many wondered how this Rangers’ club would respond due to the time off. The Blueshirts came back, skated hard and showed why they are one of the tops teams in the National Hockey League this year.
For starters, the team got another solid performance out of netminder Henrik Lundqvist. Lundqvist made 28 saves for his third shutout of the season and how has statistics that make him one of the best netminders in the NHL with 15 wins (6th in the league), a 1.95 goals against average (4th in the league), a .936 save percentage (third in the league) and 3 shutouts (4th in the league.
The club also got another goal from their sniper Marian Gaborik. Gaborik now leads the NHL in goals with 21 and has a 5-game goal streak.
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Tags: Boston+Bruins, Carl+Hagelin, Henrik+Lundqvist, John+Tortorella, Marian+Gaborik, Michael+Del+Zotto, New+York+Islanders, New+York+Rangers, Philadelphia+Flyers, Washington+Capitals,
It’s Deja Vu all Over Again
by Patrick Hoffman on 12/26/11 at 10:23 AM ET
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It appears to be that way as just like the New York Rangers did last week, they will be taking on the New York Islanders again tonight at Madison Square Garden.
The Blueshirts are coming off a week in which they picked up six points with three victories over teams in their division. The team beat the New Jersey Devils, New York Islanders and Philadelphia Flyers last week to help move the team to first place in the Atlantic Division and second place in the Eastern Conference.
With games on Wednesday (at the Washington Capitals) and Friday (at the Florida Panthers), it will be interesting to see how team head coach John Tortorella uses his goaltenders. It is not out of the question that Tortorella uses netminder Martin Biron tonight against the Islanders and then uses Henrik Lundqvist for the next three games against the Capitals, Panthers and of course, the Flyers at the 2012 Winter Classic.
Other than that, there is not too much else going on in Rangerland these days. The team is winning plenty of hockey games, battling through injuries and getting solid play from everyone on the team.
Hopefully, things will stay that way as the team begins an interesting seven days in which they could potentially pick-up eight points.
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Tags: 2012+Winter+Classic, Florida+Panthers, Henrik+Lundqvist, John+Tortorella, Martin+Biron, New+Jersey+Devils, New+York+Islanders, New+York+Rangers, Philadelphia+Flyers, Washington+Capitals,
View from the Top
by Patrick Hoffman on 12/24/11 at 02:37 PM ET
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That is exactly what the New York Rangers have after defeating the Philadelphia Flyers by a score of 4-2 last night at Madison Square Garden.
The team came out and played an almost perfect home game by cashing in on their opportunities, never quitting on plays, forechecking, playing solid defense, and getting terrific goaltending from Henrik Lundqvist. Put these all together and you have another solid win on home ice.
With the win, the Rangers are now tied with the Flyers for the Atlantic Division lead and are second in the Eastern Conference, one point behind the Boston Bruins. Not bad for a team that no one knew just how good they were going to be or what they were capable of.
For starters, the team was certainly good at deflecting pucks past Flyers’ netminder Ilya Bryzgalov. Derek Stepan did just that on the team’s first goal in the second period when he deflected defenseman Stu Bickel’s shot from the point and surprised Bryzgalov to give the Blueshirts a 1-0 lead. The goal was put under a review but because Stepan’s stick was below the crossbar, the goal counted.
Ruslan Fedotenko did the same thing and his goal was also under review because it was first thought that the team hit the crossbar. However, after reviewing the play, the puck hit the back bar inside the net and the Rangers went up 2-0.
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Tags: Atlantic+Division, Boston+Bruins, Derek+Stepan, Eastern+Conference, Florida+Panthers, Henrik+Lundqvist, Ilya+Bryzgalov, Marian+Gaborik, New+York+Rangers, Philadelphia+Flyers, Ruslan+Fedotenko, Ryan+Callahan, Stu+Bickel, Washington+Capitals, Winter+Classic,
Getting the Job Done
by Patrick Hoffman on 12/22/11 at 09:57 PM ET
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That is exactly what the New York Rangers did tonight in their 4-2 win over the New York Islanders.
The team got strong performances from the likes of Marian Gaborik (1 goal), Brandon Dubinsky (1 goal and 1 assist), Anton Stralman (2 assists), and netminder Martin Biron (24 saves on 26 shots). With the win, the team improved to 20-8-4 on the season to move within two points of the Eastern Conference-leading Philadelphia Flyers, who the team will take on tomorrow night at Madison Square Garden.
Believe it or not, it was important for the Blueshirts to win tonight’s tilt. This game could have easily been a “trap game” for the Rangers and one that they would somehow find a way to lose. Instead, the team played hard, battled to the end, showed that they have depth and picked up two important points in the standings.
The club also showed just how lucky they are to have a goaltender like Biron. Biron is one of the league’s best back-ups and because he has played so well this season (7-1, 1.84 goals against average, .933 save percentage and 1 shutout), it gives team head coach John Tortorella to rest starting netminder Henrik Lundqvist more, which will be extremely important come April.
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Tags: Anton+Stralman, Brandon+Dubinsky, Henrik+Lundqvist, John+Tortorella, Marian+Gaborik, Martin+Biron, New+York+Islanders, New+York+Rangers, Philadelphia+Flyers, Stu+Bickel, Winter+Classic,
Another Rivalry Game for the Blueshirts
by Patrick Hoffman on 12/22/11 at 09:29 AM ET
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It seems to be rivalry week for the New York Rangers as they get set to take on the New York Islanders tonight at Madison Square Garden.
The Blueshirts are coming off an impressive 4-1 win over the New Jersey Devils on Tuesday night at the Prudential Center. In that game, the team got strong performances from goaltender Henrik Lundqvist (30 saves), Marian Gaborik (2 goals and 1 assist), Derek Stepan (3 assists), and Artem Anisimov (1 goal and 1 assist).
At the other end, the Islanders are coming off a 3-2 shootout win over the Winnipeg Jets and are looking to extend their winning streak to two games with a win over the Blueshirts tonight. According the Islanders’ web site, there is a good chance that netminder Evgeni Nabakov will get the start tonight.
For the Rangers, their goal should be to stay the course. The team is currently 19-8-4 and have done a lot of damage to the Islanders at the Garden. In their last four tilts at MSG, the Blueshirts have outscored the Islanders by a 20-5 margin and have also gone 8 for 20 on the power play.
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Tags: Artem+Anisimov, Derek+Stepan, Evgeni+Nabokov, Henrik+Lundqvist, Marian+Gaborik, New+York+Islanders, New+York+Rangers, Philadelphia+Flyers, Winnipeg+Jets,
Ugly
by Patrick Hoffman on 12/16/11 at 08:41 AM ET
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That is the perfect word to describe last night’s 4-1 New York Rangers’ loss to the St. Louis Blues.
The team had trouble generating sustained offense, looked lost in their own zone and generally disinterested in winning the hockey game. Put those three things together and it certainly spell l-o-s-s for the Blueshirts.
While St. Louis Blues’ netminder Brian Elliott did make 25 saves in the hockey game last night, the quality scoring chances that the Rangers generated were minimal. There were too many shots from the outside, not enough shots from prime scoring areas and because of the way Elliott plays, no rebounds to pounce on.
At the other end, the Rangers allowed 36 shots against and despite allowing four goals, including a fluky one off of defenseman Dan Girardi, Rangers’ netminder Henrik Lundqvist was not terrible and made 32 saves in a losing effort.
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Tags: Brian+Elliott, Dan+Girardi, Dave+Tippett, Henrik+Lundqvist, New+York+Rangers, Phoenix+Coyotes, St.+Louis+Blues,
Rangers Go Down Quietly
by Patrick Hoffman on 12/14/11 at 11:53 AM ET
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At least the team’s offense did as they were shutout by Richard Bachman and the Dallas Stars by a score of 1-0 at Madison Square Garden.
The Blueshirts fired 34 shots at Bachman but the 24-year-old rookie netminder did his part and turned them all away for his second straight win. He was especially terrific in the third period when the Blueshirts were going for the equalizer.
Rangers’ netminder Henrik Lundqvist did his part to give his team an opportunity to win a hockey game by stopping 27 of 28 shots. The goal he allowed to Trevor Daley late in the third period was certainly not his fault and instead, was due to a Blueshirts’ turnover.
There is not much else to say about the game except that it was one that the Rangers could have and should have won. It was not a terrible effort by the team but it was one that resulted in no goals for.
The Rangers will be back in action on Thursday night against a streaking St. Louis Blues hockey club.
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Tags: Dallas+Stars, Henrik+Lundqvist, New+York+Rangers, Richard+Bachman, St.+Louis+Blues, Trevor+Daley,
Full Steam Ahead
by Patrick Hoffman on 12/12/11 at 08:30 PM ET
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That is the kind of attitude the New York Rangers should take after beating the Buffalo Sabres and Florida Panthers over the weekend by a combined score of 10-1.
The team is clicking on all cylinders as they are supplying the offense, solid defense and getting timely goaltending from both Henrik Lundqvist by Martin Biron. Put that all together and you have part of the winning formula for the New York Rangers.
The other part of the formula is hard work. This is something the team is getting from the likes of Ryan Callahan, Derek Stepan, Dan Girardi and even Marian Gaborik has been playing well on both ends of the ice.
With the two wins over the weekend, the Blueshirts improved their record to 17-6-4, good enough for fourth in the Eastern Conference. The team is also two points behind the conference-leading Philadelphia Flyers, something that should make the Winter Classic game between the two rivals even more intriguing.
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Tags: Buffalo+Sabres, Dan+Girardi, Derek+Stepan, Florida+Panthers, Henrik+Lundqvist, Marian+Gaborik, Martin+Biron, New+York+Rangers, Philadelphia+Flyers, Ryan+Callahan,
The Perfect Road Game
by Patrick Hoffman on 12/11/11 at 03:56 PM ET
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That is exactly what the New York Rangers played last night when they defeated the Buffalo Sabres by a 4-1 score in Buffalo.
The team got two shorthanded goals, including an absolute beauty by team captain Ryan Callahan, as well as one from rookie Carl Hagelin, who had two goals in the game. Marian Gaborik picked-up a power play goal in the third period to close out the scoring for the Blueshirts.
The Blueshirts also got a strong performance from their netminder, Martin Biron. Biron made 32 saves to improve to 5-1 with a 1.79 goals against average, a .937 saver percentage and 1 shuout. With his strong play, Biron continues to prove that not only is he the perfect back-up for Henrik Lundqvist, but that he may as well be the best back-up goaltender in the entire National Hockey League.
Unfortunately, the Blueshirts do not have a lot of time to enjoy this victory as they will be back in action tonight against the streaking Florida Panthers. Back on November 23, the Panthers defeated the Blueshirts by a score of 2-1 in Florida and have only continued to play better as the Panthers are 16-8-5, good enough for third in the Eastern Conference and two points behind the first place Philadelphia Flyers.
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Tags: Buffalo+Sabres, Carl+Hagelin, Florida+Panthers, Henrik+Lundqvist, Marian+Gaborik, Martin+Biron, New+York+Rangers, Philadelphia+Flyers, Ryan+Callahan,
The One That Got Away
by Patrick Hoffman on 12/09/11 at 01:23 PM ET
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That is the perfect phrase to describe the New York Rangers’ 3-2 shootout loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning last night.
The Blueshirts had a 2-1 lead in the third period until former Ranger Dominic Moore tied it up with a shorthanded goal. The club also had several quality scoring opportunities to win the game in regulation and in overtime but unfortunately, were not able to bury their chances.
The team got strong performances from goaltender Henrik Lundqvist, Ryan Callahan, Brandon Dubinsky, Ryan McDonagh and Artem Anisimov. Speaking of Anisimov, his goal celebration was completely unnecessary. Yes, it was a great goal but there is no need to taunt or show off. That kind of stuff is just not needed in the NHL and should be saved for the NFL and NBA.
Luckily, the team will be able to quickly forget about this game as they have two tough tilts on tap for this weekend. Tomorrow night, the Blueshirts will take on the Buffalo Sabres in Buffalo and on Sunday night, will return home to take on the high-flying Florida Panthers.
With four points on the line and no wins in their last two games, this weekend will be the perfect opportunity for the Rangers to get back on right track.
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Tags: Artem+Anisimov, Brandon+Dubinsky, Buffalo+Sabres, Dan+Girardi, Dominic+Moore, Florida+Panthers, Henrik+Lundqvist, New+York+Rangers, Ryan+Callahan, Tampa+Bay+Lightning,
Rangers’ Winning Streak Snapped by Visiting Leafs
by Patrick Hoffman on 12/05/11 at 11:40 PM ET
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The Toronto Maple Leafs were able to do that to the New York Rangers tonight when they picked up their second regulation win at Madison Square Garden by a score of 4-2.
The Rangers certainly did not play poorly in this game. They were able to generate several good scoring chances (32 shots on goal), found a way to make the game interesting by trying to come back from 3-0 to make it 3-2 on goals by Artem Anisinov and Marian Gaborik, and was a game that they probably could have won had some bounces gone their way.
With that said, it certainly was not pretty for the Blueshirts either. The team hung its goaltender, Henrik Lundqvist (26 saves on 29 shots), out to dry on two of the goals and screened him on the other, and also took some needless penalties.
It is also apparent that Sean Avery’s ice time continues to decrease as each game goes by. Tonight, Avery had 7:32 of ice time and despite not getting a lot of ice, was still able to put three shots on goal. Not sure what team head coach John Tortorella wants him to do so it will be interesting to see how this continues to play out as each game comes and goes.
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Tags: Artem+Anisimov, Henrik+Lundqvist, John+Tortorella, Marian+Gaborik, New+York+Rangers, Ottawa+Senators, Sean+Avery, Tampa+Bay+Lightning, Toronto+Maple+Leafs,
Bring on The Hurricanes
by Patrick Hoffman on 12/01/11 at 10:58 AM ET
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With the way the New York Rangers are playing right now, this is the kind of attitude they should have when they take on the Carolina Hurricanes tonight in Raleigh.
Coming into tonight’s tilt, both teams are at opposite ends of the spectrum. The Blueshirts are 8-2 in their last 10 games, have won three straight and are 13-5-3 on the season, good enough for fifth place in the Eastern Conference.
At the other end of the spectrum are the Carolina Hurricanes. Having just fired Paul Maurice, Kirk Muller’s Hurricanes are second to last in the East with a 8-14-4 record and are 3-6-1 in their last 10 games.
The Blueshirts are coming off a game in which they beat the NHL’s best team in the Pittsburgh Penguins. As I mentioned in yesterday’s blog, the Blueshirts got strong performances from the likes of Brad Richards, Marian Gaborik, Ryan Callahan, Carl Hagelin and Henrik Lundqvist.
In all, the Rangers are playing with a ton of confidence and defenseman Michael Sauer said as much to The Record’s Rangers’ beat writer Andrew Gross.
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Tags: Brad+Richards, Carl+Hagelin, Carolina+Hurricanes, Henrik+Lundqvist, Kirk+Muller, Marian+Gaborik, Michael+Sauer, New+York+Rangers, Paul+Maurice, Pittsburgh+Penguins, Ryan+Callahan,
And the Rangers’ Team MVP Is…
by Patrick Hoffman on 11/30/11 at 04:31 PM ET
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Earlier today,our fearless leader asked us who our respective team MVP’s are so I figured now would be the perfect time to give my two cents on the subject.
While you can certainly bring up a few players whether it is Brad Richards, Marian Gaborik, Ryan Callahan, and Henrik Lundqvist, I believe that the New York Rangers’ most valuable player on the team has been defenseman Dan Girardi.
Without all-star defenseman Marc Staal, Girardi has stepped up in a big way for the Blueshirts. Simply put, Girardi has done it all for the Blueshirts this season.
Girardi currently leads the team and the entire National Hockey League in average ice time. This season, Girardi has average 27:41 minutes of ice-time per game as he sees the ice in all situations whether it is even strength, power play, penalty kill, etc.
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Tags: Brad+Richards, Dan+Girardi, Henrik+Lundqvist, Marian+Gaborik, New+York+Rangers, Ryan+Callahan,
Big Test for Blueshirts
by Patrick Hoffman on 11/29/11 at 08:34 AM ET
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That will most certainly be the case tonight when the New York Rangers take on the Pittsburgh Penguins tonight at Madison Square Garden.
The Penguins ride into town with the best record in both the Eastern Conference and entire NHL (14-6-4). Of course, we cannot forget that Sidney Crosby is back and once again looks like the best player in the entire National Hockey League.
The Blueshirts are also playing some pretty solid hockey themselves. They have won two straight over the Washington Capitals and Philadelphia Flyers and also sport one of the league’s best records on home ice at 6-1-1.
The key for the Rangers tonight will be to key in on guys like Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and James Neal. These guys know how to put the puck in the net and if given ample room to do so, especially on the power play, will make the Blueshirts pay for their mistakes.
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Tags: Artem+Anisimov, Brad+Richards, Derek+Stepan, Evgeni+Malkin, Henrik+Lundqvist, James+Neal, Marian+Gaborik, New+York+Rangers, Pittsburgh+Penguins, Ryan+Callahan, Sidney+Crosby,
Blueshirts Come Through in Weekend Sweep
by Patrick Hoffman on 11/27/11 at 12:38 PM ET
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When New York Rangers’ fans first looked at the schedule and saw back-to-back games against the Washington Capitals and Philadelphia Flyers, they were probably extremely worried.
Well, it turns out the Blueshirts surprised everyone by winning both by scores of 6-3 and 2-0, respectively. With the two wins, the Rangers improved to 12-5-3 on the season and are currently fifth in the Eastern Conference.
In their game against the Capitals, the team got a strong performance from their team captain, Ryan Callahan. Callahan picked up three assists and was involved in all areas of the ice.
In that game, the club got goals from Ruslan Fedotenko (2), Marian Gaborik, Artem Anisimov, Brian Boyle and Brad Richards. The team also got a strong performance from goaltender Henrik Lundqvist, who made 18 saves on 21 shots.
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Tags: Artem+Anisimov, Brad+Richards, Brian+Boyle, Carl+Hagelin, Henrik+Lundqvist, Marian+Gaborik, New+York+Rangers, Philadelphia+Flyers, Pittsburgh+Penguins, Ruslan+Fedotenko, Sidney+Crosby, Washington+Capitals,
No Lundqvist Tonight for the Blueshirts
by Patrick Hoffman on 11/19/11 at 01:58 PM ET
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According to Andrew Gross at Ranger Rants, The New York Rangers will start goaltender Martin Biron tonight against the Montreal Canadiens at the Bell Centre.
Marty Biron, from Lac St. Charles, Que. said it’s “always special” to play in the Bell Centre but not just for a “French-Canadian kid.” He talked about the history of the building, the Original Six matchup, the games he’s played in Montreal, including a playoff run with the Flyers. He also talked about his teammates saying they have full confidence in him, saying it was a “partnership” among all the players, that he had confidence in the defensemen, the defensemen had confidence in the forwards, etc.
Coach John Tortorella, asked about playing Biron tonight, which means Henrik Lundqvist will have a minimum of eight days between starts, said it was Biron’s turn and he also worried about resting Biron too long. Biron’s last game was a 3-0 win over the Jets on Nov. 6. Tortorella said it had nothing to do with Lundqvist’s struggles in the Bell Centre.
Here is some more good stuff on the Rangers’ back-up netminder.
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Tags: Henrik+Lundqvist, Martin+Biron, Montreal+Canadiens, New+York+Rangers,
Seventh Heaven for the Blueshirts
by Patrick Hoffman on 11/16/11 at 09:08 AM ET
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That is what the New York Rangers are in after defeating the New York Islanders last night by a score of 4-2.
With excellent goaltending from Henrik Lundqvist, great penalty killing and timely goal scoring, the Blueshirts were able to pick up their seventh straight victory to improve to 10-3-3 on the season. It certainly was not an easy victory by any means for the Rangers.
The Rangers were undisciplined last night and gave the Islanders power play chance after chance to get the lead but thanks to the stellar play of Lundqvist, the Islanders were not able to cash in. Lundqvist (31 saves) and his never say die athleticism helped the Rangers steal two points last night on Long Island.
It was also great to see Rangers’ 9-year man Brad Richards come through in the clutch with the go ahead goal with just less than five minutes to go in the hockey game. This is why the team got him and right now, at least, he is delivering.
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Tags: Brad+Richards, Henrik+Lundqvist, John+Tortorella, Montreal+Canadiens, New+York+Islanders, New+York+Rangers, Sean+Avery,
Rangers Show Determination in 5-1 Win Over The Hurricanes
by Patrick Hoffman on 11/11/11 at 09:34 PM ET
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This is exactly what the New York Rangers used to defeat the Carolina Hurricanes by a score of 5-1 at Madison Square Garden tonight.
A determined Rangers’ club came out in the third period and broke a 1-1 tie by scoring four unanswered goals. Defenseman Dan Girardi started it with a power play goal followed by a goal nine seconds later from Brandon Dubinsky (his first of the season) and just shortly after, Ryan Callahan made it 4-1 when he scored on a Hurricanes’ delayed penalty. Then with just under two minutes to go in game, Brad Richards cashed in on a giveaway by Hurricanes’ netminder Cam Ward to seal the team’s sixth straight victory overall and fifth straight win on home ice.
After a slow start to this game, the Rangers put the pressure on the Hurricanes and kept it up for the rest of the hockey game. The team had just 8 shots in the first period but because of their willingness to put pucks to the net, drive to the crease and get in good position, they ended up finishing the game with 40 shots on goal.
Dubinsky had a solid game for the Rangers. He showed confidence with the puck, made some great plays for his linemates and now that he got his first goal of the season, will definitely have less pressure on himself heading into the team’s next game.
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Tags: Brad+Richards, Brandon+Dubinsky, Cam+Ward, Carolina+Hurricanes, Dan+Girardi, Henrik+Lundqvist, New+York+Islanders, New+York+Rangers, Ryan+Callahan, Sean+Avery,
Stepan Line Gets it Done in Win Over the Senators
by Patrick Hoffman on 11/10/11 at 12:00 PM ET
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The New York Rangers’ used the offense created by the Derek Stepan line to defeat the Ottawa Senators in Ottawa last night by a score of 3-2.
Derek Stepan picked up a goal and two assists. His other linemates Marian Gaborik had two goals and Artem Anisimov picked-up two assists. In all, the line combined for 7 points and was a threat to score and create offensive opportunities every time they were out on the ice.
Gaborik is on fire. He now has 9 goals and is playing like he did in his first season as a Blueshirt. He is showing tremendous speed, a nose for the net, and of course, a terrific shot.
Stepan is also starting to put together a solid season. He has a tremendous amoutn of patience with the puck, he drives to the net and is also defensively responsible.
Anisimov has also stepped up his play. He has great hands and a lot of offensive skill to offer. He just needs to do so on a consistent basis.
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Tags: Artem+Anisimov, Carolina+Hurricanes, Derek+Stepan, Henrik+Lundqvist, Marian+Gaborik, Martin+Biron, New+York+Rangers, Ottawa+Senators,
Rangers Look to Extend Win Streak to Five in Ottawa
by Patrick Hoffman on 11/09/11 at 01:40 PM ET
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Back on October 29, the Ottawa Senators came back from a 4-1 defecit to defeat the New York Rangers by a score of 5-4 in a shootout at Madison Square Garden.
Fast forward a few weeks later and the Blueshirts are a much different hockey club. The team is currently on a 4-game winning streak and is playing more responsibly in their own zone and when it comes to discipline.
According to Andrew Gross at Ranger Rants, Henrik Lundqvist will be back between the pipes for the Blueshirts. He will be coming off his 5-3 vicotry over the Montreal Canadiens last Saturday night and will more than likely look to bounce back from his average performance against the Senators back in late October.
Last time these two clubs met, there were some questionable hits. One resulted in the loss of Senators’ captain Daniel Alfredsson as Wolski caught him with his head down.
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Tags: Artem+Anisimov, Carolina+Hurricanes, Daniel+Alfredsson, Henrik+Lundqvist, Montreal+Canadiens, New+York+Rangers, Ottawa+Senators, Wojtek+Wolski, Xenon+Konopka,
Rangers Start Another Winning Streak
by Patrick Hoffman on 11/04/11 at 08:12 AM ET
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The New York Rangers have started a bit of a winning streak after deating the Anaheim Ducks last night 2-1 in a shootout, giving them two straight wins in as many games.
Much like when the two clubs met in Sweden back in early October, this was an exciting game that saw timely goal scoring, some good physical play and great goaltending from Jonas Hiller and Henrik Lundqvist. The only thing that was different was that the Rangers turned the tables and won in a shootout on Marian Gaborik’s (yes, you read that right) goal.
Believe it or not, the Rangers probably could have won this game in the third period or even in overtime. Ryan Callahan had a clear breakaway in the third period and was absolutely stoned by Hiller. In overtime, the Rangers’ created a tic-tac-toe play with Gaborik, Michael Sauer and Ryan McDonagh but McDonagh put the puck wide over the net.
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Tags: Anaheim+Ducks, Henrik+Lundqvist, Jonas+Hiller, Marian+Gaborik, Michael+Sauer, Montreal+Canadiens, New+York+Rangers, Ryan+Callahan, Ryan+McDonagh,
