Goal Line Report
Entries with the tag: John+Tortorella
Antropov Coming Into His Own on Broadway
by Patrick Hoffman on 04/15/09 at 11:00 PM ET
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For what seemed like his whole career in the blue and white in Toronto, Nik Antropov was a guy that the Maple Leafs were looking to unload. He had become known as a player who could turn on a switch a play great hockey whenever he wanted to. However, he didn’t do that often enough with the Maple Leafs and at the trade deadline, he found himself acquired by the New York Rangers.
So far, the move has worked out in spades for the Rangers as Antropov put up 13 points (7 goals and 6 assists) in 18 games and helped a struggling Ranger team clinch the seventh playoff spot in the tight Eastern Conference.
What’s more is that he has been consistent on both sides of the puck. Everyone knows that Antropov, 29 years old, is gifted offensively but as a Ranger, he has shown that he can back check, forecheck, give a hit, take a hit and more importantly, play in the last few minutes of the game.
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Tags: Eastern+Conference, John+Tortorella, New+York+Rangers, Nik+Antropov, Toronto+Maple+Leafs, Washington+Capitals,
All Eyes on The King
by Patrick Hoffman on 04/14/09 at 09:35 AM ET
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When the puck drops tomorrow night at the Verizon Center, all eyes will turn to New York Rangers netminder Henrik Lundqvist as the Blueshirts take on the Washington Capitals in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs.
If the Blueshirts are going to advance to the next round, the “King” will need to be at his best when he faces the likes of offensive machines Alex Ovechkin (56 goals, 54 assists, 110 points), Nicklas Backstrom (22 goals, 66 assists, 88 points), Alexander Semin (34 goals, 45 assists, 79 points) and stud defenseman Mike Green (31 goals, 42 assists, 73 points).
Lundqvist will face pucks from all angles and will have to steal at least one of the first two games of the series if the team wants to give themselves any kind of shot when the series shifts back to Madison Square Garden.
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Tags: Alexander+Semin, Alex+Ovechkin, Atlanta+Thrashers, Henrik+Lundqvist, John+Tortorella, Mike+Green, New+Jersey+Devils, New+York+Rangers, Nicklas+Backstrom, Washington+Capitals,
A Waste of Two Points
by Patrick Hoffman on 03/27/09 at 08:55 AM ET
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As I mentioned in my blog yesterday, yesterday’s game against the Atlanta Thrashers should have been an easy two points. It was a game against a team that was in 14th-place in the Eastern Conference and well on their way to thinking about next season.
So what happened? The New York Rangers blew a three-goal lead and lost 5-4 in a shootout thanks to undisciplined defensive play and some poor goaltending by netminder Stephen Valiquette.
Through the first two periods, the team seemed to be doing everything right. They were getting contributions from their big guns, scoring on the power play, killing penalties and playing a sound defensive game.
Unfortunately, this worked for the first 40 minutes of the game and then things fell apart as the team missed defensive assignments, failed to score on a two-man advantage, and Valiquette allowed two soft goals to allow the Thrashers to get right back in the game.
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Tags: Atlanta+Thrashers, Carolina+Hurricanes, Florida+Panthers, John+Tortorella, New+York+Rangers, Pittsburgh+Penguins, Stephen+Valiquette,
Big Two Points Up For Grabs in Atlanta
by Patrick Hoffman on 03/26/09 at 09:15 AM ET
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On paper, a tilt with the Atlanta Thrashers looks like an easy two points but for the New York Rangers, every game is like a playoff game and as such, should be treated like one.
The team is coming off a 2-1 victory over the Minnesota Wild in a game where they played down to the Wild’s level. They were able to generate an array of scoring chances but once again had some difficulty finding the back of the net and were forced to play a tight defensive game, something fans are all too familiar with thanks to former head coach Tom Renney.
With that being said, good defense at this time of year certainly isn’t a bad thing but to win games, this team still needs to score more goals. Sure, they’ve scored more goals under new head coach John Tortorella but they need to do it on a consistent basis, something they have struggled with all season long.
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Tags: Adam+Graves, Atlanta+Thrashers, Boston+Bruins, Carolina+Hurricanes, John+Tortorella, Minnesota+Wild, New+York+Rangers, Philadelphia+Flyers, Pittsburgh+Penguins, Tom+Renney,
Two Out Of Four Ain’t Bad
by Patrick Hoffman on 03/22/09 at 09:45 PM ET
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Going into this weekend, all the New York Rangers were focused on was their game. They weren’t focused on who was in front of them, behind them or looking a few games down the road. The team was focused on the here and now.
Their intense focus certainly showed last night at the Garden as the team beat the Buffalo Sabres 5-3. Tonight’s game, against the Ottawa Senators, on the other hand, ended in a 2-1 loss, which means that the team remains in the seventh spot in the Eastern Conference.
While four points would have been great, the team should be satisfied with their play this weekend. They put pucks to the net, used their speed well, did a great job killing penalties (now first in the league) and were competitive in both games. Some other notes from the weekend:
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Tags: Buffalo+Sabres, Eastern+Conference, Jim+Schoenfeld, John+Tortorella, Marian+Gaborik, Minnesota+Wild, New+York+Rangers, Nikolai+Zherdev, Ottawa+Senators, Ryan+Callahan, Wade+Redden,
Four Big Points on the line this weekend and some Ranger Notes
by Patrick Hoffman on 03/19/09 at 10:50 PM ET
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With the Eastern Conference standings changing every day, every game from here on out means something for the New York Rangers.
This would especially be true for the two games they have this weekend at home against the Buffalo Sabres and the Ottawa Senators. In actuality, the Blueshirts should be able to come away with four points but since the Sabres are still battling for a playoff spot and the Senators are playing better hockey under their new coach, four points are certainly not guaranteed.
The good news? The Rangers are finding ways to win, getting their offense into high gear and looking like a team that deserves to be in the playoffs.
Other notes:
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Tags: Buffalo+Sabres, Dan+Girardi, Henrik+Lundqvist, John+Tortorella, Marc+Staal, New+York+Rangers, Nik+Antropov, Nikolai+Zherdev, Ottawa+Senators, Ryan+Callahan, Scott+Gomez, Sean+Avery,
Big Two Points
by Patrick Hoffman on 03/18/09 at 10:10 AM ET
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Last night’s game was the kind of game that the New York Rangers may have lost under Tom Renney. However, it was a much different outcome for the Blueshirts under new guy John Tortorella, who overcame some bad bounces and bad goals allowed to beat the Montreal Canadiens 4-3 in a shootout at the Bell Centre.
Yes, I know that the team needs to continue to learn how to win games in regulation but let’s face it - they need all the points they can get and last night’s two points put them in sixth place in the ever-increasing tight Eastern Conference.
Nik Antropov continues to show the Blueshirts that he was worth getting at the deadline as he added another goal in regulation while also putting one in in the skills competition. He’s a big guy who has soft hands and a powerful wrist shot and is still working towards being a more consistent player with each passing game.
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Tags: Buffalo+Sabres, Carolina+Hurricanes, Chris+Drury, Colorado+Avalanche, Florida+Panthers, Henrik+Lundqvist, John+Tortorella, Montreal+Canadiens, New+York+Rangers, Nik+Antropov, Tom+Renney,
Tough Loss in Philly
by Patrick Hoffman on 03/14/09 at 04:05 PM ET
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The New York Rangers fired everything but the kitchen sink at the Philadelphia Flyers this afternoon and came away with a 4-2 loss, putting them at risk of dropping out of the top eight in the Eastern Conference.
The team was certainly not afraid to shoot the puck as they fired 41 on Flyers’ netminder Marty Biron, who made 39 saves and was the major reason why the Broadstreet Bullies picked up two points. Aaron Asham also played well for the Flyers, scoring his sixth and seventh goals of the season.
This was a game that the Blueshirts could have won. They had lots of shots on goal, they moved the puck around well but as always, they had trouble burying their chances.
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Tags: Aaron+Asham, Henrik+Lundqvist, John+Tortorella, Marc+Staal+Scott+Hartnell, Marty+Biron, Mike+Richards, Nashville+Predators, New+York+Rangers, Nikolai+Zherdev, Philadelphia+Flyers, Sean+Avery,
Rangers Learning to Bend, But Not Break
by Patrick Hoffman on 03/09/09 at 11:00 AM ET
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In yesterday’s 4-3 win over the Boston Bruins, did any of you New New York Ranger fans think that this game would go to overtime when the Blueshirts blew a 3-1 lead? I know that I certainly did.
However, this is a new coach, a new team and may be even a new era for the Rangers and as such, the team produced a new result for their fans yesterday afternoon.
Another positive result - the guys that scored the goals: Nik Antropov, Scott Gomez, Ryan Callahan and Nikolai Zherdev. If the team wants to continue to be successful and make a full court press towards clinching a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference, these guys and other notables will need to continue to produce.
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Tags: Boston+Bruins, Henrik+Lundqvist, John+Tortorella, New+York+Rangers, Nik+Antropov, Nikolai+Zherdev, Ryan+Callahan, Scott+Gomez, Tom+Renney,
Rangers With Avery : Win
by Patrick Hoffman on 03/06/09 at 05:00 PM ET
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All the New York Rangers do with Sean Avery in the lineup is win.
Last night’s 4-2 win over the New York Islanders extended the team’s record to 50-23-13 in the regular season when Avery is in the lineup. He had just over 10 minutes of ice time and was rather effective as he forechecked, stirred it up without crossing the line, generated a few scoring chances and in general, gave the team an extra spark.
Yes, the win came over the last place Islanders and yes, the team wasn’t great but in the end, they did what they had to do to win and even managed to get goals from Nikolai Zherdev, Chris Drury, Scott Gomez and Markus Naslund, guys that need to step it up down the stretch in order to help get this team into the playoffs.
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Tags: Boston+Bruins, Chris+Drury, Derek+Morris, John+Tortorella, Markus+Naslund, New+York+Islanders, New+York+Rangers, Nik+Antropov, Nikolai+Zherdev, Scott+Gomez, Sean+Avery,
A New Beginning
by Patrick Hoffman on 03/05/09 at 02:30 PM ET
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In their first game after the trade deadline, the New York Rangers will have all their new guys in the lineup tonight against the last place New York Islanders.
With Nik Antropov, the team now has some size on the wing as well as a guy who can score goals (21 goals this season). If head coach John Tortorella can light a fire under this guy, the team may finally see more power play goals for. Newsday Rangers’ beat writer Steve Zipay believes that he’ll skate with Chris Drury and Brandon Dubinsky. Dubinsky’s and Antropov’s size should open up the ice more for Drury.
Zipay thinks that Sean Avery will skate with Ryan Callahan and Lauri Korpikoski, forming a small but very aggressive line. As most knowledgeable hockey/Ranger fans know, Avery can be tenacious on the forecheck and that is exactly what Tortorella wants him to do.
New defenseman Derek Morris will be paired with one of his former partners from the Phoenix Coyotes, Paul Mara. He gives the backline some added size as well as another player that can play the point on the power play. This is another player that Tortorella needs to light a fire to help be more consistent.
This team definitely got a bit better at the trade deadline and now, they need to show it by clinching a playoff spot in the tight Eastern Conference.
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Tags: Brandon+Dubinsky, Chris+Drury, Derek+Morris, John+Tortorella, Lauri+Korpikoski, Newsday, New+York+Islanders, New+York+Rangers, Nik+Antropov, Paul+Mara, Ryan+Callahan, Sean+Avery, Steve+Zipay,
Thoughts on Antropov
by Patrick Hoffman on 03/04/09 at 03:05 PM ET
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The New York Rangers picked up Nik Antropov from the Toronto Maple Leafs this afternoon.
He currently has 21 goals (which actually leads the Rangers) and 25 assists for 46 points in 63 games.
He’s struggled with consistency and seems to be a player that can turn it on when he wants to. Hopefully, under fiery head coach John Tortorella, he’ll learn to play with passion, hustle and produce on a nightly basis.
What do you folks think about this one?
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Tags: John+Tortorella, New+York+Rangers, Nik+Antropov, Toronto+Maple+Leafs,
What Will They Do?
by Patrick Hoffman on 03/02/09 at 10:00 PM ET
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Obviously, the question that every New York Ranger fan wants to know heading into the NHL’s March 4th trade deadline is what are they going to do?
Will they clear roster spots? Well, I think they will because it appears that since the team will try and claim Sean Avery off re-entry waivers, they will need to clear some cap space. This afternoon, the team sent newly acquired Mark Bell down to it’s farm team, the Hartford Wolf Pack.
Will they trade Scott Gomez or Chris Drury? Well, unlike a well known rumor monger, I don’t think they will. General Manager Glen Sather signed these two guys to long-term deals in the summer of 2007 in hopes that they would produce and lead this team to a Stanley Cup. While they haven’t lived up to their billing, I believe that they will get their act together and perform for their new head coach John Tortorella, who expects nothing less.
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Tags: Chris+Drury, Chris+Pronger, Glen+Sather, Hartford+Wolf+Pack, Illya+Kovalchuk, Jay+Bouwmeester, John+Tortorella, Mark+Bell, New+York+Rangers, Nigel+Dawes, Petr+Prucha, Scott+Gomez, Sean+Avery,
It’s About Time
by Patrick Hoffman on 02/28/09 at 11:34 PM ET
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Well, how about that - the New York Rangers’ offense does exist as the team exploded for six goals, including four in the first period, in a 6-1 win over the visiting Colorado Avalanche.
This was a long time coming as the Rangers fired over 80 shots in their last two games combined, only to find the back of the net twice. Tonight, however, was a different story.
The Rangers struck early and often as the team had a 2-0 lead just two minutes into the first period, off goals by Ryan Callahan and Nikolai Zherdev. Then later in the period, the club would get goals from Petr Prucha and Scott Gomez to give the team a commanding 4-0 lead going into the second period.
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Tags: Andrew+Raycroft, Colorado+Avalanche, John+Tortorella, New+York+Rangers, Nikolai+Zherdev, Peter+Budaj, Petr+Prucha, Ryan+Callahan, Scott+Gomez,
Give It Some Time
by Patrick Hoffman on 02/26/09 at 10:00 AM ET
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I hope New York Rangers fans weren’t expecting the team to come out and fire in four or five goals last night against the Toronto Maple Leafs because if they were, they had to be disappointed.
In last night’s 2-1 shootout loss to the Leafs, the Rangers dominated the first 40 minutes of the game as they got to loose pucks, put pucks on goal, crashed the net for rebounds and played tight defense. However, due to John Tortorella’s attacking style, the team got tired and simply ran out of gas in the third period and the OT. This is obviously something that the team will need to adjust to if they want ot have any kind of success going forward.
As Tortorella mentioned in his post-game press conference, this team obviously has trouble finishing and it’s definitely hurting their confidence right now. When they get the chance to shoot it, it either gets blocked or they pass it off. They have pucks bouncing over sticks in front of the net, they’re hitting posts and they’re making every goalie look like the second coming of Patrick Roy.
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Tags: Eastern+Conference, Florida+Panthers, John+Tortorella, Montreal+Canadiens, New+York+Rangers, Toronto+Maple+Leafs,
Change on the Way?
by Patrick Hoffman on 02/25/09 at 04:30 PM ET
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With John Tortorella making his season debut as the New York Rangers head coach tonight against the Toronto Maple leafs, many fans are hoping that this will signal lots of positive changes.
Based on what Tortorella told the press corps yesterday, he wants to instill confidence in his troops and give them the creativity that they need to play effectively. At the same time, however, he also mentioned that he does not want to fall into the same trap he did last season with the Tampa Bay Lightning, where his team went all out on offense and suffered on the defensive end.
With that said, Tortorealla is going to do everything he can to get some offensive chemistry into this lineup. For one thing, expect to see a lot less of the fourth line and more of the top three lines as Tortorella believes in playing his best players as much as possible in order to give the team the best chance to win a hockey game.
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Tags: John+Tortorella, Kalinin, Michal+Rozsival, New+York+Rangers, Rietz, Steve+Zipay, Tampa+Bay+Lightning, Toronto+Maple+Leafs, Wade+Redden,
Sather Speaks!
by Patrick Hoffman on 02/24/09 at 10:50 AM ET
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For a great look at what New York Rangers General Manager Glen Sather had to say about the firing of Tom Renney and the hiring of John Tortorella, I would suggest reading Rick Carpiniello’s Rangers Report blogs here and here.
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Tags: Glen+Sather, John+Tortorella, New+York+rangers, Tom+Renney,
Not a Surprise
by Patrick Hoffman on 02/23/09 at 04:30 PM ET
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If you are a New York Rangers fan or had been watching the team the past month and a half or so, you knew that the team was going to make a change whether it was with management, acquiring/trading a player or firing the coach.
As it turns out, it was the third option as the team let go of head coach Tom Renney and replaced him with John Tortorella. While many people will feel for Renney and believe that it really wasn’t his fault, this move had to be made and Tortorella will come in, hold players accountable and may be just the guy that the team needs going forward.
For more reaction regarding the move, please check out the following links:
- Rangers Report
- Blue Notes
- Rangers Rant
- Blueshirt Bulletin
- Scotty Hockey
What do you folks think?
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Tags: Blue+Notes, Blueshirt+Bulletin, John+Tortorella, New+York+Rangers, Rangers+Rants, Rangers+Report, Scotty+Hockey, Tom+Renney,
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