Goal Line Report
Entries with the tag: New+York+Islanders
Tops in the East
by Patrick Hoffman on 12/27/11 at 09:18 AM ET
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That is exactly what the New York Rangers are after shutting out the New York Islanders last night by a score of 3-0 at Madison Square Garden.
With the win, the Rangers improved to 22-8-4, which is good enough for first in the Atlantic Division and now, first in the Eastern Conference. The team is one point ahead of the Boston Bruins and two points ahead of the Philadelphia Flyers.
The team used a solid 60-minute effort to beat the Islanders last night. After coming back from the holiday’s, many wondered how this Rangers’ club would respond due to the time off. The Blueshirts came back, skated hard and showed why they are one of the tops teams in the National Hockey League this year.
For starters, the team got another solid performance out of netminder Henrik Lundqvist. Lundqvist made 28 saves for his third shutout of the season and how has statistics that make him one of the best netminders in the NHL with 15 wins (6th in the league), a 1.95 goals against average (4th in the league), a .936 save percentage (third in the league) and 3 shutouts (4th in the league.
The club also got another goal from their sniper Marian Gaborik. Gaborik now leads the NHL in goals with 21 and has a 5-game goal streak.
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Tags: Boston+Bruins, Carl+Hagelin, Henrik+Lundqvist, John+Tortorella, Marian+Gaborik, Michael+Del+Zotto, New+York+Islanders, New+York+Rangers, Philadelphia+Flyers, Washington+Capitals,
It’s Deja Vu all Over Again
by Patrick Hoffman on 12/26/11 at 10:23 AM ET
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It appears to be that way as just like the New York Rangers did last week, they will be taking on the New York Islanders again tonight at Madison Square Garden.
The Blueshirts are coming off a week in which they picked up six points with three victories over teams in their division. The team beat the New Jersey Devils, New York Islanders and Philadelphia Flyers last week to help move the team to first place in the Atlantic Division and second place in the Eastern Conference.
With games on Wednesday (at the Washington Capitals) and Friday (at the Florida Panthers), it will be interesting to see how team head coach John Tortorella uses his goaltenders. It is not out of the question that Tortorella uses netminder Martin Biron tonight against the Islanders and then uses Henrik Lundqvist for the next three games against the Capitals, Panthers and of course, the Flyers at the 2012 Winter Classic.
Other than that, there is not too much else going on in Rangerland these days. The team is winning plenty of hockey games, battling through injuries and getting solid play from everyone on the team.
Hopefully, things will stay that way as the team begins an interesting seven days in which they could potentially pick-up eight points.
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Tags: 2012+Winter+Classic, Florida+Panthers, Henrik+Lundqvist, John+Tortorella, Martin+Biron, New+Jersey+Devils, New+York+Islanders, New+York+Rangers, Philadelphia+Flyers, Washington+Capitals,
Getting the Job Done
by Patrick Hoffman on 12/22/11 at 09:57 PM ET
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That is exactly what the New York Rangers did tonight in their 4-2 win over the New York Islanders.
The team got strong performances from the likes of Marian Gaborik (1 goal), Brandon Dubinsky (1 goal and 1 assist), Anton Stralman (2 assists), and netminder Martin Biron (24 saves on 26 shots). With the win, the team improved to 20-8-4 on the season to move within two points of the Eastern Conference-leading Philadelphia Flyers, who the team will take on tomorrow night at Madison Square Garden.
Believe it or not, it was important for the Blueshirts to win tonight’s tilt. This game could have easily been a “trap game” for the Rangers and one that they would somehow find a way to lose. Instead, the team played hard, battled to the end, showed that they have depth and picked up two important points in the standings.
The club also showed just how lucky they are to have a goaltender like Biron. Biron is one of the league’s best back-ups and because he has played so well this season (7-1, 1.84 goals against average, .933 save percentage and 1 shutout), it gives team head coach John Tortorella to rest starting netminder Henrik Lundqvist more, which will be extremely important come April.
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Tags: Anton+Stralman, Brandon+Dubinsky, Henrik+Lundqvist, John+Tortorella, Marian+Gaborik, Martin+Biron, New+York+Islanders, New+York+Rangers, Philadelphia+Flyers, Stu+Bickel, Winter+Classic,
Another Rivalry Game for the Blueshirts
by Patrick Hoffman on 12/22/11 at 09:29 AM ET
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It seems to be rivalry week for the New York Rangers as they get set to take on the New York Islanders tonight at Madison Square Garden.
The Blueshirts are coming off an impressive 4-1 win over the New Jersey Devils on Tuesday night at the Prudential Center. In that game, the team got strong performances from goaltender Henrik Lundqvist (30 saves), Marian Gaborik (2 goals and 1 assist), Derek Stepan (3 assists), and Artem Anisimov (1 goal and 1 assist).
At the other end, the Islanders are coming off a 3-2 shootout win over the Winnipeg Jets and are looking to extend their winning streak to two games with a win over the Blueshirts tonight. According the Islanders’ web site, there is a good chance that netminder Evgeni Nabakov will get the start tonight.
For the Rangers, their goal should be to stay the course. The team is currently 19-8-4 and have done a lot of damage to the Islanders at the Garden. In their last four tilts at MSG, the Blueshirts have outscored the Islanders by a 20-5 margin and have also gone 8 for 20 on the power play.
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Tags: Artem+Anisimov, Derek+Stepan, Evgeni+Nabokov, Henrik+Lundqvist, Marian+Gaborik, New+York+Islanders, New+York+Rangers, Philadelphia+Flyers, Winnipeg+Jets,
The Marian Gaborik Show
by Patrick Hoffman on 12/21/11 at 09:08 AM ET
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That is exactly what it was for the New York Rangers’ last night in their 4-1 win over the New Jersey Devils.
Marian Gaborik picked-up the game winning goal, an empty net goal and added an assist for a three point night. The game before, he picked-up another two goals and now has 19 on the season.
Gaborik looks like the player he was for the Rangers two seasons ago. The puck seems to be following him and he obviously knows how to make things happen.
Not only is he scoring goals and putting up points, he is also playing consistently well on the other side of the puck. He has made some solid defensive plays this season and backchecks a lot more than he used to.
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Tags: Artem+Anisimov, Boston+Bruins, Derek+Stepan, Marian+Gaborik, New+Jersey+Devils, New+York+Islanders, New+York+Rangers,
Pretty Amazing, Eh?
by Patrick Hoffman on 11/22/11 at 08:00 AM ET
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This simply describes the play of Pittsburgh Penguins’ captain Sidney Crosby.
In his first game since January 5, 2011, Crosby picked up two goals and two assists for four points in just over 15 minutes played in a 5-0 whitewash of the lowly New York Islanders. Yes folks, you read that right - four points in 15-minutes. Imagine if he got his usual ice time.
I know that I am a New York Rangers’ fan and should not like the enemy. However, I am a hockey fan first and have really come to appreciate what Crosby does for the game of hockey.
Last night, Sid “the Kid” showed his amazing offensive talent, an ability to put the puck wherever he wants and the power and accuracy to shoot the puck from anywhere (8 shots on goal), whether it is on the forehand or backhand. Simply put, he was a hockey specimen last night.
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Tags: New+York+Islanders, New+York+Rangers, Pittsburgh+Penguins, Sidney+Crosby,
Seventh Heaven for the Blueshirts
by Patrick Hoffman on 11/16/11 at 09:08 AM ET
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That is what the New York Rangers are in after defeating the New York Islanders last night by a score of 4-2.
With excellent goaltending from Henrik Lundqvist, great penalty killing and timely goal scoring, the Blueshirts were able to pick up their seventh straight victory to improve to 10-3-3 on the season. It certainly was not an easy victory by any means for the Rangers.
The Rangers were undisciplined last night and gave the Islanders power play chance after chance to get the lead but thanks to the stellar play of Lundqvist, the Islanders were not able to cash in. Lundqvist (31 saves) and his never say die athleticism helped the Rangers steal two points last night on Long Island.
It was also great to see Rangers’ 9-year man Brad Richards come through in the clutch with the go ahead goal with just less than five minutes to go in the hockey game. This is why the team got him and right now, at least, he is delivering.
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Tags: Brad+Richards, Henrik+Lundqvist, John+Tortorella, Montreal+Canadiens, New+York+Islanders, New+York+Rangers, Sean+Avery,
Trap Game
by Patrick Hoffman on 11/15/11 at 08:41 AM ET
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That is exactly what tonight is for the New York Rangers as they take on the New York Islanders in Long Island.
The Blueshirts are riding a 6-game winning streak while the New York Islanders are one of the worst teams in the National Hockey League. With that said, however, it is more than likely that the Islanders will be up for tonight’s tilt in front of their fans.
While the Islanders’ will be more than pumped to play tonight’s match, the New York Rangers are an extremely hot club right now. They are scoring goals, playing smart defense, playing responsibly and having success on special teams.
This is a much different Rangers’ club that the Islanders will be playing compared to the team they faced back in October. Back then, the Rangers will still trying to figure out how to mesh well and what kind of team they were going to be.
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Tags: New+York+Islanders, New+York+Rangers,
Rangers Show Determination in 5-1 Win Over The Hurricanes
by Patrick Hoffman on 11/11/11 at 09:34 PM ET
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This is exactly what the New York Rangers used to defeat the Carolina Hurricanes by a score of 5-1 at Madison Square Garden tonight.
A determined Rangers’ club came out in the third period and broke a 1-1 tie by scoring four unanswered goals. Defenseman Dan Girardi started it with a power play goal followed by a goal nine seconds later from Brandon Dubinsky (his first of the season) and just shortly after, Ryan Callahan made it 4-1 when he scored on a Hurricanes’ delayed penalty. Then with just under two minutes to go in game, Brad Richards cashed in on a giveaway by Hurricanes’ netminder Cam Ward to seal the team’s sixth straight victory overall and fifth straight win on home ice.
After a slow start to this game, the Rangers put the pressure on the Hurricanes and kept it up for the rest of the hockey game. The team had just 8 shots in the first period but because of their willingness to put pucks to the net, drive to the crease and get in good position, they ended up finishing the game with 40 shots on goal.
Dubinsky had a solid game for the Rangers. He showed confidence with the puck, made some great plays for his linemates and now that he got his first goal of the season, will definitely have less pressure on himself heading into the team’s next game.
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Tags: Brad+Richards, Brandon+Dubinsky, Cam+Ward, Carolina+Hurricanes, Dan+Girardi, Henrik+Lundqvist, New+York+Islanders, New+York+Rangers, Ryan+Callahan, Sean+Avery,
Are the Rangers In Trouble?
by Patrick Hoffman on 10/16/11 at 04:18 PM ET
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Obviously folks, the answer to this question is a resounding NO.
It is only three games into the season and while the the team is 0-1-2, thanks to a 4-2 loss to the New York Islanders last night, it is certainly nothing to panic about. With that said, there are obviously things that the team needs to work on.
For starters, taking too many penalties. Throughout the team’s first three games of the season, it seems like the Blueshirts have constantly been making trips to the penalty box. Last night, the Rangers gave the Islanders eight power plays, some of them absolutely needless such as Marian Gaborik’s penalty in the third period.
Not only does going to the box put the team at a disadvantage man-wise, but it also kills the flow of the team. Last night, it was clear that the top line of Derek Stepan-Brad Richards-Marian Gaborik was clicking and creating scoring opportunities. However, when the team takes too many penalties, there is only so much time that line can get out on the ice.
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Tags: Calgary+Flames, Edmonton+Oilers, New+York+Islanders, New+York+Rangers, Vancouver+Canucks,
Introducing the Rivalry to the Newest Rangers
by Patrick Hoffman on 10/15/11 at 11:30 AM ET
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That is a key storyline for tonight’s tilt between the New York Rangers and New York Islanders at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum on Long Island.
This has been one of the league’s most storied rivalries and one that has a lot of history. Just think about all the games, playoff matches, great/memorable goals, big thundering hits, unbelievable saves and of course, the many, many fights that have taken place when these two clubs battle it out.
With that in mind, it is time for the newest Rangers to step up and show what they can bring to the rivalry. Brad Richards need to bring a certain amount of offense, artistry, and production to give the Islanders’ netminders and defense fits every time the two teams play each other.
Michael Rupp needs to be someone who can stick up for his teammates, fight when he needs to or even put in a goal here and there. This is something he did to the Blueshirts when he was a member of the Pittsburgh Penguins.
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Tags: Brad+Richards, Michael+Rupp, New+York+Islanders, New+York+Rangers, Tim+Erixon,
No Better Time Than Tomorrow
by Patrick Hoffman on 10/14/11 at 07:40 AM ET
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The title can definitely be applied to the New York Rangers when it comes to their third game of the regular season tomorrow night against the young and talented New York Islanders.
While abroad, the Rangers were not great but they managed to come away with two out of a possible four points. In doing so, the team has yet to lose in regulation and also got solid performances from the likes of Ryan Callahan, Dan Girardi, and Henrik Lundqvist.
Tomorrow night on Long Island, the Blueshirts will need to be prepared to take on a very young but hard-working Islanders hockey club. The Islanders are coming off a 5-1 whomping over the Tampa Bay Lightning in which their franchise player, John Tavares, notched two goals and two assists for a four point night.
The Rangers will also have to watch out for players like Kyle Okposo, Michael Grabner, Matt Moulson, PA Parenteau (former Ranger), Josh Bailey and Frans Nielsen. These guys are all young and are hungry to prove that they can help make the Islanders a winning hockey team now and into the future.
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Tags: New+York+Islanders, New+York+Rangers,
Islanders Would Make Wrong Move By Signing Yashin
by Patrick Hoffman on 07/26/11 at 12:31 PM ET
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Over at RLD Hockey today, I wrote about how the New York Islanders’ would be going against their original plan set out by general manager Garth Snow if they were to go out and actually sign Alexei Yashin.
You can click here to read it or continue below:
Signing Yashin Would Go Against Isles’ Plan
By Patrick Hoffman
The Islanders have a plan in place. GM Garth Snow would be straying away from that plan if he opts to bring back Alexei Yashin.
It was reported last week by Yashin’s agent and the Islanders’ organization that Yashin and the Islanders were seriously considering an offer, an offer that has many going “huh?” This is especially true if you have been following Snow and the Islanders over the last few seasons.
While the Islanders have not been a terrific team over the last few seasons, they have been one that has been getting younger and more talented. Just look at these names: John Tavares, Kyle Okposo, Josh Bailey, Matt Moulson, Nino Niederreiter, Blake Comeau, Al Montoya, Michael Grabner, PA Parenteau, and now, Ryan Strome.
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Tags: Alexei+Yashin, New+York+Islanders,
Dangerous in the NHL: Goaltenders and Long Term Contracts?
by Patrick Hoffman on 06/29/11 at 11:00 AM ET
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After seeing what the the Philadelphia Flyers did last week, I would have to say yes.
Have NHL general managers not learned anything when it comes to signing goaltenders to ridiculous contracts? Do they not know that often, it is a very bad idea to do so due to things that could happen that are out of their control?
It would appear not since Flyers’ Gm Paul Holmgren went out and signed UFA goaltender Illya Bryzgalov to a 9-year deal. While the Flyers’ may like that they have a potential franchise netminder on their hands, there are a few examples where signing a goaltender to a long-term contract has not worked out as planned.
The first and most obvious example is New York Islanders’ goaltender Rick DiPietro. Back in September of 2006, Islanders’ general manager signed DiPietro to a then oustounding 15-year deal worth $67.5 million.
In return, the Islanders really have not received anything back from DiPietro accept injuries. DiPietro has yet to play a full season since signing the long-term deal and has also yet to return to the form that got him into the NHL in the first place. Overall, it has been a no-win situation for either DiPietro or the Islanders as a whole.
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Tags: Illya+Bryzgalov, New+York+Islanders, Philadelphia+Flyers, Rick+DiPietro, Roberto+Luongo, Vancouver+Canucks,
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,
Not Quite The Effort That was Needed
by Patrick Hoffman on 03/31/11 at 07:40 AM ET
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These are the perfect words to describe the play of the New York Rangers in their 1-0 shutout loss to the Buffalo Sabres last night.
The Blueshirts had trouble generating any consistent offense, did not throw enough pucks on Sabres, netminder Jhonas Enroth, who was making the start in place of Ryan Miller, who had an upper buddy injury. Enroth made 23 saves in picking up his first career NHL shutout, and an important one at that.
With the loss, the Rangers dropped down to the eighth and final spot in the Eastern Conference while the Buffalo Sabres moved up to the seventh spot. The Hurricanes, currently ninth in the Conference, are just three points behind the Blueshirts, who are back in action tonight on Long Island for a tilt against the New York Islanders.
One player who did show up for the Blueshirts was Henrik Lundqvist. Lundqvist made 34 saves and gave everyone a scare late in the second period when he took a puck off the right knee. He would not comment on it too much after the game only to say that he wants to be ready for tomorrow night.
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Tags: Buffalo+Sabres, Carolina+Hurricanes, Henrik+Lundqvist, Jhonas+Enroth, New+York+Islanders, New+York+Rangers, Philadelphia+Flyers,
Another Big Game on Tap for the Rangers
by Patrick Hoffman on 03/30/11 at 07:58 AM ET
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Coming off a big 1-0 shutout win over the Boston Bruins on Saturday afternnon, the New York Rangers will be back in action tonight when they take on the Buffalo Sabres in Buffalo in what is an important game for both clubs.
The Blueshirts are currently seventh in the Eastern Conference but are just two points up on the eighth place Buffalo Sabres. The Rangers are also now two points behind the Montreal Canadiens for sixth place.
The key for the Rangers will be to stay the course. They will need to continue to get balanced scoring, play disciplined hockey, play smart defense and get goaltending from Henrik Lundqvist if they want to have any kind of success against a very good Sabres hockey club.
Luckily for the Rangers, this is a road game and the Blueshirts have been one of the league’s best away from home ice. The team currently has 23 wins on the road and seem to play with a lot more confidence when not in front of the Madison Square Garden crowd.
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Tags: Boston+Bruins, Buffalo+Sabres, Henrik+Lundqvist, Montreal+Canadiens, New+York+Islanders, New+York+Rangers,
What to do with Sean Avery
by Patrick Hoffman on 03/16/11 at 11:55 AM ET
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When New York Rangers’ forward Sean Avery was scratched on Saturday night against the San Jose Sharks, many pundits and fans alike figured that he would come out and play a heckuva game against the New York Islanders on Tuesday night.
Unfortunately, both were wrong as Avery struggled in last night’s 6-3 victory over the team’s hated rival. He took three penalties, one of which led to a John tavares power play goal in the third period, and only got just over seven minutes of ice time.
One has to wonder what team head coach John Tortorella thought of his play last night. If I am Tortorella, I would hesitate to put him in the lineup against the Montreal Canadiens on Friday night as the last thing you want to do is give the Canadiens a bunch of power plays.
With that said, however, Avery is someone who works hard, can generate scoring opportunities and keeps the opponent on edge. Avery is one of the best when it comes to throwing an opposing team off its game.
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Tags: John+Tortorella, Montreal+Canadiens, New+York+Islanders, New+York+Rangers, Sean+Avery,
Big Win for the Blueshirts
by Patrick Hoffman on 03/15/11 at 10:53 PM ET
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Tonight’s game between the New York Rangers and the New York Islanders was one that the Blueshirts needed to have on home ice.
Mission accomplished. The Blueshirts came out and beat the Islanders by a score of 6-3 and picked up points 77 and 78 on the season.
Believe it or not, the Rangers got three power play goals and a shorthanded goal tonight. Erik Christensen, Bryan McCabe (his first as a Ranger) and Marian Gaborik all connected with the man-advantage while Brandon Prust picked up the shorthanded goal in the first period to give his team a 1-0 lead.
With the win, the Rangers now have sole possession of the seventh spot in the Eastern Conference as the Carolina Hurricanes shutout the Buffalo Sabres by a score of 1-0.
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Tags: Brandon+Prust, Bryan+McCabe, Buffalo+Sabres, Carolina+Hurricanes, Erik+Christensen, Henrik+Lundqvist, Marian+Gaborik, Montreal+Canadiens, New+York+Islanders, New+York+Rangers, Pittsburgh+Penguins,
Rangers Just Need to Win
by Patrick Hoffman on 03/15/11 at 07:00 AM ET
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It sounds simple, right? Especially with the New York Islanders coming to Madison Square Garden tonight, right?
Wrong. The New York Rangers will be facing a much different New York Islanders hockey club tonight, one that has won a lot in the second half of the season and one that does not look like an AHL team anymore.
For the Rangers, the task is simple - just win baby. The team is currently eighth in the Eastern Conference with 76 points. The Buffalo Sabres also have 76 points and the Carolina Hurricanes are ninth in the conference with 72 points. Unfortunately for the Blueshirts, those teams are in action against each other tonight so one of them will definitely be coming away with the all-important two points.
The last time the Rangers were at home, they defeated the Philadelphia Flyers by a 7-0 score while getting four goals from Ryan Callahan. Tonight, the Blueshirts will be looking for the same kind of offense to get the crowd going and excited about the team’s playoff hopes.
For that to happen though, the Blueshirts will need to be careful against these hungry Islanders. The Islanders have gotten terrific play from the likes of John Tavares, Michael Grabner, Blake Comeau, Matt Moulson and goaltender Al Montoya. Yes, the Montoya that was drafted by the Rangers back in 2004.
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Tags: Brandon+Dubinsky, Brian+Boyle, Buffalo+Sabres, Carolina+Hurricanes, Derek+Stepan, Mats+Zuccarello, New+York+Islanders, New+York+Rangers, Philadelphia+Flyers, Ryan+Callahan, Vaclav+Prospal,
Rangers Pick Up the All-Important Two Points in San Jose
by Patrick Hoffman on 03/13/11 at 10:22 AM ET
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It does not matter how you get them just as long you get them.
That is what the New York Rangers were able to do last night in their 3-2 shootout victory over the San Jose Sharks. It wasn’t pretty but the Blueshirts did not allow two deflection goals against to derail them en route to a victory.
At this point in the season, one point is not good enough for the Blueshirts and they showed that last night in San Jose. The team got goals from from Erik Christensen, Michael Sauer and in the shootout, got the winner from Brandon Dubinsky after Wojtek Wolski extended the shootout by scoring on Sharks’ netminder Antti Niemi in the third round of the skills competition.
The Blueshirts also got a terrific performance from their netminder Henrik Lundqvist. Lundqvist made 31 saves in 65 minutes and then went and stopped five of six shots in the shootout to pick up his 28th victory of the season.
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Tags: Brandon+Dubinsky, Buffalo+Sabres, Carolina+Hurricanes, Columbus+Blue+Jackets, Erik+Christensen, Henrik+Lundqvist, John+Tortorella, Michael+Sauer, Montreal+Canadiens, New+York+Islanders, New+York+Rangers, San+Jose+Sharks, Toronto+Maple+Leafs, Wojtek+Wolski,
New York Rangers’ Prospect Update with Jess Rubenstein of The Prospect Park
by Patrick Hoffman on 02/21/11 at 09:10 AM ET
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Jess Rubenstein of the terrific The Prospect Park, a great blog that follows and covers both New York Rangers and New York Islanders’ prospects, was kind enough to take time out of his busy schedule to tell us about how the Rangers’ various prospects are doing this season.
PH: Which New York Rangers’ prospect has stood out the most to you this season? Why?
JR: Without a doubt Christian Thomas of the Oshawa Generals. For starters Thomas works hard at both ends of the ice which does not always get notice from a offensive weapon, and Thomas does not shy away from physical contact willing to go through traffic. Thomas is willing to take a hit to make a play.
PH: Who are some of the other Rangers’ prospects who have impressed you this season? Why?
JR: Carl Hagelin of Michigan is no longer a secret as he was when he was first selected in 2007. Strong 2 way game who can adapt to what ever situation facing him a big game player who wants the puck when the pressure is on him and produces.
Jason Wilson who was a 2010 5th round selection is an interesting player to watch, 6’3 power forward who has gotten better as the season has worn on. Very protective of his teammates.
Jesper Fasth of Sweden in his brief time in North America offers some very good potential and is a prospect to keep an eye on down the road.
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Tags: Jess+Rubenstein, New+York+Islanders, New+York+Rangers, The+Prospect+Park,
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,
Winless Streak Hits Six for the Blueshirts
by Patrick Hoffman on 02/12/11 at 11:45 AM ET
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Last night’s game against the Atlanta Thrashers was one that the New York Rangers needed to come away with two points.
Simply put, they did not and managed to extend their winless streak to six games. It was a game that was essentially worth four points because it was against the Thrashers. With the loss, the Carolina Hurricanes are only three points behind in what has become an extremely interesting Eastern Conference race.
In their winless streak, the Blueshirts have lost four in a row. The team still holds the seventh spot in the Eastern Conference but are now just two points in front of the Thrashers, who hold the eighth spot in the Eastern Conference standings.
With a 2-1 lead in the third period, all the Rangers needed to do was play tight defense, stay out of the box, get big saves from Henrik Lundqvist and at the same time, push for an insurance goal. The Rangers were able to do three out of four and the one exception was one that hurt them the most.
Rangers’ defenseman Michael Del Zotto took a tripping penalty in the third period when he was not able ot control a bouncing puck along the boards behind the net and had to trip Nik Antropov as he came in alone on Lundqvist. The Thrashers were able to get a power play goal from Evander Kane, his second of the game, which gave the Thrashers a 3-2 lead and ultimately, the hockey game.
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Tags: Atlanta+Thrashers, Brandon+Dubinsky, Evander+Kane, Henrik+Lundqvist, Marc+Staal, Marian+Gaborik, Michael+Del+Zotto, New+York+Islanders, New+York+Rangers, Ondrej+Pavelec, Pittsburgh+Penguins,
On John Tavares and The New York Islanders
by Patrick Hoffman on 01/19/11 at 04:24 PM ET
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Over at Justin Bourne’s blog, I blogged about how John Tavares has been a bright spot for the New York Islanders this year and that everything the team has gone through this season will make them better for the future.
You can check it out here or continue reading below:
When you are a hockey player playing on an inconsistent hockey club, there are many reasons to get down yourself and underperform because essentially, the season is already a lost cause.
One player in the National Hockey League that does not buy that is New York Islanders’ forward John Tavares.
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Tags: John+Tavares, New+York+Islanders,
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,
All About Hard Work for the Blueshirts
by Patrick Hoffman on 12/27/10 at 09:27 PM ET
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It may have been a 7-2 drubbing of the New York Islanders, but the New York Rangers certainly worked hard for their 21st victory of their season.
For starters, defenseman Matt Gilroy had a terrific game for the Blueshirts. He picked up his first two goals of the season, played well on both sides of the puck and looked poised and confident on the blueline. This is something that Gilroy needs to do conisistently but he certainly seems to be getting his game together at the right time for his hockey club.
It was another excellent game for grinders Brian Boyle and Brandon Prust. Boyle picked up his 13th goal of the season and added two assists for three points. As always, Prust worked hard, battled in the corners and generated several scoring opportunities for the Blueshirts.
The same can be said of Brandon Dubinsky and Derek Stepan, who are both having quite a season for the Rangers. Dubinsky scored his 15th goal of the season and added an assist while Stepan extended his goal-scoring streak to three games with his 11th goal of the season as well as picking up an assist.
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Tags: Brandon+Dubinsky, Brandon+Prust, Brian+Boyle, Chris+Drury, Derek+Stepan, Marian+Gaborik, Mats+Zuccarello, Matt+Gilroy, New+York+Islanders, 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,
Sending a Message to Del Zotto
by Patrick Hoffman on 12/26/10 at 08:00 PM ET
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While New York Rangers’ defenseman Michael Del Zotto has recovered from the flu, it appears that team head coach John Tortorella will scratch the defenseman for the team’s game tomorrow night against the New York Islanders.
Del Zotto has clearly struggled this season. He gives up the puck way too much, has not contributed as much offensively as he did last season and also does not seem as confident as he used to. Unfortunately, this has cost the Blueshirts in various games throughout the season.
As such, it is apparent that Tortorella is trying to send the youngster a message. Andrew Gross reported as much from the team head coach in his blog earlier today:
Tortorella said this shouldn’t be viewed as a negative thing regarding Del Zotto, noting he’s still a 20-year-old defensemen who needs to go through the “process” of learning how to be a rock-steady NHL defensemen. But Tortorella did admit that, last season, had the team been carrying seven defensemen instead of the bare-bones six, he likely would have scratched Del Zotto at times during the second half of the season.
“He should get a message just being out,” Tortorella said. “He’s healthy and this is a coach’s decision. He’s been inconsistent. Michael will have to wait his turn.”
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Tags: John+Tortorella, Michael+Del+Zotto, New+York+Islanders, New+York+Rangers,
The Norwegian Hobbit Is Back!
by Patrick Hoffman on 12/26/10 at 06:32 PM ET
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From Andrew Gross at Ranger Rants:
Mats Zuccarello will be recalled for tomorrow night’s game against the Islanders after playing for Connecticut (AHL) today. That would have happened regardless of Marian Gaborik’s health and coach John Tortorella said, after talking to trainer Jim Ramsey, all indications are that Gaborik will be good to go tomorrow night. Tortorella added he’s not sure where he’ll put Zuccarello and Gaborik in terms of lines: he might be leaning toward keeping Zuccarello with Derek Stepan and Brandon Dubinsky because he liked the way that line played together in the 4-3 shootout loss to the Lightning.
“I thought he played well,” Tortorella said of Zuccarello’s game against the Lightning - two shots and an early do-or-die goal in the shootout plus a great backhand pass to set up Dubinsky. “There’s always that adrenaline. But he ups the talent level on our club. We have to give him another look based on the way he played.”
This is well deserved. Zuccarello played a solid first game of his NHL career on Thursday against the Tampa Bay Lightning. He skated hard, generated scoring chances, showed some speed and scored, at the time, a critical goal in the shootout.
It’ll be interesting to see how he plays in his first experience with the Rangers-New York Islanders rivalry.
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Tags: Mats+Zuccarello, New+York+Islanders, New+York+Rangers,
A Deserved Point by the Blueshirts
by Patrick Hoffman on 12/24/10 at 10:14 AM ET
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While the New York Rangers did lose 4-3 in a shootout last night at Madison Square Garden to the Tampa Bay Lightning, it was a game in which the Blueshirts worked hard, brought a lot of energy and had plenty of chances to win the hockey game.
This is a loss that the Blueshirts should be able to deal with. They battled back to tie the game with less than nine minutes to go in the game when Derek Stepan scored a great goal, they generated plenty of scoring opportunities throughout the game and for the most part, played solid defensively.
With that said, however, it was two giveaways that cost the Rangers’ on two goals. In the first period, the Blueshirts’ Michal Rozsival coughed up the puck to Lightning superstar Martin St. Louis and St. Louis beat Rangers’ netminder Henrik Lundqvist to give the Lightning a 1-0 lead. After the Rangers went up 2-1 on goals by Ruslan Fedotenko and Alex Frolov, St. Louis victimized the Rangers’ again on a turnover and the Rangers’ once again gave away the puck to St. Louis who this time made a between the legs pass to sniper Steven Stamkos and Stamkos buried it to tie the game up at 2-2.
One of the stories of this game was the play of Rangers’ rookie Mats Zuccarello Aasen. Zuccarello played a solid game, brought a lot of creativity to the offense and looked good playing with Stepan and Brandon Dubinsky. Even Rangers’ head coach John Tortorella had positive things to say about the Rangers’ youngster.
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Tags: Alex+Frolov, Derek+Stepan, Glen+Sather, Henrik+Lundqvist, Jim+Schoenfeld, John+Tortorella, Martin+St.+Louis, Mats+Zuccarello+Aase, Michal+Rozsival, New+York+Islanders, New+York+Rangers, Ruslan+Fedotenko, Steven+Stamkos, Tampa+Bay+Lightning,
A Snore Fest But a Win
by Patrick Hoffman on 12/03/10 at 10:52 PM ET
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It certainly was not the most exciting New York Rangers vs. New York Islanders game but it was a 2-0 shutout win for the Blueshirts and a sweep of the home-and-home series.
For Henrik Lundqvist, it was his fourth shutout of the season and his third career against the Islanders. He did not need to be terrific but he was able to get the job done and that’s all that should matter when it comes to Lundqvist and the Rangers.
The team got a great power play goal from defenseman Marc Staal who took a nice pass from Derek Stepan and rifled one over the shoulder of Islanders’ goaltender Dwayne Roloson. Brian Boyle added his 11th (no…I am not kidding) of the season when he put one into the empty net with less than a minute to go in the game.
Other than that, there wasn’t much to this game. Yes, the Rangers dominated a good portion of the second period and had some power play opportunities but they were not able to generate a lot of quality scoring chances. Luckily, they were playing against the Islanders so with a solid Henrik and defense in tact, not a lot of goals should be needed.
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Tags: Brian+Boyle, Derek+Stepan, Dwayne+Roloson, Henrik+Lundqvist, Marc+Staal, New+York+Islanders, New+York+Rangers,
A Win is a Win
by Patrick Hoffman on 12/03/10 at 08:13 AM ET
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Before getting into the details of the blog, I first must admit that I was not around to watch the New York Rangers defeat the New York Islanders by a score of 6-5 as I had a men’s league hockey game.
With that said, however, it was nice to see the Blueshirts get strong performances from their “first line” of Erik Christensen, Sean Avery and Marian Gaborik. Each had multi-point nights and was a big part of the Rangers’ offense last night.
It was even better to see that Gaborik picked up his second hat trick of the season. It seems his goals come in bunches so Ranger fans are probably hoping they’ll see more from him in tonight’s tilt at Madison Square Garden in the second game of the home-and-home series.
I also saw that back-up goaltender Martin Biron was pulled after the Islanders took a 3-2 lead in the second period. Was he really that bad or did head coach John Tortorella make the move just to wake up the team a bit?
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Tags: Erik+Christensen, John+Tortorella, Marian+Gaborik, Martin+Biron, New+York+Islanders, New+York+Rangers, Sean+Avery,
Rangers’ Home-and-Home With Isles Begins Tonight
by Patrick Hoffman on 12/02/10 at 08:38 AM ET
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Any time a team plays their rival, the club wants to put their best forward and do everything they can to win the hockey game even if the said club isn’t doing well in the standings.
This is especially true for tonight in tonight’s tilt at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum between the New York Rangers and the New York Islanders. The Islanders may be at the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings but you know that tonight, they will bring their A-game and do everything they can to beat the Blueshirts.
With that said, this is a game that the Blueshirts cannot afford to take lightly, especially since the Islanders scored six goals on them in a 6-4 loss back in October. The Islanders are a young hockey club that certainly has the opportunity to exploit the Rangers’ weaknesses.
According to team beat writer Andrew Gross of The Record, team head coach John Tortorella tinkered with the lines in practice yesterday and could use them in tonight’s game.
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Tags: Erik+Christensen, John+Tortorella, Marian+Gaborik, Martin+Biron, New+York+Islanders, New+York+Rangers, Scotty+Hockey, Sean+Avery,
Blueshirts Miss Opportunity to Defeat Penguins
by Patrick Hoffman on 11/30/10 at 12:37 PM ET
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The scoreboard may have read 3-1 at the sound of the Madison Square Garden buzzer but this was a game in which the New York Rangers could have beaten the Pittsburgh Penguins, who won their seventh straight game last night.
They had a several-minute lapse in the second period that really cost them the game as the Penguins scored two quick goals off the sticks of defenseman Kris Letang and forward Chris Connor. Other than that lapse, however, it was a solid game for the Blueshirts.
Now, I know that you folks probably want me to mention the Sidney Crosby “slue-foot” or however you spell it, but I am not going to talk about that here. It is what it is and it does not even matter as the Rangers probably would have lost with or without it.
What I will talk about is the Rangers missing the net. The team had several scoring chances in the third period and they just could not hit the net for one reason or another. Blueshirts’ forward Alex Frolov is a player that sticks out in my mind when it comes to this as is defenseman Michael Del Zotto, who has a great shot but has trouble finding the net with it.
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Tags: Alex+Frolov, Chris+Connor, Henrik+Lundqvist, Kris+Letang, Michael+Del+Zotto, New+York+Islanders, New+York+Rangers, Pittsburgh+Penguins,
Blueshirts Week Ahead
by Patrick Hoffman on 11/29/10 at 08:00 AM ET
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I would like to introduce you folks to a new feature here at the Goal Line Report: Blueshirts’ Week Ahead.
I do a similar feature over at RLD Hockey. However, unlike RLD Hockey, this feature will focus on the New York Rangers and will include players to keep an eye on and the team’s games of the week.
This is something I will do every Monday morning from here on out.
Players to Keep an Eye on
- Henrik Lundqvist
Coming off two straight wins, it will be interesting to see if New York Rangers’ goaltender Henrik Lundqvist can carry it into this week against the Pittsburgh Penguins, New York Islanders (2) and Ottawa Senators.
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Tags: Erik+Christensen, Henrik+Lundqvist, Marian+Gaborik, New+York+Islanders, New+York+Rangers, Ottawa+Senators, Pittsburgh+Penguins,
Is Lundqvist Back on Track?
by Patrick Hoffman on 11/28/10 at 02:44 PM ET
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After being out of town for the last two days, it was nice to see the New York Rangers get the job done on the road and get back-to-back wins against the Florida Panthers and Nashville Predators.
It was even nicer to see that Blueshirts’ netminder Henrik Lundqvist started both games and played well in them. Unfortunately, I did not get to watch either game but just looking at his statistics, it looks like he faced a lot of rubber and was able to pick-up his second shutout of the season against the Panthers and get the shootout victory against the Predators last night by stopping all three Predator shooters.
It may just be two games but for Lundqvist, they should be considered confidence boosters. He had been struggling up until late last week and needed to show his hockey club that he is still the backbone of the team and show them why he is considered one of the top netminders in the National Hockey League.
The Blueshirts have another big week on tap beginning tomorrow night when Sidney Crosby and the Penguins visit Madison Square Garden for a tilt. Later in the week, the Blueshirts will take on the New York Islanders in the beginning of a home-and-home series at the Coliseum on Thursday night followed by a game at MSG on Friday night before closing out the week with a game against the Ottawa Senators at the Garden on Sunday evening.
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Tags: Florida+Panthers, Henrik+Lundqvist, Nashville+Predators, New+York+Islanders, New+York+Rangers, Ottawa+Senators, Pittsburgh+Penguins, Sidney+Crosby,
Not Pretty
by Patrick Hoffman on 10/12/10 at 07:48 AM ET
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The title explains everything about the New York Rangers 6-4 loss to the New York Islanders yesterday afternoon at Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum.
The team’s defense was sloppy, the team took undisciplined penalties at crucial points in the game and lastly, they gave away two points that they should have had.
Yes, it’s early on in the season and there is plenty of time to work on these kinds of mistakes but the fact they happened against their rivals in inexcusable.
What’s also inexcusable was the play of the team’s defense. Michael Del Zotto had a tough game and Steve Eminger was often out of position to make the necessary defensive plays to help the team.
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Tags: New+York+Islanders, New+York+Rangers,
An Interesting Take on New York Islanders Radio
by Patrick Hoffman on 10/09/10 at 11:37 AM ET
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From Eric Mirlis via Mirl on Sports:
As the Islanders, after being backed into a self-constructed corner by first failing on an annual basis to come up with a radio deal to satisfy all of their fans, and then after pulling the plug on a real radio broadcast and going the cheapo route by simulcasting last year, announce that their games will be broadcast on the Hofstra student radio station, I think it might be time to jump off the ship, whether it is sinking or not.
I am a product of college radio and support it to the fullest. I was Sports Director of WNYU my senior year there, succeeding a guy you may have heard of, Kenny Albert. The New York sports media is dotted with other alumni of this program, including C.J. Papa, Rich Ackerman and Steve Cangialosi, with many more having very successful careers behind the scenes. I know how important college radio is to students that want to get into the business, and believe they should be afforded every opportunity available. I called a my fair share of basketball games while at NYU, including one at Madison Square Garden and one at Boston Garden. I had two internships while working there. Both of these internships created relationships that still remain, and have contributed to various opportunities I’ve had in my career. Even with all of that, I could never have fathomed the concept of any of us calling NHL games while still in school. Even Kenny rode the bus in the minors for a couple of seasons before his first NHL gig.
With that said, let’s talk about the Islanders’ amazing decision to place their games on a college radio station. I’ll break it down into different areas, so that all arguments on both sides can be seen:
Click here for more.
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Tags: New+York+Islanders,
An E-mail Interview with a Hockey writer/Author: Brad Kurtzberg
by Patrick Hoffman on 08/05/10 at 07:50 AM ET
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It’s certainly the dogs days of summer as the days/nights are longer, the weather is more than heating up and unfortunately, the hockey season is still a bit away.
However, we here at Kukla’s Korner like to provide you with hockey content every single day and today is no different. I was lucky enough to do an e-mail interview with Brad Kurtzberg, the New York Islanders beat writer for Inside Hockey and author of Shorthanded: The Untold Story of the Seals: Hockey’s Most Colorful Team.
Brad was kind enough to take time out of his busy schedule to tell us about how he got into the game of hockey, where he’s written, his thoughts on the Islanders and more. Enjoy:
PH: How did you get into hockey?
BK: As a fan, started when I was about 5, watching games on Channel 9 in New York with my dad. I was hooked at an early age and my love for the game just grew as I got older and understood more. The game is so exciting to watch (and play) and I think sometimes we take for granted what a high level the NHL game is played at.
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Tags: Brad+Kurtzeberg, California+Golden+Seals, Inside+Hockey, New+York+Islanders, New+York+Rangers,
Christopher Botta: Living the Dream
by Patrick Hoffman on 04/27/10 at 08:03 AM ET
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This professional hockey writer/blogger needs no introduction. He worked with the New York Islanders as a media relations executive for many years before delving into the hockey writing/blogging world full-time for well-known outlets such as IslandersPointBlank.com and NHL FanHouse at AOL. More importantly, he’s doing what he’s always wanted to do in life and that’s be involved in hockey.
He is the great Christopher Botta. Mr. Botta was kind enough to take time out of his very busy schedule to do an e-mail interview with me where he tells us how he got into the game, his time with the Islanders, his experience at IslandersPointBlank.com and Fanhouse, and his thoughts on the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Enjoy:
PH: How did you get into hockey?
CB: During my junior year at La Salle University in Philadelphia, I interned at WIP Radio for Merrill Reese - the longtime play-by-play man for the Philadelphia Eagles. I would help him get “sound” for his morning sportscasts by interviewing Flyers, Sixers and Phillies after their games. On the last day of my internship, the Flyers asked me what I was doing during my senior year. (Free help!) I worked the entire 1986-87 season when they went to the Stanley Cup Final. I worked in PR and wrote a lot of stories for their team publications. If you look at the Flyers’ version of their Stanley Cup Final program, I pretty much wrote the whole thing. It was an incredible experience for a young lad.
PH: Growing up, who was your favorite team/player?
CB: I became an Islanders fan when they were born in 1972 and I was 7. By the time they won their first Stanley Cup, John Tonelli was my favorite.
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Tags: Christopher+Botta, New+York+Islanders, NHL+Fanhouse,
Dubinsky: “We need to loosen up”
by Patrick Hoffman on 03/30/10 at 09:51 AM ET
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From Michael Obernauer at The Blueshirts Blog:
“It’s interesting what happens when you just play - you get tired of worrying about everything that you do wrong. You just go,” Dubinsky said. “I thought we played loose those last couple games like that, and then in Toronto I thought we maybe got a little bit tight again, because we’d put ourselves right back in the hunt and all of a sudden you’re tighter again. Sometimes if you’re a ways away, you’re just going.”
It would appear that’s how the Leafs (and perhaps the Islanders) are able to play, though Dubinsky said, “I’ve never been in that situation so I can’t speak for how they feel. But I feel like when there’s nothing really to play for because your last game’s going to be the first week in April, they’re just playing for themselves and playing to spoil other people’s chances of making the playoffs.
“We have a lot more on the line, but if we can just loosen it up … not to be tight and be staring at the standings every second of every day and crossing our fingers hoping for things to happen. We’ve got to take care of what’s ours first.”
Click here for more.
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Tags: Brandon+Dubinsky, New+York+Islanders, New+York+Rangers,
Rangers Get Lucky - Live to Fight Another Day
by Patrick Hoffman on 03/30/10 at 09:19 AM ET
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From great friend of the blog Andrew Gross at Ranger Rants:
If the Rangers do make the playoffs this season, it will not be so much because of Henrik Lundqvist, as coach John Tortorella has now guaranteed twice (after Saturday’s 3-2 overtime loss at Toronto and again after yesterday’s practice) but because the other Eastern Conference playoff contenders the Rangers are battling are as mind-numbingly inconsistent as they are.
Case in point: last night. The eighth-place Bruins missed a chance to move six points ahead of the Rangers and instead lost, 3-2, at home to the Sabres. Meanwhile, the ninth-place Thrashers missed a chance to tie the Bruins for eighth place as they fell at home to the Hurricanes, 4-1. The same Hurricanes Atlanta just beat in Carolina to start the home-and-home series and the same Carolina that was just in 14th place in the conference before jumping three spots. As of this morning, four of the Rangers final seven games, including tonight against the Islanders, are against the bottom four teams in the conference. Which means the Rangers, despite their season-long attempt at eliminating themselves from the postseason through their erratic play, still have a shot.
Click here for more good stuff from Andrew Gross.
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Tags: New+York+Islanders, New+York+Rangers,
Some Questions and Answers with The Rangers Tribune
by Patrick Hoffman on 03/29/10 at 06:02 PM ET
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Nicholas Montemagno of The Rangers Tribune was kind enough to answer a few questions regarding the state of the Blueshirts as the team heads into tomorrow night’s game against the New York Islanders.
PH: How tough was it for the Blueshirts to lose a point to the Maple Leafs on Saturday night in Toronto?
NM: Not being able to capture a point in that game is already beginning to come back and bite the Rangers in the behind. With the Flyers defeating the Devils on Sunday and moving ahead of the Blueshirts by six points, New York really has to kick it into gear if they want to make it before they fall out of reach. If the Rangers lose against the Islanders, I am pretty convinced that their season will be over.
PH: How does a team recover from a loss like that and keep their confidence up that they can still make the playoffs?
NM: They need to forget it right away. That game isn’t going to help them anymore and all that is important right now is theirmatch-up with the Islanders. Henrik Lundqvist is mentally stable and has a focused train of thought, so I am not too worried about him as far as letting in the flukey tying goal to Tomas Kaberle on Saturday goes. As for the defense, they need to regroup and play much better in the final seven. The Rangers blue-line had a complete collapse in overtime, which led to their downfall.
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Tags: New+York+Islanders, New+York+Rangers, Nicholas+Montemagno, The+Rangers+Tribune,
Shifting Focus to the Islanders
by Patrick Hoffman on 03/29/10 at 01:56 PM ET
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From good friend of the blog Andrew Gross at Ranger Rants:
Tortorella repeated the team needs more from its top guys. The coach didn’t add this but he could have also said, first and foremost, Marian Gaborik. Still, Tortorella said the Rangers didn’t play as badly in Toronto as he believes the media portrayed. Which brought about his second great line of the day.
“The boys are loose,” Tortorella said. “There are breakdowns as you go through, not nearly as many as everybody tends to talk about (with) this club, like we’re just a bunch of idiots out there playing.”
It will take a team effort to be the usually-scrappy Islanders tomorrow night. Tortorella confirmed that Ryan Callahan (right leg), Sean Avery (left leg) and Brian Boyle (left ankle) will all be out (Vinny Prospal and Henrik Lundqvist did not practice today for rest purposes). Tortorella also said rookie defenseman Matt Gilroy will be out of the lineup for the second straight game in favor of veteran Anders Eriksson, who made his Rangers’ debut Saturday.
Click here for more great stuff from Mr. Gross!
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Tags: New+York+Islanders, New+York+Rangers,
Rangers Crash Back Down to Earth
by Patrick Hoffman on 03/28/10 at 09:49 AM ET
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I’m back folks and unfortunately, so are the New York Rangers as they blew a 2-1 lead and lost to the Toronto Maple Leafs in overtime.
Goaltender Henrik Lundqvist allowed a suspect goal that allowed the Leafs and then in OT, the Leafs made the Blueshirts’ defense all go to one side so that one of their players could tuck in a wraparound past a stretched out Lundqvist.
The point the Rangers got now gives them 76 points on the season and puts them eight points behind the eighth place Philadelphia Flyers, who are dropping games left and right. This means that the club is still alive in the playoff hunt but a loss hereor there could set them back even further.
The team has a chance to pick up a valuable two points when they travel to Long Island on Tuesday night to take on the New York Islanders, who they defeated on Thursday night at Madison Square Garden by a score of 5-0.
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Tags: New+York+Islanders, New+York+Rangers, Toronto+Maple+Leafs,
Just a Tease
by Patrick Hoffman on 03/24/10 at 07:51 PM ET
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After watching the first two periods between the New York Rangers and New York Islanders (not in 3-D), I realize just how much the Blueshirts like to tease their fans.
Going into tonight’s tilt with the Isles, the team had dropped three straight to Montreal Canadiens, St. Louis Blues and the Boston Bruins. These were games in which the Blueshirts turned in sub-par performances.
So, what do the Rangers do tonight? They score three goals in the first period to go up 3-0 on goals from Artem Anisimov, Marian Gaborik and Michael Del Zotto.
The team has that lead going into the third period and they’re doing it with hard work, putting the puck on net, getting physical and playing good team defense. When a team can do this on a consistent basis, it usually leads to wins.
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Tags: New+Jersey+Devils, New+York+Islanders, New+York+Rangers,
Busy At Work - Something to get You Through the Afternoon
by Patrick Hoffman on 03/24/10 at 11:47 AM ET
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Good afternoon folks. I am swamped at my day job but figured I’d give you something to check out to get you through the afternoon.
This comes from great friend of the blog Nicholas Montemagno at The Rangers Tribune:
Much of the media and many other private sites covering the team, including myself, have written off the Rangers chances of making the playoffs. We have said it is close to impossible and we have said that the team does not have the desire or will to paarticipate in the postseason. We say this for good reason, because what this team has showed us as of late has been embarrassing and clearly they do not know the meaning of life and death. However, what we say and what the beliefs are in the locker room are most often contradicting, which is why the players are beginning to install a “circle the wagons” atmosphere in which they lean on each other and ignore what is said out on the Internet and in the newspapers.
The main difference between a writer’s opinion and a player’s opinion is that the writer is going to base his/her statements on facts and probability, and they aren’t afraid to face reality and admit to it. The players, on the other hand, are always going to have hope and tell us that they believe, because really, at this point, they cannot do anything else but believe, otherwise they might as well just not even play the remainder of the season.
Click here for more great material from Nicholas.
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Tags: New+York+Islanders, New+York+Rangers,
Who is the best in NY and NJ?
by Patrick Hoffman on 02/16/10 at 04:06 PM ET
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Over at MSG.com, they are running a “Best On Ice” poll that celebrates local players from the New York Rangers, New York Islanders and New Jersey Devils.
Fans debate these kinds of things here on KK, on other hockey sites, message boards and at games themselves so MSG decided to bring this promotion to the Interweb and make it a lot more fun.
In this poll, fans choose the best local player at each position so feel free to check it out here
Filed in: | Goal Line Report | Permalink
Tags: New+Jersey+Devils, New+York+Islanders, New+York+Rangers,
Thoughts on Turco, Gaborik and Biron
by Patrick Hoffman on 02/10/10 at 02:15 PM ET
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From good friend of the blog Jim Cerny at Rink Rap:
The Dallas Stars made an interesting trade yesterday, picking up injury-prone goaltender Kari Lehtonen from Atlanta for defense prospect Ivan Vishnevskiy and a 4th round draft pick.
My immediate reactions were: Marty Turco (above photo) is playing his final days in Dallas, and Don Waddell better have a game plan for all the young defensemen he is stockpiling in Atlanta because he sure isn’t filling the club’s biggest need, offensively-capabale forwards.
Turco, at age 34 and with a salary of just under $6 million, is an unrestricted free agent at the end of the year. His play has declined the past few seasons, though it should be noted he was tremendous in the playoffs just two years ago leading the Stars to the Western Conference Finals. Once a Vezina Trophy-candidate, now Turco is a good goalie who is not considered good enough for a legit contender.
I think Turco will go, but will it be now—-prior to the trade deadline—-or as a free agent this summer? Not sure the market is hot for Turco right now, especially with cheaper options like Martin Biron available.
Click here for more of Jim’s thoughts on Turco, Marian Gaborik and Martin Biron.
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Tags: Dallas+Stars, Marian+Gaborik, Martin+Biron, Marty+Turco, New+York+Islanders, New+York+Rangers,
