Goal Line Report
Entries with the tag: Marian+Gaborik
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,
Rangers Blank Panthers in Big Win on Garden Ice
by Patrick Hoffman on 03/22/11 at 08:40 PM ET
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It certainly wasn’t the most exciting hockey game but the New York Rangers did what they needed to do in shutting out the Florida Panthers by a score of at Madsion Square Garden.
The win gives the Blueshirts points 83 and 84, is their fifth straight victory and also marks Henrik Lundqvist’s 10th shutout of the season as well as his 32nd win on the year. All big things happening for the Blueshirts right now and with the way the team is playing, it is certainly well deserved.
The Blueshirts had plenty of scoring chances throughout the game but Panthers’ netminder Tomas Vokoun was up to the task time and time again. That is, until Rangers’ forward Brandon Dubinsky put in a great pass from Ryan Callahan and gave the Rangers a 1-0 lead close to eight minutes into the third period.
The team also got strong performances from the line of Brandon Prust-Brian Boyle-Ruslan Fedotenko as that line peppered Vokoun all night long, forechecked hard, generated scoring chances and play well on both sides of the puck. Marian Gaborik also had another strong night as he had four shots on goal, showed a lot of speed and looked more and more like the Gaborik of last season.
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Tags: Brandon+Dubinsky, Brandon+Prust, Buffalo+Sabres+and+Montreal+Canadiens, Carolina+Hurricanes, Dan+Boyle, Florida+Panthers, Henrik+Lundqvist, Marian+Gaborik, New+York+Rangers, Ottawa+Senators, Ruslan+Fedotenko, Ryan+Callahan, Tomas+Vokoun,
Goals A Plenty in Rangers’ 6-3 Win over the Canadiens
by Patrick Hoffman on 03/19/11 at 12:14 PM ET
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This may be hard to believe but the New York Rangers’ have won three straight home games by outscoring their opponents by a 19-6 margin.
The Rangers’ latest victim was the Montreal Canadiens in a 6-3 victory. The team scored five goals in the first period with five different goal scorers in Artem Anisimov, Dan Girardi, Ryan Callahan, Marian Gaborik, and Brian Boyle. Vinny Prospal scored the team’s sixth and final goal in the third period.
With the win, the Rangers hit the 80-point mark and remain four points up on the eighth place Buffalo Sabres and Carolina Hurricanes, who had a huge OT win over the New York Islanders last night.
For a team that struggles with offense, they certainly know how to beat up on team’s when given the opportunity to do so. Last night, the team took advantage of a Montreal Canadiens’ team that played the night before against the Tampa Bay Lightning and a somewhat tired Carey Price, who was yanked after allowing the fifth Rangers’ goal. It certainly was not Price’s fault as he had no help out there.
The team also got a strong performance from goaltender Henrik Lundqvist, who picked up his sixth consecutive 30-win season. With the 30th win, Lundqvist became the first goalie in NHL history to 30 or more games in his first six seasons in the league.
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Tags: Artem+Anisimov, Benoit+Pouliot, Brian+Boyle, Buffalo+Sabres, Carey+Price, Carolina+Hurricanes, Dan+Girardi, Evgeni+Malkin, Henrik+Lundqvist, Marian+Gaborik, Montreal+Canadiens, New+York+Rangers, Philadelphia+Flyers, Pittsburgh+Penguins, Ryan+Callahan, Sidney+Crosby, Vinny+Prospal, Washington+Capitals,
Big Win for the Blueshirts
by Patrick Hoffman on 03/15/11 at 10:53 PM ET
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Tonight’s game between the New York Rangers and the New York Islanders was one that the Blueshirts needed to have on home ice.
Mission accomplished. The Blueshirts came out and beat the Islanders by a score of 6-3 and picked up points 77 and 78 on the season.
Believe it or not, the Rangers got three power play goals and a shorthanded goal tonight. Erik Christensen, Bryan McCabe (his first as a Ranger) and Marian Gaborik all connected with the man-advantage while Brandon Prust picked up the shorthanded goal in the first period to give his team a 1-0 lead.
With the win, the Rangers now have sole possession of the seventh spot in the Eastern Conference as the Carolina Hurricanes shutout the Buffalo Sabres by a score of 1-0.
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Tags: Brandon+Prust, Bryan+McCabe, Buffalo+Sabres, Carolina+Hurricanes, Erik+Christensen, Henrik+Lundqvist, Marian+Gaborik, Montreal+Canadiens, New+York+Islanders, New+York+Rangers, Pittsburgh+Penguins,
Rangers Set to Go Shark Hunting
by Patrick Hoffman on 03/12/11 at 09:23 PM ET
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If you’re still up at 10:30 p.m. tonight, I hope you hockey/New York Rangers’ fans will tune into tonight’s game between the Blueshirts and the San Jose Sharks.
After losing to the Anaheim Ducks on Wednesday night and having a few days off, the Blueshirts find themselves in tied for seventh/eighth in the Eastern Conference with the Buffalo Sabres. Unfortunately, the Rangers are also just two points up on the ninth place Carolina Hurricanes, making tonight’s tilt with the Sharks even more important.
Over at The Rangers Tribune, Nicholas Montemagno wrote about how he agrees with Rangers’ beat writer Larry Brooks on having team head coach John Tortorella unleash sniper Marian Gaborik. I could not agree more as it is imperative that Gaborik gets his offense going as now is not the time in the season to struggle offensively.
I also agree with head coach Tortorella when he says that it is all about the Henrik Lundqvist show now. Lundqvist needs to bring his A-game the rest of the way if the Rangers want to have any chance of getting into the playoffs. Lundqvist has been quite good over his last few games so hopefully, he will be able to keep it up down the stretch.
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Tags: Anaheim+Ducks, Artem+Anisimov, Brandon+Dubinsky, Buffalo+Sabres, Carolina+Hurricanes, Dan+Girardi, Henrik+Lundqvist, John+Tortorella, Marc+Staal, Marian+Gaborik, Mats+Zuccarello, Mike+Sauer, New+York+Rangers, Ryan+Callahan, Ryan+McDonagh, San+Jose+Sharks, Vaclav+Prospal,
Stay The Course Against Anaheim
by Patrick Hoffman on 03/08/11 at 06:30 PM ET
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At this point of the NHL season, every single game matters if you are a team that is fighting for one of eight spots in either the Eastern or Western Conference.
This statement should hit home for the New York Rangers. Going into their game tomorrow night with the Anaheim Ducks, the team holds the seventh spot in the Eastern Conference with 74 points. This puts the team just two points in front of the eighth place Buffalo Sabres and three points in front of the ninth place Carolina Hurricanes.
With the Sabres playing tonight and the Hurricanes playing tomorrow night, a lot can change prior to the Rangers’ tilt with the Ducks tomorrow night. With that in mind, the goal should be the same: get two points at all costs.
The Blueshirts clearly played with that attitude on Friday night against the Ottawa Senators and Sunday afternoon against the Philadelphia Flyers. The Blueshirts went on to outscore the Senators and Flyers by a combined score of 11-1.
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Tags: Anaheim+Ducks, Buffalo+Sabres, Carolina+Hurricanes, Henrik+Lundqvist, Los+Angeles+Kings, Marian+Gaborik, New+York+Rangers, Ottawa+Senators, Philadelphia+Flyers, Ryan+Callahan,
Rangers Set for Minnesota Wild
by Patrick Hoffman on 03/03/11 at 08:33 AM ET
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Once again, the New York Rangers head into tonight’s game with the Minnesota Wild at Madison Square Garden needing to come away with two points in order to separate themselves from the eighth and ninth seed in the Eastern Conference standings.
Unfortunately for the Blueshirts, both of those teams, the Carolina Hurricanes and Buffalo Sabres, play each other tonight so no matter what, someone is going to come away with two points and inch close to the Rangers. With that said, if the Blueshirts can come away with two points themselves, they will certainly be in better position and have a bit of insurance.
The Rangers need to come out and set the tone early. They need to throw the puck on net, finish their chances, protect the lead if they get one and do everything they possibly can to win a hockey game because if they cannot, they could be in trouble when they take on the Ottawa Senators tomorrow night in Ottawa and the Philadelphia Flyers at home on Sunday afternoon.
For the Rangers, it will be important that players such as Brandon Dubinsky, Ryan Callahan, Wojtek Wolski, Mats Zuccarello, Artem Anisimov, Brian Boyle and Vinny Prospal step up offensively. With Marian Gaborik still expected to be out of the lineup, these seem to be the guys that can put the puck in the net. Now, they need to do it on a consistent basis.
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Tags: Artem+Anisimov, Brandon+Dubinsky, Brian+Boyle, Buffalo+Sabres, Carolina+Hurricanes, Henrik+Lundqvist, Marian+Gaborik, Mats+Zuccarello, Minnesota+Wild, New+York+Rangers, Ottawa+Senators, Philadelphia+Flyers, Ryan+Callahan, Vinny+Prospal,
Rangers Set to Take on the Sabres
by Patrick Hoffman on 03/01/11 at 08:45 AM ET
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With the NHL Trade Deadline out of the way, it is time for the New York Rangers to focus on clinching a playoff spot in a very competitive Eastern Conference.
Tonight, the Blueshirts will take on the Buffalo Sabres at Madison Square Garden in an extremely important game for both clubs. The Rangers currently sit in the seventh spot in the conference with 70 points, just three points behind the sixth place Montreal Canadiens while the Buffalo Sabres are only two points behind the eighth-place Carolina Hurricanes.
With back-up goaltender Martin Biron out indefinitely due to a broken collarbone, it will be up to franchise goaltender Henrik Lundqvist to lead the team the rest of the way. Lundqvist has played well in his last three games and has given his hockey club a chance to win each one of them.
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Tags: Buffalo+Sabres, Carolina+Hurricanes, Henrik+Lundqvist, Marian+Gaborik, Martin+Biron, Montreal+Canadiens, New+York+Rangers,
Rangers’ Shutout Capitals for the Second Time in Big 6-0 Victory
by Patrick Hoffman on 02/25/11 at 09:32 PM ET
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Going into tonight’s game against the Washington Capitals, many New York Rangers’ pundits and fans did not know what to expect. Both parties worried about the team being without Marc Staal and Marian Gaborik as well as facing a potentially potent Capital’s offense.
May be this was a good thing as the Blueshirts dominated the Capitals on the scoreboardc in a 6-0 shutout victory. Believe it or not, this was the Rangers’ second shutout over the Capitals this season as the team shut them out back in December in a 7-0 romping.
Besides picking up the shutout, the best thing to come out of this game for the Rangers’ was their success on the power play. The team went 2-for-3 on the man advantage with goals from Erik Christensen (he had two goals and an assist in the game) and Derek Stepan. Believe it or not, the team’s power play has been a lot better of late and that is because they are being more aggresive and throwing more pucks on the net. Hopefully this trend will continue for the Blueshirts.
Speaking of Christensen, he played like a man on a mission tonight. He had three points, was around the net a lot, he had four shots on goal, played on the power play and was effective. Rangers’ head coach John Tortorella needs more of this from Christensen as the team continues to build their playoff push.
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Tags: Carolina+Hurricanes, Dan+Girardi, Derek+Stepan, Erik+Christensen, Henrik+Lundqvist, John+Tortorella, Marc+Staal, Marian+Gaborik, Michael+Sauer, Montreal+Canadiens, New+York+Rangers, Ryan+McDonagh, Tampa+Bay+Lightning, Washington+Capitals,
Four Points On the Line This Weekend/Staal Injury Update
by Patrick Hoffman on 02/25/11 at 08:45 AM ET
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UPDATE: From Andrew Gross via Twitter:
Staal out Fedotenko in McDonagh paired with Girardi tonight for Rangers.
From Earlier: The New York Rangers are back in action tonight in Washington against the Washington Capitals after defeating the Carolina Hurricanes 4-3 in a shootout on Tuesday night.
It does not have to be said that this is once again a big game for the Blueshirts. The Rangers still sit in the seventh spot in the Eastern Conference, three points ahead of the eighth place Carolina Hurricanes and six points ahead of the ninth place Buffalo Sabres.
At the other end, the Capitals are currently fifth in the East with 74 points and are just three poitns behind the Southeast Division leading Tampa Bay Lightning. As such, this game is just as important to the Capitals as it is to the Blueshirts.
The Blueshirts will be without Marian Gaborik this wekend as it is believed he suffered a concussion sometime before playing against the Philadelphia Flyers last Sunday afternoon at Madison Square Garden. Andrew Gross of Ranger Rants said the following regarding Gaborik:
Marian Gaborik (concussion) has reported he’s feeling better but there’s no timetable for his return. Gaborik did undergo blood work back in New York to see if there were any “deficiencies,” though Tortorella wasn’t exactly clear on what deficiencies they might be testing for.
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Tags: Andrew+Gross, Buffalo+Sabres, Carolina+Hurricanes, Marc+Staal, Marian+Gaborik, New+York+Rangers, Ranger+Rants, Ruslan+Fedotenko, Tampa+Bay+Lightning, Washington+Capitals,
Time to Get The Rangers’ Offense Going
by Patrick Hoffman on 02/22/11 at 08:45 AM ET
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It seems like this has been a key theme for the New York Rangers during the second half of the NHL season.
Unfortunately, the Blueshirts have had trouble doing so on a consistent basis, which will need to change fast especially if the team finds out Marian Gaborik will be out of the lineup for a bit (should know more today). Tonight, the team will need to start up its offense against the eighth place Carolina Hurricanes in Carolina tonight.
The Hurricanes are just two points behind the Rangers in the Eastern Conference standings and are 15-10-3 on home ice this season. With that said, the Rangers will have a hill to climb tonight if they want to get two points before taking on the Washington Capitals on Friday night.
As I mentioned up top, this team needs to start scoring goals. The Blueshirts need guys like Brandon Dubinsky, Ryan Callahan, Wojtek Wolski, Artem Anisimov, Brian Boyle, and Vinny Prospal to all start putting the puck in the net with regularity.
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Tags: Artem+Anisimov, Brandon+Dubinsky, Brian+Boyle, Carolina+Hurricanes, Jim+Cerny, John+Tortorella, Marian+Gaborik, New+York+Rangers, Ryan+Callahan, Vinny+Prospal, Wojtek+Wolski,
Gaborik Update: Disappointing 4-2 loss for the Rangers
by Patrick Hoffman on 02/20/11 at 03:23 PM ET
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Marian Gaborik Update: From NBC’s NHL Extra Twitter Account:
An update on Marian Gaborik from earlier today, he left the game with a concussion.
From Earlier: In a game in which the New York Rangers outshot the Philadelphia Flyers 39-24, the Blueshirts managed to lose the game 4-2 at Madison Square Garden this afternoon.
A lot of credit has to be given to Flyers’ netminder Brian Boucher. Boucher was on top of his game in making 37 saves and was especially big in the third period when he stopped 14 of 15 Ranger shots.
With that said, however, this game was once again a perfect example of how the Blueshirts still lack some finish to their game. In the third period, Rangers’ forward Artem Anisimov could not get his stick on a cross crease pass on what could have been an easy goal.
Overall, it wasn’t a terrible game for the Blueshirts. They put plenty of pressure in the Flyers’ zone, put plenty of pucks on net but just couldn’t get the goal that mattered in the third period.
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Tags: Artem+Anisimov, Atlanta+Thrashers, Brian+Boucher, Buffalo+Sabres, Carolina+Hurricanes, Marian+Gaborik, New+York+Rangers, Philadelphia+Flyers, Tampa+Bay+Lightning, Washington+Capitals,
Another Big Victory for the Blueshirts
by Patrick Hoffman on 02/18/11 at 08:00 AM ET
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Good morning folks. It was great to come home from hockey last night and see that the New York Rangers came away with a big 4-3 shootout victory over the Los Angeles Kings at Madison Square Garden.
Reading what beat writers had to say about the big two points, it was nice to see that guys like Ryan Callahan (1 goal and 1 assist), Marian Gaborik (1 goal) and Brandon Dubinsky (1 assist) all stepped up their games and played the way they should play in a playoff run: like the team’s best players.
It was also nice that Henrik Lundqvist picked up his 200th career victory. For someone who isn’t even 29 years old yet (will be in early March), it is quite impressive and also makes you wonder if that win total would be even higher if he were with a somewhat more talented hockey club. I guess that really does not matter so it’s great that our franchise netminder is getting the job done.
With the win, the team now has 66 points and is up four points over the eighth place Carolina Hurricanes and three points behind the sixth place Montreal Canadiens. The win was also important because the team still has two games to play in three days.
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Tags: Brandon+Dubinsky, Henrik+Lundqvist, John+Tortorella, Los+Angeles+Kings, Marian+Gaborik, Martin+Biron, New+Jersey+Devils, New+York+Rangers, Philadelphia+Flyers, Ryan+Callahan,
Getting Off to a Good Start
by Patrick Hoffman on 02/17/11 at 08:53 AM ET
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After going three days without a game after defeating the Pittsburgh Penguins by a score of 5-3, the New York Rangers will be back in action tonight at Madison Square Garden against the Los Angeles Kings.
Both of these clubs are in the midst of a playoff race as the Blueshirts currently sit in the seventh spot in the eastern Conference while the Kings sit in the ninth spot in the Western Conference. The margin of error for each team is extremely small as the Rangers are only four points ahead of the ninth place Buffalo Sabres and Atlanta Thrashers while the Kings are just one point out of the eighth and final spot in the West.
With that said, tonight’s game is extremely important for both teams, especially the Rangers who will begin a span of three games in four days against solid hockey teams in the Kings, New Jersey Devils and Philadelphia Flyers. It is crucial that the Rangers get off to a good start and get as many points as possible so that come April, they’ll be in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
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Tags: Atlanta+Thrashers, Buffalo+Sabres, John+Tortorella, Kris+Newbury, Los+Angeles+Kings, Marian+Gaborik, Michael+Del+Zotto, New+York+Rangers, Steve+Eminger, Wojtek+Wolski,
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