Goal Line Report
Entries with the tag: Montreal+Canadiens
Big Game On Tap for the Blueshirts in Montreal
by Patrick Hoffman on 01/15/11 at 04:06 PM ET
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Coming off a 1-0 shutout over the league leading Vancouver Canucks, expectations are going to be high tonight for the New York Rangers as they get set to take on the Montreal Canadiens in Montreal.
The team’s victory on Thursday night was a great display of terrific goaltending from Henrik Lundqvist, timely goal scoring from Wojtej Wolski, great defensive play and strong penalty killing. If the Blueshirts want to win tonight in front of a loud Montreal crowd, they will once again need those facets of the game to be in full display tonight.
According to Andrew Gross at Ranger Rants (The Record), the line combinations will be as follows:
The Rangers one lineup change from Thursday’s 1-0 win over the Canucks is Kris Newbury, 28, being inserted on the fourth line for right wing Dale Weise, 22. But Newbury, a natural center, will play in the middle with Sean Avery and captain Chris Drury, who moves to right wing. The other combos remain the same: Brandon Dubinsky-Artem Anisimov-Mats Zuccarello, Wojtek Wolski-Derek Stepan-Marian Gaborik, Ruslan Fedotenko-Brian Boyle-Brandon Prust, Marc Staal-Dan Girardi, Steve Eminger-Mike Sauer, Matt Gilroy-Ryan McDonagh.
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Tags: Andrew+Gross, Bell+Centre, Carey+Price, Dale+Weise, Henrik+Lundqvist, Kris+Newbury, Montreal+Canadiens, New+York+Rangers, Philadelphia+Flyers, Ranger+Rants, The+Record,
Your thoughts on the Rangers’ game last night
by Patrick Hoffman on 01/14/11 at 08:26 AM ET
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It was nice to come home from playing hockey last night and see that the New York Rangers defeated the Vancouver Canucks by a score of 1-0.
Unfortunately for me, I did not get to watch any of the game so I cannot tell you who was great besides Rangers’ goaltender Henrik Lundqvist (30 saves), the team’s defense and newcome Wojtek Wolski, who picked up the team’s only goal.
Luckily for me, my sports editor at Patch.com and long-time Rangers’ fan Bob Birge was kind enough to include me on an e-mail list that featured a bunch of team notes from his point-of-view:
— Wolski becomes the 17th Rangers player credited with at least one game-winning goal, most in the NHL this season.
—- The Rangers lead the league in one-goal games with a record of 13-3-3.
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Tags: Henrik+Lundqvist, Montreal+Canadiens, New+York+Rangers, Patch.com, Philadelphia+Flyers, Vancouver+Canucks,
Rangers Set to Take on the Best Team in the NHL
by Patrick Hoffman on 01/13/11 at 10:30 AM ET
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Games against playoff-caliber hockey teams are always challenges for any hockey club.
Tonight will be no different as the New York Rangers get set to take on not only a playoff-caliber hockey club, but a team that is first in the entire National Hockey League in the Vancouver Canucks at Madison Square Garden.
The Canucks are coming off a shootout victory over the New York Islanders while the Blueshirts will try and bounce back from a 2-1 loss to the Montreal Canadiens on Tuesday night.
The Rangers battled hard in their last game but were just not able to finish when it mattered most. This is something the team cannot afford to do tonight as the Canucks boast an extremely offensively-talented team that has the ability to score in bunches.
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Tags: Daniel+Sedin, henrik+Lundqvist, Henrik+Sedin, Marian+Gaborik, Montreal+Canadiens, New+York+Islanders, New+York+Rangers, Vancouver+Canucks, Wojtek+Wolski,
Rangers Set for Original Six Battle with the Canadiens/UPDATE: Staal and Lundqvist Are All-Stars
by Patrick Hoffman on 01/11/11 at 11:32 AM ET
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UPDATE: New York Rangers’ defenseman Marc Staal and goaltender Henrik Lundqvist were selected to the NHL All-Star game. This is certainly a well-deserved honor for both as Staal is clearly the team’s best defenseman and one of the best shutdown defensemen in the National Hockey League while Lundqvist is the backbone of the team and one of the best goaltenders in the league.
UPDATE 2: Rangers’ rookie Derek Stepan will participate in the Honda NHL Superskills Competition.
EARLIER: Tonight’s game between the New York Rangers and Montreal Canadiens at Madison square Garden could feature a number of firsts.
To start, Wojtek Wolski will make his Rangers’ debut tonight after being traded to the team yesterday in exchange for defenseman Michal Rozsival. Wolski definitely has what it takes to produce in the league but much like Alex Frolov, he needs to show that he can do it at a consistent level. The Rangers are giving him a fresh start and if he ends up succeeding, the Blueshirts will be all the better for it considering he is just 24-years-old.
According to Rangers’ beat writer Andrew Gross at Ranger Rants, Wolski will wear No. 86 tonight and will get the chance to skate with Marian Gaborik:
Also, tonight is the expected Rangers debut of Wojtek Wolski. Even though Sean Avery has played well the past three games on Marian Gaborik’s left wing, I suspect Wolski will get a chance to skate with Gaborik and Artem Anisimov with Avery skating with Drury and, most likely, Kris Newbury. But we’ll see about the line combinations later on.
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Tags: Alex+Frolov, Andrew+Gross, Carolina+Hurricanes, Dallas+Stars, Michal+Rozsival, Montreal+Canadiens, New+York+Rangers, Ranger+Rants, St.+Louis+Blues, Wojtek+Wolski,
Big Week Ahead for the Blueshirts
by Patrick Hoffman on 01/10/11 at 01:23 PM ET
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Sitting at 25-15-3, the New York Rangers find themselves sixth in the Eastern Conference with 53 points, just one point behind the fifth place Washington Capitals, three points behind the fourth place Pittsburgh Penguins and believe it or not, four points behind the Eastern Conference leading Philadelphia Flyers.
With that in mind, the Rangers have a tough eight points on the line this week with games against the Montreal Canadiens (2) Vancouver Canucks and Phildelphia Flyers. These teams are currently all playoff hockey clubs and will present a tough challenge for the injury-plagued Blueshirts.
In order to be successful this week and pick up some valuable points, the Rangers will need to do the following things in no particular order:
- Stay Healthy: With injuries to Ryan Callahan, Erik Christensen, Vinny Prospal and now Alex Frolov (out the remainder of the season), the team cannot afford any more injuries. Sure, the team has responded well to injur-adversity this season but right now, the focus should be getting everyone healthy prior to making a playoff run.
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Tags: Alex+Frolov, Erick+Christensen, John+Tortorella, Montreal+Canadiens, New+York+Rangers, Philadelphia+Flyers, Ryan+Callahan, Vancouver+Canucks, Vinny+Prospal.+Henrik+Lundqvist.+Martin+Biron,
An Interview with a Habs Broadcaster - Eric Engels
by Patrick Hoffman on 03/17/10 at 08:28 PM ET
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Everyone knows that in Montreal, the Canadiens are at the center of everything. Everyone talks about them, thousands of fans go to the Bell Centre to watch them play and most of all, everyone seems to live and die by what they do.
One person who understands this better than most is a Habs blogger for HockeyBuzz.com and a radio broadcaster for Team 990 - Eric Engels. Eric was kind enough to take time out of his busy schedule to tell us about how he got into the game, how he got into writing about the team and the game, how he got into broadcasting and his current thoughts on the Canadiens.
PH: How did you get into hockey?
EE: In 1986, the Canadiens were riding rookie Patrick Roy, with the hope of getting the team and its fanbase back in touch with its winning culture. I was three years old at the time, but my first memories of hockey involved the Habs winning the Stanley Cup. I started playing the following year, and in case it wasn’t obvious, the sport has become a deep passion of mine.
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Tags: Eric+Engels, Montreal+Canadiens, Team+990,
Looking to Get in front of the Eight Ball
by Patrick Hoffman on 03/16/10 at 10:23 AM ET
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Thanks to a Boston Bruins loss to the New Jersey Devils last night, the New York Rangers have a chance to crack the top eight in the Eastern Conference with a win over the Montreal Canadiens tonight at Madison Square Garden.
The Blueshirts are coming off a huge victory over the Philadelphia Flyers on Sunday afternoon, a victory that showed that they can be a smart and disciplined hockey club. Whether that carries into tonight’s tilt with the Habs’ will be the test for the Rangers, a test that they must pass if they want to take over the eighth spot in the Conference.
Unfortunately for the Rangers, the Habs are playing some of their best hockey as they have won five in a row and are 7-3 in their last 10. The Canadiens sit in the seventh spot in the eastern Conference with 76 points, just six points behind the Northeast Division leading Buffalo Sabres.
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Tags: Montreal+Canadiens, New+York+Rangers,
Taking Care of Business
by Patrick Hoffman on 03/14/10 at 08:39 PM ET
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The Blueshirts did just that on Sunday afternoon at Madison Square Garden this afternoon as they defeated the Philadelphia Flyers by a score of 3-1.
After being a healthy scratch on Friday night in Atlanta, Rangers’ pest Sean Avery came out and got the job done. He scored two goals, was engaged in the action and played on the right edge of the line. He was the Sean Avery of old and the Sean Avery that the Rangers need to have going forward if they want to make the playoffs.
The Rangers also got terrific play out of Chris Drury (2 assists) and Erik Christensen (2 assists). Since returning from the Olympic break, Drury has looked comfortable in his role and for him, that is exactly what he needs to succeed. Sure, the Rangers signed Drur at “first-line” money but this is a player who is a second or third line center who can win you face-offs, kill penalties, and score clutch goals. He may not be scoring clutch goals but he is certainly playing a heckuva lot better than he did prior to the break.
The team was also strong defensively as they only allowed the Flyers to take 18 shots. Henrik Lundqvist made the big saves when he needed to and Michael Del Zotto was especially strong. Del Zotto was not afraid to be physcial, something every team needs to be when taking on the Broadstreet Bullies.
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Tags: Boston+Bruins, Montreal+Canadiens, New+York+Rangers, Philadelphia+Flyers, St.+Louis+Blues,
Let’s Not Get Carried Away
by Patrick Hoffman on 03/13/10 at 12:47 PM ET
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The New York Rangers snapped their four game losing streak last night in Atlanta by defeating the Thrashers by a score of 5-2.
It was nice to see both Marian Gaborik (1 goal, 2 assists) and Vinny Prospal (2 goals, 1 assist) wake up and get the offense going while it was also nice to see goaltender Henrik Lundqvist make 29 saves in picking up his 27th victory of the season. It’s amazing what the team can do when these three all play well.
Since this is a team game, I figured I’d also mention the strong play of Ryan Callahan (1 goal, 1 assist) and Chris Drury (2 assists). Both Callahan and Drury seem to be the only Blueshirts who have played well since returning from the Olympic break.
However, let’s not get carried away here folks. Yes, it was a win and yes, it was nice to pickup two points. Remember though, only the top eight teams from each conference make the playoffs and if the playoffs were to start today, the Blueshirts would be on the outside looking in as they currently sit in ninth place, three points behind the eighth place Boston Bruins and five points behind the seventh place Montreal Canadiens.
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Tags: Atlanta+Thrashers, Montreal+Canadiens, New+York+Rangers, Philadelphia+Flyers, St.+Louis+Blues,
Not an Easy Road
by Patrick Hoffman on 03/09/10 at 09:26 AM ET
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The title above is perfect when it comes to talking about the New York Rangers.
In three of their last four games, the Blueshirts have picked up four out of eight points and have played well enough to stay in games. They lost in OT to the Pittsburgh Penguins last Thursday night. They lost 2-0 to the Washington Capitals on Saturday night and lost in OT on Sunday night to the Buffalo Sabres.
These were all games that the Rangers played well enough to earn two points instead of 1 or 0. However, the team is still two points out of the eighth and final playoff spot and the road to the end of the regular season certainly does not get any easier.
The Rangers had a golden opportunity to beat the Buffalo Sabres in overtime on Sunday night but were not able to do so. Sure, the team battled hard to tie the game up at 1-1 with less than two minutes to go but were once again foiled in OT, much like they were against the Pittsburgh Penguins last Thursday night.
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Tags: Atlanta+Thrashers, Boston+Bruins, Montreal+Canadiens, New+Jersey+Devils, New+York+Rangers, Philadelphia+Flyers, St.+Louis+Blues,
No Surprise There
by Patrick Hoffman on 02/10/10 at 10:49 AM ET
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In an interesting column, Wes Goldstein from CBSSports.com writes about the 10 worst contracts in the NHL. It should come as no surprise to any New York Ranger fan who the No. 1 and No. 2 choices are:
1. Wade Redden, Rangers: Redden’s career in Ottawa was heading south when the Senators made a token offer to keep him as a free agent in the summer of 2008. Instead, the Rangers stepped in and offered him twice as much along with a six-year deal, and they’ve regretted it ever since. Redden has been the poster boy for big-contract busts with declining numbers and increasing time on the bench and sometimes even in the press box. But there’s not much New York can do because Redden has four more years, $23 million and a $6.5 million annual cap hit left.
2. Scott Gomez, Canadiens: Another of Rangers GM Glen Sather’s legacy signings in New York, just no longer his problem because Gomez was pawned off on the Canadiens last spring. That move was one of the reasons Canadiens GM Bob Gainey fell out of favor with many fans in Montreal and probably helped encourage him to step down this week. Gomez hasn’t been awful since signing his mega deal in 2007, but he’s a second-line center getting big first-line money and not living up to the expectations that kind of coin carries. Worse, he is putting a serious crimp in Montreal’s salary structure and ability to upgrade the lineup. Gomez has $25 million coming to him over the next four years and $7.3 million cap hit.
Isn’t it great that the team still has General Manager Glen Sather at the helm? Click here for more.
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Tags: Montreal+Canadiens, New+York+Rangers, Scott+Gomez, Wade+Redden,
Debating the Canadiens’ Goaltending Controversy
by Patrick Hoffman on 01/28/10 at 10:53 AM ET
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From the NHL on TSN panel at TSN.ca:
“You really get the sense that the Montreal Canadiens coaching staff and management really wants Carey Price to be ‘the man,’ said Keith Jones.
While Price was stellar in his rookie season, his statistics have taken a hit over the past two years. Rumours have also swirled about his conduct off the ice in the hockey-mad city of Montreal, leaving the Canadiens with a very delicate situation on their hands. TSN Hockey Insider Bob McKenzie believes that the team itself is at least partly to blame for the situation.
“If there has been a criticism of how the Canadiens have handled their goaltenders, it is that they simply won’t give the job to Halak and leave Price on the bench for a little while,” said McKenzie. “Every time that Halak has lost a game this year, he’s never gotten a start again in the following game.”
While Halak has unquestionably been the better of the two netminders of late, there are several cases for keeping Price. For one, the 22-year old is two years younger than Halak. Also, Price’s pedigree is substantially more impressive. He was a first-round draft pick by Montreal (fifth overall in the 2005 NHL Entry Draft) and was named the CHL’s goaltender of the year in 2007. That same year he backstopped Canada to gold at the IIHF World Junior hockey championship. In addition he was won the Jack Butterfield Trophy as the AHL’s playoff MVP when the Hamilton Bulldogs captured the Calder Cup in 2007. The following season he was named to the NHL’s all-rookie team and started the All-Star game last season in Montreal.
Click here for more on the Habs’ goaltending situation.
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Tags: Carey+Price, Jaroslav+Halak, Montreal+Canadiens,
An Interesting Take on Carey Price
by Patrick Hoffman on 01/27/10 at 07:35 PM ET
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From good friend of the blog Scotty Wazz of The Strangest One of All:
You have to wonder what would become of Price if he wasn’t picked where he was picked and if wasn’t as good as he was in juniors. Had he been in a lower-pressure market, would he have developed to a bigger name, albeit in a longer time frame?? We all know that goalies take the longest to develop, so was Price brought up too quickly, even given his success in the lower-levels. Yet, it would have been a catch-22 in most cases, as more often than not, Price would have been selected by a team with a big goaltending issue—hence why they would have picked a goalie so high in the draft.
Now, if we do a what-if and Price was selected fifth overall again, he’d probably would have ended up with Phoenix or Columbus, depending on where the lotto balls fell. Either way, those are two teams who have had goalie issues in the past. Odds are, they could have ruined Price off the bat by throwing him in the fire too quickly, but it doesn’t seem like they would have been in a big rush in order to get him through the system and up to the pros in a time quicker than the speed of light. Odds are they would have developed him better and allowed him to grow. Again—at what point does he get sick of waiting, thinking he’s better than he is and lose confidence for not being called up. It’s a tight-rope walk, nowadays.
Click here for more from a good hockey pal of mine. Do you folks think the Habs would really deal Price away? Is Jaroslav Halak that trustworthy as a starter? I want to hear you Habs’ fans comment on this.
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Tags: Carey+Price, Montreal+Canadiens,
Where Did The Goals Go
by Patrick Hoffman on 01/24/10 at 08:52 AM ET
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Another game, another night in which the New York Rangers get shutout, this time by a score of 6-0 at the hands of the Montreal Canadiens.
Since January 12th, the Blueshirts have been shutout four times. It started on January 12th when Martin Brodeur shutout the team in a 1-0 victory. A game later, the Rangers were shutout 2-0 by Mike Brodeur of the Ottawa Senators. A week later, Ray Emery and the Philadelphia Flyers shutout the Rangers in Philly by a score of 2-0 and and last night, it was Jaroslav Halak and the Habs’ crushing the Blueshirts by a score of 6-0.
This is quite a turnaround for a team who scored six goals last Sunday night against this same Habs’ team and who on Tuesday night against the Tampa Bay Lightning, had eight different goal scorers in a 8-2 victory.
So obviously, the question once again is where did the scoring go?
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Tags: Montreal+Canadiens, New+York+Rangers,
So Much for Mediocrity
by Patrick Hoffman on 01/18/10 at 03:23 PM ET
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Now, that is exactly what the New York Rangers needed to do.
Last night at Madison Square Garden, the team scored the Montreal Canadiens for six unanswered goals and went on to win by a score of 6-2. The Blueshirts got terrific performances from the likes of Brandon Dubinsky (3 points), Ryan Callahan (4 points), Marian Gaborik (3 points), Vinny Prospal (2 points) and Chris Drury (2 points).
The six goals obviously ended the goalless drought at MSG and could prove to be a tremendous confidence booster as the team gets ready to take on the Tampa Bay Lightning tomorrow night at MSG and the Philadelphia Flyers Thursday night in Philly.
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Tags: Montreal+Canadiens, New+York+Rangers, Philadelphia+Flyers, Tampa+Bay+Lightning,
May be they’re right
by Patrick Hoffman on 01/17/10 at 10:25 AM ET
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I’ve been checking out some New York Ranger blogs these last two days and there was one common theme used to describe this team: mediocre.
I first came across that word in the comments section in one of the blogs I posted on Friday. Here is part of the comment:
At some point reporters covering this team, bloggers, fans and the coach and GM of this team will wake up and acknowledge what objective observers already know, i.e., that the Rangers are a MEDIOCRE TO LOUSY TEAM.
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Tags: Montreal+Canadiens, New+York+Rangers, St.+Louis+Blues,
Four Points on the Line this Weekend
by Patrick Hoffman on 01/16/10 at 11:43 AM ET
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In the ever tight Eastern Conference, every point is crucial for the next two and a half months.
This weekend, the New York Rangers have a chance to pick up four of them when they take on the St. Louis Blues tonight in St. Louis and the Montreal Canadiens tomorrow night at Madison Square Garden.
It was obviously a tough week for the Blueshirts as they had no goals on 83 shots in two games, got shut out by two Brodeur’s, and looked extremely frustrated as the team should have picked up at least two or three points. However, with this week’s setback, the Rangers now find themselves sixth in the Eastern Conference, just two points behind the fifth place Boston Bruins but also one point out of the eighth and final spot.
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Tags: Montreal+Canadiens, New+York+Rangers, St.+Louis+Blues,
Here We Go Again
by Patrick Hoffman on 01/15/10 at 11:35 AM ET
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Two games, 83 shots and no goals. Isn’t there something wrong with this stat?
The New York Rangers have done everything they can to throw the puck on net but to no avail, as Martin Brodeur (New Jersey Devils) and Mike Brodeur (Ottawa Senators) shut them out on Tuesday night and Thursday night at Madison Square Garden.
This must make Rangers’ netminder Henrik Lundqvist furious as he has stopped 75 of 76 shots in the last two games combined, doing everything he can to get his club two points.
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Tags: Montreal+Canadiens, New+York+Rangers, St.+Louis+Blues,
Reason to Worry?
by Patrick Hoffman on 10/25/09 at 06:21 PM ET
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Another game in Montreal and another comeback by the Canadiens over the New York Rangers as the Habs beat the Blueshirts last night 5-4 in OT.
Even when the Rangers were up 3-1, didn’t you folks get the feeling that the Habs were going to come back? I certainly did and not just because of history, but because of the way the team is currently playing.
While it was great to see the team get off to a great start in the first period with three goals, they were able to score only one more goal during the game. They were outplayed by a faster Habs’ team and were not able to get contributions from some of their better players including Chris Drury, Christopher Higgns, Brandon Dubinsky and Ryan Callahan.
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Tags: Montreal+Canadiens, New+York+Rangers,
Rangers Face familiar Folks in Montreal
by Patrick Hoffman on 10/24/09 at 11:20 AM ET
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When the New York Rangers take the ice tonight to take on the Montreal Canadiens at the Bell Centre. They’ll be taking on former Blueshirts Scott Gomez and Paul Mara while current Ranger Christopher Higgins returns to the team he spent his first four years with in the National Hockey League.
For Higgins, tonight would be the perfect night to have his first coming-out party as a Blueshirt. Higgins has yet to light the lamp and looks like a player who is pressing as head coach John Tortorella said he wants more from him. There has to be plenty of motivation for him to do that tonight, right?
At 7-3, there isn’t too much to complain about as a Ranger fan. The team has shown that they can score goals, come back in games, play solid defense and get great goaltending. However, in the team’s last two games, both losses, they’ve looked extremely beatable.
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Tags: Montreal+Canadiens, New+York+Rangers,
Gainey Has to Make it Work
by Patrick Hoffman on 07/13/09 at 04:03 PM ET
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From Stan Fischler at MaxHockey.com:
This time, however, there was a difference; Wang hung on to the club and, eventually, Milbury departed for greener pastures; disguised as a television studio. And more power to him!
The Milbury Syndrome applies to Gainey because he survived a dreadful season-finish yet kept his job because George Gillett has sold the team to The Molson Brothers.
Given this grace period, Gainey has gone wild in the market; and who can blame him.
Scotty Gomez, Mike Cammelleri, Brian Gionta, Mike Komisarek, Travis Moen, Paul Mara.
The list goes on and on but Gainey’s job won’t unless he can make it work.
Click here for more. Do you Habs’ fans out there think Gainey can get the job done in 2009-2010?
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Tags: Bob+Gainey, Montreal+Canadiens,
Is Gainey Composing a Masterpiece?
by Patrick Hoffman on 07/08/09 at 03:00 PM ET
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From Mick Kern at NHL Home Ice:
While listening to Wilco’s latest offering on the way to work today, the immediate lukewarm reaction to it reminded me of much of the hockey world’s reaction to what GM Bob Gainey has done with the Montreal Canadiens in the past two weeks.
After watching his team take a nosedive after the All-Star break, firing head coach Guy Carbonneau, taking over behind the bench himself, and getting swept by the Boston Bruins in the first round of the playoffs (all this during the overblown 100th anniversary celebrations), Gainey is understandably under considerable pressure to improve the lot of the Canadiens for the 2009-10 campaign.
He’s cast his lot with underachieving goaltender Carey Price, which might, in part, explain why Jacques Martin was brought aboard as head coach. Gainey was facing a summer of significant roster turnover, as a number of players were set to become unrestricted free agents on July 1st.
While many in the media, and fans as well, were curious as to how Gainey would manage this off-season, most pointed to the fact that the Habs would benefit from having a lot of cap room to play around with. Surely they’d be able to land the big stud centre the team has lacked since…since…Pete Mahovlich???
What about the Vinnie rumours? How about Gaborik or Hossa? Should they keep Komisarek or go a different direction? And what about Kovalev and Kaptain Koivu?
Click here for more. It’ll certainly be interesting to see how the small trio of forwards in Brian Gionta, Scotty Gomez and Mike Cammalleri do in a physically tough Northeast Division. What are your thoughts/predictions thus far?
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Tags: Montreal+Canadiens,
Canadiens’ sale a boost to Cablevision?
by Patrick Hoffman on 07/06/09 at 10:55 AM ET
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From Mike Farrell at Multichannel News:
The reported impending sale of the National Hockey League’s Montreal Canadiens to the Molson brewing family for as much as $550 million could have an unintended beneficiary - Cablevision Systems.
Cablevision, which also owns the NHL’s New York Rangers, earlier this year said it was investigating the split-off of its MSG unit - which includes the National Basketball Association New York Knicks, the WNBA New York Liberty, Madison Square Garden arena and other entertainment venues, and the MSG Media sports channels. According to a research report by Collins Stewart media analyst Tom Eagan, if the Canadiens sell for $500 million to $550 million - the deal still has to be approved by the league - it could significantly boost the valuation placed on the Rangers. In his report, Eagan wrote that the Habs sale, coupled with the anticipated sale of Major League Baseball’s Chicago Cubs (said to fetch more than $850 million) could add another $3 per share in incremental value to MSG. Eagan added that his $350 million valuation for the Rangers, “now seems conservative based on this comparison.”
Click here for more. I’m not sure exactly what this means but on a slow Rangers news day thus far, it will have to suffice.
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Tags: Montreal+Canadiens, New+York+Rangers,
Thoughts on Gomez trade?/Update
by Patrick Hoffman on 06/30/09 at 05:19 PM ET
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Well, just like that, Scott Gomez is no longer a New York Ranger and Chris Higgins is no longer a Montreal Canadien as they were swapped for each other. Obviously, something is brewing here.
If the team is not able to find a suitable replacement, they’ll certainly miss his speed and his ability to get the puck in the zone. Again though, the Blueshirts aren’t done yet so stay tuned for more.
What are your thoughts?
Update from TSN.ca:
Getting a jump on the free agent market, the Montreal Canadiens moved to secure their centre ice position, making a big trade with the New York Rangers Tuesday.
The Canadiens acquired centre Scott Gomez, winger Tom Pyatt and defenceman Mike Busto from the New York Rangers in exchange for winger Chris Higgins and defencemen Dpug Janik, Ryan McDonagh and Pavel Valentenko.
Gomez, 29, is coming off a down season for the Rangers, finishing with 58 points, his lowest total since 2002-2003.
“We are extremely pleased to have acquired a player of the caliber of Scott Gomez. He is an outstanding playmaker and an excellent skater. Having won the Stanley Cup twice with the New Jersey Devils, he brings to our team a lot of playoff experience. Scott is an elite player who will certainly contribute to the success of our team for years to come” said Canadiens GM Bob Gainey.
Click here for more.
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Tags: Chris+Higgins, Montreal+Canadiens, New+York+Rangers, Scott+Gomez,
In the Clear
by Patrick Hoffman on 05/29/09 at 12:59 PM ET
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From TSN.ca:
Montreal police fully cleared Andrei and Sergei Kostitsyn of any illegal activity after the Canadiens players were linked to a man who was arrested in a sting operation in February.
A police spokesman told Le Journal de Montreal that 5,000 phone calls made by Pasquale Mangiola were replayed to see if he had any incriminating conversations with the brothers.
According to Le Journal, roughly 2,000 of those calls involved the Kostitsyns, but there was no evidence of criminal activity or sports betting. There was also no evidence of any wrongdoing with Canadiens defenceman Roman Hamrlik, who was also associated with Mangiola.
Good news Habs fans?
Click here for more.
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Tags: Andrei+Kostitsyn, Montreal+Canadiens, Sergei+Kostitsyn,
Habs Questions
by Patrick Hoffman on 04/23/09 at 12:25 PM ET
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I know that many Montreal Canadien fans are angry about the way things went this season. It was their 100th in the league and many pundits and fans alike figured that the team would be contending for the Stanley Cup.
Well, as you all know, that dream came to an end last night when the Boston Bruins completed the sweep against their biggest rival. After the loss, I am wondering about a few things that I would like you folks to comment on:
1) Who is to blame?
2) What happened to netminder Carey Price? What did you think of his gesture to the crowd last night?
3) Will Bob Gainey be with the team next season? If so, in what capacity?
4) Who will coach the Canadiens next season?
5) What can the team do to get better for next season?
Filed in: | Goal Line Report | Permalink
Tags: Bob+Gainey, Boston+Bruins, Carey+Price, Montreal+Canadiens,
What A Difference a Year Makes
by Patrick Hoffman on 04/16/09 at 09:15 AM ET
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It’s amazing how much things change over the course of a year in the National Hockey League. A perfect example of this would be the Boston Bruins and Montreal Canadiens, who will meet tonight for Game one of the first round in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
About a year ago, these teams met in the first round of the playoffs but compared to this season, the roles were reversed as the Bruins now have the No. 1 seed while the Habs have the No. 8 seed. That’s not the only difference:
Filed in: | Goal Line Report | Permalink
Tags: Alex+Kovalev, Bob+Gainey, Boston+Bruins, Carey+Price, Guy+Carbonneau, Montreal+Canadiens, NHL, Phil+Kessel, Tim+Thomas,
It Means A Lot
by Patrick Hoffman on 04/07/09 at 01:50 PM ET
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As I pointed out in yesterday’s blog, tonight’s game against the Montreal Canadiens is absolutely critical for the New York Rangers. The Rangers are currently tied with the Florida Panthers (take on the Philadelphia Flyers tonight) for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference with 89 points.
A win tonight over the Habs and a loss for the Panthers would help the blueshirts because one, it gives them two points and two, it gives them another victory in case the remaining seed comes down to a tie-breaker. Basically put, the team needs to win tonight to help clinch a playoff spot within the next five days.
For more Rangers news and notes, please check out the following links:
- Rangers Report
- Blue Notes
- Ranger Rants
- SNY Rangers Blog
- Blueshirt Banter
Filed in: | Goal Line Report | Permalink
Tags: Blue+Notes, Blueshirt+Banter, Eastern+Conference, Florida+Panthers, Montreal+Canadiens, New+York+Rangers, Philadelphia+Flyers, Ranger+Rants, Rangers+Report, SNY+Rangers+Blog,
Puck Daddy: Rangers Have a 50/50 Chance of Clinching Playoff Spot
by Patrick Hoffman on 04/06/09 at 03:10 PM ET
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In his terrific Puck Daddy Blog, Greg Wyshynski puts a death watch on the New York Rangers’ playoff chances.
However, PDaddy does give blueshirt fans some hope with this little tidbit:
“Of course, the Rangers have one significant advantage in this duel to the finish: Both teams have 89 points in 79 games, but the Rangers have 40 wins to the Panthers’ 39. The road isn’t easy at all for New York - a game against the Montreal Canadiens, and then two games against the Philadelphia Flyers to end the season—but technically the Rangers control their own fate.”
What do you folks think of the Rangers’ playoff chances this season?
Filed in: | Goal Line Report | Permalink
Tags: Florida+Panthers, Greg+Wyshynski, Montreal+Canadiens, New+York+Rangers, Philadelphia+Flyers, Puck+Daddy+Blog,
Biggest Game of The Year
by Patrick Hoffman on 04/06/09 at 10:25 AM ET
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Tomorrow night will mark the New York Rangers’ biggest game of the season to date. After the Florida Panthers beat the Pittsburgh Penguins last night, the blueshirts find themselves tied for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference with 89 points.
With three games to go in the regular season, their uphill battle will continue tomorrow night when they take on the Montreal Canadiens, a team that is seventh in the conference with 92 points and is catching fire at the right time (5-3-2 in their last 10 games). The Rangers can beat the Canadiens but again, with the tension mounting and the games becoming more and more important by the day, it is not going to be an easy task.
The team has games with the Habs and Philadelphia Flyers (two) to determine whether or not this year’s Rangers will clinch a playoff spot for the fourth consecutive season. The Panthers, on the other hand, have games against the Flyers, Atlanta Thrashers, and Washington Capitals. Both teams have competitive schedules but now, it will come down to just three games to determine who gets the last playoff spot in the conference.
The team has no one to blame but themselves for being in this situation. Problems with consistency, the power play, line juggling, personnel changes, etc. have all contributed to the team’s issues this season. Now, however, is the time to put those off to the side and go out there and get the job done because the last thing the team wants to do is miss the playoffs and disappoint the thousands of Ranger fans that will be at the Garden both tomorrow night against the Habs and Thursday night against the Flyers.
Filed in: | Goal Line Report | Permalink
Tags: Atlanta+Thrashers, Eastern+Conference, Florida+Panthers, Montreal+Canadiens, New+York+Rangers, Philadelphia+Flyers, Pittsburgh+Penguins, Washington+Capitals,
This Week’s Questions
by Patrick Hoffman on 04/03/09 at 12:40 PM ET
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Much like I did last Friday, I am going to list a few questions related to what’s going on in the hockey world.
Please feel free to post your thoughts on the following questions in the comment section of the blog:
- Will the St. Louis Blues make the playoffs? Why or why not?
- What is happening to the New Jersey Devils? Why are they struggling so much?
- Is this the last hurrah in Minnesota for Wild head coach Jacques Lemaire? If so, where do you think he will end up coaching next? Why?
- Have the Montreal Canadiens finally righted the ship after a dismal February and early March? What have they done differently?
- Does anyone really believe that Philadelphia Flyers’ netminder Martin Biron can lead his club to the Stanley Cup?
- Are the Chicago Blackhawks good enough to make a deep run in the playoffs?
- Do the Detroit Red Wings have good enough goaltending to get them back to the Stanley Cup Finals?
Let’s hear your thoughts!
Filed in: | Goal Line Report | Permalink
Tags: Chicago+Blackhawks, Detroit+Red+Wings, Jacques+Lemaire, Martin+Biron, Minnesota+Wild, Montreal+Canadiens, New+Jersey+Devils, Philadelphia+Flyers, St.+Louis+Blues,
Rangers Reading
by Patrick Hoffman on 04/02/09 at 10:30 AM ET
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Tonight’s game against the Carolina Hurricanes is a huge one for the New York Rangers as they look to increase the space between them, the Montreal Canadiens and Florida Panthers while also shooting for a higher seed in the Eastern Conference.
Check out the links below for more on tonight’s match up:
- Rangers Report
- Scotty Hockey
- SNY Rangers Blog
- NewYorkRangers.com
Filed in: | Goal Line Report | Permalink
Tags: Carolina+Hurricanes, Florida+Panthers, Montreal+Canadiens, New+York+Rangers, NewYorkRangers.com, Rangers+Reading, Rangers+Report, Scotty+Hockey, SNY+Rangers+Blog,
It Ain’t Over Till It’s Over
by Patrick Hoffman on 04/01/09 at 01:00 PM ET
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While the New York Rangers looked like a playoff team on Monday night against the New Jersey Devils, it certainly does not mean that they will make the playoffs as both the Montreal Canadiens and Florida Panthers continue to make things interesting by winning crucial games down the stretch.
These next two games for the Blueshirts are critical so if they could pick up four points, that would obviously be the optimum but right now, getting three out of possible four points wouldn’t be so bad either.
For some Rangers reading, please check out the following links:
- Newsday
- Ranger Rants
- Rangers Report
- SNY Rangers Blog
Filed in: | Goal Line Report | Permalink
Tags: Florida+Panthers, Montreal+Canadiens, New+Jersey+Devils, New+York+Rangers, Rangers+Reading,
Where Are They Going?
by Patrick Hoffman on 03/29/09 at 12:30 PM ET
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The New York Rangers dropped their second straight game yesterday afternoon in a 4-3 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins. The loss keeps the Blueshirts in seventh place with 87 points. However, the Montreal Canadiens are in the eighth spot just one point (86 points) behind them and the Florida Panthers are in the ninth spot just two points behind (85 points).
The Rangers showed some character by battling back from a two-goal and one-goal defecit while also killing off nine Penguins’ power plays. However, Sid “the Kid” Crosby’s great effort put the Penguins ahead midway through the third period, giving the Penguins a 12-1-2 record in their last 15 games.
As we’ve said on this blog before, the club’s remaining schedule will not make things any easier for the Blueshirts. Tomorrow night, they take on the Atlantic Division leading New Jersey Devils followed by games against the red hot Carolina Hurricanes, Boston Bruins, Montreal Canadiens, and a home-and-home series against the Philadelphia Flyers to close out the regular season.
Filed in: | Goal Line Report | Permalink
Tags: Atlanta+Thrashers, Boston+Bruins, Carolina+Hurricanes, Florida+Panthers, Ilya+Kovalchuk, Montreal+Canadiens, Montreal+Canadiens, New+Jersey+Devils, New+York+Rangers, Philadelphia+Flyers, Pittsburgh+Penguins, Sidney+Crosby,
Big Two Points
by Patrick Hoffman on 03/18/09 at 10:10 AM ET
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Last night’s game was the kind of game that the New York Rangers may have lost under Tom Renney. However, it was a much different outcome for the Blueshirts under new guy John Tortorella, who overcame some bad bounces and bad goals allowed to beat the Montreal Canadiens 4-3 in a shootout at the Bell Centre.
Yes, I know that the team needs to continue to learn how to win games in regulation but let’s face it - they need all the points they can get and last night’s two points put them in sixth place in the ever-increasing tight Eastern Conference.
Nik Antropov continues to show the Blueshirts that he was worth getting at the deadline as he added another goal in regulation while also putting one in in the skills competition. He’s a big guy who has soft hands and a powerful wrist shot and is still working towards being a more consistent player with each passing game.
Filed in: | Goal Line Report | Permalink
Tags: Buffalo+Sabres, Carolina+Hurricanes, Chris+Drury, Colorado+Avalanche, Florida+Panthers, Henrik+Lundqvist, John+Tortorella, Montreal+Canadiens, New+York+Rangers, Nik+Antropov, Tom+Renney,
Avery Gets It Done
by Patrick Hoffman on 03/15/09 at 08:30 PM ET
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NBC promoted this afternoon’s game as “Sean Avery’s New York Rangers” against the Philadelphia Flyers. It was only fitting that Avery and the Blueshirts went out beat the Flyers by a score of 4-1, with Avery scoring two goals, getting into a couple of scrums and causing the Flyers to focus on him rather than on playing the game.
What’s more is that the Rangers actually scored three power play goals and once again peppered the Flyers net with 39 shots on goal and this time, were rewarded for it.
The win puts the Blueshirts in a tie for sixth place in the Eastern Conference with the Montreal Canadiens, a team they will take on Tuesday night at the Bell Centre, a place that has been a nightmare of sorts for the team the past couple of visits.
Filed in: | Goal Line Report | Permalink
Tags: Buffalo+Sabres, Montreal+Canadiens, NBC, New+York+Rangers, Ottawa+Senators, Philadelphia+Flyers, Sean+Avery,
Give It Some Time
by Patrick Hoffman on 02/26/09 at 10:00 AM ET
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I hope New York Rangers fans weren’t expecting the team to come out and fire in four or five goals last night against the Toronto Maple Leafs because if they were, they had to be disappointed.
In last night’s 2-1 shootout loss to the Leafs, the Rangers dominated the first 40 minutes of the game as they got to loose pucks, put pucks on goal, crashed the net for rebounds and played tight defense. However, due to John Tortorella’s attacking style, the team got tired and simply ran out of gas in the third period and the OT. This is obviously something that the team will need to adjust to if they want ot have any kind of success going forward.
As Tortorella mentioned in his post-game press conference, this team obviously has trouble finishing and it’s definitely hurting their confidence right now. When they get the chance to shoot it, it either gets blocked or they pass it off. They have pucks bouncing over sticks in front of the net, they’re hitting posts and they’re making every goalie look like the second coming of Patrick Roy.
Filed in: | Goal Line Report | Permalink
Tags: Eastern+Conference, Florida+Panthers, John+Tortorella, Montreal+Canadiens, New+York+Rangers, Toronto+Maple+Leafs,
Rock Bottom
by Patrick Hoffman on 02/17/09 at 09:45 AM ET
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With the way the New York Rangers are playing, it’s hard to believe that they still hold a playoff spot. Currently, the team is tied for the fifth place with the Montreal Canadiens in the tight Eastern Conference.
The truth is that they really don’t deserve to be where they are right now. The team had the benefit of an easy schedule in the regular season, which allowed them to pick up a ton of points and build a solid cushion. Most fans and pundits alike figured that this cushion would be enough to help the team to solidify a playoff spot.
Unfortunately, they were wrong as the Blueshirts are currently up just five points over the ninth place Carolina Hurricanes, a lead that is quickly evaporating as the team continues to drop games left and right, much like they did this weekend with losses to the Florida Panthers, Philadelphia Flyers and the St. Louis Blues.
Uh, Houston, we have a problem.
Filed in: | Goal Line Report | Permalink
Tags: Carolina+Hurricanes, Eastern+Conference, Florida+Panthers, Montreal+Canadiens, New+York+Rangers, Philadelphia+Flyers, Sean+Avery, St.+Louis+Blues, Tom+Renney,
Pressure?
by Patrick Hoffman on 01/24/09 at 04:45 PM ET
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Talk about pressure. You are the starting goaltender for the Montreal Canadiens, a team that has an unbelievable history of producing great netminders such as Georges Vezina, Jacques Plante, Gump Worsley, Ken Dryden and of course, Patrick Roy. This weekend, you are the starting goaltender for the Eastern Conference All-Star team at the Bell Center in Montreal. Not only that, but 16 years ago, Roy was the starting goalie for the Wales Conference at the Montreal Forum and later that same season, won the Stanley Cup.
Do you think that current Canadiens’ and now all-star netminder Carey Price is feeling the pressure? Well, if he is, he’s certainly not showing it as the 21-year-old masked man is having a fine season for Les Canadiens. In 27 games this season, he has 16 wins, a 2.35 goals against average, a .919 save percentage and one shutout. Not bad for someone who has the ghosts of past Canadien teams looking down at him.
Price also went into the break on somewhat of a role as he won three out of his last four games and in those games has a goals against of 2.00, certainly not a bad way to go into the grueling second half of the season, a half that could determine just how far the Habs will be willing to go come spring time. Again, you think Price has a lot of pressure?!
Filed in: | Goal Line Report | Permalink
Tags: Carey+Price, Eastern+Conference, Georges+Vezina, Gump+Worsley, Jacques+Plante, Ken+Dryden, Montreal+Canadiens, Patrick+Roy, Wales+Conference,
Don’t Give It Away
by Patrick Hoffman on 01/13/09 at 02:05 PM ET
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The New York Rangers have won two of their last four games (had a 2-1 OT loss to the Buffalo Sabres and 6-3 spanking at the hands of the Montreal Canadiens) and look to continue their strong defensive play and timely goal scoring when they take on the New York Islanders tonight at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum.
After head coach Scott Gordon explained to the media that he wants to play his youngsters more, it’s easy to think that the Rangers may skate all over the Isles tonight and come up with two points. However folks, remember that this is the Blueshirts and that they’ve lost games like this to the Isles before.
As such, Rangers’ head coach Tom Renney is keeping the same lineup he used on Saturday night in the team’s 2-0 shutout victory over the Ottawa Senators. This means that Aaron Voros and Dan Fritsche will once again be scratches.
Filed in: | Goal Line Report | Permalink
Tags: Aaron+Voros, Andrew+Gross, Blue+Notes, Buffalo+Sabres, Dan+Fritsche, Montreal+Canadiens, New+York+Rangers, New+York+Rangers+web+site, Rangers+Rants, Rangers+Report, Sam+Weinman, Scott+Gordon, Scotty+Hockey, SNY+Rangers+Blog, Steve+Zipay, Tom+Renney,
Time to Step Up
by Patrick Hoffman on 01/08/09 at 09:15 PM ET
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As I’m sure all of you New York Ranger fans are aware of, goaltender Henrik Lundqvist was named to the Eastern Conference All Star team. He’s been a Vezina Trophy finalist in each of his three seasons in the National Hockey League so it’s nice that he finally got recognized by the league as one of the game’s elite netminders.
With that being said, if NHL management based their selections on the last two months, Lundqvist would not be on the team. Much like he did in 2006-07 and last season, Lundqvist is having trouble finding consistency. Just take a look at this week, for example. On Monday night, he stymies the Pittsburgh Penguins in a 4-0 shutout and last night, he allows five goals in a 6-3 loss to the Montreal Canadiens. The team’s beat reporters went about as far to say that Lundqvist was one of the main reasons why the team lost last night. I’m sure most of you would agree.
This weekend, the team takes on the Buffalo Sabres (Friday night, 7:30 p.m., at the HSBC Arena) and the Ottawa Senators (Saturday night, 7 p.m., at Scotiabank Place). These are four points that the Rangers should be able to get so hopefully, Henrik will be on top of his game in the tilt he starts (assuming that backup goaltender Stephen Valiquette will start one of the two) because as Henrik goes, so do the Blueshirts.
Filed in: | Goal Line Report | Permalink
Tags: Buffalo+Sabres, Eastern+Conference+All+Star+Team, Henrik+Lundqvist, Montreal+Canadiens, New+York+Rangers, Ottawa+Senators, Pittsburgh+Penguins, Stephen+Valiquette,
Christmas Could Come Early
by Patrick Hoffman on 12/16/08 at 09:15 PM ET
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According to Vancouver Canucks’ General Manager Mike Gillis, Mats Sundin will have his decision by Thursday.
All I can say is, and I think the rest of the hockey world will agree with me, it’s about time. Since last season ended, all anyone could talk about was “What is Mats Sundin going to do?” “Is he going to retire?” “Is he going to stay with the Toronto Maple Leafs?” “Is he going to be a Montreal Canadien, Vancouver Canuck, Philadelphia Flyer, New York Ranger, etc.?” “Will he really just be a rent-a-player?”
That question will finally be answered on Thursday and right now, it’s tough to say what he is going to decide.
Filed in: | Goal Line Report | Permalink
Tags: Daniel+Sedin, Fredrik+Sjostrom, Henrik, Henrik+Sedin, Markus+Naslund, Mats+Sundin, Mike+Gillis, Montreal+Canadiens, New+York+Rangers, Philadelphia+Flyers, Toronto+Maple+Leafs, Vancouver+Canucks,
Where’s The D?
by Patrick Hoffman on 12/13/08 at 11:00 AM ET
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In a surprising turn of events last night, the New York Rangers finally lost to the New Jersey Devils by a score of 8-5.
Yes folks, you read that right: the Blueshirts allowed eight goals to the Devils.
For the past few weeks, the Rangers have struggled to keep the puck out of the net. On Thursday December 4, they allowed six goals in a 6-2 loss to the Montreal Canadiens. Last Sunday night against the Calgary Flames, they allowed three goals in a 3-0 loss and obviously, last night wasn’t so pretty.
Filed in: | Goal Line Report | Permalink
Tags: Calgary+Flames, Carolina+Hurricanes, Henrik+Lundqvist, Markus+Naslund, Montreal+Canadiens, New+Jersey+Devils, New+York+Rangers, Nikolai+Zherdev, Scott+Gomez, Tom+Renney,
An Interview with an NHL Employee
by Patrick Hoffman on 12/07/08 at 04:30 PM ET
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Instead of talking about how the New York Rangers were able to beat a tough Pittsburgh Penguins team on Wednesday and lose to a team that was struggling to score goals on Thursday night (Montreal Canadiens), I am going to share an interview I did with Michael DiLorenzo, the NHL’s Director of Corporate Communications.
Mr. DiLorenzo was kind enough to take time out of his very busy schedule to talk to us about how he got into the sport, his role with the NHL, a look at the league’s marketing/promotion efforts, as well as his Stanley Cup Finals predictions.
Don’t worry, I’ll be back to discussing all things Rangers hockey soon but figured I’d give you guys something to enjoy before tonight’s game against the Calgary Flames.
Let’s hear your comments!
Filed in: | Goal Line Report | Permalink
Tags: Bobby+Brooke, Boston+Bruins, Brad+Parl, Calgary+Flames, Detroit+Red+Wings, Michael+DiLorenzo, Montreal+Canadiens, New+York+Rangers, NHL, Pittsburgh+Penguins,
Records can be Deceiving
by Patrick Hoffman on 12/01/08 at 09:30 PM ET
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With a record of 17-8-2 and sitting first in the Eastern Conference, one would have to think that the team and its fans would be happy.
In the case of the New York Rangers, not so much. Looks can be deceiving folks and yesterday afternoon’s 4-0 clunker at the hands of the Florida Panthers proves that point.
Over at Sam Weinman’s (The Journal News) Rangers Report Blog, MSG’s John Giannone points out that of the club’s 17 wins, six have come in the shootout. If there were no shootouts, the team would have a substantially lower record and would be 11-7-8.
Filed in: | Goal Line Report | Permalink
Tags: Calgary+Flames, Chris+Drury, Florida+Panthers, Henrik+Lundqvist, John+Giannone, Markus+Naslund, Michal+Rozsival., Montreal+Canadiens, New+York+Rangers, Nikolai+Zherdev, Ottawa+Senators, Phoenix+Coyotes, Pittsburgh+Penguins, Sam+Weinman, Scott+Gomez, Tampa+Bay+Lightning, Wade+Redden,
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