Goal Line Report
Entries with the tag: Marian+Gaborik
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,
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,
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,
One more Before the Break
by Patrick Hoffman on 01/24/12 at 08:00 AM ET
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The New York Rangers are back in action tonight to take on the Winnipeg Jets at Madison Square Garden before taking a few days off for the NHL All-Star break.
The Blueshirts are coming off a big 3-2 overtime victory over the Boston Bruins thanks to a goal from Marian Gaborik. It was the Rangers’ 30th win of the season and as it stands right now, the team is tied for first in the Eastern Conference with the Boston Bruins with 64 points.
Tonight, the Blueshirts take on a team that they have beaten twice in the Jets. In both of those games, the team got excellent goaltending from Martin Biron. As such, one has to wonder if he will be in between the pipes tonight for the red, white, and blue Rangers.
For the Rangers, tonight’s tilt could be looked at as a “trap” game. As I mentioned earlier, the Blueshirts are tied for first in the East while the Jets are 10th in the East and three points out of the eighth and final spot.
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Tags: Boston+Bruins, Eastern+Conference, Marian+Gaborik, Martin+Biron, New+York+Rangers, Winnipeg+Jets,
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,
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,
Rangers Come Through Again With Win Over Panthers
by Patrick Hoffman on 01/05/12 at 09:55 PM ET
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It seems like every single time the New York Rangers play, they find a way to win.
The team did just that tonight by defeating the Florida Panthers 3-2 in overtime on a goal by Marian Gaborik at Madison Square Garden. Gaborik had been buzzing around the Panthers’ net all night long and was finally rewarded when he got the overtime winner, his 23rd of the season.
With the win, the Rangers improved to 25-9-4 to remain in first in the Eastern Conference by 1 point over the Boston Bruins. The win was also the Blueshirts’ 11th on home ice as the team now has a 12-3-2 record on Garden Ice.
Besides Gaborik, the Rangers also got solid performances from Brad Richards (1 assist), Derek Stepan (1 assist), Ryan Callahan (1 goal), Michael Del Zotto (1 assist) and Dan Girardi. It was also nice to see defenseman Marc Staal get a bit more ice time with 12:51 minutes tonight.
Even though the Panthers scored first and also managed to knot the game up at 2-2, the Rangers controlled most of the game. The Blueshirts outshot the Panthers 41-21 and did a terrific job of getting pucks deep, forechecking and going hard to the net.
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Tags: Boston+Bruins, Brad+Richards, Dan+Girardi, Derek+Stepan, Florida+Panthers, Marc+Staal, Marian+Gaborik, Martin+Biron, Michael+Del+Zotto, New+York+Rangers, Pittsburgh+Penguins, 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,
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,
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,
The Marian Gaborik Show
by Patrick Hoffman on 12/21/11 at 09:08 AM ET
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That is exactly what it was for the New York Rangers’ last night in their 4-1 win over the New Jersey Devils.
Marian Gaborik picked-up the game winning goal, an empty net goal and added an assist for a three point night. The game before, he picked-up another two goals and now has 19 on the season.
Gaborik looks like the player he was for the Rangers two seasons ago. The puck seems to be following him and he obviously knows how to make things happen.
Not only is he scoring goals and putting up points, he is also playing consistently well on the other side of the puck. He has made some solid defensive plays this season and backchecks a lot more than he used to.
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Tags: Artem+Anisimov, Boston+Bruins, Derek+Stepan, Marian+Gaborik, New+Jersey+Devils, New+York+Islanders, New+York+Rangers,
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,
Buzzer Beater
by Patrick Hoffman on 12/18/11 at 03:00 PM ET
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Apparently, I missed an exciting New York Rangers’ game last night as the Blueshirts scored with 0.1 second left to go in regulation time to beat the Phoenix Coyotes by a score of 3-2.
I was lucky enough to see the replay of Brad Richards scoring the game winner but could not believe that the team won the game in this fashion. This was a game that the Rangers needed to win to get back on the right track and to do it in that manner was certainly exciting.
It was nice to see highlights of the game and see that Marian Gaborik picked-up two goals. He had been struggling the last few games to do just that but with his two goals last night, Gaborik now has 17 goals and also leads the team in points with 27.
Of course, it was also nice to see Richards come through with the game winner. The Blueshirts are paying him a lot of money to do things like that and with 26 points in 30 games, it is easy to see that the deal is working out for all involved.
Based on the statistics, Rangers’ back-up goaltender Martin Biron had another solid game for his hockey club. Biron is now 6-1 with a 1.82 goals against average, a .934 save percentage and 1 shutout.
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Tags: Brad+Richards, Marian+Gaborik, Martin+Biron, New+Jersey+Devils, New+York+Rangers, Philadelphia+Flyers, Phoenix+Coyotes,
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,
Getting Back on Track
by Patrick Hoffman on 12/10/11 at 08:00 AM ET
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That is something that the New York Rangers (15-6-4) will look to do tonight against the Buffalo Sabres (14-11-2) in Buffalo.
Buffalo is coming off a 2-1 overtime victory over the streaking Florida Panthers last night. It was a hard fought battle so there is no doubt that the Sabres may be a bit tired.
On the other side, the Blueshirts are coming off a 3-2 shootout loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday night. According to team beat writers, the team had a good practice yesterday before heading off to Buffalo for tonight’s tilt.
The Rangers come into this game having not won since last Saturday night when they defeated the Lightning by a score of 4-2. Since that game, the Blueshirts have lost to the Leafs (4-2 on Monday Night night) and the Lightning and picked-up one point in those two games combined.
Even with their recent “winless streak”, the team still sits fifth in the Eastern Conference with 34 points and is two points behind the Pittsburgh Penguins (fourth in the Eastern Conference) and three points behind the Philadelphia Flyers (first in the Eastern Conference). If the team is able to pick up two points tonight, they will have a chance to move up a bit in the standings, which always feels good to any NHL hockey club.
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Tags: Artem+Anisimov, Brad+Richards, Brandon+Dubinsky, Brandon+Prust, Brian+Boyle, Buffalo+Sabres, Buffalo+Sabres, Florida+Panthers, Marian+Gaborik, New+York+Rangers, Philadelphia+Flyers, Pittsburgh+Penguins, Ruslan+Fedotenko, Ryan+Callahan, Toronto+Maple+Leafs,
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,
Rangers Continue to Win
by Patrick Hoffman on 12/02/11 at 09:44 AM ET
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The New York Rangers are starting to show the National Hockey League that for the first time in years, they have some real offensive depth.
The club’s offensive depth really came out last night in their 5-3 victory over the Carolina Hurricanes. The team had five different goal scorers in Marian Gaborik, Ryan Callahan, Ryan McDonagh, Sean Avery and Michael Sauer.
With the win, the Blueshirts improved to 14-5-3 on the season, good enough for fourth in the Eastern Conference. Believe it or not, the team is also just three points behind the Eastern Conference and NHL leading Pittsburgh Penguins.
For the Rangers, last night’s game could have easily been a trap game. It could have been one where the team played to the level of their opponent and missed the opportunity to pick up the two needed points.
Luckily, the Rangers reversed the trend and played a solid road game to pick up their fourth straight win. On the other side, it was the Hurricanes’ fifth straight loss and second under new head coach Kirk Muller.
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Tags: Carolina+Hurricanes, Kirk+Muller, Marian+Gaborik, Martin+Biron, Michael+Sauer, New+York+Rangers, Ryan+Callahan, Ryan+McDonagh, Sean+Avery, Tampa+Bay+Lightning,
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,
Rangers Win Barn Burner Over The Penguins
by Patrick Hoffman on 11/30/11 at 09:08 AM ET
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The New York Rangers passed a big test last night at Madison Square Garden by defeating the Pittsburgh Penguins, No. 1 in the Eastern Conference, by a score of 4-3.
Most importantly, the Rangers’ best players played like they were suppossed to last night. Brad Richards had a goal and two assists, Marian Gaborik had a goal and an assist, and Ryan Callahan also had a goal and an assist.
The team also got another strong performance out of rookie Carl Hagelin. Hagelin picked up his third NHL point on a great assist on John Mitchell’s goal and also had a team high six shots on goal.
Rangers’ netminder Henrik Lundqvist did what he had to do in making 24 saves on 27 shots for his tenth victory of the season. Lundqvist was especially good in the first period making 13 saves on 14 shots.
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Tags: Brad+Richards, Carl+Hagelin, Carolina+Hurricanes, Henrik+Lundvqist, John+Mitchell, Marian+Gaborik, New+York+Rangers, Pittsburgh+Penguins, 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,
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,
Home Sweet Home
by Patrick Hoffman on 11/07/11 at 09:08 AM ET
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Things certainly seem that way for the New York Rangers who finished their homestand by shutting out the Winnipeg Jets by a score of 3-0.
With the win, the team extended its winning streak at the Garden and its winning streak in general to four games, to improve their record to 7-3-3 on the season. The win also enabled the Blueshirts to finish their six game homestand with a 4-1-1 record and picked up 9 out of a possible 12 points.
Last night, the Blueshirts got solid performances out of Marian Gaborik (2 goals), Derek Stepan (1 goal and 1 assist) and Martin Biron (24 saves). With the victory, Biron improved his record to 3-0 on the season while also picking up his first shutout as a member of the Blueshirts.
After getting off to a somewhat slow start this season, Stepan has really picked up his play. He now has 7 points (2 goals and 5 assists) and has shown that he can do great things with the puck. Stepan is patient, he constantly looks for the open man and he knows how to slow the play down, which he allows him to find an open teammate.
Gaborik continues to shine this season. When healthy, he is one of the best offensive players in the game and right now, he is just that for the Blueshirts. On the season, Gaborik has 7 goals and 6 assists for 13 points in 13 games.
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Tags: Derek+Stepan, Marian+Gaborik, Martin+Biron, New+York+Rangers, Ottawa+Senators, Winnipeg+Jets,
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,
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,
Rangers Need Secondary Scoring
by Patrick Hoffman on 10/24/11 at 09:40 AM ET
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In order to get everything clicking, the New York Rangers must be able to start getting some secondary scoring.
Going into the season, many hockey pundits, bloggers and prognosticators believed that this year’s Rangers’ hockey club had the most depth it has had in a very long time. With that said, it has yet to show up this season for the Blueshirts.
Obviously, the team’s top line consisting of Derek Stepan (for now), Brad Richards and Marian Gaborik will be asked to do the primary scoring. So far, Gaborik has doen his part and Richards has set up a bunch of goals and scoring opportunities.
It is the team’s second line of Artem Anismov-Brandon Dubinsky-Ryan Callahan that needs to steup to the plate and start producing. Ryan Callahan has not done much since the team’s opening weekend in Sweden and Dubinsky has been inconsistent at best. Unfortunately, Anisimov has been almost non-existent so far this season.
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Tags: Artem+Anisimov, Brad+Richards, Brandon+Dubinsky, Brandon+Prust, Brian+Boyle, Derek+Stepan, Marian+Gaborik, New+York+Rangers, Ruslan+Fedotenko, Ryan+Callahan, 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,
Timing is Everything
by Patrick Hoffman on 10/21/11 at 07:27 AM ET
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That was certainly the case last night for the New York Rangers as they scored with just over a second left in overtime to defeat the Calgary Flames by a score of 3-2.
Brandon Dubinsky did all the work to get the puck into the offensive zone and feed the puck to defenseman Dan Girardi, who then fired the puck wide off the boards for defenseman Ryan McDonagh to come in and put the puck into the open side of the net. Some might say it was a set play but it was really all about the timing.
In the team’s second straight win, the Blueshirts got solid performances from the likes of Marian Gaborik (1 goal and 8 shots), Brandon Prust (shorthanded goal), and of course, Henrik Lundqvist, who made 33 saves. The club also got a terrific game out of their penalty killing unit as the team was once again somewhat undisciplined.
The Blueshirts find themselves with two straight wins on this four game Western Canada road trip and should be feeling pretty good about themselves. With that said, there are still a few things that the team needs to work on such as staying out of the box, not allowing high quality scoring chances and getting scoring from their second line.
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Tags: Artem+Anisimov, Brandon+Dubinsky, Brandon+Prust, Calgary+Flames, Dan+Girardi, Edmonton+Oilers, Henrik+Lundqvist, Marian+Gaborik, New+York+Rangers, Ryan+Callahan, Ryan+McDonagh, Toronto+Maple+Leafs, Winnipeg+Jets,
Always Consistent
by Patrick Hoffman on 10/19/11 at 08:20 AM ET
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Those two words describe New York Rangers’ goaltender Henrik Lundqvist’s play as a Blueshirt since joining the National Hockey League in the 2005-06 season.
He showed that once again last night with a 40-save shutout performance of the Vancouver Canucks, helping lead the Rangers to their first victory of the season. It only made sense that he was the story of the game because since joining the league, he has been the franchises’s best player.
In last night’s 4-0 win, Lundqvist was calm, cool, and collected under pressure. He did a solid job of controlling rebounds, challenging shooters and making himself look big to some of the league’s best shooters in Henrik and Daniel Sedin, Ryan Kesler, Alex Burrows, Sami Salo and many others on the Canucks.
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Tags: Brad+Richards, Brian+Boyle, Calgary+Flames, Derek+Stepan, Henrik+Lundqvist, Marian+Gaborik, Michael+Rupp, New+York+Rangers, Ryan+McDonagh, Vancouver+Canucks,
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’s Just One Game
by Patrick Hoffman on 10/07/11 at 03:00 PM ET
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I’m not going to lie: I did not watch the New York Rangers lose 3-2 to the Los Angeles Kings in overtime today. I was/am at work so instead, I simply followed the box score.
Based on the box score and various Twitter feeds, the Rangers were not great in this game. They were badly outplayed in the first period and really did not wake up until the third period. The team also took a bad penalty that allowed the Kings to score a power play goal in overtime to end the game.
With that said, it looks like team captain Ryan Callahan had a great game, getting 11 shots on goal and scoring his first of the season. It was also nice to see Marian Gaborik get on the board with a goal on an assist from new Rangers’ forward Brad Richards.
It also appears that Henrik Lundqvist was himself in net and did everything he could to get the team two points. That will more than likely be the case throughout the season.
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Tags: Anaheim+Ducks, Brad+Richards, Henrik+Lundqvist, Los+Angeles+Kings, Marian+Gaborik, New+York+Rangers, Ryan+Callahan,
Something to Look Forward to?
by Patrick Hoffman on 09/23/11 at 08:58 PM ET
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That is the question after tonight’s 4-3 preseason win for the New York Rangers over the New Jersey Devils.
Just look at this Brad Richards had a goal and an assist. Marain Gaborik had a goal and an assist and Wojtek Wolski had an assist.
If you’re good at math, that’s five points for the team’s potential No. 1 line. Yes, it is preseason but it makes one curious to see if it will be that way in the regular season.
This is what the Rangers will need to happen night in and night out in the regular season. The team needs a line that can contribute on a nightly basis, make the big play when they need it and produce.
Other than that, tonight’s tilt was just a game where both teams were trying to their game in order, which is to be expected in pre-season hockey. With that said however, it was a very exciting third period and one that should have both team’s fans excited for the upcoming season.
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Tags: Brad+Richards, Marian+Gaborik, New+Jersey+Devils, New+York+Rangers, Wojtek+Wolski,
A Good Start For The Team’s Potential No.1 Line
by Patrick Hoffman on 09/18/11 at 10:35 AM ET
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This can be said when it comes to the New York Rangers’ line of Wojtek Wolski, Brad Richards and Marian Gaborik.
According to team beat writers, the trio clicked in the first scrimmage between Team Red and Team Green. Team Red, consisting of the team’s potential No. 1 line and others, won 4-2 as Wolski, Richards and Gaborik had a hand in all four goals.
Rangers’ beat writer Andrew Gross reported that Gaborik scored two goals while Wolski had a goal and three assists. Yes, it is only a scrimmage but it is still nice to see a potential No. 1 line having success early on in training camp.
Again, it is very early on but this line has the potential to be extremely dangerous if given the chance to do so in the regular season. It has all the tools to succeed including a sniper, a setup man, and someone who is extremely gifted with the puck.
Gaborik would obviously be the sniper on the line. In his first full season as a Blueshirt, he scored over 40 goals. Now that he has a No.1 center, he could possibly beat that mark this upcoming season.
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Tags: Brad+Richards, Marian+Gaborik, New+York+Rangers, Training+Camp, Wojtek+Wolski,
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,
Managing Expectations
by Patrick Hoffman on 08/30/11 at 03:44 PM ET
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This is something that New York Rangers’ fans must learn to do prior to the start of the regular season because if they do not, they could end up being disappointed in the long run.
I am not saying this to be downer. Instead, I want Rangers’ fans to take a realistic approach to the season because while the team does look solid on paper, it does not necessarily mean that it will translate over well onto the ice.
For starters, fans need to be realistic about Brad Richards. Yes, he is going to produce and yes, he is going to play in all situations but the team did not bring him in to be Marian Gaborik’s savior. Rather, the team got him to be their No. 1 center for the foreseeable future.
Secondly, fans cannot want to boo Gaborik if he does not get going early on in the season. With Gaborik, fans need to practice patience because in the end, this could end up being a very big season for the third-year Blueshirt.
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Tags: Brad+Richards, Marian+Gaborik, New+York+Rangers, Rangers+Fans,
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,
Liking This Team
by Patrick Hoffman on 07/29/11 at 06:55 PM ET
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If you are a New York Rangers’ fan, this is how you should feel about the hockey club they love.
Overall, this team has had a really good summer. First off, the team went out and signed the top unrestricted free agent on the market in Brad Richards. With a nine-year pact, Richards is going to have to be a big part of the team’s future and will also be in charge of getting Marian Gaborik going again.
Secondly, the team locked up its two best young players in Brandon Dubinsky and Ryan Callahan. Last week, the team locked up Dubinsky for four years and just two days ago, the team signed Callahan to a three-year pact. Both of this guys are leaders on and off the ice while one is certainly captain material in Callahan. These two will be expected to carry the Blueshirts into the future and to make them a competitive hockey club for the next few seasons.
Lastly, look at what the team had coming into this season. Players like Henrik Lundqvist, Marc Staal, Dan Girardi, Marian Gaborik, Brian Boyle, Brandon Prust, Derek Stepan, Artem Anisimov, and more. These players, or at least most of them, are young and still have a lot to offer the Blueshirts.
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Tags: Artem+Anisimov, Artem+Anisimov, Brad+Richards, Brandon+Dubinsky, Brandon+Prust, Brian+Boyle, Dan+Girardi, Derek+Stepan, Henrik+Lundqvist, Marc+Staal, Marian+Gaborik, New+York+Rangers, Ryan+Callahan,
Slipping Away
by Patrick Hoffman on 04/21/11 at 08:43 AM ET
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That is what the New York Rangers did last night with their first round series against the Washington Capitals.
With a 3-0 lead heading into the third period, the Blueshirts allowed the Capitals to not only get back into the game and tie it a 3-3 in the third period, but then let it get away when the Capitals scored in the second overtime to defeat the Rangers 4-3.
This was a game that the Rangers had. They had scored two quick goals on the Capitals in the seciond period to make it 3-0 and were in control of the game heading into the final period.
Unfortunately, the team that skated in the first two periods failed to show up in the third period and the Capitals were able to walk all over the Blueshirts. Had it not been for the great goaltending of Henrik Lundqvist, the Capitals could have ended this game in regulation or even in the first overtime period.
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Tags: Henrik+Lundqvist, Jason+Chimera, Marian+Gaborik, New+York+Rangers, Washington+Capitals,
Rangers Back in The Series
by Patrick Hoffman on 04/17/11 at 07:38 PM ET
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Simply put, this afternoon’s Game 3 was one that the New York Rangers absolutely had to have against the Washington Capitals.
Luckily, the Blueshirts were able to pull out a gutsy 3-2 victory thanks to a late goal by Brandon Dubinsky. It’s a goal that makes the series 2-1 instead of 3-0 and one that gives the Rangers a huge opportunity come Wednesday night at Madison Square Garden.
Prior to the Dubinsky goal, this seemed like another game that was destined for overtime. Mike Knuble knotted up the game at 2-2 on the power play when Marian Gaborik took a bad cross checking penalty.
This was a game where the Rangers were finally able to generate some scoring chances and get pucks through to Capitals’ netminder Michal Neuvirth. With that said, it seemed like most of the team’s good shots came during the many power play opportunities they were given, with only Erik Christensen able to cash in on one.
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Tags: Brandon+Dubinsky, Erik+Christensen, Henrik+Lundqvist, Marian+Gaborik, Michal+Neuvirth, New+York+Rangers, Washington+Capitals,
Turning Up the Offense
by Patrick Hoffman on 04/14/11 at 04:00 PM ET
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Over at RLD Hockey today, I discussed why the New York Rangers really need to get their offense going against the Washington Capitals if they have any hopes of getting out of the first round.
You can click here or continue below.
Blueshirts Need More Offense
By Patrick Hoffman
Everyone knows that come playoff time in the National Hockey League, goals are harder to come by. When you are a team that does not have a pure finisher, it is even harder to put the puck in the net. This is what happened in Game 1 between the New York Rangers and Washington Capitals, which was won by the Caps 2-1 in overtime.
The score sheet may say that the Rangers had 25 shots, but it certainly did not seem that way. The team had trouble generating quality scoring chances and whenever they did manage to get an open shot on Capitals netminder Michael Neuvirth, either Neuvirth was there to stop the puck or the Blueshirts’ missed the net entirely.
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Tags: Marian+Gaborik, Michal+Neuvirth, New+York+Rangers, 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,
Well Deserved Playoff Berth and What They Need to do to Win
by Patrick Hoffman on 04/10/11 at 12:19 PM ET
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This can definitely be said when it comes to this year’s New York Rangers.
It was a roller coaster season for the Blueshirts that featured lots of injuries, some untimely losses as well as some inconsisten play. With that said, however, there was a lot more good than bad from the Rangers this season, which is why there is a possibility that they can make a long run in this year’s postseason.
To beat the No. 1 seed Washington Capitals, you have to first look at Rangers’ netminder Henrik Lundqvist. It is more than likely that Lundqvist will face a barrage of shot in the first round from the likes of Alexander Ovechkin, Alex Semin, Nicklas Backstrom, Jason Arnott, Mike Knuble, Mike Green, John Carlson and others. Luckily for the Rangers’, Henrik was quite good against the Capitals this season in shutting them out twice and winning another.
The team will also need to get timely goal scoring. Guys like Brandon Dubinsky, Marian Gaborik, Vinny Prospal, Artem Anisimov, Derek Stepan, Brian Boyle and even Brandon Prust will have to do everything they can to put the puck in the net.
This is especially true because the team will be without their heart and soul player, Ryan Callahan. Callahan was instrumental on the team’s power play, penalty kill and knew how to score when the team needed it the most. Certainly a big piece of the puzzle to replace at such an important time.
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Tags: Alexander+Ovechkin, Alex+Semin, Artem+Anisimov, Brandon+Dubinsky, Brandon+Prust, Brian+Boyle, Dan+Girardi, Derek+Stepan, Henrik+Lundqvist, Jason+Arnott, John+Carlson, Marian+Gaborik, Mike+Green, Mike+Knuble, New+York+Rangers, Nicklas+Bakcstrom, Vinny+Prospal, Washington+Capitals,
The Rangers Can Put the Puck in the Net
by Patrick Hoffman on 03/29/11 at 09:45 AM ET
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Earlier today, our fearless leader pointed out an article that shows that despite their win-loss record, the New York Rangers have been a more than solid hockey club this season.
The author, Michael Salfino, could not be more right and to prove his point, he showed that the Blueshirts have the fourth best goal differential in the league. Despite having a sniper who is underachieving somewhat in Marian Gaborik, the Rangers have shown that they can put the puck in the net this season.
For starters, the team has five players who have 20 goals or more. Ryan Callahan (23), Brandon Dubinsky (22), Marian Gaborik (22), Brian Boyle (21) and rookie Derek Stepan have all hit the 20-goal plateau this season. Artem Anisimov could be next to hit the 20-goal mark as he has 18 goals on the season.
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Tags: Artem+Anisimov, Brandon+Dubinsky, Brian+Boyle, Derek+Stepan, Marian+Gaborik, New+York+Rangers, Ryan+Callahan,
