Goal Line Report
Entries with the tag: Martin+Biron
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,
The One That Got Away
by Patrick Hoffman on 02/01/12 at 09:02 AM ET
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Looking back at last night’s tilt between the New York Rangers and New Jersey Devils, it was a game that the Rangers should have come away with two points.
The Blueshirts had three 1-goal leads that they let slip away in a 4-3 shootout loss at the Prudential Center. While these things happen in hockey, they are things that could have been prevented with better defensive coverage in the Rangers’ zone.
On both the Devils’ second goal and tying goal in the game, the Rangers appeared to be lost in their own zone. It should also be noted that Devils’ sniper Ilya Kovalchuk should never be given that much room in the offensive zone.
With that said, it was not a terrible game for the Blueshirts. They showed some offense and with better defensive coverage in their own zone in the third period, could have easily come away with their third straight victory.
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Tags: Buffalo+Sabres, Ilya+Kovalchuk, Martin+Biron, Martin+Brodeur, Montreal+Canadiens, New+Jersey+Devils, New+York+Rangers, Prudential+Center,
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 Impressive in Shutout win over the Leafs
by Patrick Hoffman on 01/14/12 at 09:57 PM ET
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It may not have been the most exciting game but the New York Rangers got the job done tonight with a win over the Toronto Maple Leafs.
For the Rangers, it was important for the club to get their offense going and for the most part, the team did just that tonight with goals from guys who do not score many of them (except for one guy). The Blueshirts got goals from Mike Rupp (4th goal of the season), Brian Boyle (his first goal in 22 games and 3rd goal of the season) and Derek Stepan (10th goal of the season and an assist).
Rangers’ netminder Martin Biron also had a solid game for his hockey club tonight. Biron picked-up his second shutout and 9th win of the season. While he was not bombarded with shots, Biron was good when he needed to be in making 19 saves and also adding his third assist of the season on Stepan’s goal.
With the win, the Rangers improved to 28-10-4 with 60 points. That has them first in the Eastern Conference (three points ahead of the Boston Bruins) and as of this writing, first in the NHL, one point ahead of the Vancouver Canucks.
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Tags: Bell+Centre, Boston+Bruins, Brian+Boyle, Derek+Stepan, Henrik+Lundqvist, Joffrey+Lupul, Martin+Biron, Mike+Rupp, Mikhail+Grabovski, Montreal+Canadiens, New+York+Rangers, Phil+Kessel, Toronto+Maple+Leafs, Vancouver+Canucks,
Rangers In Toronto to Battle the Leafs
by Patrick Hoffman on 01/14/12 at 02:56 PM ET
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Coming off a 3-0 shutout loss to the Ottawa Senators, the New York Rangers will look to turn things around tonight against the Toronto Maple Leafs at the Air Canada Centre.
For the Rangers, their focus has to be on getting pucks to the net and making most of their chances. In their last two games, the team has scored just one goal in regulation while not being able to convert on many scoring opportunities.
The Blueshirts will be without forward Brandon Dubinsky once again tonight as he is nursing a sore shoulder. The team head coach, John Tortorella, wants to be careful with “Dubi” because he knows that they cannot afford to have him out of the lineup for an extended period of time.
“It’s still the same,” coach John Tortorella said of Dubinsky’s shoulder, which was initially hurt on a check by the Coyotes’ Taylor Pyatt in the first period of Tuesday’s 2-1 shootout victory, though Dubinsky finished that game. “We just don’t want it to turn into a bigger problem…We’re just trying to be careful.”
According to Andrew Gross of The Record, back-up netminder Martin Biron will get the start tonight for the Blueshirts. Biron will be looking for his ninth win of the season and more importantly, getting the Rangers back on the winning track.
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Tags: Boston+Bruins, Brandon+Dubinsky, Eastern+Conference, John+Tortorella, Martin+Biron, New+York+Rangers, Phoenix+Coyotes, Taylor+Pyatt, Toronto+Maple+Leafs,
How About Six?
by Patrick Hoffman on 01/12/12 at 09:32 AM ET
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That is what the New York Rangers will be looking to do tonight against the hot Ottawa Senators.
The Blueshirts have won five in a row and are currently playing a great brand of hockey. The club is getting timely goal scoring, great defense and excellent goaltending from both Henrik Lundqvist and Martin Biron.
The team is also showing that they can win hockey games in many different ways. The Blueshirts can take a team down in regulation, overtime, or a shootout while also being able to come from behind or hold a lead going into the third period.
On the other side, the Ottawa Senators are also playing some great hockey. In their last 10 games, the team is 7-2-1 in their last 10 games and has won two straight. Through 44 games, the Senators are 23-15-6, which is good for fifth in the Eastern Conference.
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Tags: Atlantic+Division, Eastern+Conference, Henrik+Lundqvist, Martin+Biron, Montreal+Canadies, New+York+Rangers, NHL, Northeast+Division, Ottawa+Senators, Toronto+Maple+Leafs,
Rangers 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,
Average
by Patrick Hoffman on 12/29/11 at 09:33 AM ET
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That is exactly what the New York Rangers were last night in their 4-1 loss to the Washington Capitals.
The team was not terrible but they certainly were not great either. This was a game that with better defensive coverage and less turnovers could have easily been a much better game for the Blueshirts.
What was interesting to see was how the Capitals played. Their team certainly played with a lot of energy and may have even looked like the Capitals of old.
With that said, the chances were there for the Rangers’ taking. There were plenty of juicy rebounds left by Capital’s netminder Tomas Vokoun but the Blueshirts failed to cash in on them.
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Tags: Boston+Bruins, Eastern+Conference, Florida+Panthers, Henrik+Lundqvist, John+Tortorella, Martin+Biron, New+York+Rangers, Philadelphia+Flyers, Phoenix+Coyotes, Tomas+Vokoun, Washington+Capitals,
It’s Deja Vu all Over Again
by Patrick Hoffman on 12/26/11 at 10:23 AM ET
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It appears to be that way as just like the New York Rangers did last week, they will be taking on the New York Islanders again tonight at Madison Square Garden.
The Blueshirts are coming off a week in which they picked up six points with three victories over teams in their division. The team beat the New Jersey Devils, New York Islanders and Philadelphia Flyers last week to help move the team to first place in the Atlantic Division and second place in the Eastern Conference.
With games on Wednesday (at the Washington Capitals) and Friday (at the Florida Panthers), it will be interesting to see how team head coach John Tortorella uses his goaltenders. It is not out of the question that Tortorella uses netminder Martin Biron tonight against the Islanders and then uses Henrik Lundqvist for the next three games against the Capitals, Panthers and of course, the Flyers at the 2012 Winter Classic.
Other than that, there is not too much else going on in Rangerland these days. The team is winning plenty of hockey games, battling through injuries and getting solid play from everyone on the team.
Hopefully, things will stay that way as the team begins an interesting seven days in which they could potentially pick-up eight points.
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Tags: 2012+Winter+Classic, Florida+Panthers, Henrik+Lundqvist, John+Tortorella, Martin+Biron, New+Jersey+Devils, New+York+Islanders, New+York+Rangers, Philadelphia+Flyers, Washington+Capitals,
Getting the Job Done
by Patrick Hoffman on 12/22/11 at 09:57 PM ET
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That is exactly what the New York Rangers did tonight in their 4-2 win over the New York Islanders.
The team got strong performances from the likes of Marian Gaborik (1 goal), Brandon Dubinsky (1 goal and 1 assist), Anton Stralman (2 assists), and netminder Martin Biron (24 saves on 26 shots). With the win, the team improved to 20-8-4 on the season to move within two points of the Eastern Conference-leading Philadelphia Flyers, who the team will take on tomorrow night at Madison Square Garden.
Believe it or not, it was important for the Blueshirts to win tonight’s tilt. This game could have easily been a “trap game” for the Rangers and one that they would somehow find a way to lose. Instead, the team played hard, battled to the end, showed that they have depth and picked up two important points in the standings.
The club also showed just how lucky they are to have a goaltender like Biron. Biron is one of the league’s best back-ups and because he has played so well this season (7-1, 1.84 goals against average, .933 save percentage and 1 shutout), it gives team head coach John Tortorella to rest starting netminder Henrik Lundqvist more, which will be extremely important come April.
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Tags: Anton+Stralman, Brandon+Dubinsky, Henrik+Lundqvist, John+Tortorella, Marian+Gaborik, Martin+Biron, New+York+Islanders, New+York+Rangers, Philadelphia+Flyers, Stu+Bickel, Winter+Classic,
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,
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,
No Lundqvist Tonight for the Blueshirts
by Patrick Hoffman on 11/19/11 at 01:58 PM ET
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According to Andrew Gross at Ranger Rants, The New York Rangers will start goaltender Martin Biron tonight against the Montreal Canadiens at the Bell Centre.
Marty Biron, from Lac St. Charles, Que. said it’s “always special” to play in the Bell Centre but not just for a “French-Canadian kid.” He talked about the history of the building, the Original Six matchup, the games he’s played in Montreal, including a playoff run with the Flyers. He also talked about his teammates saying they have full confidence in him, saying it was a “partnership” among all the players, that he had confidence in the defensemen, the defensemen had confidence in the forwards, etc.
Coach John Tortorella, asked about playing Biron tonight, which means Henrik Lundqvist will have a minimum of eight days between starts, said it was Biron’s turn and he also worried about resting Biron too long. Biron’s last game was a 3-0 win over the Jets on Nov. 6. Tortorella said it had nothing to do with Lundqvist’s struggles in the Bell Centre.
Here is some more good stuff on the Rangers’ back-up netminder.
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Tags: Henrik+Lundqvist, Martin+Biron, Montreal+Canadiens, New+York+Rangers,
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 Extend Winning Streak To Three
by Patrick Hoffman on 11/06/11 at 10:09 AM ET
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The New York Rangers used a 3-goal first period to defeat the Montreal Canadiens by a score of 5-3 at Madison Square Garden last night.
Knowing that the Canadiens had played on Friday night against the Ottawa Senators, the Blueshirts came out and took advantage of a tired Canadiens’ team. The team got goals from Erik Christensen, Dan Girardi and a terrific goal from Michael Del Zotto to go up 3-0.
After that, the Canadiens found their legs and made it an interesting hockey game by cutting the lead to 3-2. However, instead of giving up the lead entirely, Rangers’ center Brad Richards came through and scored to make it 4-2 off a great shot from the slot, a place he has scored all his goals from this season.
While the Canadiens did end up cutting the lead to 4-3 late in the third period, Ryan Callahan sealed the game with an empty net goal. For the Rangers, it was there third straight win and more importantly, third straight win on Garden ice as the team improved its home record to 3-1-1.
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Tags: Brad+Richards, Dan+Girardi, Erik+Christensen, John+Tortorella, Martin+Biron, Michael+Del+Zotto, Montreal+Canadiens, New+York+Rangers, Ryan+Callahan, Sean+Avery, Winnipeg+Jets,
Staying Consistent
by Patrick Hoffman on 11/03/11 at 08:11 AM ET
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This is something the New York Rangers need to do in order to be successful and win hockey games this season.
With that in mind, Rangers’ bench boss John Tortorella will be sticking with the same lineup that won on Monday night against the San Jose Sharks tonight when his team takes on the Anaheim Ducks at Madison Square Garden. For the Blueshirts, that would be something consistent and something that they would hope to sustain.
What this does mean is that Rangers’ pest Sean Avery will not be playing tonight for the Blueshirts. This is understandable considering how the team played in its 5-2 win over the Sharks as it would not make much sense for Tortorella to change things when the team played well with a particular lineup.
The Rangers need to build on their win from Monday night and continue to lay the same kind of hockey. That means getting the puck to the net, driving to the net, playing responsibly in their own end and staying out of the penalty box. For the Rangers, those things are a recipe for success.
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Tags: Anaheim+Ducks, Henrik+Lundqvist, John+Tortorella, Martin+Biron, Montreal+Canadiens, New+York+Rangers, Sean+Avery, Winnipeg+Jets,
A 60-minute Effort
by Patrick Hoffman on 11/01/11 at 10:31 AM ET
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That is exactly what the New York Rangers gave last night in their 5-2 win over the San Jose Sharks at Madison Square Garden.
For the first time on home ice this season, there was no third period let down, something the team struggled with in their losses to the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Ottawa Senators. Instead, the team’s hard-work and effort lasted the whole game as the the team picked up its first win on the Garden ice in this somewhat young season.
Team captain Ryan Callahan is starting to show his scoring touch as he picked up another two goals last night, giving him five on the season. He is also showing a knack for going hard to the net and being in the right place at the right time, something the team will need from him throughout the rest of the season.
The team also got strong games from Brandon Dubinsky (2 assists), Erik Christensen (2 assists), Dan Girardi (2 assists), and back-up netminder Martin Biron (24 saves), who improved his record to 2-0. It was easily the team’s most complete game of the season.
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Tags: Anaheim+Ducks, Brandon+Dubinsky, Dan+Girardi, Erik+Christensen, Martin+Biron, New+York+Rangers, Ottawa+Senators, Ryan+Callahan, San+Jose+Sharks, Toronto+Maple+Leafs,
Time to Go Home
by Patrick Hoffman on 10/25/11 at 08:05 AM ET
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That is probably what every New York Ranger player was saying last night after beating the Winnipeg Jets by a score of 2-1 and ending their seven game roadtrip.
For the Blueshirts, last night certainly was not pretty but because they got great goaltending from Martin Biron and some lucky bounces, the team was able to come away with the all important two points. With the win, the Rangers improved their record to 3-2-2 on the year.
Again, this was not a great game for the Blueshirts. There was not a whole lot of offense generated by the team and in the third period, they were running around in their own zone, causing a lot of scary moments for head coach John Tortorella.
With that said, it was still a win and a win that enabled them to go 3-1 on their Western Canada road trip. This trip has always hurt the Rangers’ in seasons past so that is definitely a positive.
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Tags: John+Tortorella, Martin+Biron, New+York+Rangers, Phil+Kessel, Toronto+Maple+Leafs, Winnipeg+Jets,
Time for Biron to Play
by Patrick Hoffman on 10/20/11 at 09:31 AM ET
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Even though New York Rangers’ netminder Henrik Lundqvist has been terrific to start the season, team head coach John Tortorella should consider giving backup goaltender Martin Biron a chance to play one of the three games coming up against the Calgary Flames, Edmonton Oilers, and the Winnipeg Jets.
On Twitter, there were rumors circulating that Biron might be starting tonight but considering that the morning skate has yet to take place, we probably will not know who is starting until early this afternoon.
With a healthy Biron, Tortorella needs to be willing to give him some playing time. The last thing the team needs is Lundqvist being overworked and tired heading into the Stanley Cup Playoffs come April.
Biron is a solid netminder who had a very good shortened season with the Blueshirts and showed the team and its fans that he can be relied on in big games if need be. He also showed the organization what it is like to have two good netminders on the team, something the Rangers had not had in the past few years.
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Tags: Calgary+Flames, Edmonton+Oilers, John+Tortorella, Martin+Biron, New+York+Rangers, Winnipeg+Jets,
Give Biron More Playing Time
by Patrick Hoffman on 08/29/11 at 05:38 PM ET
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That should be one of John Tortorella’s goals heading into the 2011-12 NHL season.
When healthy, Biron was terrific last season. In 17 games, Biron went 8-6 with a 2.13 goals against average and a .923 save percentage, which are much better numbers than what previous back-up netminders did under starter Henrik Lundqvist the last few seasons.
When talking about Biron, it is easy to suggest that he make 20-25 starts. He may be 34 years old but this is a netminder that stays in shape, can go long stretches playing in many games and more importantly, can win hockey games.
With that said, Tortorella also knows that he has an absolute workhorse in Lundqvist. Lundqvist is someone who wants to play every single game and if it were up to him, it would certainly be that way.
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Tags: Henrik+Lundqvist, John+Tortorella, Martin+Biron, New+York+Rangers,
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,
Goaltender Biron Injured
by Patrick Hoffman on 02/28/11 at 04:45 PM ET
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From Jesse Spector of the Daily News Twitter Feed:
Martin Biron has a broken collarbone and will be out indefinitely. Cam Talbot called up by NYR.
On his twitter account, Rangers’ beat writer for The Record, Andrew Gross, confirmed that Biron suffered the injury in practice today.
This is definitely bad news for the Blueshirts as Biron had been playing great as Henrik Lundqvist’s backup this season.
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Tags: Martin+Biron, New+York+Rangers,
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.
Filed in: | Goal Line Report | Permalink
Tags: Brandon+Dubinsky, Henrik+Lundqvist, John+Tortorella, Los+Angeles+Kings, Marian+Gaborik, Martin+Biron, New+Jersey+Devils, New+York+Rangers, Philadelphia+Flyers, Ryan+Callahan,
Biron the right man for the job
by Patrick Hoffman on 02/09/11 at 07:56 PM ET
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Over the past few seasons, goaltenders who filled in for New York Rangers’ starting netminder Henrik Lundvqist did not work out so well.
There was Steve Valiquette, who seemed to never be the same after allowing a 2-0 lead to slip away in Toronto to the Maple Leafs back in early November of 2008 and then faltered early in the 2009-10 season as well. Then, there was youngster Chad Johnson. Johnson was not terrible but was not ready to handle a full-time backup NHL goaltender role.
Today, the Blueshirts no longer have that problem as Martin Biron seems to be the right answer. In 17 games (15 games started) this season, Biron is a remarkable 8-6 with a 2.13 goals against average and a .923 save percentage. With statistics like those, it is no wonder that head coach John Tortorella is not afraid to give Biron back-to-back starts.
On Saturday and Monday, despite losing both games, Biron showed that he is more than capable of playing extremely well and giving his team every opportunity to win a hockey game. In Montreal on Saturday afternoon, Biron was solid in making 27 saves on 28 shots in a 1-0 loss to the Canadiens. On Monday night against the powerful Detroit Red Wings, he made 32 saves on 35 shots in being the team’s best player on the ice.
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Tags: Chad+Johnson, Henrik+Lundqvist, Martin+Biron, New+York+Rangers, Steve+Valiquette,
Power Play Hurts the Rangers in 3-2 loss to the Wings
by Patrick Hoffman on 02/07/11 at 10:40 PM ET
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New York Rangers’ fans probably figured that tonight’s game would come down to the team’s power play and they were certainly right.
Unfortunately for Blueshirt fans, the game did not end well as the team lost 3-2 to the Detroit Red Wings at the Joe Louis Arena while wasting a 5-on-3 turning into a 5-on-4 for the last few minutes of the hockey game. It was a game in which the Rangers’ fired 47 shots on Wings’ goaltender Jimmy Howard but could not get the one behind Howard that would tie the game.
You cannot blame this game on Rangers’ netminder Martin Biron. Biron was stellar between the pipes for the Blueshirts in making 32 saves and once again giving his team every opportunity to win a hockey game.
And yes, the team did get goals from Derek Stepan and Brandon Dubinsky but where was Marian Gaborik? Where was Wojtek Wolski? Where was Vinny Prospal? And again, where the heck was the power play?
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Tags: Atlanta+Thrashers, Brandon+Dubinsky, Derek+Stepan, Detroit+Red+Wings, Jimmy+Howard, John+Tortorella, Marian+Gaborik, Martin+Biron, New+York+Rangers, Vinny+Prospal, Wojtek+Wolski,
Tortorella has a Tough Goaltending Decision to Make For the Blueshirts
by Patrick Hoffman on 02/06/11 at 01:51 PM ET
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With New York Rangers’ netminder Henrik Lundqvist “struggling” a bit and Martin Biron playing extremely well yesterday afternoon against the Montreal Canadiens, it will be interesting to see who head coach John Tortorella decides to start in goal tomorrow night against the Detroit Red Wings.
It is very easy to make a case for both. Starting with Lundqvist, he is clearly one of the league’s best goalies and as a head coach, you want your best players to play against one of the best teams in the NHL.
Yes, Lundqvist has not been great in his last three or four games but he hasn’t exactly been terrible either. With him sitting out against the Canadiens, Lundqvist will more than likely return between the pipes and have a strong performance. What better team to do that against than the Detroit Red Wings?
As for Martin Biron, he was extremely strong yesterday afternoon against the Canadiens in making 27 saves. He gave his team every chance to win a hockey game, which is really all you can ask of your backup netminder.
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Tags: Detroit+Red+Wings, Henrik+Lundqvist, John+Tortorella, Martin+Biron, Montreal+Canadiens,
Montreal Canadiens Add to Blueshirts Winless Streak
by Patrick Hoffman on 02/05/11 at 04:49 PM ET
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This afternoon’s game between the New York Rangers and Montreal was the perfect example of one team doing almost everything right except winning.
Unfortunately, this description fits the New York Rangers as they lost to the Canadiens this afternoon by a score of 2-0 at the Bell Centre, the third time the Rangers’ have been shutout this season. It was a game in which the Blueshirts were given every opportunity to win a hockey game and pick up two crucial points but they just were not able to finish their chances, something that has been a growing concern over the last four games.
The Rangers got an excellent performance from Martin Biron, who made 27 saves in a losing effort. At the other end, Canadiens’ netminder Carey Price was terrific in making 35 saves for his fifth shutout the season. Price was especially good in the third period when the Blueshirts were pressing for the equalizer.
The back breaker in this game was a late second period goal by former Ranger Scott Gomez. Gomez took an errant shot from the point off the backboards and roofed a shot under the crossbar for a 1-0 Canadiens’ lead. Late in the third with the goaltender pulled, Tomas Plekanec would add an empter netter to seal the Rangers’ fate.
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Tags: Carey+Price, Detroit+Red+Wings, Martin+Biron, Montreal+Canadiens, New+York+Rangers, Scott+Gomez, Tomas+Plekanec,
Blueshirts Lose Two Valuable Points/You Tell Me…
by Patrick Hoffman on 02/03/11 at 11:31 PM ET
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Good evening folks. I am sorry to say that because I was playing hockey tonight, I was not able to catch much of the New York Rangers vs, New Jersey Devils game tonight.
With that said, I was disappointed to come home and find out that the Blueshirts lost two valuable points in a 3-2 loss to the team’s Hudson River rivals. Yes, the team is still not fully healthy and yes, the team almost came back from a 3-0 defecit but in the end, it is two points that are out the window.
Every game means something and the Blueshirts do not exactly have a firm hold on a playoff spot in the tight Eastern Conference. With a big game coming up on Saturday afternoon against the Montreal Canadiens at the Bell Centre, it would have been better for the team to go into the game on a winning note. Instead, the team goes into it having not won in three games and also having lost to the 14th place team in the Eastern Conference.
Now, that is nothing against the New Jersey Devils. I may have not seen the game but I know that the Devils came into it having played some of their best hockey over an eight or nine game stretch. As such, they probably earned the victory tonight against the Blueshirts.
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Tags: Henrik+Lundqvist, John+Tortorella, Martin+Biron, Montreal+Canadiens, New+Jersey+Devils, New+York+Rangers, Vinny+Prospal,
Blueshirts Get the Job Done Against the Capitals
by Patrick Hoffman on 01/25/11 at 08:20 AM ET
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When New York Rangers’ fans heard that Martin Biron was starting last night against the Washington Capitals, they all thought that head coach John Tortorella was giving the game away and hoping to pick up two points tonight against the Panthers.
As it turns out, they were wrong and the Blueshirts came away with a 2-1 shootout victory, thanks partly to some timely goaltending from Biron and a terrific defensive effort. The defense held the Capitals to just 23 shots and did a solid job of keeping the likes of Alex Ovechkin, Nicklas Backstrom, Mike Green, Mike Knuble and others quiet on their way to another road victory.
Fifty-two minutes into the game, the Rangers were down 1-0 until Marian Gaborik tied it up when a Dan Boyle shot ffrom the top of the circle hit off Capitals’ netminder Braden Holtby and then deflected off Gaborik’s shoulder and in. It may not have been Gaborik’s prettiest goal but it was a goal that the team needed and a goal that will hopefully get Gaborik going offensively on a consistent basis.
In the shootout, the team got two great goals from Mats Zuccarello (4/4 in the shootout this season and in his career) and the eventual game winning goal from Artem Anisimov, his first ever shootout goal, giving the team its second straight shootout victory.
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Tags: Alex+Ovechkin, Artem+Anisimov, Brandon+Holtby, Dan+Boyle, Florida+Panthers, John+Tortorella, Marian+Gaborik, Martin+Biron, Mats+Zuccarello, Mike+Green, Mike+Knuble, New+York+Rangers, Nicklas+Backstrom, Washington+Capitals,
Lineup UPDATE/Another Tough Test on Tap for the Blueshirts Tonight
by Patrick Hoffman on 01/24/11 at 08:57 AM ET
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UPDATE: Per New York Rangers’ beat writer Andrew Gross, goaltender Martin Biron will start tonight against the Washington Capitals:
Biron playing because Torts refuses to play Lundqvist 5 games in 7 nights. Why tonight vs. Caps and not tomorrow vs. Panthers? “Why not?”
To clarify: Marty Biron starting tonight vs. Capitals. Lundqvist should play tomorrow at MSG vs. Panthers.
EARLIER: It seems like every game these days is a test for the New York Rangers.
The test consists of questions such as:
- Can they overcome injuries to win a hockey game?
- Can they score enough goals to win a hockey game?
- Can head coach John Tortorella keep the lines consistent?
Well, more than half way through the season, it is easy to say that the team has passed each test they have been given. With that said, will the team pass the test they face tonight against the Washington Capitals?
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Tags: Andrew+Gross, Atlanta+Thrashers, Brandon+Prust, Dan+Girardi, Evgeny+Grachev, Henrik+Lundqvist, John+Tortorella, Martin+Biron, Michael+del+Zotto, New+York+Rangers, Washington+Capitals,
Rangers’ Line-up Update
by Patrick Hoffman on 01/16/11 at 05:23 PM ET
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According to New York Rangers’ web site beat writer Jim Cerny’s Twitter account, Rangers’ back-up goaltender Martin Biron will get the start tonight against the Philadelphia Flyers.
Considering that the Blueshirts have struggled against the Borad Street Bullies this season, starting Biron makes a lot of sense for tonight. He’s been a solid performer for the Rangers this season and it will be interesting to see how he plays against a tough and extremely talented team in the Philadelphia Flyers.
The move also makes sense because starting goaltender Henrik Lundqvist was constantly under siege last night in the team’s 3-2 loss to the Montreal Canadiens. Remember, if the team manages to clinch a playoff spot, they will want a rested and healthy Henrik Lundqvist between the pipes and a move like this one helps make that happen.
What are your thoughts folks? Think head coach John Tortorella is making the right move? How do you think Biron will perform against his former club?
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Tags: Henrik+Lundqvist, Jim+Cerny, Martin+Biron, Montreal+Canadiens, New+York+Rangers, Philadelphia+Flyers, Twitter,
Where Has the Offense Gone in 2011?/Fedotenko Update
by Patrick Hoffman on 01/02/11 at 07:52 PM ET
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UPDATE: According to Jesse Spector, New York Rangers’ beat writer for the Daily News, Ruslan Fedotenko’s hand is not broken:
Fedotenko’s hand is not broken. He’s day-to-day.
FROM EARLIER: I know, I know, the New York Rangers are just two games into the new year but nevertheless, they are 0-1-1 with only one goal scored against the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Florida Panthers.
Last night against the Panthers, the team was lucky to get a point as Marian Gaborik tied the game up at 1-1 with less than a minute go before the Lightning won 2-1 in overtime. Up until that point, it looked like Lightning netminder Cedrick Desjardins was going to shutout the Rangers and the Blueshirts were going to come away with nothing.
Against the Panthers tonight, the team delivered another lackluster effort and this time, came up with nothing as Panthers’ goaltender picked up his fifth shutout of the season with a 3-0 win over the Rangers. If not for the solid goaltending of Rangers’ netminder Martin Biron (33 saves), this game could have actually been a lot worse.
With that said, however, the team did lose Ruslan Fedotenko hurt his hand after blocking a Bryan McCabe slap shot. Hopefully for the Rangers, he will not have to miss a lot of time as the Rangers are already hurting with injuries to both Ryan Callahan, Vinny Prospal and Erik Christensen.
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Tags: Bryan+McCabe, Cedrick+Desjardins, Erik+Christensen, Florida+Panthers, Marian+Gaborik, Martin+Biron, New+York+Rangers, Ruslan+Fedotenko, Ryan+Callahan, Tampa+Bay+Lightning, Tomas+Vokoun, Vinny+Prospal,
A Win is a Win
by Patrick Hoffman on 12/03/10 at 08:13 AM ET
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Before getting into the details of the blog, I first must admit that I was not around to watch the New York Rangers defeat the New York Islanders by a score of 6-5 as I had a men’s league hockey game.
With that said, however, it was nice to see the Blueshirts get strong performances from their “first line” of Erik Christensen, Sean Avery and Marian Gaborik. Each had multi-point nights and was a big part of the Rangers’ offense last night.
It was even better to see that Gaborik picked up his second hat trick of the season. It seems his goals come in bunches so Ranger fans are probably hoping they’ll see more from him in tonight’s tilt at Madison Square Garden in the second game of the home-and-home series.
I also saw that back-up goaltender Martin Biron was pulled after the Islanders took a 3-2 lead in the second period. Was he really that bad or did head coach John Tortorella make the move just to wake up the team a bit?
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Tags: Erik+Christensen, John+Tortorella, Marian+Gaborik, Martin+Biron, New+York+Islanders, New+York+Rangers, Sean+Avery,
Rangers’ Home-and-Home With Isles Begins Tonight
by Patrick Hoffman on 12/02/10 at 08:38 AM ET
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Any time a team plays their rival, the club wants to put their best forward and do everything they can to win the hockey game even if the said club isn’t doing well in the standings.
This is especially true for tonight in tonight’s tilt at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum between the New York Rangers and the New York Islanders. The Islanders may be at the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings but you know that tonight, they will bring their A-game and do everything they can to beat the Blueshirts.
With that said, this is a game that the Blueshirts cannot afford to take lightly, especially since the Islanders scored six goals on them in a 6-4 loss back in October. The Islanders are a young hockey club that certainly has the opportunity to exploit the Rangers’ weaknesses.
According to team beat writer Andrew Gross of The Record, team head coach John Tortorella tinkered with the lines in practice yesterday and could use them in tonight’s game.
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Tags: Erik+Christensen, John+Tortorella, Marian+Gaborik, Martin+Biron, New+York+Islanders, New+York+Rangers, Scotty+Hockey, Sean+Avery,
Start Biron Tonight Against the Panthers
by Patrick Hoffman on 11/26/10 at 10:53 AM ET
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Good morning folks. I hope that you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving with your families and that your Black Friday’s are off to a great start.
As you recall, I am heading to Newport, RI with my wife in a few hours so I figured I would post something before leaving.
I will say this again before getting into the subject of this blog: there is NO goaltending controversy when it comes to the New York Rangers.
It is apparent that starting netminder Henrik Lundqvist is struggling. He is not coming up with the big saves when he needs to, he is allowing soft goals and more importantly, he is not winning hockey games for his team.
With that said, however, it appears that the team is playing much better defense in front of their back-up goaltender, Martin Biron while leaving Henrik Lundqvist out to dry. While this may make some sense because Biron is the back-up, it should never be the case because the team should play the same way regardless of who is between the pipes.
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Tags: Florida+Panthers, Henrik+Lundqvist, Martin+Biron, Nashville+Predators, New+York+Rangers,
I’m Hitting the Road for a Few Days
by Patrick Hoffman on 11/24/10 at 08:48 AM ET
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Good morning folks. I wanted to let everyone know that I won’t be posting for the next few days as I have an extremely busy Thanksgiving planned and then I’m going to Newport, RI for a few days with my wife.
Unfortunately, I’ll miss two of the three New York Ranger games so feel free to post your comments on the games in the comment section of this blog as I’m sure there will be things to talk about.
Much like myself, the Rangers will be on the road the rest of this week with games against the Tampa Bay Lightning (tonight at 7:30 p.m.), Florida Panthers (Friday night) and the Nashville Predators (Saturday night) before heading home to take on the streaking Pittsburgh Penguins on Monday night at Madison Square Garden.
It is not out of the realm of possibility that the team could win all three games but considering how tough the Lightning can be, picking up four points with wins over the Panthers and Predators seems a lot more realistic right now.
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Tags: Florida+Panthers, Henrik+Lundqvist, John+Tortorella, Martin+Biron, Nashville+Predators, New+York+Rangers, Pittsburgh+Penguins, Tampa+Bay+Lightning,
Biron Getting the Job Done
by Patrick Hoffman on 11/23/10 at 10:24 AM ET
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I want to start out this post by saying what I did in a blog I wrote yesterday: there is NO goaltending controversy.
What the New York Rangers have right now with their goaltenders is a terrific thing. Back-up Martin Biron was terrific between the pipes in beating the Calgary Flames last night at Madison Square Garden by a score of 2-1. He did not allow any soft goals, made the big saves when the team needed to and most importantly, he picked up the win, which is what the game is all about, right?
As I mentioned yesterday, it is obvious that starter Henrik Lundqvist is struggling. However, that does not mean that he has been replaced by Biron. It simply means that Lundqvist is being given the right around the time to fix his game so that he can be the backbone of this hockey club, something he has been since joining the National Hockey League in the 2005-06 season.
With that said, however, it sure is great to see that a Rangers’ back-up netminder is getting the job done for his team. In seven games, Biron is 5-2 with a 2.15 goals against average and a .917 save percentage. Based on those numbers, Biron certainly deserves to start a bunch of games this season.
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Tags: Henrik+Lundqvist, Martin+Biron, New+York+Rangers,
Rangers With Great Response in Minnesota
by Patrick Hoffman on 11/21/10 at 05:36 PM ET
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After losing to the Colorado Avalanche on Friday night, the New York Rangers were an entirely different hockey club on Saturday night in their 5-2 win over the Minnesota Wild.
It was a 60-minute effort that saw timely goal scoring, solid defensive play and a good game from back-up netminder Martin Biron (25 saves). None of these things were present in Colorado on Friday night.
The Blueshirts got goals from Arterm Anisimov, Michael Del Zotto, Alex Frolov, Brandon Dubinsky, and Ruslan Fedotenko en route to the team’s seventh road victory (7-3).
Many fans were probably surprised that Rangers’ head coach John Tortorella went with Biron in goal, especially since Henrik Lundqvist only played a little more than half the game in Colorado on Friday night. However, Tortorella made the right decision in starting the back-up netminder and Biron responded by picking up his fourth victory of the season (4-2-0, 2.33 goals against average, .907 save percentage).
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Tags: Alex+Frolov, Artem+Anisimov, Brandon+Dubinsky, Calgary+Flames, Derek+Boogaard, Henrik+Lundqvist, John+Tortorella, Marian+Gaborik, Martin+Biron, Michael+Del+Zotto, Minnesota+Wild, New+York+Rangers, Ruslan+Fedotenko,
Defense and Suspect Goaltending Hurt Rangers in Loss to Avalanche
by Patrick Hoffman on 11/20/10 at 10:30 AM ET
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In hockey, it’s a well known fact that turnovers often lead to offensive opportunities against.
Unfortunately for the New York Rangers, defensive turnovers did them in last night in a 5-1 loss to the Colorado Avalanche. Not only did defensive turnovers hurt the club, but so did the goaltending of Henrik Lundqvist (3 goals allowed on 16 shots) and Martin Biron (2 goals allowed on 10 shots).
It was a game in which despite being tied in shots, the Rangers looked overmatched. Their forwards had trouble putting the puck in the net on Avalanche netminder Craig Anderson. The team’s defense was sloopy with the puck and in their own zone and the goaltending was not there to cover up the team’s mistakes.
One particular player that had a tough game was defenseman Michael Del Zotto. Del Zotto was a -4 and his pinching in the Avalanche zone in the second period led to the first goal of the game and ultimately, was the start of a horrific period for the Blueshirts.
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Tags: Colorado+Avalanche, Craig+Anderson, Detroit+Red+Wings, Henrik+Lundqvist, Martin+Biron, Michael+Del+Zotto, Minnesota+Wild, New+York+Rangers,
Gaborik Shines in Rangers’ Explosive Offensive Output Against the Oilers
by Patrick Hoffman on 11/14/10 at 06:43 PM ET
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While it was against a weak Edmonton Oilers hockey club, the New York Rangers flexed their scoring muscles in the name of Marian Gaborik in an 8-2 victory on home ice.
Gaborik had a hat trick and an assist in a game that was his coming out party for this season. Remember folks, this was really Gaborik’s fourth game of the season as he missed close to a month with a shoulder injury.
Two of Gaborik’s three goals came on breakaways where he made Oilers’ goaltender Nikolai Khabibulin look foolish. The first breakaway, he deked Khabibulin out of his pants and on the second breakaway, he ripped a shot past him to pick up his second hat trick as a Ranger.
His linemates, Alex Frolov (two goals and two assists for four points) and Erik Christensen (three assists) also had solid games for the Blueshirts in what was a dominating game. For Christensen, it was a huge game because he could potentially be the odd man out when injured captain Chris Drury comes back. However, if Christensen continues to play like he did this afternoon against the Oilers, he may make it hard for both head coach John Tortorella and general manager Glen Sather to send him down.
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Tags: Alex+Frolov, Boston+Bruins, Colorado+Avalanche+and+Minnesota+Wild, Edmonton+Oilers, Erik+Christensen, Marian+Gaborik, Martin+Biron, New+York+Rangers, Pittsburgh+Penguins,
Biron Gets The Job Done
by Patrick Hoffman on 11/12/10 at 08:27 AM ET
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In what was suppossed to be another start for New York Rangers’ goaltender Henrik Lundqvist, it turned out that Lundqvist came to Madison Square Garden feeling ill, forcing the Blueshirts to start back-up netminder Martin Biron in goal.
It turns out that Lundqvist being sick was a blessing in disguise as Biron played another solid game for his hockey club in helping them to a 3-2 overtime victory on home ice against one of his former team’s, the Buffalo Sabres.
Much like Henrik Lundqvist does on a nightly basis, Biron made the big saves when the team needed him the most and kept them in the hockey game, allowing the team to be able to create offensive chances of their own and win the hockey game.
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Tags: Artem+Anisimov, Brandon+Dubinsky, Buffalo+Sabres, Edmonton+Oilers, Henrik+Lundqvist, Martin+Biron, New+York+Rangers, Ryan+Callahan, Taylor+Hall, Tom+Renney,
Tough Loss Despite Great Effort From Team’s Top Line
by Patrick Hoffman on 10/30/10 at 05:06 PM ET
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The New York Rangers played a solid enough home game last night to win.
Unfortunately, they came up short in losing the Carolina Hurricanes by a score of 4-3, despite taking 43 shots and Hurricanes’ netminder Cam Ward.
The team got a terrific performance out of the Brandon Dubinsky (1 G, 1A), Ryan Callahan (1G, 1A), and Artem Anisimov (1A) line. Both Dubinsky and Callahan scored goals while Anisimov showed great support by going after the puck, taking hits, getting the pukc to his linemates and putting himself in good scoring position to create opportunities.
This continues to be the top line for the Blueshirts and it shows by how much head coach John Tortorella is putting them out there. The head coach said the following to team web site beat writer Jim Cerny after the game:
“They continue to be our best and most consistent line night after night,” Rangers head coach John Tortorella said. “I liked a lot of what I saw from our team (Friday) night. There are things we have to fix, but there are a lot of good things there.”
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Tags: Artem+Anisimov, Brandon+Dubinsky, Carolina+Hurricanes, Henrik+Lundqvist, John+Tortorella, Martin+Biron, New+York+Rangers, Ryan+Callahan, Toronto+Maple+Leafs,
Should Biron Start Tomorrow Night in Boston?
by Patrick Hoffman on 10/22/10 at 08:57 AM ET
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With the New York Rangers defeating the Toronto Maple Leafs 2-1 last night at the ACC, one has to wonder if Blueshirts’ head coach will turn to backup goaltender Martin Biron for tomorrow night’s tilt in Boston.
Biron made 24 saves last night in earning his first victory as a Ranger. He stood tall, controlled his rebounds and more importantly, got his team a much needed victory without getting a ton of offensive support.
While the Boston Bruins are off to a good start in the early going (4-1), that is no reason for Tortorella not to give the net back to Biron. Yes, Lundqvist has played well in Beantown but right now, it’s about getting Biron acclimated to this hockey club.
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Tags: Martin+Biron, New+york+Rangers,
Lundqvist and Biron: The Perfect Combination?
by Patrick Hoffman on 08/10/10 at 07:34 PM ET
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In the National Hockey League, good goaltending is everything.
Just look at what the Chicago Blackhawks and Philadelphia utilized to get to the Stanley Cup finals this past season. When looking at the New York Rangers, however, Henrik Lundqvist and Martin Biron could be considered as great and above average.
Since joining the NHL and the Rangers in the 2005-06 season, Lundqvist has been everything and more to the Blueshirts. He consistently ranks in the top five and ten in goaltending statistical categories and has helped the team make the playoffs four out of the past five seasons. Ranger pundits and fans alike will expect more of the same from the “King” in the upcoming season.
Martin Biron was primarily the backup to Dwayne Roloson last season on the New York Islanders and struggled on a pretty terrible hockey club. However, prior to last season, he provided above average goaltending for the Philadelphia Flyers in leading the team to the playoffs in back-to-back years. In one of those seasons, he led the team to the Eastern Conference Finals before losing to the Penguins.
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Tags: Chad+Johnson, Henrik+Lunqvist, John+Tortorella, Martin+Biron, New+York+Rangers, Steve+Valiquette,
An Interesting Day for the Blueshirts/Forgot to Mention Christensen and Biron
by Patrick Hoffman on 07/01/10 at 07:42 PM ET
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As always, it was an interesting first day of free agency for the New York Rangers.
Olli Jokinen is gone. Jody Shelley is gone. Vinny Prospal resigned for one year and in the team’s most interesting move of the day, they signed Derek Boogaard to a four-year deal at $1.625 million per year.
The team also signed UFA goaltender Martin Biron to be their back-up goaltender and also resigned Erik Christensen for two years.
The Vinny Prospal deal is definitely a good one. He racked up 58 points this year and was the club’s second most consistent point producer next to Marian Gaborik. He worked hard, was not afraid to speak out and say what the team needed to do and provided veteran leadership in the locker room. He’ll bring all these intangibles to the team for at least one more season.
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Tags: Derek+Boogaard, Erik+Christensen, Jody+Shelley, Martin+Biron, New+York+Rangers, Olli+Jokinen, Vinny+Prospal,
Thoughts on Turco, Gaborik and Biron
by Patrick Hoffman on 02/10/10 at 02:15 PM ET
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From good friend of the blog Jim Cerny at Rink Rap:
The Dallas Stars made an interesting trade yesterday, picking up injury-prone goaltender Kari Lehtonen from Atlanta for defense prospect Ivan Vishnevskiy and a 4th round draft pick.
My immediate reactions were: Marty Turco (above photo) is playing his final days in Dallas, and Don Waddell better have a game plan for all the young defensemen he is stockpiling in Atlanta because he sure isn’t filling the club’s biggest need, offensively-capabale forwards.
Turco, at age 34 and with a salary of just under $6 million, is an unrestricted free agent at the end of the year. His play has declined the past few seasons, though it should be noted he was tremendous in the playoffs just two years ago leading the Stars to the Western Conference Finals. Once a Vezina Trophy-candidate, now Turco is a good goalie who is not considered good enough for a legit contender.
I think Turco will go, but will it be now—-prior to the trade deadline—-or as a free agent this summer? Not sure the market is hot for Turco right now, especially with cheaper options like Martin Biron available.
Click here for more of Jim’s thoughts on Turco, Marian Gaborik and Martin Biron.
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Tags: Dallas+Stars, Marian+Gaborik, Martin+Biron, Marty+Turco, New+York+Islanders, New+York+Rangers,
