Goal Line Report
Entries with the tag: New+York+rangers
Time for Another New Winning Streak
by Patrick Hoffman on 02/19/12 at 04:15 PM ET
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With the New York Rangers having missed a chance to extend their winning streak to five games with a loss to the Chicago Blackhawks on Thursday night, the team will look to start a new one from the Columbus Blue Jackets tonight (8:00 p.m.) at Madison Square Garden.
The Blue Jackets, the worst team in the National Hockey League, is coming off a 6-1 loss to the Chicago Blackhawks last night. They are struggling to score goals, not getting good goaltending and one player may not even be getting along the team’s own fans.
At the other end, the Blueshirts are at the top of the Eastern Conference and seven points behind the league-leading Detroit Red Wings. The team is also 7-2-1 in their last 10 games and have been getting their offense going, playing terrific on the defensive side of the puck and getting Vezina Trophy-like goaltending from Henrik Lundqvist.
For the Rangers, it will be important for them to not take this game lightly. Playing in front of your own fans and against the league’s worst teams might make the Rangers want to get too cute with the puck or try and do too much and when that happen, the Blueshirts usually end up in trouble.
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Tags: Chicago+Blackhawks, Columbus+Blue+Jackets, Detroit+Red+Wings, Henrik+Lundqvist, New+York+Rangers,
Wake-Up Call
by Patrick Hoffman on 02/17/12 at 08:00 AM ET
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That is exactly what the New York Rangers got last night in their 4-2 loss to the Chicago Blackhawks.
Yesterday, I blogged that the Rangers had to get off to a good start and put pressure on the Blackhawks early, especially since the Blackhawks were coming into the game having lost nine straight. Unfortunately for the Blueshirts, the exact opposite happened.
The team allowed four goals in the first period as the Blackhawks jumped on the Rangers early and often. In fact, the Blackhawks’ four goals came in the first 9:38 of the first period, including a penalty shot goal by Blackhawks’ captain Jonathan Toews.
What surprised many was that Rangers’ head coach John Tortorella kept goaltender Martin Biron in the game despite the bad first period. Fortunately for the Rangers, Biron was sharp the rest of the way and ended up with 18 saves on 22 shots.
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Tags: Carl+Hagelin, Chicago+Blackhawks, Columbus+Blue+Jackets, Corey+Crawford, John+Tortorella, Marc+Staal, Martin+Biron, New+York+Rangers,
Struggling Blackhawks Visit Blueshirts
by Patrick Hoffman on 02/16/12 at 03:00 PM ET
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The New York Rangers, one of the league’s hottest teams right now, will take on a struggling Chicago Blackhawks hockey club tonight at Madison Square Garden.
The Blackhawks have lost nine straight games and are currently struggling in all areas of their game. They are not scoring goals like they used to, not playing tight defense and getting wildly inconsistent goaltending from both Corey Crawford and Ray Emery.
On the other end, the Blueshirts come into tonight’s tilt having won four straight games. In their most recent game, which was on Tuesday night in Boston against the Boston Bruins, the team got a 42-save shutout performance from their netminder Henrik Lundqvist in a 3-0 victory.
For the Rangers, a game like tonight’s might actually be considered a “trap” game. The Rangers have won four straight, are one of the best team’s in the NHL, have played well at home and will be facing a team that is at the other end of the spectrum right now.
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Tags: Boston+Bruins, Chicago+Blackhawks, Columbus+Blue+Jackets, Corey+Crawford, Henrik+Lundqvist, New+York+Rangers, Ray+Emery,
Talking Rangers’ Puck with Scotty Hockey
by Patrick Hoffman on 02/16/12 at 08:00 AM ET
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If you are a New York Rangers’ fan that goes around looking for Blueshirts’ related blogs, than I am sure you have heard of Scotty Hockey.
Scotty, a great blogging friend of mine and a frequent interviewee here at Kukla’s Korner, is an extremely honest Rangers’ blogger who tells it like it is. He was nice enough to take time out of his busy schedule to give us his thoughts on all things Rangers’ hockey:
PH: What are your general thoughts on the play of the New York Rangers this season?
SH: Shock and delight? The Blueshirts have overcome a staggering variety of issues to rise to the top of the league. They are largely entertaining to watch and they have the best goaltender in the business. They have yet to have a healthy blue line and have yet to play 60 minutes of high level hockey. The power play has been an abomination, Brad Richards has virtually no chemistry with anyone and their big strategy is to dump and chase. And yet they have risen to the top of the league.
PH: In your opinion, what are just a few reasons why the Rangers have been successful this season?
SH: Hard work and Henrik Lundqvist.
PH: Why do you think Marian Gaborik has had such a turnaround season this year?
SH: Less pressure and no injuries. Gabby hurt his shoulder early in the last campaign and he struggled to get his shot back the rest of the year. His runningmate Vinny Prospal also missed plenty of time, placing even more pressure on the Slovak’s shoulders and they couldn’t take it. This campaign started comfortably, with him getting to play preseason games at home and he has been able to build from there.
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Tags: New+York+Rangers, Scotty+Hockey,
Talking Puck with Katie Baker of Grantland.com
by Patrick Hoffman on 02/15/12 at 12:00 PM ET
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As we all know, there are a lot of terrific hockey bloggers out there.
One that has really become one of the best this season is Katie Baker of Grantland.com. Katie was kind enough to take time out of her busy schedule to tell us about how she got into hockey, how she became a hockey blogger, how she got the hockey blogging gig at Grantland.com and more.
PH: How did you get into hockey?
KB: I was in fifth grade during the parallel playoff runs by the Knicks and Rangers in 1994 and that’s really one of the things that got me hooked. Basically every night for like three months there was either a big basketball or hockey game on, and that’s when I started listening to WFAN and begging my dad to bring home the Post and New York Times every day from the office. As the years went by I got even more into hockey thanks in part to the growth of the Internet—IRC, Usenet, etc—which connected me with other fans.
PH: Growing up, who was your favorite team/player? Why?
KB: Rangers. I loved Brian Leetch a lot but Mark Messier was always my favorite. I went through kind of an awkward phase in my adolescence where I read a ton of books on the 80’s Oilers and I always felt horribly robbed that I had been too young to really see those teams operate. So Messier was a link to that, and I mean, he was just a complete badass. He was a borderline mythological figure in my eyes. This paragraph can also be used to describe Esa Tikkanen, btw.
PH: At what point in your life did you know that you wanted to be a f/t writer/blogger?
KB: I always loved to write. As a kid I would make little books and all that, and throughout high school and college I wrote for the school newspapers. (Even throughout my teens I did a ton of “writing,” if you can call it that, on various message boards.) I also read as much quality writing, and sportswriting in particular, that I could. My junior year in college was the big fork in the road. I got two summer internships, one in finance and one at a sports magazine. I took the finance job and hoped at the time that in five years time my writing would still be the same and I could always go back and try that out if I wasn’t happy with what I was doing. That’s basically what happened, although it took six years not five.
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Tags: Grantland.com, Katie+Baker, New+York+Rangers, Pittsburgh+Penguins,
Lundqvist Dominates Bruins in 3-0 Shutout Win
by Patrick Hoffman on 02/15/12 at 08:00 AM ET
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There should no reason to be surprised anymore when it comes to New York Rangers’ goaltender Henrik Lundqvist.
Last night, the “King” made 42 saves in a 3-0 shutout victory over the Boston Bruins. It was Lundqvist’s seventh shutout of the league, which puts him first in the league.
Lundqvist’s statistics are simply terrific when it comes to NHL netminders. The soon to be 30-year-old netminder now has 27 wins (4th in the league), a 1.77 goals against average (2nd in the league), a .941 save percentage (1st in the league) and as mentioned above, 7 shutouts (1st in the league).
It may have been a 3-0 win but Lundqvist was busy all night in Beantown. In the third period alone, Lundqvist made 18 saves and in the period before that, stopped 14 shots. He was simply terrific and was the main reason why the Blueshirts won the game.
The team got goals from Ryan Callahan (a power play goal…his 23rd of the season), Ryan McDonagh (his second goal in as many games), and Artem Anisimov (2 goals in his last three games). The club also did a good job of clearing rebounds, blocking shots and working hard in front of their netminder.
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Tags: Artem+Anisimov, Boston+Bruins, Chicago+Blackhawks, Henrik+Lundqvist, Martin+Biron, New+York+Rangers, Ryan+Callahan, Ryan+McDonagh,
Big Tilt in Beantown
by Patrick Hoffman on 02/14/12 at 12:00 PM ET
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The New York Rangers and Boston Bruins, two of the NHL’s Original Six franchises, happen to be two of the top teams in both the Eastern Conference and NHL this season.
With that said, it is the Blueshirts that come into this game with the better record and position in the standings. The Rangers are seven points up on the second place Bruins going into tonight’s game.
The Blueshirts are coming off a weekend sweep of the Philadelphia Flyers and Washington Capitals. Combined, the Rangers outscored their opponents 8-4 this past weekend and hope to carry that offense tonight against a very good defensive hockey team.
The Rangers are being led by their captain, Ryan Callahan, right now. Callahan is coming off a 4-goal weekend and is now second on the team in scoring with 22 goals and 19 assists for 41 points.
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Tags: Boston+Bruins, Brad+Richards, Henrik+Lundqvist, Marian+Gaborik, New+York+Rangers, Philadelphia+Flyers, Ryan+Callahan, Washington+Capitals,
Rangers Talk with Brian Monzo
by Patrick Hoffman on 02/14/12 at 08:00 AM ET
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One of the best bloggers out there when it comes to the New York Rangers is Brian Monzo of WFAN.com.
Monzo was kind enough to take some time out of his busy schedule to give us his thoughts on all things Blueshirts:
PH: What are your general thoughts on the play of the New York Rangers this season?
BM: I mean, there aren’t too many bad things you can say. They just keep winning every game. What is most impressive is that fact that when they do lose a game, or even two, that’s it. They have yet to go on a prolonged losing streak.
PH: In your opinion, what are just a few reasons why the Rangers have been successful this season?
BM: As usual, it starts in net. Henrik Lundqvist at this point is not only the leader for the Vezina Trophy, but there needs to be serious consideration for him being he MVP of the league. There are many games that he wins on his own. Marian Gaborik being healthy has been enormous and the play of their young defenseman (Girardi, Del Zotto and McDonagh) has propelled them to tops in the East.
PH: Why do you think Marian Gaborik has had such a turnaround season this year?
BM: He is healthy. Everyone seems to forget last season that he had a long-term shoulder and a concussion. I also do not believe his shoulder was 100% healthy at any point last season. He is playing now with players like Derek Stepan and Artem Anisimov who find ways to get him the puck in position to score goals as well.
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Tags: Brian+Monzo, New+York+Rangers, WFAN.com,
Finding Another Gear
by Patrick Hoffman on 02/12/12 at 07:25 PM ET
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That is exactly what the New York Rangers are doing and for right now at least, it seems to be working.
Coming off a 5-2 win over the Philadelphia Flyers yesterday afternoon, the team knew that it would be in tough this afternoon against the Washington Capitals. Like the team has much of this season, the Blueshirts stood tough and came away with a 3-2 victory over Alex Ovechkin and the Capitals.
The team got another terrific performance from their goaltender, Henrik Lundqvist. Lundqvist made 24 saves on 26 shots for his 26th win of the season. If he continues to play this way, the Vezina Trophy for the league’s top netminder should be his come near the end of June.
The club also got a big goal from defenseman Ryan McDonagh. McDonagh gave the Rangers a 2-1 lead 13:21 into the second period and it turned out to be the game winner.
The goal did not come so easily for McDonagh as on the follow through, he twisted awkwardly and got his skate caught in the ice and fell. He was helped to the dressing room but luckily, returned to finish the game.
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Tags: Alex+Ovechkin, Boston+Bruins, Detroit+Red+Wings, Henrik+Lundqvist, New+York+Rangers, Philadelphia+Flyers, Ryan+Callahan, Ryan+McDonagh, Washington+Capitals,
Rangers’ Best Players Come Through in Win Over the Flyers
by Patrick Hoffman on 02/11/12 at 03:41 PM ET
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When it comes to any professional sport, you always want the best players on your team to play like the best and come up big when they need to.
This happened for the New York Rangers this afternoon in their 5-2 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers at the Wells Fargo Center. For the Rangers, it was their fifth straight victory over the Flyers this season.
The reason why the Rangers came away with the victory this afternoon is because their big-time players came through. For starters, the team captain, Ryan Callahan, scored a hat trick. Callahan now has 21 goals on the season.
Marian Gaborik and Brad Richards also had big games for the Blueshirts. Marian Gaborik picked-up a goal and three assists for four points while Richards also had three assists in the game.
Other forwards that came up big for the Rangers were Derek Stepan (2 assists) and Artem Anisimov (1 goal). Anisimov has really picked-up his game since being reunited with Stepan and Gaborik and now has 5 points (1 goal and 4 assists) in his last four games.
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Tags: Artem+Anisimov, Brad+Richards, Derek+Stepan, Detroit+Red+Wings, Henrik+Lundqvist, Marian+Gaborik, New+York+Rangers, Philadelphia+Flyers, Ryan+Callahan, Washington+Capitals,
Richards Wins It for the Blueshirts
by Patrick Hoffman on 02/10/12 at 08:49 AM ET
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When the New York Rangers went out and signed high-priced free agent Brad Richards to a nine year deal during the off-season, it is games like last night that the Blueshirts had envisioned for him.
After Brian Boyle tied the game up at 3-3 in the third period, the Rangers’ assistant captain Richards scored the game winner in overtime off a great feed from Artem Anisimov to give his team a 4-3 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning. For Richards, it was his seventh game winning goal of the season, which is good for second in the NHL.
While Richards may not have the point totals that people expected (17 goals and 18 assists for 35 points), he has certainly come up big when the team has needed him the most. Everyone remembers the goal he scored at the buzzer to defeat the Phoenix Coyotes. Everyone also probably remembers the game tying goal he scored against the Anaheim Ducks over in Sweden at the beginning of the season.
Richards is keeping up his end of the bargain by coming through in the clutch, something he has done throughout his career. Hopefully, he will come up even bigger come playoff time.
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Tags: Anaheim+Ducks, Artem+Anisimov, Brad+Richards, Brian+Boyle, New+York+Rangers, Philadelphia+Flyers, Phoenix+Coyotes, Tampa+Bay+Lightning,
Blueshirts Looking for Offense
by Patrick Hoffman on 02/09/12 at 08:27 AM ET
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While the New York Rangers may have gotten screwed out of picking up at least a point against the New Jersey Devils in their 1-0 loss on Tuesday night, it still does not change the fact that this team is currently having trouble scoring goals.
Yes, the team put four in on Sunday afternoon against the Philadelphia Flyers but before that and right now, the offense has been kept quiet. As of right now, Rangers’ forwards Marian Gaborik and Ryan Callahan seem like the only two players that are consistently generating scoring chances.
However, guys like Derek Stepan, Brad Richards, Brian Boyle and others are struggling to score goals. Prior to these last few weeks, the Rangers had scoring depth and right now, it appears to be missing.
When this happens, it puts a ton of pressure on the team’s goaltenders Henrik Lundqvist and Martin Biron. It is like the goaltenders have to be as close to perfect as possible in order to win a hockey game.
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Tags: Brad+Richards, Brian+Boyle, Derek+Stepan, Dwayne+Roloson, Henrik+Lundqvist, Marian+Gaborik, Martin+Biron, Mathieu+Garon, New+York+rangers, Philadelphia+Flyers, Ryan+Callahan, Tampa+Bay+Lightning,
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,
Rangers Need to Set The Pace Against the Flyers
by Patrick Hoffman on 02/04/12 at 03:28 PM ET
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From Brian Monzo at CBSNewYork.com/WFAN.com:
-Start the game by taking the body. This really goes for any game, but the Rangers need to expect the Flyers to come out angry since they’ve been handled by New York so far this season. Whether it be Brandon Prust or Ryan Callahan, someone needs to set the tone early. If it’s the Flyers doing it, the Rangers could be in for a long afternoon.
-Get the defense involved in the offense. Since the Rangers’ offense is pretty spread around, success has come in games when their defensemen have scored goals. Michael Del Zotto and Anton Stralman both can get involved when need be, but Ryan McDonagh and Marc Staal should both be joining the rush as much as possible. Fortunately for the Rangers, their goaltending has been extraordinary enough that if this backfires, Henrik Lundqvist should be able to handle any odd man rushes.
Click here for more great stuff from Monzo.
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Tags: Brian+Monzo, CBSNewYork.com, New+York+Rangers, WFAN.com,
Not the Right Fit
by Patrick Hoffman on 02/03/12 at 11:42 AM ET
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This is exactly what could be said of former New York Rangers’ forward Erik Christensen.
There is no doubt that Christensen had a lot of offensive potential. He is a great passer, solid in the shootout and has good vision.
With that said, Christensen never used the above-mentioned talents on a consistent basis. When he was not hurt, Christensen often found himself in head coach John Tortorella’s dog house and rightly so, since his play never fit into the team’s identity.
May be Christensen will be given a fair chance with the Minnesota Wild or may be he will continue to not do the things that made him an NHLer in the first place. The choice is really his.
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Tags: Erik+Christensen, Minnesota+Wild, New+York+Rangers,
Lundqvist Does it Again
by Patrick Hoffman on 02/01/12 at 10:35 PM ET
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Coming into tonight’s game against the Buffalo Sabres, you just knew that it was going to be a tough game for the New York Rangers.
The game lived up to that billing as the Rangers’ were able to come away with a 1-0 shootout win thanks to the shootout winner by team captain Ryan Callahan. However, the main reason the Rangers won tonight’s game was because of the goaltending of Henrik Lundqvist.
Lundqvist made 34 saves in regulation and stopped all but one of the shootout attempts taken by the Sabres in his second straight shutout (6th of the season…tied for first in the league). Simply put, Lundqvist played the way he always has this season for his hockey club.
Had it not been for Lundqvist’s terrific play, this could have just as easily been a shutout for Sabres’ goaltender Ryan Miller. Miller, who won last night over the Montreal Canadiens, was stellar in this game in making 29 saves and giving his team every chance to win a hockey game.
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Tags: Buffalo+Sabres, Detroit+Red+Wings, Henrik+Lundqvist, New+York+Rangers, Philadelphia+Flyers, Ryan+Callahan, Ryan+Miller,
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,
He’s Earned It
by Patrick Hoffman on 01/29/12 at 10:59 AM ET
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From Jesse Spector at The Sporting News:
Coaching in the All-Star Game is a validation of the job that John Tortorella has done behind the New York Rangers’ bench this season, even if he chooses not to see it that way.
“It’s an honor, but it isn’t me,” the coach of the Eastern Conference’s top team said on Friday. “I’m standing in, along with (New York’s players on the All-Star teams) as part of an organization that has found their way through the first half of the year. It’s a half of the year break, and they’ve recognized how teams have played and individuals have played. I’m standing in, and it’s an honor, but it’s certainly not an individual honor. It’s to represent the New York Rangers.”
“He wears his emotions on his sleeve, and I think that’s a real valuable thing,” said San Jose Sharks coach Todd McLellan, who will share the reins of Team Alfredsson with Tortorella on Sunday, while Claude Julien of the Boston Bruins calls the line changes for Team Chara. “Teams often take the identity of their coach, and over time I believe that’s happened in New York. They’re a scrappy group, a competitive group. They pay the price, they block shots every night. They obviously have some talent. But I think those characteristics, that he’s promoted there, and that he carries on his sleeve, have rubbed off on his players and they’re in first place for a reason.”
Click here for more on Tortorella.
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Tags: John+Tortorella, New+York+Rangers,
In a Good Place
by Patrick Hoffman on 01/26/12 at 08:34 AM ET
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This is exactly what the New York Rangers are in heading into the NHL All-Star Break this weekend.
The team currently sits in the top spot in the Atlantic Division while also being in first in the Eastern Conference with 66 points. While there is still a lot of hockey left to be played, there really is not much Rangers’ fans can complain about these days.
With that said, the trick for the Blueshirts when they come back from the All-Star break is to keep up their solid play. Too often has the league seen teams letup and while it creates for some intriguing hockey, this is not the position the Rangers should want to put themselves in.
All season long, team head coach John Tortorella has preached a one day or one game at a time motto. While it is easier said than done, especially considering the amount of success the Blueshirts have had this season, it is something that the team needs to live every single day.
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Tags: John+Tortorella, New+York+Rangers, NHL+ALL-Star+Break,
One more Before the Break
by Patrick Hoffman on 01/24/12 at 08:00 AM ET
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The New York Rangers are back in action tonight to take on the Winnipeg Jets at Madison Square Garden before taking a few days off for the NHL All-Star break.
The Blueshirts are coming off a big 3-2 overtime victory over the Boston Bruins thanks to a goal from Marian Gaborik. It was the Rangers’ 30th win of the season and as it stands right now, the team is tied for first in the Eastern Conference with the Boston Bruins with 64 points.
Tonight, the Blueshirts take on a team that they have beaten twice in the Jets. In both of those games, the team got excellent goaltending from Martin Biron. As such, one has to wonder if he will be in between the pipes tonight for the red, white, and blue Rangers.
For the Rangers, tonight’s tilt could be looked at as a “trap” game. As I mentioned earlier, the Blueshirts are tied for first in the East while the Jets are 10th in the East and three points out of the eighth and final spot.
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Tags: Boston+Bruins, Eastern+Conference, Marian+Gaborik, Martin+Biron, New+York+Rangers, Winnipeg+Jets,
Rangers’ PP Comes Through in the Clutch In Win Over the Bruins
by Patrick Hoffman on 01/21/12 at 05:47 PM ET
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For much of the season, the New York Rangers’ power play has been lackluster to say the least.
It looked like that was going to be the case again this afternoon against the Boston Bruins until overtime when the Rangers’ were awarded a five minute power play when Andrew Ference hit defenseman Ryan McDonagh from behind. It was then that Rangers’ sniper Marian Gaborik came through by beating Bruins’ netminder Tuukka Rask to give the Rangers a 3-2 victory.
It was Marian Gaborik’s second goal of the afternoon, giving “Gabby” 25 goals on the season. His first of the afternoon came of a blocked shot on Carl Hagelin and he sniped one past Rask to give the Rangers a 2-1 lead.
This was a game that lived up to everyone’s expectations. There was lots of hitting, lots of blocked shots, great goaltending from Henrik Lundqvist (32 saves) and Rask (30 saves), and had the feel of a playoff game.
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Tags: Andrew+Ference, Boston+Bruins, Eastern+Conference, Henrik+Lundqvist, John+Tortorella, Madison+Square+Garden, Marian+Gaborik, New+York+Rangers, Ryan+McDonagh, Tuukka+Rask, Winnipeg+Jets,
Big Tilt in Beantown
by Patrick Hoffman on 01/21/12 at 12:00 PM ET
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When the NHL calendar came out, there probably were not many people thinking that the game between the Boston Bruins and New York Rangers would mean much on Saturday, January 21.
As it turns out, these people are probably surprised that today’s tilt could end up being one of the best games to watch this season. Heading into the key match-up between the two Original Six franchises, both the Bruins and the Rangers are not only at the top of their respective divisions, but are also number one (Rangers) and two (Bruins) in the Eastern Conference heading into this afternoon’s game.
For much of the season, the Boston Bruins have been the story of the National Hockey League. After starting out the season with what appeared to be a “Stanley Cup hangover”.
However, once November hit, the Bruins started like playing the defending Stanley Cup champions that they were supposed to be. They did not lose a game in regulation and are currently 30-13-1 with 61 points.
The club has offensive depth, a strong defense and possibly the best goaltending tandem in the NHL. Hard to beat, right?
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Tags: Atlantic+Division, Boston+Bruins, Henrik+Lundqvist, New+York+Rangers, Northeast+Division,
Lundqvist Named Assistant Captain at All-Star Game
by Patrick Hoffman on 01/21/12 at 11:04 AM ET
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From NHL.com:
Goaltender Henrik Lundqvist of the New York Rangers and forward Joffrey Lupul of the Toronto Maple Leafs have been named Assistant Captains for the 2012 NHL All-Star Weekend in Ottawa, the National Hockey League Players’ Association and the National Hockey League announced today. Lundqvist joins the team of Captain Daniel Alfredsson from the All-Star host Ottawa Senators while Lupul becomes part of the team of Captain Zdeno Chara of the Boston Bruins.
The Assistant Captains will assist with the team selection process during the 2012 Molson Canadian NHL All-Star Player Fantasy Draft™ on Thursday, Jan. 26 (8 p.m., ET, TSN, RDS, NBC Sports Network) and will help their Captains set their team rosters and lineups for the 2012 Molson Canadian NHL All-Star Skills Competition™ on Saturday, Jan. 28 (7 p.m., ET, CBC, RDS, NBC Sports Network) and the 2012 Tim Hortons NHL® All-Star Game on Sunday, Jan. 29 (4 p.m., ET, CBC, RDS, NBC Sports Network).
Lundqvist has backstopped the Rangers to first place in the Eastern Conference standings, posting a 20-10-4 record with a 1.93 goals-against average, .936 save percentage and four shutouts in 34 appearances. The 29-year-old has competed alongside Alfredsson for their native Sweden in two Olympic Winter Games, including the gold medal-winning side in 2006. Lundqvist is the only goaltender in NHL history to post at least 30 victories in each of his first six NHL seasons and is on track to extend that mark in 2011-12. He will be making his third consecutive NHL All-Star Game appearance.
Click here for more on the assistant captains at the ASG.
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Tags: Henrik+Lundqvist, New+York+Rangers,
Do Not Take Lightly
by Patrick Hoffman on 01/19/12 at 01:58 PM ET
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This is the attitude that the New York Rangers should have going into tonight’s tilt with the Pittsburgh Penguins at Madison Square Garden.
The Penguins may be without Sidney Crosby and some of their other better players but they have definitely picked-up their play in the last few games. Guys like Evgeni Malkin, who should be considered the Penguins’ most valuable player right now, and James Neal are doing everything they possibly can to keep their club afloat while Crosby is still recovering.
Furthermore, defenseman Kris Letang will be making his return to the Penguins’ line-up tonight. This will give the Penguins some added firepower and as well as a lethal threat on the power play.
Like team head coach John Tortorella said two nights ago, the club should not be thinking about the Stanley Cup right now. This Blueshirts’ hockey club has a long way to go and needs to take things on a game-by-game basis, something that has worked well for them so far this season.
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Tags: Evegni+Malkin, Henrik+Lundqvist, James+Neal, John+Tortorella, Kris+Letang, Nashville+Predators, New+York+Rangers, Pittsburgh+Penguins, Ryan+Callahan, Sidney+Crosby,
Holding Onto the Top Spot
by Patrick Hoffman on 01/18/12 at 09:24 AM ET
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That is what the New York Rangers continue to do as the team picked-up a 3-0 win over the Nashville Predators last night at Madison Square Garden.
Due to playing in a hockey game of my own, I was not able to catch any of the game. With that said, it was nice to see Henrik Lundqvist get another shutout and the team come out with a much better defensive performance than they did against the Montreal Canadiens on Sunday night in Montreal.
It was also nice to see that John Mitchell scored another goal for the Blueshirts. No one really knew whether or not Mitchell would fit in with this Rangers’ team but he has come in and gotten the job done by working hard every night, forechecking hard, going to the net and cashing in on opportunities when they present themselves.
This is a team that continues to show that it can respond well after a loss. Too many times in the past few seasons would the Rangers follow up a loss with another bad game but this season, team head coach John Tortorella has seemed to keep that to a minimum.
With the win, the Rangers improved to 29-11-4 for 62 points. The team has a one point edge over the Detroit Red Wings for first in the league and a three point edge over the Boston Bruins for first in the Eastern Conference.
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Tags: Boston+Bruins, Detroit+Red+Wings, Evgeni+Malkin, Henrik+Lundqvist, James+Neal, John+Mitchell, John+Tortorella, Montreal+Canadiens, Nashville+Predators, New+York+Rangers, Pittsburgh+Penguins, Sidney+Crosby,
A Brief E-mail Interview with Ian Laperriere
by Patrick Hoffman on 01/16/12 at 12:00 PM ET
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With all the concussions that are happening in the National Hockey League this year, I figured now would be a good time to do an e-mail interview with an NHLer who has had one and that is Ian Lapperriere.
Lapperriere has not played in the NHL since the 2009-10 season due to post-concussion syndrome. Ian was kind enough to take the time to tell us about how he got into hockey, how he became an NHLer, why he likes Twitter and more.
Enjoy:
PH: How did you get into hockey?
IL: My parents put me on skates as soon as I could walk. When I turned 5, I joined my first team.
PH: Growing up, who was your favorite team/player? Why?
IL: I am from Montreal so the Canadiens were my favorite team. Guy Lafleur and Guy Carboneau were my favorite players.
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Tags: Colorado+Avalanche, Ian+Laperriere, Los+Angeles+Kings, New+York+Rangers, Pholadelphia+Flyers, St.+Louis+Blues,
Ice Hockey in Harlem Auction
by Patrick Hoffman on 01/16/12 at 08:00 AM ET
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A few weeks ago, our fearless leader sent me an e-mail regarding a great auction that Ice Hockey in Harlem is doing on Friday, February 3rd.
Because this is for a great cause and because it is hockey-related, I figured I would share the details with you folks:
IHIH’s Winter Sports Auction brings together friends, members of the New York Rangers and Rangers alumni for an evening of fun and auction shopping in support of our kids. Since 1987, Ice Hockey In Harlem has enriched the lives of thousands of boys and girls from the Harlem community. It is anticipated that we will serve 200+ boys and girls from Harlem in the coming year. The auction raises much needed funding for our programs so that we can ensure every student has a meaningful experience.
The Auction will take place at Planet Hollywood in New York City in Times Square at the NE corner of 45th Street and Broadway. There will be an open bar, a buffet, and great raffle prizes.
This is a great organization so please consider checking into the auction. It will be well worth it and you will be doing the Ice Hockey in Harlem organization a great service by participating.
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Tags: Ice+Hockey+in+Harlem, New+York+Rangers,
Rangers Impressive in Shutout win over the Leafs
by Patrick Hoffman on 01/14/12 at 09:57 PM ET
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It may not have been the most exciting game but the New York Rangers got the job done tonight with a win over the Toronto Maple Leafs.
For the Rangers, it was important for the club to get their offense going and for the most part, the team did just that tonight with goals from guys who do not score many of them (except for one guy). The Blueshirts got goals from Mike Rupp (4th goal of the season), Brian Boyle (his first goal in 22 games and 3rd goal of the season) and Derek Stepan (10th goal of the season and an assist).
Rangers’ netminder Martin Biron also had a solid game for his hockey club tonight. Biron picked-up his second shutout and 9th win of the season. While he was not bombarded with shots, Biron was good when he needed to be in making 19 saves and also adding his third assist of the season on Stepan’s goal.
With the win, the Rangers improved to 28-10-4 with 60 points. That has them first in the Eastern Conference (three points ahead of the Boston Bruins) and as of this writing, first in the NHL, one point ahead of the Vancouver Canucks.
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Tags: Bell+Centre, Boston+Bruins, Brian+Boyle, Derek+Stepan, Henrik+Lundqvist, Joffrey+Lupul, Martin+Biron, Mike+Rupp, Mikhail+Grabovski, Montreal+Canadiens, New+York+Rangers, Phil+Kessel, Toronto+Maple+Leafs, Vancouver+Canucks,
Rangers In Toronto to Battle the Leafs
by Patrick Hoffman on 01/14/12 at 02:56 PM ET
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Coming off a 3-0 shutout loss to the Ottawa Senators, the New York Rangers will look to turn things around tonight against the Toronto Maple Leafs at the Air Canada Centre.
For the Rangers, their focus has to be on getting pucks to the net and making most of their chances. In their last two games, the team has scored just one goal in regulation while not being able to convert on many scoring opportunities.
The Blueshirts will be without forward Brandon Dubinsky once again tonight as he is nursing a sore shoulder. The team head coach, John Tortorella, wants to be careful with “Dubi” because he knows that they cannot afford to have him out of the lineup for an extended period of time.
“It’s still the same,” coach John Tortorella said of Dubinsky’s shoulder, which was initially hurt on a check by the Coyotes’ Taylor Pyatt in the first period of Tuesday’s 2-1 shootout victory, though Dubinsky finished that game. “We just don’t want it to turn into a bigger problem…We’re just trying to be careful.”
According to Andrew Gross of The Record, back-up netminder Martin Biron will get the start tonight for the Blueshirts. Biron will be looking for his ninth win of the season and more importantly, getting the Rangers back on the winning track.
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Tags: Boston+Bruins, Brandon+Dubinsky, Eastern+Conference, John+Tortorella, Martin+Biron, New+York+Rangers, Phoenix+Coyotes, Taylor+Pyatt, Toronto+Maple+Leafs,
Time to Start Again
by Patrick Hoffman on 01/12/12 at 09:42 PM ET
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That is the kind of attitude the New York Rangers should take after losing to the Ottawa Senators tonight by a score of 3-0 at Madison Square Garden.
After winning five straight game, the Senators brought the Blueshirts back down to earth and gave them only their fourth loss on home ice this season. For the Rangers, it was their second loss the Senators at the Garden this season and like the last time, was probably a game that they could have won.
However, with the way Senators’ netminder Craig Anderson played, it would have been tough for anyone to beat the Senators tonight. Anderson made 34 saves en route to his first shutout of the season and his 22nd win of the season as well.
The Rangers definitely had their chances to put the puck in the net but just could not finish. This was especially the case in the third period as the team was all around Anderson but could not find the back of the net.
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Tags: Craig+Anderson, Montreal+Canadiens, New+York+Rangers, Ottawa+Senators, Phoenix+Coyotes, Toronto+Maple+Leafs,
Lundqvist, Girardi, and Gaborik named to NHL All-Star Team
by Patrick Hoffman on 01/12/12 at 12:57 PM ET
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From Adam Kimelman at NHL.com:
The Eastern Conference-leading New York Rangers had three players selected—goaltender Henrik Lundqvist, defenseman Dan Girardi and forward Marian Gaborik.
Click here to see the rest of the NHL All-Star roster.
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Tags: 2012+NHL+All-Star+Game, New+York+Rangers,
How About Six?
by Patrick Hoffman on 01/12/12 at 09:32 AM ET
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That is what the New York Rangers will be looking to do tonight against the hot Ottawa Senators.
The Blueshirts have won five in a row and are currently playing a great brand of hockey. The club is getting timely goal scoring, great defense and excellent goaltending from both Henrik Lundqvist and Martin Biron.
The team is also showing that they can win hockey games in many different ways. The Blueshirts can take a team down in regulation, overtime, or a shootout while also being able to come from behind or hold a lead going into the third period.
On the other side, the Ottawa Senators are also playing some great hockey. In their last 10 games, the team is 7-2-1 in their last 10 games and has won two straight. Through 44 games, the Senators are 23-15-6, which is good for fifth in the Eastern Conference.
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Tags: Atlantic+Division, Eastern+Conference, Henrik+Lundqvist, Martin+Biron, Montreal+Canadies, New+York+Rangers, NHL, Northeast+Division, Ottawa+Senators, Toronto+Maple+Leafs,
Rangers Continue to Roll
by Patrick Hoffman on 01/11/12 at 08:34 AM ET
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No matter what the game is or who the team is playing, the New York Rangers always seem to find a way to win.
The team did just that last night in a 2-1 shootout win over the Phoenix Coyotes at Madison Square Garden. The Blueshirts probably could have won the game in regulation time if not for the outstanding goaltending from Coyotes’ netminder Mike Smith (31 saves) but since that did not happen, they won in the “skills competition”.
With the win, the Blueshirts improved to 27-9-4 along with picking up their fifth straight win and their 10th victory in their last 11 games. Not bad for a club that no one really knew how good they were going to be prior to the season starting, eh?
The Rangers really are playing to their identity. They work hard every night, they battle, they stick up for each other and because the team is doing all of this, they are finding ways to win hockey games.
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Tags: Derek+Stepan, Henrik+Lundqvist, Marian+Gaborik, Mike+Smith, Montreal+Canadiens, New+York+Rangers, Ottawa+Senators, Phoenix+Coyotes, Radim+Vrbata, Toronto+Maple+Leafs,
The Elusive Vezina Trophy
by Patrick Hoffman on 01/09/12 at 07:38 PM ET
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Since joining the league in the 2005-06 season, New York Rangers’ goaltender Henrik Lundqvist has been nominated the Vezina Trophy three times (2006, 2007, and 2008).
Unfortunately, he has yet to win it despite deserving to win it each of those three seasons. This season, however, might be his best chance.
Dave Lozo of NHL.com says that Lundqvist is the front-runner to win the award this season so far:
The Rangers’ rise to the top of the NHL standings has been jump-started by the 29-year-old, who has been nominated for the Vezina three times but has yet to win it. His numbers for the season are excellent—18-7-4, 1.89, .939—and he’s been even better recently. Since Dec. 1, Lundqvist is 8-3-1 with a 1.57 GAA and .947 save percentage.
The last Rangers’ masked man to win the Vezina was John Vabiesbrouck, and that was after the 1985-86 season. Prior to the “King”, the last Blueshirts’ goaltender to be nominated for the Vezina was Mike Richter after the 1990-91 season.
Should Lundqvist continue his fine play, the trophy should be his to win.
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Tags: Henrik+Lundqvist, John+Vanbiesbrouck, Mike+Richter, New+York+Rangers,
Rangers Steal Two Points in Pittsburgh
by Patrick Hoffman on 01/06/12 at 09:45 PM ET
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It was not pretty but the New York Rangers managed to find a way to win a hockey game against the Pittsburgh Penguins by a score of 3-1.
The number one reason why the Blueshirts were able to win this game was the play of their goaltender Henrik Lundqvist. Lundqvist was outstanding in making 37 saves on 38 shots. When the team lacked energy and the defense was not there to help him, Lundqvist did his usual to step up and provide the goaltending that they needed in order to win the game.
Rangers’ forward Brandon Dubinsky had himself another strong game. “Dubi” picked-up a shorthanded goal in the second period off a great feed from Ryan Callahan and also picked up an assist on Brad Richards’s goal in the first period.
The team also got a solid performance from defenseman Ryan McDonagh. McDonagh logged over 26 minutes in ice time and did a great job of blocking shots, clearing the crease, breaking up passes and playing within himself, something he has done all season long for the Blueshirts.
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Tags: Brandon+Dubinsky, Henrik+Lundqvist, New+York+Rangers, Phoenix+Coyotes, Pittsburgh+Penguins, Ryan+Callahan, Ryan+McDonagh,
Rangers’ Tortorella to Coach in NHL All-Star Game
by Patrick Hoffman on 01/06/12 at 12:18 PM ET
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From Dan Rosen at NHL.com:
The Rangers’ overtime win Thursday was significant for more than just the fact that it preserved their lead in the Eastern Conference standings. John Tortorella also clinched a spot on one of the benches in the 2012 Tim Hortons NHL All-Star Game.
The coach of the team in each conference with the best points percentage through games played on Jan. 9, which is the exact halfway point of the season, also gets the opportunity to be a part of the All-Star festivities in Ottawa from Jan. 26-29.
While the Rangers can still be caught in the points-percentage race by the Bruins, Tortorella is now guaranteed a spot because Boston’s coaching staff, led by Claude Julien, already earned its way into the All-Star Game by virtue of winning the Stanley Cup last season.
Click here for more on the NHL All-Star coaching staff.
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Tags: 2012+NHL+All-Star+Game, John+Tortorella, New+York+Rangers,
Rangers Come Through Again With Win Over Panthers
by Patrick Hoffman on 01/05/12 at 09:55 PM ET
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It seems like every single time the New York Rangers play, they find a way to win.
The team did just that tonight by defeating the Florida Panthers 3-2 in overtime on a goal by Marian Gaborik at Madison Square Garden. Gaborik had been buzzing around the Panthers’ net all night long and was finally rewarded when he got the overtime winner, his 23rd of the season.
With the win, the Rangers improved to 25-9-4 to remain in first in the Eastern Conference by 1 point over the Boston Bruins. The win was also the Blueshirts’ 11th on home ice as the team now has a 12-3-2 record on Garden Ice.
Besides Gaborik, the Rangers also got solid performances from Brad Richards (1 assist), Derek Stepan (1 assist), Ryan Callahan (1 goal), Michael Del Zotto (1 assist) and Dan Girardi. It was also nice to see defenseman Marc Staal get a bit more ice time with 12:51 minutes tonight.
Even though the Panthers scored first and also managed to knot the game up at 2-2, the Rangers controlled most of the game. The Blueshirts outshot the Panthers 41-21 and did a terrific job of getting pucks deep, forechecking and going hard to the net.
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Tags: Boston+Bruins, Brad+Richards, Dan+Girardi, Derek+Stepan, Florida+Panthers, Marc+Staal, Marian+Gaborik, Martin+Biron, Michael+Del+Zotto, New+York+Rangers, Pittsburgh+Penguins, Ryan+Callahan,
Battling the Florida Panthers
by Patrick Hoffman on 01/05/12 at 09:14 AM ET
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After what happened in last Friday night’s tilt between the New York Rangers and Florida Panthers, it is certainly going to be a battle tonight at Madison Square Garden.
In the Rangers’ 4-1 win against the Cats last week, tempers flared and the anger level was high after Blueshirts’ defenseman Michael Del Zotto was sucker punched by Panthers’ forward Tomas Kopecky after Del Zotto cross-checked him in the back a few times and high-sticked him in the face in front of the net. After the game, Panthers’ head coach Kevin Dineen said Del Zotto got what he deserved.
With both teams in the top three in the Eastern Conference (Rangers in first; Panthers in third), tonight should be a great game. Looking at the Rangers, they are clicking on all cylinders right now and have won their last two games and are obviously coming off an exciting 3-2 win at the 2012 Winter Classic over the Philadelphia Flyers.
The Florida Panthers are 4-4-2 in their last 10 but are certainly not a pushover hockey club this season. They work hard, can put the puck in the net, and can play physical hockey, as was seen last Friday night in Miami.
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Tags: 2012+Winter+Classic, Florida+Panthers, John+Tortorella, Kevin+Dineen, Michael+Del+Zotto, New+York+Rangers, Philadelphia+Flyers, Pittsburgh+Penguins, Tomas+Kopecky,
Tortorella Apologizes For Negative Comments On Officials
by Patrick Hoffman on 01/04/12 at 07:31 PM ET
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For starters, I do not think that New York Rangers’ head coach John Tortorella needed to apologize for the comments he made about the officiating after the 2012 Winter Classic in Monday evening.
The officiating was inconsistent and while it was obviously not “fixed” to go into overtime, the officials certainly tried to get it to that point. They either let of things go that were being done to the Blueshirts by the Philadelphia Flyers or they made calls against the Rangers.
It appears that Tortorella is bigger than most as he apologized by saying the following:
“They were sarcastic comments by me at the wrong time, and it was frustration on my part, as far as the referees…and what was done at the end of the game,” explained Tortorella. “Not for a second in no way, time, shape, or form did I think anything like that (fixing the game so that it goes to overtime) goes on with our league, or ever will.”
Tortorella added that his comments regarding the referees meeting with NBC to conspire at having the Winter Classic go to overtime were completely “tongue-in-cheek”. “For me to question the integrity of the league, the integrity of NBC, the integrity of (referees) Denny (LaRue) and Ian (Walsh), the Flyers, the Rangers, go right on through all the people here—-there’s not a chance I am thinking that way,” Tortorella continued. “It was wrong with my sarcasm and my frustration and I apologize to everyone involved.”
Tortorella definitely did the right thing in apologizing the league but it was just a coach who was still in the moment of the game and being sarcastic. He is definitely not the first NHL bench boss to be sarcastic.
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Tags: 2012+Winter+Classic, John+Tortorella, New+York+Rangers, Philadelphia+Flyers,
The “King” of NHL’s Masked Men
by Patrick Hoffman on 01/03/12 at 09:35 AM ET
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When it comes to the Vezina Trophy, which is awarded to the NHL’s best goaltender after every season, there is one netminder who has been up for it three times and has yet to win.
With the way this particular goaltender is playing right now, fate might have a different answer for him come near the end of June. Of course, I am talking about New York Rangers’ goaltender Henrik Lundqvist.
The 29-year-old netminder has simply been outstanding for the Blueshirts this season. In 28 games, the “King” is 17-7-4 with a 1.92 goals against average (GAA), a .937 save percentage and 3 shutouts.
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Tags: Brian+Elliot, Henrik+Lundqvist, Jimmy+Howard, Jonathan+Quick, New+York+Rangers, Tim+Thomas,
Rangers Win Classic in Philly
by Patrick Hoffman on 01/02/12 at 06:11 PM ET
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When the New York Rangers and Philadelphia Flyers were a part of the press conference at the Citizens Bank Ball Park to announce that they were the two clubs in the 2012 Winter Classic, Rangers’ general manager Glen Sather said that his team would win.
While it was no Mark Messier-like guarantee, his and head coach John Tortorella’s team did all the hard work to beat the Flyers by a score of 3-2. The win enables the Rangers’ to stay in first in the Eastern Conference while also giving the team a four-point lead over the Flyers in the Atlantic Division.
For the Rangers, this was a typical victory for them. The team overcame a 2-0 lead by working hard, forechecking, getting different guys to contribute and getting timely goaltending from their netminder.
In this particular instance, the Rangers came back from a 2-0 deficit on two goals by Mike Rupp. On both goals, Rupp put two accurate shots through Flyers’ netminder Sergei Bobrovsky and showed that if put on the ice with the right guys, he can provide some offense.
The team’s go-ahead and game winning goal also came from a summer pick-up in Brad Richards. Richards, known for his clutch plays and being in the right place at the right time, did those two things to give the Blueshirts a 3-2 lead 5:21 into the third period.
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Tags: 2012+Winter+Classic, Brad+Richards, Brandon+Dubinsky, Brandon+Prust, Daniel+Briere, Glen+Sather, Henrik+Lundqvist, John+Mitchell, John+Tortorella, Marc+Staal, Mike+Rupp, New+York+Rangers, Philadelphia+Flyers, Ryan+Callahan,
Why Now?
by Patrick Hoffman on 01/02/12 at 01:30 PM ET
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From Katie Strang at ESPNNewYork.com:
New York Rangers defenseman Marc Staal will make his season debut in the Winter Classic against the Philadelphia Flyers.
Coach John Tortorella delivered the surprising news just hours before the league’s annual outdoor game, after telling reporters Sunday that Staal would not be available to play.
While it was great to hear that Staal is ready to go, I am not sure why Tortorella decided that today was the day to reinsert him back into the lineup? While it is the 2012 Winter Classic game, it is still hockey and it is still between the Rangers and Flyers. As such, it will be rough with hard hitting and one has to wonder if the Flyers will be gunning for Staal since they know it is his first game of the season.
Click here for more on Staal.
Filed in: | Goal Line Report | Permalink
Tags: 2012+Winter+Classic, John+Tortorella, Marc+Staal, New+York+Rangers, Philadelphia+Flyers,
These Blueshirts Are for Real
by Patrick Hoffman on 01/01/12 at 07:20 PM ET
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As the New York Rangers get set to kick of 2012, it might be safe to say that these New York Rangers are for real.
Both team general manager Glen Sather and team head coach John Tortorella had a vision for this team and for once, it was the same. As such, the product on the ice has been quite successful this season so far.
The Rangers’ identity is one that is hard-working, competitive every night, has a never say die attitude and promotes team depth. Put all of these characteristics together and you have where the Rangers are today.
As of this writing, the Blueshirts are first in both the Eastern Conference and Atlantic Division with a 23-9-4 record. The team is one point ahead of the second place Boston Bruins and two points ahead of the fourth place Philadelphia Flyers.
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Tags: Artem+Anisimov, Boston+Bruins, Brad+Richards, Dan+Girardi, Derek+Stepan, Henrik+Lundqvist, Marc+Staal, Marian+Gaborik, Martin+Biron, Michael+Del+Zotto, New+York+Rangers, Philadelphia+Flyers, Ryan+Callahan,
War On Ice: New York Rangers vs. Philadelphia Flyers
by Patrick Hoffman on 12/31/11 at 12:00 PM ET
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When it comes to the greatest rivalries in the National Hockey League, many fans will point out the obvious ones whether is the Boston Bruins and Montreal Canadiens, Chicago Blackhawks and Detroit Red Wings, Toronto Maple Leafs and Montreal Canadiens, and so on and so forth.
One rivalry that deserves attention is one that will get just that on Monday afternoon at the 2012 Winter Classic, the New York Rangers and the Philadelphia Flyers.
When the NHL decided that the 2012 Winter Classic would be between the New York Rangers and the host Philadelphia Flyers, I do not think they thought that at this point in this season, it would end being such a big tilt.
The New York Rangers and the Philadelphia Flyers have one of the greatest rivalries in the league. However, over their 44-year history of playing against each other, it has turned into more than a rivalry.
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Tags: Boston+Bruins, Brandon+Prust, Chicago+Blackhawks, Detroit+Red+Wings, Henrik+Lundqvist, Montreal+Canadiens, New+York+Rangers, Philadelphia+Flyers, Toronto+Maple+Leafs, Wayne+Simmonds, Zac+Rinaldo,
Showdown in Miami
by Patrick Hoffman on 12/30/11 at 09:13 AM ET
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The New York Rangers are set to take on the Florida Panthers, a much improved hockey club this season, tonight at 7:30 p.m.
The Blueshirts are coming off a 4-1 loss to the Washington Capitals. It was a game that with a better effort and more of a finishing touch, the team probably could have won.
On the other side, the Panthers are coming off a 5-3 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs on Tuesday night. The Cats are third in the Eastern Conference with 45 points and are having one of their best seasons in franchise history.
For the Rangers, this will be a tuneup game for them as they get set to focus on the upcoming 2012 Winter Classic game against the Philadelphia Flyers on Monday, January 2. With that said, this is a tuneup game that the team cannot afford to take lightly.
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Tags: Eastern+Conference, Florida+Panthers, New+York+Rangers, Philadelphia+Flyers, Toronto+Maple+Leafs, Washington+Capitals,
Average
by Patrick Hoffman on 12/29/11 at 09:33 AM ET
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That is exactly what the New York Rangers were last night in their 4-1 loss to the Washington Capitals.
The team was not terrible but they certainly were not great either. This was a game that with better defensive coverage and less turnovers could have easily been a much better game for the Blueshirts.
What was interesting to see was how the Capitals played. Their team certainly played with a lot of energy and may have even looked like the Capitals of old.
With that said, the chances were there for the Rangers’ taking. There were plenty of juicy rebounds left by Capital’s netminder Tomas Vokoun but the Blueshirts failed to cash in on them.
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Tags: Boston+Bruins, Eastern+Conference, Florida+Panthers, Henrik+Lundqvist, John+Tortorella, Martin+Biron, New+York+Rangers, Philadelphia+Flyers, Phoenix+Coyotes, Tomas+Vokoun, Washington+Capitals,
A Forgotten Blueshirt
by Patrick Hoffman on 12/28/11 at 12:03 PM ET
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From Stan Fischler at MSGNetwork.com:
They didn’t call Johnny Wilson “Iron Man” for nothing.
Wilson, a former Ranger, played in 580 consecutive National Hockey League games, eclipsing the record of 508, set by an original Ranger, Murray Murdoch.
Many who knew Wilson—he passed away on Tuesday at the age of 82—mourn his death not merely for what he accomplished in hockey with Toronto, Detroit, Chicago and New York, but for the grand person that he was.
Click here for more on Wilson from the “Maven”.
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Tags: Johnny+Wilson, MSGNetwork.com, New+York+Rangers, Stan+Fischler,
