Goal Line Report
Entries with the tag: New+Jersey+Devils
Battle of The Hudson
by Patrick Hoffman on 02/07/12 at 09:09 AM ET
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While it always seems like the New York Rangers and New Jersey Devils play a playoff brand of hockey when the two clubs meet, that will really be the case tonight when they will go at it at Madison Square Garden.
The Rangers, who are on top of both the Atlantic Division and Eastern Conference, are coming off of two straight wins over the Buffalo Sabres and Philadelphia Flyers. In those games, the club got excellent goaltending from Henrik Lundqvist, played a physical style of hockey and won all the little battles within the game.
On the other side, the Devils might just be playing their best hockey of the season. The team from across the Hudson River has won five straight games and is putting the puck in the net with regularity, getting solid performances out of of both Ilya Kovalchuk and Martin Brodeur and playing with a swagger that has been missing from their game the last few seasons.
These two teams met last Wednesday night at the Prudential Center, where the Blueshirts lost a hard fought game 4-3 in a shootout. As I had mentioned last week, this was a game that the Rangers should have won so they will definitely be looking to get the two points tonight on home ice.
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Tags: Buffalo+Sabres, Henrik+Lundqvist, Ilya+Kovalchuk, John+Tortorella, Martin+Brodeur, New+Jersey+Devils, New+York+Rangers, Philadelphia+Flyers, Steve+Eminger,
Rangers Do It Again Over the Flyers
by Patrick Hoffman on 02/06/12 at 09:09 AM ET
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There is no doubt that the National Hockey League would probably love to have both the New York Rangers and Philadelphia Flyers meet in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
If you are asking yourself why, just look at the four games that have been played between the two clubs this season. The games have had it all from timely goal scoring, big hits, fights, and great goaltending.
Unfortunately for the Flyers, they have lost all four tilts at the hands of the Blueshirts. Yesterday afternoon at the Garden, the Rangers were physical, blocked a ton of shots, got timely goal scoring and clutch goaltending from Henrik Lundqvist.
Playing in their Winter Classic uniforms, the Rangers put on a great show for their fans. The team got solid performances out of guys like Lundqvist, Artem Anisimov, Derek Stepan, Marian Gaborik, Dan Girardi, Ryan Callahan and Brandon Dubinsky.
It was a complete team effort, one that gave them another two points in the standings. With the victory, the Blueshirts remain in first place in the Eastern Conference with 71 points, which is three points more than the second place Boston Bruins and five points more than the fourth place Flyers.
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Tags: Artem+Anisimov, Boston+Bruins, Brandon+Dubinsku, Dan+Girardi, Derek+Stepan, Henrik+Lundqvist, Marian+Gaborik, New+Jersey+Devils, New+York+Rangers, Philadelphia+Flyers, Ryan+Callahan,
Heave Ho Four in a Row
by Patrick Hoffman on 02/05/12 at 08:00 AM ET
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That is what the New York Rangers will be looking to do this afternoon at Madison Square Garden when they take on the Philadelphia Flyers.
The teams have met three times already with the Blueshirts coming away with three wins, including winning the Winter Classic by a score of 3-2. The Blueshirts have also beaten the Flyers twice on home ice this season.
There is no doubt that the Flyers are going to come out as a hungry hockey club. In yesterday’s 6-4 loss to the New Jersey Devils at home, the Flyers gave the Devils a 6-0 lead before coming back to score four goals in the third period to make it an exciting hockey game.
This is a Flyers team that has a lot of offense. Guys like Claude Giroux, Scott Hartnell, Wayne Simmonds, Jaromir Jagr and Matt Read can all put the puck in the net. Hartnell leads the club with 25 goals and Giroux is right behind with 20.
With that in mind, the Blueshirts are going to need to be ready to battle. The club is coming off a hard fought 1-0 win over the Buffalo Sabres on Wednesday night in Buffalo and the team more than likely knows that if they play the way they did against Buffalo, they could be in trouble against the Broadstreet Bullies.
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Tags: Buffalo+Sabres, Claude+Giroux, Henrik+Lundqvist, Jaromir+Jagr, Matt+Read, New+Jersey+Devils, New+York+Rangers, Philadelphia+Flyers, Scott+Hartnell, Wayne+Simmonds, Winnipeg+Jets,
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,
UPDATE/Back to the Grind
by Patrick Hoffman on 01/31/12 at 10:32 AM ET
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UPDATE: Per Rangers’ beat writer Andrew Gross’s Twitter, Martin Biron will be starting between the pipes tonight for the Blueshirts:
Biron in net tonight vs. Devils. Otherwise same lineup for Rangers.
That is what the New York Rangers will be doing tonight at the Prudential Center when they take on the New Jersey Devils.
Coming into tonight’s tilt, the Blueshirts are on a two game winning streak. Two Saturday’s ago, the Rangers beat the Bruins in overtime by a 3-2 score and then three nights later at Madison Square Garden, the club shutout the Winnipeg Jets by a score of 3-0.
The Rangers also currently find themselves in the top spot in the Eastern Conference with 66 points and are one point behind the league-leading Detroit Red Wings. For the Rangers to keep up this kind of pace, they are going to have to get things started on the right foot tonight in New Jersey.
Luckily for the Blueshirts, they have several players who have performed well over the last few games. Lundqvist was terrific in Boston and was good when he had to be against the Jets.
Marian Gaborik, the NHL All-Star MVP, scored two goals against the Bruins and picked-up a hat trick and an assist in the All-Star Game. His confidence should be at a high level right now.
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Tags: Boston+Bruins, Detroit+Red+Wings, Henrik+Lundqvist, Marian+Gaborik, New+Jersey+Devils, New+York+Rangers, NHL+All-Star+Game, Winnipeg+Jets,
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,
The Marian Gaborik Show
by Patrick Hoffman on 12/21/11 at 09:08 AM ET
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That is exactly what it was for the New York Rangers’ last night in their 4-1 win over the New Jersey Devils.
Marian Gaborik picked-up the game winning goal, an empty net goal and added an assist for a three point night. The game before, he picked-up another two goals and now has 19 on the season.
Gaborik looks like the player he was for the Rangers two seasons ago. The puck seems to be following him and he obviously knows how to make things happen.
Not only is he scoring goals and putting up points, he is also playing consistently well on the other side of the puck. He has made some solid defensive plays this season and backchecks a lot more than he used to.
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Tags: Artem+Anisimov, Boston+Bruins, Derek+Stepan, Marian+Gaborik, New+Jersey+Devils, New+York+Islanders, New+York+Rangers,
An Intriguing Tilt at The Rock
by Patrick Hoffman on 12/20/11 at 10:41 AM ET
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That is exactly what tonight’s game between the New York Rangers and New Jersey Devils is shaping up to be.
Both clubs are playing well, in the top eight in the Eastern Conference and are only separated by three points. Sounds like old-time Patrick Division hockey, eh?
The Blueshirts are coming off a dramatic win over the Phoenix Coyotes. In the game, Marian Gaborik picked-up two goals and nine-year man Brad Richards scored the game winning goal at the buzzer to help his team pick-up the all important two points.
On the other side, the Devils are coming off a 5-3 win over the Montreal Canadiens. The Devils are on a four-game winning streak and looking to make it five against ther rivals from across the Hudson River.
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Tags: Brad+Richards, Brandon+Dubinsky, John+Tortorella, Marian+Gaborik, Montreal+Canadiens, New+Jersey+Devils, New+York+Rangers, Phoenix+Coyotes,
Buzzer Beater
by Patrick Hoffman on 12/18/11 at 03:00 PM ET
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Apparently, I missed an exciting New York Rangers’ game last night as the Blueshirts scored with 0.1 second left to go in regulation time to beat the Phoenix Coyotes by a score of 3-2.
I was lucky enough to see the replay of Brad Richards scoring the game winner but could not believe that the team won the game in this fashion. This was a game that the Rangers needed to win to get back on the right track and to do it in that manner was certainly exciting.
It was nice to see highlights of the game and see that Marian Gaborik picked-up two goals. He had been struggling the last few games to do just that but with his two goals last night, Gaborik now has 17 goals and also leads the team in points with 27.
Of course, it was also nice to see Richards come through with the game winner. The Blueshirts are paying him a lot of money to do things like that and with 26 points in 30 games, it is easy to see that the deal is working out for all involved.
Based on the statistics, Rangers’ back-up goaltender Martin Biron had another solid game for his hockey club. Biron is now 6-1 with a 1.82 goals against average, a .934 save percentage and 1 shutout.
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Tags: Brad+Richards, Marian+Gaborik, Martin+Biron, New+Jersey+Devils, New+York+Rangers, Philadelphia+Flyers, Phoenix+Coyotes,
An Inspirational Story About a Big Devils’ Fan: Jake Wisniewski
by Patrick Hoffman on 10/20/11 at 12:00 PM ET
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From good pal of the blog and one of my mentors, Stan Fischler, at MSG.com:
Stories such as Jake Wisniewski’s could not be crafted by a Hollywood script writer—nor a Tinseltown director for that matter—unless his name happened to be Alfred Hitchcock.
At age four, suffering from Cystic Fibrosis, a thin and frail Jake—and family—ventured from his native Poland to America seeking better medical treatment than he could possibly receive at home.
From then on—and for years—young Wisniewski’s life was spent in and out of hospitals in the New York Metropolitan Area. He was desperately seeking help that would return him to anything close to a reasonably normal life so he could continue rooting for his favorite hockey team, the New Jersey Devils.
Click here for more.
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Tags: Jake+Wisniewski, MSG+Network, New+Jersey+Devils,
Something to Look Forward to?
by Patrick Hoffman on 09/23/11 at 08:58 PM ET
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That is the question after tonight’s 4-3 preseason win for the New York Rangers over the New Jersey Devils.
Just look at this Brad Richards had a goal and an assist. Marain Gaborik had a goal and an assist and Wojtek Wolski had an assist.
If you’re good at math, that’s five points for the team’s potential No. 1 line. Yes, it is preseason but it makes one curious to see if it will be that way in the regular season.
This is what the Rangers will need to happen night in and night out in the regular season. The team needs a line that can contribute on a nightly basis, make the big play when they need it and produce.
Other than that, tonight’s tilt was just a game where both teams were trying to their game in order, which is to be expected in pre-season hockey. With that said however, it was a very exciting third period and one that should have both team’s fans excited for the upcoming season.
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Tags: Brad+Richards, Marian+Gaborik, New+Jersey+Devils, New+York+Rangers, Wojtek+Wolski,
A Bit of Both
by Patrick Hoffman on 09/22/11 at 08:27 AM ET
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Those words can best be used to describe last night’s 2-1 overtime New York Rangers’ loss to the New Jersey Devils in overtime.
The team was not great but the club was not horrible either. Yes, it took the Blueshirts awhile to get their first shot on goal but when they finally did, they seemed to setlle down a bit and generate some good scoring chances.
Overall, the club got good performances from the likes of Dale Weise (scored the game-tying goal in the third period), Dylan McIlrath, both goaltenders Henrik Lundqvist and Cam Talbot, along with line of Sean Avery-John Mitchell-J.T. Miller as the line forechecked hard and caught head coach’s John Tortorella’s eye.
Two players that seemed to be inconsistent last night were forward Erik Christensen and defenseman Michael Del Zotto. With regards to Christensen, it is all about playing with confidence, something he has struggled with in his NHL career. In the case of Del Zotto, it is about being consistent witht the puck as he needs to know when to hold onto it, when to dump it off and when to put it on net.
It is really early so fans should not read too much into last night’s loss. Like the players and the coaching staff, the fans must be patient and go with the process as the team continutes to shape up into a regular season hockey club.
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Tags: Cam+Talbot, Dale+Weise, Dylan+McIlrath, Erik+Christensen, Henrik+Lundqvist, J.T.+Miller, John+Mitchell, John+Tortorella, Michael+Del+Zotto, New+Jersey+Devils, New+York+Rangers, Sean+Avery,
All About Hope Now
by Patrick Hoffman on 04/09/11 at 01:59 PM ET
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The New York Rangers did what they had to do this afternoon in defeating the New Jersey Devils by a score of 5-2 at Madison Square Garden.
With the victory, the Blueshirts finished the regular season with 93 points, putting them up two points over the Carolina Hurricanes. The Hurricanes will take on the Tampa Bay Lightning tonight and should they lose in regulation time or overtime, the Rangers will clinch the final playoff spot and prepare for a first round matchup with the first place Washington Capitals.
It was great to see hard-working guys like Chris Drury, Brandon Prust, Ryan McDonagh and Vinny Prospal all beat future hall-of-fame netminder Martin Brodeur. For Drury, it was his first goal of the season and a big one at that. He also did well on face-offs and overall, was a positive factor for the Blueshirts this afternoon.
For McDonagh, it was his first career NHL goal. It could not have come at a better time for the Blueshirts as it gave them a 3-2 lead in the second period as well as a game-winning goal for #27.
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Tags: Atlanta+Thrashers, Brandon+Prust, Carolina+Hurricanes, Chris+Drury, Dan+Bylsma, John+Tortorella, Martin+Brodeur, New+Jersey+Devils, New+York+Rangers, Pittsburgh+Penguins, Ryan+McDonagh, Tampa+Bay+Lightning, Vinny+Prospal,
Out of Their Hands
by Patrick Hoffman on 04/07/11 at 10:38 PM ET
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That is exactly what it has come to for the New York Rangers after being shutout tonight by the Atlanta Thrashers by a score of 3-0 at Madison Square Garden.
Since it is Thursday night, that means I did not get to watch the game as I had my weekly men’s league hockey game. With that said, it was extremely disappointing to come home and see that the blueshirts lost to a team that is not even fighting for a playoff spot.
With that said, and based on the highlights on NHL on the Fly, it appears that the Thrashers got the better of the scoring chances and that the Rangers were flat. This is somewhat surprising considering the huge effort they delivered on Monday night at the Garden when they defeated the Boston Bruins by a score of 5-3.
Now, prior to the team’s regular season finale against the New Jersey Devils on Saturday afternoon, the Rangers will be scoreboard watching tomorrow night. The ninth place Carolina Hurricanes, who are just two points behind the Rangers, take on the Atlanta Thrashers tomorrow night in Atlanta with an opportunity to tie the Rangers in points heading into Saturday. The Hurricanes then close out their season on Saturday night with a home game against the Tampa Bay Lightning.
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Tags: Atlanta+Thrashers, Boston+Bruins, Carolina+Hurricanes, New+Jersey+Devils, New+York+Rangers, Tampa+Bay+Lightning,
Another Day, Another Big Game for the Blueshirts
by Patrick Hoffman on 04/07/11 at 07:36 AM ET
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The Carolina Hurricanes continue to put pressure on the New York Rangers for one of the final playoff spots in the tight Eastern Conference as they shutout the Detroit Red Wings by a score of 3-0.
With the win, the Hurricanes have pulled to within two points of the Blueshirts. The Rangers will have a chance to increase that lead to four points tonight when they take on the Atlanta Thrashers.
The Rangers are coming off an extremely emotional win over the Boston Bruins at Madison Square Garden on Monday night. The team fought from three goals back to win the game 5-3. Unfortunately, they lost Ryan Callahn, the heart and soul of the team, to a broken ankle in the process.
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Tags: Atlanta+Thrashers, Boston+Bruins, Henrik+Lundqvist, New+Jersey+Devils, New+York+Rangers, Philadelphia+Flyers, Ryan+Callahan,
A Wake Up Call
by Patrick Hoffman on 03/31/11 at 10:00 PM ET
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That is exactly what you can call the game between the New York Rangers and the New York Islanders tonight.
I had men’s league hockey tonight so I did not get to watch much of the game, so it was extremely disappointing to come home and see that the Blueshirts lost 6-2 to a team that is not contending for the Stanley Cup Playoffs this season. With that said, I am NOT taking anything away from the Islanders because they have come a long way in the last few months and have played some excellent hockey.
Based on reading the game reports, it appears that an Islanders’ 4-goal second period did the team in and put them behind the eight ball for the rest of the hockey game. What is even more concerning is the team’s recent struggles on offense as they only scored two goals tonight, none yesterday in a 1-0 shutout loss to the Buffalo Sabres and one in a 1-0 shutout win over the Boston Bruins on Saturday afternoon.
This is not the time to be struggling to put the puck in the net. The team still has four games left to play and their not exactly easy opponents as they take on the Philadelphia Flyers on Sunday afternoon, the Bruins next Monday night at Madison Square Garden, the Atlanta Thrashers next Thursday night at the Garden (the Rangers SHOULD win that one) and the New Jersey Devils next Saturday afternoon at the Garden.
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Tags: Atlanta+Thrashers, BOston+Bruins, Buffalo+Sabres, Carolina+Hurricanes, New+Jersey+Devils, New+York+Islanders, New+York+Rangers, Philadelphia+Flyers,
Blueshirts Shut out the Bruins in Important Road Win
by Patrick Hoffman on 03/26/11 at 02:35 PM ET
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Believe it or not folks, the New York Rangers are now tied with the sixth place Montreal Canadiens after shutting out the Boston Bruins in Boston by a score of 1-0.
Rangers’ netminder Henrik Lundqvist was solid once again in picking up his 11th shutout of the season. Lundqvist finished the game with 26 saves and was especially good in the third period when his team was outshot by a 12-1 margin.
The team also did a terrific job of blocking shots. At one point on the broadcast in the third period, Rangers’ announcer Sam Rosen said the team had blocked 25 shots. They probably finished with close to 30 in the game and showed just how important blocking shots can be, especially since the Bruins have guys who can fire the puck frome the point.
Offensively, the Rangers were quiet once again. Yes, they got a goal from Derek Stepan in the first period (his 20th goal of the season) but other than that, they were shut down by the Bruins’ defense and Bruins’ netminder Tuukka Rask, who had 22 saves on the afternoon and was the victim of a helpless offense.
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Tags: Boston+Bruins, Buffalo+Sabres, Derek+Stepan, Henrik+Lundqvist, Montreal+Canadiens, New+Jersey+Devils, New+York+Rangers, Toronto+Maple+Leafs, Tuukka+Rask,
An E-mail Interview with Hockey Reporter Christine Simpson
by Patrick Hoffman on 03/17/11 at 04:11 PM ET
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It is my pleasure to present an e-mail interview I conducted with hockey reporter Christine Simpson.
Simpson, currently a reporter for the New Jersey Devils on MSG and big sister to Stanley Cup champion Craig Simpson, was kind enough to take time out of her hectic schedule to tell us about how she got into hockey, where she has worked in the hockey industry, and her thoughts on hockey broadcaster.
PH: How did you get into hockey?
CS: By accident. It started by growing up in Canada the middle sister between 2 hockey playing brothers. Dave was drafted by the New York Islanders and Craig by the Pittsburgh Penguins & went onto play for the Edmonton Oilers & Buffalo Sabres. As a kid I was dragged to arenas throughout the winters to watch them both play and little did I know that learning to love the game through them would help lead me to my professional career.
PH: Growing up, who was your favorite team and player? Why?
CS: Growing up in London, Ontario the Leafs were the team we’d see the most on Hockey Night in Canada. Favourite player though I’d always have to say were my brothers.
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Tags: Christine+Simpson, New+Jersey+Devils, NHL,
Simmer’s Weekly Hockey Thoughts
by Patrick Hoffman on 02/25/11 at 01:38 PM ET
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From good friend of the blog Rob Simpson at MSGNetwork.com:
7) Regardless of the ebbs and flows and the occasional issues that come up along the way, the real problem or shortcoming a team has during a year is usually the one that’s easily identified at the start of the season. One of the things we knew before the season started was that the Rangers lack high-end offensive talent, which is most noticeable during their prolonged bouts of “unable to finish.”
8) I’ll personally apologize to each Devil—and Ilya Kovalchuk twice—if New Jersey makes the playoffs.
Click here for more great stuff from Simmer.
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Tags: MSGNetwork.com, New+Jersey+Devils, New+York+Rangers, Rob+Simpson,
Where was the Offense?
by Patrick Hoffman on 02/19/11 at 10:13 AM ET
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In a game that the New York Rangers really needed to get two points to help keep pace in the Eastern Conference, they got none as the team was shutout 1-0 by the New Jersey Devils at the Prudential Center.
The Blueshirts only had 15 shots on Devils’ netminder Johan Hedberg. While Hedberg did make some good saves, many shots were not considered quality scoring chances and this is what hurt the Blueshirts.
As always, the Devils played a very aggressive game defensively. The Devils were able to capitalize when the Rangers’ turned over the puck in the offensive zone only to have Devils’ sniper Illya Kovalchuk go in and score on a breakaway to give his team a 1-0 lead and ultimately, the hockey game.
To me, it seemed like the only Ranger who played well last night was goaltender Henrik Lundqvist. Lundqvist was sharp from the get go and did everything he could to try and get his team two points in making 27 saves.
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Tags: Atlanta+Thrashers, Buffalo+Sabres, Carolina+Hurricanes, Henrik+Lundqvist, Johan+Hedberg, New+Jersey+Devils, New+York+Rangers, Philadelphia+Flyers,
Another Big Victory for the Blueshirts
by Patrick Hoffman on 02/18/11 at 08:00 AM ET
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Good morning folks. It was great to come home from hockey last night and see that the New York Rangers came away with a big 4-3 shootout victory over the Los Angeles Kings at Madison Square Garden.
Reading what beat writers had to say about the big two points, it was nice to see that guys like Ryan Callahan (1 goal and 1 assist), Marian Gaborik (1 goal) and Brandon Dubinsky (1 assist) all stepped up their games and played the way they should play in a playoff run: like the team’s best players.
It was also nice that Henrik Lundqvist picked up his 200th career victory. For someone who isn’t even 29 years old yet (will be in early March), it is quite impressive and also makes you wonder if that win total would be even higher if he were with a somewhat more talented hockey club. I guess that really does not matter so it’s great that our franchise netminder is getting the job done.
With the win, the team now has 66 points and is up four points over the eighth place Carolina Hurricanes and three points behind the sixth place Montreal Canadiens. The win was also important because the team still has two games to play in three days.
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Tags: Brandon+Dubinsky, Henrik+Lundqvist, John+Tortorella, Los+Angeles+Kings, Marian+Gaborik, Martin+Biron, New+Jersey+Devils, New+York+Rangers, Philadelphia+Flyers, Ryan+Callahan,
Three Big Games On Tap for the Blueshirts
by Patrick Hoffman on 02/16/11 at 09:02 AM ET
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After snapping a six-game winless streak on Sunday afternoon against the Pittsburgh Penguins, the New York Rangers are getting ready for three big games during the rest of the week against the Los Angeles Kings (tomorrow night at Madison Square Garden), New Jersey Devils (Friday night at the Prudential Center) and the Philadelphia Flyers (Sunday afternoon at the Garden).
For those counting, that is a crucial six points on the line for the Blueshirts and an opportunity to put a tighter hold on one of the top eight spots in the Eastern Conference. For the Rangers to go six for six, a few things will need to happen: the top nine forwards will need to build on their performance from Sunday afternoon, they cannot back down and they need to get strong goaltending whether it is from Henrik Lundqvist or Martin Biron.
Let’s look further into those three key details:
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Tags: Los+Angeles+Kings, New+Jersey+Devils, New+York+Rangers, Philadelphia+Flyers, Pittsburgh+Penguins,
Some Tri-State Area Hockey Thoughts From the Maven
by Patrick Hoffman on 02/15/11 at 08:58 PM ET
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If you’re a fan of the New York Rangers, New Jersey Devils or New York Islanders, you will want to make sure that you check out my mentor’s, Stan Fischler, recent “Bluelines” column for MSGNetwork.com:
• Brian Leetch played for Boston in only 61 of his 1,205 NHL games but the Rangers icon will represent the Bruins in next Saturday’s outdoor Whale Bowl Game at Hartford’s Rentschler Field. The match pits Whalers Legends against their Bruins counterparts. Hockey nut-actors Michael Keaton and Alan Thicke also will be on hand along with stars of the hockey classic flick, “Mystery Alaska” and its screenwriter David E. Kelley.
• The 1931 hit tune, “Out Of Nowhere,” could be Garth Snow’s theme whenever his “find,” Michael Grabner, takes the ice. The Austrian-born goal machine has emerged as a late – but excellent – Calder Trophy-challenger. “My head and my shot,” explains the Islanders’ ace, “have caught up with my speed!”
• Newsday columnist Arthur Staple says that if he (Staple) was Isles g.m. he’d make sure Evgeni Nabokov never again plays in the NHL. “I blame Nabokov,” writes Staple. “If he wanted to choose his NHL team without needing waivers, he should have taken one of the offers he had in the summer. He’s chosen not to play at all rather than undertake a big challenge. Can’t imagine any team would want him now!”
Click here for more from the Maven.
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Tags: New+Jersey+Devils, New+York+Islanders, New+York+Rangers, Stan+Fischler,
Rangers Power Play Clicks In Victory Over the Penguins
by Patrick Hoffman on 02/13/11 at 05:40 PM ET
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As our fearless leader Paul Kukla mentioned in my previous blog, I need to start writing about the New York Rangers needing to win now in order to get the team going.
This afternoon at Madison Square Garden, the Blueshirts did just that in a 5-3 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins, snapping their six game winless strerak. The team was also able to get its power play as the team went three for five with the man advantage.
The game certainly did not start great for the Rangers as they found themselves 2-0 after the Penguins scored two goals on their first four shots. After Rangers’ head coach John Tortorella called a timeout, the team responded in a positive manner and exploded offensively.
The Blueshirts got goals from Brian Boyle, Ryan Callahan (2), Vinny Prospal and Artem Anisimov with Callahan, Prospal and Anisimov all connecting on the power play. It just goes to show you what a good power play can do to a hockey team as this afternoon, it certainly raised the level of the Rangers.
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Tags: Artem+Anisimov, Atlanta+Thrashers, Brian+Boyle, Carolina+Hurricanes, Henrik+Lundqvist, John+Tortorella, Los+Angeles+Kings, New+Jersey+Devils, New+York+Rangers, Philadelphia+Flyers, Pittsburgh+Penguins, Ryan+Callahan, Vinny+Prospal,
What Jacques Lemaire Has Done for the Devils
by Patrick Hoffman on 02/12/11 at 03:00 PM ET
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When the New Jersey Devils fired head coach John MacLean back in December, the team had hit rock bottom.
The Devils were last in the entire National Hockey League, not getting production from Illya Kovalchuk, not getting the goaltending they needed to succeed and more importantly, not playing typical Devils’ hockey.
Fast forward a month and half later and the Devils are playing some of their best hockey, this time under “new” head coach Jacques Lemaire. With their strong play of late, the team is now just 12 points back out of a playoff spot. Sure, it may still seem like a long shot but with the way that Lemaire has his team playing, one can certainly not count out the New Jersey Devils.
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Tags: Illya+Kovalchuk, Jacques+Lemaire, John+MacLean, New+Jersey+Devils,
A Pain to Play Against - The New Jersey Devils
by Patrick Hoffman on 02/04/11 at 08:30 PM ET
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This is what teams in the NHL are currently finding out when taking on the New Jersey Devils.
The Devils’ may be one of the league’s worst teams record-wise but lately, they have found their game. The team is currently on an imressive 8-1-1 streak and is making life tough for their opponents.
Many hockey pundits and Devils’ fans alike are wondering why they are playing this way now when they should have been doing it all along. In my opinion, here are the reasons why the Devils have gotten their game together:
Jacques Lemaire
It was obvious that the Devils’ struggled under first year coach John MacLean. Sure, Lou Lamoriello hurt him with cap space issues due to the Illya Kovalchuk deal and there were also several key injuries (Zach Parise). No matter which way you look at it though, MacLean could not get the team to succeed under him.
In steps Jacques Lemaire to replace MacLean and things changed for the better for the Devils. The team is back to playing a smart defensive system and Lemaire is getting the most out of his players. Sure, he probably will not be able to get the team into the playoffs but he will certainly have his club playing competitive hockey up until the beginning of April.
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Tags: Brian+Rolston, Illya+Kovalchuk, Jacques+Lemaire, John+MacLean, New+Jersey+Devils, Patrick+Elias, Travis+Zajac, Zach+Parise,
A Look Back at the Kovalchuk Trade
by Patrick Hoffman on 02/04/11 at 11:10 AM ET
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Over at RLD Hockey today, I take a look back at the trade that sent Illya Kovalchuk to the New Jersey Devils and where both organizations are today.
You can either click here to read it at the site or can continue below.
The Kovalchuk trade: One year later
A year ago today, the Atlanta Thrashers traded star sniper Illya Kovalchuk and defenseman Anssi Salmela to the New Jersey Devils for Niclas Bergfors, Johnny Oduya, and Patrice Cormier. It was easily the biggest blockbuster of last year’s trading season.
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Tags: Atlanta+Thrashers, Illya+Kovalchuk, New+Jersey+Devils,
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,
Rangers Set to Take on New Jersey Devils Tonight
by Patrick Hoffman on 02/03/11 at 08:00 AM ET
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No matter where the teams are in the standings, it is always a good hockey game when it is the New York Rangers vs. the New Jersey Devils.
Tonight’s tilt at Madison Square Garden features two teams at opposite ends of the spectrum. The Blueshirts are fighting in the middle of the pack for a playoff spot while the Devils are out of the playoff picture, despite playing extremely well recently.
The game tonight also marks the return of Rangers’ forward Vinny Prospal. It will be Prospal’s first game of the season and it could not come at a better time as someone needs to help get Marian Gaborik’s game clicking on all cylinders. No one is sure if it is going to be Prospal but given the success the duo had last season, it is not hard to imagine that being the case.
The Blueshirts are coming off a tough 4-3 shootout loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins on Tuesday night at the Garden. Given that the Penguins were without the likes of Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, as well as Jordan Staal for 25 minutes of the game, the Rangers’ should have been able to pick up for two points but had to settle for one.
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Tags: Marian+Gaborik, Montreal+Canadiens, New+Jersey+Devils, New+York+Rangers, Pittsburgh+Penguins, Vinny+Prospal, Washington+Capitals,
Not Great but Not Bad
by Patrick Hoffman on 02/02/11 at 08:40 AM ET
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That would be the phrase to describe the play of the New York Rangers last night in their 3-2 shootout loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins at Madison Square Garden.
The team got off to a great start and was up 2-0 in the second period on goals by Brandon Prust and Artem Anisimov. However, the Penguins scored three goals to take the lead before Ryan Callahan tied it up with a power play goal on Jordan Staal’s five minute penalty (he got tossed from the game).
This was a game that the Blueshirts should have been able to pick up two points but instead, come away with one. They had trouble finishing both in the third period and in the shootout and ultimately, that is what did them in as they had numerous chances to get the game winning goal.
With that said, there were some positives in the game. For starters, it was great to have Callahan (1 goal) and Brandon Dubinsky (1 assist) back in the lineup. These are two of the hardest working Blueshirts and it showed last night as they generated several scoring opportunities. Callahan definitely showed some rust but since he had not played for over a month, it is excusable.
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Tags: Artem+Anisimov, Brandon+Dubinsky, Brandon+Prust, Jordan+Staal, New+Jersey+devils, New+York+Rangers, Ottawa+Senators, Pittsburgh+Penguins, Ryan+Callahan,
Devils Playing Better
by Patrick Hoffman on 01/22/11 at 01:56 PM ET
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After just finishing watching the first period between the New Jersey Devils and the Philadelphia Flyers, I have come away impressed by how much better the Devils are playing.
Both of their first period goals by Henrik Tallinder and Patrick Elias are the kind of goals that are needed to win hockey games. The goals came as a result of not be afraid to put the puck on net and also not being afraid to generate traffic in front of the net to make life difficult for Flyers’ netminder Brian Boucher.
This is exactly how the Devils have been playing during their current 4-0-1 streak. In that span, they have scored 20 goals and have allowed just 10, which are the kind of numbers that the Devils and their fans had gotten used to seeing over the last decade or so.
In the game this afternoon, which the Devils lead 2-0, the Devils are playing the same way they have in their previous five games and are outshooting and outworking their opponent to create chances, turnovers, and make plays. Again, all facets that have been part of the Devils’ identity for many, many seasons.
It will be interesting to see how the rest of the game pans out but if the Devils continue to play this way, there is no reason why the Devils cannot extend their streak to 5-0-1 in their last six games.
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Tags: New+Jersey+Devils, Philadelphia+Flyers,
Why The New Jersey Devils Are Lucky
by Patrick Hoffman on 01/17/11 at 05:05 PM ET
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When a team sits in last place in both the Eastern Conference and the entire National Hockey League, it is hard to imagine why someone would call them lucky.
With that said, however, the New Jersey Devils really are lucky for a number of different reasons. For starters, there is no pressure on the team. Both team general manager Lou Lamoriello and head coach Jacques Lemaire have made it clear that this is pretty much a lost season and that going forward, it will all be about rebuilding.
Keeping with the “no pressure” idea, the Devils can actually go into games and just focus on playing good hockey and doing what they can to pick up two up two points rather than fighting to make the playoffs. Yes, losing many games can certainly weigh down a team or player but when your club is clearly out of the playoff picture, it is easier to just go out, focus on your game and improve going into the 2011-12 season.
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Tags: New+Jersey+Devils,
Even Though They Were Outshot Badly, A Win is A Win for the Blueshirts
by Patrick Hoffman on 12/29/10 at 09:41 PM ET
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You know the saying “A win is a win”? Well, this saying definitely describes the New York Rangers as they beat the New Jersey Devils 3-1 at the Prudential Center to close out 2010.
For one of the worst offenses in the National Hockey League, the Devils certainly did not seem that way against the Blueshirts tonight. In fact, in the second period alone, the Devils outshot the Rangers by a 20-12 margin.
That was not even the worst statistic in tonight’s tilt when it comes to shots against for the Blueshirts. They were also outshot badly in the first period as the Devils fired 16 shots while the Rangers only put five on goaltender Martin Brodeur.
As I mentioned in an earlier blog today, this was definitely a trap game for the Rangers. They were playing the worst team in the NHL and yet, the Devils threw everything they had at them but failed to get the victory. Sounds like the Devils’ story of the season, eh?
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Tags: Brandon+Dubinsky, Brian+Boyle, Derek+Stepan, Henrik+Lundqvist, Martin+Brodeur, Michal+Rozsival, New+Jersey+Devils, New+York+Rangers, Tampa+Bay+Lightning,
Blueshirts Set To Take on the Devils
by Patrick Hoffman on 12/29/10 at 12:02 PM ET
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Looking to repear their Monday night performance over the New York Islanders (7-2 win), the New York Rangers are set to take on the New Jersey Devils tonight at the Prudential Center.
What is amazing is that the games between these two clubs used to mean a lot when both were competitive. Unfortunately for the Devils, they are currently last place in both the Eastern Conference and the entire NHL.
What does this mean for the Blueshirts? Well, knowing the Rangers, it could be a trap game where the team gets outplayed by a far-lesser hockey club and misses out on picking up two crucial points.
With that said, this year’s version of the Rangers appear to be a much different hockey club. They work hard every night, they have stayed in most games they have played and believe it or not, they have won more often than they have lost this season.
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Tags: John+Tortorella, Mats+Zuccarello, Michael+Del+Zotto, New+Jersey+Devils, New+York+Rangers,
Groin Injury Comes at the Right Time For Del Zotto
by Patrick Hoffman on 12/28/10 at 04:21 PM ET
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According to the Daily News’s New York Rangers’ beat writer Jesse Spector, defenseman Michael Del Zotto will miss tomorrow night’s game due to a groin injury:
The Rangers had a very long practice today in Greenburgh, starting with 10 players on the ice spending 45 minutes working on the power play, then a full team session for an hour. Michael Del Zotto sat out with a sore groin, and will not play when the Rangers face the Devils tomorrow night in New Jersey. The 20-year-old defenseman, scratched the last two games – once with the flu and once technically healthy – had a cortisone shot and should get back to work quickly.
A trip to Connecticut of the AHL is a possibility for Del Zotto, whose repeated mistakes trying to make the big play when a simple one will do have become a point of concern for John Tortorella.
The Blueshirts should really consider sending down their young defenseman to the AHL. It is obvious that he has lost some of his game and confidence and some time in the AHL may help him regain both.
What do you folks think?
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Tags: AHL, Connecticut+Whale, Michael+Del+Zotto, New+Jersey+Devils, New+York+Rangers,
Not a Game to Take Lightly
by Patrick Hoffman on 12/27/10 at 02:35 PM ET
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Tonight’s game at Madison Square Garden between the New York Rangers and the New York Islanders is one that the Blueshirts cannot afford to take lightly.
Believe it or not, the Islanders are 3-0-1 in their last four games and have won games the right way. They have worked hard, won battles in the corners, threw pucks to the net, scored the dirty goals and got terrific goaltending from Dwayne Roloson.
With that said, it will be up to rangers’ head coach John Tortorella to get the team prepared for a game that they should win, considering that they have taken two of three from the Islanders already this season.
As was reported last night, Rangers’ defenseman Michael Del Zotto will be a healthy scratch while Mats Zuccarello will once again crack the line-up and get a chance to add on to his solid performance in his first NHL game last week against the Tampa Bay Lightning.
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Tags: Mats+Zuccarello, Michael+del+Zotto, New+Jersey+Devils, New+York+Islanders, New+York+Rangers,
Rangers Getting It Done on the Road
by Patrick Hoffman on 11/06/10 at 09:34 AM ET
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For the longest time, the New York Rangers used to be a solid team at home in Madison Square Garden.
This year, the story has been quite different as the team extended its record to 5-2 after shutting out the New Jersey Devils by a score of 3-0 at the Prudential Center.
For the Blueshirts, it was quite simple. Throw pucks to the net, finish your checks, block shots, let Henrik Lundqvist see the puck and play disciplined. When the Rangers are able to do that consistently, they are usually able to pick up two points.
Brandon Dubinsky had another great game for his hockey club as he picked up two goals, giving him 10 goals in 14 games. Believe it or not folks, that’s good enough to be tied for first in the NHL with Tampa Bay Lightning sniper Steven Stamkos and Chicago Blackhawks forward Patrick Sharp.
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Tags: Brandon+Dubinsky, Chris+Drury, Henrik+Lundqvist, Marian+Gaborik, New+Jersey+Devils, New+York+Rangers, St.+Louis+Blues, Vinny+Prospal,
Ugly Game for the Blueshirts
by Patrick Hoffman on 11/05/10 at 09:00 AM ET
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Thus far in the early going, it’d be fair to say that the Rangers have taken advantage of struggling hockey clubs such as the Buffalo Sabres, Toronto Maple Leafs and New Jersey Devils. The wins against these teams account for four of the club’s six wins.
I’m not saying that the wins were not well deserved but looking at last night’s game, it’s apparent that the Blueshirts had trouble with stiffer competition in the Broadstreet Bullies.
For the Rangers, it was an ugly hockey game. Even head coach John Tortorella agreed with my sentiment when talking to reporters after the game:
“It was just one of those games where you get all this hype about it and to me it was a (ugly) game,” said Rangers head coach John Tortorella. “I’m sure they don’t feel that way, they win it 4-1, but to me it was sloppy offensively. They didn’t have that many chances either.”
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Tags: New+Jersey+Devils, New+York+Rangers, Philadelphia+Flyers,
Callahan and Dubinsky: True Blue Rangers
by Patrick Hoffman on 11/02/10 at 12:14 PM ET
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In what was a nail biter at Madison Square Garden last night, the New York Rangers defeated the defending Stanley Cup champion Chicago Blackhawks by a score of 3-2.
When talking about this game, besides goaltender Henrik Lundqvist of course, there are two key players to talk about: Ryan Callahan dna Brandon Dubinsky.
In last night’s tilt, Callahan picked up two assists and also blocked a few shots, threw several hits, killed penalties, played on the power play and more. He did everything for the Blueshirts.
He reminds me a bit of Adam Graves because like Graves did when he was a Blueshirt, Callahan never takes a shift off. He hustles, he goes to the net, he deflects shots, he pokes at rebounds, blocks shots, kills penalties, and more. He wears that Ranger jersey with pride and I hope that others will follow him.
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Tags: Brandon+Dubinsky, Chicago+Blackhawks, New+Jersey+Devils, New+York+Rangers, Philadelphia+Flyers, Ryan+Callahan,
Rangers Add to Winning Streak
by Patrick Hoffman on 10/25/10 at 07:00 AM ET
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Look out folks but after defeating the New Jersey Devils last night 3-1 at Madison Square Garden, the team is now 4-2-1 and has won three straight games.
I know it’s early in the season but six points is six points and as you know, every point is important in the National Hockey League. Last night against the Devils, the team earned two points by playing a smart game at home, throwing pucks on net (34 shots), and getting great goaltending once again from Henrik Lundqvist, who made 27 saves to pick up his second straight victory.
The team got a tremendous effort out of the Artem Anisimov, Brandon Dubinsky (1 goal and 1 assist for 2 points) and Ryan Callahan (1 goal) line. The line drove hard to the net, kept the puck in the opponent’s zone for stretches at a time and scored two of the team’s three goals.
When looking at this game, you also need to give credit to the club;s defense. Michal Rozsival played another great game and Michael Del Zotto had a team high 28:38 in ice time with hits, 4 shots, and was also a + 2.
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Tags: Artem+Anisimov, Brandon+Dubinsky, Henrik+Lundqvist, John+Tortorella, Michael+Del+Zotto, Michal+Rozsival, New+Jersey+Devils, New+York+Rangers, Ryan+Callahan,
Rangers Look to Extend Winning Streak to Three tonight
by Patrick Hoffman on 10/24/10 at 10:29 AM ET
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Last night was a great example of a perfect road hockey game displayed by the New York Rangers.
They got two quick goals from Artem Anisimov and Alexander Frolov and an insurance goal by Marc Staal in the second period to defeat the Boston Bruins by a score of 3-2. With that said, the win would not have been possible if not for the play of goaltender Henrik Lundqvist.
Lundqvist made 35 saves on the night and did everything he could to make sure that his hockey club came out of the game with two points rather than one. This was a game where Lundqvist put it all together and finally had the support in front of him to be able to do so.
For the Blueshirts, it’s two straight tough road wins against formidable opponents and in this league, we all know that every two points matters.
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Tags: Alexander+Frolov, Artem+Anisimov, Boston+Bruins, Henrik+Lundqvist, Illya+Kovalchuk, John+MacLean, Marc+Staal, New+Jersey+Devils, New+York+Rangers,
Good Start To Pre-season
by Patrick Hoffman on 09/24/10 at 07:46 AM ET
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Good morning folks. Unfortunately, I was not able to watch the New York Rangers vs. New Jersey Devils pre-season game last night because I had a hockey game of my own to play in.
However, it was nice to come home and see that they won 4-3 in overtime and apparently got strong efforts from Marian Gaborik and Alexander Frolov, a combination that team head coach John Tortorella will more than likely have play together to start the season.
Gaborik finished the night with two goals, including the overtime winner, while his linemate, Frolov, finished with a goal and two assists. Certainly not a bad start for what could be a dynamic duo for the Blueshirts.
The team also got a solid effort from prospect Derek Stepan, who is doing everything he can to show the team that he belongs there as team web site beat writer Jim Cerny reported the following in his game recap last night:
Stepan logged over 18 minutes of ice-time, playing on both specialty teams as well as at even strength. He won 50 percent of his faceoffs and fired four shots on goal, just behind Frolov and Ruslan Fedotenko, who each had six, for the team lead.
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Tags: Alexander+Frolov, Derek+Stepan, John+Tortorella, Marian+Gaborik, New+Jersey+Devils, New+York+Rangers, Pre-season,
Rangers Hockey Is Back
by Patrick Hoffman on 09/23/10 at 08:45 AM ET
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Tonight, the New York Rangers face-off against the New Jersey Devils in their first pre-season game of the 2010-11 season at Madison Square Garden.
This will be a good time for fans to see potential line combinations, young prospects and get a feel for the game of hockey once again since it’s been gone since April.
According to Jim Cerny’s Twitter yesterday, the lineup will be the following:
@PuckCentral Forwards: Gaborik, Frolov, Christensen, Stepan, Prust, Boyle, Boogaard, Zuccarello, Weise, Kennedy, Dubinsky, Fedotenko
@PuckCentral Biron and Johnson in goal; Staal, Girardi, Rozsival, McDonagh, Semenov, Sauer on defense…
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Tags: New+Jersey+Devils, New+York+Rangers, Pre-Season,
Blueshirts Looking Towards Tomorrow Night
by Patrick Hoffman on 09/22/10 at 02:32 PM ET
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Well wouldn’t ya know it? The New York Rangers will be back in action tomorrow night in their first pre-season game against the New Jersey Devils.
While the pre-season doesn’t mean much in the grand scheme of things, it is a good chance for the team and its fans to see how players have either progressed or not improved, get a look at some potential lines and more importantly, it’s a great opportunity to see some hockey again since the Blueshirts haven’t played since losing to the Philadelphia Flyers in a shootout back on April 11.
According to Jesse Spector of the Daily News, Blueshirts prospect Mats Zuccarello is expected to make his Madison Square Garden debut tomorrow night against the Devils. It also sounds like Zuccarello is primed and ready to make an impression:
“On the first day, I felt like it was tough, and I wasn’t used to this stuff,” Zuccarello said. “After the first day, I’m pretty pleased with what I’ve done. I think the scrimmages have gone well. I’ve had some good passes, made some good plays. It will be nice to play a game.”
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Tags: Alexander+Frolov, Derek+Stepan, John+Tortorella, Marian+Gaborik, Mats+Zuccarello, New+Jersey+Devils, New+York+Rangers,
Talking Illya Kovalchuk with Hockey Blogger Chris Wassel
by Patrick Hoffman on 07/31/10 at 07:00 AM ET
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With Illya Kovalchuk’s hearing scheduled for next week, I figured now would be a good time to discuss New Jersey Devils’ hockey with Chris Wassel, host of The Program on Blog Talk Radio, owner The Hockey Program web site and now the New Jersey devils blogger for The Fourth Period.
PH: As a Devils fan, how does this Kovalchuk situation make you feel? Why?
CW: It is like a Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup….you know the peanut butter is in the middle and much like Kovalchuk…you have to dig past the chocolate to get to the prize. In all seriousness, at least now we know the arbitration is coming and by this time next week, everyone should hopefully know a decision.
PH: As an objective hockey blogger, do you think the NHL did the right thing by rejecting the contract? Why or why not?
CW: With the precedent set, the league dropped the ball so often that they knew they had to do something. However, something tells me based on how Jeff Vanderbeek is reacting, he knows a little bit more information than you or I do at this point. If you allow contracts like Luongo’s or Hossa’s, you have to allow ones like Kovalchuk’s. Do not change the rules until the next CBA. The NHL has some grounds to call for circumvention but New Jersey holds some pretty good precedent. Not to mention, speculation suggests a Kings rep may be asked to testify. It makes you wonder what the Kings offered Kovalchuk. My honest opinion, the league picked the wrong battle.
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Tags: Illya+Kovalchuk, New+Jersey+Devils,
Looking for Fans Reactions To a Few Questions I have
by Patrick Hoffman on 07/23/10 at 07:00 AM ET
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Good morning folks. The dog days of summer really are here and as such, I want to help keep hockey on your minds.
As such, I would like to get your thoughts on the following questions:
- Will Kovalchuk still end up being a New Jersey Devil? Why or why not?
- Was the NHL right to reject the Kovalchuk contract? Why or why not?
- Does this whole Kovalchuk saga prove that the league could be headed for a lockout in the next few seasons? Why or why not?
- How will the Chicago Blackhawks be next season after losing several key players due to salary cap problems? Why?
- Where will UFA goaltender Marty Turco end up signing? Why? How about UFA netminder Jose Theodore?
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Tags: Chicago+Blackhawks, Illya+Kovalchuk, Jose+Theodore, Marty+Turco, Michael+Leighton, New+Jersey+Devils, NHL, Philadelphia+Flyers, Steve+Yzerman, Tampa+Bay+Lightning,
Devils have some Questions to Answer
by Patrick Hoffman on 05/10/10 at 06:22 PM ET
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I know that this has nothing to do with the New York Rangers but I figured I’d point out an excellent take on the New Jersey Devils from a Rangers fan and great friend of the blog Brian Monzo at WFAN.com:
Who is going to be the next coach?
It came as a shock to some that coach Lemaire retired from coaching. But the reasoning was even more surprising. It came out that the coach lost the team. One of the most strict, demanding and respected coaches in the NHL lost his players. It’s also worth nothing that Lemaire had a late season fallout with the Devils captain, Jamie Langenbrunner. Langenbrunner was a little banged up but was able to play. Lemaire decided to rest him, which Langebrunner did not like.
There are many names floating around to whom will be behind the bench next season. It seems like the Devils are in this position every offseason. Former Devil great John MacLean would be the logical choice. MacLean has been coaching with the Devils since 2002, and coached the Devs AHL affiliate, the Lowell Devils last season where he won 39 games. Devil fans would certainly love to see MacLean as their guy. Looking outside the organization, a handful of names have been thrown around. Former Flyer, Star and Blue Jacket coach Ken Hitchcock’s name has surfaced, along with former Oiler coach Craig MacTavish. Even former Ranger coach Tom Renney has been mentioned. My gut tells me that they will finally give MacLean his shot to coach the big squad.
Click here for more great stuff from Monzo.
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Tags: New+Jersey+Devils,
Infuriating
by Patrick Hoffman on 03/26/10 at 10:30 AM ET
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From great friend of the blog Scotty at Scotty Hockey:
After losing to Boston on Sunday it seemed we could finally put the toe tag on the 2009-2010 season. And it was none too soon as the team racked up disappointing loss after disappointing loss and the prospect of drafting a good prospect was so much more appealing than the prospect of a first round playoff spanking.
Well, don’t bother doing your mock drafts just yet. Between the Flyers and Bruins doing their best to fall out of playoff position and the Rangers beating both metro-area rivals, there is still life in the season. For better or worse.
The Blueshirts followed up their 5-0 win over the Isles on Wednesday with a highly unlikely 4-3 shootout win over the Devils this evening. The four points moved them within three of Boston, who have a game in hand but lost to Tampa tonight. At this point, I am just throwing my hands in the air and riding the tide to the second week of April. I wanted the Rangers to win games, they lost them. I wanted them to lose games (for their own good), they won them. But of course, when I wanted them to lose tonight I still found myself pissed off when Jersey opened the scoring in the first period.
Click here for more good stuff from Scotty!
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Tags: New+Jersey+Devils, New+York+Rangers,
Not Dead Yet
by Patrick Hoffman on 03/26/10 at 08:50 AM ET
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With a HUGE 4-3 shootout win over the New Jersey Devils last night, the New York Rangers managed to keep their playoff hopes alive.
The team got an excellent performance from goaltender Henrik Lundqvist and a CLUTH goal from Chris Drury. This was two points that the team absolutely needed and both these guys came through in a big way.
Erik Christensen also came up big for the Blueshirts with a terrific assist on Drury’s goal that tied the game up at 3-3 with 16.5 seconds to go and the lone goal in the shootout.
Unfortunately, I will not be around tonight or tomorrow night so let’s hope the Blueshirts can pick up another two points tomorrow night against the Toronto Maple Leafs in Toronto and stay afloat in the playoff race.
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Tags: New+Jersey+Devils, New+York+Rangers,
On to New Jersey With the Same Approach
by Patrick Hoffman on 03/25/10 at 03:47 PM ET
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From good friend of the blog Andrew Gross at Ranger Rants:
The Rangers haven’t been bad in back-to-backs, either, going 6-2-2. This is the Rangers’ final meeting with the Devils this season, they are 2-2-1 so far. And Tortorella is certainly expecting a tougher game than against the limp Islanders.
“I think the Islanders were coming off a West Coast trip, honestly, the New Jersey Devils are a better hockey team,” Tortorella said. “It’s going to be a closer checking game. there’s going to be more things we have to fight through to create offense. We’re going to have to defend better. It’s a better hockey team. In all facets of the game, we have to be better.”
As for Marian Gaborik, who had two goals and an assist skating with center Erik Christensen and Brandon Dubinsky on the left wing, he needs to do more of the same. Last night was his best skating game since the Olympic break and Tortorella acknowledged the Rangers have pushed their marquee player to player through soreness this season.
Click here for more thoughts on tonight’s big tilt with the team’s Hudson River rivals.
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Tags: New+Jersey+Devils, New+York+Rangers,
