Goal Line Report
Entries with the tag: John+Tortorella
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,
He’s Earned It
by Patrick Hoffman on 01/29/12 at 10:59 AM ET
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From Jesse Spector at The Sporting News:
Coaching in the All-Star Game is a validation of the job that John Tortorella has done behind the New York Rangers’ bench this season, even if he chooses not to see it that way.
“It’s an honor, but it isn’t me,” the coach of the Eastern Conference’s top team said on Friday. “I’m standing in, along with (New York’s players on the All-Star teams) as part of an organization that has found their way through the first half of the year. It’s a half of the year break, and they’ve recognized how teams have played and individuals have played. I’m standing in, and it’s an honor, but it’s certainly not an individual honor. It’s to represent the New York Rangers.”
“He wears his emotions on his sleeve, and I think that’s a real valuable thing,” said San Jose Sharks coach Todd McLellan, who will share the reins of Team Alfredsson with Tortorella on Sunday, while Claude Julien of the Boston Bruins calls the line changes for Team Chara. “Teams often take the identity of their coach, and over time I believe that’s happened in New York. They’re a scrappy group, a competitive group. They pay the price, they block shots every night. They obviously have some talent. But I think those characteristics, that he’s promoted there, and that he carries on his sleeve, have rubbed off on his players and they’re in first place for a reason.”
Click here for more on Tortorella.
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Tags: John+Tortorella, New+York+Rangers,
In a Good Place
by Patrick Hoffman on 01/26/12 at 08:34 AM ET
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This is exactly what the New York Rangers are in heading into the NHL All-Star Break this weekend.
The team currently sits in the top spot in the Atlantic Division while also being in first in the Eastern Conference with 66 points. While there is still a lot of hockey left to be played, there really is not much Rangers’ fans can complain about these days.
With that said, the trick for the Blueshirts when they come back from the All-Star break is to keep up their solid play. Too often has the league seen teams letup and while it creates for some intriguing hockey, this is not the position the Rangers should want to put themselves in.
All season long, team head coach John Tortorella has preached a one day or one game at a time motto. While it is easier said than done, especially considering the amount of success the Blueshirts have had this season, it is something that the team needs to live every single day.
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Tags: John+Tortorella, New+York+Rangers, NHL+ALL-Star+Break,
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,
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 In Toronto to Battle the Leafs
by Patrick Hoffman on 01/14/12 at 02:56 PM ET
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Coming off a 3-0 shutout loss to the Ottawa Senators, the New York Rangers will look to turn things around tonight against the Toronto Maple Leafs at the Air Canada Centre.
For the Rangers, their focus has to be on getting pucks to the net and making most of their chances. In their last two games, the team has scored just one goal in regulation while not being able to convert on many scoring opportunities.
The Blueshirts will be without forward Brandon Dubinsky once again tonight as he is nursing a sore shoulder. The team head coach, John Tortorella, wants to be careful with “Dubi” because he knows that they cannot afford to have him out of the lineup for an extended period of time.
“It’s still the same,” coach John Tortorella said of Dubinsky’s shoulder, which was initially hurt on a check by the Coyotes’ Taylor Pyatt in the first period of Tuesday’s 2-1 shootout victory, though Dubinsky finished that game. “We just don’t want it to turn into a bigger problem…We’re just trying to be careful.”
According to Andrew Gross of The Record, back-up netminder Martin Biron will get the start tonight for the Blueshirts. Biron will be looking for his ninth win of the season and more importantly, getting the Rangers back on the winning track.
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Tags: Boston+Bruins, Brandon+Dubinsky, Eastern+Conference, John+Tortorella, Martin+Biron, New+York+Rangers, Phoenix+Coyotes, Taylor+Pyatt, Toronto+Maple+Leafs,
Rangers’ Tortorella to Coach in NHL All-Star Game
by Patrick Hoffman on 01/06/12 at 12:18 PM ET
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From Dan Rosen at NHL.com:
The Rangers’ overtime win Thursday was significant for more than just the fact that it preserved their lead in the Eastern Conference standings. John Tortorella also clinched a spot on one of the benches in the 2012 Tim Hortons NHL All-Star Game.
The coach of the team in each conference with the best points percentage through games played on Jan. 9, which is the exact halfway point of the season, also gets the opportunity to be a part of the All-Star festivities in Ottawa from Jan. 26-29.
While the Rangers can still be caught in the points-percentage race by the Bruins, Tortorella is now guaranteed a spot because Boston’s coaching staff, led by Claude Julien, already earned its way into the All-Star Game by virtue of winning the Stanley Cup last season.
Click here for more on the NHL All-Star coaching staff.
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Tags: 2012+NHL+All-Star+Game, John+Tortorella, New+York+Rangers,
Battling the Florida Panthers
by Patrick Hoffman on 01/05/12 at 09:14 AM ET
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After what happened in last Friday night’s tilt between the New York Rangers and Florida Panthers, it is certainly going to be a battle tonight at Madison Square Garden.
In the Rangers’ 4-1 win against the Cats last week, tempers flared and the anger level was high after Blueshirts’ defenseman Michael Del Zotto was sucker punched by Panthers’ forward Tomas Kopecky after Del Zotto cross-checked him in the back a few times and high-sticked him in the face in front of the net. After the game, Panthers’ head coach Kevin Dineen said Del Zotto got what he deserved.
With both teams in the top three in the Eastern Conference (Rangers in first; Panthers in third), tonight should be a great game. Looking at the Rangers, they are clicking on all cylinders right now and have won their last two games and are obviously coming off an exciting 3-2 win at the 2012 Winter Classic over the Philadelphia Flyers.
The Florida Panthers are 4-4-2 in their last 10 but are certainly not a pushover hockey club this season. They work hard, can put the puck in the net, and can play physical hockey, as was seen last Friday night in Miami.
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Tags: 2012+Winter+Classic, Florida+Panthers, John+Tortorella, Kevin+Dineen, Michael+Del+Zotto, New+York+Rangers, Philadelphia+Flyers, Pittsburgh+Penguins, Tomas+Kopecky,
Tortorella Apologizes For Negative Comments On Officials
by Patrick Hoffman on 01/04/12 at 07:31 PM ET
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For starters, I do not think that New York Rangers’ head coach John Tortorella needed to apologize for the comments he made about the officiating after the 2012 Winter Classic in Monday evening.
The officiating was inconsistent and while it was obviously not “fixed” to go into overtime, the officials certainly tried to get it to that point. They either let of things go that were being done to the Blueshirts by the Philadelphia Flyers or they made calls against the Rangers.
It appears that Tortorella is bigger than most as he apologized by saying the following:
“They were sarcastic comments by me at the wrong time, and it was frustration on my part, as far as the referees…and what was done at the end of the game,” explained Tortorella. “Not for a second in no way, time, shape, or form did I think anything like that (fixing the game so that it goes to overtime) goes on with our league, or ever will.”
Tortorella added that his comments regarding the referees meeting with NBC to conspire at having the Winter Classic go to overtime were completely “tongue-in-cheek”. “For me to question the integrity of the league, the integrity of NBC, the integrity of (referees) Denny (LaRue) and Ian (Walsh), the Flyers, the Rangers, go right on through all the people here—-there’s not a chance I am thinking that way,” Tortorella continued. “It was wrong with my sarcasm and my frustration and I apologize to everyone involved.”
Tortorella definitely did the right thing in apologizing the league but it was just a coach who was still in the moment of the game and being sarcastic. He is definitely not the first NHL bench boss to be sarcastic.
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Tags: 2012+Winter+Classic, John+Tortorella, New+York+Rangers, Philadelphia+Flyers,
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,
Why Now?
by Patrick Hoffman on 01/02/12 at 01:30 PM ET
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From Katie Strang at ESPNNewYork.com:
New York Rangers defenseman Marc Staal will make his season debut in the Winter Classic against the Philadelphia Flyers.
Coach John Tortorella delivered the surprising news just hours before the league’s annual outdoor game, after telling reporters Sunday that Staal would not be available to play.
While it was great to hear that Staal is ready to go, I am not sure why Tortorella decided that today was the day to reinsert him back into the lineup? While it is the 2012 Winter Classic game, it is still hockey and it is still between the Rangers and Flyers. As such, it will be rough with hard hitting and one has to wonder if the Flyers will be gunning for Staal since they know it is his first game of the season.
Click here for more on Staal.
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Tags: 2012+Winter+Classic, John+Tortorella, Marc+Staal, New+York+Rangers, Philadelphia+Flyers,
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,
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,
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,
An Intriguing Tilt at The Rock
by Patrick Hoffman on 12/20/11 at 10:41 AM ET
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That is exactly what tonight’s game between the New York Rangers and New Jersey Devils is shaping up to be.
Both clubs are playing well, in the top eight in the Eastern Conference and are only separated by three points. Sounds like old-time Patrick Division hockey, eh?
The Blueshirts are coming off a dramatic win over the Phoenix Coyotes. In the game, Marian Gaborik picked-up two goals and nine-year man Brad Richards scored the game winning goal at the buzzer to help his team pick-up the all important two points.
On the other side, the Devils are coming off a 5-3 win over the Montreal Canadiens. The Devils are on a four-game winning streak and looking to make it five against ther rivals from across the Hudson River.
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Tags: Brad+Richards, Brandon+Dubinsky, John+Tortorella, Marian+Gaborik, Montreal+Canadiens, New+Jersey+Devils, New+York+Rangers, Phoenix+Coyotes,
Rangers Look to Start Another Winning Streak Against the Lightning
by Patrick Hoffman on 12/08/11 at 07:59 AM ET
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Coming off a 4-2 loss to the Toronto Maplle Leafs, the New York Rangers will look to get back on track tonight against the Tampa Bay Lightning at Madison Square Garden.
Unfortunately, the team will be without Rangers’ defenseman Michael Sauer as he suffered a concussion when Leafs’ defenseman Dion Phaneuf flattened him on Monday night. With the team already missing Marc Staal, this is certainly a blow to the team’s lineup.
With that said, this is a lineup that thrives when they need to step up and one would have to expect the team to do the same tonight. The team’s defensemen will have to step up tonight against the likes of Vincent Lecavalier, Martin St. Louis, Steven Stamkos, Ryan Malone, and others.
With Sauer out, defenseman Anton Stralman will step in for the first time as a Blueshirt. Team head coach John Tortorella said the following to Rangers’ beat writer Andrew Gross yesterday:
“That comes with just not playing, it’s going to take some time as far as the tempo of the game. It’s very difficult when all you do is practice. We’re trying to play with pace and speed and it’ll take some time here. But that’s a concentration. We want him to defend. We know he has some offensive instincts. He’ll probably see some power play time along the way. But the key is just playing fast and trying to get within the tempo of the game as quickly as possible.”
This past Saturday, the Blueshirts won a hard fought game over these very same Lightning. With the Lightning coming off a 5-1 loss at the hands of the New York Islanders, you know they will come out and put forth a much better effort against a better Rangers’ hockey club.
Hopefully, the Blueshirts will get back to “normal” and pick-up two more points on home ice.
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Tags: Anton+Stralman, John+Tortorella, Martin+St.+Louis, Michael+Sauer, New+York+Rangers, Ryan+Malone, Steven+Stamkos, Tampa+Bay+Lightning, Toronto+Maple+Leafs, Vincent+Lecavalier,
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,
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 Extend Winning Streak To Three
by Patrick Hoffman on 11/06/11 at 10:09 AM ET
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The New York Rangers used a 3-goal first period to defeat the Montreal Canadiens by a score of 5-3 at Madison Square Garden last night.
Knowing that the Canadiens had played on Friday night against the Ottawa Senators, the Blueshirts came out and took advantage of a tired Canadiens’ team. The team got goals from Erik Christensen, Dan Girardi and a terrific goal from Michael Del Zotto to go up 3-0.
After that, the Canadiens found their legs and made it an interesting hockey game by cutting the lead to 3-2. However, instead of giving up the lead entirely, Rangers’ center Brad Richards came through and scored to make it 4-2 off a great shot from the slot, a place he has scored all his goals from this season.
While the Canadiens did end up cutting the lead to 4-3 late in the third period, Ryan Callahan sealed the game with an empty net goal. For the Rangers, it was there third straight win and more importantly, third straight win on Garden ice as the team improved its home record to 3-1-1.
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Tags: Brad+Richards, Dan+Girardi, Erik+Christensen, John+Tortorella, Martin+Biron, Michael+Del+Zotto, Montreal+Canadiens, New+York+Rangers, Ryan+Callahan, Sean+Avery, Winnipeg+Jets,
Staying Consistent
by Patrick Hoffman on 11/03/11 at 08:11 AM ET
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This is something the New York Rangers need to do in order to be successful and win hockey games this season.
With that in mind, Rangers’ bench boss John Tortorella will be sticking with the same lineup that won on Monday night against the San Jose Sharks tonight when his team takes on the Anaheim Ducks at Madison Square Garden. For the Blueshirts, that would be something consistent and something that they would hope to sustain.
What this does mean is that Rangers’ pest Sean Avery will not be playing tonight for the Blueshirts. This is understandable considering how the team played in its 5-2 win over the Sharks as it would not make much sense for Tortorella to change things when the team played well with a particular lineup.
The Rangers need to build on their win from Monday night and continue to lay the same kind of hockey. That means getting the puck to the net, driving to the net, playing responsibly in their own end and staying out of the penalty box. For the Rangers, those things are a recipe for success.
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Tags: Anaheim+Ducks, Henrik+Lundqvist, John+Tortorella, Martin+Biron, Montreal+Canadiens, New+York+Rangers, Sean+Avery, Winnipeg+Jets,
Guess Who Is Back?
by Patrick Hoffman on 11/01/11 at 11:53 AM ET
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From Dan Rosen at NHL.com:
The Rangers summoned for Avery on Monday because, as Tortorella said, Mike Rupp’s nagging knee injury has turned into a long-term concern. Avery, who had 1 goal and seven penalty minutes in two games with the Whale, could immediately move into a fourth-line role if Tortorella elects to play him.
“This is the right decision,” Tortorella said Monday prior to the Rangers 5-2 win over San Jose. “It’s the right hockey decision now and it was the right hockey decision when we sent Sean down. That’s where it’s at.”
Tortorella stopped short of saying he would play Avery on Thursday, especially after the way the Rangers responded to win Monday’s game.
Click here for more.
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Tags: John+Tortorella, New+York+Rangers, Sean+Avery,
Are the Rangers in Trouble?
by Patrick Hoffman on 10/31/11 at 08:00 AM ET
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The answer to that question is a resounding no.
At 3-3-3, the New York Rangers certainly have not played their best in this young season and at the same time, have yet to click on all levels. That is the good thing.
The bad thing is that the way has played in their last two games against the Toronto Maple Leafs and Ottawa Senators, both losses at Madison Square Garden. Their play in the third period in both games is also alarming.
In their loss to the Senators on Saturday afternoon at MSG, the team blew a 4-1 lead in the third period and lost 5-4 in the shootout. In a game that the team scores four goals, gets solid performances from both Brad Richards and Marian Gaborik and is at home, it should have been a Rangers’ victory.
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Tags: Anaheim+Ducks, Brad+Richards, John+Tortorella, Marian+Gaborik, Montreal+Canadiens, New+York+Rangers, Ottawa+Senators, San+Jose+Sharks, Sean+Avery, Toronto+Maple+Leafs, Winnipeg+Jets,
Time to Go Home
by Patrick Hoffman on 10/25/11 at 08:05 AM ET
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That is probably what every New York Ranger player was saying last night after beating the Winnipeg Jets by a score of 2-1 and ending their seven game roadtrip.
For the Blueshirts, last night certainly was not pretty but because they got great goaltending from Martin Biron and some lucky bounces, the team was able to come away with the all important two points. With the win, the Rangers improved their record to 3-2-2 on the year.
Again, this was not a great game for the Blueshirts. There was not a whole lot of offense generated by the team and in the third period, they were running around in their own zone, causing a lot of scary moments for head coach John Tortorella.
With that said, it was still a win and a win that enabled them to go 3-1 on their Western Canada road trip. This trip has always hurt the Rangers’ in seasons past so that is definitely a positive.
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Tags: John+Tortorella, Martin+Biron, New+York+Rangers, Phil+Kessel, Toronto+Maple+Leafs, Winnipeg+Jets,
Lack of Offense Hurts Blueshirts in Loss to the Oilers
by Patrick Hoffman on 10/23/11 at 08:41 AM ET
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That might be an understatement as the New York Rangers were shutout by the Edmonton Oilers last night by a score of 2-0.
The Blueshirts were outshot 27-19, which is par for the course for the team as they usually get outshot by 10 or more shots per game this season. The team also went 0-4 on the power play and could not seem to get into any kind of a rhythm out there.
To try and get the offense going, Rangers’ head coach John Tortorella juggled his lines throughout the game. Not one worked or was able to establish enough chemistry to be kept together to have some consistency.
One forward who did stand out for the Rangers was Marian Gaborik. Gaborik had a lot of jump in his game, had several good scoring chances and showed good speed. Gaborik definitely looks like the Gaborik from the 2009-10 season so hopefully for the Rangers, he will continue to play this way because it is obvious that the team needs to establish a consistent offense.
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Tags: Artem+Anisimov, Edmonton+Oilers, Erik+Christensen, Henrik+Lundqvist, John+Tortorella, Marian+Gaborik, Michael+Rupp, New+York+Rangers,
Time for Biron to Play
by Patrick Hoffman on 10/20/11 at 09:31 AM ET
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Even though New York Rangers’ netminder Henrik Lundqvist has been terrific to start the season, team head coach John Tortorella should consider giving backup goaltender Martin Biron a chance to play one of the three games coming up against the Calgary Flames, Edmonton Oilers, and the Winnipeg Jets.
On Twitter, there were rumors circulating that Biron might be starting tonight but considering that the morning skate has yet to take place, we probably will not know who is starting until early this afternoon.
With a healthy Biron, Tortorella needs to be willing to give him some playing time. The last thing the team needs is Lundqvist being overworked and tired heading into the Stanley Cup Playoffs come April.
Biron is a solid netminder who had a very good shortened season with the Blueshirts and showed the team and its fans that he can be relied on in big games if need be. He also showed the organization what it is like to have two good netminders on the team, something the Rangers had not had in the past few years.
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Tags: Calgary+Flames, Edmonton+Oilers, John+Tortorella, Martin+Biron, New+York+Rangers, Winnipeg+Jets,
Rangers Need to Get ‘Er Done Tonight Against the Canucks
by Patrick Hoffman on 10/18/11 at 07:00 AM ET
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That has to be the New York Rangers’ motto this week as they begin their four-game Wester Canada road trip tonight with a tilt against the Vancouver Canucks.
Just their fourth game of the season, tonight’s match will be a test for the Blueshirts. The Vancouver Canucks are obviously an extremely talented team that knows how to put the puck in the net.
The Rangers are going to have to be able to show some offense tonight and for them, that could be tough considering what kind of start they off to. Offensively, the team has scored just 5 goals in three games and with the depth that the team has, that needs to improve going forward.
With that said, in order to increase their offense, the team will also need to do everything they can to stay out of the penalty box. Time and time again on Saturday night against the Islanders, the team would take a careless or needless penalty, squashing any kind of offensive momentum.
Speaking of momentum, that is all the Rangers’ No.1 line of Derek Stepan-Brad Richards-Marian Gaborik created on Saturday night. They generated several good scoring chances and looked like they had a lot of chemistry. If Rangers’ head coach John Tortorella is smart, he will give this line another chance to succeed tonight in Vancouver.
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Tags: Alex+Burrows, Brad+Richards, Cory+Schneider, Daniel+Girardi, Daniel+Sedin, Derek+Stepan, Henrik+Lundqvist, Henrik+Sedin, John+Tortorella, Marian+Gaborik, New+York+Rangers, Roberto+Luongo, Ryan+Kesler, Vancouver+Canucks,
Tweaking the Rangers’ first line
by Patrick Hoffman on 10/11/11 at 02:00 PM ET
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It might only be two games into the season but New York Rangers’ head coach John Tortorella might need to figure out a way to get his number one line clicking on all cylinders.
Through the first two games, Rangers’ forwards Marian Gaborik (1 assist) and Brad Richards (1 goal and 1 assist) have combined for just two points. While it certainly is not terrible, it is worth noting that the pair of extremely talented forwards is expected to produce in bunches this season.
So, what does the team need to do to get their line going? For starters, they should consider giving a shot:
- Derek Stepan: Stepan is someone who has the ability to put the puck in the net, forecheck hard and make offensive plays. Could be a great way for Stepan to establish himself as one of the club’s best wingers.
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Tags: Brad+Richards, Derek+Stepan, John+Tortorella, Marian+Gaborik, Mats+Zuccarello, New+York+Rangers, Ruslan+Fedotenko,
It Was In the Cards
by Patrick Hoffman on 10/06/11 at 01:50 PM ET
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Unfortunately, that is all that can be said when it comes to waived New York Rangers’ forward Sean Avery, who was waived by the team.
The writing has been on the wall for awhile when it comes to Avery. It is/was apparent that head coach John Tortorella and the Rangers’ pest did not get along.
Last season, Avery found himself scratched several times and that was also the case this preseason as well. Tortorella even went as far to say that there are better hockey players on the club than Avery at the current time so it was obvious that this was going to happen whether fans liked it or not.
When looking at Avery, it is easy to see that there are both pros and cons.
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Tags: Erik+Christensen, John+Tortorella, New+York+Rangers, sean+Avery,
A Bit of Both
by Patrick Hoffman on 09/22/11 at 08:27 AM ET
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Those words can best be used to describe last night’s 2-1 overtime New York Rangers’ loss to the New Jersey Devils in overtime.
The team was not great but the club was not horrible either. Yes, it took the Blueshirts awhile to get their first shot on goal but when they finally did, they seemed to setlle down a bit and generate some good scoring chances.
Overall, the club got good performances from the likes of Dale Weise (scored the game-tying goal in the third period), Dylan McIlrath, both goaltenders Henrik Lundqvist and Cam Talbot, along with line of Sean Avery-John Mitchell-J.T. Miller as the line forechecked hard and caught head coach’s John Tortorella’s eye.
Two players that seemed to be inconsistent last night were forward Erik Christensen and defenseman Michael Del Zotto. With regards to Christensen, it is all about playing with confidence, something he has struggled with in his NHL career. In the case of Del Zotto, it is about being consistent witht the puck as he needs to know when to hold onto it, when to dump it off and when to put it on net.
It is really early so fans should not read too much into last night’s loss. Like the players and the coaching staff, the fans must be patient and go with the process as the team continutes to shape up into a regular season hockey club.
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Tags: Cam+Talbot, Dale+Weise, Dylan+McIlrath, Erik+Christensen, Henrik+Lundqvist, J.T.+Miller, John+Mitchell, John+Tortorella, Michael+Del+Zotto, New+Jersey+Devils, New+York+Rangers, Sean+Avery,
The Right Combination: Sather and Tortorella
by Patrick Hoffman on 09/20/11 at 03:00 PM ET
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Many of you will probably read this headline and say “what the heck is this guy talking about?”
While I understand your reasoning for doing so, the New York Rangers’ combination of general manager Glen Sather and head coach John Tortorella has been great for the organization. Due to Sather and Tortorella, the team is younger, has depth, an identity and an extremely bright future.
When Sather started out with the Blueshirts, there was no question that he was interested in signing overpriced free agents to try and get the team back to the top. When that did not work, he started investing in youth and making smart draft picks leading to guys like Ryan Callahan, Bradon Dubinsky, Marc Staal, Derek Stepan, Chris Kreider and more.
Tortorella is a coach that wants to see youth succeed and unlike Rangers’ past bench bosses, Tortorella is allowing the kids to do just that. He even made Callahan the 26th captain in team history and he knows that going forward, having good youth will be one of the keys to success for the Rangers.
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Tags: Glen+Sather, John+Tortorella, New+York+Rangers,
Another top Line Option?
by Patrick Hoffman on 09/07/11 at 01:04 PM ET
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UPDATE: I should have reworded what I wrote before and said that this is why I like Dubinsky-Richards-Ganorik as a top line. I apologize if I mislead you folks in anyway.
After reviewing the Rangers’ lines that I came up with a few days ago, there is another top line trio option being bandied about by both the media and the team itself.
How does a top line of Brandon Dubinsky-Brad Richards-Marian Gaborik look to you? While it may disturb some fans because it separates Dubinsky from Ryan Callahan, it is actually a line that could be one of the league’s best if given the right amount of time to gel.
In Richards, the Rangers have the perfect playmaking center. Richards would have two solid scorers to get the puck to while also having a player that can protect both himself and Gaborik in Dubinsky.
With Marian Gaborik, the Blueshirts have someone who has cracked the 40-goal mark with the team before and is someone who now has a No. 1 center to play with. If Dubinsky manages to get a chance on the line, it may also relieve some pressure off of Gaborik.
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Tags: Bradon+Dubinsky, Brad+Richards, John+Tortorella, Marian+Gaborik, New+York+Rangers,
Thinking Forward Lines
by Patrick Hoffman on 09/05/11 at 10:23 AM ET
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UPDATE: I just realized that I completely forgot about Mats Zuccarello. I guess coming up with the team’s lines for this season is not as easy as it looks, eh?
With September officially underway, it is time to start thinking/dreaming up line combinations for your New York Rangers.
Obviously, no one here is Rangers’ head coach John Tortorella but it is certainly nice to think that the fans have a say in what Tortorella puts out on the ice:
Line 1: Marian Gaborik-Brad Richards-Wojtek Wolski
This is the line that everyone has been dreaming about this offseason. The line obviously starts with Marian Gaborik and Brad Richards. These two will be expected to produce on a nightly basis and should they do so, it could create an exciting season on Broadway.
It is the other winger on the line that is not set in stone. With that said, Wojtek Wolski should be given first crack at it. He has been working incredibly hard this offseason and has the skill to fit right in with the likes of Gaborik and Richards.
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Tags: John+Tortorella, New+York+Rangers,
Give Biron More Playing Time
by Patrick Hoffman on 08/29/11 at 05:38 PM ET
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That should be one of John Tortorella’s goals heading into the 2011-12 NHL season.
When healthy, Biron was terrific last season. In 17 games, Biron went 8-6 with a 2.13 goals against average and a .923 save percentage, which are much better numbers than what previous back-up netminders did under starter Henrik Lundqvist the last few seasons.
When talking about Biron, it is easy to suggest that he make 20-25 starts. He may be 34 years old but this is a netminder that stays in shape, can go long stretches playing in many games and more importantly, can win hockey games.
With that said, Tortorella also knows that he has an absolute workhorse in Lundqvist. Lundqvist is someone who wants to play every single game and if it were up to him, it would certainly be that way.
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Tags: Henrik+Lundqvist, John+Tortorella, Martin+Biron, New+York+Rangers,
What I Will Be Watching For This Season with the Rangers
by Patrick Hoffman on 08/03/11 at 12:59 PM ET
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With the month of August finally upon us, that only means that hockey season is getting closer and closer.
With that in mind, here is what I will be watching for this season when it comes to the New York Rangers:
- Brad Richards: This is a no-brainer. Since the team signed him to a nine-year deal, it will be extremely important for Richards to live up to his contract by producing, scoring goals, setting goals up, playing on special teams, being a leader and more importantly, be a true No. 1 center, something the Rangers have lacked for several seasons.
- Marian Gaborik: This is also an obvious choice. After scoring 42 goals in his first season as a Blueshirt in 2009-10, Gaborik slumped to just 22 goals last season. Yes, this was without a true No. 1 center but he was able to score over 40 under the same situaiton in his first season. Hopefully, Gaborik will be ready to pile in goals and stay healthy in 2011-12.
- Derek Stepan: How will the second-year Ranger respond to a terrific rookie season in which he posted 45 points (21 goals and 24 assists)? Hopefully, he will not go through the all too common sophomore slump that plagues many second-year NHLers.
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Tags: brad+Richards, Derek+Stepan, John+Tortorella, Marian+Gaborik, Michael+del+Zotto, New+York+Rangers, Ryan+Callahan, Sean+Avery,
Two Interesting Top Line Options
by Patrick Hoffman on 08/01/11 at 07:00 AM ET
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Now that the New York Rangers have their No. 1 center in Brad Richards, many are wondering what the top line is going to look like.
For starters, everyone knows that Marian Gaborik is going to be one of Richards’s wingers. After scoring 42 goals in his first season as a Blueshirt back during the 2009-10 season, Gaborik has a quiet year this past season. Gaborik scored just 22 goals and had 26 assists for 48 points.
While those numbers would be considered decent for some other players in the National Hockey League, these are not the numbers that the team is paying for. What the team is paying for is what he did in the first season when he scored over 40 goals and had over 80 points. He did that without a true No. 1 center as well.
With Richards in the fold, there is definitely a good opportunity for Gaborik to put up some terrific offensive numbers this upcoming season. Hopefully, that will come in the form of between 35 and 45 goals or so.
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Tags: Brad+Richards, John+Tortorella, Marian+Gaborik, New+York+Rangers, Sean+Avery, Wojtek+Wolski,
Rubbish/Callahan signed to three-year deal
by Patrick Hoffman on 07/27/11 at 03:49 PM ET
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UPDATE: The New York Rangers signed Callahan to a three -year deal worth $12.875 million, avoiding tomorrow’s arbitration and giving their heart and soul player a solid contract.
Click here for more on the Callahan deal.
Earlier
That should be the exact word to describe the fact that someone in the media said that New York Rangers’ forward Ryan Callahan should not be team captain if the arbitration hearing is held tomorrow as scheduled:
If the parties cannot agree on a long-term deal and Callahan goes through with the hearing for what would automatically be a one-year contract given his status as an impending free agent, he would likely get somewhere around $4.2 million.
Moreover, a one-year contract would likely eliminate Callahan from consideration to succeed Chris Drury as captain. If Callahan’s Broadway future is uncertain, Brad Richards would almost certainly get the “C.”
There is no doubt that Callahan is the heart and soul of this New York Rangers’ club. His absence from last year’s postseason was felt by the whole club, especially head coach John Tortorella.
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Tags: Brad+Richards, John+Tortorella, New+York+Rangers, Ryan+Callahan,
A Well Deserved Extension
by Patrick Hoffman on 04/24/11 at 10:10 AM ET
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According to New York Rangers’ beat writer Larry Brooks of the New York Post, the Rangers gave head coach John Tortorella an extension a couple of months ago:
The process of building the Rangers so they aren’t left bringing knives to a gunfight, the way they were in this playoff confrontation with the Capitals, will continue with John Tortorella behind the bench, The Post has learned.
Sources have told The Post that Tortorella’s contract, originally due to expire after this season, was extended a couple of months ago.
Garden and Rangers executives cited policy in declining comment, but it is believed that the extension will cover the next three seasons. Tortorella, who was hired on Feb. 23, 2009, has taken the Blueshirts to the playoffs twice in three years, but his teams have gone out in the first round both times, and both times to the Capitals.
Click here for more.
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Tags: John+Tortorella, New+York+Rangers,
Avery Returns to the Lineup for Game 2
by Patrick Hoffman on 04/15/11 at 12:56 PM ET
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From good friend of the blog Jim Cerny at BlueshirtsUnited.com:
Following Friday’s morning skate at the Verizon Center, Rangers head coach John Tortorella announced that rugged winger Sean Avery—-a healthy scratch in Game One—-would be in the lineup tonight for Game Two against the Capitals, and that Mats Zuccarello would be scratched.
Torts had this to say of Avery: “When Sean is consistent with his play, he can add some forechecking to us. He should also add some energy to our lineup. Hopefully Sean adds some juice.”
Avery’s reaction to playing tonight?: “I’m ready to go. I don’t worry about anything. I am just ready to play hockey.”
Click here for more great Rangers’ content on tonight’s big Game 2.
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Tags: John+Tortorella, New+York+Rangers, Sean+Avery, Washington+capitals,
And So It Begins
by Patrick Hoffman on 04/13/11 at 07:00 AM ET
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That’s right folks. The New York Rangers are in the playoffs and tonight is Game 1 between the Blueshirts and the No. 1 seed Washington Capitals.
The Blueshirts are back in the postseason for the first time in two seasons, when, you guessed it, they were knocked out of the first round in seven games by the Washington Capitals. Is this series about revenge?
The answer to that question is no. For the Rangers, this series is about playing to what their identity says there are, which is a hard working hockey club that never gives up.
To get off to a good start in this series, they will need their hard work and resilient style in what will be an extremely loud Verizon Center. For the past couple of seasons, the Washington Capitals have been one of the best teams on home ice (25 victories this season) and their fans can really help in big games.
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Tags: Artem+Anisimov, Brandon+Dubinsky, Brian+Boyle, Dan+Girardi, Derek+Stepan, Henrik+Lundqvist, John+Tortorella, Marc+Staal, Marian+Gaborik, New+York+Rangers, Vinny+Prospal, Washington+Capitals,
All About Hope Now
by Patrick Hoffman on 04/09/11 at 01:59 PM ET
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The New York Rangers did what they had to do this afternoon in defeating the New Jersey Devils by a score of 5-2 at Madison Square Garden.
With the victory, the Blueshirts finished the regular season with 93 points, putting them up two points over the Carolina Hurricanes. The Hurricanes will take on the Tampa Bay Lightning tonight and should they lose in regulation time or overtime, the Rangers will clinch the final playoff spot and prepare for a first round matchup with the first place Washington Capitals.
It was great to see hard-working guys like Chris Drury, Brandon Prust, Ryan McDonagh and Vinny Prospal all beat future hall-of-fame netminder Martin Brodeur. For Drury, it was his first goal of the season and a big one at that. He also did well on face-offs and overall, was a positive factor for the Blueshirts this afternoon.
For McDonagh, it was his first career NHL goal. It could not have come at a better time for the Blueshirts as it gave them a 3-2 lead in the second period as well as a game-winning goal for #27.
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Tags: Atlanta+Thrashers, Brandon+Prust, Carolina+Hurricanes, Chris+Drury, Dan+Bylsma, John+Tortorella, Martin+Brodeur, New+Jersey+Devils, New+York+Rangers, Pittsburgh+Penguins, Ryan+McDonagh, Tampa+Bay+Lightning, Vinny+Prospal,
Some Ranger Line-up Updates Via Twitter and Other Thoughts
by Patrick Hoffman on 04/09/11 at 09:50 AM ET
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Here are some Tweets from New York Rangers’ beat writer Andrew Gross regarding today’s line-up in the regular season finale against the New Jersey Devils:
Torts on Drury’s return: “He’ll give us some juice. Our captain’s back in the lineup.”
Torts says tough decision Gilroy over Eminger but thinks Gilroy can help get the puck out of the end zone a little quicker.Drury in, Avery out. Gilroy in, Eminger out. Zuccarello in.
I am not quite sure what to think about the line-up changes that the head coach has decided to implement. While Avery has not played great, he is usually always a factor against Devils’ netminder Martin Brodeur. Yes, Drury is the captain and yes, it will be nice to have him in the game to kill some penalties and take key face-offs but to me, the move is still questionable.
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Tags: Andrew+Gross, Chris+Drury, John+Tortorella, Martin+Brodeur, Matt+Gilroy, New+York+Rangers, Sean+Avery, Steve+Eminger,
Matt Gilroy As a Forward
by Patrick Hoffman on 04/07/11 at 11:00 AM ET
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With New York Rangers’ forward Ryan Callahan injured, head coach John Tortorella decided to give defenseman Matt Gilroy a shot at forward.
While this may seem odd, it really isn’t because Gilroy started out as a forward and did not become a defenseman until he went to Boston University. So really, the position should come naturally to Gilroy.
Here is what Rangers’ beat writer Andrew Gross had to say about the switch to forward:
Gilroy has been a healthy scratch the past six games and it would be surprising for Gilroy to log heavy minutes as a fourth-liner - think around 7 or under - though he could see time on the power play.
What will help Gilroy most is his skating ability and coach John Tortorella said Gilroy just needed to keep it simple. Gilroy was a forward through most of his sophomore season at Boston University before injuries necessitated his move to defense, where his game blossomed.
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Tags: Atlanta+Thrashers, John+Tortorella, Matt+Gilroy, New+York+Rangers, Ryan+Callahan,
Zuccarello The Healthy Scratch as Avery Returns to the Lineup
by Patrick Hoffman on 03/26/11 at 10:34 AM ET
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According to Jesse Spector of The Daily News, Mats Zuccarello will be a healthy scratch this afternoon when the New York Rangers take on the Boston Bruins.
Replacing him will be Sean Avery, who has been a healthy scratch the last few games:
Mats Zuccarello will be a healthy scratch after sitting the entire third period on Thursday night, then playing just 26 seconds of overtime before missing his shootout attempt. Matt Gilroy also sits out today, his second straight healthy scratch.
This is the first healthy scratch of Zuccarello’s NHL career. The Norwegian rookie has played 40 straight games since making his debut on December 23 against the Tampa Bay Lightning. It’s the fourth time Gilroy has been a healthy scratch in the last six games after playing 30 consecutive games.
Click here for more, including a pre-game press conference between team head John Tortorella and the team’s beat writers.
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Tags: John+Tortorella, Mats+Zuccarello, New+York+Rangers, Sean+Avery,
Staal to return Tonight Against the Senators
by Patrick Hoffman on 03/24/11 at 03:48 PM ET
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Good news, New York Rangers’ fans. Defenseman Marc Staal will be back in the line-up tonight against the Ottawa Senators after missing a few games with an undisclosed injury.
Here is what Rangers’ beat writer Andrew Gross had to say about it over at Ranger Rants:
Defenseman Marc Staal, who missed the previous two games with what was believed to be a re-aggravation of an earlier left knee injury though the Rangers would not disclose the problem, will be back in the lineup tonight when the Rangers host the Senators. Staal participated in the team’s full morning skate and also skated on his own yesterday when the rest of the team was off. His shot was a little rusty as one of his one-timers rose and hit Henrik Lundqvist in the mask, knocking the goalie over, though he reported he was fine later.
Sean Avery and Matt Gilroy will be the healthy scratches.
It makes sense for Rangers’ head coach John Tortorella to keep Avery scratched as the team has been winning games without him. There is no doubt that what Avery can provide to this team but right now, it is better to be safe than sorry and keep the nonsense on the ice to a minimum.
Click here to read the rest of Gross’s blog.
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Tags: John+Tortorella, Marc+Staal, Matt+Gilroy, New+York+Rangers, Ottawa+Senators, Sean+Avery,
Rangers Look to Extend Winning Streak to Six
by Patrick Hoffman on 03/24/11 at 08:25 AM ET
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The New York Rangers will look to win a “trap” game once again when they take on the Ottawa Senators tonight at Madison Square Garden.
Going into tonight’s tilt, the Blueshirts have won five straight games and have done so with timely goal scoring, smart play in the defensive zone, being disciplined and solid goaltending from Henrik Lundqvist. That has been the winning formula for the Blueshirts all season long and if they use it tonight against the Senators, the team will pick up its sixth straight victory along with points 85 and 86.
The Rangers need to keep winning because the eighth place Buffalo Sabres are just three points behind and are starting to heat up at the right time. With that said, if the Blueshirts continue to win, there is a chance that they could catch the Montreal Canadiens, who are currently sixth in the Eastern Conference with 87 points.
It will be interesting to see how the lineup looks for tonight’s game. One question is will Sean Avery be reinserted back into the lineup? If I am Rangers’ head coach John Tortorella, I stay the course and keep him out of the lineup for at least one more game. The team is doing just fine without him and should not want to change much when things are going right.
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Tags: Boston+Bruins, Buffalo+Sabres, John+Tortorella, Marc+Staal, Montreal+Canadiens, New+York+Rangers, Ottawa+Senators, Sean+Avery,
Avoiding The Trap Game
by Patrick Hoffman on 03/22/11 at 08:21 AM ET
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This is exactly what the New York Rangers need to do tonight at Madison Square Garden when they take on the Florida Panthers.
The Blueshirts are currently on a four-game winning streak and have a four point lead on the eighth place Buffalo Sabres in the Eastern Conference playoff race. The last thing this team needs is to lose to the Florida Panthers, a team that is out of the playoff race and looking to slow down any team that is trying to advance to the Stanley Cup tournament.
In the team’s last four games, they have shown that they can put the puck in the net, score on the power play, kill big penalties and get solid goaltending from Henrik Lundqvist on a somewhat consistent basis. Every one on the team is stepping up at the right time and one can only hope that it does not stop this week with their game against the Panthers tonight as well as against the Ottawa Senators on Thursday night.
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Tags: Buffalo+Sabres, Florida+Panthers, Henrik+Lundqvist, John+Tortorella, New+York+Rangers, Ottawa+Senators, Pittsburgh+Penguins, Sean+Avery, Wojtek+Wolski,
What to do with Sean Avery
by Patrick Hoffman on 03/16/11 at 11:55 AM ET
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When New York Rangers’ forward Sean Avery was scratched on Saturday night against the San Jose Sharks, many pundits and fans alike figured that he would come out and play a heckuva game against the New York Islanders on Tuesday night.
Unfortunately, both were wrong as Avery struggled in last night’s 6-3 victory over the team’s hated rival. He took three penalties, one of which led to a John tavares power play goal in the third period, and only got just over seven minutes of ice time.
One has to wonder what team head coach John Tortorella thought of his play last night. If I am Tortorella, I would hesitate to put him in the lineup against the Montreal Canadiens on Friday night as the last thing you want to do is give the Canadiens a bunch of power plays.
With that said, however, Avery is someone who works hard, can generate scoring opportunities and keeps the opponent on edge. Avery is one of the best when it comes to throwing an opposing team off its game.
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Tags: John+Tortorella, Montreal+Canadiens, New+York+Islanders, New+York+Rangers, Sean+Avery,
Wolski to Be a healthy Scratch Tonight Against the Islanders
by Patrick Hoffman on 03/15/11 at 12:20 PM ET
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According to New York Rangers’ beat writer Jesse Spector, Blueshirts’ forward Wojtek Wolski will be a healthy scratch tonight when the team takes on the New York Islanders at Madison Square Garden.
Wojtek Wolski was one of the Rangers’ heroes on Saturday night in San Jose, scoring the shootout goal that extended the tiebreaker for Brandon Dubinsky to win it in the sixth round. Tonight, he will be a healthy scratch for the first time since the January trade that brought him to New York in exchange for Michal Rozsival.
That might seem incongruous, but not to Wolski, who was disappointed when John Tortorella informed him that he would be sitting out tonight’s game against the Islanders, but understood the reason for the move.
“I don’t think that’s a good enough reason to keep me in the lineup,” Wolski said. “I’ve got to obviously play better. He’s holding me accountable, and the only one I can blame is myself. I’ve got to have more confidence out there with the puck and just play a bigger role, and have a bigger impact on the games.”
Wolski has not exactly been terrible for the Blueshirts. He has four assists in his last eight games and is the team’s forward leader in +/- with a + 12.
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Tags: Daily+News, Jesse+Spector, John+Tortorella, New+York+Rangers, Wojtek+Wolski,
